france24--2020-04-18--France will not age-discriminate in Covid-19 lockdown lift, govt says in about-turn

Residents are seen at the La Weiss retirement home ( EHPAD - Housing Establishment for Dependant Elderly People ) in Kaysersberg , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues in France , April 16 , 2020 .
Picture taken April 16 , 2020 .
After Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France will reverse its coronavirus lockdown on May 11 , the Élysée Palace announced on Friday evening that confinement measures will be lifted for the elderly along with the rest of the population – despite the government ’ s chief scientific adviser saying on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 ” should stay at home .
Ahead of a public address by France ’ s prime minister and health minister on Sunday – when they are expected to detail how the country will move to the post-lockdown stage – the presidential office said that quarantines will be lifted for all , with “ no discrimination ” between age groups , adding that people are expected to take “ responsibility ” in deciding how to protect themselves from Covid-19 .
But that contradicted a previous message from the government ’ s chief scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday that people aged over “ 65 or 70 ” should remain confined .
This reinforced his statement on April 13 : “ We will ask the most vulnerable – the elderly , those with chronic illnesses and severe disabilities – to stay under lockdown after May 11 , at least to start with.
” Speaking to French radio station RTL on Saturday , Delfraissy said he was misunderstood , insisting that he “ wanted to say ” that “ a certain number of people in France will still be at risk after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s up to them decide what steps to take after May 11 .
The elderly are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus in France and across the globe .
More than 7,000 people in French nursing homes and social care centres have succumbed to Covid-19 .
In light of the risk the virus continues to pose to old people and those with long-term health conditions , the EU has argued that protections should stay in place for them for “ longer ” .
> > How long will social distancing last ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only bone of contention ahead of May 11 .
The Macron government also plans to send children back to school on that date – drawing the ire of one of its most prominent left-wing opponents : “ I don ’ t see how we can reopen schools on May 11 , ” Lille Mayor Martine Aubry said on Friday .
Usually there are “ around 23 or 24 children in a class ” , she noted , arguing that “ I don ’ t see how we can have them there in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
> > For some survivors , coronavirus complications can last a lifetime

After Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France will reverse its coronavirus lockdown on May 11, the Élysée Palace announced on Friday evening that confinement measures will be lifted for the elderly along with the rest of the population – despite the government’s chief scientific adviser saying on Wednesday that people aged “over 65 or 70” should stay at home.
Residents are seen at the La Weiss retirement home (EHPAD - Housing Establishment for Dependant Elderly People) in Kaysersberg, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in France, April 16, 2020. Picture taken April 16, 2020.
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Ahead of a public address by France’s prime minister and health minister on Sunday – when they are expected to detail how the country will move to the post-lockdown stage – the presidential office said that quarantines will be lifted for all, with “no discrimination” between age groups, adding that people are expected to take “responsibility” in deciding how to protect themselves from Covid-19.
But that contradicted a previous message from the government’s chief scientific adviser Jean-François Delfraissy, who said on Wednesday that people aged over “65 or 70” should remain confined. This reinforced his statement on April 13: “We will ask the most vulnerable – the elderly, those with chronic illnesses and severe disabilities – to stay under lockdown after May 11, at least to start with.”
>> Coronavirus crisis throws a lifeline to Macron's troubled presidency
Speaking to French radio station RTL on Saturday, Delfraissy said he was misunderstood, insisting that he “wanted to say” that “a certain number of people in France will still be at risk after the lockdown ends” – adding that it’s up to them decide what steps to take after May 11.
The elderly are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus in France and across the globe. More than 7,000 people in French nursing homes and social care centres have succumbed to Covid-19. In light of the risk the virus continues to pose to old people and those with long-term health conditions, the EU has argued that protections should stay in place for them for “longer”.
>> How long will social distancing last?
The situation for the elderly is not the only bone of contention ahead of May 11. The Macron government also plans to send children back to school on that date – drawing the ire of one of its most prominent left-wing opponents: “I don’t see how we can reopen schools on May 11,” Lille Mayor Martine Aubry said on Friday.
Usually there are “around 23 or 24 children in a class”, she noted, arguing that “I don’t see how we can have them there in the classroom while maintaining social distancing rules”.
>> For some survivors, coronavirus complications can last a lifetime
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-04-18--Turkey's Covid-19 cases overtake Iran to become highest in Middle East

A worker in a protective suit sprays disinfectant at Grand Bazaar , known as the Covered Bazaar , to prevent @ @ @ @ @ ( COVID-19 ) , in Istanbul , Turkey , March 25 , 2020 .
Turkey @ @ @ @ @ risen to 82,329 , Health MinisterFahrettin Koca said on Saturday , overtaking neighbouring Iran for @ @ @ @ @ the highest total in the Middle East .
An increase of 3,783 cases in the @ @ @ @ @ Turkey 's confirmed tally within a few hundred of China , where the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ 121 more people have died , taking the death toll to 1,890 .
A total @ @ @ @ @ from coronavirus so far , and the number of tests carried out over the past @ @ @ @ @ , the minister said .
The Interior Ministry also said it was extending restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ a further 15 days starting at midnight on Saturday .

Turkey's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen to 82,329, Health MinisterFahrettin Koca said on Saturday, overtaking neighbouring Iran for the first time to register the highest total in the Middle East.
A worker in a protective suit sprays disinfectant at Grand Bazaar, known as the Covered Bazaar, to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, March 25, 2020.
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An increase of 3,783 cases in the last 24 hours also pushed Turkey's confirmed tally within a few hundred of China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged.
Koca said 121 more people have died, taking the death toll to 1,890. A total of 10,453 people have recovered from coronavirus so far, and the number of tests carried out over the past 24 hours came to 40,520, the minister said.
The Interior Ministry also said it was extending restrictions on travel between 31 cities for a further 15 days starting at midnight on Saturday.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-18--The Rolling Stones join star-studded lineup for Covid-19 concert

Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones at a concert in Berlin , June 22 , 2018 .
The Rolling Stones will join a star-studded global television broadcast on Saturday to honor healthcare workers on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic , the band announced on Friday .
The two-hour `` One World : Together at Home '' event , a combination of music , comedy and stories from doctors , nurses and grocery workers , will be broadcast across multiple North American and international television networks .
`` We are honoured to be invited to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Home ' broadcast - from our homes in isolation , '' the group said in a statement released by Global Citizen , the nonprofit group that spearheaded the event with the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
The Stones join a lineup that includes Celine Dion , Billie Eilish , John Legend , Elton John , Paul McCartney , Chris Martin , Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble .
The television broadcast will be preceded by a six-hour live streaming event with appearances by major sports stars , including British Formula One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe , World Cup ski racer Lindsey Vonn and dozens of other singers , actors and social media influencers .
Participants will appear remotely due to social distancing and shutdowns aimed at curtailing the spread of the novel coronavirus .
While the special is not billed as a public fundraiser , it is also aimed at encouraging philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO 's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund .
Lady Gaga said last week that more than $ 35 million had been raised .

The Rolling Stones will join a star-studded global television broadcast on Saturday to honor healthcare workers on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, the band announced on Friday.
Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones at a concert in Berlin, June 22, 2018.
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The two-hour "One World: Together at Home" event, a combination of music, comedy and stories from doctors, nurses and grocery workers, will be broadcast across multiple North American and international television networks.
"We are honoured to be invited to be part of the 'One World: Together at Home' broadcast - from our homes in isolation," the group said in a statement released by Global Citizen, the nonprofit group that spearheaded the event with the World Health Organization (WHO).
>> 'Grave concerns' about Covid-19 immunity passports
The Stones join a lineup that includes Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, John Legend, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble.
The television broadcast will be preceded by a six-hour live streaming event with appearances by major sports stars, including British Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton, U.S. women's World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, World Cup ski racer Lindsey Vonn and dozens of other singers, actors and social media influencers.
Participants will appear remotely due to social distancing and shutdowns aimed at curtailing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
While the special is not billed as a public fundraiser, it is also aimed at encouraging philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Lady Gaga said last week that more than $35 million had been raised.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-18--No birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth as Covid-19 wracks UK

A message from Her Majesty The Queen is displayed on a screen in Piccadilly Circus , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues , London , Britain , April 8 , 2020 .
In an unprecedented step , Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II will not celebrate her 94th birthday in any special way and has asked that there be none of Britain 's traditional gun salutes to mark the occasion because it would not be appropriate while the country battles a deadly coronavirus outbreak .
Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died - the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide .
The Trooping of the Colour , ceremonial gun salutes in which blank rounds are fired from various locations across London , are typically used by the royal family to mark special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays .
The Queen 's birthday is on April 21 .
The Queen was keen that no special measures were put in place to allow gun salutes as she did not feel it appropriate in the current circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is believed to be the first such request in the Queen 's 68-year reign , the source said .
`` 'We will not be marking Her Majesty ’ s birthday in any special way ' this year due to the # coronavirus crisis , '' ITV reporter Chris Ship , who first reported the queen 's request , tweeted , citing a source .
> > How long will lockdowns last ?
Britain is in its fourth week of a national lockdown , with businesses forced to close and citizens ordered to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's longest-serving monarch made an exceptional address to the nation , promising `` Better days will return . ''
Buckingham Palace last month said a parade to celebrate the Queen 's official birthday , which is celebrated in June , would not go ahead in its traditional form in light of restrictions on social gatherings .
There are no alternative plans to replace the parade , the source said on Saturday .

