france24--2020-05-27--Migrants forced to stay in Cyprus camp despite easing of Covd-19 lockdown

This is the document that our Observer Emmanuel had to sign when he was taken to Pournara camp .
Identifying details have been blurred out .
This is the document that our Observer Emmanuel had to sign when he was taken to Pournara camp .
Identifying details have been blurred out .
Breakfast is just a lump of dry bread , with no water or tea .
We only get one bottle of water per day .
And it ’ s very hot here – as much as 41 degrees Celsius .
[ Editor ’ s note : earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record ] .
In the afternoons it ’ s too hot to stay in our tents .
There are no fans in our tents , nothing to cool ourselves .
The only place with wifi is in the communal yard , so we have to stand under the hot sun to talk with our families .
We try and stand under the trees for shade , but there isn ’ t enough shade for all of us .
There are flies everywhere and snakes in the tents .
Some of the others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed it .
The only place with wifi is in the communal yard , so we have to stand under the hot sun to talk with our families .
We try and stand under the trees for shade , but there isn ’ t enough shade for all of us .
There are flies everywhere and snakes in the tents .
Some of the others found a snake in a tent and killed it .
Residents of the camp found a snake in a tent and killed it , before bringing it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a symbol of how unsafe they feel in the tents .
Photo sent by our Observer .
Crowds of people gathered outside the asylum services office in Pournara camp .
The voiceover in the video says that they are unable to leave , that they do n't know what to do , and that they 're frightened to sleep in the tents .
Some people have been here longer than us : three or four months .
Some of us have been carrying out peaceful protests , but the police come and use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to know why the government is keeping us here .
I ’ ve been in Cyprus for over a year .
I have all my documents .
Why are they keeping us here , under what law ?
We went to the asylum office to ask to leave , and the person there said that we agreed to it because we signed this piece of paper .

CYPRUS
Images sent by our Observers. On the left, a crowd of residents of the camp watch a protest calling for their freedom. On the right, the barbed wire encircling the camp.
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At the beginning of March, authorities closed the gates of a first reception centre for migrants in Cyprus, not letting people in or out. The Pournara camp in Kokkinotrimithia was initially built to host up to 350 asylum seekers for a maximum of 72 hours, but there are now 771 people living behind its fences – some of whom have been there for four months. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to people living inside the camp, who are pleading with authorities to let them leave and denouncing the poor living conditions there.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began, Cyprus implemented a nationwide lockdown on 25 March, which was also applied to the Pournara camp.
In early April, ombudswoman Maria Stylianou-Lottides visited the camp to make an assessment of living conditions there. In her report published 23 April, Stylianou-Lottides said that any rule restricting freedom of movement is an “arbitrary” measure and that migrants should still be allowed to leave the camp if it is for medical or humanitarian reasons.
Easing of lockdown measures began on 4 May, allowing citizens to leave their houses up to three times a day, upon request – but this relaxation of the rules did not apply to residents of the Pournara camp. In protest, some residents of the camp went on hunger strike, and demonstrations were forcibly shut down by police.
Local NGOs have condemned the government’s stance, saying that locking the doors of the camp is tantamount to the illegal indefinite detention of people in the camp.
Pournara camp is surrounded by layers of barbed wire. Our Observer sent us this photo, telling us, "They treat us like we are criminals."
On 19 May, the Ministry of Health announced that there had been an outbreak of scabies in the camp and no one was allowed to go in or out. The ministry reported that around 30 people had contracted scabies and were being isolated.
“I want to know why the government is keeping us here. Under what law?”
The FRANCE 24 Observers spoke with Emmanuel [his name has been changed to protect his identity], a 28-year-old Nigerian man who has been in the camp since the beginning of May. He first arrived in Cyprus in March 2019. He was taken first to the Pournara camp, then lived independently in an apartment in Nicosia, the capital, before moving to a different shared apartment in Ayia Napa. It was in this apartment that he received a visit from the police and social workers on 4 May.
They told us that we had two options: go to Pournara camp, where we would quarantine for two weeks, or return to our country. Those who chose voluntary return would get €750. Some of us chose to go back. I decided to obey the government and go to the camp. They told us that when the two weeks were up, we would be able to leave the camp. They made us sign a document saying that we agreed to come to the camp. Now they are using it against us. They refuse to let us out of the camp. Each time, whenever they move us [from one apartment to another], we obey. But the more we obey, the more they use it against us. And if we break the law, they say we are violent migrants.
This is the document that our Observer Emmanuel had to sign when he was taken to Pournara camp. Identifying details have been blurred out.
We’ve stopped receiving our benefits, so I can’t pay the rent for the apartment I had lined up in Nicosia. I feel like a prisoner. We are separated into different sections, and they lock the different sections, like we are criminals. “The authorities won’t let us leave” Breakfast is just a lump of dry bread, with no water or tea. We only get one bottle of water per day. And it’s very hot here – as much as 41 degrees Celsius. [Editor’s note: earlier this month, Cyprus experienced its hottest May on record]. In the afternoons it’s too hot to stay in our tents. There are no fans in our tents, nothing to cool ourselves. The bread provided for breakfast. Photo sent by our Observer. The one bottle of water provided per day. Photo sent by our Observer. The only place with wifi is in the communal yard, so we have to stand under the hot sun to talk with our families. We try and stand under the trees for shade, but there isn’t enough shade for all of us. There are flies everywhere and snakes in the tents. Some of the others found a snake in a tent and killed it. Residents of the camp found a snake in a tent and killed it, before bringing it to the asylum services of the camp as a symbol of how unsafe they feel in the tents. Photo sent by our Observer. Crowds of people gathered outside the asylum services office in Pournara camp. The voiceover in the video says that they are unable to leave, that they don't know what to do, and that they're frightened to sleep in the tents. Some people have been here longer than us: three or four months. Some of us have been carrying out peaceful protests, but the police come and use tear gas to make people disperse. I want to know why the government is keeping us here. I’ve been in Cyprus for over a year. I have all my documents. Why are they keeping us here, under what law? We went to the asylum office to ask to leave, and the person there said that we agreed to it because we signed this piece of paper.
"If they can’t take care of us, we want to leave"
Another Nigerian man told us that the medical services for the camp’s residents are not sufficient.
I’ve been trying to see a doctor since last week. I said I wasn’t feeling well, and went to the camp doctor last Thursday morning. They said they were too busy to come back later. So I went back again in the afternoon, and they told me to come back the next morning at 8am. So I did, but the same thing happened. Then when I came back in the afternoon, they told me to come back on Monday. It’s now Tuesday and I still haven’t been able to see a doctor. They say we have a right to medical care but there are no doctors.
Dirty urinals in the camp. Photo sent by our Observer.
And if we do manage to see a doctor, all they do is give us paracetamol. A friend thought he had an infection and they just gave him paracetamol. Yesterday, a guy fainted in the heat and it took more than 30 minutes for an ambulance to come and take him away. We don’t even know where he is or how he is. If they can’t take care of us, we want to leave, but they say they don’t have the right to release us. The food isn’t sufficient. There’s not enough to drink. Just hard bread at breakfast, and then at lunch just boiled pasta with nothing else. If you have money, you can buy food from outside. There’s a shopkeeper who brings produce from his shop to the camp. There are even girls doing promiscuous things for money so they can buy food. We heard some women in the camp going around and offering to sleep with men for six euros, just so they could feed themselves.
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Some of the food provided in Pournara camp. Photos sent by our Observer.
“We weren’t ready for Covid-19”
FRANCE 24 spoke with Stefanos Spaneas, the daily operations manager for the camp. The camp is run by an external contractor on behalf of Cyprus’ asylum service and the Ministry of the Interior. He responded to the various complaints FRANCE 24 had heard from various people inside the camp.
Due to Covid-19, we had to rapidly increase the centre’s capacity and improve infrastructure. We were not ready to accommodate all the people who were brought to the camp. Before, we had 20 tents. Now we have over 150 tents. It means we had to put in more portaloos and build additional water taps and showers. We are continuing to upgrade the centre.
There are more tents in the camp than the centre was originally designed for. Photo sent by our Observer.
I know we’ve had complaints about the food. We work with an external catering company. We have so many different nationalities in the centre; it’s difficult to please everyone. For a long time we had a majority of Syrians and now we have a majority of Africans, who tend to have different preferences. I check the quality of the food. That is to say, I check whether it is well-cooked and hot, and whether it is edible – not whether it is something that I like. We try to ask the catering company to provide different things if we receive a lot of complaints. For instance, for breakfast we were serving a traditional Cypriot olive bread, which had a green tinge from the olives, and many people in the camp thought it was mouldy and didn’t like it, so we changed that to a type of sweet bread. An expert hired by the government comes to check whether the portions are sufficient. If there is food left over, we try to distribute it.
A video sent by our Observer that shows local Cypriot police intervening in the camp. He does not know what the men did or why they were taken away. The police officers use tear gas on the migrants watching the scuffle, even though they are separated by a metal fence.
In the past we were giving out two plastic bottles of water every day, and then the contract changed and now we only give out one bottle a day. But they do have access to water fountains in the camp where they can refill their bottles. In the future the plan is to give each person a refillable thermos when they enter the centre, for them to keep until they leave. We have a 24-hour medical unit which consists of one nurse. In the past we had a doctor who visited every two days. It’s true that Covid-19 made things a lot more difficult. We had to make appointments to send people to hospital. Sometimes we would send people and hospitals wouldn’t accept them. We’ve had trouble recently getting doctors to come to the centre. It’s not yet as it was pre-pandemic, but access to medical services is slowly getting better again.
A video sent by our Observer that shows the group Antifa Nicosia protesting outside the camp on 26 May and calling for the government to release the migrants.
No longer scabies inside the camp
He confirmed that the scabies outbreak had been controlled, and there were now no known cases of scabies inside the camp – but did not know why residents of the camp were still not allowed to move freely from the camp.
The centre is a first reception centre for a particular time period, the time that it takes them to finish the first step of their application. After that, according to the law, they have to leave the centre. However, the state has to arrange and provide them with accommodation afterwards. If for administrative reasons they need to be held longer because they have a particular case, they should be taken to a different camp which is more suitable for long-term stays.
He explained that ultimately it is the decision of the Ministry of the Interior to continue to keep people there on a permanent basis.
“People want to know when they are going to be released. I hope and believe that the centre will regain its old character,” he said, but added that he wasn’t aware of any plan on the part of the Ministry of the Interior to allow people to leave.
The FRANCE 24 Observers team contacted Cyprus’ Ministry of the Interior to ask them when residents in the camp would once again be allowed to moved freely in the country, but has not yet received a response. This article will be updated if and when that happens.
In the meantime, people in the camp remain in limbo, with no response from the authorities to their demands for release.
Article by Catherine Bennett.


