france24--2020-06-16--Enough applause: French health workers rally anew for substantive reform

After more than three months of a public health crisis , tens of thousands of doctors , nurses and healthcare aides hit the streets across France again on Tuesday to demand the government keep its promises for overhauling the hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis .
Although French hospitals are considered to be among the world ’ s best , they struggled to handle a rush of Covid-19 patients after years of cost cuts .
France has reported nearly 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths , the fifth-highest pandemic death toll worldwide , and the country 's hospitals have treated more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the Paris crowd reached the gold-domed Invalides monument , a few protesters threw paving stones .
Police responded by firing tear gas and more than a dozen people were arrested .
The hospital labour unions that led the protest later denounced the aggressive behaviour .
According to police , some 18,000 people demonstrated in Paris , many wearing white medical coats .
Some 7,500 rallied in Toulouse and at least 4,000 demonstrated in Bordeaux .
Peaceful protests were held in Marseille and other cities around France .
Even before the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ austerity ” policies that they say reduced medical resources to the bare bones .
They are calling for increased wages and a freeze on hospital closures and service reductions .
During the height of the crisis in France , people took to their windows every night at 8pm to applaud healthcare workers for several minutes .
But some have said that while such appreciation is nice , substantive change is needed .
Their objective now is to parlay the public support on show during the novel coronavirus outbreak into tangible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – those lauded as `` heroes in white coats '' by President Emmanuel Macron at the start of the pandemic .
Healthcare workers are demanding a hiring scheme and a general salary review on the order of €300 to €400 , according to unions .
They are calling for `` halting all facility , department and bed closures '' .
`` After 14 months of mobilisation and a healthcare crisis , going back to 'abnormal ' is unthinkable .
For the system 's users , it is no longer the time to applaud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands , '' insists the Inter-Hospital Collective spearheading the year-old movement for better pay and working conditions .
`` The government 's soothing speeches , chocolate medals and promises of random and hypothetical bonuses will not suffice .
What is needed going forward are real human and budgetary resources for public health , '' the CGT union said in a communiqué .
> > The Debate : Doctor , is it serious ?
French healthcare pushed to the brink by Covid-19 Tuesday 's protest is the climax of a series of demonstrations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including rallies known as the `` Tuesdays of anger '' .
The protests coincide with the `` Ségur de la santé '' ( health safety ) consultations that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe launched on May 25 .
Those reform talks are supposed to result in concrete proposals by early July .
But no figures , including specifics on any salary increases , have been laid on the table so far .
The process has been frustrating for unions , they say .
`` Union organisations can not work amid constant improvisation and without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of medical groups , including France 's Federation of Doctors , decrying a `` sham '' .
`` The methodology of the Ségur de la santé poses problems , '' said the Inter-Hospital Collective , expressing regret over a `` lack of transparency '' .
The collective insists that `` concrete answers need to be brought now '' .
`` We 're working , we 're moving forward , '' Health Minister Olivier Véran told the LCI news channel on Monday , noting that `` more than 100 talks have taken place nationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , the government issued decrees enacting the exceptional bonuses it had promised of €1,000 to €1,500 for nursing home employees and a 50 percent increase in pay for hospital overtime hours , slated to be paid out before September .
As for the salary increases pledged within the framework of the Ségur talks , Véran said their time will come .
`` Between now and early July , healthcare workers will have all of the answers to the questions they are asking and the demands they are legitimately making , '' @ @ @


france24--2020-06-16--Hezbollah leader accuses US of trying to 'starve' Syria, Lebanon

Hassan Nasrallah , the head of Lebanon 's powerful Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah , condemns new US sanctions against the Syrian government , in a televised address New US sanctions against the Syrian government aim to `` starve '' the country and its neighbour Lebanon , the head of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah said Tuesday .
`` The Caesar Act aims to starve Lebanon just as it aims to starve Syria , '' Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech .
`` Syria has won the war ... militarily , in security terms and politically , '' he added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday as Washington 's `` last weapon '' against Damascus .
The US law targets companies that deal with President Bashar al-Assad 's regime , which Hezbollah , Tehran and Moscow support in Syria 's conflict .
It imposes financial restrictions on the Damascus government to compel it to halt `` attacks on the Syrian people '' , and it is expected for the first time to target Russian and Iranian entities active in Syria .
The Syrian government and loyalist businessmen are already targeted by US and European economic sanctions .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 380,000 lives , Syria is mired in an economic crisis compounded by a coronavirus lockdown and a dollar liquidity crisis in Lebanon , a major conduit for regime-held regions .
A large chunk of Syria 's population is living in poverty , prices have soared and the value of the Syrian pound has hit record lows against the dollar on the black market .
Nasrallah also accused the United States of engineering the collapse of the Syrian currency , but vowed that Assad 's allies would stand by the regime .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood by its side during the war ... will not abandon Syria in the face of economic warfare and will not allow its fall , even if they are themselves going through difficult circumstances , '' he said .
Lebanon too is experiencing the worst financial meltdown since the end of its own 1975-1990 civil war , as well as being rocked by months of anti-government protests .
`` The Americans are pressurising the Bank of Lebanon to prevent it from putting enough dollars into the market , '' he said , charging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hezbollah was sending dollars into Syria as a pretext .
He also accused the US government of trying to get Lebanon to push Hezbollah into giving up its weapons but it would never do so .
Nasrallah called on the Lebanese government `` not to submit '' to the Caesar Act .
The United States on Tuesday warned Assad that he would never secure a full victory and must reach a political compromise .
Kelly Craft , the US ambassador to the United Nations , urged him to accept a Security Council resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political transition along with UN-led talks .
`` The Assad regime has a clear choice to make : pursue the political path established in Resolution 2254 , or leave the United States with no other choice but to continue withholding reconstruction funding and impose sanctions against the regime and its financial backers , '' Craft said .

New US sanctions against the Syrian government aim to "starve" the country and its neighbour Lebanon, the head of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah said Tuesday.
Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, condemns new US sanctions against the Syrian government, in a televised address
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"The Caesar Act aims to starve Lebanon just as it aims to starve Syria," Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech.
"Syria has won the war... militarily, in security terms and politically," he added, describing the law which comes into force Wednesday as Washington's "last weapon" against Damascus.
The US law targets companies that deal with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which Hezbollah, Tehran and Moscow support in Syria's conflict.
It imposes financial restrictions on the Damascus government to compel it to halt "attacks on the Syrian people", and it is expected for the first time to target Russian and Iranian entities active in Syria.
The Syrian government and loyalist businessmen are already targeted by US and European economic sanctions.
After nine years of war which have cost more than 380,000 lives, Syria is mired in an economic crisis compounded by a coronavirus lockdown and a dollar liquidity crisis in Lebanon, a major conduit for regime-held regions.
A large chunk of Syria's population is living in poverty, prices have soared and the value of the Syrian pound has hit record lows against the dollar on the black market.
Nasrallah also accused the United States of engineering the collapse of the Syrian currency, but vowed that Assad's allies would stand by the regime.
"The allies of Syria, which stood by its side during the war... will not abandon Syria in the face of economic warfare and will not allow its fall, even if they are themselves going through difficult circumstances," he said.
Lebanon too is experiencing the worst financial meltdown since the end of its own 1975-1990 civil war, as well as being rocked by months of anti-government protests.
"The Americans are pressurising the Bank of Lebanon to prevent it from putting enough dollars into the market," he said, charging that Washington was just using claims that Hezbollah was sending dollars into Syria as a pretext.
He also accused the US government of trying to get Lebanon to push Hezbollah into giving up its weapons but it would never do so.
Nasrallah called on the Lebanese government "not to submit" to the Caesar Act.
The United States on Tuesday warned Assad that he would never secure a full victory and must reach a political compromise.
Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the United Nations, urged him to accept a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, elections and political transition along with UN-led talks.
"The Assad regime has a clear choice to make: pursue the political path established in Resolution 2254, or leave the United States with no other choice but to continue withholding reconstruction funding and impose sanctions against the regime and its financial backers," Craft said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--US sues to stop former Trump adviser Bolton from releasing his book

The United States on Tuesday sued former national security adviser John Bolton , seeking to block him from publishing a book about his time in the White House that it said contained classified information and would compromise national security .
The civil lawsuit came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Bolton would be breaking the law if the book were published .
The White House National Security Council `` has determined that the manuscript in its present form contains certain passages - some up to several paragraphs in length - that contain classified national security information , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book `` would cause irreparable harm , because the disclosure of instances of classified information in the manuscript reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage , or exceptionally grave damage , to the national security of the United States , '' according to the lawsuit .
Trump fired Bolton last September after roughly 17 months as national security adviser .
Trump said on Monday that Bolton knows he has classified information in his book , and that he had not completed a clearing process required for any book written by former government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department was trying to get Bolton to complete the clearance process and `` make the necessary deletions of classified information . ''
Bolton 's `` The Room Where It Happened : A White House Memoir , '' is set to be published on June 23 .
The publisher , Simon and Schuster , said the book provides an insider account of Trump 's `` inconsistent , scattershot decision-making process . ''
Simon and Schuster did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealings with China , Russia , Ukraine , North Korea , Iran , Britain , France and Germany , the publisher said .
`` This is the book Donald Trump doesn ’ t want you to read , '' it said .