In an unprecedented step, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will not celebrate her 94th birthday in any special way and has asked that there be none of Britain's traditional gun salutes to mark the occasion because it would not be appropriate while the country battles a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
A message from Her Majesty The Queen is displayed on a screen in Piccadilly Circus, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 8, 2020.
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Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak in which more than 14,000 people have already died - the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.
The Trooping of the Colour, ceremonial gun salutes in which blank rounds are fired from various locations across London, are typically used by the royal family to mark special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays. The Queen's birthday is on April 21.
The Queen was keen that no special measures were put in place to allow gun salutes as she did not feel it appropriate in the current circumstances, a royal source said.
It is believed to be the first such request in the Queen's 68-year reign, the source said.
"'We will not be marking Her Majesty’s birthday in any special way' this year due to the #coronavirus crisis," ITV reporter Chris Ship, who first reported the queen's request, tweeted, citing a source.
>> How long will lockdowns last?
Britain is in its fourth week of a national lockdown, with businesses forced to close and citizens ordered to stay at home. Earlier this month, the country's longest-serving monarch made an exceptional address to the nation, promising "Better days will return."
Buckingham Palace last month said a parade to celebrate the Queen's official birthday, which is celebrated in June, would not go ahead in its traditional form in light of restrictions on social gatherings.
There are no alternative plans to replace the parade, the source said on Saturday.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-18--Hong Kong activists arrested over last year's democracy rallies

Former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Martin Lee ( centre L ) talks to members of the media as he leaves the Central District police station in Hong Kong on April 18 , 2020 , after being arrested and accused of organising and taking part in an unlawful assembly in August last year .
Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on April 18 , arresting 14 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year .
Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year .
Among those targeted was 72-year-old media tycoon Jimmy Lai , founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily , who was arrested at his home .
The group also included former lawmakers Martin Lee , Margaret Ng , Albert Ho , Leung Kwok-hung , Au Nok-hin and current lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung .
They are accused of organising and taking part in unlawful assemblies in August and October , according to the police .
Five were arrested on suspicion of publicising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The arrestees were charged or will be charged with related crimes , '' superintendent Lam Wing-ho said .
All 15 are due to appear in court mid-May .
Media boss Lai was previously detained in February over his participation in another August rally that was banned by police for security reasons .
`` Finally I 've become a defendant .
How do I feel ?
I 'm very much relieved , '' Lee , known as the father of democracy in Hong Kong , told media after he was bailed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many months , so many good youngsters were arrested and charged , while I was not arrested .
I feel sorry about it , '' the 81-year-old barrister and founding chairman of the city 's first political party said .
He added he does not regret his actions and is proud to walk with Hong Kong 's youngsters in their fight for democracy -- remarks the city 's police chief Chris Tang said left him `` very worried and surprised '' .
`` As a veteran of the legal profession ... he continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I do n't think he should feel proud , he should feel ashamed , '' Tang said .
The semi-autonomous city was shaken by widespread and sometimes violent street protests in 2019 , sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland and its opaque judicial system .
`` Today 's arrests of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong is another nail in the coffin of 'one country , two systems ' , '' China director at Human Rights Watch Sophie Richardson said , referring to the principle that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Chinese mainland .
`` It 's hard to know Beijing 's next precise move , but it seems Hong Kong officials will further enable abuses rather than defend Hong Kong people 's rights . ''
Last year 's rallies morphed into a wider movement calling for greater freedoms in the most concerted challenge to Beijing 's rule since the former British colony returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 .
The protests and clashes with police have since died down , partly due to exhaustion and arrests but also because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's leaders have refused to accede to the protesters ' demands , which include fully free elections in the city , an inquiry into alleged police misconduct during the protests and an amnesty for more than 7,000 people arrested during the movement -- many of them under the age of 20 .
Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said Saturday the local government `` is trying very hard to introduce a reign of terror '' .
`` They are doing whatever they can do to try to silence , to take down the local opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said .
`` It 's so obvious they 're choreographing all their acts . ''
Chris Patten , Hong Kong 's last colonial governor before the 1997 handover , said the arrests were another step towards burying the city 's autonomy .
`` This is not the rule of law .
This is what authoritarian governments do , '' he said .
`` It becomes ever more clear , week by week and day by day , that Beijing is determined to throttle Hong Kong . ''

Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on Saturday, arresting 15 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year.
Former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Martin Lee (centre L) talks to members of the media as he leaves the Central District police station in Hong Kong on April 18, 2020, after being arrested and accused of organising and taking part in an unlawful assembly in August last year. Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on April 18, arresting 14 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year.
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Among those targeted was 72-year-old media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily, who was arrested at his home.
The group also included former lawmakers Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Au Nok-hin and current lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung.
They are accused of organising and taking part in unlawful assemblies in August and October, according to the police.
Five were arrested on suspicion of publicising unauthorised public meetings in September and October.
"The arrestees were charged or will be charged with related crimes," superintendent Lam Wing-ho said.
All 15 are due to appear in court mid-May.
Media boss Lai was previously detained in February over his participation in another August rally that was banned by police for security reasons.
"Finally I've become a defendant. How do I feel? I'm very much relieved," Lee, known as the father of democracy in Hong Kong, told media after he was bailed.
"For so many years, so many months, so many good youngsters were arrested and charged, while I was not arrested. I feel sorry about it," the 81-year-old barrister and founding chairman of the city's first political party said.
He added he does not regret his actions and is proud to walk with Hong Kong's youngsters in their fight for democracy -- remarks the city's police chief Chris Tang said left him "very worried and surprised".
"As a veteran of the legal profession... he continues to incite youngsters to violate the law. I don't think he should feel proud, he should feel ashamed," Tang said.
The semi-autonomous city was shaken by widespread and sometimes violent street protests in 2019, sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland and its opaque judicial system.
"Today's arrests of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong is another nail in the coffin of 'one country, two systems'," China director at Human Rights Watch Sophie Richardson said, referring to the principle that guarantees freedoms in the city not seen on the Chinese mainland.
"It's hard to know Beijing's next precise move, but it seems Hong Kong officials will further enable abuses rather than defend Hong Kong people's rights."
Last year's rallies morphed into a wider movement calling for greater freedoms in the most concerted challenge to Beijing's rule since the former British colony returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
The protests and clashes with police have since died down, partly due to exhaustion and arrests but also because of the emergence of the deadly coronavirus.
China's leaders have refused to accede to the protesters' demands, which include fully free elections in the city, an inquiry into alleged police misconduct during the protests and an amnesty for more than 7,000 people arrested during the movement -- many of them under the age of 20.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said Saturday the local government "is trying very hard to introduce a reign of terror".
"They are doing whatever they can do to try to silence, to take down the local opposition, but then united we stand," she said. "It's so obvious they're choreographing all their acts."
Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last colonial governor before the 1997 handover, said the arrests were another step towards burying the city's autonomy.
"This is not the rule of law. This is what authoritarian governments do," he said. "It becomes ever more clear, week by week and day by day, that Beijing is determined to throttle Hong Kong."
(AP)
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france24--2020-04-18--Sanctions-hit Iran gambles on partial Covid-19 lockdown exit