france24--2020-05-28--French jobless total passes record 4.5 million after 22% monthly hike

The unemployment figures do not include people who have been put on state-subsided furloughs during the crisis .
The number of people in France looking for jobs surged in April by 22.6 percent to a record high as a nationwide coronavirus lockdown shut down swathes of the economy , Labour Ministry data showed on Thursday .
The number of people registered as seeking work jumped by 843,000 from March to 4,575,500 , the highest since records began in 1996 , France 's labour ministry said .
The ministry said that the surge was due to a nearly 35 percent drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
The data do not include people who have been put on state-subsided furloughs during the crisis , which the ministry said on Wednesday numbered nearly 13 million .
France 's government put the country under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe in mid-March and the country is only gradually emerging after the first restrictions were lifted on May 11 .
Earlier this week , the Insee national statistics agency said the French economy is on course to shrink by 20 percent in the second quarter from the previous three months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s recession .
Insee said the economy could contract 8 % for the whole of 2020 in the unlikely scenario that activity returned to pre-crisis levels by July .
In a bid to revive France 's flagging economy , Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will unveil the second phase of the country 's gradual exit from lockdown on Thursday .
Philippe is expected to announce that bars , cafes and restaurants in much of France can reopen from next week , though businesses in Paris and other hard-hit areas will have to @ @ @

The number of people in France looking for jobs surged in April by 22.6 percent to a record high as a nationwide coronavirus lockdown shut down swathes of the economy, Labour Ministry data showed on Thursday.
The unemployment figures do not include people who have been put on state-subsided furloughs during the crisis.
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The number of people registered as seeking work jumped by 843,000 from March to 4,575,500, the highest since records began in 1996, France's labour ministry said.
The ministry said that the surge was due to a nearly 35 percent drop in the number of people getting new jobs.
The data do not include people who have been put on state-subsided furloughs during the crisis, which the ministry said on Wednesday numbered nearly 13 million.
France's government put the country under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe in mid-March and the country is only gradually emerging after the first restrictions were lifted on May 11.
Earlier this week, the Insee national statistics agency said the French economy is on course to shrink by 20 percent in the second quarter from the previous three months, marking a sharp deterioration in the country’s recession.
Insee said the economy could contract 8% for the whole of 2020 in the unlikely scenario that activity returned to pre-crisis levels by July.
In a bid to revive France's flagging economy, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will unveil the second phase of the country's gradual exit from lockdown on Thursday.
Philippe is expected to announce that bars, cafes and restaurants in much of France can reopen from next week, though businesses in Paris and other hard-hit areas will have to wait longer.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-28--China’s parliament backs controversial Hong Kong security law

A screen shows the results of the vote at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing , China , on May 28 , 2020 .
China ’ s parliament , the National People 's Congress , approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear could undermine its autonomy .
China says the legislation will be aimed at tackling secession , subversion , terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan , unveiled in Beijing last week , triggered the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its legislators debated another piece of legislation , a bill that would criminalise disrespect of China 's national anthem , while the United States piled on pressure aimed at preserving the city 's freedoms .
Dozens of protesters gathered in a shopping mall to chant slogans but there was no repeat of disturbances the previous day when police made 360 arrests as thousands took to the streets in anger over the anthem bill and national security legislation proposed by China .
> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong ’ s fate exposes stakes in Covid-19 era Last year , the city was rocked for months by often violent pro-democracy demonstrations over an unsuccessful bid to introduce an extradition law to China .
The anthem bill is the latest issue to fuel fears in Hong Kong that Beijing is imposing its authority and eroding the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed under a `` one country , two systems '' formula since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 .
But of greater concern in Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security law for the city , which is expected to be enacted before September .
Lawmakers gathered in the Great Hall of the People to the west of Beijing 's Tiananmen Square burst into prolonged applause when the vote tally showed 2,878 to 1 in favour of the decision to move forward with laws , with six abstentions .
Details of the law are expected to be drawn up in coming weeks and Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city 's autonomy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused .
The United States , Britain and the European Union have expressed concern about it , and its implications for China 's freest city and one of the world 's financial hubs .

China’s parliament, the National People's Congress, approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear could undermine its autonomy.
A screen shows the results of the vote at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 28, 2020.
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China says the legislation will be aimed at tackling secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first big protests in Hong Kong for months.
Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its legislators debated another piece of legislation, a bill that would criminalise disrespect of China's national anthem, while the United States piled on pressure aimed at preserving the city's freedoms.
Dozens of protesters gathered in a shopping mall to chant slogans but there was no repeat of disturbances the previous day when police made 360 arrests as thousands took to the streets in anger over the anthem bill and national security legislation proposed by China.
>> Between old and new empires, Hong Kong’s fate exposes stakes in Covid-19 era
Last year, the city was rocked for months by often violent pro-democracy demonstrations over an unsuccessful bid to introduce an extradition law to China.
The anthem bill is the latest issue to fuel fears in Hong Kong that Beijing is imposing its authority and eroding the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed under a "one country, two systems" formula since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
But of greater concern in Hong Kong is the Chinese government's national security law for the city, which is expected to be enacted before September.
Lawmakers gathered in the Great Hall of the People to the west of Beijing's Tiananmen Square burst into prolonged applause when the vote tally showed 2,878 to 1 in favour of the decision to move forward with laws, with six abstentions.
Details of the law are expected to be drawn up in coming weeks and Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city's autonomy and the new security law would be tightly focused.
The United States, Britain and the European Union have expressed concern about it, and its implications for China's freest city and one of the world's financial hubs.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-28--French cafes eye return to business as government prepares new lockdown easing

Cafes like this one in the fortified town of Carcassonne , in southern France , could be reoponening as early as next week .
Bars , cafes and restaurants in parts of France may soon be reopening as the government announces new measures to ease the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday , though businesses in Paris and other hard-hit areas will have to wait longer .
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will unveil the second phase of his plan to reopen the country 's economy following a meeting with top cabinet members , after strict stay-at-home orders were lifted on May 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cafes in so-called `` green '' zones with limited Covid-19 cases could open on June 2 , those in `` red '' zones including Paris and a large swathe of the northeast may have to wait until July , a government source said .
Cities will also be allowed to reopen parks and public gardens , though in red zones visitors will have to wear masks .
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has urged the government to reopen parks for residents who have been cooped up for weeks , not least to avoid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as summer approaches .
The number of Covid-19 daily deaths has continued to decline across France , with 66 new fatalities reported Wednesday night , bringing the total to just under 28,600 since the outbreak began .
This could allow the government to lift restrictions on travelling , with residents currently required to stay within 100 kilometres of their homes , tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said this week .
But face masks will remain mandatory on trains , metros and other public transport `` so long as we do not have a treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister Elisabeth Borne said Wednesday .
Borne told Thursday 's Paris Match magazine she also plans to triple government funds to encourage cycling to 60 million euros and avoid a surge in car use by people wary of public transport .
Parents of high school students are also waiting to learn if classes will resume at least partially in June , and if the all-important orals for the final-year baccalaureate exam will go ahead .
Although classes have resumed for some of the younger grades , in practice schools are taking in only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a few days a week , in order to meet the strict hygiene and social distancing requirements .
Hoping to avert a second wave of Covid-19 cases , the government plans to introduce a “ StopCovid “ contact tracing app for phones after it was approved by parliament late on Wednesday .
The issue of how to track coronavirus spread with mobile technology has sparked privacy concerns in several countries now lifting strict home confinement measures as they hope to kickstart their economies .
Earlier this week , the Insee national statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course to shrink by 20 % in the second quarter from the previous three months , marking a sharp deterioration in the country ’ s recession .

