france24--2020-08-11--Global Covid-19 cases top 20 million as WHO says outbreak can still be turned around

The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of infection from the tiny killer that has upended life just about everywhere .
The number as of 2215 GMT was 20,002,577 cases , with 733,842 deaths recorded , according to an AFP tally of official sources .
In yet another staggering landmark , the death toll is expected to surpass 750,000 in a matter of days as the global health crisis that began late last year in China rages on .
As more things once unthinkable became harsh reality — having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris , or reserve a spot on Copacabana beach in Rio via an app and then social distance on the sand — the World Health Organization urged people not to despair .
“ Behind these statistics is a great deal of pain and suffering ...
But I want to be clear : there are green shoots of hope , ” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said .
“ It ’ s never too late to turn the outbreak around , ” he said .
He gave examples of countries that had successfully clamped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Zealand , which said Monday it plans to open a virus-free “ travel bubble ” with the Cook Islands .
With much of the world caught in a cycle of dispiriting outbreaks and economically crushing lockdowns , all eyes are on the race for a vaccine .
A WHO overview said 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world , with six reaching Phase 3 of clinical evaluation .
But the WHO ’ s emergencies director Michael Ryan warned that a vaccine was “ only part of the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as diseases with vaccines that have not been fully eradicated .
“ You ’ ve got to be able to deliver that vaccine to a population that want and demand to have that vaccine , ” he said .
Infections have been rising ominously in Western Europe , which has also been sweltering through a heatwave , with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius ( 95 F ) .
The blistering heat sent crowds flocking to beaches at the weekend despite health warnings about the risk of infection .
In the Paris region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now required to wear masks in crowded areas and tourist hotspots .
These include the banks of the Seine River and more than 100 streets in the French capital .
Marion , a 24-year-old in central Paris , said the masks are “ restrictive ” but necessary “ if we want to avoid a second wave.
” “ Anything except a second lockdown , ” she added .
Several French towns and cities have already introduced similar measures , as well as parts of Belgium , the Netherlands , Romania and Spain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to school on Monday after the summer break , sporting masks , which are compulsory in common areas like school courtyards .
Greece meanwhile announced a night curfew for restaurants and bars in some of its top tourist destinations after its number of new cases increased .
In Italy , the coronavirus spikes of its neighbours caused alarm .
“ France , Spain and the Balkans ... Italy is surrounded by contagions , ” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza lamented .
It was a different story in Pakistan , which allowed all restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the country saw a drop in new cases over several weeks .
As of Monday evening , the United States — the world ’ s worst-hit country — had recorded 163,370 deaths and 5,085,821 cases of infection , according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University .
As the caseload shot past five million on Sunday , President Donald Trump ’ s Democratic opponent in the presidential election , Joe Biden , tweeted that the number “ boggles the mind and breaks the heart.
” The figure came as Trump was accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a virus relief package .
The package — announced by Trump on Saturday after talks between Republican and Democrat lawmakers hit a wall — was “ absurdly unconstitutional , ” senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi told CNN .
But with the world ’ s largest economy still struggling to dig itself out of an enormous hole , Democrats appeared skittish about any legal challenge to a relief package they see as seriously inadequate .
After the US , Brazil has the most cases , and over the weekend it became the second country to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has downplayed the coronavirus threat , and after Brazil ’ s latest milestone , the country ’ s most widely viewed TV network Globo asked : “ Has the president of the republic done his duty ?
”

The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of infection from the tiny killer that has upended life just about everywhere.
Advertising Read more
The number as of 2215 GMT was 20,002,577 cases, with 733,842 deaths recorded, according to an AFP tally of official sources.
In yet another staggering landmark, the death toll is expected to surpass 750,000 in a matter of days as the global health crisis that began late last year in China rages on.
As more things once unthinkable became harsh reality — having to wear a facemask in touristy spots in Paris, or reserve a spot on Copacabana beach in Rio via an app and then social distance on the sand — the World Health Organization urged people not to despair.
“Behind these statistics is a great deal of pain and suffering... But I want to be clear: there are green shoots of hope,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“It’s never too late to turn the outbreak around,” he said.
He gave examples of countries that had successfully clamped down on Covid-19, such as Rwanda and New Zealand, which said Monday it plans to open a virus-free “travel bubble” with the Cook Islands.
With much of the world caught in a cycle of dispiriting outbreaks and economically crushing lockdowns, all eyes are on the race for a vaccine.
A WHO overview said 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, with six reaching Phase 3 of clinical evaluation.
But the WHO’s emergencies director Michael Ryan warned that a vaccine was “only part of the answer,” pointing to polio and measles as diseases with vaccines that have not been fully eradicated.
“You’ve got to be able to deliver that vaccine to a population that want and demand to have that vaccine,” he said.
Europe feels the heat
Infections have been rising ominously in Western Europe, which has also been sweltering through a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 F).
The blistering heat sent crowds flocking to beaches at the weekend despite health warnings about the risk of infection.
In the Paris region, people aged 11 and over are now required to wear masks in crowded areas and tourist hotspots.
These include the banks of the Seine River and more than 100 streets in the French capital.
Marion, a 24-year-old in central Paris, said the masks are “restrictive” but necessary “if we want to avoid a second wave.”
“Anything except a second lockdown,” she added.
Several French towns and cities have already introduced similar measures, as well as parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.
In Berlin, thousands of children returned to school on Monday after the summer break, sporting masks, which are compulsory in common areas like school courtyards.
Greece meanwhile announced a night curfew for restaurants and bars in some of its top tourist destinations after its number of new cases increased.
In Italy, the coronavirus spikes of its neighbours caused alarm.
“France, Spain and the Balkans... Italy is surrounded by contagions,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza lamented.
It was a different story in Pakistan, which allowed all restaurants and parks to reopen on Monday, after the country saw a drop in new cases over several weeks.
Grim US, Brazil milestones
As of Monday evening, the United States — the world’s worst-hit country — had recorded 163,370 deaths and 5,085,821 cases of infection, according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University.
As the caseload shot past five million on Sunday, President Donald Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, Joe Biden, tweeted that the number “boggles the mind and breaks the heart.”
The figure came as Trump was accused of flouting the constitution by unilaterally extending a virus relief package.
The package — announced by Trump on Saturday after talks between Republican and Democrat lawmakers hit a wall — was “absurdly unconstitutional,” senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi told CNN.
But with the world’s largest economy still struggling to dig itself out of an enormous hole, Democrats appeared skittish about any legal challenge to a relief package they see as seriously inadequate.
After the US, Brazil has the most cases, and over the weekend it became the second country to pass 100,000 fatalities.
President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the coronavirus threat, and after Brazil’s latest milestone, the country’s most widely viewed TV network Globo asked: “Has the president of the republic done his duty?”
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Hong Kongers defy China, rush to buy pro-democracy newspaper after owner's arrest

A vendor arranges fresh copies of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong early on August 11 , 2020 , with a front page photo of its founder Jimmy Lai being escorted through the paper 's newsroom by police following his arrest under the new national security law .
Hong Kongers rushed to buy pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily on Tuesday in a show of support for its owner , who was arrested a day earlier as police rounded up critics of China .
A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and activists arrested for social media posts .
The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist China ’ s tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city .
In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown , media tycoon Jimmy Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police officers searched the newsroom of his tabloid , which is unapologetically critical of Beijing .
In a show of solidarity for Lai , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ’ s Apple Daily , with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from its normal circulation of 70,000 .
One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a news stand in the commercial district of Mong Kok , saying he planned to give them away for free .
“ Since the government doesn ’ t allow Apple Daily to survive , then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves , ” the man , who gave his surname as Ng , told AFP .
The newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lai being led away in handcuffs with a headline—in typical lurid red characters—that said “ Apple will fight on ” .
Dozens of people lined up in Mong Kok and around the city to buy the paper , with some also paying vendors in advance so other people could take a copy for nothing .
“ Hong Kong is a place with press freedom , but the police now suppress press freedom in a high-profile way .
I feel very angry , ” said a woman called Chan , who bought 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stage mass protests like last year , and with events in recent weeks showing even dissenting social media posts could be punished , some looked to other inventive ways to show solidarity .
Lai ’ s arrest sparked a buying spree in shares of his media group , and its stock value rose by nearly 1,000 percent on Tuesday from Monday morning .
Hong Kong ’ s new national security law criminalises secession , subversion , terrorism and colluding with foreign forces .
The most serious crimes under the law , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not supposed to be retroactive , carry up to life in jail .
Its broadly worded provisions criminalised certain political speech overnight , such as advocating sanctions , and greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong .
Similar laws are used on the authoritarian mainland to snuff out opposition .
Lai , 71 , was held on charges including colluding with foreign forces , as well as fraud , in an operation targeting his Next Digital publishing group .
Among the others arrested were two of Lai ’ s sons , young pro-democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former activist who describes himself as a freelance journalist working for Britain ’ s ITV News .
Even as police were conducting interrogations , Beijing hailed Lai ’ s arrest , declaring him an “ anti-China rabble-rouser ” who conspired with foreigners to “ stir up chaos ” .
Critics believe the law has ended the key liberties and autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep after its 1997 handover by Britain .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who met with Lai last year , described Lai ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese authorities had “ eviscerated Hong Kong ’ s freedoms and eroded the rights of its people ” .
“ We ’ re going to respond in real ways , ” Pompeo later promised in an interview with Newsmax .
The United States had last week already imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials—including city leader Carrie Lam—in response to the crackdown .
China condemned the sanctions as “ barbarous ” and imposed retaliatory sanctions on some senior American politicians and leading human rights campaigners .
In a late-night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions .
“ After the national security law came into force , this group was still active , ” senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah told reporters .