Iranian officials have argued the economy must start reopening if it is to survive diminishing oil and tax revenues coupled with US sanctions .
Iran allowed some businesses in the capital , Tehran , and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East .
Iran was slow to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close .
Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices working with a third of employees working from home .
Schools , universities , restaurants , gyms and shopping malls as well as Tehran 's grand bazaar remain closed .
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early Saturday , the first day of the work week .
Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago .
While the coronavirus is highly contagious , Iran 's leaders say they have to consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures , as the country struggles under severe sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 Iran nuclear deal .
“ It ’ s a difficult decision , it ’ s a controversial decision , but clearly the Iranian government is going through with it , ” said Reza Sayah , reporting for FRANCE 24 from Tehran .
“ For the past couple of weeks , the daily Covid-19 death toll here in Iran has gone down and last week , for the first time , the daily death toll went from triple digits to double digits .
Critics of the government have always been sceptical of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is pointing to these statistics and suggest they are close to turning the corner in the fight against this outbreak , ” explained Sayah .
On Friday , UN human rights experts called on Iran to release political prisoners who could be vulnerable to infection inside the country 's detention facilities .
Iran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners , but is still detaining many convicted on security charges , including several dual-nationals .
Rights groups say many of the dual-nationals are political prisoners or are being held as bargaining chips for future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognise the emergency situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the problems it faces in fighting the pandemic , including reported challenges in accessing medical supplies due to sanctions , ” the UN experts said .
“ Some are at great risk from Covid-19 due to their age or underlying health conditions .
We call on the authorities to immediately release them.
” The experts highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and defenders Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi , as well as dual nationals Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national ; and Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb , two Iranian-Austrian nationals .
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response .
Last month , Iran released leading French academic Roland Marchal , an Africa expert who was arrested with his partner in Iran in June 2019 .
In an interview with FRANCE 24 after his release , Marchal said that while he was in an Iranian prison , he realised he was `` just a bargaining chip '' .

Iran allowed some businesses in the capital, Tehran, and nearby towns to re-open Saturday after weeks of lockdown aimed at containing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.
Iranian officials have argued the economy must start reopening if it is to survive diminishing oil and tax revenues coupled with US sanctions.
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Iran was slow to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close. Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths.
The partial re-opening saw government offices working with a third of employees working from home. Schools, universities, restaurants, gyms and shopping malls as well as Tehran's grand bazaar remain closed.
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early Saturday, the first day of the work week. Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago.
While the coronavirus is highly contagious, Iran's leaders say they have to consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures, as the country struggles under severe sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after he withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
“It’s a difficult decision, it’s a controversial decision, but clearly the Iranian government is going through with it,” said Reza Sayah, reporting for FRANCE 24 from Tehran.
“For the past couple of weeks, the daily Covid-19 death toll here in Iran has gone down and last week, for the first time, the daily death toll went from triple digits to double digits. Critics of the government have always been sceptical of how accurate these numbers are, but the government is pointing to these statistics and suggest they are close to turning the corner in the fight against this outbreak,” explained Sayah.
01:53
UN calls for release of political prisoners
On Friday, UN human rights experts called on Iran to release political prisoners who could be vulnerable to infection inside the country's detention facilities. Iran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners, but is still detaining many convicted on security charges, including several dual-nationals.
Rights groups say many of the dual-nationals are political prisoners or are being held as bargaining chips for future negotiations with the West.
“We recognise the emergency situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the problems it faces in fighting the pandemic, including reported challenges in accessing medical supplies due to sanctions,” the UN experts said. “Some are at great risk from Covid-19 due to their age or underlying health conditions. We call on the authorities to immediately release them.”
The experts highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and defenders Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi, as well as dual nationals Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish national; Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian-British-American national; and Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb, two Iranian-Austrian nationals.
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response.
Last month, Iran released leading French academic Roland Marchal, an Africa expert who was arrested with his partner in Iran in June 2019.
In an interview with FRANCE 24 after his release, Marchal said that while he was in an Iranian prison, he realised he was "just a bargaining chip".
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-04-18--Spain Covid-19 deaths surpass 20,000

Spain Covid-19 deaths surpass 20,000

A man wearing a face mask walks in front of a building where neighbours confined in their homes dance on their balconies , amid the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Barcelona , Spain April 17 , 2020 .
The death toll from the coronavirus in Spain , one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic , moved past 20,000 on Saturday , the health ministry said .
A total of 20,043 people have now succumbed to the disease , which killed 565 people in Spain in the past 24 hours , slightly down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the second worst-hit country in Europe behind Italy but has tentatively begun to ease a strict lockdown imposed on March 14 , opening up some sectors of the economy , including manufacturing , earlier this week .
Health officials say Spain has passed the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak which killed up to 950 people on April 2 , and the pressure has eased on hospitals .
But the toll , which covers only people who tested positive for the virus , is increasingly contested in some regions .
> > > @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there say thousands more people have died after showing symptoms of the disease without having been tested because there are not enough tests .
For example , Catalonia has reported that more than 7,800 people have died while the national toll for the region referred Saturday to more than 3,800 .
Since March 14 , Spain has been under one of the strickest lockdowns in Europe that has been extended until April 25 and could be prolonged even futher .

The death toll from the coronavirus in Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, moved past 20,000 on Saturday, the health ministry said.
A man wearing a face mask walks in front of a building where neighbours confined in their homes dance on their balconies, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Barcelona, Spain April 17, 2020.
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A total of 20,043 people have now succumbed to the disease, which killed 565 people in Spain in the past 24 hours, slightly down on the 585 reported on Friday.
Spain is the second worst-hit country in Europe behind Italy but has tentatively begun to ease a strict lockdown imposed on March 14, opening up some sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, earlier this week.
Shops, bars, restaurants and other social gathering places remain shuttered.
Peak passed?
Health officials say Spain has passed the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak which killed up to 950 people on April 2, and the pressure has eased on hospitals.
But the toll, which covers only people who tested positive for the virus, is increasingly contested in some regions.
>>> How long will lockdowns last?
Officials there say thousands more people have died after showing symptoms of the disease without having been tested because there are not enough tests.
For example, Catalonia has reported that more than 7,800 people have died while the national toll for the region referred Saturday to more than 3,800.
Since March 14, Spain has been under one of the strickest lockdowns in Europe that has been extended until April 25 and could be prolonged even futher.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-19--Paris mayor promises public hand gel dispensers, other measures when lockdown ends

Paris ' bus stops and metro entrances will be equipped with hand gel dispensers and commuters will likely be obliged to wear face masks to use public transport once coronavirus confinement measures are lifted , according to the city 's mayor .
France is due to start exiting its strict lockdown from May 11 , with schools set to reopen then , but the government has yet to spell out when businesses like cafes and cinemas can restart and to what extent people will be allowed to move around .
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the Journal Du Dimanche ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday that hand gel would be made widely available as the French capital tries to keep the virus spread under control .
This will include free dispensers at swimming pools , sports stadiums and nurseries , but also in the street and at bus stops , she said , adding that JCDecaux , a company known for making advertising billboards , was working on the scheme .
Asked whether authorities in the broader Paris region should make it compulsory to wear face masks in metros and on commuter trains , Hidalgo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Given how crowded these lines are , this really strikes me as necessary , '' Hidalgo said .
Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron 's government has faced criticism over a shortage of face masks and testing kits .
The president has said that by May 11 , France would be able to test anyone presenting COVID-19 symptoms and give nonprofessional face masks to the public .
Hidalgo added that some streets in Paris could be closed to cars in the immediate aftermath of the lockdown exit .
These would be turned into cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down and not further exacerbate the outbreak of the virus , which causes respiratory problems in some of those affected .
France has been under virtual lockdown since March 17 .
Some measures have been progressively tightened in the capital , and authorities banned Parisians from outdoor sports activity like jogging between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time .

Paris' bus stops and metro entrances will be equipped with hand gel dispensers and commuters will likely be obliged to wear face masks to use public transport once coronavirus confinement measures are lifted, according to the city's mayor.
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France is due to start exiting its strict lockdown from May 11, with schools set to reopen then, but the government has yet to spell out when businesses like cafes and cinemas can restart and to what extent people will be allowed to move around.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the Journal Du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper in an interview published on Sunday that hand gel would be made widely available as the French capital tries to keep the virus spread under control.
This will include free dispensers at swimming pools, sports stadiums and nurseries, but also in the street and at bus stops, she said, adding that JCDecaux, a company known for making advertising billboards, was working on the scheme.
Asked whether authorities in the broader Paris region should make it compulsory to wear face masks in metros and on commuter trains, Hidalgo said discussions on that were under way.
"Given how crowded these lines are, this really strikes me as necessary," Hidalgo said.
Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron's government has faced criticism over a shortage of face masks and testing kits. The president has said that by May 11, France would be able to test anyone presenting COVID-19 symptoms and give nonprofessional face masks to the public.
Hidalgo added that some streets in Paris could be closed to cars in the immediate aftermath of the lockdown exit. These would be turned into cycle highways in a bid to keep pollution down and not further exacerbate the outbreak of the virus, which causes respiratory problems in some of those affected.
France has been under virtual lockdown since March 17. Some measures have been progressively tightened in the capital, and authorities banned Parisians from outdoor sports activity like jogging between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-19--US presidential race: Is Joe Biden’s ideal running mate a woman?