Bars, cafés and restaurants in parts of France may soon be reopening as the government announces new measures to ease the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday, though businesses in Paris and other hard-hit areas will have to wait longer.
Cafes like this one in the fortified town of Carcassonne, in southern France, could be reoponening as early as next week.
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Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will unveil the second phase of his plan to reopen the country's economy following a meeting with top cabinet members, after strict stay-at-home orders were lifted on May 11.
>> Watch PM Philippe's announcements live on FRANCE 24 at 5pm Paris time (GMT+2)
But while restaurants, bars and cafés in so-called "green" zones with limited Covid-19 cases could open on June 2, those in "red" zones including Paris and a large swathe of the northeast may have to wait until July, a government source said.
Cities will also be allowed to reopen parks and public gardens, though in red zones visitors will have to wear masks.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has urged the government to reopen parks for residents who have been cooped up for weeks, not least to avoid the mass gatherings witnessed on canals and esplanades as summer approaches.
🛍🇫🇷Parisian department store #Printemps will re-open today, after winning a court battle to lift #lockdown restrictions placed on bigger shops. It comes ahead of French government announcements on the next phase of opening up the economy. @France24_en #F24 pic.twitter.com/jKKgqJl6uX — Stephen Carroll (@newstephen) May 28, 2020
Travel restrictions
The number of Covid-19 daily deaths has continued to decline across France, with 66 new fatalities reported Wednesday night, bringing the total to just under 28,600 since the outbreak began.
This could allow the government to lift restrictions on travelling, with residents currently required to stay within 100 kilometres of their homes, tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said this week.
But face masks will remain mandatory on trains, metros and other public transport "so long as we do not have a treatment" against the new coronavirus, environment minister Elisabeth Borne said Wednesday.
Borne told Thursday's Paris Match magazine she also plans to triple government funds to encourage cycling to 60 million euros and avoid a surge in car use by people wary of public transport.
Tracing app
Parents of high school students are also waiting to learn if classes will resume at least partially in June, and if the all-important orals for the final-year baccalaureate exam will go ahead.
Although classes have resumed for some of the younger grades, in practice schools are taking in only a small fraction of students, often only a few days a week, in order to meet the strict hygiene and social distancing requirements.
Hoping to avert a second wave of Covid-19 cases, the government plans to introduce a “StopCovid“ contact tracing app for phones after it was approved by parliament late on Wednesday.
The issue of how to track coronavirus spread with mobile technology has sparked privacy concerns in several countries now lifting strict home confinement measures as they hope to kickstart their economies.
Earlier this week, the Insee national statistics agency said the French economy is on course to shrink by 20% in the second quarter from the previous three months, marking a sharp deterioration in the country’s recession.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--Pandemic ‘threatens to roll back years of progress in reducing child poverty’

Children wait in lines to receive a meal at a crèche near Cape Town in South Africa , on May 14 , 2020 .
The economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic could push as many as 86 million more children into poverty by the end of 2020 , a joint study by Save the Children and UNICEF showed Wednesday .
That would bring the total number of children affected by poverty worldwide to more than 670 million , an increase of 15 percent over last year , the two aid agencies said in a statement .
Nearly two-thirds of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Asia .
However , the pandemic-driven increase is expected to occur mainly in Europe and Central Asia , according to the study , which is based on World Bank and International Monetary Fund projections and population data from some 100 countries .
`` The scale and depth of financial hardship among families threatens to roll back years of progress in reducing child poverty and to leave children deprived of essential services , '' UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore is quoted as saying in the statement .
With immediate and decisive action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic threat facing the poorest countries and some of the most vulnerable children , '' added Save the Children head Inger Ashing .
They are `` highly vulnerable to even short periods of hunger and malnutrition — potentially affecting them for their whole life , '' Ashing warns .
The two organizations call on governments to rapidly expand their social security systems and school feeding to limit the effects of the pandemic .
Meanwhile , the International Labour Organization has warned that young adults are being hit hardest by the wave of redundancies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the globe .
In a report published on Wednesday , the Geneva-based organization found that one in six of those it had surveyed aged 18 to 29 who had been in work before the pandemic began said they had since stopped working .
`` As we recover from the pandemic , a lot of young people are simply going to be left behind .
Big numbers , '' said ILO chief Guy Ryder .

The economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic could push as many as 86 million more children into poverty by the end of 2020, a joint study by Save the Children and UNICEF showed Wednesday.
Children wait in lines to receive a meal at a crèche near Cape Town in South Africa, on May 14, 2020.
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That would bring the total number of children affected by poverty worldwide to more than 670 million, an increase of 15 percent over last year, the two aid agencies said in a statement.
Nearly two-thirds of those children overall live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
However, the pandemic-driven increase is expected to occur mainly in Europe and Central Asia, according to the study, which is based on World Bank and International Monetary Fund projections and population data from some 100 countries.
"The scale and depth of financial hardship among families threatens to roll back years of progress in reducing child poverty and to leave children deprived of essential services," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore is quoted as saying in the statement.
The #COVID19 pandemic could push up to 86m more children into household poverty by the end of 2020. We can’t let this 15% increase happen.
Poverty is not inevitable, we can and must do more #ForEveryChild. @save_children — UNICEF (@UNICEF) May 28, 2020
With immediate and decisive action, "we can prevent and contain the pandemic threat facing the poorest countries and some of the most vulnerable children," added Save the Children head Inger Ashing.
They are "highly vulnerable to even short periods of hunger and malnutrition — potentially affecting them for their whole life," Ashing warns.
The two organizations call on governments to rapidly expand their social security systems and school feeding to limit the effects of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organization has warned that young adults are being hit hardest by the wave of redundancies triggered by the Covid-19 crisis in countries across the globe.
In a report published on Wednesday, the Geneva-based organization found that one in six of those it had surveyed aged 18 to 29 who had been in work before the pandemic began said they had since stopped working.
"As we recover from the pandemic, a lot of young people are simply going to be left behind. Big numbers," said ILO chief Guy Ryder.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--Afghan security forces killed in first ‘Taliban attack’ since end of ceasefire

Afghan security personnel pictured in Kabul on May 11 , 2020 .
Seven members of the Afghan security forces were killed Thursday in an attack officials blamed on the Taliban , the first deadly assault since the end of a three-day ceasefire .
The temporary truce ended on Tuesday but a lull in the country 's grinding violence has largely held , raising hopes that the militants and Kabul could soon start much-delayed peace talks .
Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint in Parwan , north of the capital , early Thursday , said Waheeda Shahkar , spokeswoman to the provincial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered casualties , '' Shahkar told AFP , saying seven members of the Afghan forces died .
District police chief Hussain Shah said Taliban fighters set fire to the checkpoint , killing five security force personnel .
Two more were shot dead .
The Taliban have not commented .
It is the first attack that Afghan officials have blamed on the Taliban since the end of the surprise ceasefire offered by the militants and extending over the Eid al-Fitr festival .
Afghan security forces , however , carried out air strikes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed 18 `` militants '' .
According to Afghanistan 's Independent Human Rights Commission , civilian casualties fell by 80 percent during the temporary truce .
Kabul-based political analyst Sayed Nasir Musawi said he expected the insurgents to reduce attacks , without officially extending the ceasefire .
`` Unofficially this ceasefire will continue and we will have a meaningful reduction in violence , '' Musawi said .
He added that the truce offer from the Taliban was a signal to the Afghan government and the United States that they were ready to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ceasefire by pushing forward with an agreed prisoner exchange , releasing some 1,000 Taliban prisoners this week , with plans to release more in the coming days .
A Taliban delegation was in Kabul on Thursday to discuss the prisoner swap with government officials , National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told AFP .
The ongoing exchange is part of a US-Taliban deal signed in February , which excluded the Afghan government .
Kabul had already freed about 1,000 Taliban inmates before the ceasefire , while the insurgents had released about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly called for extending the truce and launching peace talks .
The future of talks `` depends on the Taliban 's next move '' , Faisal told AFP this week .
US President Donald Trump 's administration has made it a priority to end America 's longest war , and in a bid to pull out foreign forces US officials have been pushing the Taliban and government leaders to hold peace talks .

