france24--2020-07-30--Murders of environmental activists at record high in 2019

Climate change activists protest against the government of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over the fires in the Amazon rainforest , in front of the Brazilian consulate in Cali , Colombia , August 23 , 2019 .
Last year saw a record number of environmental activists murdered while trying to protect the environment , according to a report published Wednesday by British NGO Global Witness .
At least 212 people who defended the environment were killed in 2019 , the Global Witness report said – an average of four murders per week .
The dead ranged from environment activists to members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend their livelihood from exploitation .
The previous record – at least 207 deaths in 2017 – was similarly shocking .
However , Global Witness wrote that its figures are “ almost certainly an underestimate ” , largely because of “ reporting challenges ” including “ restrictions on a free press ” .
Once again , around two-thirds of the people killed were in Latin America .
The situation is especially worrying in Colombia – which has the highest number of environmental defenders murdered , with at least 64 , more than double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these murders were linked to the illegal substitution of coca crops , Global Witness pointed out .
“ Colombia is still scarred by armed conflicts , ” observed Marie-Émilie Forget , a lecturer in geography at the University of Savoie in southeastern France .
“ Paramilitary groups are still trying to steal resources in the countryside , despite the peace deal that famously ended the conflict with FARC.
” The Philippines comes in second , with at least 43 murders of environmental defenders in 2019 .
Most of them were perpetrated in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which are rich in natural resources .
The situation is also deteriorating in Honduras .
There were at least 14 murders related to the environment in the country in 2019 – compared to four the previous year .
That makes Honduras the nation with the highest international rate of environmental murders per capita .
‘ Criminalised for trying to protect the environment ’ Brazil – where President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s insouciance towards the Amazon has repeatedly caused outpourings of despair throughout the world – is another cause for concern .
Global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , around 90 percent of which were in the Amazon .
Most of these victims were fighting against deforestation – notably as a consequence of major agricultural and mining projects .
“ These people are criminalised for trying to protect the environment , ” Forget said .
“ By opposing , for example , a mining project , they ’ re going against the will of the state and are thus considered to be acting almost like terrorists.
” A climate of tension and violence is engendered by the development of mines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living nearby .
Overall , opposition to mining projects was the most important reason cited for the murder of environmental activists in 2019 .
Following that was the agricultural industry , with at least 34 people killed in disputes connected to this domain – with killings related to the installation of palm oil , sugar and tropical fruit farms a particular problem , especially in Asia .
Across the globe , 40 percent of those murdered were members of indigenous communities trying to defend their cultures – even though they comprise just five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are claiming ancestral lands , but they don ’ t always have property rights , ” Forget said .
“ Then there ’ s a power struggle between the state and these communities who have very little means to make their voices heard within their country , ” she continued .
“ It ’ s thanks to the support of NGOs that their struggles are better known abroad.
” ‘ People trying to defend their land ’ As well as indigenous peoples , many farmers have also been killed trying to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental activism coalescing around this idea of defenders of the environment , but it should also be said that in many cases these are just people trying to defend their land so they can live and eat , ” Forget said .
The Global Witness report also exposes an alarming culture of impunity for those responsible for environmental killings – pointing out that 89 percent of murders do not lead to a conviction .
Political pressure on the police is a factor hindering investigative work .
In Brazil , for example , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruptible and often threatened or intimdated ” , geographer Hervé Théry told FRANCE 24 last year .
As the public clamour to halt the degradation of the environment grows , “ governments around the world have been taking a wave of measures to close down the space for peaceful protest ” , the Global Witness report said .
“ They are deploying tactics ranging from smear campaigns to spurious criminal charges to silence those that are standing up for the climate and humanity ’ s survival.
” Many people in the developed world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerge after the coronavirus crisis – a pandemic that has highlighted the deadly risks involved in humans encroaching onto wildlife , while necessitating lockdowns that displayed the benefits of cities free from pollution .
However , Global Witness argued that “ the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have intensified the problems land and environmental defenders face ” .
This is because “ governments around the world – from the US to Brazil and Colombia to the Philippines – have used the crisis to strengthen draconian measures to control citizens and roll back hard-fought environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the original in French .

Last year saw a record number of environmental activists murdered while trying to protect the environment, according to a report published Wednesday by British NGO Global Witness.
Climate change activists protest against the government of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over the fires in the Amazon rainforest, in front of the Brazilian consulate in Cali, Colombia, August 23, 2019.
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At least 212 people who defended the environment were killed in 2019, the Global Witness report said – an average of four murders per week. The dead ranged from environment activists to members of indigenous tribes to farmers trying to defend their livelihood from exploitation. The previous record – at least 207 deaths in 2017 – was similarly shocking.
However, Global Witness wrote that its figures are “almost certainly an underestimate”, largely because of “reporting challenges” including “restrictions on a free press”.
Once again, around two-thirds of the people killed were in Latin America. The situation is especially worrying in Colombia – which has the highest number of environmental defenders murdered, with at least 64, more than double the figure in 2018. Fourteen of these murders were linked to the illegal substitution of coca crops, Global Witness pointed out.
“Colombia is still scarred by armed conflicts,” observed Marie-Émilie Forget, a lecturer in geography at the University of Savoie in southeastern France. “Paramilitary groups are still trying to steal resources in the countryside, despite the peace deal that famously ended the conflict with FARC.”
The Philippines comes in second, with at least 43 murders of environmental defenders in 2019. Most of them were perpetrated in the islands of Mindanao and Negros, both of which are rich in natural resources.
The situation is also deteriorating in Honduras. There were at least 14 murders related to the environment in the country in 2019 – compared to four the previous year. That makes Honduras the nation with the highest international rate of environmental murders per capita.
‘Criminalised for trying to protect the environment’
Brazil – where President Jair Bolsonaro’s insouciance towards the Amazon has repeatedly caused outpourings of despair throughout the world – is another cause for concern. Global Witness recorded 24 murders on Brazilian territory, around 90 percent of which were in the Amazon. Most of these victims were fighting against deforestation – notably as a consequence of major agricultural and mining projects. “These people are criminalised for trying to protect the environment,” Forget said. “By opposing, for example, a mining project, they’re going against the will of the state and are thus considered to be acting almost like terrorists.”
A climate of tension and violence is engendered by the development of mines and its repercussions on the health of families living nearby. Overall, opposition to mining projects was the most important reason cited for the murder of environmental activists in 2019. Following that was the agricultural industry, with at least 34 people killed in disputes connected to this domain – with killings related to the installation of palm oil, sugar and tropical fruit farms a particular problem, especially in Asia.
Across the globe, 40 percent of those murdered were members of indigenous communities trying to defend their cultures – even though they comprise just five percent of the population. “Indigenous people are claiming ancestral lands, but they don’t always have property rights,” Forget said. “Then there’s a power struggle between the state and these communities who have very little means to make their voices heard within their country,” she continued. “It’s thanks to the support of NGOs that their struggles are better known abroad.”
‘People trying to defend their land’
As well as indigenous peoples, many farmers have also been killed trying to defend their livelihoods. “You can imagine environmental activism coalescing around this idea of defenders of the environment, but it should also be said that in many cases these are just people trying to defend their land so they can live and eat,” Forget said.
The Global Witness report also exposes an alarming culture of impunity for those responsible for environmental killings – pointing out that 89 percent of murders do not lead to a conviction. Political pressure on the police is a factor hindering investigative work. In Brazil, for example, the police are “poorly paid, easily corruptible and often threatened or intimdated”, geographer Hervé Théry told FRANCE 24 last year.
As the public clamour to halt the degradation of the environment grows, “governments around the world have been taking a wave of measures to close down the space for peaceful protest”, the Global Witness report said. “They are deploying tactics ranging from smear campaigns to spurious criminal charges to silence those that are standing up for the climate and humanity’s survival.”
Many people in the developed world are hopeful that a greener world will emerge after the coronavirus crisis – a pandemic that has highlighted the deadly risks involved in humans encroaching onto wildlife, while necessitating lockdowns that displayed the benefits of cities free from pollution. However, Global Witness argued that “the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have intensified the problems land and environmental defenders face”.
This is because “governments around the world – from the US to Brazil and Colombia to the Philippines – have used the crisis to strengthen draconian measures to control citizens and roll back hard-fought environmental regulations”.
This article was adapted from the original in French.
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france24--2020-07-30--US economy shrinks record 33% in second quarter due to Covid-19 crisis