Former vice president Joe Biden is the last man standing in the race for the Democratic nomination for president .
He has pledged to choose a woman for his running mate , and speculation has intensified over whom it will be just as an accusation that Biden sexually assaulted a female member of his staff in the 1990s has emerged in mainstream US media .
It ’ s almost three and a half years after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential race to Donald Trump .
The day after the inauguration on January 20 , 2017 , millions of women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide to protest the president ’ s degrading comments about women during his campaign , and his anti-abortion stance .
Clinton had been the first woman to be a major party candidate for the US presidency .
At one point in the crowded Democratic field for this year ’ s nomination , Biden shared the debate stage with four candidates who are women , all US senators : New York ’ s Kirsten Gillibrand , California ’ s Kamala Harris , Minnesota ’ s Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts ’ s Elizabeth Warren , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race and to endorse her former rival and the presumptive Democratic nominee .
With so many nationally prominent women in the race , and concerns that Trump ’ s appointments to the Supreme Court could threaten abortion rights , it was not surprising when Biden , in a mid-March debate , said he would choose a woman to be his vice president should Democrats nominate him to face Donald Trump in November .
If Biden follows through , it would be just the third time a major presidential ticket has featured a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 .
Now that he has the field to himself , voters and pundits are looking to him to deliver on his promise , and speculating on whom he will choose and why .
Some , however , are also thinking about the accusation of his former staffer , Tara Reade , which she made on a podcast in late March .
Steve Grossman , a nonprofit executive and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee during Bill Clinton ’ s presidency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intention to choose a woman demonstrates “ a commitment to more equity in American life ” , and will help the candidate appeal to suburban women voters in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania .
Grossman thinks that although Hillary Clinton didn ’ t excite enough of those voters in 2016 , the outcome this time could be different .
A Gallup poll released on April 16 finds that 60 percent of women living in the US disapprove of Trump , six points more than the percentage of women that voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pew Research Center .
If Biden chooses a woman of color to be his vice president , Grossman said , it would particularly signal that the Democratic Party is the inclusive party in an increasingly diverse country .
“ I think Biden has to think long and hard about if he will choose a woman of color , ” Grossman said , citing the “ new lease on life ” that some African-American voters gave Biden in South Carolina , the first state he won during the primaries .
Biden ’ s choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s account that the then US senator from Delaware groped and digitally penetrated her in the early 1990s , which The New York Times and The Washington Post have examined and been unable to verify .
Grossman doesn ’ t think the accusation will affect voters ’ choices in November , “ unless something emerges that is so profoundly damaging and proven that it will cause people to have doubts ” .
Claire Cummings , a 28-year-old Democratic campaign organiser and self-described progressive who lives in Vermont , told FRANCE 24 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m staying home ” on election day , despite a lack of excitement for Joe Biden .
“ I have no other option if I want to see us achieving anything in the next four years , ” Cummings said .
But she is troubled by what she perceives as Democrats ’ cautious response to Reade ’ s accusation .
“ It ’ s a struggle to try and stomach that , ” she said .
If Biden chooses a running mate who shares Cummings ’ s values , such as universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would “ be a little bit more excited ” about the ticket ; for it to simply include a woman does not move her .
“ I want to make sure it ’ s the right woman , ” she said .
FRANCE 24 looks at some of the potential women candidates for the Democratic nomination for vice president and how they could affect the race ’ s outcome in November .
After losing the 2018 race for governor of Georgia , Abrams founded Fair Fight , an organisation that advocates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education throughout the US .
Before running for governor , she served in the Georgia House of Representatives and led its Democratic minority .
In an interview published last week in Elle magazine , Abrams said “ I would be an excellent running mate ” , citing her appeal to voters in “ typically ignored communities ” and her public and private sector leadership experience .
US Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina , whose endorsement of Biden helped him win an overwhelming primary victory in that state , mentioned Abrams on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren of Massachusetts was the last major rival of Joe Biden ’ s to endorse him , but that endorsement was full-throated : in a tweeted video , she cited Biden ’ s decades-long senate career and tenure as Barack Obama ’ s vice president , and praised Biden ’ s willingness to listen and change his mind if presented with sound policy ideas .
Warren , a former law professor at Harvard University , led the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Obama , and recently released a plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an “ Essential Workers Bill of Rights ” that includes paid sick and family leave time and “ premium compensation ” for workers who are responding to the Covid-19 crisis in the US .
Harris served as California ’ s attorney general before she was elected to the Senate in 2016 .
In one of the early Democratic debates last June , she criticised Biden for opposing , in the 1970s , federally mandated busing of minority children into white neighbourhoods to make public education more equitable , memorably describing her own experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boarded a bus to integrate a school .
Harris has Afro-Caribbean and South Asian heritage , and has said that she learned about civil rights activism from her mother , who studied at the University of California at Berkeley around 1960 .
Hillary Clinton lost Michigan to Donald Trump by under 11,000 votes in 2016 .
Biden easily won the state ’ s Democratic primary in March , and according to US politics website The Hill , allies of Biden have taken note of Whitmer ’ s response to the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which she criticized Trump ’ s lack of support for infrastructure repairs and health care , as well as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s inaction on legislation that would increase the minimum wage .
As governor , Whitmer recently extended Michigan ’ s stay-at-home order through April 30 , a move that was met by street protests in its capital on April 15 , with CBS News reporting that protesters were displaying signs saying “ let us work ” ; two days later , Trump tweeted “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a primary race no one expected her to win , lasting until the eve of Super Tuesday when she endorsed Biden in person at a Dallas rally .
The Minnesota senator has served in her office since 2007 , and in Democratic debates she repeatedly pointed to her record of helping to pass bipartisan legislation – and was once attacked by Warren for trying to please the Republican McConnell .
As a pragmatic Midwesterner , Klobuchar could help Biden pick up votes in Michigan , Wisconsin , and Iowa , states that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won in 2008 and 2012 .
The first-term senator from Nevada is the first Latina to serve in Congress ’ s higher chamber .
Like Harris , Masto was her state ’ s attorney general before being elected to the senate .
During her tenure as AG , she helped file a lawsuit against US banking giant Bank of America for fraud pertaining to home mortgages , which the bank settled in 2012 .
US Senator Bernie Sanders dominated the Nevada Democratic primary , and according to an entrance poll cited by NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they preferred the Vermont senator .
If Masto is on the ticket , she could help Biden win more Latino support in Nevada and California , where Sanders also won on primary day .
Baldwin represents Wisconsin , a Midwestern battleground state where Democrats have won every presidential election since 1988 with one exception : 2016 .
In the state ’ s April 7 primary , voters -- many lined up in masks -- elected a Democrat to the state Supreme Court over a Republican incumbent whom Trump had repeatedly endorsed .
Baldwin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection to the Senate with 55 percent of the vote in 2018 , and previously served in the US House of Representatives .
Hillary Clinton did not visit Wisconsin during the 2016 general election campaign , and while an academic study questions if her absence influenced the outcome , Wisconsin voters would presumably see Biden and Baldwin in person this fall if they comprise the Democratic ticket .