Seven members of the Afghan security forces were killed Thursday in an attack officials blamed on the Taliban, the first deadly assault since the end of a three-day ceasefire.
Afghan security personnel pictured in Kabul on May 11, 2020.
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The temporary truce ended on Tuesday but a lull in the country's grinding violence has largely held, raising hopes that the militants and Kabul could soon start much-delayed peace talks.
Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint in Parwan, north of the capital, early Thursday, said Waheeda Shahkar, spokeswoman to the provincial governor.
"The Taliban have also suffered casualties," Shahkar told AFP, saying seven members of the Afghan forces died.
District police chief Hussain Shah said Taliban fighters set fire to the checkpoint, killing five security force personnel. Two more were shot dead.
The Taliban have not commented.
It is the first attack that Afghan officials have blamed on the Taliban since the end of the surprise ceasefire offered by the militants and extending over the Eid al-Fitr festival.
Afghan security forces, however, carried out air strikes in the south on Wednesday that police said had killed 18 "militants".
Drop in civilian casualties
According to Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, civilian casualties fell by 80 percent during the temporary truce.
Kabul-based political analyst Sayed Nasir Musawi said he expected the insurgents to reduce attacks, without officially extending the ceasefire.
"Unofficially this ceasefire will continue and we will have a meaningful reduction in violence," Musawi said.
He added that the truce offer from the Taliban was a signal to the Afghan government and the United States that they were ready to start peace talks.
Afghan authorities have responded to the ceasefire by pushing forward with an agreed prisoner exchange, releasing some 1,000 Taliban prisoners this week, with plans to release more in the coming days.
A Taliban delegation was in Kabul on Thursday to discuss the prisoner swap with government officials, National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told AFP.
The ongoing exchange is part of a US-Taliban deal signed in February, which excluded the Afghan government.
Kabul had already freed about 1,000 Taliban inmates before the ceasefire, while the insurgents had released about 300 government captives.
The Afghan government has repeatedly called for extending the truce and launching peace talks.
The future of talks "depends on the Taliban's next move", Faisal told AFP this week.
US President Donald Trump's administration has made it a priority to end America's longest war, and in a bid to pull out foreign forces US officials have been pushing the Taliban and government leaders to hold peace talks.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-27--US death toll from Covid-19 passes 100,000 as Americans emerge from lockdown

A woman adds a name on May 27 , 2020 , on a memorial outside the Green-Wood Cemetery in the Brooklyn borough of New York City , for those who have died from the coronavirus during the outbreak of Covid-19 .
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States , according to a Reuters tally on Wednesday , even as the slowdown in deaths encouraged businesses to reopen and Americans to emerge from more than two months of lockdowns .
About 1,400 Americans have died on average each day in May , down from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the tally of state and county data on Covid-19 deaths .
In about three months , more Americans have died from Covid-19 than during the Korean War , Vietnam War and the U.S. conflict in Iraq from 2003-2011 combined .
The new respiratory disease has also killed more people than the AIDS epidemic did from 1981 through 1989 , and it is far deadlier than the seasonal flu has been in decades .
The last time the flu killed as many people in the United States was in the 1957-1958 season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are over 1.7 million with some southern states seeing new cases rising in the past week , according to a Reuters analysis of data from The Covid Tracking Project , a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak .
Globally , coronavirus cases have topped 5.6 million with over 350,000 deaths since the outbreak began in China late last year and then arrived in Europe and the United States .
South America is now bearing the brunt of the outbreak , with Brazil having the second-highest number of cases in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , the United States ranks eighth based on deaths per capita , according to a Reuters tally .
The United States has three fatalities per 10,000 people .
Belgium is first with eight deaths per 10,000 , followed by Spain , the United Kingdom and Italy , according to the Reuters analysis .

The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States, according to a Reuters tally on Wednesday, even as the slowdown in deaths encouraged businesses to reopen and Americans to emerge from more than two months of lockdowns.
A woman adds a name on May 27, 2020, on a memorial outside the Green-Wood Cemetery in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, for those who have died from the coronavirus during the outbreak of Covid-19.
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About 1,400 Americans have died on average each day in May, down from a peak of 2,000 in April, according to the tally of state and county data on Covid-19 deaths.
In about three months, more Americans have died from Covid-19 than during the Korean War, Vietnam War and the U.S. conflict in Iraq from 2003-2011 combined.
The new respiratory disease has also killed more people than the AIDS epidemic did from 1981 through 1989, and it is far deadlier than the seasonal flu has been in decades. The last time the flu killed as many people in the United States was in the 1957-1958 season, when 116,000 died.
01:49
Total U.S. coronavirus cases are over 1.7 million with some southern states seeing new cases rising in the past week, according to a Reuters analysis of data from The Covid Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the outbreak.
Globally, coronavirus cases have topped 5.6 million with over 350,000 deaths since the outbreak began in China late last year and then arrived in Europe and the United States. South America is now bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with Brazil having the second-highest number of cases in the world.
Of the top 20 most severely affected countries, the United States ranks eighth based on deaths per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has three fatalities per 10,000 people. Belgium is first with eight deaths per 10,000, followed by Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy, according to the Reuters analysis.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-28--Protecting or profiling? French divided over launch of coronavirus tracing app

Protecting or profiling ?
French divided over launch of coronavirus tracing app French lawmakers on Wednesday approved a government-backed cellphone @ @ @ @ @ if they have been in contact with a person infected by the coronavirus .
Set @ @ @ @ @ , the StopCovid app – use of which will remain voluntary – is designed to @ @ @ @ @ have been in close proximity over a two-week period .
Privacy defenders have expressed fears @ @ @ @ @ first step towards a society under constant online surveillance .
FRANCE 24 's Catherine Norris-Trent @ @

Protecting or profiling? French divided over launch of coronavirus tracing app
02:03 © FRANCE 24 screengrab
Video by: Catherine NORRIS TRENT
French lawmakers on Wednesday approved a government-backed cellphone app that will alert users if they have been in contact with a person infected by the coronavirus. Set to be launched this weekend, the StopCovid app – use of which will remain voluntary – is designed to keep track of users who have been in close proximity over a two-week period. Privacy defenders have expressed fears that the app marks the first step towards a society under constant online surveillance. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent reports.


france24--2020-05-27--Cummings not going? UK PM Johnson stands by embattled adviser

Cummings not going ?
UK PM Johnson stands by embattled adviser No apology , no regrets from Dominic Cummings , @ @ @ @ @ adviser , who refuses to resign over a 264-mile trip home to the north in @ @ @ @ @ of lockdown in the UK .
Why is the prime minister standing by Cummings in @ @ @ @ @ revolt by Conservative MPs ?
Politicians and civil servants were already seething at a man @ @ @ @ @ the outsized powers of unelected consultants .
Will the duo that teamed up in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ ride out the storm ?
As the UK faces an unprecedented public health crisis-cum-economic downturn @ @ @ @ @ the country ?
Has the prime minister squandered all the political capital from the general @ @ @ @ @ the current crisis ?
Take international news everywhere with you !
Download the France 24 @

Cummings not going? UK PM Johnson stands by embattled adviser
43:22 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
No apology, no regrets from Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s top adviser, who refuses to resign over a 264-mile trip home to the north in March, at the height of lockdown in the UK. Why is the prime minister standing by Cummings in the face of a backbench revolt by Conservative MPs? Politicians and civil servants were already seething at a man described as the embodiment of the outsized powers of unelected consultants. Will the duo that teamed up in 2016 in the campaign for Brexit ride out the storm?
Advertising As the UK faces an unprecedented public health crisis-cum-economic downturn, who's really running the country? Has the prime minister squandered all the political capital from the general election in the managing of the current crisis? Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-05-27--Special programme: Brazil, Latin America's Covid-19 epicentre