Hong Kongers rushed to buy pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily on Tuesday in a show of support for its owner, who was arrested a day earlier as police rounded up critics of China.
A vendor arranges fresh copies of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong early on August 11, 2020, with a front page photo of its founder Jimmy Lai being escorted through the paper's newsroom by police following his arrest under the new national security law.
Advertising Read more
A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested for social media posts.
The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist China’s tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police officers searched the newsroom of his tabloid, which is unapologetically critical of Beijing.
In a show of solidarity for Lai, people in the city rushed to buy Tuesday’s Apple Daily, with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from its normal circulation of 70,000.
It's 2am in #Hongkong. There is a long line of people queuing up for the first batch of @appledaily_hk in Mongkok. We are livestreaming, and 6500 people are watching. I guess no one is getting much sleep tonight. pic.twitter.com/xdfnxdcvLg — Alex Lam 林偉聰 (@lwcalex) August 10, 2020
One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a news stand in the commercial district of Mong Kok, saying he planned to give them away for free.
“Since the government doesn’t allow Apple Daily to survive, then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves,” the man, who gave his surname as Ng, told AFP.
The newspaper’s front page showed a picture of Lai being led away in handcuffs with a headline—in typical lurid red characters—that said “Apple will fight on”.
Dozens of people lined up in Mong Kok and around the city to buy the paper, with some also paying vendors in advance so other people could take a copy for nothing.
“Hong Kong is a place with press freedom, but the police now suppress press freedom in a high-profile way. I feel very angry,” said a woman called Chan, who bought 16 papers.
It’s 3am in Hong Kong. First round of Apple Daily newspapers have almost sold out in Mong Kok. People are waiting for the second round to arrive. Hong Kongers are unstoppable. #PressFreedom pic.twitter.com/YbL8tOKsiT — Jessie Pang (@JessiePang0125) August 10, 2020
With Hong Kongers too fearful to stage mass protests like last year, and with events in recent weeks showing even dissenting social media posts could be punished, some looked to other inventive ways to show solidarity.
Lai’s arrest sparked a buying spree in shares of his media group, and its stock value rose by nearly 1,000 percent on Tuesday from Monday morning.
‘Eviscerated’
Hong Kong’s new national security law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces.
The most serious crimes under the law, which was introduced on June 30 and is not supposed to be retroactive, carry up to life in jail.
Its broadly worded provisions criminalised certain political speech overnight, such as advocating sanctions, and greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong.
Similar laws are used on the authoritarian mainland to snuff out opposition.
Lai, 71, was held on charges including colluding with foreign forces, as well as fraud, in an operation targeting his Next Digital publishing group.
Someone purchased every copy of today’s Apple Daily from the Circle K in Sai Ying Pun and left them out for people to take for free. (Even attached the receipt as proof of purchase.) pic.twitter.com/2Kz9ljvxxk — Timothy McLaughlin (@TMclaughlin3) August 11, 2020
Among the others arrested were two of Lai’s sons, young pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li, a former activist who describes himself as a freelance journalist working for Britain’s ITV News.
Even as police were conducting interrogations, Beijing hailed Lai’s arrest, declaring him an “anti-China rabble-rouser” who conspired with foreigners to “stir up chaos”.
Critics believe the law has ended the key liberties and autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep after its 1997 handover by Britain.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met with Lai last year, described Lai’s arrest as “further proof” that Chinese authorities had “eviscerated Hong Kong’s freedoms and eroded the rights of its people”.
“We’re going to respond in real ways,” Pompeo later promised in an interview with Newsmax.
The United States had last week already imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials—including city leader Carrie Lam—in response to the crackdown.
China condemned the sanctions as “barbarous” and imposed retaliatory sanctions on some senior American politicians and leading human rights campaigners.
In a late-night briefing, Hong Kong’s police said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions.
“After the national security law came into force, this group was still active,” senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah told reporters.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Taiwan's foreign minister says China trying to turn island into 'next Hong Kong'

China is trying to turn democratic Taiwan into another Hong Kong , the island 's foreign minister warned Tuesday as he met with a senior US official making a historic diplomatic trip .
A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law on the financial hub in June , with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested .
The security clampdown has caused alarm in Taiwan , a self-ruled island of 23 million people that Beijing claims as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize , by force if necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives under the constant threat of having its freedoms taken away by China during a rare meeting with US cabinet official Alex Azar in Taipei on Tuesday .
`` Our daily lives have become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions , conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong , '' he said .
Health Secretary Azar is in Taipei for a three-day visit billed as the highest level visit from the United States since it switched diplomatic recognition from the island to China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations between the US and China are in tumult , with the two sides clashing over a wide range of trade , military and security issues , as well as the coronavirus pandemic .
On Monday , Taiwan said China sent fighter jets over a de facto border separating the two rivals in the Taiwan Strait shortly before Azar met with President Tsai Ing-wen .
During his visit Azar has heaped praise on Taiwan 's democracy and its success in battling the coronavirus .
He has previously criticised Beijing 's handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its authoritarian model of government .

China is trying to turn democratic Taiwan into another Hong Kong, the island's foreign minister warned Tuesday as he met with a senior US official making a historic diplomatic trip.
Advertising Read more
A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law on the financial hub in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested.
The security clampdown has caused alarm in Taiwan, a self-ruled island of 23 million people that Beijing claims as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if necessary.
Disappointed to see Jimmy Lai & other pro-democracy activists arrested, further eroding #HongKong’s freedom of the press, the rule of law, human rights, & democracy. #Taiwan along with democracies around the world will stand with #HKers who fight hard for values we all cherish. pic.twitter.com/6suW14WK2P — 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 10, 2020
Foreign minister Joseph Wu said Taiwan lives under the constant threat of having its freedoms taken away by China during a rare meeting with US cabinet official Alex Azar in Taipei on Tuesday.
"Our daily lives have become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong," he said.
Health Secretary Azar is in Taipei for a three-day visit billed as the highest level visit from the United States since it switched diplomatic recognition from the island to China in 1979.
Minister Wu delivered a stirring speech before talks with @SecAzar. He thanked the @HHSGov secretary for making the historic visit & acknowledged the importance of #US support in #Taiwan's fight to defend its democracy against authoritarian aggression.
➡https://t.co/V06Xiv35eA pic.twitter.com/PXlyGPVIHk — 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) August 11, 2020
His trip comes as relations between the US and China are in tumult, with the two sides clashing over a wide range of trade, military and security issues, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Taiwan said China sent fighter jets over a de facto border separating the two rivals in the Taiwan Strait shortly before Azar met with President Tsai Ing-wen.
During his visit Azar has heaped praise on Taiwan's democracy and its success in battling the coronavirus.
He has previously criticised Beijing's handling of the pandemic, which emerged in central China, and its authoritarian model of government.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--French NGO leader shot dead in Guatemala

The French director of an NGO in Guatemala was killed Monday in an armed attack in the northeast of the country , a human rights organization said .
Benoit Maria was the director of the agriculture and animal health NGO Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres ( AVSF ) in Guatemala .
According to local media , Maria was driving a van on a road near the indigenous village of San Antonio Ilotenango , 85 kilometers ( 53 miles ) northwest of the capital Guatemala City , when he was shot dead .
The motive for the attack is not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of human rights defender Benoit Maria , ” tweeted the Guatemalan Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders ( UDEFEGUA ) , calling for a public investigation .
The French embassy in Guatemala expressed its “ dismay ” in a statement , adding that it is in contact with Guatemalan authorities to “ ensure that this crime is solved and that justice can be done quickly.
” “ Well-known in the French embassy , Mr Maria worked to improve the lot of the most disadvantaged people in the west of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published on the embassy ’ s Facebook page .
He had lived in Guatemala for more than 20 years , supporting agricultural projects for the indigenous Mayan Ixil communities , according to UDEFEGUA coordinator Jorge Santos .
Maria also participated in the 2011 creation of Ixil University , in the department of Quiche , dedicated to the ancestral knowledge of indigenous people .