The United States on Tuesday sued former national security adviser John Bolton, seeking to block him from publishing a book about his time in the White House that it said contained classified information and would compromise national security.
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The civil lawsuit came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Bolton would be breaking the law if the book were published.
The White House National Security Council "has determined that the manuscript in its present form contains certain passages - some up to several paragraphs in length - that contain classified national security information," the lawsuit said.
Publication of the book "would cause irreparable harm, because the disclosure of instances of classified information in the manuscript reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage, or exceptionally grave damage, to the national security of the United States," according to the lawsuit.
Trump fired Bolton last September after roughly 17 months as national security adviser.
Trump said on Monday that Bolton knows he has classified information in his book, and that he had not completed a clearing process required for any book written by former government officials who had access to sensitive information.
Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department was trying to get Bolton to complete the clearance process and "make the necessary deletions of classified information."
Bolton's "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," is set to be published on June 23.
The publisher, Simon and Schuster, said the book provides an insider account of Trump's "inconsistent, scattershot decision-making process."
Simon and Schuster did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The book details Trump's dealings with China, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Iran, Britain, France and Germany, the publisher said.
"This is the book Donald Trump doesn’t want you to read," it said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-16--Under pressure from protests, Trump signs police reform banning chokeholds unless officer's life is

Under pressure from protests, Trump signs police reform banning chokeholds unless officer's life is 'at risk'

US President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities , in the White House Rose Garden on June 16 , 2020 .
Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd , President Donald Trump signed an executive order on policing Tuesday that would encourage better police practices and establish a database to keep track of officers with a history of excessive use-of-force complaints .
In Rose Garden remarks , Trump stressed the need for higher standards and commiserated with mourning families , even as he hailed the vast majority of officers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line , while criticizing Democrats .
“ Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals , '' he said before signing the order flanked by police .
Trump and the GOP have been rushing to respond to the mass demonstrations against police brutality and racial prejudice that have raged for weeks across the country in response to the deaths of Floyd and other black Americans .
It 's a sudden shift for the Republican Party — and one Democrats are watching warily — that shows how quickly the protests have changed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Trump , throughout the crisis , has continued to emphasize his support for law enforcement and even on Tuesday railed against those who committed violence during the largely peaceful protests .
Trump ’ s executive order would establish a database that tracks police officers with excessive use of force complaints in their records .
And it would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage co-responder programs , in which social workers join police when they respond to nonviolent calls involving mental health , addiction and homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new credentialing process , chokeholds will be banned `` except if an officer ’ s life is at risk.
” Chokeholds are already largely banned in police departments nationwide .
Trump framed his plan as an alternative to the “ defund the police ” movement that has emerged from the protests and which he slammed as “ radical and dangerous . ''
“ Americans know the truth : Without police there is chaos .
Without law there is anarchy and without safety there is catastrophe , '' he said .
Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress , and came after he met at the White House with the families of men and women who have been killed in interactions with police .
“ To all of the hurting families , I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side , '' Trump said .
`` Your loved ones will not have died in vain.
” Yet Trump made no mention of systemic racism in his comments .
The Rose Garden announcement comes as Senate Republicans are preparing their own package of policing changes .
Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sole African American Republican in the Senate , has been crafting the GOP legislative package , which will include new restrictions on police chokeholds and greater use of police body cameras , among other provisions .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , declared that Republicans are developing “ a serious proposal to reform law enforcement . ''
The Senate Judiciary Committee was to conduct a hearing Tuesday afternoon on “ Police Use of Force and Community Relations , '' drawing testimony from leading civil rights and law enforcement leaders .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more fair and just society in which all people are safe , ” Vanita Gupta , president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , was to tell senators , according to advance testimony obtained by The Associated Press .
The nationwide outcry `` is anything but a reaction to one isolated incident or the misconduct of a few 'bad apples , ’ ” Gupta says .
“ The outcry is a response to the other horrific killings of black people by police.
” While the emerging GOP package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposals , which are headed for a House vote next week , it includes perhaps the most far-reaching proposed changes to policing procedures from the party long aligned with a `` law and order ” approach .
Scott , who said he spoke with Trump about the legislation over the weekend , warned Monday that delaying voting until later this summer would be a “ bad decision.
” The weekend shooting death of Rayshard Brooks by a white officer in Atlanta led to a renewed public outcry , more street protests and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York is among those urging Republicans not to settle for minor changes .
“ Now is the time to seek bold and broad-scale change , ” Schumer said Monday .
With the political debate fluid , it is unclear whether the parties will be able to find common ground .
The proposals emerging from Democrats and Republicans share many similar provisions but take different approaches to address some of the issues .
Neither bill goes as far as some activists want in their push to “ defund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Central to the Republican package would be the creation of the national database to improve transparency so officers can not transfer from one department to another without public oversight of their records .
The Democrats have a similar provision .
Yet the Republican bill does not go as far as the Democrats do on the issue of eliminating qualified immunity , which would allow those injured by law enforcement personnel to sue for damages .
The White House has said that is a step too far .
As an alternative , Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for officers involved in misconduct .
One large police union , the influential Fraternal Order of Police , said in a statement it is working with Congress and the White House on the proposals , having provided “ feedback ” on the Democratic bill and “ substantial input ” on the emerging GOP package .

Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on policing Tuesday that would encourage better police practices and establish a database to keep track of officers with a history of excessive use-of-force complaints.
US President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, in the White House Rose Garden on June 16, 2020.
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In Rose Garden remarks, Trump stressed the need for higher standards and commiserated with mourning families, even as he hailed the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants and held his law-and-order line, while criticizing Democrats.
“Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals," he said before signing the order flanked by police.
Trump and the GOP have been rushing to respond to the mass demonstrations against police brutality and racial prejudice that have raged for weeks across the country in response to the deaths of Floyd and other black Americans. It's a sudden shift for the Republican Party — and one Democrats are watching warily — that shows how quickly the protests have changed the political conversation and pressured Washington to act.
But Trump, throughout the crisis, has continued to emphasize his support for law enforcement and even on Tuesday railed against those who committed violence during the largely peaceful protests.
Trump’s executive order would establish a database that tracks police officers with excessive use of force complaints in their records. And it would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage co-responder programs, in which social workers join police when they respond to nonviolent calls involving mental health, addiction and homeless issues.
LIVE: Remarks on Safe Policing for Safe Communities https://t.co/86grjrXmZm — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 16, 2020
Trump said that, under a new credentialing process, chokeholds will be banned "except if an officer’s life is at risk.” Chokeholds are already largely banned in police departments nationwide.
Trump framed his plan as an alternative to the “defund the police” movement that has emerged from the protests and which he slammed as “radical and dangerous."
“Americans know the truth: Without police there is chaos. Without law there is anarchy and without safety there is catastrophe," he said.
Trump's audience included police officials and members of Congress, and came after he met at the White House with the families of men and women who have been killed in interactions with police.
“To all of the hurting families, I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side," Trump said. "Your loved ones will not have died in vain.”
Yet Trump made no mention of systemic racism in his comments.
The Rose Garden announcement comes as Senate Republicans are preparing their own package of policing changes. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole African American Republican in the Senate, has been crafting the GOP legislative package, which will include new restrictions on police chokeholds and greater use of police body cameras, among other provisions.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared that Republicans are developing “a serious proposal to reform law enforcement."
The Senate Judiciary Committee was to conduct a hearing Tuesday afternoon on “Police Use of Force and Community Relations," drawing testimony from leading civil rights and law enforcement leaders.
“Now is the time to reimagine a more fair and just society in which all people are safe,” Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, was to tell senators, according to advance testimony obtained by The Associated Press.
The nationwide outcry "is anything but a reaction to one isolated incident or the misconduct of a few 'bad apples,’” Gupta says. “The outcry is a response to the other horrific killings of black people by police.”
While the emerging GOP package isn't as extensive as sweeping Democratic proposals, which are headed for a House vote next week, it includes perhaps the most far-reaching proposed changes to policing procedures from the party long aligned with a "law and order” approach.
Scott, who said he spoke with Trump about the legislation over the weekend, warned Monday that delaying voting until later this summer would be a “bad decision.”
The weekend shooting death of Rayshard Brooks by a white officer in Atlanta led to a renewed public outcry, more street protests and the police chief’s resignation.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York is among those urging Republicans not to settle for minor changes.
“Now is the time to seek bold and broad-scale change,” Schumer said Monday.
With the political debate fluid, it is unclear whether the parties will be able to find common ground. The proposals emerging from Democrats and Republicans share many similar provisions but take different approaches to address some of the issues. Neither bill goes as far as some activists want in their push to “defund the police” by fully revamping departments.
Central to the Republican package would be the creation of the national database to improve transparency so officers cannot transfer from one department to another without public oversight of their records. The Democrats have a similar provision.
Yet the Republican bill does not go as far as the Democrats do on the issue of eliminating qualified immunity, which would allow those injured by law enforcement personnel to sue for damages. The White House has said that is a step too far. As an alternative, Scott has suggested a “decertification” process for officers involved in misconduct.
One large police union, the influential Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement it is working with Congress and the White House on the proposals, having provided “feedback” on the Democratic bill and “substantial input” on the emerging GOP package.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Common steroid reduces Covid-19 fatalities by one-third, UK researchers say

Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival : A cheap , widely available steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients .
Results were announced Tuesday and researchers said they would publish them soon .
The study is a large , strict test that randomly assigned 2,104 patients to get the drug and compared them with 4,321 patients getting only usual care .
The drug was given either orally or through an IV .
After 28 days , it had reduced deaths by 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathing machines and by 20 % in those only needing supplemental oxygen .
It did not appear to help less ill patients .
“ This is an extremely welcome result , ” one study leader , Peter Horby of the University of Oxford , said in a statement .
`` The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment , so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients .
Dexamethasone is inexpensive , on the shelf , and can be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the drug only helps in severe cases , “ countless lives will be saved globally , ” said Nick Cammack of Wellcome , a British charity that supports science research .
“ Dexamethasone must now be rolled out and accessed by thousands of critically ill patients around the world , '' said Cammack , who had no role in the study .
`` It is highly affordable , easy to make , can be scaled up quickly and only needs a small dosage . ''
Steroid drugs reduce inflammation , which sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system overreacts to fight the infection .
This overreaction can prove fatal , so doctors have been testing steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs in such patients .
The World Health Organization advises against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can slow the time until patients clear the virus .
Researchers estimated that the drug would prevent one death for every eight patients treated while on breathing machines and one for every 25 patients on extra oxygen alone .
This is the same study that earlier this month showed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
The study enrolled more than 11,000 patients in England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland who were given either standard of care or that plus one of several treatments : dexamethasone ; the HIV combo drug lopinavir-ritonavir , the antibiotic azithromycin ; the anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab ; or plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 that contains antibodies to fight the virus .
Research is continuing on the other treatments .
The research is funded by government health agencies in the United Kingdom and private donors including the @ @ @ @ @ @

Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival: A cheap, widely available steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients.
Advertising Read more
Results were announced Tuesday and researchers said they would publish them soon. The study is a large, strict test that randomly assigned 2,104 patients to get the drug and compared them with 4,321 patients getting only usual care.
The drug was given either orally or through an IV. After 28 days, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those only needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.
“This is an extremely welcome result,” one study leader, Peter Horby of the University of Oxford, said in a statement. "The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients. Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”
Even though the drug only helps in severe cases, “countless lives will be saved globally,” said Nick Cammack of Wellcome, a British charity that supports science research.
“Dexamethasone must now be rolled out and accessed by thousands of critically ill patients around the world," said Cammack, who had no role in the study. "It is highly affordable, easy to make, can be scaled up quickly and only needs a small dosage."
Steroid drugs reduce inflammation, which sometimes develops in COVID-19 patients as the immune system overreacts to fight the infection. This overreaction can prove fatal, so doctors have been testing steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs in such patients. The World Health Organization advises against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can slow the time until patients clear the virus.
Researchers estimated that the drug would prevent one death for every eight patients treated while on breathing machines and one for every 25 patients on extra oxygen alone.
This is the same study that earlier this month showed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was not working against the coronavirus. The study enrolled more than 11,000 patients in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who were given either standard of care or that plus one of several treatments: dexamethasone; the HIV combo drug lopinavir-ritonavir, the antibiotic azithromycin; the anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab; or plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 that contains antibodies to fight the virus.
Research is continuing on the other treatments. The research is funded by government health agencies in the United Kingdom and private donors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Staff of hospital on France's Covid-19 front line join nationwide strikes

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic , staff at the Saint Camille hospital near Paris worked under intense pressure @ @ @ @ @ , many requiring intensive care .
But as France emerges from the worst of its @ @ @ @ @ have not yet received a promised bonus and increased wages , leading many of them @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .

ON THE GROUND
Staff of hospital on France's Covid-19 front line join nationwide strikes
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, staff at the Saint Camille hospital near Paris worked under intense pressure with hundreds of Covid-19 patients, many requiring intensive care. But as France emerges from the worst of its healthcare crisis, hospital staff have not yet received a promised bonus and increased wages, leading many of them to join nationwide strikes on Tuesday.
01:47 The Saint Camille hospital near Paris treated hundreds of Covid-19 patients during the height of the pandemic in France. © Screengrab FRANCE 24


france24--2020-06-16--Covid-19: Transmission fears spark bicycle frenzy in post-lockdown Paris

Cyclists ride on the rue de Rivoli in Paris on May 16 , 2020 , as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic .
While Paris has long yearned to become the world ’ s No .
1 biking capital , it wasn ’ t until the coronavirus prompted widespread fears of transmission on public transport that Parisians really started to pedal .
Since France began to lift its lockdown measures on May 11 , the number of cyclists has exploded – and both vendors and repair shops are struggling to keep up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8:30am and already the Place de la Bastille , a busy junction in central Paris , is seeing more bicycles than it is buses and cars .
Although workers from the Vélib bike-sharing programme have refilled the nearby bike racks overnight , the stations are already starting to empty by nine o ’ clock .
The city , with 50 kilometres of recently added `` coronapistes '' ( corona bike lanes ) and thousands of newly converted cyclists , is no longer dominated by cars – and it is mainly due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the roof , ” Stein van Oosteren , spokesman for the bicycle association Vélo Île-de-France in the Paris region , tells FRANCE 24 .
“ Shock events have always paved the way for the ‘ bicyclisation ’ of many countries – in Denmark , for example , it was the economic crisis in the 1980s that made bigger infrastructure projects too expensive , and in the Netherlands it was the oil crisis of the 1970s .
And today , the coronavirus is having exactly the same effect.
” According to the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of French cyclists increased by 28 percent in May compared to the same period a year ago .
While sporting chain Intersport has reported daily sales of 4,000 bikes per day – two-and-a-half times its normal sales figure – the online bike repair service network Cyclofix says demand has increased more than 10-fold since lockdown measures were first eased after nearly two months .
“ It ’ s just enormous at the moment ; we ’ ve doubled our network of independent repairmen during this period , but to meet a demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it usually is , is tough , ” says Stéphane Folliet , co-founder and director of the service .
“ People are turning to biking because they want to avoid public transport at all costs.
” “ Paris isn ’ t yet the new Amsterdam when it comes to cyclists , but I think it might be on its way to becoming one , ” he says , noting that the government-sponsored “ corona subsidy ” of €50 for bike repairs has also help fuel demand .
Mina , a 41-year-old marketing specialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trading in her monthly Métro pass for a bicycle because of the coronavirus .
“ I ’ ve always biked a lot , so it ’ s not as if it ’ s new to me .
But since I moved to Paris from the countryside 20 years ago I haven ’ t felt safe because of the heavy traffic and the cars , so I used buses and the Métro instead .
But after the lockdown I couldn ’ t see myself doing that again , so I ’ ve bought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is still waiting for her bike to be delivered after placing her order a week ago , says the fact that the government is offering up to €500 in subsidies to those who buy an electric bike weighed into her decision .
She also noted that Paris is planning to keep the vast majority of its “ corona bike lanes ” open for the foreseeable future .
But despite all this , she says , `` 90 percent of my decision absolutely had to do with my concern over the coronavirus '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long-term commitment .
Aside from using it to get to work , she plans to bring it with her pretty much everywhere she goes .
“ My bike is going to be an extension of myself .
It ’ s going to be my friend , my companion , my boyfriend , ” she laughs .
For Van Oosteren , whose association has spent years fighting for more bike lanes to be made available , the new trend is more than welcome .
“ Before , we used to have to negotiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lane added to the network .
But with the coronavirus and the urgent need for more travel options , decisions are taken right away .
”