With Brazil 's Covid-19 death toll surpassing 25,000 , sometimes at the rate of more than 1,000 per day , the World Health Organization has declared it the `` most affected '' country in South America , the new epicentre of the coronavirus .
In this special edition of Inside The Americas , we see how the poorest and most isolated Brazilians are paying a heavy price , while President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic .
Brazil is grappling with the Covid-19 crisis at a time of political turmoil .
Despite the coronavirus threat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands and embracing his supporters .
Bolsonaro has been widely criticised for his cavalier approach to hygiene measures .
Can his populist politics survive his handling of the pandemic ?
We take a closer look .
> > Watch our Debate show : Out of control ?
Covid-19 in Bolsonaro 's Brazil Plus , our correspondents Fanny Lothaire and Laura Damase report on why the residents of Rio de Janeiro 's densely populated favelas are being hit hard by the virus , despite many of them being younger than patients in other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and respiratory illnesses have long been common .
We also get a glimpse of how the country 's indigenous communities are dealing with Covid-19 as some activists warn that these vulnerable populations could be wiped out if left unprotected .
Despite its remoteness , the Brazilian state of Amazonas is one of the most-affected places .
Finally , Bolsonaro recently dismissed the country 's culture secretary after downgrading the role itself .
Filmmaker Sabrina Fidalgo joins us from Rio to share how the current political climate in Brazil is affecting cultural industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Populism and the pandemic , the great divide in Brazil

With Brazil's Covid-19 death toll surpassing 25,000, sometimes at the rate of more than 1,000 per day, the World Health Organization has declared it the "most affected" country in South America, the new epicentre of the coronavirus. In this special edition of Inside The Americas, we see how the poorest and most isolated Brazilians are paying a heavy price, while President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic.
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Brazil is grappling with the Covid-19 crisis at a time of political turmoil. Despite the coronavirus threat, President Jair Bolsonaro is often seen shaking hands and embracing his supporters. Bolsonaro has been widely criticised for his cavalier approach to hygiene measures. Can his populist politics survive his handling of the pandemic? We take a closer look.
>> Watch our Debate show: Out of control? Covid-19 in Bolsonaro's Brazil
Plus, our correspondents Fanny Lothaire and Laura Damase report on why the residents of Rio de Janeiro's densely populated favelas are being hit hard by the virus, despite many of them being younger than patients in other countries. Favela residents rarely undergo medical check-ups, and respiratory illnesses have long been common.
We also get a glimpse of how the country's indigenous communities are dealing with Covid-19 as some activists warn that these vulnerable populations could be wiped out if left unprotected. Despite its remoteness, the Brazilian state of Amazonas is one of the most-affected places.
Finally, Bolsonaro recently dismissed the country's culture secretary after downgrading the role itself. Filmmaker Sabrina Fidalgo joins us from Rio to share how the current political climate in Brazil is affecting cultural industries.
>> Watch our Reporters show: Populism and the pandemic, the great divide in Brazil
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-05-28--Minneapolis protesters call for arrest of police who killed handcuffed black man

Protesters gather at the Minneapolis police department 's Third Precinct station , after a white police officer was caught on video pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd , an African-American man who later died at a hospital , in Minneapolis , Minnesota , on May 27 , 2020 .
Demonstrators gathered Wednesday for a second night of protests over the killing in the US city of Minneapolis of a handcuffed black man by a policeman who held him to the ground with a knee on his neck .
As dusk fell , police formed a human barricade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers accused of killing George Floyd worked before they were fired on Tuesday .
They pushed protesters back as the crowd grew , a day after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on thousands of demonstrators angered by the latest death of an African-American at the hands of US law enforcement .
President Donald Trump in a tweet called Floyd 's death `` sad and tragic '' , as outrage spread across the country over a bystander 's cellphone video of his killing on Monday while in the custody of four white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired , as prosecutors said they had called in the FBI to help investigate the case , which could involve a federal felony civil rights violation .
`` I would like those officers to be charged with murder , because that 's exactly what they did , '' Bridgett Floyd , George Floyd 's sister , said on NBC television .
`` They murdered my brother ... .
They should be in jail for murder . ''
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he could not understand why the officer who held his knee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street until the 46-year-old restaurant worker went limp has not been arrested .
`` Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail ?
If you had done it , or I had done it , we would be behind bars right now , '' Frey said .
`` Based on what I saw , the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged , '' he said .
The case was seen as the latest example of police brutality against African Americans , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter movement .
Floyd had been detained on a minor charge of allegedly using a counterfeit $ 20 bill to make a purchase at a convenience store .
In the video , policemen hold him to the ground while one presses his knee to Floyd 's neck .
`` Your knee in my neck .
I ca n't breathe ... .
Mama .
Mama , '' Floyd pleaded .
He grew silent and motionless , unable to move even as the officers told him to `` get up and get in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hospital where he was later declared dead .
Calls for justice came from around the country .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the FBI needs to thoroughly investigate the case .
`` It 's a tragic reminder that this was not an isolated incident , but part of an engrained systemic cycle of injustice that still exists in this country , '' Biden said .
`` We have to ensure that the Floyd family receive the justice they are entitled to . ''
Democratic Senator Kamala Harris called the policeman 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` torture . ''
`` This is not new , it has been going on a long time ... what our communities have known for generations , which is discriminatory implementation and enforcement of the laws , '' she said .
`` He was begging to be able to breathe , '' she said .
`` It was a public execution . ''
The protests evoked memories of the riots in Ferguson , Missouri in 2014 after a policeman shot dead a young African American man suspected of robbery , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was detained by police for illegally selling cigarettes and filmed being held in an illegal chokehold by police that led to his death .
`` How many more of these senseless excessive-force killings from the people who are supposed to protect us can we take in America ? ''
said civil rights attorney Ben Crump , who was retained by Floyd 's family Crump pointed out that the arrest involved a minor , non-violent crime , and there was no sign , as police initially claimed , that Floyd resisted arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply this excessive fatal force , '' Crump said .
`` That has to be the tipping point .
Everybody deserves justice ... .
We ca n't have two justice systems , one for blacks and one for whites . ''

Demonstrators gathered Wednesday for a second night of protests over the killing in the US city of Minneapolis of a handcuffed black man by a policeman who held him to the ground with a knee on his neck.
Protesters gather at the Minneapolis police department's Third Precinct station, after a white police officer was caught on video pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd, an African-American man who later died at a hospital, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 27, 2020.
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As dusk fell, police formed a human barricade around the Third Precinct, where the officers accused of killing George Floyd worked before they were fired on Tuesday.
They pushed protesters back as the crowd grew, a day after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on thousands of demonstrators angered by the latest death of an African-American at the hands of US law enforcement.
Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo cautioned protestors to remain peaceful.
President Donald Trump in a tweet called Floyd's death "sad and tragic", as outrage spread across the country over a bystander's cellphone video of his killing on Monday while in the custody of four white police officers.
....I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
All four have been fired, as prosecutors said they had called in the FBI to help investigate the case, which could involve a federal felony civil rights violation.
"I would like those officers to be charged with murder, because that's exactly what they did," Bridgett Floyd, George Floyd's sister, said on NBC television.
"They murdered my brother.... They should be in jail for murder."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he could not understand why the officer who held his knee to Floyd's neck on a Minneapolis street until the 46-year-old restaurant worker went limp has not been arrested.
"Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail? If you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now," Frey said.
"Based on what I saw, the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged," he said.
'I can't breathe'
The case was seen as the latest example of police brutality against African Americans, which gave rise six years ago to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Floyd had been detained on a minor charge of allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase at a convenience store.
In the video, policemen hold him to the ground while one presses his knee to Floyd's neck.
"Your knee in my neck. I can't breathe.... Mama. Mama," Floyd pleaded.
He grew silent and motionless, unable to move even as the officers told him to "get up and get in the car."
He was taken to hospital where he was later declared dead.
'A public execution'
Calls for justice came from around the country.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the FBI needs to thoroughly investigate the case.
"It's a tragic reminder that this was not an isolated incident, but part of an engrained systemic cycle of injustice that still exists in this country," Biden said.
"We have to ensure that the Floyd family receive the justice they are entitled to."
Democratic Senator Kamala Harris called the policeman's using his knee on Floyd's neck "torture."
"This is not new, it has been going on a long time... what our communities have known for generations, which is discriminatory implementation and enforcement of the laws," she said.
"He was begging to be able to breathe," she said. "It was a public execution."
The protests evoked memories of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 after a policeman shot dead a young African American man suspected of robbery, as well as the case of New Yorker Eric Garner, who was detained by police for illegally selling cigarettes and filmed being held in an illegal chokehold by police that led to his death.
"How many more of these senseless excessive-force killings from the people who are supposed to protect us can we take in America?" said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was retained by Floyd's family
Crump pointed out that the arrest involved a minor, non-violent crime, and there was no sign, as police initially claimed, that Floyd resisted arrest.
"There is no reason to apply this excessive fatal force," Crump said.
"That has to be the tipping point. Everybody deserves justice.... We can't have two justice systems, one for blacks and one for whites."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--China refuses UN Security Council meeting on new Hong Kong security laws