The French director of an NGO in Guatemala was killed Monday in an armed attack in the northeast of the country, a human rights organization said.
Advertising Read more
Benoit Maria was the director of the agriculture and animal health NGO Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (AVSF) in Guatemala.
According to local media, Maria was driving a van on a road near the indigenous village of San Antonio Ilotenango, 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of the capital Guatemala City, when he was shot dead.
The motive for the attack is not yet known.
“We denounce the murder of human rights defender Benoit Maria,” tweeted the Guatemalan Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA), calling for a public investigation.
The French embassy in Guatemala expressed its “dismay” in a statement, adding that it is in contact with Guatemalan authorities to “ensure that this crime is solved and that justice can be done quickly.”
“Well-known in the French embassy, Mr Maria worked to improve the lot of the most disadvantaged people in the west of the country,” said the statement, which was published on the embassy’s Facebook page.
Pronunciamiento de la Embajada de Francia en Guatemala tras el asesinato del ciudadano francés Benoit Maria. pic.twitter.com/xLgRzoFiIj — Francia en Guatemala (@FranciaenGuate) August 11, 2020
He had lived in Guatemala for more than 20 years, supporting agricultural projects for the indigenous Mayan Ixil communities, according to UDEFEGUA coordinator Jorge Santos.
Maria also participated in the 2011 creation of Ixil University, in the department of Quiche, dedicated to the ancestral knowledge of indigenous people.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--US considers barring citizens entry if they are suspected to have Covid-19

Commuters line up to cross to the United States at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana , Baja California state , Mexico on June 16 , 2020 , amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a measure to block US citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus , a senior US official confirmed to Reuters .
The official said a draft regulation , which has not been finalized and could change , would give the government authorization to block individuals who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have contracted Covid-19 or other diseases .
Trump has instituted a series of sweeping immigration restrictions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic , suspending some legal immigration and allowing US border authorities to rapidly deport migrants caught at the border without standard legal processes .
Reuters reported in May that US government officials were concerned that dual US-Mexico citizens might flee to the United States if the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico worsened , putting more stress on US hospitals .
The draft regulation , which was first reported by The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , which has played a lead role in the pandemic response , the senior official told Reuters .
A Trump pandemic task force was not expected to act on the proposal this week , although that timeline could change , the official said .
The United States leads the world in both confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths , with more than 5 million cases recorded and over 162,000 deaths , according to a Reuters tally .
Omar Jadwat , director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants ’ rights project , said in a written statement that barring US citizens from entering the country would be unconstitutional and “ another grave error in a year that has already seen far too many.
” The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a measure to block US citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, a senior US official confirmed to Reuters.
Commuters line up to cross to the United States at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on June 16, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertising Read more
The official said a draft regulation, which has not been finalized and could change, would give the government authorization to block individuals who could “reasonably” be believed to have contracted Covid-19 or other diseases.
Trump has instituted a series of sweeping immigration restrictions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending some legal immigration and allowing US border authorities to rapidly deport migrants caught at the border without standard legal processes.
Reuters reported in May that US government officials were concerned that dual US-Mexico citizens might flee to the United States if the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico worsened, putting more stress on US hospitals.
The draft regulation, which was first reported by The New York Times on Monday, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has played a lead role in the pandemic response, the senior official told Reuters.
A Trump pandemic task force was not expected to act on the proposal this week, although that timeline could change, the official said.
The United States leads the world in both confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths, with more than 5 million cases recorded and over 162,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.
Barring American citizens from the United States is unconstitutional.
The Trump administration has rolled out one border ban after another using COVID-19 as an excuse, while failing abysmally to get the virus under control. https://t.co/1Ifjyyxwsn — ACLU (@ACLU) August 11, 2020
Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s immigrants’ rights project, said in a written statement that barring US citizens from entering the country would be unconstitutional and “another grave error in a year that has already seen far too many.”
The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as running mate in US presidential election

Former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S .
Senator Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of the second night of the second U.S. 2020 presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit , Michigan , U.S. , July 31 , 2019 .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday tapped Senator Kamala Harris of California as his choice for vice president , his campaign told supporters in a text message .
Harris , 55 , becomes the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket in U.S. history and providing him with a partner well suited to go on the attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have the great honor to announce that I ’ ve picked @ KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy , and one of the country ’ s finest public servants — as my running mate , '' Biden said on Twitter .
With social unrest over racial injustice and police brutality against Black Americans rocking the country for months , Biden had been under increasing pressure to select a woman of color as his running mate .
She is also the first Asian-American on a major presidential ticket .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance as a presidential ticket on Wednesday in his hometown of Wilmington , Delaware , the campaign said .
In Harris , a senator from California who made her own run for the White House before ending it and endorsing Biden , he gains a deeply experienced politician already battle-tested by the rigors of the 2020 presidential campaign as they head into the final stretch of the Nov. 3 election .
Harris , who became only the Senate ’ s second Black woman in its history when she was elected in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the African-American vote – the Democratic Party ’ s most loyal constituency .
Four years ago , the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Democrat Hillary Clinton 's upset loss to Trump .
Biden , whose foundering campaign was rescued by Black voters in South Carolina 's primary in February , needs their strong support against Trump .
It will be crucial in battleground states such as Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that Trump won by the slimmest margins in 2016 but where opinion polls now show him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote is also central to Biden 's hopes of winning Southern states Georgia and Florida that Trump carried four years ago but that opinion polls indicate will be competitive this year .
Biden served as vice president for eight years under President Barack Obama , the first Black U.S. president .
Harris , 55 , a former prosecutor and state attorney general in California , is well known for her sometimes aggressive questioning style in the Senate , most notably of Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearing .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to task in a nationally televised debate over his past stances on mandatory busing for students as a means to desegregate schools .
Some Biden advisers have told Reuters the attacks made them question whether she would be a trusted working partner because of her political ambitions .
While that exchange failed to boost her White House hopes , the Biden campaign will now look for her to train her prosecutorial fire on Trump and Vice President Mike Pence .
Harris is scheduled to debate Pence on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running mate has added significance for Biden , who will turn 78 in November and be the oldest person to become president if he is elected .
Biden 's age also has led to broad speculation he will serve only one term , making Harris a potential top contender for the nomination in 2024 .
Some of his allies were concerned that would make her a bad fit for the No.2 job and questioned her loyalty .
Biden publicly committed to choosing a woman as his No .
2 in a March debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jill and had considered other former presidential rivals such as Senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren .
After the protests that erupted over the May 25 killing of George Floyd , a Black man , by a white policeman in Minneapolis , Biden ’ s search focused predominantly on candidates of color .
Harris will be confirmed as Biden 's running mate at the Democratic convention that begins on Monday , where Biden will also be formally nominated to challenge Trump .
Harris has become a key ally for Biden at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forefront of the campaign .
After Floyd 's death , she became a prominent voice in the push for racial justice and police reform , standing with marchers and sparring with Republicans in the U.S. Senate over reform legislation .
Harris at times came under criticism from some in the Black community and from progressive advocates for her record as California attorney general where , they say , she did not do enough to investigate police shootings and too often sided with prosecutors in wrongful conviction cases .
Her defenders say she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her record in the Senate , where she has championed a police-reform bill and an anti-lynching bill , among other measures .
Harris herself has said she became a prosecutor in order to bring a more progressive approach to the office .
The daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father , Harris has knocked down barriers throughout her career .
She was the first woman to serve as San Francisco ’ s district attorney , elected to that office in 2003 , and the first woman to serve as California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office in 2010 .
Biden considered several Black women in addition to Harris , including former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice , Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Representative Val Demings , a former police chief in Orlando , Florida .
Biden also considered Asian-American Senator Tammy Duckworth and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham , a Latina .
Historically , the vice presidential nominee has been the one to take the lead in criticizing the opposing ticket , although Trump has largely shredded that tradition .
Brian Brokaw , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ campaigns for attorney general and Senate , said Harris fits that role well .
“ She is someone who can really make Republicans quake in their boots , '' Brokaw said .