The U.S. economy shrank at a dizzying 32.9 % annual rate in the April-June quarter — by far the worst quarterly plunge ever — when the viral outbreak shut down businesses , throwing tens of millions out of work and sending unemployment surging to 14.7 % , the government said Thursday .
The Commerce Department ’ s estimate of the second-quarter decline in the gross domestic product , the total output of goods and services , marked the sharpest such drop on records dating to 1947 .
The previous worst quarterly contraction , a 10 % drop , occurred in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter ’ s drop followed a 5 % fall in the January-March quarter , during which the economy officially entered a recession triggered by the virus , ending an 11-year economic expansion , the longest on record in the United States .
The contraction last quarter was driven by a deep pullback in consumer spending , which accounts for about 70 % of economic activity .
Spending by consumers collapsed at a 34.6 % annual rate as travel all but froze and shutdown orders forced many restaurants , bars , entertainment venues and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment and residential housing also suffered sharp declines last quarter , with investment spending sinking 27 % and residential housing plunging 38.7 % .
State and local government spending , diminished by a loss of tax revenue that forced layoffs , also fell at an annual rate of 5.6 % .
But overall government spending was up 2.7 % , powered by a 17.4 % surge in federal spending , reflecting the more than $ 2 trillion in relief packages that Congress enacted to provide $ 1,200 payments to individuals , aid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The job market , the most important pillar of the economy , has been severely damaged .
Tens of millions of jobs vanished in the recession .
More than 1 million laid-off people have applied for unemployment benefits for 19 straight weeks .
So far , about one-third of the lost jobs have been recovered , but the resurgent virus will likely slow further gains in the job market .
President Donald Trump has pressured states to reopen businesses despite concerns that the virus remains a threat to workers and customers at many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact .
So dizzying was the contraction last quarter that most analysts expect the economy to produce a sharp bounce-back in the current July-September quarter , perhaps of as much as 17 % or higher on an annual basis .
Yet with the rate of confirmed coronavirus cases having surged in a majority of states , more businesses being forced to pull back on re-openings and the Republican Senate proposing to scale back government aid to the unemployed , the economy could worsen in the months ahead .
The Trump administration is betting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy will undergo a V-shaped recovery in which last quarter ’ s plunge would be followed by an impressive rebound in the current quarter — a hoped-for dose of good news that would be reported in late October , not long before Election Day .
Yet many economists note that the economy can ’ t fully recover until the pandemic is defeated — a point stressed Wednesday at a news conference by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell .
The Fed chairman warned that the viral epidemic has been endangering a modest economic recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed plans to keep interest rates pinned near zero well into the future .

The U.S. economy shrank at a dizzying 32.9% annual rate in the April-June quarter — by far the worst quarterly plunge ever — when the viral outbreak shut down businesses, throwing tens of millions out of work and sending unemployment surging to 14.7%, the government said Thursday.
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The Commerce Department’s estimate of the second-quarter decline in the gross domestic product, the total output of goods and services, marked the sharpest such drop on records dating to 1947. The previous worst quarterly contraction, a 10% drop, occurred in 1958 during the Eisenhower administration.
Last quarter’s drop followed a 5% fall in the January-March quarter, during which the economy officially entered a recession triggered by the virus, ending an 11-year economic expansion, the longest on record in the United States.
The contraction last quarter was driven by a deep pullback in consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of economic activity. Spending by consumers collapsed at a 34.6% annual rate as travel all but froze and shutdown orders forced many restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and other retail establishments to close.
Business investment and residential housing also suffered sharp declines last quarter, with investment spending sinking 27% and residential housing plunging 38.7%.
State and local government spending, diminished by a loss of tax revenue that forced layoffs, also fell at an annual rate of 5.6%.
But overall government spending was up 2.7%, powered by a 17.4% surge in federal spending, reflecting the more than $2 trillion in relief packages that Congress enacted to provide $1,200 payments to individuals, aid to small businesses and supplemental unemployment benefits.
The job market, the most important pillar of the economy, has been severely damaged. Tens of millions of jobs vanished in the recession. More than 1 million laid-off people have applied for unemployment benefits for 19 straight weeks. So far, about one-third of the lost jobs have been recovered, but the resurgent virus will likely slow further gains in the job market.
President Donald Trump has pressured states to reopen businesses despite concerns that the virus remains a threat to workers and customers at many service industry jobs that require frequent face-to-face contact.
So dizzying was the contraction last quarter that most analysts expect the economy to produce a sharp bounce-back in the current July-September quarter, perhaps of as much as 17% or higher on an annual basis. Yet with the rate of confirmed coronavirus cases having surged in a majority of states, more businesses being forced to pull back on re-openings and the Republican Senate proposing to scale back government aid to the unemployed, the economy could worsen in the months ahead.
The Trump administration is betting against that outcome in asserting that the economy will undergo a V-shaped recovery in which last quarter’s plunge would be followed by an impressive rebound in the current quarter — a hoped-for dose of good news that would be reported in late October, not long before Election Day.
Yet many economists note that the economy can’t fully recover until the pandemic is defeated — a point stressed Wednesday at a news conference by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Fed chairman warned that the viral epidemic has been endangering a modest economic recovery and that as a result, the Fed plans to keep interest rates pinned near zero well into the future.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-30--NASA launches Mars rover Perseverance to seek signs of past life

This NASA video TV grab image shows the NASA rover Perseverance after lift-off after the first burn as it launches for Mars on July 30 , 2020 .
NASA 's latest Mars rover Perseverance launched Thursday on an astrobiology mission to look for signs of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet -- and to fly a helicopter-drone on another world for the first time .
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket took off on schedule at 7:50 am ( 1150 GMT ) from Cape Canaveral , Florida .
About an hour later , the spaceship carrying Perseverance broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headed for Mars at 25,000 mph ( 40,000 kph ) .
But it was experiencing technical difficulties after passing through the Earth 's shadow which briefly caused its temperature to drop and triggered a `` safe mode '' that switched off all but essential systems , NASA said .
Matt Wallace , the mission 's deputy project manager , said the issue was not overly concerning , adding : `` We 'll know more in a bit . ''
If all goes to plan , Perseverance will reach Mars on February 18 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete the voyage since 1997 .
So far , all have been American .
China launched its first Mars rover last week , which should arrive by May 2021 .
By next year , Mars could have three active rovers , including NASA 's Curiosity , which landed in 2012 .
Perseverance is an improved version of Curiosity -- faster , smarter , and capable of autonomously navigating 200 meters per day .
About the size of a small SUV , it weighs a metric ton , has 19 cameras and two microphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to record sound on Mars .
It has a two-meter-long robotic arm , and is powered by a small nuclear battery .
Once on the surface , NASA will deploy the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter -- a small 1.8 kilogram ( four pound ) aircraft that will attempt to fly in an atmosphere that is only one percent the density of Earth 's .
The idea is to lay down a proof of concept that could one day revolutionize planetary exploration , since rovers can only cover a few dozen kilometers in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dunes and other obstacles .
Another goal is to help pave the way for future human missions -- and a major obstacle is the planet 's 96 percent carbon dioxide atmosphere .
Liquid oxygen can be brought from Earth , or oxygen can be mined from ice underneath the Martian surface .
A simpler approach is converting it from the atmosphere , which is what the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment , or MOXIE can do , using a process called electrolysis .
The plan is to perform at least 10 oxygen-producing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many different seasonal and environmental conditions as possible .
But Perseverance 's primary mission is to scour the planet for evidence of ancient life forms .
Perseverance 's drill will collect around 30 intact rock cores and place them in test tubes , to be collected by a future joint US-European mission .
Indisputable proof of past life on Mars will most likely not be confirmed , if it exists , until these samples are analyzed next decade , according to NASA chief scientist Thomas Zurbuchen .
NASA has chosen the Jezero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giant impact basin just north of the Martian equator .
Between three and four billion years ago , a river flowed there into a large body of water .
`` At Jezero we have river valleys that flow into and out of the crater and we know that the lake filled up with water and that overflowed , '' geologist Katie Stack Morgan of NASA 's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California said Thursday .
`` We think that Jezero has all the building blocks to support past life . ''
The mission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but probably much longer given the endurance previous rovers have shown .