Anti-government demonstrators are detained by riot police during a protest at Causeway Bay as a second reading of a controversial national anthem law takes place in Hong Kong on May 27 , 2020 .
Washington on Wednesday requested an emergency UN meeting over a controversial security law China has proposed for Hong Kong , but Beijing refused to allow it to proceed , according to US diplomats .
The US spelled out its desire for the Security Council session , saying it was `` deeply concerned '' by Beijing 's move , which would ban `` sedition '' and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hong Kong activists say that the proposed law effectively abolishes the basic freedoms enjoyed in the city since it was returned to China by the British in 1997 .
It will `` fundamentally undermine Hong Kong 's high degree of autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 , which was registered with the UN as a legally binding treaty , '' Washington 's UN mission said in a statement .
`` This is a matter of urgent global concern that implicates international peace and security , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , China has `` has refused to allow this virtual meeting to proceed . ''
Thanks to new coronavirus-era procedures , Security Council videoconferences must be agreed upon by all 15 members , though normally a meeting can only be contested if a member convinces eight others to join the protest in a procedural vote .
`` This is another example of the Chinese Communist Party 's fear of transparency and international accountability for its actions , '' the US statement said .
China 's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US 's request was `` baseless . ''
`` Legislation on national security for Hong Kong is purely China 's internal affairs , '' he said .
`` It has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council . ''
The Beijing legislature is expected on Thursday to move forward on the law , bypassing Hong Kong 's own lawmaking body .
The US had already announced earlier Wednesday that Hong Kong would no longer enjoy the autonomy promised by China under US law , opening the door to potential @ @ @

Washington on Wednesday requested an emergency UN meeting over a controversial security law China has proposed for Hong Kong, but Beijing refused to allow it to proceed, according to US diplomats.
Anti-government demonstrators are detained by riot police during a protest at Causeway Bay as a second reading of a controversial national anthem law takes place in Hong Kong on May 27, 2020.
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The US spelled out its desire for the Security Council session, saying it was "deeply concerned" by Beijing's move, which would ban "sedition" and other perceived offenses in the international finance hub.
Hong Kong activists say that the proposed law effectively abolishes the basic freedoms enjoyed in the city since it was returned to China by the British in 1997.
It will "fundamentally undermine Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, which was registered with the UN as a legally binding treaty," Washington's UN mission said in a statement.
"This is a matter of urgent global concern that implicates international peace and security," the statement continued.
But, it said, China has "has refused to allow this virtual meeting to proceed."
Thanks to new coronavirus-era procedures, Security Council videoconferences must be agreed upon by all 15 members, though normally a meeting can only be contested if a member convinces eight others to join the protest in a procedural vote.
"This is another example of the Chinese Communist Party's fear of transparency and international accountability for its actions," the US statement said.
China's ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun responded in a tweet Wednesday evening, saying the US's request was "baseless."
"Legislation on national security for Hong Kong is purely China's internal affairs," he said. "It has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council."
The Beijing legislature is expected on Thursday to move forward on the law, bypassing Hong Kong's own lawmaking body.
The US had already announced earlier Wednesday that Hong Kong would no longer enjoy the autonomy promised by China under US law, opening the door to potential trade retaliation.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--Boeing resumes production of ill-fated 737 MAX planes

Boeing workers wearing masks at the Boeing Renton Factory , where 737 MAX airliners are manufactured , in Renton , Washington , on April 21 , 2020 .
Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at a `` low '' rate following two deadly crashes that led to the aircraft 's global grounding by regulators , the company said Wednesday .
The jet has n't flown commercially since March 2019 and is still a number of key steps away from being cleared for service by the US Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators .
Boeing said work on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Renton , Washington , factory as it implements initiatives to enhance workplace safety and product quality .
`` We 've been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger , '' said Walt Odisho , vice president and general manager of the 737 program .
The aerospace giant had shut production in January amid uncertainty over when regulators would clear the jet to fly again .
Even before the hit from the coronavirus , the MAX crisis had cost Boeing billions of dollars in compensation for airlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to store more than 400 planes that could not be delivered to customers .
Since that time , Boeing 's troubles have deepened as its airline customers have been thrust into a fight for survival due to plunging travel demand from coronavirus shutdowns .
Earlier Tuesday , Boeing released details on a downsizing plan to cut total headcount by 10 percent , or roughly 16,000 employees in all .
The company said it approved 5,520 US employees for voluntary layoffs and was notifying another 6,770 staff members that they would be involuntarily let @ @

Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at a "low" rate following two deadly crashes that led to the aircraft's global grounding by regulators, the company said Wednesday.
Boeing workers wearing masks at the Boeing Renton Factory, where 737 MAX airliners are manufactured, in Renton, Washington, on April 21, 2020.
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The jet hasn't flown commercially since March 2019 and is still a number of key steps away from being cleared for service by the US Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators.
Boeing said work on the MAX had resumed at the company's Renton, Washington, factory as it implements initiatives to enhance workplace safety and product quality.
"We've been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger," said Walt Odisho, vice president and general manager of the 737 program.
The aerospace giant had shut production in January amid uncertainty over when regulators would clear the jet to fly again.
Even before the hit from the coronavirus, the MAX crisis had cost Boeing billions of dollars in compensation for airlines and production expenses, including the cost to store more than 400 planes that could not be delivered to customers.
Since that time, Boeing's troubles have deepened as its airline customers have been thrust into a fight for survival due to plunging travel demand from coronavirus shutdowns.
Earlier Tuesday, Boeing released details on a downsizing plan to cut total headcount by 10 percent, or roughly 16,000 employees in all.
The company said it approved 5,520 US employees for voluntary layoffs and was notifying another 6,770 staff members that they would be involuntarily let go.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--Minnesota deploys National Guard to quell riots following police killing of handcuffed black man

Protesters gather to watch shopping carts burning near the Minneapolis Police third precinct after a white police officer was caught on a bystander 's video pressing his knee into the neck of African-American man George Floyd , who later died at a hospital , in Minneapolis , Minnesota , U.S. May 27 , 2020 .
Picture taken May 27 , 2020 .
Minnesota governor activates National Guard to respond to violence following the death of George Floyd , a black man in police custody .
In a release announcing the activation , Gov .
Tim Walz gave the following statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rebuild the city , rebuild our justice system , and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they ’ re charged to protect .
George Floyd ’ s death should lead to justice and systemic change , not more death and destruction .
As George Floyd ’ s family has said , ‘ Floyd would not want people to get hurt .
He lived his life protecting people.
’ Let ’ s come together to rebuild , remember , and seek justice for George Floyd , ” said Governor Walz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one neighborhood to a smoking shambles , with burned buildings , looted stores and angry graffiti demanding justice .
It was the second consecutive night of violent protests following the death of George Floyd , who gasped for breath during a Monday arrest in which an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes .
In footage recorded by a bystander , Floyd can be heard pleading that he can ’ t breathe until he slowly stops talking and moving .