Former vice president Joe Biden is the last man standing in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He has pledged to choose a woman for his running mate, and speculation has intensified over whom it will be just as an accusation that Biden sexually assaulted a female member of his staff in the 1990s has emerged in mainstream US media.
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It has been almost three and a half years since Hillary Clinton lost the presidential race to Donald Trump. The day after the inauguration on January 20, 2017, millions of women and men participated in Women’s Marches worldwide to protest the president’s degrading comments about women during his campaign and his anti-abortion stance. Clinton had been the first woman to be a major party candidate for the US presidency.
At one point in the crowded Democratic field for this year’s nomination, Biden shared the debate stage with four female candidates, all US senators: New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, California’s Kamala Harris, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the last of the four to exit the race and endorse her former rival and the presumptive nominee.
With so many prominent women in the race, and concerns that Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court could threaten abortion rights, it was not surprising when Biden, in a mid-March debate, said he would choose a woman to be his vice president should Democrats nominate him to face Trump in November.
If Biden follows through, it would be just the third time a major presidential ticket has featured a woman as VP nominee after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Now that he has the field to himself, voters and pundits are looking to him to deliver on his promise and speculating on whom he will choose and why. Some, however, are also thinking about the accusation of a former staffer, Tara Reade, made on a podcast in late March.
‘Equity’ and inclusivity
Steve Grossman, a nonprofit executive and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee during Bill Clinton’s presidency, told FRANCE 24 that Biden’s intention to choose a woman demonstrates “a commitment to more equity in American life” and will help the candidate appeal to suburban women voters in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. Grossman thinks that although Clinton may not have galvanised enough of those voters in 2016, the outcome this time could be different.
A Gallup poll released on April 16 finds that 60 percent of women living in the US disapprove of Trump, six points more than the percentage of women that voted for Clinton in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center.
If Biden chooses a woman of colour to be his vice president, Grossman said, it would signal that the Democratic Party is the inclusive party in an increasingly diverse country.
“I think Biden has to think long and hard about if he will choose a woman of colour,” Grossman said, citing the “new lease on life” that African-American voters gave Biden in South Carolina, the first state he won during the primaries.
Biden’s choice will come in the wake of Reade’s account that the then US senator from Delaware groped and digitally penetrated her in the early 1990s, an account which The New York Times and The Washington Post have examined and been unable to verify. Grossman doesn’t think the accusation will affect voters’ choices in November, “unless something emerges that is so profoundly damaging and proven that it will cause people to have doubts”.
‘The right woman’
Claire Cummings, a 28-year-old Democratic campaign organiser and self-described progressive from Vermont, told FRANCE 24 that “there’s no way I’m staying home” on Election Day, despite a lack of enthusiasm for Biden.
“I have no other option if I want to see us achieving anything in the next four years,” Cummings said. But she is troubled by what she perceives as Democrats’ cautious response to Reade’s accusation.
“It’s a struggle to try and stomach that,” she said.
If Biden chooses a running mate who shares progressive values, such as universal health care via Medicare for all, she would “be a little bit more excited” about the ticket; for it to simply include a woman does not move her. “I want to make sure it’s the right woman,” she said.
FRANCE 24 looks at some of the potential female candidates for vice president and how they could affect the race’s outcome in November.
Former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams in Los Angeles, California on January 29, 2019. AFP
After losing the 2018 race for governor of Georgia, Abrams founded Fair Fight, an organisation that advocates for fair elections and supports voter turnout and education throughout the US. Before running for governor, she served in the Georgia House of Representatives and led its Democratic minority. In an interview published last week in Elle magazine, Abrams said, “I would be an excellent running mate,” citing her appeal to voters in “typically ignored communities” and her public and private sector leadership experience. US Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement of Biden helped him win an overwhelming primary victory in that state, mentioned Abrams on his wish list for VP nominee.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren in Detroit, Michigan on March 3, 2020. © Rebecca Cook / Reuters
Senator Warren of Massachusetts was the last major rival of Joe Biden’s to endorse him, but that endorsement was full-throated: In a video on Twitter, she cited Biden’s decades-long Senate career and tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president, and praised Biden’s willingness to listen and change his mind if presented with sound policy ideas. Warren, a former law professor at Harvard University, led the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Obama and recently released a plan along with US Representative Ro Khanna for an “Essential Workers Bill of Rights” that includes paid sick and family leave and “premium compensation” for workers who are responding to the Covid-19 crisis in the US.
US Senator Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris in Manchester, New Hampshire on September 7, 2019. © Gretchen Ertl, Reuters
Harris served as California’s attorney general before she was elected to the Senate in 2016. In one of the early Democratic debates last June, she criticised Biden for opposing, in the 1970s, federally mandated busing of minority children into white neighbourhoods to make public education more equitable, memorably describing her own experience as a child in California who herself boarded a bus to an integrated school. Harris has Afro-Caribbean and South Asian heritage, and has said that she learned about civil rights activism from her mother, who studied at the University of California at Berkeley.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer in August, 2018. GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Hillary Clinton lost Michigan to Donald Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016, but Biden easily won the state’s Democratic primary in March. According to US politics website The Hill, Biden allies have taken note of Whitmer’s response to the president’s most recent State of the Union address, in which she criticised Trump’s lack of support for infrastructure repairs and health care, as well as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s inaction on legislation that would increase the minimum wage. As governor, Whitmer recently extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order through April 30, a move that was met by street protests in its capital on April 15, with protesters displaying signs saying, “Let us work”. Two days later, Trump tweeted “LIBERATE MICHIGAN”.
US Senator Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 29, 2020. © Lucas Jackson, Reuters
Klobuchar hung tough in a primary race no one expected her to win, lasting until the eve of Super Tuesday when she endorsed Biden in person at a Dallas rally. The Minnesota senator has served since 2007 and in Democratic debates she repeatedly pointed to her record of helping to pass bipartisan legislation – and was once attacked by Warren for trying to please Republican McConnell. As a pragmatic Midwesterner, Klobuchar could help Biden pick up votes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, states that Trump won in 2016 but that Obama won in both 2008 and 2012.
US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Catherine Cortez Masto in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 6, 2018. © Ethan Miller, AFP
The first-term senator from Nevada is the first Latina to serve in Congress’s higher chamber. Like Harris, Masto was her state’s attorney general before being elected to the Senate. During her tenure as AG, she helped file a lawsuit against US banking giant Bank of America for fraud pertaining to home mortgages, a suit the bank settled in 2012. US Senator Bernie Sanders dominated the Nevada Democratic primary, and according to an entrance poll cited by NBC, 50 percent of Latino voters said they preferred the Vermont senator. If Masto is on the ticket, she could help Biden win more Latino support in Nevada and California, where Sanders also won on primary day.
US Senator Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Baldwin in Washington, D.C. on April 11, 2019. © Alex Wroblewski, AFP
Baldwin represents Wisconsin, a Midwestern battleground state where Democrats have won every presidential election since 1988 with one exception: 2016. In the state’s April 7 primary, voters – many lined up in masks – elected a Democrat to the state Supreme Court over a Republican incumbent whom Trump had repeatedly endorsed. Baldwin, who is openly gay, won re-election to the Senate with 55 percent of the vote in 2018 and previously served in the US House of Representatives. Hillary Clinton did not visit Wisconsin during the 2016 general election campaign, and while an academic study questions if her absence influenced the outcome, Wisconsin voters would presumably see Biden and Baldwin in person this fall if they comprise the Democratic ticket.
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france24--2020-04-19--Online services, empty churches as Orthodox Christians mark Easter under lockdown

A Ukrainian Orthodox priest carries a candle with Holy Fire brought from Jerusalem in a church next to Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kiev on April 18 , 2020 , on the eve of Orthodox Easter .
More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday , with church leaders asking worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus .
Orthodox Christians , the world 's third largest group of Christian believers , this year celebrate Easter a week after Catholics and Protestants because they follow a different calendar .
Last week 's Easter celebrations took place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional message from the Vatican as the pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 made massed worship too risky .
Most Orthodox Christians will also skip traditional midnight services , even though Eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union where most live have relatively low numbers of confirmed cases of the virus so far .
Moscow Patriarch Kirill , who leads 150 million believers , has urged the faithful to pray at home and not go to church until he gives his blessing .
Russian President Vladimir Putin is dropping his usual attendance at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chapel in the grounds of his residence outside Moscow .
In Moscow and the surrounding region , where most Russian COVID-19 cases are concentrated , churches will hold services behind closed doors with broadcasts online or on television .
However churches will remain open in many regions of the country , which has reported around 36,800 cases of coronavirus and more than 300 deaths .
Church officials have asked worshippers who attend to keep their distance , wear masks and not kiss icons .
In much of the wider Orthodox region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has announced that services will be closed to the public and broadcast online .
The same decision has been taken in Cyprus , Greece , Serbia and North Macedonia as well as in Egypt , where Orthodox Coptic Christians comprise 10-15 percent of the population .
Jerusalem 's Old City is normally packed for Orthodox Easter but was almost deserted at the weekend due to Israel 's strict lockdown measures .
The annual Holy Fire ceremony took place behind closed doors in the city 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flame is then taken to Orthodox countries worldwide .
According to tradition , the Holy Sepulchre stands on the site of Jesus ' crucifixion and burial .
In Romania , while churches have closed their doors , volunteers and priests will go to people 's homes handing out loaves of consecrated bread and sharing the holy flame .
This compromise has angered some people .
`` If we can go to a pharmacy to get medicines for our body , why ca n't we go to church for our spiritual medicine ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her 70s who lives in Bucharest and says she has not missed an Easter service since childhood .
A number of Orthodox churches have opposed the imposition of lockdown measures on their most important holiday .
In Bulgaria the Orthodox Church has insisted services will be open to all , but worshippers will have to wear masks and stand at a minimum distance from each other .
In Georgia , which has 385 confirmed cases , the government has bowed to pressure from religious authorities and allowed services in the largest churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior officials will attend .
Ukraine has seen a similar divergence of views with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging people to stay at home and linking a surge in infections to last week 's Catholic celebrations .
Ukraine 's Orthodox Church has encouraged worshippers to gather in the open-air .
It has nonetheless been hard hit by the virus with 93 people infected at its historic Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery where three monks have died .
In ex-Soviet Belarus , a country of nine million with a relatively high number of cases , the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Metropolitan Pavel has urged believers to stay at home saying `` ritual is secondary while human life is much more valuable '' .
But President Alexander Lukashenko -- who regularly casts doubt on the extent of the pandemic -- insisted he will attend an Easter service , proclaiming : `` I will be in church .
It is my tradition . ''