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he has chosen Senator Kamala Harris of California to be his vice presidential running mate.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of the second night of the second U.S. 2020 presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., July 31, 2019.
Advertising Read more
Harris, 55, becomes the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket in US history and provides Biden with a partner well suited to go on the attack against Republican President Donald Trump.
Harris, who made her own run for the White House before ending it and endorsing Biden, is an experienced politician already battle-tested by the rigors of the 2020 presidential campaign as they head into the final stretch of the November 3 election.
The daughter of an Indian-born mother and a Jamaican father, Harris has knocked down barriers throughout her career. She was the first woman to serve as San Francisco’s district attorney, elected to that office in 2003, and the first woman to serve as California’s attorney general, elected to that office in 2010. She became the US Senate’s second Black female member in its history when she was elected in 2016.
01:20
Harris is also the first Asian-American on a major presidential ticket.
"I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris – a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants – as my running mate," Biden said on Twitter.
I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
With social unrest over racial injustice and police brutality against Black Americans rocking the country for months, Biden had been under increasing pressure to select a woman of color as his running mate.
Biden's pick of Harris drew ringing endorsements from other quarters – including from Barack Obama, America's first African-American commander in chief.
"She is more than prepared for the job," tweeted Trump's predecessor. "This is a good day for our country. Now let's go win this thing."
I’ve known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing. pic.twitter.com/duJhFhWp6g — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 11, 2020
Biden and Harris will make their first joint appearance as a presidential ticket on Wednesday in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, the campaign said.
Trump 'surprised'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Harris the "most horrible" member of the US Senate and said he was "surprised" Joe Biden had picked her as his vice presidential candidate.
Trump told reporters at the White House that Harris did not impress him when she was vying for the Democratic nomination in primaries eventually won by Biden.
"I was more surprised than anything else because she did so poorly," he said.
He also said that during the bruising 2018 Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Harris was "the meanest, the most horrible, the most disrespectful of anybody in the US Senate".
Trump and his campaign released their first ad targeting Harris immediately after Biden named her as his running mate. The ad calls the pair "Slow Joe and Phony Kamala". It accuses Harris of being part of the "radical left", a taste of what is to come in the months ahead as the Trump campaign tries to paint Biden as veering towards the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
The final stretch
It is hoped that Harris will help drive the African-American vote – the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency. Four years ago, the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Democrat Hillary Clinton's loss to Trump.
Biden website has been updated pic.twitter.com/EcCDvDDpti — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 11, 2020
Biden's campaign needs the support of Black voters, who will be crucial in battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that Trump won by the slimmest margins in 2016 but where opinion polls now show him trailing his Democratic rival.
The Black vote is also central to Biden's hopes of winning the Southern states of Georgia and Florida that Trump carried four years ago but which opinion polls indicate will be competitive this year.
Harris, a former prosecutor and state attorney general in California, is well known for her sometimes aggressive questioning style in the Senate, notably of Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
As a presidential candidate, she also took Biden to task in a nationally televised debate over his past stances on mandatory busing for students as a means to desegregate schools. Some Biden advisers have told Reuters the attacks made them question whether she would be a trusted working partner because of her political ambitions.
While that exchange failed to boost her White House hopes, the Biden campaign will now look for her to train her prosecutorial fire on Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Harris is scheduled to debate Pence on October 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The age factor
The choice of a running mate has added significance for Biden, who will turn 78 in November and will be the oldest person to become president if he is elected.
Biden's age also has led to broad speculation he will serve only one term, making Harris a potential top contender for the nomination in 2024. Some of his allies were concerned that would make her a bad fit for the No. 2 job and questioned her loyalty.
Biden publicly committed to choosing a woman as his vice presidential running mate in a March debate after discussing the matter with his wife Jill. He had also considered former presidential rivals such as senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.
Harris will be confirmed as Biden's running mate at the Democratic convention that begins on Monday, where Biden will also be formally nominated as the Democrats' choice to challenge Trump.
A prominent voice on race
Harris has become a key ally for Biden at a time when race has been thrust to the forefront of the campaign with the protests that erupted over the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white policeman in Minneapolis.
After Floyd's death, she became a prominent voice in the push for racial justice and police reform, standing with marchers and sparring with Republicans in the US Senate over reform legislation.
Harris at times came under criticism from some in the Black community and from progressive advocates for her record as California attorney general where, they say, she did not do enough to investigate police shootings and too often sided with prosecutors in wrongful conviction cases.
Her defenders say she has always been reform-minded – and point to her record in the Senate, where she has championed a police-reform bill and an anti-lynching bill, among other measures. Harris herself has said she became a prosecutor in order to bring a more progressive approach to the office.
Biden was reportedly considering several women of color in addition to Harris, including former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and US Representative Val Demings, a former police chief in Orlando, Florida. Biden also considered Asian-American Senator Tammy Duckworth and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Latina.
Historically, the vice presidential nominee has been the one to take the lead in criticising the opposing ticket, although Trump has largely shredded that tradition. Brian Brokaw, a California political consultant who managed Harris’s campaigns for attorney general and Senate, said Harris fits that role well.
“She is someone who can really make Republicans quake in their boots," Brokaw said.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Beirut pauses to remember the dead one week after catastrophic explosion

People take part during a vigil for the victims lost in a massive explosion , in Beirut , Lebanon August 11 , 2020 .
The shattered city of Beirut on Tuesday marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people , injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis .
Thousands of people marched near the devastated port , remembering those who died in the most destructive single blast to hit the country .
They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time , the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city 's port where it had been stored for more than six years , apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials .
At that moment Tuesday , church bells tolled and mosque loudspeakers recited a call to prayer .
Hundreds marched through the streets of the hard-hit neighborhood of Gemayze carrying portraits of the dead before a candlelight vigil after dusk near the port .
Aoun , in office since 2016 , said Friday he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was needed.
” But he suggested his responsibility ended there , saying he had no authority over the port .
“ I ’ m very furious , I ’ m enraged , I ’ m angry , I ’ m sad .
I ’ m hopeless , ” said Anthony Semaan , in his 20s , who said he came to pay respects to the victims .
Like others , he said the government ’ s resignation makes makes no difference .
“ First of all , there are questions that need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are other rats that need to be brought down first , and when they are brought down then maybe we can start thinking about the future , ” he added .
Young people carried placards , each one printed with the names of one dead in a red and a green cedar , Lebanon ’ s national symbol , and sat on stairs in the Gemayze district , facing the port .
Elsewhere in the city , burials of the dead continued .
The explosion has fueled outrage against top political leaders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation of the government on Monday .
In the wake of the disaster , documents have come to light that show that top Lebanese officials knew about the existence of the stockpile in the heart of Beirut near residential areas , and did nothing about it .
Aoun later pledging `` to all Lebanese who are in pain that I will not be silent and will not rest until the facts are revealed . ''
He said in his tweet that referring the case to the Supreme Judicial Council is only the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what caused the fire in a port warehouse that triggered the explosion of the chemicals , which created a shock wave so powerful it was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus more than 200 kilometers ( 180 miles ) across the Mediterranean .
“ From one minute to the next , the world changed for people in Beirut , ” said Basma Tabaja , deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross 's delegation in Lebanon .
The organization said Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with between 30 and 40 still missing .
Of the injured , 1,500 needed special treatment while 120 remain in intensive care , he said .
The explosion damaged thousands of apartments and offices in the capital .
It comes amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis facing the country since late last year .
U.N. food agency head David Beasley , who said a day earlier he is “ very , very concerned ” Lebanon could run out of bread in about two and a half weeks , told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all options to make certain there is no interruptions in the food supply .
“ We ’ re looking at the port of Tripoli .
We ’ re looking at all other options , trucking food in , as well as shipping food in , flying food in , whatever it takes , ” Beasley said .
`` Obviously , we want to get the port operating as quickly as possible because that ’ s the cheapest way to feed the most people . ''
Meanwhile , efforts to form a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Hassan Diab resigned .
His government , which was supported by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies , unraveled after the deadly blast , with three ministers announcing they were quitting .
His government was formed after his predecessor , Saad Hariri , stepped down in October in response to anti-government demonstrations over endemic corruption .
It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab .
Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political political parties they blame for the mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion , saying they had zero trust in a local probe .
Lebanese officials have rejected an international investigation .
The government , in the last decision it made before resigning , referred the case to the Supreme Judicial Council , Lebanon 's top judicial body , which handles crimes infringing on national security as well as political and state security crimes .
The state-run National News Agency said that after the case was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council , state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial prosecutor .
NNA said that the investigation will continue by the military police and state prosecution and charges will be later filed to the judicial investigator who is to be named by the outgoing minister of justice .
The ammonium nitrate , a chemical used in fertilizers and explosives , originated from a cargo ship called MV Rhosus that had been traveling from the country of Georgia to Mozambique in 2013 .
It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay port fees and reportedly leaking , the ship was impounded .