Protesters angered by the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died while in police custody, gained access to a Minneapolis police precinct on Thursday, the third straight night of violent protests spreading beyond the city.
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Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set. Police appeared to have left the building located in the neighborhood not far from where Floyd died Monday. A spokesman didn’t immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press.
The Minneapolis unrest ravaged several blocks in the Longfellow neighborhood, with scattered rioting reaching for miles across the city. It was the second consecutive night of violent protests following Floyd's death, which was seen in a video that showed him gasping for breath while an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes. In footage recorded by a bystander, Floyd pleads that he cannot breathe until he slowly stops talking and moving.
Another protest was announced for Thursday evening near county offices in downtown Minneapolis. Some stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs closed early, fearing more strife. The city shut down its light-rail system and all bus service out of safety concerns.
Around midday Thursday, the violence spread a few miles away to a Target in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood, where police said 50 to 60 people rushed the store attempting to loot it. Police and state patrol squad cars later blocked the entrance, but the looting then shifted to shops along nearby University Avenue, one of St. Paul’s main commercial corridors, and other spots in the city.
St. Paul spokesman Steve Linders said authorities were dealing with unrest in roughly 20 different areas.
“Please stay home. Please do not come here to protest. Please keep the focus on George Floyd, on advancing our movement and on preventing this from ever happening again. We can all be in that fight together,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter tweeted.
Erika Atson, 20, was among several hundred people who gathered for the planned demonstration outside government offices in downtown Minneapolis, where organizers called for peaceful protest.
Atson, who is black, described seeing her 14- and 11-year-old brothers tackled by Minneapolis police years ago because officers mistakenly presumed the boys had guns. She said she had been at “every single protest” since Floyd’s death and that she worried about raising children who would be vulnerable in police encounters.
“We don’t want to be here fighting against anyone. We don’t want anyone to be hurt. We don’t want to cause any damages,” she said. “We just want the police officer to be held accountable for his actions.”
The governor’s order did not say how many Guard members were mobilized and whether they would be in service Thursday night. After calling in the Guard, Walz urged widespread changes in the wake of Floyd's death.
"It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they’re charged to protect. George Floyd’s death should lead to justice and systemic change, not more death and destruction,” Walz said.
By Thursday morning in Minneapolis, smoke rose from smoldering buildings in the Longfellow neighborhood. In a strip mall across the street from the police's 3rd Precinct station, the focus of the protests on both nights, the windows in nearly every business had been smashed, from the large Target department store at one end to the Planet Fitness gym at the other. Only the 24-hour laundromat appeared to have escaped unscathed.
“WHY US?” demanded a large expanse of red graffiti scrawled on the wall of the Target. A Wendy’s restaurant across the street was charred almost beyond recognition.
04:01
Among the casualties of the overnight fires: a six-story rental building under construction that was to provide nearly 200 apartments of affordable housing.
“We’re burning our own neighborhood,” said a distraught Deona Brown, a 24-year-old woman standing with a friend outside the precinct station, where a small group of protesters were shouting at a dozen or so stone-faced police officers in riot gear. “This is where we live, where we shop, and they destroyed it.”
“What that cop did was wrong, but I’m scared now,” Brown said.
Others in the crowd saw something different in the wreckage.
Protesters destroyed property "because the system is broken,” said a young man who identified himself only by his nickname, Cash, and who said he had been in the streets during the violence. He dismissed the idea that the destruction would hurt residents of the largely black neighborhood.
“They’re making money off of us,” he said angrily of the owners of the destroyed stores. He laughed when asked if he had joined in the looting or violence. “I didn’t break anything.”
The protests that began Wednesday night and extended into Thursday were more violent than Tuesday's, which included skirmishes between offices and protesters but no widespread property damage or looting.
Mayor Jacob Frey appealed for calm. “Please, Minneapolis, we cannot let tragedy beget more tragedy,” he said on Twitter.
The city’s response to the protests was being questioned even as things started spiraling Wednesday night into violence. “If the strategy was to keep residents safe — it failed,” City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, who is black, tweeted. “Prevent property damage — it failed."
“We failed last night. We are failing our city again," he tweeted Thursday, urging police to leave the scene of the overnight violence, saying their presence brings people into the streets.
Protests also spread to other U.S. cities. In California, hundreds of people protesting Floyd’s death blocked a Los Angeles freeway and shattered windows of California Highway Patrol cruisers. Memphis police blocked a main thoroughfare after a racially mixed group of protesters gathered outside a police precinct. The situation intensified later in the night, with police donning riot gear and protesters standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of officers stationed behind a barricade.
Amid the violence in Minneapolis, a man was found fatally shot Wednesday night near a pawn shop, possibly by the owner, authorities said.
Fire crews responded to about 30 intentionally set blazes, including at least 16 structure fires, and multiple fire trucks were damaged by rocks and other projectiles, the fire department said. No one was hurt by the blazes.
There was no sign of police at the destroyed shopping center, though a couple dozen officers were outside the precinct house. One man standing outside the building used a bullhorn to shout “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. Mama, I can’t breathe,” repeating some of Floyd’s pleas for relief.
Across from the precinct, someone had spray-painted the sidewalk in red: “Where’s humanity?”
The 46-year-old Floyd died as police arrested him outside a convenience store after a report of a counterfeit bill being passed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in Minneapolis said Thursday they were conducting “a robust criminal investigation” into the death and making the case a priority. The announcement came a day after President Donald Trump tweeted that he had asked an investigation to be expedited.
The FBI is also investigating whether Floyd’s civil rights were violated.
The officer who kneeled on Floyd and three others were fired Tuesday. The next day, the mayor called for him to be criminally charged. The mayor also appealed for activation of the National Guard.
(AP)
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france24--2020-05-28--French bars, restaurants and parks to reopen with restrictions from June 2

French Prime Minister presents the details of the second phase of France 's lockdown exit .
France on Thursday announced the long-awaited nationwide reopening of bars , restaurants and cafes from June 2 , albeit with restrictions , and lifted limitations on domestic travel in time for the summer holidays .
In the capital Paris , where the risk of coronavirus spread remains higher than in the rest of the mainland , only the outside terraces of eating and drinking establishments can reopen to clients , said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe .
Announcing details of the second phase in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus lockdown , he said people would no longer be confined to within 100 kilometres ( 60 miles ) of their homes .
“ Freedom will be the rule and restriction the exception , ” said Philippe , adding the country was “ in a better place than where we expected to be ” after the first two weeks post-lockdown .
After a meeting of top cabinet members to agree on the next phase , the premier said more schools would reopen .
Museums and monuments are to reopen to visitors nationwide from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be worn .
Holiday resorts will reopen too , from June 22 , and parks and gardens from next week .
Cinemas can open from June 22 while theatres can also open from June 2 , although social distancing rules will have to be observed , he said .
But Philippe reiterated that the virus , which has claimed more than 28,500 lives in the country to date , “ continues to circulate ” with hundreds of people still being treated in intensive care .
He urged people to continue respecting social-distancing measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said gatherings of more than 10 people in public places would remain prohibited .
It is already mandatory to wear a face mask on public transport .
As for dining out , a mainstay of French culture , Philippe specified people can meet in restaurants and cafes in groups of no more than 10 , and with a minimum of one metre ( 3.3 feet ) between tables .
In Paris , only outside tables can be occupied .
Servers and cooks will have to wear masks at all times , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the premier .
As for bars , there will be no drinking at the counter , which carries a higher risk of people contaminating one another .

France on Thursday announced the long-awaited nationwide reopening of bars, restaurants and cafes from June 2, albeit with restrictions, and lifted limitations on domestic travel in time for the summer holidays.
French Prime Minister presents the details of the second phase of France's lockdown exit.
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In the capital Paris, where the risk of coronavirus spread remains higher than in the rest of the mainland, only the outside terraces of eating and drinking establishments can reopen to clients, said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
Announcing details of the second phase in a gradual lifting of France’s strict coronavirus lockdown, he said people would no longer be confined to within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of their homes.
“Freedom will be the rule and restriction the exception,” said Philippe, adding the country was “in a better place than where we expected to be” after the first two weeks post-lockdown.
03:35
After a meeting of top cabinet members to agree on the next phase, the premier said more schools would reopen.
Museums and monuments are to reopen to visitors nationwide from June 2, though face masks must be worn.
Holiday resorts will reopen too, from June 22, and parks and gardens from next week.
Cinemas can open from June 22 while theatres can also open from June 2, although social distancing rules will have to be observed, he said.
Caution remains
But Philippe reiterated that the virus, which has claimed more than 28,500 lives in the country to date, “continues to circulate” with hundreds of people still being treated in intensive care.
He urged people to continue respecting social-distancing measures and maintain a strict hand-washing regime, and said gatherings of more than 10 people in public places would remain prohibited.
It is already mandatory to wear a face mask on public transport.
As for dining out, a mainstay of French culture, Philippe specified people can meet in restaurants and cafes in groups of no more than 10, and with a minimum of one metre (3.3 feet) between tables.
In Paris, only outside tables can be occupied.
Servers and cooks will have to wear masks at all times, and customers upon entering and leaving, said the premier.
As for bars, there will be no drinking at the counter, which carries a higher risk of people contaminating one another.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-28--Africa and the coronavirus challenge: The impact of Covid-19 on the continent

On crowded buses in Cameroon 's capital Yaoundé , social distancing is impossible .
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread in Africa , our correspondents have filed a series of reports and interviews from across the continent .
From Cameroon to South Africa , from Kenya to Tunisia and Madagascar , they investigate how the pandemic is evolving .
Is Africa more resistant to the virus ?
How are lockdowns ending ?
And is social distancing possible ?
Our reports and interviews on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the African continent : - In Cameroon , social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital Yaoundé .
Indira Ayuk reports .
> > Read our article : In Cameroon , chloroquine therapy hailed by French expert becomes state protocol - In South Africa , a country with few open-air markets , supermarkets have become Covid-19 hotspots .
Ayesha Ismail reports .
- In Kenya , Dino Mahtani , deputy director of the Africa Programme at the International Crisis Group , tells us how coronavirus is affecting neighbouring Somalia , one of the most unstable states in Africa .
An interview conducted by Mukelwa Hlatshwayo .
- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting up again now that the lockdown has been eased .
Fadil Aliriza reports .
> > Watch our interview : 'We 've managed to keep Covid-19 under control in Tunisia , ' PM tells FRANCE 24 - Finally , in Madagascar , restrictions imposed because of the virus have hit small traders hard .
Gaëlle Borgia reports .