More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, with church leaders asking worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.
A Ukrainian Orthodox priest carries a candle with Holy Fire brought from Jerusalem in a church next to Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kiev on April 18, 2020, on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
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Orthodox Christians, the world's third largest group of Christian believers, this year celebrate Easter a week after Catholics and Protestants because they follow a different calendar.
Last week's Easter celebrations took place in empty churches while Pope Francis livestreamed his traditional message from the Vatican as the pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 made massed worship too risky.
Most Orthodox Christians will also skip traditional midnight services, even though Eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union where most live have relatively low numbers of confirmed cases of the virus so far.
01:49
'Spiritual medicine'
Moscow Patriarch Kirill, who leads 150 million believers, has urged the faithful to pray at home and not go to church until he gives his blessing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is dropping his usual attendance at an Easter service and will go to a chapel in the grounds of his residence outside Moscow.
In Moscow and the surrounding region, where most Russian COVID-19 cases are concentrated, churches will hold services behind closed doors with broadcasts online or on television.
However churches will remain open in many regions of the country, which has reported around 36,800 cases of coronavirus and more than 300 deaths.
Church officials have asked worshippers who attend to keep their distance, wear masks and not kiss icons.
In much of the wider Orthodox region, churches will not be open to the public.
The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has announced that services will be closed to the public and broadcast online.
The same decision has been taken in Cyprus, Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia as well as in Egypt, where Orthodox Coptic Christians comprise 10-15 percent of the population.
Jerusalem's Old City is normally packed for Orthodox Easter but was almost deserted at the weekend due to Israel's strict lockdown measures.
The annual Holy Fire ceremony took place behind closed doors in the city's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The flame is then taken to Orthodox countries worldwide.
According to tradition, the Holy Sepulchre stands on the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial.
In Romania, while churches have closed their doors, volunteers and priests will go to people's homes handing out loaves of consecrated bread and sharing the holy flame.
This compromise has angered some people.
"If we can go to a pharmacy to get medicines for our body, why can't we go to church for our spiritual medicine?" asked Monica Georgescu, an Orthodox Christian in her 70s who lives in Bucharest and says she has not missed an Easter service since childhood.
Officials versus clerics
A number of Orthodox churches have opposed the imposition of lockdown measures on their most important holiday.
In Bulgaria the Orthodox Church has insisted services will be open to all, but worshippers will have to wear masks and stand at a minimum distance from each other.
In Georgia, which has 385 confirmed cases, the government has bowed to pressure from religious authorities and allowed services in the largest churches despite the public lockdown, while no senior officials will attend.
Ukraine has seen a similar divergence of views with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging people to stay at home and linking a surge in infections to last week's Catholic celebrations.
Ukraine's Orthodox Church has encouraged worshippers to gather in the open-air.
It has nonetheless been hard hit by the virus with 93 people infected at its historic Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery where three monks have died.
In ex-Soviet Belarus, a country of nine million with a relatively high number of cases, the situation is reversed, however.
Belarusian Church leader Metropolitan Pavel has urged believers to stay at home saying "ritual is secondary while human life is much more valuable".
But President Alexander Lukashenko -- who regularly casts doubt on the extent of the pandemic -- insisted he will attend an Easter service, proclaiming: "I will be in church. It is my tradition."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-19--Nigerian president’s top aide and 'de facto head of govt' dies of Covid-19

Men wearing protective gear carry the coffin of the Nigerian president 's chief of staff , Abba Kyari , on April 18 , 2020 .
The powerful chief of staff to Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari has died after contracting the novel coronavirus , the presidency said Saturday .
In a statement , the Nigerian presidential office said it `` regrets to announce the passage '' of Abba Kyari , who acted as gatekeeper to the leader of Africa 's most populous nation .
`` The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging Covid-19 , and had been receiving treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 , 2020 , '' the statement said .
In a series of tweets announcing Kyari ’ s death , Buhari paid tribute “ to my friend Mallam Abba Kyari ” , using the West African honorific “ mallam ” for a wise man learned in Koranic studies .
“ In political life , Abba never sought elective office for himself .
Rather , he set himself against the view and conduct of two generations of Nigeria 's political establishment - who saw corruption as an entitlement and its practice a byproduct of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nigerian president in one of his tweets .
Buhari , whose public pronouncements are rare , himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017 .
Kyari 's death might leave a potential opening for a rethink of policy at the heart of government in Africa 's most populous state .
Kyari , whose exact age has never been officially confirmed but who was believed to be in his seventies , is the highest-profile person in Nigeria to be killed by a virus that has caused 493 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
He travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings .
Upon his return , Kyari meetings with senior government officials before he was diagnosed as having contracted coronavirus .
Kyari was buried in Abuja on Saturday in the presence of his family and close friends wearing traditional dress , as well as masks .
The influential technocrat , who was reported to have suffered from underlying health issues , was seen as one of the dominant figures in the tight-knit group of advisors around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , a 77-year old former military ruler now in his second term as democratically elected leader , overseeing key meetings and granting ministers audiences .
`` His death will have an enormous impact , '' a European diplomatic source told AFP on Saturday .
`` He really was a strong force who had a key influence .
Without him , there will be a vacuum for a while .
Political decision-making will perhaps be a little slower , '' the source said , speaking on condition of anonymity .
The Nigerian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leader column that `` his closeness to the president and Buhari 's unshakable trust in him saw Kyari become the de facto head of government , especially since the president handed him a free reign '' .
That led to accusations `` that he had the president in a golden cage '' , the newspaper said .
Kyari 's death could be very significant because he showed `` an immense ability to wield power in the context of a largely absent president '' , Clement Nwankwo , director of the Abuja-based Policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters .
`` There is no evidence that the chief of staff shared that power with anyone .
He was totally trusted and it is n't clear who could fill those shoes , '' said Nwankwo .
In a statement released on March 29 following his return from Germany , Kyari said he had been transferred to Nigeria 's biggest city Lagos for private medical treatment and hoped `` to be back at my desk very soon '' .
There has been no official confirmation on whether Buhari has taken a test , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ televised speeches imposing restrictions to curb the spread the virus .
The central government has imposed a lockdown on Nigeria 's economic hub Lagos and capital Abuja , while state governors have ordered a raft of measures in other regions .
Experts say the country of 200 million is highly vulnerable to the spread of the disease given its weak healthcare system and high population density .