While Paris has long yearned to become the world’s No. 1 biking capital, it wasn’t until the coronavirus prompted widespread fears of transmission on public transport that Parisians really started to pedal. Since France began to lift its lockdown measures on May 11, the number of cyclists has exploded – and both vendors and repair shops are struggling to keep up with demand.
Cyclists ride on the rue de Rivoli in Paris on May 16, 2020, as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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It’s not even 8:30am and already the Place de la Bastille, a busy junction in central Paris, is seeing more bicycles than it is buses and cars. Although workers from the Vélib bike-sharing programme have refilled the nearby bike racks overnight, the stations are already starting to empty by nine o’clock. The city, with 50 kilometres of recently added "coronapistes" (corona bike lanes) and thousands of newly converted cyclists, is no longer dominated by cars – and it is mainly due to the coronavirus.
Cyclists turn onto Rue Saint-Antoine, which merges with Rue de Rivoli and which has become one Paris’s new “corona bike paths”. On June 16, 2020. © FRANCE 24/ Louise NORDSTROM
“Demand has completely shot through the roof,” Stein van Oosteren, spokesman for the bicycle association Vélo Île-de-France in the Paris region, tells FRANCE 24. “Shock events have always paved the way for the ‘bicyclisation’ of many countries – in Denmark, for example, it was the economic crisis in the 1980s that made bigger infrastructure projects too expensive, and in the Netherlands it was the oil crisis of the 1970s. And today, the coronavirus is having exactly the same effect.”
According to the national bicycle group Vélo et Territoire, the number of French cyclists increased by 28 percent in May compared to the same period a year ago.
In less than an hour, this Vélib bike rack was almost emptied of bicyles, on June 16, 2020. © FRANCE 24/ Louise NORDSTROM
New Amsterdam?
While sporting chain Intersport has reported daily sales of 4,000 bikes per day – two-and-a-half times its normal sales figure – the online bike repair service network Cyclofix says demand has increased more than 10-fold since lockdown measures were first eased after nearly two months.
“It’s just enormous at the moment; we’ve doubled our network of independent repairmen during this period, but to meet a demand that is more than 10 times what it usually is, is tough,” says Stéphane Folliet, co-founder and director of the service.
“People are turning to biking because they want to avoid public transport at all costs.”
“Paris isn’t yet the new Amsterdam when it comes to cyclists, but I think it might be on its way to becoming one,” he says, noting that the government-sponsored “corona subsidy” of €50 for bike repairs has also help fuel demand.
‘My friend, my companion, my boyfriend’
Mina, a 41-year-old marketing specialist, is one of the Parisians who is trading in her monthly Métro pass for a bicycle because of the coronavirus.
“I’ve always biked a lot, so it’s not as if it’s new to me. But since I moved to Paris from the countryside 20 years ago I haven’t felt safe because of the heavy traffic and the cars, so I used buses and the Métro instead. But after the lockdown I couldn’t see myself doing that again, so I’ve bought myself an electric bike.”
Mina, who is still waiting for her bike to be delivered after placing her order a week ago, says the fact that the government is offering up to €500 in subsidies to those who buy an electric bike weighed into her decision. She also noted that Paris is planning to keep the vast majority of its “corona bike lanes” open for the foreseeable future.
But despite all this, she says, "90 percent of my decision absolutely had to do with my concern over the coronavirus".
Mina says her bicycle purchase is a long-term commitment. Aside from using it to get to work, she plans to bring it with her pretty much everywhere she goes. “My bike is going to be an extension of myself. It’s going to be my friend, my companion, my boyfriend,” she laughs.
For Van Oosteren, whose association has spent years fighting for more bike lanes to be made available, the new trend is more than welcome.
“Before, we used to have to negotiate for centuries to have a new bike lane added to the network. But with the coronavirus and the urgent need for more travel options, decisions are taken right away.”
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france24--2020-06-16--Macron pledges €200 million for French medical research to counter Covid-19

French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the Sanofi Pasteur site in Marcy-L'Étoile , near Lyon , France , June 16 , 2020 .
French President Emmanuel Macron and the country ’ s top drugmaker announced plans Tuesday to bolster domestic production of medicines amid an international scramble to strengthen public healthcare industries to counter the Covid-19 pandemic .
Drugmaker Sanofi , which is working on two potential coronavirus vaccines , said it would invest €610 million ( $ 679 million ) at two French sites to turn them into a hub dedicated to research , development and production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marcy-L'Étoile facility , Macron also pledged €200 million to help domestic research and manufacturing of medicines , and said his government would announce plans on Thursday to bring back certain pharmaceutical production facilities to France .
`` Everybody saw that during this crisis some commonly used drugs were no longer produced in France and Europe .
So we must no longer just ask questions , but draw the conclusions , '' Macron said at the Sanofi site near Lyon , central France .
There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globally .
Drugmakers across the world are rushing to address that , while governments in turn are jostling to try to ensure they will be in line for supplies .
The issue has become particularly sensitive in France after Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson signalled in May that Europe was being too slow in supporting work on a vaccine and hinted US patients might get any vaccine it develops first , given Washington had provided more funding .
Hudson 's comment irked French authorities , with Agnès Pannier-Runacher , junior minister for industry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain countries get privileged access to a coronavirus vaccine produced by the French drugmaker In a speech after hosting Macron on Tuesday , Hudson attempted to smooth tensions with the French government , reiterating that Sanofi was committed to helping France build up its healthcare system .
Despite Sanofi ’ s promise that it would make a vaccine available worldwide simultaneously , the drugmaker ’ s initial comments put the spotlight on Europe 's lack of health coordination .
In the latest sign European countries are now trying to catch up , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy and the Netherlands struck a deal on Saturday to secure 400 million doses of AstraZeneca 's potential vaccine .
The European Commission , meanwhile , received a mandate from EU governments on Friday to negotiate advance purchases of up to six vaccines using proceeds of an emergency fund of €2.4 billion .

French President Emmanuel Macron and the country’s top drugmaker announced plans Tuesday to bolster domestic production of medicines amid an international scramble to strengthen public healthcare industries to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.
French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the Sanofi Pasteur site in Marcy-L'Étoile, near Lyon, France, June 16, 2020.
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Drugmaker Sanofi, which is working on two potential coronavirus vaccines, said it would invest €610 million ($679 million) at two French sites to turn them into a hub dedicated to research, development and production of vaccines.
Speaking at Sanofi's Marcy-L'Étoile facility, Macron also pledged €200 million to help domestic research and manufacturing of medicines, and said his government would announce plans on Thursday to bring back certain pharmaceutical production facilities to France.
"Everybody saw that during this crisis some commonly used drugs were no longer produced in France and Europe. So we must no longer just ask questions, but draw the conclusions," Macron said at the Sanofi site near Lyon, central France.
There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for Covid-19, which has killed more than 431,000 globally. Drugmakers across the world are rushing to address that, while governments in turn are jostling to try to ensure they will be in line for supplies.
'Sanofi's heart beats in France'
The issue has become particularly sensitive in France after Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson signalled in May that Europe was being too slow in supporting work on a vaccine and hinted US patients might get any vaccine it develops first, given Washington had provided more funding.
Hudson's comment irked French authorities, with Agnès Pannier-Runacher, junior minister for industry, noting it was "unacceptable" if certain countries get privileged access to a coronavirus vaccine produced by the French drugmaker
In a speech after hosting Macron on Tuesday, Hudson attempted to smooth tensions with the French government, reiterating that Sanofi was committed to helping France build up its healthcare system.
"Sanofi's heart beats in France," said Hudson.
Europe’s lack of coordination under spotlight
Despite Sanofi’s promise that it would make a vaccine available worldwide simultaneously, the drugmaker’s initial comments put the spotlight on Europe's lack of health coordination.
In the latest sign European countries are now trying to catch up, a group formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands struck a deal on Saturday to secure 400 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential vaccine.
The European Commission, meanwhile, received a mandate from EU governments on Friday to negotiate advance purchases of up to six vaccines using proceeds of an emergency fund of €2.4 billion.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-16--Far-right suspects go on trial for murder of German pro-migrant politician

Stephan Ernst , who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke , speaks with his lawyers Mustafa Kaplan ( L ) and Frank Henning ( R ) at the start of his trial in Frankfurt , Germany , June 16 , 2020 .
A German court begin hearing the case Tuesday against two far-right extremists accused of killing a regional politician whose execution-style slaying shocked the country last year .
Walter Luebcke , a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany , was shot on his porch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died later that night .
Stephan Ernst , a 46-year-old with previous convictions for violent anti-migrant crimes , is accused of murder , attempted murder , serious bodily harm and firearms offenses .
A second man , identified only as Markus H. because of privacy rules , is charged with being an accessory to murder and breaking firearms laws .
Lines formed late Monday outside the Frankfurt regional court where the trial is taking place amid heightened security precautions .
Restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic mean only a small number of reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to witness the trial .
Prosecutors say Ernst and Markus H. both attended an October 2015 town hall event where Luebcke defended the German government ’ s decision to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country .
A video of Luebcke ’ s remarks was widely shared in far-right circles , drawing numerous threats .
Federal prosecutor Dieter Killmer said Ernst was motivated by “ racism and xenophobia.
” Both suspects sought `` an ethnically and culturally homogenous society , '' said Killmer .
In January 2016 , Ernst allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , injuring the victim ’ s spine and severing two nerves .
Police only linked him to the racially-motivated stabbing after finding the knife used in his possession when he was arrested for Luebcke ’ s slaying last June .
Authorities discovered numerous illegal firearms that Ernst had stored in various locations , including three revolvers , two pistols , two rifles and a submachine gun , as well as 1,400 bullets .
Ernst initially told investigators he carried out the killing alone , but later retracted this claim .
During the trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be present as co-plaintiffs , as permitted by German law .
“ I am convinced that it was a cold-blooded , insidious , cowardly murder with vicious motives , '' Holger Matt , a lawyer for the Luebcke family , told reporters outside the court .
The German government vowed to crack down on far-right extremism following the Luebcke killing and other attacks last year , warning that it poses a significant security threat in the country .
The trial is scheduled to last until at least October .