The shattered city of Beirut on Tuesday marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis.
People take part during a vigil for the victims lost in a massive explosion, in Beirut, Lebanon August 11, 2020.
Advertising Read more
Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the most destructive single blast to hit the country.
They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time, the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the city's port where it had been stored for more than six years, apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials.
00:46
At that moment Tuesday, church bells tolled and mosque loudspeakers recited a call to prayer.
Hundreds marched through the streets of the hard-hit neighborhood of Gemayze carrying portraits of the dead before a candlelight vigil after dusk near the port.
“He knew,” read a poster bearing President Michel Aoun's picture.
Aoun, in office since 2016, said Friday he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “what was needed.” But he suggested his responsibility ended there, saying he had no authority over the port.
“I’m very furious, I’m enraged, I’m angry, I’m sad. I’m hopeless,” said Anthony Semaan, in his 20s, who said he came to pay respects to the victims.
Like others, he said the government’s resignation makes makes no difference.
“First of all, there are questions that need to be answered. And second, there are other rats that need to be brought down first, and when they are brought down then maybe we can start thinking about the future,” he added.
Young people carried placards, each one printed with the names of one dead in a red and a green cedar, Lebanon’s national symbol, and sat on stairs in the Gemayze district, facing the port. Elsewhere in the city, burials of the dead continued.
Outrage against political leaders
The explosion has fueled outrage against top political leaders and security agencies, and led to the resignation of the government on Monday. In the wake of the disaster, documents have come to light that show that top Lebanese officials knew about the existence of the stockpile in the heart of Beirut near residential areas, and did nothing about it.
Aoun later pledging "to all Lebanese who are in pain that I will not be silent and will not rest until the facts are revealed." He said in his tweet that referring the case to the Supreme Judicial Council is only the first step.
00:35
It still wasn't clear what caused the fire in a port warehouse that triggered the explosion of the chemicals, which created a shock wave so powerful it was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus more than 200 kilometers (180 miles) across the Mediterranean.
“From one minute to the next, the world changed for people in Beirut,” said Basma Tabaja, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross's delegation in Lebanon. The organization said
Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast killed a total of 171 people, with between 30 and 40 still missing. Of the injured, 1,500 needed special treatment while 120 remain in intensive care, he said.
The explosion damaged thousands of apartments and offices in the capital. It comes amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis facing the country since late last year.
U.N. food agency head David Beasley, who said a day earlier he is “very, very concerned” Lebanon could run out of bread in about two and a half weeks, told The Associated Press that the World Food Program was looking at all options to make certain there is no interruptions in the food supply.
“We’re looking at the port of Tripoli. We’re looking at all other options, trucking food in, as well as shipping food in, flying food in, whatever it takes,” Beasley said. "Obviously, we want to get the port operating as quickly as possible because that’s the cheapest way to feed the most people."
Meanwhile, efforts to form a new government got underway a day after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned. His government, which was supported by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies, unraveled after the deadly blast, with three ministers announcing they were quitting.
His government was formed after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down in October in response to anti-government demonstrations over endemic corruption. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab.
Demand for an independent Cabinet
Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political political parties they blame for the mess they are in. Many are also calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion, saying they had zero trust in a local probe.
Lebanese officials have rejected an international investigation. The government, in the last decision it made before resigning, referred the case to the Supreme Judicial Council, Lebanon's top judicial body, which handles crimes infringing on national security as well as political and state security crimes.
The state-run National News Agency said that after the case was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat will continue his work as a general judicial prosecutor. NNA said that the investigation will continue by the military police and state prosecution and charges will be later filed to the judicial investigator who is to be named by the outgoing minister of justice.
The ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers and explosives, originated from a cargo ship called MV Rhosus that had been traveling from the country of Georgia to Mozambique in 2013. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon. Unable to pay port fees and reportedly leaking, the ship was impounded.
(AP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--French PM warns Covid-19 infection rate headed in wrong direction, public becoming careless

French Prime Minister Jean Castex adjusts his protective mask before taking to the media , Nantes , France July 18 , 2020 .
The renewed spread of coronavirus in France could become harder to control without a collective effort to stop a rise in the infection rate , its prime minister said on Tuesday .
The public was becoming careless , Jean Castex warned , after official data recorded nearly 5,000 new Covid-19 cases from Saturday to Monday .
The epidemic has now killed more than 30,300 people in France .
`` If we do n't act collectively , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control , '' Castex said during a visit to a hospital intensive care ward in southern France .
France 's 7-day moving average of new infections climbed to 1,640 on Monday from 1,056 on July 31 .
The 7-day measure reached a post lockdown low of 272 on May 27 , a little over 2 weeks after the government eased one of Europe 's strictest lockdowns .
But French health authorities on Tuesday reported a further 1,397 new Covid-19 infections over 24 hours , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website said there were 15 new deaths in hospital due the disease , compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday , with the total death toll standing at 30,354 .
The number of people hospitalised for the disease went down again after creeping up Monday for the first time in two and a half months .
'No one wants to live through that again' Earlier on Tuesday , President Emmanuel Macron held a video conference with top ministers from his Riviera summer retreat .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw up new restrictions for the 20 largest cities to curb the rising infection rate and that a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people would be extended until Oct. 31 .
Some cities have already taken action .
Paris on Monday joined Toulouse , Lille , Biarritz and others in imposing a mandatory face mask order in crowded outdoor zones .
They are already compulsory nationwide in shops and banks .
The prime minister said testing was `` more than satisfactory '' , with more than 600,000 tests being conducted weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to target those with symptoms , the prime minister said .
Talking of the risk of another lockdown , Castex said : `` no one wants to live through that again '' .

The renewed spread of coronavirus in France could become harder to control without a collective effort to stop a rise in the infection rate, Prime Minister Jean Castex warned on Tuesday.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex adjusts his protective mask before taking to the media, Nantes, France July 18, 2020.
Advertising Read more
The public is becoming careless, Castex said, after official data recorded nearly 5,000 new Covid-19 cases from Saturday to Monday. The epidemic has now killed more than 30,300 people in France.
"If we don't act collectively, we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control," Castex said during a visit to an intensive care ward in southern France.
France's seven-day average of new infections climbed to 1,640 on Monday from 1,056 on July 31. The seven-day measure reached a post-lockdown low of 272 on May 27, a little over two weeks after the government eased one of Europe's strictest lockdowns.
But French health authorities on Tuesday reported a further 1,397 new Covid-19 infections over 24 hours, a significant daily increase.
The health ministry website said there were 15 new deaths in hospital due the disease, compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday, with the total death toll standing at 30,354.
'No one wants to live through that again'
Earlier on Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron held a video conference with top ministers from his Riviera summer retreat.
During the meeting it was decided France that would draw up new restrictions for the 20 largest cities to curb the rising infection rate and that a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people would be extended until October 31.
Some cities have already taken action. Paris on Monday joined Toulouse, Lille, Biarritz and others in imposing a mandatory face mask order in crowded outdoor zones. They are already compulsory nationwide in shops and banks.
The prime minister said the testing rate was "more than satisfactory", with more than 600,000 tests being conducted weekly, but said more could still be done to target and trace those with symptoms, the prime minister said.
Addressing the risk of another total lockdown, Castex said bluntly: "No one wants to live through that again."
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--French NGO leader killed in Guatemala was 'ambushed'