Special programme
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread in Africa, our correspondents have filed a series of reports and interviews from across the continent. From Cameroon to South Africa, from Kenya to Tunisia and Madagascar, they investigate how the pandemic is evolving. Is Africa more resistant to the virus? How are lockdowns ending? And is social distancing possible?
On crowded buses in Cameroon's capital Yaoundé, social distancing is impossible.
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Our reports and interviews on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the African continent:
- In Cameroon, social distancing is impossible on the crowded buses of the capital Yaoundé. Indira Ayuk reports.
>> Read our article: In Cameroon, chloroquine therapy hailed by French expert becomes state protocol
- In South Africa, a country with few open-air markets, supermarkets have become Covid-19 hotspots. Ayesha Ismail reports.
- In Kenya, Dino Mahtani, deputy director of the Africa Programme at the International Crisis Group, tells us how coronavirus is affecting neighbouring Somalia, one of the most unstable states in Africa. An interview conducted by Mukelwa Hlatshwayo.
- In Tunisia, the economy is slowly starting up again now that the lockdown has been eased. Fadil Aliriza reports.
>> Watch our interview: 'We've managed to keep Covid-19 under control in Tunisia,' PM tells FRANCE 24
- Finally, in Madagascar, restrictions imposed because of the virus have hit small traders hard. Gaëlle Borgia reports.
>> Watch our interview: Madagascar's president defends controversial homegrown Covid-19 cure
A programme coordinated by Nicolas Germain.
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france24--2020-05-28--Trump signs executive order targeting social media giants' legal protections

US President Donald Trump holds up a front page of the New York Post as he speaks to reporters while @ @ @ @ @ social media companies , at the White House in Washington , D.C. , USA , @ @ @ @ @ .
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Thursday seeking to strip social media giants @ @ @ @ @ for content they publish .
If this was enacted , the likes of Twitter and @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits and greatly increased government regulation .
Trump—angered this week by Twitter ’ s tagging @ @ @ @ @ for the first time with a fact-check notice—said regulation was needed because the companies are @ @ @ @ @ engaging in “ political activism .
”

Twitter attached a disclaimer to a tweet by President Donald Trump on the unrest in Minneapolis on Friday, saying it broke its rules on "glorifying violence", hours after the US president signed an executive order targeting the social media giant’s legal protections.
US President Donald Trump holds up a front page of the New York Post as he speaks to reporters while discussing an executive order on social media companies, at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on May 28, 2020.
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"...These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!" Trump's tweet read.
Trump's message can now be read only after clicking on a notice which says: "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
In a thread, Twitter said it had taken the action "in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts". People will still "be able to retweet with comment, but will not be able to like, reply or retweet it."
Twitter's action came just hours after Trump said he would introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that has protected internet companies, including Twitter and Facebook, in an extraordinary attempt to regulate social media platforms where he has been criticised.
The proposed legislation is part of an executive order Trump signed on Thursday afternoon. Trump had attacked Twitter for tagging his tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud about mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact-check the posts.
Trump wants to "remove or change" a provision of a law known as Section 230 that shields social media companies from liability for content posted by their users.
Trump said US Attorney General William Barr will begin drafting legislation "immediately" to regulate social media companies.
01:13
On Wednesday, Reuters reported the White House's plan to modify Section 230 based on a copy of a draft executive order that experts said was unlikely to survive legal scrutiny. The final version of the order released on Thursday had no major changes except the proposal for a federal legislation.
"What I think we can say is we're going to regulate it," Trump said before the signing of the order.
"I've been called by Democrats that want to do this, so I think you could possibly have a bipartisan situation," said Republican Trump, who is running for re-election in November.
Twitter called the order "a reactionary and politicized approach to a landmark law" and said attempts to weaken Section 230 would "threaten the future of online speech."
A Google spokeswoman said the order would harm "America's economy," while a Facebook spokesman said it would "encourage platforms to censor anything that might offend anyone."
Trump trying to 'frighten, coerce, scare, cajole'
The order, as written, attempts to circumvent Congress and the courts in directing changes to long-established interpretations of Section 230. It represents his latest attempt to use the tools of the presidency to force private companies to change policies that he believes are not favourable to him.
The White House doesn't seem to realize that if they succeeded - if Twitter was actually liable for the speech of its users (if 230 was repealed) - they'd be forced to take down the many defamatory posts of Donald Trump -- Section 230 is actually his best friend. — Tim Wu (@superwuster) May 28, 2020
"In terms of presidential efforts to limit critical commentary about themselves, I think one would have to go back to the Sedition Act of 1798 - which made it illegal to say false things about the president and certain other public officials - to find an attack supposedly rooted in law by a president on any entity which comments or prints comments about public issues and public people," said First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams.
Jack Balkin, a Yale University constitutional law professor, said "the president is trying to frighten, coerce, scare, cajole social media companies to leave him alone and not do what Twitter has just done to him."
Trump, who uses Twitter virtually every day to promote his policies and insult his opponents, has long claimed without evidence that the site is biased in favour of Democrats. He and his supporters have leveled the same unsubstantiated charges against Facebook, which Trump's presidential campaign uses heavily as an advertising vehicle.
On Thursday, Trump said there is nothing he would rather do than get rid of his Twitter account but he had to keep it in order to circumvent the press and get his version of events to millions of followers.
He took to Twitter again Thursday night to cast doubt around voting by mail, tweeting the practice would lead to "MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE" and "THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY."
MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE. IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION. BIG MAIL-IN VICTORY IN TEXAS COURT TODAY. CONGRATS!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
The protections of Section 230 have been under fire for different reasons from lawmakers including Big Tech critic Senator Josh Hawley. Critics argue that they give internet companies a free pass on things like hate speech and content that supports terror organisations.
Social media companies have been under pressure from many quarters, both in the United States and other countries, to better control misinformation and harmful content on their services.
Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on the company's website late Wednesday that the president's tweets "may mislead people into thinking they don't need to register to get a ballot. Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves."
After labeling Trump's tweets, Twitter continued to add fact-checking and 'manipulated media' labels on hundreds of other tweets.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump's planned order "outrageous" and a "distraction" from the coronavirus crisis.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-28--The ICC says ex-Ivory Coast president Gbagbo can leave Belgium ‘under conditions’

Former Ivory Coast president Gbagbo is free to leave Belgium under certain conditions .
The International Criminal Court on Thursday said former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo can leave Belgium under certain conditions following his acquittal last year over post-electoral violence that killed 3,000 people .
Gbagbo and his deputy Charles Ble Goude were both cleared of crimes against humanity a year ago , eight years after the former West African strongman ’ s arrest and transfer to the Hague-based court .
Belgium agreed to host Gbagbo , 73 , after he was released in February under strict conditions including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prosecution appeal against his acquittal .
However , Gbagbo and Ble Goude can not “ travel beyond the territorial limits of the municipality of the receiving State without the explicit and prior authorisation of the Court , ” an ICC statement said Thursday .
Ble Goude , who lives in The Hague , was released under similar conditions as Gbagbo .
Gbagbo ’ s lawyers had in February appealed for his unconditional release arguing the ICC could not limit the movements of an acquitted person .
The Hague-based court on Thursday rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goude could travel out of the countries they were currently residing in but have to “ surrender all identity documents , particularly their passports ” to the ICC .
They would also have to report weekly to the law enforcement authorities of the receiving states , it said .

The International Criminal Court on Thursday said former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo can leave Belgium under certain conditions following his acquittal last year over post-electoral violence that killed 3,000 people.
Former Ivory Coast president Gbagbo is free to leave Belgium under certain conditions.
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Gbagbo and his deputy Charles Ble Goude were both cleared of crimes against humanity a year ago, eight years after the former West African strongman’s arrest and transfer to the Hague-based court.
Belgium agreed to host Gbagbo, 73, after he was released in February under strict conditions including that he would return to court for a prosecution appeal against his acquittal.
However, Gbagbo and Ble Goude cannot “travel beyond the territorial limits of the municipality of the receiving State without the explicit and prior authorisation of the Court,” an ICC statement said Thursday.
Ble Goude, who lives in The Hague, was released under similar conditions as Gbagbo.
Gbagbo’s lawyers had in February appealed for his unconditional release arguing the ICC could not limit the movements of an acquitted person.
The Hague-based court on Thursday rejected the demand but said Gbagbo and Ble Goude could travel out of the countries they were currently residing in but have to “surrender all identity documents, particularly their passports” to the ICC.
They would also have to report weekly to the law enforcement authorities of the receiving states, it said.
(AFP)
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