A German court begin hearing the case Tuesday against two far-right extremists accused of killing a regional politician whose execution-style slaying shocked the country last year.
Stephan Ernst, who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke, speaks with his lawyers Mustafa Kaplan (L) and Frank Henning (R) at the start of his trial in Frankfurt, Germany, June 16, 2020.
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Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany, was shot on his porch on June 1, 2019, and died later that night.
Stephan Ernst, a 46-year-old with previous convictions for violent anti-migrant crimes, is accused of murder, attempted murder, serious bodily harm and firearms offenses.
A second man, identified only as Markus H. because of privacy rules, is charged with being an accessory to murder and breaking firearms laws.
Lines formed late Monday outside the Frankfurt regional court where the trial is taking place amid heightened security precautions. Restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic mean only a small number of reporters and members of the public will be able to witness the trial.
Prosecutors say Ernst and Markus H. both attended an October 2015 town hall event where Luebcke defended the German government’s decision to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country. A video of Luebcke’s remarks was widely shared in far-right circles, drawing numerous threats.
Federal prosecutor Dieter Killmer said Ernst was motivated by “racism and xenophobia.”
Both suspects sought "an ethnically and culturally homogenous society," said Killmer.
In January 2016, Ernst allegedly stabbed an Iraqi asylum-seeker in the back, injuring the victim’s spine and severing two nerves. Police only linked him to the racially-motivated stabbing after finding the knife used in his possession when he was arrested for Luebcke’s slaying last June.
Authorities discovered numerous illegal firearms that Ernst had stored in various locations, including three revolvers, two pistols, two rifles and a submachine gun, as well as 1,400 bullets.
Ernst initially told investigators he carried out the killing alone, but later retracted this claim.
During the trial, Luebcke's wife and two sons will be present as co-plaintiffs, as permitted by German law.
“I am convinced that it was a cold-blooded, insidious, cowardly murder with vicious motives," Holger Matt, a lawyer for the Luebcke family, told reporters outside the court.
The German government vowed to crack down on far-right extremism following the Luebcke killing and other attacks last year, warning that it poses a significant security threat in the country.
The trial is scheduled to last until at least October.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Indian soldiers killed in clashes with Chinese troops at disputed Himalayan border

Tensions have been rising on the border between India and China in recent weeks .
The Indian Army late Tuesday night raised the death toll in a clash with Chinese troops on a disputed Himalayan border from three to 20 Indian soldiers .
The army also said in a statement that the two sides “ have disengaged ” from the disputed Galwan area where they clashed overnight on Monday .
The Indian army originally reported that three Indian soldiers had died , but later said 17 additional soldiers succumbed to injuries they suffered in the sub-zero temperatures of the high-altitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of carrying out “ provocative attacks ” on its troops and has not said if any of its soldiers have died .
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have been facing off for over a month .
The clash – during which neither side fired any shots , according to Indian officials – is the first deadly confrontation between the two nuclear-powered Asian giants since 1975 .
India and China have never even agreed on how long their `` Line of Actual Control '' frontier is , and each side uses different frontier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 19th century to back their claims .
India gives a figure of 3,500 kilometres ( 2,175 miles ) .
China does not give a number , but state media says the border should be just 2,000 kilometres ( 1,250 miles ) when China 's claims in Jammu , Kashmir , Ladakh and other regions are taken into account .
Relations between China and India have long been prickly .
They fought a brief war in 1962 in which China took territory from India .
Further deadly clashes followed in 1967 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1975 .
In 2017 there was a 72-day showdown after Chinese forces moved into the disputed Doklam plateau on the China-India-Bhutan border .
After that India 's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to ease tensions .
Alice Wells , the top US State Department official for South Asia , said last month that China was seeking to upset the regional balance and had to be `` resisted '' .
US President Donald Trump also offered to mediate but both countries declined the offer .

The Indian Army late Tuesday night raised the death toll in a clash with Chinese troops on a disputed Himalayan border from three to 20 Indian soldiers.
Tensions have been rising on the border between India and China in recent weeks.
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The army also said in a statement that the two sides “have disengaged” from the disputed Galwan area where they clashed overnight on Monday.
The Indian army originally reported that three Indian soldiers had died, but later said 17 additional soldiers succumbed to injuries they suffered in the sub-zero temperatures of the high-altitude terrain.
China has accused Indian forces of carrying out “provocative attacks” on its troops and has not said if any of its soldiers have died.
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have been facing off for over a month.
The clash – during which neither side fired any shots, according to Indian officials – is the first deadly confrontation between the two nuclear-powered Asian giants since 1975.
Prickly relations
India and China have never even agreed on how long their "Line of Actual Control" frontier is, and each side uses different frontier proposals made by Britain to China in the 19th century to back their claims.
India gives a figure of 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles). China does not give a number, but state media says the border should be just 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) when China's claims in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and other regions are taken into account.
Relations between China and India have long been prickly.
They fought a brief war in 1962 in which China took territory from India. Further deadly clashes followed in 1967, but the last shot fired in anger was in 1975.
In 2017 there was a 72-day showdown after Chinese forces moved into the disputed Doklam plateau on the China-India-Bhutan border.
After that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to ease tensions.
Alice Wells, the top US State Department official for South Asia, said last month that China was seeking to upset the regional balance and had to be "resisted".
US President Donald Trump also offered to mediate but both countries declined the offer.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Beijing reports rise in Covid-19 cases as WHO warns of cause for 'concern'

Security guards wearing face masks stand outside the Jingshen seafood market which has been closed for business after new coronavirus infections were detected , in Beijing , China June 12 , 2020 .
Beijing urged residents on Tuesday to avoid `` non-essential '' travel and closed down schools following a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital believed to have started in the Xinfadi food market .
China on Tuesday reported another 27 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in Beijing , where a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market has sparked WHO concerns and prompted a huge trace and test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of infections confirmed in the capital over the last five days to 106 , as city officials locked down more than 20 communities in the city and tested tens of thousands of people .
All indoor sports and entertainment venues in the city were shut down on Monday , and some other cities across China warned they would quarantine those arriving from Beijing .
The National Health Commission also reported four new domestic infections in Hebei province , which surrounds Beijing , plus another in southwestern Sichuan province .
The World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluster was a cause for concern , given Beijing 's size and connectivity .
`` A cluster like this is a concern and it needs to be investigated and controlled -- and that is exactly what the Chinese authorities are doing , '' WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said .
Chinese officials said had said Sunday that all cases of infection so far had been linked to the Xinfadi market , which 200,000 people had visited since May 30 .
More than 8,000 workers from the market have been tested and sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , most of the cases in recent months in China have been imported cases brought into the country by Chinese nationals returning home as the pandemic spread to other countries .
On Tuesday , there were another eight imported cases reported .