Guatemalan police search for evidence in the area where French activist Benoît María was shot dead in San Antonio Ilotenango , Guatemala , on August 10th 2020 .
The French director of an NGO who was killed in Guatemala was ambushed , according to the NGO 's general manager .
Benoit Maria , the Guatemala director of the agriculture and animal health NGO Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres ( AVSF ) , was shot in an indigenous area in the northeast of the country on Monday .
`` He was caught in an ambush and was shot in his car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do what 's needed , '' said Frederic Apollin .
Guatemala 's Vice President Guillermo Castillo urged judicial authorities to get to the bottom of the murder .
`` It 's imperative that the corresponding institutions clear up this violent act that was committed against a human rights defender , '' Castillo said in a statement , also expressing his condolences to Maria 's family and colleagues .
According to local media , Maria , who was 52 , was driving a van on a road near the indigenous village of San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ) northwest of the capital Guatemala City , when he was shot dead .
In a tweet , French President Emmanuel Macron praised Maria 's `` humanist , fraternal , supportive commitment that honored France , '' describing the murder as `` cowardly . ''
The motive for the attack is not known .
`` Working on the ground in Guatemala can be complicated , but we can not talk about a threat , '' said Apollin .
`` As far as we know , no one was putting pressure on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been in the wrong place at the wrong time . ''
The murder was revealed on Monday by the Guatemalan Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders ( UDEFEGUA ) .
The French Embassy in Guatemala expressed its `` dismay '' in a statement , adding that it is in contact with Guatemalan authorities to `` ensure that this crime is solved and that justice can be done quickly . ''
`` Well-known in the French embassy , Mr Maria worked to improve the lot of the most disadvantaged people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the statement , which was published on the embassy 's Facebook page .
He had lived in Guatemala for more than 20 years , supporting agricultural projects for the indigenous Mayan Ixil communities , according to UDEFEGUA coordinator Jorge Santos .
Maria also participated in the 2011 creation of Ixil University , in the department of Quiche , dedicated to the ancestral knowledge of indigenous people .
His murder took place the day after eight people , including six French humanitarian workers from an NGO called Acted , were killed in an @ @ @ @

The French director of an NGO who was killed in Guatemala was ambushed, according to the NGO's general manager.
Guatemalan police search for evidence in the area where French activist Benoît María was shot dead in San Antonio Ilotenango, Guatemala, on August 10th 2020.
Advertising Read more
Benoit Maria, the Guatemala director of the agriculture and animal health NGO Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (AVSF), was shot in an indigenous area in the northeast of the country on Monday.
"He was caught in an ambush and was shot in his car. The Guatemalan police are investigating and will do what's needed," said Frederic Apollin.
Guatemala's Vice President Guillermo Castillo urged judicial authorities to get to the bottom of the murder.
"It's imperative that the corresponding institutions clear up this violent act that was committed against a human rights defender," Castillo said in a statement, also expressing his condolences to Maria's family and colleagues.
According to local media, Maria, who was 52, was driving a van on a road near the indigenous village of San Antonio Ilotenango, 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of the capital Guatemala City, when he was shot dead.
In a tweet, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Maria's "humanist, fraternal, supportive commitment that honored France," describing the murder as "cowardly."
The motive for the attack is not known.
"Working on the ground in Guatemala can be complicated, but we cannot talk about a threat," said Apollin.
"As far as we know, no one was putting pressure on our association or Benoit, who seems to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The murder was revealed on Monday by the Guatemalan Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA).
The French Embassy in Guatemala expressed its "dismay" in a statement, adding that it is in contact with Guatemalan authorities to "ensure that this crime is solved and that justice can be done quickly."
"Well-known in the French embassy, Mr Maria worked to improve the lot of the most disadvantaged people in the west of the country," said the statement, which was published on the embassy's Facebook page.
He had lived in Guatemala for more than 20 years, supporting agricultural projects for the indigenous Mayan Ixil communities, according to UDEFEGUA coordinator Jorge Santos.
Maria also participated in the 2011 creation of Ixil University, in the department of Quiche, dedicated to the ancestral knowledge of indigenous people.
His murder took place the day after eight people, including six French humanitarian workers from an NGO called Acted, were killed in an attack in Niger.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Putin says Russia first to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, dubbed 'Sputnik V'

This handout picture taken on August 6 , 2020 and provided by the Russian Direct Investment Fund shows the vaccine against the coronavirus disease , developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology .
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing , a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess .
The vaccine still has to complete final trials , raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) said on Tuesday that any stamp of approval on a Covid-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review .
`` We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine , '' the United Nations health agency 's spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva at an online press briefing .
`` Pre-qualification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data . ''
`` We are encouraged by the speed by which several candidate vaccines have been developing and as we have been always saying , we hope some of these vaccines will prove to be safe and efficient , '' said Jasarevic .
`` Accelerating progress does not mean compromising on safety , '' he said .
Russian health workers treating Covid-19 patients will be offered the chance of volunteering to be vaccinated in the coming weeks , a source told Reuters last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the mass inoculation of the Russian population and authorities hope it will allow the economy , which has been battered by fallout from the virus , to return to full capacity .
Kirill Dmitriev , head of Russia ’ s sovereign wealth fund , hailed the development as a historic “ Sputnik moment ” , comparable to the Soviet Union ’ s 1957 launch of Sputnik 1 , the world ’ s first satellite .
The vaccine will be marketed under the name ‘ Sputnik V ’ on foreign markets , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news .
But the speed at which Russia has moved , approving a vaccine before the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy are over , has worried some scientists , who fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety .
Speaking at a government meeting on state television , Putin dismissed those concerns , saying the vaccine , developed by Moscow ’ s Gamaleya Institute , was safe and that it had even been administered to one of his daughters .
“ I know that it works quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I repeat , it has passed all the needed checks , ” said Putin .
He said he hoped mass production would start soon .
The vaccine ’ s approval by the health ministry comes before the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants , commonly known as a Phase III trial .
Such trials , which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine ’ s effect , are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval .
The Moscow-based Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trade body representing the world ’ s top drugmakers in Russia this week urged the health ministry to postpone approval until that final trial had been successfully completed .
In a letter to the ministry , it said there were high risks associated with registering a drug before that happened .
“ It is during this phase that the main evidence of a vaccine ’ s efficacy is collected , as well as information on adverse reactions that could appear in certain groups of patients : people with weakened immunity , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it said .
Some international experts have also questioned the speed at which Russia approved its vaccine .
“ Normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine , ” said Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital in Tuebingen , currently testing CureVac ’ s COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trials .
“ In that respect , I think it ’ s reckless to do that ( approve it ) if lots of people haven ’ t already been tested.
” Duncan Matthews , a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of London , said news of a potential Covid-19 vaccine was to be welcomed , “ but safety must be the priority ” .
“ The US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) have fast-track approval procedures for emergency humanitarian use and we need to see evidence that Russia is adopting an equally prudent approach , ” Matthews said in an emailed comment .
`` This is a reckless and foolish decision , '' said Francois Balloux of University College London .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health , but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population . ''
More than 100 possible vaccines are being developed around the world to try to stop the Covid-19 pandemic .
At least four are in final Phase III human trials , according to WHO data .