NASA's latest Mars rover Perseverance launched Thursday on an astrobiology mission to look for signs of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet -- and to fly a helicopter-drone on another world for the first time.
This NASA video TV grab image shows the NASA rover Perseverance after lift-off after the first burn as it launches for Mars on July 30, 2020.
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A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket took off on schedule at 7:50 am (1150 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
About an hour later, the spaceship carrying Perseverance broke away from the upper-stage Centaur rocket and headed for Mars at 25,000 mph (40,000 kph).
But it was experiencing technical difficulties after passing through the Earth's shadow which briefly caused its temperature to drop and triggered a "safe mode" that switched off all but essential systems, NASA said.
Matt Wallace, the mission's deputy project manager, said the issue was not overly concerning, adding: "We'll know more in a bit."
If all goes to plan, Perseverance will reach Mars on February 18, 2021, becoming the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997.
So far, all have been American. China launched its first Mars rover last week, which should arrive by May 2021.
By next year, Mars could have three active rovers, including NASA's Curiosity, which landed in 2012.
Faster and smarter
Perseverance is an improved version of Curiosity -- faster, smarter, and capable of autonomously navigating 200 meters per day.
About the size of a small SUV, it weighs a metric ton, has 19 cameras and two microphones -- which scientists hope will be the first to record sound on Mars.
It has a two-meter-long robotic arm, and is powered by a small nuclear battery.
🚀 We have LIFTOFF to Mars! The @ulalaunch Atlas V takes flight with our @NASAPersevere rover. The #CountdownToMars continues as Perseverance begins her 7-month journey to the Red Planet! pic.twitter.com/3RTL1CR4WS — NASA (@NASA) July 30, 2020
Once on the surface, NASA will deploy the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter -- a small 1.8 kilogram (four pound) aircraft that will attempt to fly in an atmosphere that is only one percent the density of Earth's.
The idea is to lay down a proof of concept that could one day revolutionize planetary exploration, since rovers can only cover a few dozen kilometers in their whole lifespans and are vulnerable to sand dunes and other obstacles.
A little MOXIE
Another goal is to help pave the way for future human missions -- and a major obstacle is the planet's 96 percent carbon dioxide atmosphere.
Liquid oxygen can be brought from Earth, or oxygen can be mined from ice underneath the Martian surface.
A simpler approach is converting it from the atmosphere, which is what the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE can do, using a process called electrolysis.
The plan is to perform at least 10 oxygen-producing runs using the car battery-sized device under as many different seasonal and environmental conditions as possible.
But Perseverance's primary mission is to scour the planet for evidence of ancient life forms.
Perseverance's drill will collect around 30 intact rock cores and place them in test tubes, to be collected by a future joint US-European mission.
Indisputable proof of past life on Mars will most likely not be confirmed, if it exists, until these samples are analyzed next decade, according to NASA chief scientist Thomas Zurbuchen.
Ancient delta
NASA has chosen the Jezero crater as its landing site, a giant impact basin just north of the Martian equator.
Between three and four billion years ago, a river flowed there into a large body of water.
"At Jezero we have river valleys that flow into and out of the crater and we know that the lake filled up with water and that overflowed," geologist Katie Stack Morgan of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California said Thursday.
"We think that Jezero has all the building blocks to support past life."
The mission is set to last at least two years, but probably much longer given the endurance previous rovers have shown.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Renault hit by historic €7.3 billion loss as painful choices loom

French automaker Renault reported its biggest half-year loss ever on Thursday , with revenue slashed by a third as dealerships worldwide were emptied by the coronavirus crisis .
The dire results underscored the challenges facing CEO Luca de Meo , who was brought in this month to revamp a company reeling from strategic missteps and the ousting of former boss Carlos Ghosn last year on financial misconduct charges .
Net losses reached 7.3 billion euros ( $ 8.6 billion ) , compared with a profit of 970 million euros in the same period last year .
More than half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent stake in its Japanese partner Nissan , which also reported this week a huge hit from the COVID-19 pandemic that has battered the global economy .
Revenues plunged 34 percent to 18.4 billion euros as demand withered for nearly all its brands in all its markets , including the low-cost Dacia models that have been hugely successful in recent years .
The company has warned overcapacity will require it to close or restructure four production sites in France and cut 15,000 jobs worldwide , and last month it secured a five-billion-euro emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Although the situation is unprecedented , it is not final , '' De Meo , a former top Volkswagen executive , said in a statement , confirming that Renault would cut costs by 600 million euros this year , a third of the total targeted by 2022 .
The half-year loss follows the first annual loss in Renault 's history last year , when it was rocked by Ghosn 's 2018 arrest in Tokyo on suspicions he under-reported his income while chairman at Nissan .
He denied the charges and later escaped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Japanese prosecutors , but his downfall proved disastrous for a company that , together with Nissan and its other alliance partner Mitsubishi , was briefly the world 's biggest seller by volumes , ahead of Toyota and Volkswagen .
`` We 're currently touching the bottom of a negative curb that started several years ago , '' De Meo said in a conference call with analysts on Thursday , adding he would lay out his recovery plan by January .
`` We know what we have to do ... We will move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said , adding that `` a lot will happen in this house in the next six months '' .
The French state , which owns 15 percent of Renault , has promised an eight-billion-euro plan to revive France 's auto industry by making it the European leader in electric cars , including subsidies for new car purchases .

French automaker Renault reported its biggest half-year loss ever on Thursday, with revenue slashed by a third as dealerships worldwide were emptied by the coronavirus crisis.
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The dire results underscored the challenges facing CEO Luca de Meo, who was brought in this month to revamp a company reeling from strategic missteps and the ousting of former boss Carlos Ghosn last year on financial misconduct charges.
Net losses reached 7.3 billion euros ($8.6 billion), compared with a profit of 970 million euros in the same period last year.
More than half the loss was due to Renault's 43 percent stake in its Japanese partner Nissan, which also reported this week a huge hit from the COVID-19 pandemic that has battered the global economy.
🚘🇫🇷 #French carmaker #Renault has reported its biggest-ever half-year loss
The company has recorded over €7 billion in losses, compared with a profit of €970 million the same period last year 📉@cloviscasali reports from Renault's headquarters ⤵ pic.twitter.com/V4XPeHGDoG — FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) July 30, 2020
Revenues plunged 34 percent to 18.4 billion euros as demand withered for nearly all its brands in all its markets, including the low-cost Dacia models that have been hugely successful in recent years.
The company has warned overcapacity will require it to close or restructure four production sites in France and cut 15,000 jobs worldwide, and last month it secured a five-billion-euro emergency loan backed by the French government.
"Although the situation is unprecedented, it is not final," De Meo, a former top Volkswagen executive, said in a statement, confirming that Renault would cut costs by 600 million euros this year, a third of the total targeted by 2022.
The half-year loss follows the first annual loss in Renault's history last year, when it was rocked by Ghosn's 2018 arrest in Tokyo on suspicions he under-reported his income while chairman at Nissan.
He denied the charges and later escaped to Lebanon to avoid "persecution" by Japanese prosecutors, but his downfall proved disastrous for a company that, together with Nissan and its other alliance partner Mitsubishi, was briefly the world's biggest seller by volumes, ahead of Toyota and Volkswagen.
"We're currently touching the bottom of a negative curb that started several years ago," De Meo said in a conference call with analysts on Thursday, adding he would lay out his recovery plan by January.
"We know what we have to do... We will move the whole system from volume to value," he said, adding that "a lot will happen in this house in the next six months".
The French state, which owns 15 percent of Renault, has promised an eight-billion-euro plan to revive France's auto industry by making it the European leader in electric cars, including subsidies for new car purchases.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Law enforcement behind half of all violence against African migrants, UN says

Rescued migrants disembark from a Libyan coast guard ship in the town of Khoms on October 1 , 2019 .
Nearly half of all the violence visited on African migrants during their journey to the Mediterranean coast is perpetrated by law enforcers , the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday .
According to a report by UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council ’ s Mixed Migration Centre ( MMC ) , thousands of refugees and migrants suffer extreme abuse including torture and sexual or gender-based violence , and in some cases death .
The report is based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In 47 % of the cases , the victims reported the perpetrators of violence are law enforcement authorities , whereas in the past , we believe that it was mainly smugglers and traffickers , ” Vincent Cochetel , UNHCR special envoy for the central Mediterranean , told a news conference in Geneva .
“ States have a responsibility that they need to discharge in that respect.
” UNHCR reported that 1,750 people had died in 2018 and 2019 trying to reach the sea , but Cochetel said the true numbers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just the visible tip of the iceberg .
There are many families looking for their loved ones along the routes , and there is no answer to give them , ” he said .
In recent months , hundreds of migrants have been stopped at sea and sent back to Libya despite the risk of violence there .
On Monday , Libyan authorities shot dead three Sudanese migrants trying to avoid detention as they disembarked from a failed attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe .
War-ravaged Libya is a major transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now hosts an estimated 654,000 of them , often living in cramped conditions with little access to healthcare .

Nearly half of all the violence visited on African migrants during their journey to the Mediterranean coast is perpetrated by law enforcers, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday.
Rescued migrants disembark from a Libyan coast guard ship in the town of Khoms on October 1, 2019.
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According to a report by UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council’s Mixed Migration Centre (MMC), thousands of refugees and migrants suffer extreme abuse including torture and sexual or gender-based violence, and in some cases death.
The report is based on nearly 16,000 interviews with refugees and migrants.
“In 47% of the cases, the victims reported the perpetrators of violence are law enforcement authorities, whereas in the past, we believe that it was mainly smugglers and traffickers,” Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR special envoy for the central Mediterranean, told a news conference in Geneva.
“States have a responsibility that they need to discharge in that respect.”
UNHCR reported that 1,750 people had died in 2018 and 2019 trying to reach the sea, but Cochetel said the true numbers were likely to be higher.
“That is just the visible tip of the iceberg. There are many families looking for their loved ones along the routes, and there is no answer to give them,” he said.
In recent months, hundreds of migrants have been stopped at sea and sent back to Libya despite the risk of violence there.
On Monday, Libyan authorities shot dead three Sudanese migrants trying to avoid detention as they disembarked from a failed attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
War-ravaged Libya is a major transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe and now hosts an estimated 654,000 of them, often living in cramped conditions with little access to healthcare.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-30--As French tourists discover Paris, local restaurants discover a demanding clientele

No queues at a concession stand under the Eiffel Tower , Paris , France .
Fear of the coronavirus coupled @ @ @ @ @ foreign tourists a rare sight in Paris .
Instead it 's the French who are @ @ @ @ @ re-discover their capital .
But the French have tighter purse strings than US or Asian @ @ @ @ @ not spending enough to compensate for the loss of tourism revenue .
Some restaurants have @ @ @ @ @ in income compared to last year .
`` It 's expensive in Paris , '' @ @ @ @ @ We paid €5 for a croque monsieur ( a type of grilled-cheese sandwich ) and @ @ @ @ @ Everything is pricey , especially at the Eiffel Tower . ''
Click on the video @ @ @ @ @ full report .
See also : French Connections – An unusual summer for France 's @ @ @

Video
Fear of the coronavirus coupled with travel restrictions have made foreign tourists a rare sight in Paris. Instead it's the French who are converging on the city to re-discover their capital. But the French have tighter purse strings than US or Asian tourists, and they are not spending enough to compensate for the loss of tourism revenue.
No queues at a concession stand under the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France.
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Some restaurants have seen a 90 percent drop in income compared to last year.
"It's expensive in Paris," said one visitor. "We paid €5 for a croque monsieur (a type of grilled-cheese sandwich) and a slice of pizza. Everything is pricey, especially at the Eiffel Tower."
Click on the video player above to watch the full report.
See also: French Connections – An unusual summer for France's struggling tourism sector
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france24--2020-07-30--NASA looks for life on Mars and the lead in space race with China

NASA ’ s Perseverance rover began its journey to Mars on Thursday with a successful launch from Florida ’ s Cape Canaveral .
The ambitious mission will be NASA ’ s first to look for signs of past life on Mars and follows China ’ s own rover mission to the red planet earlier this month .
Perseverance carries a range of instruments to analyse rocks for the chemical signatures of life and is due to touch down on Mars in February 2021 .
Its target is a 250-metre-deep crater called Jezero that more than 3 billion years ago was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists believe it may hold traces of past microbial Martian life .
The €2.3bn ( $ 2.7bn ) rover will not only analyse the surface itself but also take and store samples to be collected by a future mission to Mars , and brought back to Earth for study .
“ Mars used to be covered in water , at least the northern hemisphere of Mars was two thirds covered in ocean , ” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told Reuters ahead of the launch .
“ In fact , it was a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know it was habitable but was it in fact inhabited ?
And that is what we do n't know , so we built a rover that is going to enable us to ask and answer those very important questions . ''
NASA ’ s mission follows the launch earlier this month of a Chinese rover destined for the red planet in the latest sign of a growing space race between the two nations .
Called Tianwen-1 `` Questions to Heaven '' , the Chinese probe is also expected to land in February next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s growing space presence as it looks to challenge US dominance .
The country has already made two successful rover missions to the moon and plans to build a space station by 2022 .
US President Donald Trump , meanwhile , has made reasserting US dominance in space a priority , setting NASA a target of sending astronauts back to the Moon by 2024 and eventually to Mars , as well as establishing the new ‘ Space Force ’ branch of the military .

NASA’s Perseverance rover began its journey to Mars on Thursday with a successful launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The ambitious mission will be NASA’s first to look for signs of past life on Mars and follows China’s own rover mission to the red planet earlier this month.
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Perseverance carries a range of instruments to analyse rocks for the chemical signatures of life and is due to touch down on Mars in February 2021.
Its target is a 250-metre-deep crater called Jezero that more than 3 billion years ago was the site of a vast lake. Scientists believe it may hold traces of past microbial Martian life.
The €2.3bn ($2.7bn) rover will not only analyse the surface itself but also take and store samples to be collected by a future mission to Mars, and brought back to Earth for study.
“Mars used to be covered in water, at least the northern hemisphere of Mars was two thirds covered in ocean,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told Reuters ahead of the launch.
“In fact, it was a lot like Earth and the question is we know it was habitable but was it in fact inhabited? And that is what we don't know, so we built a rover that is going to enable us to ask and answer those very important questions."
NASA’s mission follows the launch earlier this month of a Chinese rover destined for the red planet in the latest sign of a growing space race between the two nations.
Called Tianwen-1 "Questions to Heaven", the Chinese probe is also expected to land in February next year and marks another stride forward in China’s growing space presence as it looks to challenge US dominance.
The country has already made two successful rover missions to the moon and plans to build a space station by 2022.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has made reasserting US dominance in space a priority, setting NASA a target of sending astronauts back to the Moon by 2024 and eventually to Mars, as well as establishing the new ‘Space Force’ branch of the military.
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france24--2020-07-30--Neo-Nazi violence grows in Berlin immigrant neighbourhood

A screen grab from a photo Ferat posted as a story on Instagram .
The caption reads , 'This is also in Neukolln !
Posters commemorating all those murdered by Nazis since 1990 were damaged here . '
Neukölln .
Our Observer does not know who put them up originally .
The same Observer sent us this photo of one of the damaged posters .
The past two years have seen a sharp rise in right-wing violence in North Neukölln , according to Ferat Ali Kocak , a local anti-racist activist and vice speaker with the Die Linke [ Left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 23 of a defaced poster commemorating people killed by Nazis.Ferat himself has been the target of neo-Nazis .
Two years ago , Ferat ’ s car was set on fire in a suspected right-wing arson attack .
The German intelligence agency verified that neo-Nazis had been spying on Ferat before the attack.In many parts of Germany , far-right extremism is on the rise again .
In 2019 , the government registered 32,080 documented extremists .
For comparison , the number in 2018 was 24,100 .
Members of two branches of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Junge Alternative , ” and the identity branch called “ Der Flügel ” , are included in this count.Many instances of far-right violence involve a few individuals .
“ The detection of small groups and individual authors in particular presents special challenges to the security authorities , ” according to a 2019 report from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.The police in Berlin have been strongly criticised for failing to prevent far-right and neo-Nazi violence .
There have been investigations into right-wing networks within the police .
Beginning in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party began receiving death threats with personal information obtained from a police computer in Hesse , Germany .
These threats are linked to far-right extremists , according to German newspaper Der Spiegel .
On July 14 , Hesse Police President Udo Münch resigned as a result of the state prosecutor ’ s investigation.These scandals mean the police are not trusted to effectively stop right-wing violence and neo-Nazis , Ferat explained.Often , the police know who is responsible , but those wanted are rarely caught or charged .
Leo , whose name has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos with the Observers team of posters that display photos of wanted neo-Nazis in Neukölln .
It is not clear who put up these posters originally , Leo said.The photo below shows one of the damaged posters , which has been ripped off the wall right outside of the Rathaus Neukölln U-bahn station.Ferat worries that not enough is being done .

GERMANY
Left: An "SS" graffiti tagged next to Damaskus Konditorei, a bakery founded by a Syrian refugee in Neukölln. Right: A charred vehicle outside of the bakery
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Editor's note: This article originally included an image of a poster listing the names and addresses of four men in Neukölln under the title "Wanted" neo-Nazis. This photo has been deleted because the France 24 Observers team was unable to independently verify whether any of these people are involved in far-right extremism.
This June and July, there has been a rise in neo-Nazi attacks in Neukölln, a popular immigrant neighbourhood in southeast Berlin. Almost daily, there have been car fires, as well as several larger arson attacks, and an increase in Nazi tags on buildings. This inspires both fear and outrage in our Observer, who believes the police are uninterested in protecting the local immigrant community.
In early July, a fire charred the storefront of Al-Andalos, a Lebanese restaurant in Neukölln. Two people were injured in the blaze. Although the police have not caught any suspects, locals fear that members of the far-right are responsible for the attack. The area is home to many people from Turkey, Lebanon and Syria, and its identity as an immigrant neighbourhood has made Neukölln the target of far-right violence and aggressions.
Mohamed Ali Chahrour is a spokesperson for Kein Generalverdacht [which translates as No General Suspicion], a local charity that was founded to help combat racism, xenophobia and police discrimination in Neukölln.
Since the start of July, we have had attacks almost every week. Violence is getting worse because impunity is still going on. There is the feeling that the police are not really concerned. They give a stigmatised, prejudgment of all migrants and say that more or less everyone is a suspected criminal. A lot of migrants have citizenship. There are 150,000 people of Arabic background in Berlin, but there’s a mistrust of these people.
The video below shows charred vehicles in front of Damaskus Konditorei, a bakery founded by a Syrian refugee in Neukölln. The wall next to the shop was also tagged with a Nazi symbol. The attack occurred June 18.
A video from June 19 shows damage to the property around the Syrian-owned bakery. The caption translates as: 'Nazis terrorised Neukölln again last night with an arson attack and Nazi markings on migrants' shops. Again less than 100m from the police station. The residents of Sonnenallee and Wildenbruchstrasse live in fear. Right-wing terror in Neukölln must come to an end.'
In Neukölln, there have been 130 crimes attributed to the far right and neo-Nazis since September 2019, the Senate estimates. These aggressions include tagged swastikas, Hitler salutes, cars being set on fire and vandalism. Over the past seven years, there have been 2,800 cases of arson.
Video of an apartment fire in Neukölln in 2019, shared with the Observers team by an eyewitness.
"The terror isn’t aimed at single individuals but on the city as a whole"
The past two years have seen a sharp rise in right-wing violence in North Neukölln, according to Ferat Ali Kocak, a local anti-racist activist and vice speaker with the Die Linke [Left Party] political party.
The right-wing terrorism in Neukölln has been ongoing and unstoppable for 11 years, despite the fact that it is known who is responsible. But it took a new form in 2018. What used to be typical was that the Nazis focused more on the south. In the south of Neukölln it is particularly individuals who are attacked or threatened. It is people who are active in churches, or who support refugees and a peaceful, diverse way of living together. People like the book trader Heinz Ostermann who encourage [Holocaust] remembrance. In the North, the terror isn’t aimed at single individuals but on the city as a whole. So the aim of the attacks is the community of immigrants. Cars [belonging to immigrants] are burning on a daily basis, even apartment buildings. There are Nazi markings everywhere. There are a lot of smaller crimes, but it is still terror. Smaller crimes include stealing Stolpersteine [metal plaques placed in the pavement in remembrance of people deported by Nazis] or marking houses.
Ferat posted this photo on July 23 of a defaced poster commemorating people killed by Nazis.
A screen grab from a photo Ferat posted as a story on Instagram. The caption reads, 'This is also in Neukolln! Posters commemorating all those murdered by Nazis since 1990 were damaged here.'
Ferat himself has been the target of neo-Nazis. Two years ago, Ferat’s car was set on fire in a suspected right-wing arson attack. The German intelligence agency verified that neo-Nazis had been spying on Ferat before the attack.
I was spied on by Nazis for over 1.5 years, and the police knew about it, but didn’t warn me. Two weeks before the attack, the Nazis (one was a former NPD official, the other a former AfD official) spied on me during an event that I had, of course, announced over my social media accounts. They followed me all the way home, two weeks before the attack. Next, the car was set on fire.
Right-wing networks and mistrust of the police
In many parts of Germany, far-right extremism is on the rise again. In 2019, the government registered 32,080 documented extremists. For comparison, the number in 2018 was 24,100. Members of two branches of the AfD, the youth arm, “Junge Alternative,” and the identity branch called “Der Flügel”, are included in this count.
Many instances of far-right violence involve a few individuals. “The detection of small groups and individual authors in particular presents special challenges to the security authorities,” according to a 2019 report from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The police in Berlin have been strongly criticised for failing to prevent far-right and neo-Nazi violence. There have been investigations into right-wing networks within the police. Beginning in 2018, politicians in Germany’s Die Linke party began receiving death threats with personal information obtained from a police computer in Hesse, Germany. These threats are linked to far-right extremists, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel. On July 14, Hesse Police President Udo Münch resigned as a result of the state prosecutor’s investigation.
These scandals mean the police are not trusted to effectively stop right-wing violence and neo-Nazis, Ferat explained.
It is not about suspecting everyone who is in the police. For us it is important to separate good from bad. Those who have a right-wing mindset should be suspended from their positions so that those who really do their jobs responsibly and regular citizens can regain their trust in them.
Often, the police know who is responsible, but those wanted are rarely caught or charged. Leo, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, shared photos with the France 24 Observers team of posters that have appeared in Neukölln recently. The posters list the names and addresses of "wanted" neo-Nazis, but the France 24 Observers team was not able to independently verify whether the people in the photos are involved in far-right activities. It is not clear who put up these posters originally, Leo said.
I have seen these posters all over Neukölln, the photo was taken on Wildenbruchstraße, in front of the Sahara Imbiss [a Sudanese restaurant and falafel shop]. Some of the posters have been vandalised, which suggests that the Nazis have been actively trying to stop the spread of the posters.
The photo below shows one of the damaged posters, which has been ripped off the wall right outside of the Rathaus Neukölln U-bahn station.
The same Observer sent us this photo of one of the damaged posters.
Ferat worries that not enough is being done.
“And I am asking myself, does there have to be a Hanau [the 2019 far-right shooting in Hanau, Germany] before there is finally some movement?”
Article by Sophie Stuber (@sophiestube)


france24--2020-07-30--From the Umayyad Empire to the Ottomans, the masterpieces of Islamic art

From the expansion of the Umayyad Empire in the seventh century until the fall of the Ottomans in the early 20th century , Muslim artists produced a stream of masterpieces that circulated across the globe – adorning places of worship , royal courts and the grand residences of the nobility .
From the expansion of the Umayyad Empire in the seventh century until the fall of the Ottomans in the early 20th century , Muslim artists produced a stream of masterpieces that circulated across the globe – adorning places of worship , royal courts and the grand residences of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at some of the treasures of Islamic art .
The collections of Islamic art in celebrated museums such as the Louvre in Paris and New York 's Metropolitan Museum of Art showcase the rich variety of techniques and materials deployed by artists living in the Islamic world .
Contrary to popular belief , works of Islamic art are not primarily religious .
Artists and craftsmen reworked the motifs and techniques of pre-Islamic art to create a new aesthetic , one that displays an astonishing mix of cultures and civilisations going back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was developed during the reign of the Umayyid dynasty – which governed much of the Middle East and North Africa from the mid-seventh century to the mid-eighth century before remnants of the caliphate created an emirate in Cordoba , in what is now Spain , that lasted until the 11th century .
Calligraphy emerged , in part , from a ban on the use of human figures inside religious buildings and the centrality of the Arabic language in the culture .
In addition to the art of handwriting , mosques of that era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foliage , borrowed from Ancient Greece and Rome .
The great Umayyid mosques in Damascus and Cordoba , the 15th-century “ Blue Mosque ” in Iran and the 17th-century Taj Mahal all exemplify the rich aesthetics that drew on the skills of artists from an array of disciplines : glass craftsmen , chandelier-makers , goldsmiths , upholsterers and many more , using materials such as gold , jade , marble , ebony and African rosewood .
The beauty of this art and architecture was also the product of the scientific influence in Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ astrolabe – used by scientists and sailors to pinpoint the positions of planets and stars – and the Arabic manuscript translated from the first-century Greek work De Materia Medica in ninth-century Baghdad .
Both of them show us a culture with science at its heart , as well as being magnificent works of art in their own right .
The Abbasid Caliphate – which overthrew the Umayyids in the year 750 – launched a huge push for translation , notably of the science and philosophy works from Ancient Greece and Rome .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manuscripts – as well as abundant scientific knowledge – that was adopted by the West and contributed to the Renaissance .
Architectural gems in the form of mosques used an aesthetic based on calligraphy , flowers , colours and geometry instead of the human image .
However , other places such as palaces , the houses of the nobility , decorative objects and books made ample use of figures of people and animals .
The Monzon lion is one of the foremost examples of this style .
Now on display in the Louvre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Al-Andalus ( Islamic-era Spain ) and experts believe it was produced in the 12th or 13th century and used as the mouth of a fountain .
A 17th-century Iranian tile panel on display at the Met in New York shows a woman serving wine to a European man .
Illustrated books provide similar proof of the freedom of expression available to the Islamic arts .
Notable examples include the Persian epic poem Shahnameh – written at the beginning of the 11th century – and Jami-al-tawarikh , a 14th-century work of literature and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prophet Jonah and an angel .
Techniques from Islamic art were used in the West in later centuries , including in Spanish architecture and Italian glass-making .
Artworks fashioned by Muslim artisans were also used by Europeans for religious ceremonies .
Perhaps the foremost example of this is the Baptistère de Saint Louis , an ornate cup made of hammered brass with gold , silver and niello linings .
Made in Egypt during the Mamluk Sultanate , it was used for the baptism of several French kings including Louis XIII , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamic art has made across the Western world is a testament to the intimate relationship between the two cultures as well as to how these masterpieces form part of the heritage of all of humanity .

From the expansion of the Umayyad Empire in the seventh century until the fall of the Ottomans in the early 20th century, Muslim artists produced a stream of masterpieces that circulated across the globe – adorning places of worship, royal courts and the grand residences of the nobility. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look at some of the treasures of Islamic art.
From the expansion of the Umayyad Empire in the seventh century until the fall of the Ottomans in the early 20th century, Muslim artists produced a stream of masterpieces that circulated across the globe – adorning places of worship, royal courts and the grand residences of the nobility.
Advertising Read more
The collections of Islamic art in celebrated museums such as the Louvre in Paris and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art showcase the rich variety of techniques and materials deployed by artists living in the Islamic world.
Contrary to popular belief, works of Islamic art are not primarily religious. Artists and craftsmen reworked the motifs and techniques of pre-Islamic art to create a new aesthetic, one that displays an astonishing mix of cultures and civilisations going back to ancient times.
The art of calligraphy was developed during the reign of the Umayyid dynasty – which governed much of the Middle East and North Africa from the mid-seventh century to the mid-eighth century before remnants of the caliphate created an emirate in Cordoba, in what is now Spain, that lasted until the 11th century.
Calligraphy emerged, in part, from a ban on the use of human figures inside religious buildings and the centrality of the Arabic language in the culture. In addition to the art of handwriting, mosques of that era showcase an exceptional combination of mosaic and foliage, borrowed from Ancient Greece and Rome.
The great Umayyid mosques in Damascus and Cordoba, the 15th-century “Blue Mosque” in Iran and the 17th-century Taj Mahal all exemplify the rich aesthetics that drew on the skills of artists from an array of disciplines: glass craftsmen, chandelier-makers, goldsmiths, upholsterers and many more, using materials such as gold, jade, marble, ebony and African rosewood.
The beauty of this art and architecture was also the product of the scientific influence in Islamic art. Examples of this include the astrolabe – used by scientists and sailors to pinpoint the positions of planets and stars – and the Arabic manuscript translated from the first-century Greek work De Materia Medica in ninth-century Baghdad. Both of them show us a culture with science at its heart, as well as being magnificent works of art in their own right.
The Abbasid Caliphate – which overthrew the Umayyids in the year 750 – launched a huge push for translation, notably of the science and philosophy works from Ancient Greece and Rome. In doing so, they bequeathed many beautiful manuscripts – as well as abundant scientific knowledge – that was adopted by the West and contributed to the Renaissance.
Human and animal images
Architectural gems in the form of mosques used an aesthetic based on calligraphy, flowers, colours and geometry instead of the human image. However, other places such as palaces, the houses of the nobility, decorative objects and books made ample use of figures of people and animals.
The Monzon lion is one of the foremost examples of this style. Now on display in the Louvre, this cast bronze masterpiece was produced in Al-Andalus (Islamic-era Spain) and experts believe it was produced in the 12th or 13th century and used as the mouth of a fountain. A 17th-century Iranian tile panel on display at the Met in New York shows a woman serving wine to a European man.
Illustrated books provide similar proof of the freedom of expression available to the Islamic arts. Notable examples include the Persian epic poem Shahnameh – written at the beginning of the 11th century – and Jami-al-tawarikh, a 14th-century work of literature and history that includes a drawing of the Prophet Jonah and an angel.
Techniques from Islamic art were used in the West in later centuries, including in Spanish architecture and Italian glass-making. Artworks fashioned by Muslim artisans were also used by Europeans for religious ceremonies. Perhaps the foremost example of this is the Baptistère de Saint Louis, an ornate cup made of hammered brass with gold, silver and niello linings. Made in Egypt during the Mamluk Sultanate, it was used for the baptism of several French kings including Louis XIII, who was christened in 1606.
The journey that Islamic art has made across the Western world is a testament to the intimate relationship between the two cultures as well as to how these masterpieces form part of the heritage of all of humanity.
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france24--2020-07-28--Speaking out: One woman's fight to protect China's Uighur community

Speaking out : One woman 's fight to protect China 's Uighur community As international pressure mounts on China over @ @ @ @ @ Uighur minority , we speak to one woman who says her activism resulted in her @ @ @ @ @ .
Next , we see how rural women in India are losing out after the @ @ @ @ @ TikTok .
Finally , we head to Japan where geishas are grappling with Covid-19 social @ @ @ @ @ ceremonies , dancing and singing at risk .

Speaking out: One woman's fight to protect China's Uighur community
12:29 ACCESS ASIA © FRANCE 24
As international pressure mounts on China over its treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority, we speak to one woman who says her activism resulted in her sister's detention in Xinjiang. Next, we see how rural women in India are losing out after the Indian government banned video-sharing app TikTok. Finally, we head to Japan where geishas are grappling with Covid-19 social distancing rules – putting tea ceremonies, dancing and singing at risk.


france24--2020-07-30--Yazidi children freed from IS group still haunted by trauma: Amnesty International

Displaced Iraqi Yazidi children stand next to a tent at a camp in Khanke , a few kilometres from the Turkish border in Iraq 's Dohuk province , on June 24 , 2019 .
Nearly 2,000 Yazidi children freed from the grips of the Islamic State group in recent years are still trapped by psychological and physical trauma , Amnesty International warned on Thursday .
In a new report based on dozens of interviews in northern Iraq , the rights group found that 1,992 children who faced torture , forced conscription , rape and other abuses at the hands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need .
`` While the nightmare of their past has receded , hardships remain for these children , '' said Matt Wells , deputy director of Amnesty 's crisis response team .
The Yazidis are an ethno-religious minority numbering around 550,000 in their heartland of northwest Iraq before IS swept through the rugged region in 2014 .
Slamming the Yazidis as heretics , IS slaughtered thousands of men , abducted women and girls and forced boys to fight on its behalf .
Yazidi children were forcibly converted to Islam and taught Arabic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To this day , child survivors suffer `` debilitating long-term injuries , '' as well as post-traumatic stress disorder , mood swings , aggression and flashbacks .
According to the report , many child survivors return to their families having been starved , tortured or forced to endure or participate in hostilities .
In many cases , these experiences have a major impact on their health .
While some children return with treatable conditions such as anaemia or scabies , others have debilitating , long-term injuries , illnesses or conditions .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boys who were forcibly recruited by IS are especially likely to suffer from serious health conditions and physical impairments , such as lost arms or legs during fighting .
Girl survivors of rape and other sexual violence suffer unique health issues , including traumatic fistulas , scarring , and difficulties conceiving , during pregnancy or giving birth to a child .
Yazidi children interviewed by AFP last year in a displacement camp in the northwest district of Duhok played aggressively , wore all black and spoke Arabic to each other , even months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of them , a ten-year-old girl , had threatened to commit suicide multiple times , her mother told AFP .
A doctor who has provided medical care for hundreds of Yazidi women and girl survivors told Amnesty that almost every girl she had treated between the ages of nine and 17 had been raped or subjected to other sexual violence .
Yet according to humanitarian workers and other experts , existing services and programmes for survivors of sexual violence have largely neglected girls , focusing instead on women survivors .
Sahir , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Amnesty that he knew he needed mental support to cope with his trauma but felt he had nowhere to turn .
`` What I was looking for is just someone to care about me , some support , to tell me , ' I am here for you ' , '' he said .
`` This is what I have been looking for , and I have never found it . ''
Amnesty said access to education could help ease children back into society , but tens of thousands of Yazidis still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregular .
Many have also gone into debt from paying thousands of US dollars to smugglers to free Yazidi relatives who were held by IS .
Yazidi mothers forcibly wed to IS fighters are struggling to heal their own psychological scars , while dealing with the stigma of having children born to jihadist fathers .
`` I want to tell ( our community ) and everyone in the world , please accept us , and accept our children ...
I did n't want to have a baby from these people .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said 22-year-old Janan .
Many Yazidi women who were rescued from IS ' last bastion in Syria over the last two years were forced to leave their IS-born children behind when they returned to their families in neighbouring Iraq .
`` We have all thought about killing ourselves , or tried to do it , '' said Hanan , a 24-year-old Yazidi whose daughter was taken from her .
As a result of IS ’ s policies of systematic rape and sexual enslavement , Yazidi women gave birth to hundreds of children during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
Many of these women are in desperate situations , in some cases experiencing severe mental anguish after being forced to separate from their children , and in others , remaining in IDP camps or with IS captors in order to avoid giving up their children .
Several such women interviewed by Amnesty said they were pressured , coerced and even deceived into leaving their children behind by family members or by individuals or groups who work to reunite captured Yazidi women and children with their families .
They also said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to visit or reunite with their children at a later stage .
Mothers must be reunited with their children and no further separation should take place , Amnesty said .
`` These women were enslaved , tortured and subjected to sexual violence .
They should not suffer any further punishment , '' said Wells .

Nearly 2,000 Yazidi children freed from the grips of the Islamic State group in recent years are still trapped by psychological and physical trauma, Amnesty International warned on Thursday.
Displaced Iraqi Yazidi children stand next to a tent at a camp in Khanke, a few kilometres from the Turkish border in Iraq's Dohuk province, on June 24, 2019.
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In a new report based on dozens of interviews in northern Iraq, the rights group found that 1,992 children who faced torture, forced conscription, rape and other abuses at the hands of IS were not getting the care they need.
"While the nightmare of their past has receded, hardships remain for these children," said Matt Wells, deputy director of Amnesty's crisis response team.
Thousands of #Yezidi children were brutalized during conflict with Islamic State.
New @Amnesty report highlights how their health must now be prioritized.
“While the nightmare of their past has ended, hardships remain for these children” - @mattfwellshttps://t.co/CT0S3GRGDW — Amnesty International (@amnesty) July 30, 2020
The Yazidis are an ethno-religious minority numbering around 550,000 in their heartland of northwest Iraq before IS swept through the rugged region in 2014.
Slamming the Yazidis as heretics, IS slaughtered thousands of men, abducted women and girls and forced boys to fight on its behalf.
Yazidi children were forcibly converted to Islam and taught Arabic, banned from speaking their native Kurdish.
To this day, child survivors suffer "debilitating long-term injuries," as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, mood swings, aggression and flashbacks.
According to the report, many child survivors return to their families having been starved, tortured or forced to endure or participate in hostilities. In many cases, these experiences have a major impact on their health.
While some children return with treatable conditions such as anaemia or scabies, others have debilitating, long-term injuries, illnesses or conditions.
As a result of their involvement in fighting, boys who were forcibly recruited by IS are especially likely to suffer from serious health conditions and physical impairments, such as lost arms or legs during fighting. Girl survivors of rape and other sexual violence suffer unique health issues, including traumatic fistulas, scarring, and difficulties conceiving, during pregnancy or giving birth to a child.
Nowhere to turn
Yazidi children interviewed by AFP last year in a displacement camp in the northwest district of Duhok played aggressively, wore all black and spoke Arabic to each other, even months after they were freed from IS.
One of them, a ten-year-old girl, had threatened to commit suicide multiple times, her mother told AFP.
A doctor who has provided medical care for hundreds of Yazidi women and girl survivors told Amnesty that almost every girl she had treated between the ages of nine and 17 had been raped or subjected to other sexual violence. Yet according to humanitarian workers and other experts, existing services and programmes for survivors of sexual violence have largely neglected girls, focusing instead on women survivors.
Sahir, a 15-year-old former IS child soldier, told Amnesty that he knew he needed mental support to cope with his trauma but felt he had nowhere to turn.
"What I was looking for is just someone to care about me, some support, to tell me, 'I am here for you'," he said.
"This is what I have been looking for, and I have never found it."
'Accept our children'
Amnesty said access to education could help ease children back into society, but tens of thousands of Yazidis still live in displacement camps where schooling is irregular.
Many have also gone into debt from paying thousands of US dollars to smugglers to free Yazidi relatives who were held by IS.
Yazidi mothers forcibly wed to IS fighters are struggling to heal their own psychological scars, while dealing with the stigma of having children born to jihadist fathers.
"I want to tell (our community) and everyone in the world, please accept us, and accept our children... I didn't want to have a baby from these people. I was forced to have a son," said 22-year-old Janan.
Many Yazidi women who were rescued from IS' last bastion in Syria over the last two years were forced to leave their IS-born children behind when they returned to their families in neighbouring Iraq.
"We have all thought about killing ourselves, or tried to do it," said Hanan, a 24-year-old Yazidi whose daughter was taken from her.
As a result of IS’s policies of systematic rape and sexual enslavement, Yazidi women gave birth to hundreds of children during their captivity, say Amnesty in the report. Many of these women are in desperate situations, in some cases experiencing severe mental anguish after being forced to separate from their children, and in others, remaining in IDP camps or with IS captors in order to avoid giving up their children.
Several such women interviewed by Amnesty said they were pressured, coerced and even deceived into leaving their children behind by family members or by individuals or groups who work to reunite captured Yazidi women and children with their families. They also said they were falsely assured that they would be able to visit or reunite with their children at a later stage.
Mothers must be reunited with their children and no further separation should take place, Amnesty said.
"These women were enslaved, tortured and subjected to sexual violence. They should not suffer any further punishment," said Wells.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Macron's popularity climbs after signing EU pandemic stimulus, reshuffling gov't

French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of his counterpart from Cyprus prior to a meeting at the Élysée Palace , on July 23 , 2020 in Paris .
French President Emmanuel Macron 's popularity shot up by six points in July to reach the 50 % threshold in an opinion poll on Wednesday , after clinching a deal with other European leaders on an economic recovery package and reshuffling his government .
In the Harris Interactive poll for LCI TV , half of respondents said they were confident in Macron 's policies for France , only the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached the 50 % mark .
The poll was taken on July 21-23 , shortly after the 27 EU leaders agreed on a 750 billion euro stimulus that Macron said was `` historic '' and that should see France receive at least 40 billion euros in grants to help recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Macron also changed his prime minister in early July and reshuffled his government .
The new prime minister , Jean Castex , saw his first popularity rating stand at 56 % in the same Harris poll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Edouard Philippe , had .

French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity shot up by six points in July to reach the 50% threshold in an opinion poll on Wednesday, after clinching a deal with other European leaders on an economic recovery package and reshuffling his government.
French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of his counterpart from Cyprus prior to a meeting at the Élysée Palace, on July 23, 2020 in Paris.
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In the Harris Interactive poll for LCI TV, half of respondents said they were confident in Macron's policies for France, only the second time since April 2018 the French president reached the 50% mark.
The poll was taken on July 21-23, shortly after the 27 EU leaders agreed on a 750 billion euro stimulus that Macron said was "historic" and that should see France receive at least 40 billion euros in grants to help recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Macron also changed his prime minister in early July and reshuffled his government.
The new prime minister, Jean Castex, saw his first popularity rating stand at 56% in the same Harris poll, higher than the 51% his predecessor, Edouard Philippe, had.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-30--Pro-democracy figures barred from Hong Kong elections as students arrested under new security law

Riot police stand guard during a clearance operation in a mall in Hong Kong on July 6 , 2020 , in response to a new national security law that makes political views , slogans and signs advocating Hong Kong 's independence or liberation illegal .
Four students were arrested for social media posts deemed a threat to China 's national security as authorities said Thursday that at least 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures had been disqualified from running in September legislative elections , including activist Joshua Wong .
At least 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy nominees including prominent activist Joshua Wong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with authorities saying Thursday they failed to uphold the city 's mini-constitution and pledge allegiance to Hong Kong and Beijing .
Others who were disqualified include democracy activist Tiffany Yuen from the disbanded political organization Demosisto , as well as incumbent lawmaker Dennis Kwok and three others from the pro-democracy Civic Party .
It marks a setback for the pro-democracy camp , which had aimed to win a majority of seats in the legislature this year .
Earlier this month , they held an unofficial primary , with candidates including Wong topping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he had described the city 's recently imposed national security law as draconian , which indicated he did not support the law and thus invalidated his candidacy .
“ Clearly , Beijing shows a total disregard for the will of the Hongkongers , tramples upon the city ’ s last pillar of vanishing autonomy and attempts to keep Hong Kong ’ s legislature under its firm grip , ” Wong said in a Facebook post on Thursday .
Wong and many pro-democracy nominees had been asked to clarify their political stance earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewed .
Kwok said the disqualification of pro-democracy nominees was a political decision that amounted to political screening .
“ Today we are seeing the results of the relentless oppression that this regime is starting ... to take away the basic fundamental rights and freedom that are once enjoyed by all Hong Kong people under the Basic Law , ” Hong Kong 's mini-constitution , Kwok said in a news conference .
“ They also try to drive fear and oppression into our hearts and this , we must not let them succeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were still being reviewed , the government said in a statement expressing support for the disqualifications .
“ We do not rule out the possibility that more nominations would be invalidated , ” it said .
> > The Interview with Hong Kong activist Nathan Law : 'Whenever there is repression , there is resistance' Earlier Thursday , Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan denounced the new national security law imposed by Beijing in response to last year 's massive protests calling for greater freedoms .
He criticized authorities for arresting four youths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secession via online posts .
“ Hong Kong politics keeps changing , ” said Lee .
“ Now they are using the national security law against the young people … these young people are being charged just for the things they said.
” The four , aged between 16 to 21 , were detained Wednesday for announcing on social media that they had set up an organization for Hong Kong independence .
An organization called Studentlocalism - which disbanded ahead of the national security law taking effect on June 30 - said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former members had been arrested on secession charges .
Lee spoke ahead of a court appearance with 14 other pro-democracy activists , including former lawmaker Martin Lee and media tycoon Jimmy Lai .
The group was arrested in April over anti-government protests last year and was charged with participating and inciting others to take part in an unauthorized assembly .
Lee said the U.N. Human Rights Committee recently affirmed that the notification of an assembly is not a requirement , and that participation in an unnotified assembly should not be a criminal offense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are exercising our rights , ” Lee said .

Four students were arrested for social media posts deemed a threat to China's national security as authorities said Thursday that at least 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures had been disqualified from running in September legislative elections, including activist Joshua Wong.
Riot police stand guard during a clearance operation in a mall in Hong Kong on July 6, 2020, in response to a new national security law that makes political views, slogans and signs advocating Hong Kong's independence or liberation illegal.
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At least 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy nominees including prominent activist Joshua Wong were disqualified for September legislative elections, with authorities saying Thursday they failed to uphold the city's mini-constitution and pledge allegiance to Hong Kong and Beijing.
Others who were disqualified include democracy activist Tiffany Yuen from the disbanded political organization Demosisto, as well as incumbent lawmaker Dennis Kwok and three others from the pro-democracy Civic Party.
It marks a setback for the pro-democracy camp, which had aimed to win a majority of seats in the legislature this year. Earlier this month, they held an unofficial primary, with candidates including Wong topping the polls.
Wong said he was disqualified because he had described the city's recently imposed national security law as draconian, which indicated he did not support the law and thus invalidated his candidacy.
“Clearly, Beijing shows a total disregard for the will of the Hongkongers, tramples upon the city’s last pillar of vanishing autonomy and attempts to keep Hong Kong’s legislature under its firm grip,” Wong said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Wong and many pro-democracy nominees had been asked to clarify their political stance earlier this week as their nominations were being reviewed.
Kwok said the disqualification of pro-democracy nominees was a political decision that amounted to political screening.
“Today we are seeing the results of the relentless oppression that this regime is starting ... to take away the basic fundamental rights and freedom that are once enjoyed by all Hong Kong people under the Basic Law,” Hong Kong's mini-constitution, Kwok said in a news conference.
“They also try to drive fear and oppression into our hearts and this, we must not let them succeed,” he said.
Other nominees were still being reviewed, the government said in a statement expressing support for the disqualifications.
“We do not rule out the possibility that more nominations would be invalidated,” it said.
>> The Interview with Hong Kong activist Nathan Law: 'Whenever there is repression, there is resistance'
White terror, politics of fear dispersed in Hong Kong under National Security Law. This is the first case that an individual is arrested on the doorstep under #NSL. It targets activists and quashes freedom of expression of HK people. Please be aware of it. https://t.co/yOA4zPftZp — Nathan Law 羅冠聰 😷 (@nathanlawkc) July 29, 2020
Earlier Thursday, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan denounced the new national security law imposed by Beijing in response to last year's massive protests calling for greater freedoms. He criticized authorities for arresting four youths under the law on suspicion of inciting secession via online posts.
“Hong Kong politics keeps changing,” said Lee. “Now they are using the national security law against the young people … these young people are being charged just for the things they said.”
The four, aged between 16 to 21, were detained Wednesday for announcing on social media that they had set up an organization for Hong Kong independence. An organization called Studentlocalism - which disbanded ahead of the national security law taking effect on June 30 - said in a Facebook post that four of its former members had been arrested on secession charges.
Lee spoke ahead of a court appearance with 14 other pro-democracy activists, including former lawmaker Martin Lee and media tycoon Jimmy Lai. The group was arrested in April over anti-government protests last year and was charged with participating and inciting others to take part in an unauthorized assembly.
Lee said the U.N. Human Rights Committee recently affirmed that the notification of an assembly is not a requirement, and that participation in an unnotified assembly should not be a criminal offense.
“It very clearly vindicates us, we are exercising our rights,” Lee said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Brazil Covid-19 death toll surpasses 90,000 as government ends travel ban

FILE PHOTO : Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro holds a banana before a ceremony of lowering the national flag for the night , amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia , Brazil , July 24 , 2020 .
Brazil registered record daily numbers of infections and deaths from the new coronavirus Wednesday , sending its overall death toll surging past 90,000 people .
Despite the record figures , the government issued a decree reopening the country to foreign visitors arriving by plane , ending a four-month travel ban in hopes of reviving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has been hit harder than any country except the United States in the pandemic , recorded 69,074 new cases and 1,595 new deaths in the past 24 hours , bringing the figures to a total of more than 2.5 million infections and 90,134 people killed since the start of the pandemic , the health ministry said .
Technical issues likely contributed to the high daily figures .
The health ministry had said Tuesday that problems with its online reporting system had delayed figures from Sao Paulo , Brazil 's most populous state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deaths .
But in recent weeks the numbers of cases and deaths in the country of 212 million people have been stubbornly high even on normal days .
A health ministry official put that down to increased testing .
`` The testing program in Brazil has expanded a lot in recent weeks .
That 's an extremely important point , '' Arnaldo Medeiros , secretary for health vigilance , told a news conference .
The government meanwhile extended coronavirus-related bans on foreign travelers arriving by land or sea for another 30 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer bar the entry of foreigners arriving by air . ''
Brazil closed its air borders to non-residents on March 30 , at a time when the virus was ravaging Europe and Asia and just taking hold in South America .
Now , Brazil is the hotspot , with no signs its infection curve is close to tapering off .
The tourism industry has already lost nearly 122 billion reals ( $ 23.6 billion ) because of the pandemic , the National Confederation of Trade in Goods , Services and Tourism ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Latin America 's biggest economy is facing a record contraction of 9.1 percent this year , according to the International Monetary Fund .
It remains to be seen how many foreigners will want to come .
Brazil has regularly recorded more than 1,000 deaths a day since early July , and more than 30,000 new cases a day since mid-June .
President Jair Bolsonaro 's government has struggled to bring the outbreak under control and faces criticism for its handling of the crisis .
The far-right leader has dismissed the virus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown measures by state and local authorities to contain it , arguing the economic fallout could be worse than the disease .
Even after contracting the virus himself earlier this month , forcing him to work from quarantine at the presidential palace for more than two weeks , Bolsonaro has continued to downplay the severity of the pandemic .
Rather than lockdowns , Bolsonaro is pushing the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as the way to fight the virus .
Like US President Donald Trump , whom he admires , Bolsonaro touts the drug as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slate of scientific studies finding it has no effect against COVID-19 and can cause serious side effects .
After testing positive for the virus , the Brazilian leader took hydroxychloroquine himself , regularly showing off his box of pills .
Bolsonaro is currently on his third health minister of the pandemic , an active-duty army general with no prior medical experience .
The interim minister 's two predecessors , both doctors , left after clashing with Bolsonaro , including over his insistence the health ministry recommend hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , encouraged by the fact the number of infections finally appears to have reached a plateau .
But Brazil 's infection curve has flattened at a very high level of daily cases , and experts warn it is still too soon to exit lockdowns in many places .

Brazil registered record daily numbers of infections and deaths from the new coronavirus Wednesday, sending its overall death toll surging past 90,000 people.
FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro holds a banana before a ceremony of lowering the national flag for the night, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, July 24, 2020.
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Despite the record figures, the government issued a decree reopening the country to foreign visitors arriving by plane, ending a four-month travel ban in hopes of reviving a lockdown-devastated tourism industry.
Brazil, which has been hit harder than any country except the United States in the pandemic, recorded 69,074 new cases and 1,595 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the figures to a total of more than 2.5 million infections and 90,134 people killed since the start of the pandemic, the health ministry said.
Technical issues likely contributed to the high daily figures.
The health ministry had said Tuesday that problems with its online reporting system had delayed figures from Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state and the one with the most cases and deaths.
But in recent weeks the numbers of cases and deaths in the country of 212 million people have been stubbornly high even on normal days.
A health ministry official put that down to increased testing.
"The testing program in Brazil has expanded a lot in recent weeks. That's an extremely important point," Arnaldo Medeiros, secretary for health vigilance, told a news conference.
Open to travelers
The government meanwhile extended coronavirus-related bans on foreign travelers arriving by land or sea for another 30 days, but said the restrictions "will no longer bar the entry of foreigners arriving by air."
Brazil closed its air borders to non-residents on March 30, at a time when the virus was ravaging Europe and Asia and just taking hold in South America.
Now, Brazil is the hotspot, with no signs its infection curve is close to tapering off.
The tourism industry has already lost nearly 122 billion reals ($23.6 billion) because of the pandemic, the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC) estimates.
As a whole, Latin America's biggest economy is facing a record contraction of 9.1 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Leaving lockdown too soon?
It remains to be seen how many foreigners will want to come.
Brazil has regularly recorded more than 1,000 deaths a day since early July, and more than 30,000 new cases a day since mid-June.
President Jair Bolsonaro's government has struggled to bring the outbreak under control and faces criticism for its handling of the crisis.
The far-right leader has dismissed the virus as a "little flu" and attacked lockdown measures by state and local authorities to contain it, arguing the economic fallout could be worse than the disease.
Even after contracting the virus himself earlier this month, forcing him to work from quarantine at the presidential palace for more than two weeks, Bolsonaro has continued to downplay the severity of the pandemic.
Rather than lockdowns, Bolsonaro is pushing the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as the way to fight the virus.
Like US President Donald Trump, whom he admires, Bolsonaro touts the drug as a remedy for the virus, despite a slate of scientific studies finding it has no effect against COVID-19 and can cause serious side effects.
After testing positive for the virus, the Brazilian leader took hydroxychloroquine himself, regularly showing off his box of pills.
Bolsonaro is currently on his third health minister of the pandemic, an active-duty army general with no prior medical experience.
The interim minister's two predecessors, both doctors, left after clashing with Bolsonaro, including over his insistence the health ministry recommend hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, most states have begun relaxing their stay-at-home measures, encouraged by the fact the number of infections finally appears to have reached a plateau.
But Brazil's infection curve has flattened at a very high level of daily cases, and experts warn it is still too soon to exit lockdowns in many places.
(AFP)
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