Beijing urged residents on Tuesday to avoid "non-essential" travel and closed down schools following a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital believed to have started in the Xinfadi food market.
Security guards wearing face masks stand outside the Jingshen seafood market which has been closed for business after new coronavirus infections were detected, in Beijing, China June 12, 2020.
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China on Tuesday reported another 27 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in Beijing, where a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market has sparked WHO concerns and prompted a huge trace and test programme.
The new cases bring the number of infections confirmed in the capital over the last five days to 106, as city officials locked down more than 20 communities in the city and tested tens of thousands of people.
All indoor sports and entertainment venues in the city were shut down on Monday, and some other cities across China warned they would quarantine those arriving from Beijing.
The National Health Commission also reported four new domestic infections in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, plus another in southwestern Sichuan province.
01:09
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the new cluster was a cause for concern, given Beijing's size and connectivity.
"A cluster like this is a concern and it needs to be investigated and controlled -- and that is exactly what the Chinese authorities are doing," WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said.
Chinese officials said had said Sunday that all cases of infection so far had been linked to the Xinfadi market, which 200,000 people had visited since May 30.
More than 8,000 workers from the market have been tested and sent to centralised quarantine facilities.
Until this recent outbreak, most of the cases in recent months in China have been imported cases brought into the country by Chinese nationals returning home as the pandemic spread to other countries.
On Tuesday, there were another eight imported cases reported.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Oil spills, wildfires, invasive insects… Siberia’s climate change vicious circle

Melting permafrost and forest fires in the Russian Arctic could accelerate climate change , according to experts .
On May 29 , 21,000 tons of diesel fuel from the storage tank of a thermal power station in Siberia spilled onto the icy tundra and into rivers in one of the worst environmental disasters the Russian Arctic has ever seen and the result of what experts say is a vicious circle of climate change in the region .
The owner of the thermal power plant has blamed the spill , which authorities say may take several years to clean up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s supports caused by the thawing of the permafrost – a layer of normally permanently frozen ground – below .
The thawing permafrost is the result of rising temperatures caused by global warming , but could itself lead to accelerating climate change .
“ We know that permafrost contains huge amounts of carbon , roughly twice the volume of what is in the atmosphere today .
This carbon is frozen , protected , locked in .
If the permafrost thaws , this carbon could be released , ” Antoine Séjourné , a geomorphologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 .
“ Carbon-rich gases would be released : CO2 , methane , extremely powerful greenhouse gases .
That would accelerate global warming and that would ‘ re-thaw ’ the permafrost .
It creates a feedback loop and then you ’ re in a vicious circle.
” The harmful effects of global warming have been evident in Siberia for several years .
In particular , warm winters and mild springs have seen a rise in forest fires .
“ Forest growth is dictated by the temperature .
As temperatures rise , the forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Séjourné .
“ We know that global warming intensifies extreme weather events : droughts , heavy rains… It gives energy to the thermal mechanics of the climate .
Therefore , forest fires are more likely to develop in already fragile ecosystems.
” With the expansion of the forests , the number of fires is increasing .
An average of six million hectares of forest burned down every year between 2010 and 2019 , according to the Russian Academy of Sciences , compared to three million hectares a year between 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capacity of boreal forests to retain carbon dioxide and methane , again adding to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions .
Warming temperatures are also aiding the spread of invasive species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus , a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours , rendering the forest even more vulnerable to fires .
“ What ’ s happening in Siberia affects us too .
If there are areas that thaw and emit carbon , temperatures increase globally , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Increasing temperatures means increased melting of glaciers , melting of the polar ice caps in Antarctica , Greenland .
And then sea levels rise .
”

On May 29, 21,000 tons of diesel fuel from the storage tank of a thermal power station in Siberia spilled onto the icy tundra and into rivers in one of the worst environmental disasters the Russian Arctic has ever seen and the result of what experts say is a vicious circle of climate change in the region.
Melting permafrost and forest fires in the Russian Arctic could accelerate climate change, according to experts.
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The owner of the thermal power plant has blamed the spill, which authorities say may take several years to clean up, on the subsidence of the tank’s supports caused by the thawing of the permafrost – a layer of normally permanently frozen ground – below.
The thawing permafrost is the result of rising temperatures caused by global warming, but could itself lead to accelerating climate change.
“We know that permafrost contains huge amounts of carbon, roughly twice the volume of what is in the atmosphere today. This carbon is frozen, protected, locked in. If the permafrost thaws, this carbon could be released,” Antoine Séjourné, a geomorphologist, Université Paris Saclay, told FRANCE 24.
“Carbon-rich gases would be released: CO2, methane, extremely powerful greenhouse gases. That would accelerate global warming and that would ‘re-thaw’ the permafrost. It creates a feedback loop and then you’re in a vicious circle.”
The harmful effects of global warming have been evident in Siberia for several years. In particular, warm winters and mild springs have seen a rise in forest fires.
“Forest growth is dictated by the temperature. As temperatures rise, the forest colonises places that were previously too cold,” said Séjourné.
“We know that global warming intensifies extreme weather events: droughts, heavy rains… It gives energy to the thermal mechanics of the climate. Therefore, forest fires are more likely to develop in already fragile ecosystems.”
With the expansion of the forests, the number of fires is increasing. An average of six million hectares of forest burned down every year between 2010 and 2019, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences, compared to three million hectares a year between 2000 and 2009.
Increasing fires also threaten the capacity of boreal forests to retain carbon dioxide and methane, again adding to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
Warming temperatures are also aiding the spread of invasive species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus, a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours, rendering the forest even more vulnerable to fires.
“What’s happening in Siberia affects us too. If there are areas that thaw and emit carbon, temperatures increase globally, not just regionally,” said Séjourné.
“Increasing temperatures means increased melting of glaciers, melting of the polar ice caps in Antarctica, Greenland. And then sea levels rise.”
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france24--2020-06-16--North Korea blows up inter-Korean liaison office

This picture taken on February 16 , 2019 shows North Korea 's Kaesong joint industrial complex area as seen from a South Korean observatory post in the southern boundary of the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas in Paju .
North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border on Tuesday , after days of increasingly virulent rhetoric from Pyongyang .
The demolition came after Kim Yo Jong—the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—said at the weekend the ” useless north-south joint liaison office ” would soon be seen ” completely collapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Seoul ’ s presidential Blue House showed a blast rolling across several buildings just across the border in Kaesong , with a nearby tower partially collapsing as clouds of smoke rose into the sky .
Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking to manufacture a crisis to increase pressure on Seoul while nuclear negotiations with Washington are at a standstill .
After an emergency meeting , the National Security Council said it would ” react strongly ” if Pyongyang ” continues to take steps that aggravate the situation ” .
” All responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squarely on the North , ” it added .
The liaison office—in a dormant industrial zone where Southern companies once employed Northern workers—was opened in September 2018 , days before the South ’ s President Moon Jae-in flew to Pyongyang for his third summit with Kim .
Around 20 officials from each side were stationed at the office during subsequent months .
But inter-Korean relations soured following the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in February last year over sanctions relief and what the North would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operations at the office were suspended in January because of the coronavirus pandemic .
And since early June , North Korea has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of the South over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border—something defectors do on a regular basis .
Pyongyang ’ s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday the liaison office ’ s destruction was in line with ” the mindset of the enraged people to surely force human scum and those who have sheltered the scum to pay dearly for their crimes ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all official communication links with Seoul .
” North Korea has started a provocation cycle with stages of escalation , ” said Leif-Eric Easley , a professor at Ewha University in Seoul , calling the destruction of the office ” a symbolic blow to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation ” .
” The Kim regime is also signalling the United States won ’ t have the luxury of keeping North Korea on the back-burner for the remainder of the year , ” he added .
Since Pyongyang condemned the leaflet launches—usually attached to hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry has filed a police complaint against two defector groups and warned of a ” thorough crackdown ” against activists .
On Monday , the left-leaning Moon urged the North not to ” close the window of dialogue ” .
The two Koreas remain technically at war after Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice in 1953 that was never replaced with a peace treaty .
Last week the North criticised Trump in a stinging denunciation of the US on the second anniversary of the Singapore summit , with its foreign minister Ri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
US diplomats insist that they believe Kim promised in Singapore to give up his nuclear arsenal , something Pyongyang has taken no steps to do .
The North is under multiple international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes .
It believes it deserves to be rewarded for its moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and the disabling of its atomic test site , along with the return of jailed US citizens and remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War .
” Nothing is more hypocritical than an empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , carried by the official KCNA news agency .
Cheong Seong-chang , director of the Sejong Institute ’ s Center for North Korean Studies , said : ” North Korea is frustrated that the South has failed to offer an alternative plan to revive the US-North talks , let alone create a right atmosphere for the revival .
” It has concluded the South has failed as a mediator in the process .
”

North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border on Tuesday, after days of increasingly virulent rhetoric from Pyongyang.
This picture taken on February 16, 2019 shows North Korea's Kaesong joint industrial complex area as seen from a South Korean observatory post in the southern boundary of the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas in Paju.
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The demolition came after Kim Yo Jong—the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—said at the weekend the ”useless north-south joint liaison office” would soon be seen ”completely collapsed”.
Footage of the explosion released by Seoul’s presidential Blue House showed a blast rolling across several buildings just across the border in Kaesong, with a nearby tower partially collapsing as clouds of smoke rose into the sky.
Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking to manufacture a crisis to increase pressure on Seoul while nuclear negotiations with Washington are at a standstill.
After an emergency meeting, the National Security Council said it would ”react strongly” if Pyongyang ”continues to take steps that aggravate the situation”.
”All responsibility for repercussions stemming from this action falls squarely on the North,” it added.
The liaison office—in a dormant industrial zone where Southern companies once employed Northern workers—was opened in September 2018, days before the South’s President Moon Jae-in flew to Pyongyang for his third summit with Kim.
Around 20 officials from each side were stationed at the office during subsequent months.
But inter-Korean relations soured following the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in February last year over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.
Operations at the office were suspended in January because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is how South Korea knew #NorthKorea was destroying the liaison office. The taller building, a residential complex for Seoul officials and businesspeople, didn’t go down completely. #연락사무소 pic.twitter.com/W4z8Smnf1L — Hyonhee Shin (@HeeShin) June 16, 2020
And since early June, North Korea has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of the South over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border—something defectors do on a regular basis.
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday the liaison office’s destruction was in line with ”the mindset of the enraged people to surely force human scum and those who have sheltered the scum to pay dearly for their crimes”.
Last week Pyongyang announced it was severing all official communication links with Seoul.
”North Korea has started a provocation cycle with stages of escalation,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, calling the destruction of the office ”a symbolic blow to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation”.
”The Kim regime is also signalling the United States won’t have the luxury of keeping North Korea on the back-burner for the remainder of the year,” he added.
Relations soured
Since Pyongyang condemned the leaflet launches—usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles—the Unification ministry has filed a police complaint against two defector groups and warned of a ”thorough crackdown” against activists.
On Monday, the left-leaning Moon urged the North not to ”close the window of dialogue”.
The two Koreas remain technically at war after Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice in 1953 that was never replaced with a peace treaty.
Last week the North criticised Trump in a stinging denunciation of the US on the second anniversary of the Singapore summit, with its foreign minister Ri Son Gwon accusing Washington of seeking regime change.
US diplomats insist that they believe Kim promised in Singapore to give up his nuclear arsenal, something Pyongyang has taken no steps to do.
The North is under multiple international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes.
It believes it deserves to be rewarded for its moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and the disabling of its atomic test site, along with the return of jailed US citizens and remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War.
”Nothing is more hypocritical than an empty promise,” Ri said in his statement, carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Sejong Institute’s Center for North Korean Studies, said: ”North Korea is frustrated that the South has failed to offer an alternative plan to revive the US-North talks, let alone create a right atmosphere for the revival.
”It has concluded the South has failed as a mediator in the process.”
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-17--Indian govt maintains silence following deadly China border clashes

India 's Border Security Force ( BSF ) soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint along a highway leading to Ladakah , at Gagangeer in Kashmir 's Ganderbal district June 17 , 2020 .
As some commentators clamored for revenge , India 's government was silent Wednesday on the fallout from clashes with China 's army in a disputed border area in the high Himalayas that the Indian army said claimed 20 soldiers ' lives .
Indian security forces said neither side fired any shots in the clash in the Ladakh region late Monday .
China accused Indian forces of carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops and did not disclose if any of its soldiers died .
It was the first deadly confrontation on the disputed border between India and China since 1975 , and while experts said they were unlikely to head into a war , easing tensions quickly would be difficult .
Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Aman Anand did not respond immediately to queries on the situation Wednesday or whether talks were planned to defuse the tensions .
“ This will likely be a watershed moment in India-China relations and the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program director at The Wilson Center .
`` We ’ ve already seen the deadliest clash on the China-India border in over 50 years , both countries are led by men who have embraced nationalism , and both countries are facing tremendous domestic and international upheaval as a result of COVID-19 and other long-standing problems.
” The main questions now are if either side can find a path to deescalation and whether India 's allies such as the United States will help .
“ It is a highly volatile and dangerous situation between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when American influence has badly diminished , ” Denmark said .
China claims about 90,000 square kilometers ( 35,000 square miles ) of territory in India ’ s northeast , while India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers ( 15,000 square miles ) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau in the Himalayas , a contiguous part of the Ladakh region .
India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory while separating it from disputed Kashmir in August 2019 .
China was among the handful of countries to strongly condemn the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.N. Security Council .
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have faced off over a month along a remote stretch of the 3,380-kilometer ( 2,100-mile ) Line of Actual Control , the border established following a war between India and China in 1962 that resulted in an uneasy truce .
The Indian Army said 20 of its soldiers died and 17 “ were critically injured in the line of duty at the standoff location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.
” The statement did not disclose the nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops fought each other with fists and rocks , Indian security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information .
After the clash , the two sides “ disengaged ” from the area where the the fighting happened , the Indian Army statement said .
“ We are concerned about reports of violence and deaths at the Line of Actual Control between India and China , '' U.N. associate spokesperson Eri Kaneko said .
“ We take positive note of reports that the two countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Michael Kugelman , a South Asia specialist at the Wilson Center , said that the two countries were unlikely to go to war because they can not “ afford a conflict.
” “ But let ’ s be clear : It beggars belief to think that they can magically deescalate after a deadly exchange with such a higher number of fatalities , ” he said .
`` This crisis isn ’ t ending anytime soon.
” Vivek Katju , a retired Indian diplomat , said the deadly violence represented a dramatic departure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the two countries staring each other down without any fatalities .
“ The political class and the security class as a whole will have to do very serious thinking about the road ahead , ” he said .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gave no details of any casualties on the Chinese side , but said that China had strongly protested the incident and remained committed to maintaining “ peace and tranquility ” along the disputed border .
“ But what is shocking is that on June 15 , the Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two sides , crossed the border illegally twice and carried out provocative attacks on Chinese personnel , resulting in serious physical conflicts between the two border forces , ” Zhao said .
India ’ s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the incident happened “ as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo ” in the Galwan Valley .
Thousands of soldiers from the two countries , backed by armored trucks and artillery , have been stationed just a few hundred meters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month in the Ladakh region that lies near Tibet .
Military and diplomatic meetings have yielded no breakthrough .
Indian authorities have officially maintained near-total silence on the issues related to the confrontation .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a televised meeting with state officials Tuesday and did not comment on the clash .
The tense standoff started in early May , when Indian officials said that Chinese soldiers crossed the boundary in Ladakh at three different points , erecting tents and guard posts and ignoring verbal warnings to leave .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fistfights , much of it replayed on television news channels and social media .
China has sought to downplay the confrontation while saying the two sides were communicating through both their front-line military units and their respective embassies to resolve issues .
Though skirmishes aren ’ t new along the frontier , the standoff at Ladakh ’ s Galwan Valley , where India is building a strategic road connecting the region to an airstrip close to China , has escalated in recent weeks .
The last fatalities along the disputed border was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian soldiers in an ambush in the Twang region of northeastern India ’ s Arunachal Pradesh state , said Lt. Gen. D.S .
Hooda , a former head of the Indian military ’ s Northern Command .
“ It ’ s a very complicated and serious situation , and it will take real , hard negotiating skills to resolve this , ” Hooda said .