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess.
This handout picture taken on August 6, 2020 and provided by the Russian Direct Investment Fund shows the vaccine against the coronavirus disease, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
Advertising Read more
The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval, but the Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that any stamp of approval on a Covid-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review.
"We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine," the United Nations health agency's spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva at an online press briefing.
"Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data."
00:27
"We are encouraged by the speed by which several candidate vaccines have been developing and as we have been always saying, we hope some of these vaccines will prove to be safe and efficient," said Jasarevic.
"Accelerating progress does not mean compromising on safety," he said.
Volunteers wanted for vaccine
Russian health workers treating Covid-19 patients will be offered the chance of volunteering to be vaccinated in the coming weeks, a source told Reuters last month.
Regulatory approval paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population and authorities hope it will allow the economy, which has been battered by fallout from the virus, to return to full capacity.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, hailed the development as a historic “Sputnik moment”, comparable to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the world’s first satellite.
The vaccine will be marketed under the name ‘Sputnik V’ on foreign markets, he said. State media have trumpeted the news.
But the speed at which Russia has moved, approving a vaccine before the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy are over, has worried some scientists, who fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.
Putin has declared victory in the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Russia will make it available to the public on Jan 1, 2021.
He says one of his daughters already took it and was fine: "a temperature of 38 on the first day, 37 on the second and that was it." pic.twitter.com/RPw7DPgw2R — max seddon (@maxseddon) August 11, 2020
Speaking at a government meeting on state television, Putin dismissed those concerns, saying the vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, was safe and that it had even been administered to one of his daughters.
“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” said Putin.
He said he hoped mass production would start soon.
'Reckless and foolish'
The vaccine’s approval by the health ministry comes before the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial.
Such trials, which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine’s effect, are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval.
The Moscow-based Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO), a trade body representing the world’s top drugmakers in Russia this week urged the health ministry to postpone approval until that final trial had been successfully completed.
In a letter to the ministry, it said there were high risks associated with registering a drug before that happened.
“It is during this phase that the main evidence of a vaccine’s efficacy is collected, as well as information on adverse reactions that could appear in certain groups of patients: people with weakened immunity, people with concomitant diseases and so forth,” it said.
Some international experts have also questioned the speed at which Russia approved its vaccine.
“Normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine,” said Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital in Tuebingen, currently testing CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trials.
“In that respect, I think it’s reckless to do that (approve it) if lots of people haven’t already been tested.”
Duncan Matthews, a professor of intellectual property law at Queen Mary University of London, said news of a potential Covid-19 vaccine was to be welcomed, “but safety must be the priority”.
“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have fast-track approval procedures for emergency humanitarian use and we need to see evidence that Russia is adopting an equally prudent approach,” Matthews said in an emailed comment.
"This is a reckless and foolish decision," said Francois Balloux of University College London.
"Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population."
More than 100 possible vaccines are being developed around the world to try to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. At least four are in final Phase III human trials, according to WHO data.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai is released on bail

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai ( C ) pushes through a media pack to get to a waiting vehicle after being released on bail from the Mong Kok police station in the early morning in Hong Kong on August 12 , 2020 .
Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai walked free on bail Wednesday , over a day after he and other critics of China were rounded up by police as part of a widening crackdown on dissent .
When Lai left a police station he was swarmed by dozens of cheering supporters , some of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a show of support .
A clampdown has gathered pace in Hong Kong since China imposed a sweeping security law in June , with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested for social media posts .
The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist China 's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city .
In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown , Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is unapologetically critical of Beijing .
Lai did not address the crowd upon his release , but was bundled into a car that inched away through the crowd .
In a display of solidarity for Lai , people in the city rushed to buy Tuesday 's Apple Daily , with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from the normal circulation of 70,000 .
One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a newsstand in the commercial district of Mong Kok and said he planned to give them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government does n't allow Apple Daily to survive , then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves , '' the man , who gave his surname as Ng , told AFP , as dozens of people lined up around the city from the early hours .
The newspaper 's front page showed a picture of Lai being led away in handcuffs , with the headline `` Apple will fight on '' .
Lai 's arrest sparked a buying spree in shares of his media group , and between Monday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value had risen by more than 1,100 percent .
Hong Kong 's new national security law criminalises secession , subversion , terrorism and colluding with foreign forces .
The most serious crimes under the law -- which was introduced on June 30 and is not supposed to be retroactive -- carry up to life in jail .
Its broadly worded provisions criminalised certain political speech overnight , such as advocating sanctions , and greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong .
Similar laws are used on the authoritarian mainland to snuff out opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on charges including colluding with foreign forces and fraud .
The operation was hailed by Beijing , quick to declare him an `` anti-China rabble-rouser '' who conspired with foreigners to `` stir up chaos '' .
Among the others arrested were two of Lai 's sons , young pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li , a former activist who works as a freelancer for Britain 's ITV News .
`` It 's very obvious that the regime and the government are using the national security law to suppress political dissidents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Journalists at Lai 's Apple Daily had streamed dramatic footage on Facebook as police raided their offices with a handcuffed Lai in tow .
Chief editor Law Wai-kwong told AFP on Tuesday that the newspaper is consulting with its legal team to apply for a temporary injunction against the police to stop them using the reporting materials taken during the search .
Critics believe the security law has ended the key liberties and autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep after its 1997 handover by Britain .
US Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` further proof '' that Chinese authorities had `` eviscerated Hong Kong 's freedoms and eroded the rights of its people '' .
`` We 're going to respond in real ways , '' Pompeo later promised in an interview with Newsmax .
The United States has already imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials -- including city leader Carrie Lam -- in response to the crackdown .
Hong Kong 's police said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Foreign Correspondents ' Club to the arrests , the Chinese foreign ministry warned that `` eagerly justifying Jimmy Lai is nothing short of siding with the forces sowing trouble in Hong Kong and China at large '' .
`` We call on the FCC , Hong Kong to respect the facts , distinguish right from wrong , and stop smearing under the pretext of press freedom the implementation of the National Security Law , '' it said .

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai walked free on bail Wednesday, over a day after he and other critics of China were rounded up by police as part of a widening crackdown on dissent.
Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai (C) pushes through a media pack to get to a waiting vehicle after being released on bail from the Mong Kok police station in the early morning in Hong Kong on August 12, 2020.
Advertising Read more
When Lai left a police station he was swarmed by dozens of cheering supporters, some of whom waved copies of his Apple Daily in a show of support.
A clampdown has gathered pace in Hong Kong since China imposed a sweeping security law in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested for social media posts.
The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist China's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown, Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police officers searched the newsroom of his tabloid, which is unapologetically critical of Beijing.
Lai did not address the crowd upon his release, but was bundled into a car that inched away through the crowd.
In a display of solidarity for Lai, people in the city rushed to buy Tuesday's Apple Daily, with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from the normal circulation of 70,000.
One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a newsstand in the commercial district of Mong Kok and said he planned to give them away free of charge.
"Since the government doesn't allow Apple Daily to survive, then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves," the man, who gave his surname as Ng, told AFP, as dozens of people lined up around the city from the early hours.
The newspaper's front page showed a picture of Lai being led away in handcuffs, with the headline "Apple will fight on".
Lai's arrest sparked a buying spree in shares of his media group, and between Monday morning and closing time on Tuesday its stock value had risen by more than 1,100 percent.
'Eviscerated'
Hong Kong's new national security law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces.
The most serious crimes under the law -- which was introduced on June 30 and is not supposed to be retroactive -- carry up to life in jail.
Its broadly worded provisions criminalised certain political speech overnight, such as advocating sanctions, and greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong.
Similar laws are used on the authoritarian mainland to snuff out opposition.
Lai, 71, was held on charges including colluding with foreign forces and fraud. The operation was hailed by Beijing, quick to declare him an "anti-China rabble-rouser" who conspired with foreigners to "stir up chaos".
Among the others arrested were two of Lai's sons, young pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li, a former activist who works as a freelancer for Britain's ITV News.
Chow was released on bail late Tuesday.
"It's very obvious that the regime and the government are using the national security law to suppress political dissidents," she told reporters after her release.
Journalists at Lai's Apple Daily had streamed dramatic footage on Facebook as police raided their offices with a handcuffed Lai in tow.
Chief editor Law Wai-kwong told AFP on Tuesday that the newspaper is consulting with its legal team to apply for a temporary injunction against the police to stop them using the reporting materials taken during the search.
'Barbarous' sanctions'
Critics believe the security law has ended the key liberties and autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep after its 1997 handover by Britain.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described Lai's arrest as "further proof" that Chinese authorities had "eviscerated Hong Kong's freedoms and eroded the rights of its people".
"We're going to respond in real ways," Pompeo later promised in an interview with Newsmax.
The United States has already imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials -- including city leader Carrie Lam -- in response to the crackdown.
Hong Kong's police said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions.
In response to objections made by Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents' Club to the arrests, the Chinese foreign ministry warned that "eagerly justifying Jimmy Lai is nothing short of siding with the forces sowing trouble in Hong Kong and China at large".
"We call on the FCC, Hong Kong to respect the facts, distinguish right from wrong, and stop smearing under the pretext of press freedom the implementation of the National Security Law," it said.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Malian protesters regroup to demand the resignation of President Keita