The powerful chief of staff to Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the presidency said Saturday.
Men wearing protective gear carry the coffin of the Nigerian president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, on April 18, 2020.
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In a statement, the Nigerian presidential office said it "regrets to announce the passage" of Abba Kyari, who acted as gatekeeper to the leader of Africa's most populous nation.
"The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging Covid-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020," the statement said.
In a series of tweets announcing Kyari’s death, Buhari paid tribute “to my friend Mallam Abba Kyari”, using the West African honorific “mallam” for a wise man learned in Koranic studies.
“In political life, Abba never sought elective office for himself. Rather, he set himself against the view and conduct of two generations of Nigeria's political establishment - who saw corruption as an entitlement and its practice a byproduct of possessing political office,” noted the Nigerian president in one of his tweets.
Mallam Abba Kyari was the very best of us. He was made of the stuff that makes Nigeria great.
Rest In Peace, my dearest friend. — Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) April 18, 2020
Buhari, whose public pronouncements are rare, himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017. Kyari's death might leave a potential opening for a rethink of policy at the heart of government in Africa's most populous state.
Powerful figure leaves vacuum in national policy circles
Kyari, whose exact age has never been officially confirmed but who was believed to be in his seventies, is the highest-profile person in Nigeria to be killed by a virus that has caused 493 confirmed infections in the country and 17 deaths.
He travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings. Upon his return, Kyari meetings with senior government officials before he was diagnosed as having contracted coronavirus.
Kyari was buried in Abuja on Saturday in the presence of his family and close friends wearing traditional dress, as well as masks.
The influential technocrat, who was reported to have suffered from underlying health issues, was seen as one of the dominant figures in the tight-knit group of advisors around Buhari.
He reportedly controlled access to the president, a 77-year old former military ruler now in his second term as democratically elected leader, overseeing key meetings and granting ministers audiences.
"His death will have an enormous impact," a European diplomatic source told AFP on Saturday.
"He really was a strong force who had a key influence. Without him, there will be a vacuum for a while. Political decision-making will perhaps be a little slower," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'De facto head of government'
The Nigerian newspaper, Daily Trust, wrote in a leader column that "his closeness to the president and Buhari's unshakable trust in him saw Kyari become the de facto head of government, especially since the president handed him a free reign".
That led to accusations "that he had the president in a golden cage", the newspaper said.
Kyari's death could be very significant because he showed "an immense ability to wield power in the context of a largely absent president", Clement Nwankwo, director of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre think-tank, told Reuters.
"There is no evidence that the chief of staff shared that power with anyone. He was totally trusted and it isn't clear who could fill those shoes," said Nwankwo.
Nigeria vulnerable to diease
In a statement released on March 29 following his return from Germany, Kyari said he had been transferred to Nigeria's biggest city Lagos for private medical treatment and hoped "to be back at my desk very soon".
There has been no official confirmation on whether Buhari has taken a test, but the president has since made repeated televised speeches imposing restrictions to curb the spread the virus.
The central government has imposed a lockdown on Nigeria's economic hub Lagos and capital Abuja, while state governors have ordered a raft of measures in other regions.
Experts say the country of 200 million is highly vulnerable to the spread of the disease given its weak healthcare system and high population density.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-19--Covid-19, jihadist threats and kidnapping fail to stop Mali vote

Polls opened in Mali Sunday for the final round of legislative elections aimed at reviving public faith in the country 's embattled institutions despite a bloody jihadist conflict and the coronavirus pandemic .
Voters in Mali , one of the world 's most impoverished nations with a population of 19 million , were casting their ballots in the runoff for 147 seats in the National Assembly .
The elections have been repeatedly delayed , eroding trust in institutions as the country struggles with an Islamist revolt that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Mali recording 13 deaths out of more than 200 cases , a relatively low toll , but one that experts warn is likely to rise .
The first round on March 29 was disrupted by jihadist attacks and intimidation , including the kidnapping of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse .
The turnout nationwide averaged 35.6 percent , but was just 12.9 percent in the capital Bamako .
It is the country 's first parliamentary poll since 2013 when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita 's Rally for Mali party won a large majority .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late 2018 after Keita was returned to office but the poll was postponed several times , mainly because of security concerns .
A `` national dialogue '' staged last year to discuss Mali 's spiral of violence called for the ballot to be completed by May .
The hope is that the new MPs will endorse changes to the constitution that will promote decentralisation .
That is the key to pushing ahead with the government 's plans for peace -- it signed a deal with armed separatists in northern Mali in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Violence in northern Mali began in 2012 and was then fanned by jihadists .
Defying thousands of French and UN troops , the jihadists took their campaign into the centre of the country and now threaten neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger .
Mali 's conflict zones and poor healthcare infrastructure place it in the category of countries that health experts say are at high risk of coronavirus .
An election-monitoring NGO warned about social distancing in Sunday 's vote .
Keita said `` every health and security '' precaution will be `` rigorously @ @ @

Polls opened in Mali Sunday for the final round of legislative elections aimed at reviving public faith in the country's embattled institutions despite a bloody jihadist conflict and the coronavirus pandemic.
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Voters in Mali, one of the world's most impoverished nations with a population of 19 million, were casting their ballots in the runoff for 147 seats in the National Assembly.
The elections have been repeatedly delayed, eroding trust in institutions as the country struggles with an Islamist revolt that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated threats, with Mali recording 13 deaths out of more than 200 cases, a relatively low toll, but one that experts warn is likely to rise.
The first round on March 29 was disrupted by jihadist attacks and intimidation, including the kidnapping of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse.
The turnout nationwide averaged 35.6 percent, but was just 12.9 percent in the capital Bamako.
It is the country's first parliamentary poll since 2013 when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's Rally for Mali party won a large majority.
Delays over security threats
The elections were meant to take place in late 2018 after Keita was returned to office but the poll was postponed several times, mainly because of security concerns.
A "national dialogue" staged last year to discuss Mali's spiral of violence called for the ballot to be completed by May.
The hope is that the new MPs will endorse changes to the constitution that will promote decentralisation.
That is the key to pushing ahead with the government's plans for peace -- it signed a deal with armed separatists in northern Mali in 2015 but the pact has largely stalled.
Violence in northern Mali began in 2012 and was then fanned by jihadists.
Defying thousands of French and UN troops, the jihadists took their campaign into the centre of the country and now threaten neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Mali's conflict zones and poor healthcare infrastructure place it in the category of countries that health experts say are at high risk of coronavirus.
An election-monitoring NGO warned about social distancing in Sunday's vote. Keita said "every health and security" precaution will be "rigorously applied".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-04-19--Lady Gaga, Rolling Stones, top stars come ‘together at home’ for Covid-19 benefit concert

Screengrab of The Rolling Stones perform during `` One World : Together At Home '' presented by Global Citizen on April , 18 , 2020 .
Lady Gaga , Taylor Swift , Paul McCartney , The Rolling Stones , Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey on Saturday headlined a special broadcast of music , comedy and personal stories celebrating those around the world on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic .
The two-hour `` One World : Together at Home '' event , broadcast across multiple television channels in the United States and overseas , featured a Who 's Who of pop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far to mark the effects of the virus .
Contributions , all filmed in their homes , also came from Elton John , Jennifer Lopez , Stevie Wonder , British soccer star David Beckham , former U.S. first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush , Andrea Bocelli , Celine Dion , Billie Eilish , Bill Gates and dozens of others .
`` I 'm so grateful for the healthcare workers , the medical workers , all the grocery store workers and delivery people , the postal workers , all the other nonprofits that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gaga , who helped organize the event .
`` This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world , and I hope a reminder of the kindness that 's occurring right now , '' she added .
The event , led by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen , told the personal stories of teachers and healthcare , grocery , delivery , postal and other workers .
It showed social media postings and news clips of doctors and nurses being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserted world landmarks , families greeting each other through windows , and acts of kindness in support of those who are isolated and frail .
`` We are n't asking for money tonight , '' said Stephen Colbert who hosted the broadcast alongside his U.S. late night television rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon .
Instead of seeking public funds , the event encouraged philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO 's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund .
Corporate and other donors have already contributed some $ 150 million , organizers said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if I can , is to give you the permission for the moment to ... 'Smile ' , '' said Gaga , kicking off the evening by launching into a version of the ballad made famous by Nat King Cole .
Beyonce did not perform but sent a video message in which she noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 in the black community .
`` This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate in America , '' she said , urging viewers to protect themselves .
Swift , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her ballad `` Soon You 'll Get Better , '' which was originally written during her mother 's battle with cancer .
The Rolling Stones , filmed in four separate locations , sang `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want , '' with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards playing acoustic guitars .
`` We all appreciate the healthcare workers but never like now , '' Winfrey said in a video message .
`` They truly are the best of us ... We need to ensure that governments step up now and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funds they need . ''
Wonder played the late Bill Wither 's classic `` Lean on Me , '' while McCartney , recalling that his mother was a nurse and midwife , sang `` Lady Madonna . ''
`` You know the coronavirus is trouble when a Beatle gets involved , '' quipped Kimmel .
Earlier on Saturday , pop , classical and rap musicians from the United States , Asia and the Middle East took part in a six-hour livestream that featured Latin star Luis Fonsi , R & B singer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chan , India 's Vishal Mishra and Emirati musician Hussain Al Jassmi .
Celebrities called on people to stay at home , wash their hands regularly , practice social distancing and put pressure on their political leaders to introduce widespread testing for the disease .

Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey on Saturday headlined a special broadcast of music, comedy and personal stories celebrating those around the world on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Screengrab of The Rolling Stones perform during "One World: Together At Home" presented by Global Citizen on April, 18, 2020.
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The two-hour "One World:Together at Home" event, broadcast across multiple television channels in the United States and overseas, featured a Who's Who of pop culture in the biggest celebrity gathering so far to mark the effects of the virus.
Contributions, all filmed in their homes, also came from Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, British soccer star David Beckham, former U.S. first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, Bill Gates and dozens of others.
"I'm so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard," said Gaga, who helped organize the event.
"This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness that's occurring right now," she added.
00:30
The event, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen, told the personal stories of teachers and healthcare, grocery, delivery, postal and other workers.
It showed social media postings and news clips of doctors and nurses being applauded by communities around the world, deserted world landmarks, families greeting each other through windows, and acts of kindness in support of those who are isolated and frail.
"We aren't asking for money tonight," said Stephen Colbert who hosted the broadcast alongside his U.S. late night television rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
Instead of seeking public funds, the event encouraged philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Corporate and other donors have already contributed some $150 million, organizers said.
"What I'd like tonight, if I can, is to give you the permission for the moment to... 'Smile'," said Gaga, kicking off the evening by launching into a version of the ballad made famous by Nat King Cole.
Beyonce did not perform but sent a video message in which she noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 in the black community.
"This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate in America," she said, urging viewers to protect themselves.
Swift, on piano, gave an emotional rendition of her ballad "Soon You'll Get Better," which was originally written during her mother's battle with cancer.
The Rolling Stones, filmed in four separate locations, sang "You Can't Always Get What You Want," with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards playing acoustic guitars.
"We all appreciate the healthcare workers but never like now," Winfrey said in a video message. "They truly are the best of us... We need to ensure that governments step up now and provide healthcare workers with the equipment and the funds they need."
Wonder played the late Bill Wither's classic "Lean on Me," while McCartney, recalling that his mother was a nurse and midwife, sang "Lady Madonna."
"You know the coronavirus is trouble when a Beatle gets involved," quipped Kimmel.
Earlier on Saturday, pop, classical and rap musicians from the United States, Asia and the Middle East took part in a six-hour livestream that featured Latin star Luis Fonsi, R&B singer Jennifer Hudson, Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, India's Vishal Mishra and Emirati musician Hussain Al Jassmi.
Celebrities called on people to stay at home, wash their hands regularly, practice social distancing and put pressure on their political leaders to introduce widespread testing for the disease.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-19--Trump warns China of ‘consequences’ over Covid-19 allegations, but gives no details

File photo of US President Donald Trump who once again theatened China over its handling of the coronavirus crisis on April 18 , 2020 .
U.S. President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday that it should face consequences if it was `` knowingly responsible '' for the coronavirus pandemic , as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak .
`` It could have been stopped in China before it started and it was n't , and the whole world is suffering because of it , '' Trump told a daily White House briefing .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war of words between the world 's two biggest economies , showing increased strains in relations at a time when experts say an unprecedented level of cooperation is needed to deal with the coronavirus crisis .
`` If it was a mistake , a mistake is a mistake .
But if they were knowingly responsible , yeah , I mean , then sure there should be consequences , '' Trump said .
He did not elaborate on what actions the United States might take .
Trump and senior aides have accused China of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke out late last year in its city of Wuhan .
This week he suspended aid to the World Health Organization accusing it of being `` China-centric . ''
Washington and Beijing have repeatedly sparred in public over the virus .
Trump initially lavished praise on China and his counterpart Xi Jinping for their response .
But he and other senior officials have also referred to it as the `` Chinese virus '' and in recent days have ramped up their rhetoric .
They have also angrily rejected earlier attempts by some Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus on the U.S. military .
Trump 's domestic critics say that while China performed badly at the outset and must still come clean on what happened , he is now seeking to use Beijing to help deflect from the shortcomings of his own response and take advantage of growing anti-China sentiment among some voters for his 2020 re-election bid .
At the same time , however , White House officials are mindful of the potential backlash if tensions get too heated .
The United States is heavily reliant on China for personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , and Trump also wants to keep a hard-won trade deal on track .
Trump said that until recently the U.S.-China relationship had been good , citing a multi-billion agricultural agreement aimed at defusing a bitter trade war .
`` But then all of a sudden you hear about this , '' he said .
He said the Chinese were `` embarrassed '' and the question now was whether what happened with the coronavirus was `` a mistake that got out of control , or was it done deliberately ? ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two , '' he said .
Trump also raised questions about a Wuhan virology laboratory that Fox News this week reported had likely developed the coronavirus as part of China 's effort to demonstrate its capacity to identify and combat viruses .
Trump has said his government is seeking to determine whether the virus emanated from a Chinese lab .
As far back as February , the Chinese state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed rumors that the virus may have been artificially synthesized at one of its labs or perhaps escaped from such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , Trump also used the White House briefing to take a swipe at presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his long record on China as a senator and former vice president .
While stressing his own confrontational trade policies toward China , Trump , using his nickname `` Sleepy Joe '' for his rival , said if Biden wins the White House that China and other countries `` will take our country . ''
Trump also again cast doubt on China 's death toll , which was revised up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died of the coronavirus in Wuhan - half the total - were not counted , but dismissed allegations of a cover-up .
The United States has by far the world 's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases , with more than 720,000 infections and over 37,000 deaths .
Even Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force who has steered clear of political aspects of Trump 's contentions briefings , questioned China 's data .
Showing on a chart that China 's death rate per 100,000 people was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , she called China 's numbers `` unrealistic '' and said it had a `` moral obligation '' to provide credible information .

U.S. President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday that it should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the coronavirus pandemic, as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak.
File photo of US President Donald Trump who once again theatened China over its handling of the coronavirus crisis on April 18, 2020.
Advertising Read more
"It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn't, and the whole world is suffering because of it," Trump told a daily White House briefing.
It was the latest U.S. volley in a war of words between the world's two biggest economies, showing increased strains in relations at a time when experts say an unprecedented level of cooperation is needed to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
"If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences," Trump said. He did not elaborate on what actions the United States might take.
Trump and senior aides have accused China of a lack of transparency after the coronavirus broke out late last year in its city of Wuhan. This week he suspended aid to the World Health Organization accusing it of being "China-centric."
Washington and Beijing have repeatedly sparred in public over the virus. Trump initially lavished praise on China and his counterpart Xi Jinping for their response. But he and other senior officials have also referred to it as the "Chinese virus" and in recent days have ramped up their rhetoric.
They have also angrily rejected earlier attempts by some Chinese officials to blame the origin of the virus on the U.S. military.
Trump's domestic critics say that while China performed badly at the outset and must still come clean on what happened, he is now seeking to use Beijing to help deflect from the shortcomings of his own response and take advantage of growing anti-China sentiment among some voters for his 2020 re-election bid.
At the same time, however, White House officials are mindful of the potential backlash if tensions get too heated. The United States is heavily reliant on China for personal protection equipment desperately needed by American medical workers, and Trump also wants to keep a hard-won trade deal on track.
Trump said that until recently the U.S.-China relationship had been good, citing a multi-billion agricultural agreement aimed at defusing a bitter trade war. "But then all of a sudden you hear about this," he said.
He said the Chinese were "embarrassed" and the question now was whether what happened with the coronavirus was "a mistake that got out of control, or was it done deliberately?"
"There's a big difference between those two," he said.
Wuhan lab
Trump also raised questions about a Wuhan virology laboratory that Fox News this week reported had likely developed the coronavirus as part of China's effort to demonstrate its capacity to identify and combat viruses. Trump has said his government is seeking to determine whether the virus emanated from a Chinese lab.
As far back as February, the Chinese state-backed Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed rumors that the virus may have been artificially synthesized at one of its labs or perhaps escaped from such a facility.
Wandering off the topic of the coronavirus, Trump also used the White House briefing to take a swipe at presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his long record on China as a senator and former vice president.
While stressing his own confrontational trade policies toward China, Trump, using his nickname "Sleepy Joe" for his rival, said if Biden wins the White House that China and other countries "will take our country."
Trump also again cast doubt on China's death toll, which was revised up on Friday. China said 1,300 people who died of the coronavirus in Wuhan - half the total - were not counted, but dismissed allegations of a cover-up.
The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 720,000 infections and over 37,000 deaths.
Even Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force who has steered clear of political aspects of Trump's contentions briefings, questioned China's data.
Showing on a chart that China's death rate per 100,000 people was far below major European countries and the United States, she called China's numbers "unrealistic" and said it had a "moral obligation" to provide credible information.
(REUTERS)
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