As some commentators clamored for revenge, India's government was silent Wednesday on the fallout from clashes with China's army in a disputed border area in the high Himalayas that the Indian army said claimed 20 soldiers' lives.
India's Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint along a highway leading to Ladakah, at Gagangeer in Kashmir's Ganderbal district June 17, 2020.
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Indian security forces said neither side fired any shots in the clash in the Ladakh region late Monday. China accused Indian forces of carrying out “provocative attacks” on its troops and did not disclose if any of its soldiers died.
It was the first deadly confrontation on the disputed border between India and China since 1975, and while experts said they were unlikely to head into a war, easing tensions quickly would be difficult.
Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Aman Anand did not respond immediately to queries on the situation Wednesday or whether talks were planned to defuse the tensions.
03:51
'Watershed moment'
“This will likely be a watershed moment in India-China relations and the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific," said Abraham Denmark, Asia program director at The Wilson Center. "We’ve already seen the deadliest clash on the China-India border in over 50 years, both countries are led by men who have embraced nationalism, and both countries are facing tremendous domestic and international upheaval as a result of COVID-19 and other long-standing problems.”
The main questions now are if either side can find a path to deescalation and whether India's allies such as the United States will help. “It is a highly volatile and dangerous situation between two nationalistic, nuclear powers at a time when American influence has badly diminished,” Denmark said.
China claims about 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) of territory in India’s northeast, while India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau in the Himalayas, a contiguous part of the Ladakh region.
India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory while separating it from disputed Kashmir in August 2019. China was among the handful of countries to strongly condemn the move, raising it at international forums including the U.N. Security Council.
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have faced off over a month along a remote stretch of the 3,380-kilometer (2,100-mile) Line of Actual Control, the border established following a war between India and China in 1962 that resulted in an uneasy truce.
The Indian Army said 20 of its soldiers died and 17 “were critically injured in the line of duty at the standoff location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.” The statement did not disclose the nature of the soldiers’ injuries.
The troops fought each other with fists and rocks, Indian security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information.
After the clash, the two sides “disengaged” from the area where the the fighting happened, the Indian Army statement said.
The United Nations urged both sides “to exercise maximum restraint."
“We are concerned about reports of violence and deaths at the Line of Actual Control between India and China," U.N. associate spokesperson Eri Kaneko said. “We take positive note of reports that the two countries have engaged to de escalate the situation."
'It beggars belief'
Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Wilson Center, said that the two countries were unlikely to go to war because they cannot “afford a conflict.”
“But let’s be clear: It beggars belief to think that they can magically deescalate after a deadly exchange with such a higher number of fatalities,” he said. "This crisis isn’t ending anytime soon.”
Vivek Katju, a retired Indian diplomat, said the deadly violence represented a dramatic departure from the four-decades-old status quo of troops from the two countries staring each other down without any fatalities.
“The political class and the security class as a whole will have to do very serious thinking about the road ahead,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gave no details of any casualties on the Chinese side, but said that China had strongly protested the incident and remained committed to maintaining “peace and tranquility” along the disputed border.
“But what is shocking is that on June 15, the Indian troops seriously violated the consensus of the two sides, crossed the border illegally twice and carried out provocative attacks on Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical conflicts between the two border forces,” Zhao said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the incident happened “as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo” in the Galwan Valley.
Thousands of soldiers from the two countries, backed by armored trucks and artillery, have been stationed just a few hundred meters (yards) apart for more than a month in the Ladakh region that lies near Tibet. Military and diplomatic meetings have yielded no breakthrough.
Silence from New Delhi
Indian authorities have officially maintained near-total silence on the issues related to the confrontation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a televised meeting with state officials Tuesday and did not comment on the clash.
The tense standoff started in early May, when Indian officials said that Chinese soldiers crossed the boundary in Ladakh at three different points, erecting tents and guard posts and ignoring verbal warnings to leave. That triggered shouting matches, stone-throwing and fistfights, much of it replayed on television news channels and social media.
China has sought to downplay the confrontation while saying the two sides were communicating through both their front-line military units and their respective embassies to resolve issues.
Though skirmishes aren’t new along the frontier, the standoff at Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, where India is building a strategic road connecting the region to an airstrip close to China, has escalated in recent weeks.
The last fatalities along the disputed border was in 1975, when Chinese troops killed four Indian soldiers in an ambush in the Twang region of northeastern India’s Arunachal Pradesh state, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, a former head of the Indian military’s Northern Command.
“It’s a very complicated and serious situation, and it will take real, hard negotiating skills to resolve this,” Hooda said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Take them down? Row over statues goes global

Take them down ?
Row over statues goes global How did we go from the killing of George Floyd by @ @ @ @ @ of statues around the world ?
The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked a global @ @ @ @ @ the slave trade and the colonial past .
But where do you draw the line @ @ @ @ @ past ?
Which figures of history deserve to remain in our public squares today ?
@ @ @ @ @ an argument over statues that 's as old as the ancient Greeks and where , @ @ @ @ @ grown smaller thanks to globalisation , immortalised figures of the past find themselves under fresh @ @ @ @ @ everywhere with you !
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Take them down? Row over statues goes global
38:04 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
How did we go from the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police to the toppling of statues around the world? The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked a global conversation on systemic racism, the slave trade and the colonial past. But where do you draw the line? How to honour the past? Which figures of history deserve to remain in our public squares today?
Advertising François Picard's panel discusses an argument over statues that's as old as the ancient Greeks and where, in a world that's grown smaller thanks to globalisation, immortalised figures of the past find themselves under fresh scrutiny. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-06-17--Beijing cancels flights, closes schools again as Covid-19 cases mount

A police officer gestures at a photographer as people line up to get a nucleic acid test at a sport center after a spike of cases of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Beijing , China June 17 , 2020 .
Beijing shut all its schools again and cancelled at least 1,225 flights on Wednesday , according to state-run media , as the city reported 31 new coronavirus cases .
City officials have urged residents not to leave the city , and several provinces have quarantined travellers from Beijing after more than 130 new cases were confirmed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases have raised fears of a second wave of infections as China had largely brought its domestic outbreak under control .
City authorities on Tuesday had also announced a travel ban for residents of `` medium- or high-risk '' areas of the city , while requiring other residents to take nucleic acid tests in order to leave the capital .
Meanwhile , all schools -- which had mostly reopened -- were ordered to close again and return to online classes .
`` The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a press conference Tuesday .
Tens of thousands of people in the city linked to the virus cluster -- believed to have started in the capital 's sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food market -- are being tested for the virus , with almost 30 residential compounds in the city now under lockdown .
Beijing has reported 137 infections over the last six days , with six new asymptomatic cases and three suspected cases on Wednesday , according to the city 's health commission .
An additional two domestic cases , one in neighbouring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reported by national authorities on Wednesday , while there were 11 imported cases .

Beijing shut all its schools again and cancelled at least 1,225 flights on Wednesday, according to state-run media, as the city reported 31 new coronavirus cases.
A police officer gestures at a photographer as people line up to get a nucleic acid test at a sport center after a spike of cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Beijing, China June 17, 2020.
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City officials have urged residents not to leave the city, and several provinces have quarantined travellers from Beijing after more than 130 new cases were confirmed in the capital in recent days.
The new cases have raised fears of a second wave of infections as China had largely brought its domestic outbreak under control.
City authorities on Tuesday had also announced a travel ban for residents of "medium- or high-risk" areas of the city, while requiring other residents to take nucleic acid tests in order to leave the capital.
Meanwhile, all schools -- which had mostly reopened -- were ordered to close again and return to online classes.
01:18
"The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe," Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned at a press conference Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of people in the city linked to the virus cluster -- believed to have started in the capital's sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food market -- are being tested for the virus, with almost 30 residential compounds in the city now under lockdown.
Beijing has reported 137 infections over the last six days, with six new asymptomatic cases and three suspected cases on Wednesday, according to the city's health commission.
An additional two domestic cases, one in neighbouring Hebei province and another in Zhejiang, were reported by national authorities on Wednesday, while there were 11 imported cases.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-06-17--WHO hails 'great news' for Covid-19 treatment from Oxford steroid trial

A pharmacist displays an ampoule of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , in Brussels , Belgium , June 16 , 2020 .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) hailed as `` great news '' initial clinical trial results that showed a cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone can help save the lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients .
`` This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support , '' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great news and I congratulate the government of the UK , the University of Oxford , and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough . ''
The researchers shared initial insights about the results of the trial with WHO , `` and we are looking forward to the full data analysis in the coming days , '' it said .
`` WHO will coordinate a meta-analysis to increase our overall understanding of this intervention .
WHO clinical guidance will be updated to reflect how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in COVID-19 , '' the agency added .

The World Health Organization (WHO) hailed as "great news" initial clinical trial results that showed a cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone can help save the lives of critically ill Covid-19 patients.
A pharmacist displays an ampoule of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, June 16, 2020.
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Researchers in Britain said Tuesday that dexamethasone, used to fight inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates of the most severely ill Covid-19 patients by around a third.
"This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with Covid-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement late on Tuesday.
"This is great news and I congratulate the government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough."
The researchers shared initial insights about the results of the trial with WHO, "and we are looking forward to the full data analysis in the coming days", it said.
"WHO will coordinate a meta-analysis to increase our overall understanding of this intervention. WHO clinical guidance will be updated to reflect how and when the drug should be used in Covid-19," the agency added.
00:43
The report brought scepticism from some, with doctors saying they wanted to see more data.
Steroids can suppress immune systems, warned Dr. Thomas McGinn, deputy physician-in-chief at New York’s largest healthcare system, Northwell Health. He told Reuters his physicians are using steroids on a case-by-case basis.
“We have to see what the study looks like given the current environment of retractions,” said McGinn. “I just wait to see the real data, see if it’s peer reviewed and gets published in a real journal, he said.
University of Washington professor of medicine Dr Mark Wurfel urged the researchers to put out data before official publication.
“That would be very, very helpful in terms of helping us align our patient populations with theirs and decide whether it’s appropriate to apply this therapy to our patients.”
“We have been burned before, not just during the coronavirus pandemic but even pre-Covid, with exciting results that when we have access to the data are not as convincing,” said Dr. Kathryn Hibbert, director of the medical intensive care unit at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital.
Hibbert said published data would help her evaluate the findings and see which patients benefited the most and at what dose.
South Korea’s top health official also cautioned about the use of the drug for Covid-19 patients due to potential side effects.
Researchers in Britain have said they would work to publish full details as soon as possible.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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