A woman cheers during a protest organised by M5-RFP , who are calling for Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign , in Bamako on August 11 , 2020 .
Malians took to the streets in the capital Bamako on Tuesday , despite rainfall and pleas from mediators to stay home , to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita .
Protesters numbering in the low thousands assembled in a central square , an AFP journalist saw , blowing plastic vuvuzela horns and carrying placards bearing anti-government slogans .
`` We want real change in Mali , IBK get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the acronym by which Keita is known .
Other people carried umbrellas against the rain , and toted signs asking the prime minister to resign too .
After the crowd sung the national anthem , prominent opposition leader Choguel Maiga told them : `` We will continue our fight until the end of IBK and of his regime . ''
The gathering marks the first time the June 5 Movement has staged a protest since July 21 , when the opposition group declared a temporary truce in a months-long push to topple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call to stay home from Nigeria 's ex-president , Goodluck Jonathan , a mediator for the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) in Mali 's crisis .
`` Demonstrations do not solve problems per se , '' Jonathan told a news conference on Monday evening , adding that opposition figures needed to enter dialogue .
His appeal came after the June 5 Movement repeatedly spurned compromise proposals put forward by ECOWAS , as it has continued to insist on Keita 's resignation .
Mali 's political impasse has struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbours and allies , who are keen to avoid it sliding into chaos .
The June 5 Movement -- so called after the date of its first protest -- has been channelling deep anger over a dire economy , perceived government corruption and Mali 's eight-year jihadist conflict .
But tensions snowballed in crisis last month , when 11 people died over three days of unrest following an anti-Keita protest , in the worst political strife the country has seen in years .
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc stepped in to mediate .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government suggested the formation of a new unity government , among other measures , while sticking by Keita .
The June 5 Movement has rejected the proposals , however .
Nigeria 's ex-president Jonathan , who had already led a mediation mission to Mali in mid-July , made a surprise return to Bamako on Monday , where he met the president and opposition figures .
Still , there is little indication of breaking the impasse as anti-Keita protests have gone ahead despite his admonitions .
Keita , who first came to power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the ECOWAS recommendations .
He swore in nine new judges to the Constitutional Court on Monday , which formed part of an ECOWAS plant to resolve an election dispute that has contributed to the crisis .
Much of Mali 's current tension was sparked in April , when the Constitutional Court tossed out 30 results from long-delayed parliamentary elections -- a move that benefited Keita 's party , but triggered protests .
ECOWAS had recommended appointing new judges to the court , and holding new elections in the 30 disputed parliamentary seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , have refused to step down .
They are drawn from both Keita 's party and opposition parties .

Malians took to the streets in the capital Bamako on Tuesday, despite rainfall and pleas from mediators to stay home, to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
A woman cheers during a protest organised by M5-RFP, who are calling for Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign, in Bamako on August 11, 2020.
Advertising Read more
Protesters numbering in the low thousands assembled in a central square, an AFP journalist saw, blowing plastic vuvuzela horns and carrying placards bearing anti-government slogans.
"We want real change in Mali, IBK get out," read one placard, using the acronym by which Keita is known.
Other people carried umbrellas against the rain, and toted signs asking the prime minister to resign too.
After the crowd sung the national anthem, prominent opposition leader Choguel Maiga told them: "We will continue our fight until the end of IBK and of his regime."
The gathering marks the first time the June 5 Movement has staged a protest since July 21, when the opposition group declared a temporary truce in a months-long push to topple Keita.
It staged the demonstration despite a call to stay home from Nigeria's ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, a mediator for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Mali's crisis.
"Demonstrations do not solve problems per se," Jonathan told a news conference on Monday evening, adding that opposition figures needed to enter dialogue.
His appeal came after the June 5 Movement repeatedly spurned compromise proposals put forward by ECOWAS, as it has continued to insist on Keita's resignation.
Mali's political impasse has struck fear into the poor Sahel state's neighbours and allies, who are keen to avoid it sliding into chaos.
Mediation flop
The June 5 Movement -- so called after the date of its first protest -- has been channelling deep anger over a dire economy, perceived government corruption and Mali's eight-year jihadist conflict.
But tensions snowballed in crisis last month, when 11 people died over three days of unrest following an anti-Keita protest, in the worst political strife the country has seen in years.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc stepped in to mediate. On July 27, the bloc's heads of government suggested the formation of a new unity government, among other measures, while sticking by Keita.
The June 5 Movement has rejected the proposals, however.
Nigeria's ex-president Jonathan, who had already led a mediation mission to Mali in mid-July, made a surprise return to Bamako on Monday, where he met the president and opposition figures.
Still, there is little indication of breaking the impasse as anti-Keita protests have gone ahead despite his admonitions.
Constitutional Court
Keita, who first came to power in 2013, has meanwhile attempted to follow the ECOWAS recommendations.
He swore in nine new judges to the Constitutional Court on Monday, which formed part of an ECOWAS plant to resolve an election dispute that has contributed to the crisis.
Much of Mali's current tension was sparked in April, when the Constitutional Court tossed out 30 results from long-delayed parliamentary elections -- a move that benefited Keita's party, but triggered protests.
ECOWAS had recommended appointing new judges to the court, and holding new elections in the 30 disputed parliamentary seats.
The MPs occupying those seats, however, have refused to step down. They are drawn from both Keita's party and opposition parties.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-08-11--Britain presses France to halt 'unacceptable' migrant crossings

A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into the port city of Dover , England , from small boats , on August 8 , 2020 .
Britain and France will work `` at pace '' to finalise a new plan for shutting down a migrant route across the Channel , British immigration minister Chris Philp said on Tuesday .
Philp said President Emmanuel Macron 's government agreed the high numbers making the illegal crossing were unacceptable .
`` It 's clear more needs to be done , '' Philp told reporters in Paris after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can make this route unviable , which we are determined to do , then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place . ''
Hundreds of people , including some children , have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the world 's busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies .
Philp said Paris had agreed to mirror London 's move of appointing a special commander to oversee the operation .
Asked if Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its policing of the maritime border , the minister said : `` We accept this is a shared problem .
If a shared plan can be agreed , we would be obviously be prepared to support that ... in all the ways necessary to make it a success . ''
More than 20 migrants were escorted to Dover on Tuesday by the British border force .
Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan , Iraq , Iran , Syria and countries in Africa , fleeing poverty , persecution or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being granted asylum , while others , considered illegal economic migrants , are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain .
Britain has called for more flexibility to the European Union 's so-called Dublin Regulation , which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants .
Organised crime groups offer to help the migrants cross the Channel for around 500 pounds ( $ 650 ) , the Sun newspaper reported , adding that some smugglers offer `` kids go free '' deals .

Britain and France will work "at pace" to finalise a new plan for shutting down a migrant route across the Channel, British immigration minister Chris Philp said on Tuesday.
A Border Force vessel brings a group of people thought to be migrants into the port city of Dover, England, from small boats, on August 8, 2020.
Advertising Read more
Philp said President Emmanuel Macron's government agreed the high numbers making the illegal crossing were unacceptable.
"It's clear more needs to be done," Philp told reporters in Paris after meeting French officials.
"If we can make this route unviable, which we are determined to do, then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place."
Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the world's busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies.
Philp said Paris had agreed to mirror London's move of appointing a special commander to oversee the operation.
Today I was in Dover to see how Border Force and other operational partners are tirelessly dealing with the unacceptable number of illegal small boat crossings.
I am absolutely committed to making this incredibly dangerous route unviable. pic.twitter.com/KGzBd3CR0X — Priti Patel (@pritipatel) August 10, 2020
Asked if Britain was ready to pay France to bolster its policing of the maritime border, the minister said: "We accept this is a shared problem. If a shared plan can be agreed, we would be obviously be prepared to support that ... in all the ways necessary to make it a success."
More than 20 migrants were escorted to Dover on Tuesday by the British border force.
Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war.
Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain.
Britain has called for more flexibility to the European Union's so-called Dublin Regulation, which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants.
Organised crime groups offer to help the migrants cross the Channel for around 500 pounds ($650), the Sun newspaper reported, adding that some smugglers offer "kids go free" deals.
(REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe