france24--2020-05-20--Rolls-Royce to cut 9,000 jobs as aviation reels from Covid-19 crisis

A Rolls-Royce factory in Derby , England , where the company is headquartered .
Rolls-Royce plans to cut at least 9,000 jobs , or more than a sixth of its workforce , in the latest blows to the UK economy and aviation industry dealt by the coronavirus pandemic .
The company , which makes engines for planes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 , said on Wednesday it could also close factories as it shrinks to fit the smaller market it expects to emerge from the crisis .
Airlines and their supplies have been among the hardest hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with passenger air travel grinding to a virtual halt .
Britain , like many other economies , is also bracing for a deep recession , with jobless claims in April leaping to the highest in nearly 24 years .
`` We have to reduce our cost base and adapt to the new world , matching our capacity with expected demand , '' Rolls-Royce chief executive Warren East told reporters , unveiling the company 's biggest round of cuts since privatisation in 1987 .
The 9,000 jobs , out of a global staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rolls 's civil aerospace business , which generates just over half of its 15 billion pounds ( $ 18 billion ) of annual revenues .
Rolls said it was targeting 1.3 billion pounds of annual cost savings , with about 700 million coming from layoffs plus other cuts that could include factory closures .
Headquartered in Derby , central England , about two-thirds of Rolls civil aerospace jobs are based in the United Kingdom , East said , adding that was `` probably a good first proxy '' of where the jobs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rolls had 16 to 17 major civil aerospace manufacturing locations across the world , including big presences in Germany and Singapore .
Consultations with unions will now get underway , with job losses also expected in office support functions .
Rolls ' defence unit will be spared , though , as military demand remains robust .
Forecasting air travel will not recover for three to five years , East said Rolls was preparing for aviation activity to be about a third less than in 2019 .
Government schemes to help pay workers had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Rolls ' furloughing 4,000 staff under the UK scheme , but the company needs to prepare for a future where its airline customers fly less , East said .
The cuts follow a 2018 programme to axe 4,600 jobs , although 1,000 job losses outstanding from that round are included in the 9,000 .
Rolls has also been grappling with a long-running engine problem which forced airlines to ground planes .
Its shares were last down 2 % , having dropped 62 % this year to 11-year lows .

Rolls-Royce plans to cut at least 9,000 jobs, or more than a sixth of its workforce, in the latest blows to the UK economy and aviation industry dealt by the coronavirus pandemic.
A Rolls-Royce factory in Derby, England, where the company is headquartered.
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The company, which makes engines for planes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350, said on Wednesday it could also close factories as it shrinks to fit the smaller market it expects to emerge from the crisis.
Airlines and their supplies have been among the hardest hit businesses by lockdowns to contain the pandemic, with passenger air travel grinding to a virtual halt.
Britain, like many other economies, is also bracing for a deep recession, with jobless claims in April leaping to the highest in nearly 24 years.
"We have to reduce our cost base and adapt to the new world, matching our capacity with expected demand," Rolls-Royce chief executive Warren East told reporters, unveiling the company's biggest round of cuts since privatisation in 1987.
The 9,000 jobs, out of a global staff of 52,000, will go predominantly from Rolls's civil aerospace business, which generates just over half of its 15 billion pounds ($18 billion)of annual revenues.
Rolls said it was targeting 1.3 billion pounds of annual cost savings, with about 700 million coming from layoffs plus other cuts that could include factory closures.
Headquartered in Derby, central England, about two-thirds of Rolls civil aerospace jobs are based in the United Kingdom, East said, adding that was "probably a good first proxy" of where the jobs were likely to be lost.
East said Rolls had 16 to 17 major civil aerospace manufacturing locations across the world, including big presences in Germany and Singapore.
Consultations with unions will now get underway, with job losses also expected in office support functions. Rolls' defence unit will be spared, though, as military demand remains robust.
Forecasting air travel will not recover for three to five years, East said Rolls was preparing for aviation activity to be about a third less than in 2019.
Government schemes to help pay workers had been useful in the short term, with Rolls' furloughing 4,000 staff under the UK scheme, but the company needs to prepare for a future where its airline customers fly less, East said.
The cuts follow a 2018 programme to axe 4,600 jobs, although 1,000 job losses outstanding from that round are included in the 9,000. Rolls has also been grappling with a long-running engine problem which forced airlines to ground planes.
Its shares were last down 2%, having dropped 62% this year to 11-year lows.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-20--Italy: A device to enforce social distancing in Florence Cathedral

Italy is slowly easing its measures , after one of the strictest coronavirus lockdowns that has lasted more than two months .
In Florence , the famous Duomo Cathedral and its museum prepared their reopening with an original system : A sensor aimed at enforcing social distancing .
As Italy slowly eases restrictions after one of the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe , authorities at Florence ’ s Duomo Cathedral have prepared to welcome visitors with a particularly innovative device : a wearable social distancing sensor .
Life in Italy is gradually returning to normal as the country slowly emerges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 32,000 people .
Restaurants , bars , cafes , hairdressers and shops were allowed to reopen from Monday after more than two months of one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe .
In Florence , authorities at The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore ( Duomo ) are preparing to welcome visitors with a particularly innovative device : a social distancing sensor that is worn around the neck .
“ It is a device that immediately alerts you if you are too close to another visitor , ” explained Timothy Verdon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So it won ’ t be a question of evaluating the distance a bit vaguely .
By wearing it , the visitor will feel the sensor with a vibration and a sound that will inform him that he ’ s too close to another person , less than two metres away.
” Visitors to the museum and Cathedral will be given a sensor free of charge at the start of the visit and will have to return it at the end , after which will it be disinfected .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not track any data .
The Cathedral will be open to everyone , but tours will take place with a reduced number of people .
The Cathedral normally welcomes around four million tourists per year .

As Italy slowly eases restrictions after one of the strictest Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe, authorities at Florence’s Duomo Cathedral have prepared to welcome visitors with a particularly innovative device: a wearable social distancing sensor.
Italy is slowly easing its measures, after one of the strictest coronavirus lockdowns that has lasted more than two months. In Florence, the famous Duomo Cathedral and its museum prepared their reopening with an original system: A sensor aimed at enforcing social distancing.
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Life in Italy is gradually returning to normal as the country slowly emerges from a pandemic that has killed more than 32,000 people.
Restaurants, bars, cafes, hairdressers and shops were allowed to reopen from Monday after more than two months of one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe.
In Florence, authorities at The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) are preparing to welcome visitors with a particularly innovative device: a social distancing sensor that is worn around the neck.
“It is a device that immediately alerts you if you are too close to another visitor,” explained Timothy Verdon, director of the Cathedral’s museum.
“So it won’t be a question of evaluating the distance a bit vaguely. By wearing it, the visitor will feel the sensor with a vibration and a sound that will inform him that he’s too close to another person, less than two metres away.”
Visitors to the museum and Cathedral will be given a sensor free of charge at the start of the visit and will have to return it at the end, after which will it be disinfected. Authorities said the device was anonymous and that it does not track any data.
The Cathedral will be open to everyone, but tours will take place with a reduced number of people. The Cathedral normally welcomes around four million tourists per year.
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france24--2020-05-20--Global coronavirus cases exceed 5 million, with South America reporting most new infections

Peru has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus , with more than 100,000 cases and at least 3,000 deaths .
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 5 million on Wednesday , with Latin America overtaking the United States and Europe in the past week to report the largest portion of new daily cases globally .
It represents a new phase in the virus ' spread , which initially peaked in China in February , before large-scale outbreaks followed in Europe and the United States .
Latin America accounted for around a third of the 91,000 cases reported earlier this week .
Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just over 20 % .
A large number of those new cases came from Brazil , which recently surpassed Germany , France and the United Kingdom to become the third-largest outbreak in the world , behind the United States and Russia .
Cases in Brazil are now rising at a daily pace second only to the United States .
The first 41 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Wuhan , China , on Jan. 10 and it took the world until April 1 to reach its first million cases .
Since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every two weeks , according to a Reuters tally .
At more than 5 million cases , the virus has infected more people in under six months than the annual total of severe flu cases , which the World Health Organization estimates is around 3 million to 5 million globally .
The pandemic has claimed over 326,000 lives , though the true number is thought to be higher as testing is still limited , and many countries do not include fatalities outside of hospitals .
Over half of the total fatalities have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in cases , many countries are opening schools and workplaces following weeks of lockdown that have stemmed the spread .
Financial markets have also been boosted slightly by promising early results from the first U.S. vaccine trial in humans .

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 5 million on Wednesday, with Latin America overtaking the United States and Europe in the past week to report the largest portion of new daily cases globally.
Peru has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus, with more than 100,000 cases and at least 3,000 deaths.
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It represents a new phase in the virus' spread, which initially peaked in China in February, before large-scale outbreaks followed in Europe and the United States.
Latin America accounted for around a third of the 91,000 cases reported earlier this week. Europe and the United States each accounted for just over 20%.
A large number of those new cases came from Brazil, which recently surpassed Germany, France and the United Kingdom to become the third-largest outbreak in the world, behind the United States and Russia.
Cases in Brazil are now rising at a daily pace second only to the United States.
The first 41 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 10 and it took the world until April 1 to reach its first million cases. Since then, about 1 million new cases are reported every two weeks, according to a Reuters tally.
At more than 5 million cases, the virus has infected more people in under six months than the annual total of severe flu cases, which the World Health Organization estimates is around 3 million to 5 million globally.
The pandemic has claimed over 326,000 lives, though the true number is thought to be higher as testing is still limited, and many countries do not include fatalities outside of hospitals. Over half of the total fatalities have been recorded in Europe.
Despite the continued increase in cases, many countries are opening schools and workplaces following weeks of lockdown that have stemmed the spread.
Financial markets have also been boosted slightly by promising early results from the first U.S. vaccine trial in humans.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--Scores dead after Cyclone Amphan makes landfall in India, Bangladesh

Flooded houses after a dam broke after Cyclone Amphan in Shyamnagar on May 21 , 2020 .
At least 22 people died as the fiercest cyclone to hit parts of Bangladesh and eastern India this century sent trees flying and flattened houses , with millions crammed into shelters despite the risk of coronavirus .
Millions were left without power after Cyclone Amphan , packing winds of around 150 kilometres per hour ( 95 miles ) , carried away electricity pylons , walls and roofs , officials said Thursday as they began to assess the damage .
Residents in the Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard-hit West Bengal state , awoke to flooded streets with some cars window-deep in water and television footage showed the airport inundated .
`` The impact of Amphan is worse than coronavirus , '' Mamata Banerjee , chief minister of West Bengal , told local media , saying that at least 12 people had died in the state .
`` Thousands of mud huts have been levelled , trees uprooted , roads washed away and crops destroyed , '' she said .
Bangladesh officials said at least 10 people had died , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man both hit by falling trees and a cyclone emergency volunteer who drowned .
Officials said they were waiting for reports from the Sundarbans , a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its mangrove forest and population of endangered Bengal tigers , which bore the brunt of the storm .
`` We still have n't got the actual picture of the damage .
We are particularly concerned over some wild animals .
They can be washed away during a storm surge in high tide , '' forest chief Moyeen Uddin Khan told AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hazard along the Bay of Bengal coast , claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in recent decades .
But in recent years , despite an increase in their frequency blamed partly on climate change , improved warning systems have enabled authorities to be much better prepared .
The cyclone was weakening as it moved northwards through Bangladesh but still unleashed heavy rains and fierce winds in Cox 's Bazar , the district which houses about one million Rohingya refugees from violence in Myanmar .
Amphan was the first `` super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bengal since 1999 , and packed winds gusting up to 185 kph at sea .
It brought a storm surge -- a wall of ocean water that is often one of the main killers in major weather systems -- that roared inland .
Anwar Hossain Howlader , an official in the Khulna coastal district of Bangladesh , said a three-metre ( 10-feet ) surge had destroyed embankments protecting villages despite locals toiling through the night .
`` It caused massive destruction .
Thousands of trees have been uprooted .
Embankments have broken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ villages .
The damage and destruction of crops and fish farms have been huge , '' he said .
At the village of Purba Durgabati in Satkhira district , hundreds of villagers spend the night trying to mend a breach in the embankment that protected several villages from the Kholpetua river .
But the surge unleashed by the cyclone washed away some two kilometres of the embankment , which also doubled as a village road .
As a result sea water inundated some 600 homes and washed away thousands of shrimp and crab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under water .
My shrimp farm is gone .
I do n't know how I am going to survive , '' Omar Faruq , 28 , told AFP .
The last super cyclone in 1999 left nearly 10,000 dead in India 's Odisha state , eight years after a typhoon , tornadoes and flooding killed 139,000 in Bangladesh .
In 1970 , half a million perished .
More than three million people were evacuated from coastal villages in both countries .
Because of coronavirus , authorities said they used extra shelter space to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compulsory and setting aside isolation rooms .
But many stayed put .
Sulata Munda , a villager in Bangladesh on the edge of the Sundarbans , said she and fellow villagers decided not to go to a shelter .
`` We fear the cyclone but we also fear the coronavirus , '' the mother of four said .

The most powerful cyclone to strike eastern India and Bangladesh in over a decade killed at least 95 people, officials said, as rescue teams scoured devastated coastal villages on Thursday, hampered by torn down power lines and widespread flooding.
Flooded houses after a dam broke from Cyclone Amphan in Shyamnagar on May 21, 2020.
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Mass evacuations before Cyclone Amphan made landfall undoubtedly saved countless lives, but the full extent of the casualties and damage will only be known once communications are restored, officials said.
In the Indian state of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at least 72 people had perished — most of them either electrocuted or killed by trees uprooted by winds gusting up to 185 km per hour (115 mph).
She said the storm had carved a 400-km long swathe through the state and announced a 10 billion rupee ($130 million) emergency fund to rebuild roads, water and health systems. "These areas have been devastated," she said.
Twenty-three people have died in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to the official death toll.
"I have never seen such a cyclone in my life. It seemed like the end of the world," said Azgar Ali, 49, a resident of Satkhira district on the Bangladeshi coast. "All I could do was to pray ... Almighty Allah saved us."
When the cyclone barrelled in from the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday, a storm surge of around five metres caused flooding across low-lying coastal areas.
Television footage showed people wading through knee-deep water and buses that had been smashed into each other.
Villagers could be seen trying to lift fallen electricity poles, fishermen hauling their boats out of a choppy sea, and uprooted trees lying strewn across the countryside.
"Have been seeing visuals from West Bengal on the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. "In this challenging hour, the entire nation stands in solidarity with West Bengal."
NDRF teams are working in the cyclone affected parts. Top officials are closely monitoring the situation and also working in close coordination with the West Bengal government.
No stone will be left unturned in helping the affected. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2020
Designated a super cyclone, Amphan weakened after making landfall. Moving inland through Bangladesh, it was downgraded to a cyclonic storm by the Indian weather office, and it was expected to subside into a depression later.
Low-lying Bangladesh has a history of cyclones, but even by those standards Amphan was powerful, said Mostak Hussain, humanitarian director for Save the Children in Bangladesh.
"We’ve received reports that more than 5 million people were disconnected from the electricity grid for their own safety as winds of 150 kph smashed into power lines, destroying homes and uprooting trees," he said.
Concern was also growing over flooding in the Sundarbans, an ecologically fragile region straddling the Indian-Bangladesh border, best known for its thick mangrove forests and tiger reserve.
"The tidal surge submerged part of the forest," said Belayet Hossain, a forest official on the Bangladeshi side. "We have seen trees uprooted, the tin roofs of the guard towers blown off."
On the Indian side, village official Sanjib Sagar said embankments protecting a low-lying island where some 5,000 people live had been washed away, and he had been unable to contact authorities for help.
Authorities in both countries managed to evacuate more than 3 million people to storm shelters before Amphan struck. But the effort was focused on communities that lay directly in the cyclone's path, leaving villages on the flanks still vulnerable.
The two countries are already battling to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and some evacuees were initially reluctant to leave home for fear of infection in packed storm shelters.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--Covid-19 debrief: Paris nurses, doctors reveal heavy toll on mental health

In hospitals across France – and around the world – healthcare workers have been going into battle daily against Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ , invisible virus , caring for patients in their final moments , they have been @ @ @ @ @ the past two months .
Like a war zone , the psychological toll of being @ @ @ @ @ hospital worker during the pandemic has been heavy .
In a hospital in Saint-Denis , @ @ @ @ @ suburbs , a team of psychologists has been doing the rounds to help healthcare workers @ @ @ @ @ speak out about their experiences .

Covid-19 debrief: Paris nurses, doctors reveal heavy toll on mental health
05:43 FOCUS © France 24 screengrab
By: Solange MOUGIN | Julien SAUVAGET
In hospitals across France and around the world, healthcare workers have been going into daily battle against Covid-19. Surrounded by a deadly invisible virus and caring for patients in their final moments, they have been on the front line for the past two months – and the psychological toll has been heavy. In a hospital in Saint-Denis, in Paris’s northern suburbs, a team of psychologists has been doing the rounds to help doctors and nurses navigate the trauma and speak out about their experiences.


france24--2020-05-21--Spain to extend lockdown to June 6 despite outcry from protesters and right-wing opposition

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wears a protective mask as he attends a plenary session amid the coronavirus disease outbreak , at the Parliament in Madrid , Spain , May 20 , 2020 .
Spain 's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez won parliamentary backing to extend the lockdown for another two weeks Wednesday , despite opposition from his rightwing opponents and protests against his minority coalition government .
It was the fifth time the state of emergency has been renewed , meaning the restrictions will remain in force until June 6 in a measure passed by 177 votes in favour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure has allowed the government to impose a strict lockdown on Spain 's nearly 47 million population , significantly limiting the freedom of movement to fight the epidemic which has now claimed 27,888 lives .
But the government 's management of the crisis has drawn a barrage of criticism from righwing parties who have denounced its `` brutal confinement '' , while several hundred protesters have hit the streets demanding `` freedom '' and Sanchez 's resignation .
`` It 's the Spanish people who have stopped the virus together ... nobody has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved during these long weeks of confinement , '' Sanchez told lawmakers .
The street protests have been backed by the far-right Vox and the main rightwing opposition People 's Party ( PP ) , whose leader Pablo Casado did n't mince his words in the pre-vote debate .
`` You are the epitome of chaos and the worst thing is that you are unable to protect the Spanish people without resorting to this brutal confinement , '' he said .
But the government says the March 14 state of emergency has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the daily death toll which by Wednesday had fallen to 95 -- a far cry from the 950 registered on April 2 .
But Sanchez said the fight was n't over and that extending the restrictions was `` the only possible way to effectively fight the virus '' , saying there were still `` hundreds of new cases every day '' .
From Thursday , it will be obligatory to wear masks in public where social distancing is not possible , officials said on Wednesday .
Already compulsory on public transport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six and over .
As the severity of the epidemic has eased , Spain has begun a cautious , staged rollback of the lockdown which is due to finish by late June .
Despite the anti-government protests , a survey published on Tuesday by the state-run Centre for Sociological Studies suggested 95 percent of Spaniards supported the lockdown and 60 percent believed it should be extended .

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez won parliamentary backing to extend the lockdown for another two weeks Wednesday, despite opposition from his rightwing opponents and protests against his minority coalition government.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wears a protective mask as he attends a plenary session amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, at the Parliament in Madrid, Spain, May 20, 2020.
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It was the fifth time the state of emergency has been renewed, meaning the restrictions will remain in force until June 6 in a measure passed by 177 votes in favour, 162 against and 11 abstentions.
The measure has allowed the government to impose a strict lockdown on Spain's nearly 47 million population, significantly limiting the freedom of movement to fight the epidemic which has now claimed 27,888 lives.
But the government's management of the crisis has drawn a barrage of criticism from righwing parties who have denounced its "brutal confinement", while several hundred protesters have hit the streets demanding "freedom" and Sanchez's resignation.
"It's the Spanish people who have stopped the virus together... nobody has the right to squander what we've achieved during these long weeks of confinement," Sanchez told lawmakers.
The street protests have been backed by the far-right Vox and the main rightwing opposition People's Party (PP), whose leader Pablo Casado didn't mince his words in the pre-vote debate.
"You are the epitome of chaos and the worst thing is that you are unable to protect the Spanish people without resorting to this brutal confinement," he said.
But the government says the March 14 state of emergency has allowed it to battle the epidemic and dramatically reduce the daily death toll which by Wednesday had fallen to 95 -- a far cry from the 950 registered on April 2.
But Sanchez said the fight wasn't over and that extending the restrictions was "the only possible way to effectively fight the virus", saying there were still "hundreds of new cases every day".
From Thursday, it will be obligatory to wear masks in public where social distancing is not possible, officials said on Wednesday.
Already compulsory on public transport, the new decree applies to everyone aged six and over.
As the severity of the epidemic has eased, Spain has begun a cautious, staged rollback of the lockdown which is due to finish by late June.
Despite the anti-government protests, a survey published on Tuesday by the state-run Centre for Sociological Studies suggested 95 percent of Spaniards supported the lockdown and 60 percent believed it should be extended.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-21--Japan to seek extradition of men arrested in US over Ghosn escape

Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn gestures during a news conference at the Lebanese Press Syndicate in Beirut , Lebanon , @ @ @ @ @ Japan on Thursday said it hoped that the two men arrested in the United States @ @ @ @ @ charges related to former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn 's escape from the country @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are making preparations including working to cooperate on a speedy extradition , @ @ @ @ @ Suga told reporters , acknowledging the arrest of the two men .
U.S. authorities on @ @ @ @ @ Army Special Forces soldier and another man on charges that they enabled Ghosn 's dramatic @ @ @ @ @ December while he was awaiting trial over financial misconduct charges .

Japan on Thursday said it hoped that the two men arrested in the United States and wanted in Japan on charges related to former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn's escape from the country would be extradited toJapan soon.
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn gestures during a news conference at the Lebanese Press Syndicate in Beirut, Lebanon, January 8, 2020.
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"We are making preparations including working to cooperate on a speedy extradition," Chief Cabinet officer Yoshihide Suga told reporters, acknowledging the arrest of the two men.
U.S. authorities on Wednesday arrested a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and another man on charges that they enabled Ghosn's dramatic escape from Japan in late December while he was awaiting trial over financial misconduct charges.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--Anti-lockdown protesters in US state of Michigan hold 'Operation Haircut'

A woman with hair curlers attends `` Operation Haircut '' , a protest put on by supporters of the Michigan Conservative Coalition at the state capitol , after barber Karl Manke had his license suspended for violating the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) restrictions , at the Capitol building in Lansing , Michigan , U.S. May 20 , 2020 .
After mass rallies featuring armed protesters , those angry over the restrictive anti-virus lockdown in the US state of Michigan launched `` Operation Haircut '' Wednesday , with barbers using their scissors and clippers outside the state capitol .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks or practicing social distancing -- lined up in Lansing under sunny skies for a free trim from hairstylists .
Chairs were disinfected after each haircut .
It was the fourth major protest against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer 's strict stay-at-home orders in a little more than a month .
In late April , armed protesters entered the capitol building in Lansing , demanding an easing of the lockdown put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Michigan is one of the hardest hit US states , with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the disease caused by the virus .
It has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about when and how to reopen businesses across the country , to stem the economic pain sparked by the global health crisis .
The protest was organized by local conservative groups in support of Karl Manke , a barber who lost his license after opening his salon in early May , defying the lockdown rules .
Massages were also on offer at Wednesday 's event -- in exchange for a token payment .
Some demonstrators waved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has extended lockdown measures until May 28 .
The governor , who was in the central part of the state to evaluate the damage from devastating floods caused when two dams were breached , said she understood residents ' frustrations .
`` Every one of us have made sacrifices at some point .
Many are mourning the loss of loved ones , the loss of a job , of a business that might not open or survive this , '' she said .
But she pleaded with protesters to demonstrate `` in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or others to a prolonged public health crisis . ''
`` If people protest , I ask that they wear masks and observe the six feet apart , and if they do n't , we will have to take some action , '' Whitmer warned .
Police issued several tickets to the barbers , witnesses said .

After mass rallies featuring armed protesters, those angry over the restrictive anti-virus lockdown in the US state of Michigan launched "Operation Haircut" Wednesday, with barbers using their scissors and clippers outside the state capitol.
A woman with hair curlers attends "Operation Haircut", a protest put on by supporters of the Michigan Conservative Coalition at the state capitol, after barber Karl Manke had his license suspended for violating the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, at the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan, U.S. May 20, 2020.
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Several hundred demonstrators -- some not wearing face masks or practicing social distancing -- lined up in Lansing under sunny skies for a free trim from hairstylists.
Chairs were disinfected after each haircut.
It was the fourth major protest against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer's strict stay-at-home orders in a little more than a month.
In late April, armed protesters entered the capitol building in Lansing, demanding an easing of the lockdown put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Michigan is one of the hardest hit US states, with more than 5,000 deaths linked to the COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
It has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about when and how to reopen businesses across the country, to stem the economic pain sparked by the global health crisis.
The protest was organized by local conservative groups in support of Karl Manke, a barber who lost his license after opening his salon in early May, defying the lockdown rules.
Massages were also on offer at Wednesday's event -- in exchange for a token payment.
Some demonstrators waved American flags and signs slamming Whitmer, who has extended lockdown measures until May 28.
"Whitmer is killing small businesses," read one sign.
The governor, who was in the central part of the state to evaluate the damage from devastating floods caused when two dams were breached, said she understood residents' frustrations.
"Every one of us have made sacrifices at some point. Many are mourning the loss of loved ones, the loss of a job, of a business that might not open or survive this," she said.
But she pleaded with protesters to demonstrate "in a way that does not expose themselves or others to a prolonged public health crisis."
"If people protest, I ask that they wear masks and observe the six feet apart, and if they don't, we will have to take some action," Whitmer warned.
Police issued several tickets to the barbers, witnesses said.
(AFP)
04:29
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france24--2020-05-20--France mulls holding final round of local elections in June, or rerun in January

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe arrives to attend a meeting with all the political party leaders as the country began a gradual end to the nationwide lockdown following the coronavirus disease outbreak , at the Hôtel Matignon in Paris , France , May 20 , 2020 .
The French government is considering holding the final round of mayoral elections at the end of June or redoing the elections completely in January 2021 , Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told all party leaders on Wednesday .
Out of the 35,000 cities , towns and villages that France counts , about 30,000 have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round .
But many French large cities are among the 5,000 remaining , including Paris , Lyon and Marseille .
Philippe said the elections could only be held at the end of June if conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic would allow it and that no final decision had been made , according to party leaders .
A postponement beyond July 1 would require cancelling the results of elections held in March for the cities that did not elect a mayor at the first round and organising a new ballot .
The first round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a nationwide lockdown , to the bewilderment of many as Philippe then said the vote would go ahead even as he declared all cafes , bars , cinemas and non-essential shops would close until further notice .
France is the world 's fourth worst-hit country in terms of deaths from the novel coronavirus .
Its lockdown started to ease last week .
`` The majority of the participants are in favour of a ballot on 28 June , '' the head of centrist UDI party Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Reuters , asking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The organisation of a second round at the end of June `` is the preferred option , it seems , '' said Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure .

The French government is considering holding the final round of mayoral elections at the end of June or redoing the elections completely in January 2021, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told all party leaders on Wednesday.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe arrives to attend a meeting with all the political party leaders as the country began a gradual end to the nationwide lockdown following the coronavirus disease outbreak, at the Hôtel Matignon in Paris, France, May 20, 2020.
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Out of the 35,000 cities, towns and villages that France counts, about 30,000 have already elected their mayor in the first round. But many French large cities are among the 5,000 remaining, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
Philippe said the elections could only be held at the end of June if conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic would allow it and that no final decision had been made, according to party leaders.
A postponement beyond July 1 would require cancelling the results of elections held in March for the cities that did not elect a mayor at the first round and organising a new ballot.
The first round was just two days before the start of a nationwide lockdown, to the bewilderment of many as Philippe then said the vote would go ahead even as he declared all cafes, bars, cinemas and non-essential shops would close until further notice.
France is the world's fourth worst-hit country in terms of deaths from the novel coronavirus. Its lockdown started to ease last week.
"The majority of the participants are in favour of a ballot on 28 June," the head of centrist UDI party Jean-Christophe Lagarde told Reuters, asking for a postponement of the vote to 2021.
The organisation of a second round at the end of June "is the preferred option, it seems," said Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-20--France, UN envoys warn Israel against partial annexation of West Bank

The Jewish settlement of Ramat Givat Zeev in the Israeli-occupied West Bank , pictured on March 19 , 2020 .
France is working with other European nations to dissuade Israel from a partial annexation of the occupied West Bank , its foreign minister said Wednesday , as the UN ’ s Mideast envoy warned Israel against “ closing the door ” to negotiations .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cabinet discussions will start in July over extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank , as was mooted under US President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A partial annexation of the West Bank would constitute a serious violation of international law , French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said at a parliament hearing on Wednesday .
Le Drian said France was working with European partners to come up with a joint action plan for prevention and reprisal should Israel make such a move .
`` For the past few days we have held several video conferences with European colleagues ( ... ) with a view to deciding on a joint preventive action and eventually a reprisal if such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also on Wednesday , the UN ’ s Middle East envoy warned that an Israeli move to annex parts of the West Bank would `` close the door ” to negotiations .
`` The continuing threat of annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank would constitute a most serious violation of international law , deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution , [ and ] close the door to a renewal of negotiations , '' Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council .
`` Israel must abandon its threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ must ] re-engage with all members of the quartet , '' he said , referring to the United States , Russia , the European Union and the United Nations .
Mladenov urged the 15-member council to back a push by UN chief Antonio Guterres against unilateral steps that would hinder diplomatic efforts to renew negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians .
Such a statement by the council is unlikely as it has to be agreed by consensus and the United States traditionally shields its ally Israel from any action .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this conflict .
We can only encourage the parties to sit down together to determine how they wish to make progress , '' said the US ambassador to the United Nations , Kelly Craft .
The Palestinians have rejected a peace plan by the Trump administration as heavily biased in Israel ’ s favour .
Mladenov urged the quartet to `` come forward with a proposal that will enable the quartet to take up its mediation role '' .

France is working with other European nations to dissuade Israel from a partial annexation of the occupied West Bank, its foreign minister said Wednesday, as the UN’s Mideast envoy warned Israel against “closing the door” to negotiations.
The Jewish settlement of Ramat Givat Zeev in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, pictured on March 19, 2020.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cabinet discussions will start in July over extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, as was mooted under US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.
A partial annexation of the West Bank would constitute a serious violation of international law, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said at a parliament hearing on Wednesday.
Le Drian said France was working with European partners to come up with a joint action plan for prevention and reprisal should Israel make such a move.
"For the past few days we have held several video conferences with European colleagues (...) with a view to deciding on a joint preventive action and eventually a reprisal if such a decision were taken," he said.
Also on Wednesday, the UN’s Middle East envoy warned that an Israeli move to annex parts of the West Bank would "close the door” to negotiations.
"The continuing threat of annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank would constitute a most serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution, [and] close the door to a renewal of negotiations," Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council.
"Israel must abandon its threat of annexation. And the Palestinian leadership [must] re-engage with all members of the quartet," he said, referring to the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.
Mladenov urged the 15-member council to back a push by UN chief Antonio Guterres against unilateral steps that would hinder diplomatic efforts to renew negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Such a statement by the council is unlikely as it has to be agreed by consensus and the United States traditionally shields its ally Israel from any action.
"This council cannot dictate the end to this conflict. We can only encourage the parties to sit down together to determine how they wish to make progress," said the US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft.
The Palestinians have rejected a peace plan by the Trump administration as heavily biased in Israel’s favour.
Mladenov urged the quartet to "come forward with a proposal that will enable the quartet to take up its mediation role".
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--'One goes completely cuckoo': Scientists get high on penguin poo

IN THE PRESS , May 21 : A US study has found that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if lockdown measures had begun even just days earlier .
Meanwhile , the Navajo Nation has surpassed New York in the number of coronavirus cases per capita .
We also head to Antarctica , where green algae blooms are spreading and penguin poop is emitting laughing gas .
Finally , from `` antivax '' to `` coolitude '' , some of the new words being added to France 's Larousse dictionary .
When it comes to stopping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts .
Disease modellers at Columbia University in New York have found that if US cities had begun social distancing just a week earlier , some 36,000 lives would have been saved .
The report , on the front page of today ’ s New York Times , warns that outbreaks could spin out of control as states reopen unless the process is closely monitored by authorities .
Earlier this week , the Navajo Nation surpassed New York in the number of virus cases per capital .
In the Native American territory , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Mexico , 2.3 percent of the population has contracted coronavirus compared to 1.8 percent of the population in New York .
The situation has become so worrisome that France 's Doctors Without Borders ( Médecins Sans frontières ) sent a team to the reservation earlier this month , a rare intervention within the United States .
In Antarctica , British researchers have found that the vast white peninsula is slowly turning green due to algae blooms .
The green patches can be seen even from space .
While it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have on climate change , scientists believe that the algae will continue to thrive as global warming increases .
There is another substance in Antarctica that is producing a greenhouse gas – penguin poop .
The nitrogen in the faeces combines with soil to produce nitrous oxide .
It ’ s a greenhouse gas but it ’ s best known as “ laughing gas ” – the kind that ’ s administered by a dentist .
Danish researchers studying the substance said that , “ after nosing about in guano for several hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And lastly , France has some new words in its vocabulary .
The Larousse dictionary has revealed a list of words that will be added to its next edition .
They include “ féminicide ” ( or femicide ) , `` antivax '' , `` hipstérisation '' and `` gréviculture '' ( a cultural tendency to go on strike , `` almost systematically '' ) .
For the full list see this week ’ s issue of Le Point magazine .

IN THE PRESS, May 21: A US study has found that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if lockdown measures had begun even just days earlier. Meanwhile, the Navajo Nation has surpassed New York in the number of coronavirus cases per capita. We also head to Antarctica, where green algae blooms are spreading and penguin poop is emitting laughing gas. Finally, from "antivax" to "coolitude", some of the new words being added to France's Larousse dictionary.
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When it comes to stopping the spread of Covid-19, every single day counts. Disease modellers at Columbia University in New York have found that if US cities had begun social distancing just a week earlier, some 36,000 lives would have been saved. The report, on the front page of today’s New York Times, warns that outbreaks could spin out of control as states reopen unless the process is closely monitored by authorities.
Earlier this week, the Navajo Nation surpassed New York in the number of virus cases per capital. In the Native American territory, which covers parts of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, 2.3 percent of the population has contracted coronavirus compared to 1.8 percent of the population in New York. The situation has become so worrisome that France's Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans frontières) sent a team to the reservation earlier this month, a rare intervention within the United States.
In Antarctica, British researchers have found that the vast white peninsula is slowly turning green due to algae blooms. The green patches can be seen even from space. While it’s still uncertain what impact the algae could have on climate change, scientists believe that the algae will continue to thrive as global warming increases.
There is another substance in Antarctica that is producing a greenhouse gas – penguin poop. The nitrogen in the faeces combines with soil to produce nitrous oxide. It’s a greenhouse gas but it’s best known as “laughing gas” – the kind that’s administered by a dentist. Danish researchers studying the substance said that, “after nosing about in guano for several hours, one goes completely cuckoo”.
And lastly, France has some new words in its vocabulary. The Larousse dictionary has revealed a list of words that will be added to its next edition. They include “féminicide” (or femicide), "antivax", "hipstérisation" and "gréviculture" (a cultural tendency to go on strike, "almost systematically"). For the full list see this week’s issue of Le Point magazine.
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france24--2020-05-21--Actress Duarte resigns as Brazil culture secretary in latest blow to Bolsonaro cabinet

Brazilian actress Regina Duarte , seen posing with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro after she agreed to be Brazil 's culture minister in January 2020 , has resigned .
Actress Regina Duarte resigned from her post as Brazil 's culture secretary on Wednesday , becoming the fourth high-profile figure to leave far-right President Jair Bolsonaro 's cabinet in just over a month .
Actress Regina Duarte resigned from her post as Brazil 's culture secretary on Wednesday , becoming the fourth high-profile figure to leave far-right President Jair Bolsonaro 's cabinet in just over a month .
Media reports said Duarte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' for a lifetime of roles on famous telenovelas , had clashed with Bolsonaro over the president 's calls to root out supposed left-wing bias among her staff .
But the pair were all smiles as they announced her departure in a video posted on Twitter .
`` Mr President , are you giving me the boot ? ''
she asked him jokingly outside the presidential palace .
`` I would never do that , '' he said .
Duarte said she was leaving to take over Brazil 's national film archives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
She is the fifth head of culture under Bolsonaro , who downgraded the portfolio from a ministry to a secretariat .
Her predecessor , theater director Roberto Alvim , was forced to resign in January after he paraphrased a speech by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels .
Bolsonaro has lost a series of top cabinet members in recent weeks .
They include popular justice minister Sergio Moro , who quit after accusing Bolsonaro of `` political interference '' in federal police investigations , leading to a potentially explosive probe into whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also gone through two health ministers in less than a month in the middle of the coronavirus crisis .
The president , who downplays the virus as a `` little flu '' and warns stay-at-home measures will wreck the economy , reportedly clashed with both former health ministers over how to respond to the pandemic , which has now claimed nearly 18,000 lives in Brazil .

Actress Regina Duarte resigned from her post as Brazil's culture secretary on Wednesday, becoming the fourth high-profile figure to leave far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's cabinet in just over a month.
Brazilian actress Regina Duarte, seen posing with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro after she agreed to be Brazil's culture minister in January 2020, has resigned.
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Actress Regina Duarte resigned from her post as Brazil's culture secretary on Wednesday, becoming the fourth high-profile figure to leave far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's cabinet in just over a month.
Media reports said Duarte, known as "Brazil's Sweetheart" for a lifetime of roles on famous telenovelas, had clashed with Bolsonaro over the president's calls to root out supposed left-wing bias among her staff.
But the pair were all smiles as they announced her departure in a video posted on Twitter.
"Mr President, are you giving me the boot?" she asked him jokingly outside the presidential palace.
"I would never do that," he said.
Duarte said she was leaving to take over Brazil's national film archives in Sao Paulo and be closer to her family.
She is the fifth head of culture under Bolsonaro, who downgraded the portfolio from a ministry to a secretariat.
Her predecessor, theater director Roberto Alvim, was forced to resign in January after he paraphrased a speech by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
Bolsonaro has lost a series of top cabinet members in recent weeks.
They include popular justice minister Sergio Moro, who quit after accusing Bolsonaro of "political interference" in federal police investigations, leading to a potentially explosive probe into whether the president obstructed justice.
Bolsonaro has also gone through two health ministers in less than a month in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.
The president, who downplays the virus as a "little flu" and warns stay-at-home measures will wreck the economy, reportedly clashed with both former health ministers over how to respond to the pandemic, which has now claimed nearly 18,000 lives in Brazil.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-21--US man who filmed fatal shooting of black jogger is charged with murder

Demonstrators at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick , Georgia , on May 8 , 2020 , protest the killing in February of Ahmaud Arbery , an unarmed young black man shot after being chased by a white former police officer and his son .
The Georgia man who filmed cellphone video of Ahmaud Arbery ’ s fatal shooting was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in his death .
The man who videotaped the slaying of an unarmed black man who was gunned down as he jogged in a suburban neighborhood in Georgia was arrested on Thursday as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the racially charged case .
William `` Roddie '' Bryan , Jr. , 50 , of Brunswick , Georgia , was charged with felony murder and attempt to commit false imprisonment of Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , in February , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a short statement .
Bryan had come forward as the man who recorded a video of the slaying that went viral , drawing outrage over the death from celebrities and activists .
Two other suspects , former police officer George McMichael , 64 , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each charged with aggravated assault and felony murder , by the GBI on May 7 .
The McMichaels told police they believed they were chasing a burglary suspect in their coastal , south Georgia neighborhood and had tried to make a citizen 's arrest .
The McMichaels were arrested about 10 weeks after Arbery was shot on Feb. 23 , and just a few days after the video was posted on the Internet .
After a national outcry , a local prosecutor asked the GBI to step in .
Bryan had told police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney previously told the media .
The case is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and activists are calling for federal hate crime charges to also be brought against the suspects .
The McMichaels are being held in the Glynn County jail without bond .
There was no immediate information on bond for Bryan , whose attorney could not be immediately reached for comment .

The Georgia man who filmed cellphone video of Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in his death.
Supporters of the Georgia NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) wearing protective masks protest after the death in February of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed young black man who was shot after being chased by a white former law enforcement officer and his son, at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Georgia, U.S. on May 8, 2020.
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The man who videotaped the slaying of an unarmed black man who was gunned down as he jogged in a suburban neighborhood in Georgia was arrested on Thursday as the third white suspect accused of murder in the racially charged case.
William "Roddie" Bryan, Jr., 50, of Brunswick, Georgia, was charged with felony murder and attempt to commit false imprisonment of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, in February, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a short statement.
Bryan had come forward as the man who recorded a video of the slaying that went viral, drawing outrage over the death from celebrities and activists.
Two other suspects, former police officer George McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were each charged with aggravated assault and felony murder, by the GBI on May 7.
The McMichaels told police they believed they were chasing a burglary suspect in their coastal, south Georgia neighborhood and had tried to make a citizen's arrest.
National outcry
The McMichaels were arrested about 10 weeks after Arbery was shot on Feb. 23, and just a few days after the video was posted on the Internet. After a national outcry, a local prosecutor asked the GBI to step in.
Bryan had told police that he was a bystander, his attorney previously told the media.
The case is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and activists are calling for federal hate crime charges to also be brought against the suspects.
The McMichaels are being held in the Glynn County jail without bond. There was no immediate information on bond for Bryan, whose attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--US to withdraw from Open Skies accord in Trump's latest treaty pullout

The Trump administration says it is leaving the treaty because of Russian violations .
The United States announced its intention on Thursday to withdraw from the 35-nation Open Skies treaty allowing unarmed surveillance flights over member countries , the Trump administration ’ s latest move to pull the country out of a major global treaty .
The administration said Russia has repeatedly violated the pact ’ s terms .
Senior officials said the pullout will formally take place in six months , based on the treaty ’ s withdrawal terms .
“ I think we have a very good relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t adhere to the treaty .
So until they adhere we will pull out , ” US President Donald Trump told reporters .
He said there was a “ very good chance we ’ ll make a new agreement or do something to put that agreement back together.
” NATO allies and other countries such as Ukraine have pressed Washington to remain in the treaty , and Trump ’ s decision could aggravate tensions within the alliance .
The administration also pulled the United States out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking on condition of anonymity to a small group of reporters , said the decision followed a six-month review that found multiple instances of Russian refusal to comply with the treaty .
“ During the course of this review it has become abundantly clear that it is no longer in America ’ s interests to remain a party to the Open Skies treaty , ” said one of the officials .
One administration official said extensive discussions were held with US allies leading up to the decision but ultimately Washington decided “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in it .
At the same time , the official said US officials had begun talks in recent days with Russian officials about a new round of nuclear arms negotiations to “ begin crafting the next generation of nuclear arms control measures.
” “ The United States is committed to arms control .
We are committed to European security .
And we are committed to a future that puts meaningful constraints on nuclear weapons , ” the official said .
The Open Skies treaty , proposed by US President Dwight Eisenhower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and took effect in 2002 .
The idea is to let member nations make surveillance flights over each other ’ s countries to build trust .
The officials cited a years-long effort by Russia to violate the terms , such as by restricting US overflights of Russia neighbor Georgia and its military enclave in Kaliningrad .
In addition , they said Russia has been using its own overflights of American and European territory to identify critical US infrastructure for potential attack in a time of war .
Some experts worry that a US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halt Russian overflights of the United States , could prompt Moscow ’ s withdrawal , which would end overflights of Russia by the remaining members , weakening European security at a time that Russian-backed separatists are holding parts of Ukraine and Georgia .
Trump ’ s decision to leave the treaty is “ premature and irresponsible , ” said Daryl Kimball , the head of the Arms Control Association .
The 35 state parties to the Open Skies treaty are : Belarus , Belgium , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Canada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( including Greenland ) , Estonia , Finland , France , Georgia , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Italy , Kazakhstan , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Romania , the Russian Federation , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , Turkey , Ukraine , the United Kingdom , and the United States .

The United States announced its intention on Thursday to withdraw from the 35-nation Open Skies Treaty allowing unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, the Trump administration’s latest move to pull the country out of a major global treaty.
The Trump administration says the US is withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty because of Russian violations.
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The administration said Russia had repeatedly violated the pact's terms. Senior officials said the pullout would formally take place in six months, but President Donald Trump held out the possibility that Russia could come into compliance.
"I think we have a very good relationship with Russia. But Russia didn't adhere to the treaty. So until they adhere, we will pull out," Trump told reporters.
His decision deepens doubts about whether Washington will seek to extend the 2010 New START accord, which imposes the last remaining limits on US and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear arms to no more than 1,550 each. It expires in February.
General Hayden sums up our withdrawal from Open Skies. https://t.co/oaiWKh9FsT — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 21, 2020
Trump has repeatedly called for China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace New START. China, estimated to have about 300 nuclear weapons, has repeatedly rejected Trump's proposal.
White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told Fox News Channel later on Thursday that he did not expect the United States to leave the New START accord.
NATO allies and other countries like Ukraine had pressed Washington not to leave the Open Skies Treaty, whose unarmed overflights are aimed at bolstering confidence among members and providing them forewarning of surprise military attacks.
In Moscow, RIA state news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying that Russia had not violated the treaty and nothing prevented the continuation of talks on technical issues that Washington calls violations.
The Open Skies decision followed a six-month review in which officials found multiple instances of Russian refusal to comply with the treaty.
Last year, the administration pulled the United States out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia.
A senior administration source said US officials had begun talks in recent days with Russian officials about a new round of nuclear arms negotiations to "begin crafting the next generation of nuclear arms control measures".
Concern that US withdrawal could prompt Russian exit
Trump's arms control negotiator mounted a full-blown defence of the administration's arms control policies, focusing on the president's proposal that China join the United States and Russia on a replacement for New START.
"We know how to win these races and we know how to spend the adversary into oblivion. If we have to, we will, but we sure would like to avoid it," Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea told the Hudson Institute think tank.
Administration officials cited a years-long effort by Russia to violate the terms, such as by restricting US overflights of Russia's neighbor Georgia and the Russian military enclave in Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast.
In addition, they said Russia had been using its own overflights of American and European territory to identify critical US infrastructure for potential attack in time of war.
Some experts worry that a US exit from the treaty, which will halt Russian overflights of the United States, could prompt Moscow's withdrawal, which would end overflights of Russia by the remaining members, weakening European security at a time that Russian-backed separatists are holding parts of Ukraine and Georgia.
Trump's decision to leave the treaty is "premature and irresponsible," said Daryl Kimball, head of the Washington-based Arms Control Association.
The Open Skies Treaty, proposed by US President Dwight Eisenhower in 1955, was signed in 1992 and took effect in 2002.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--Scores dead after Cyclone Amphan tears through India and Bangladesh

Flooded houses after a dam broke from Cyclone Amphan in Shyamnagar on May 21 , 2020 .
The most powerful cyclone to strike eastern India and Bangladesh in over a decade killed at least 95 people , officials said , as rescue teams scoured devastated coastal villages on Thursday , hampered by torn down power lines and widespread flooding .
Mass evacuations before Cyclone Amphan made landfall undoubtedly saved countless lives , but the full extent of the casualties and damage will only be known once communications are restored , officials said .
In the Indian state of West Bengal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 72 people had perished — most of them either electrocuted or killed by trees uprooted by winds gusting up to 185 km per hour ( 115 mph ) .
She said the storm had carved a 400-km long swathe through the state and announced a 10 billion rupee ( $ 130 million ) emergency fund to rebuild roads , water and health systems .
`` These areas have been devastated , '' she said .
Twenty-three people have died in neighbouring Bangladesh , according to the official death toll .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life .
It seemed like the end of the world , '' said Azgar Ali , 49 , a resident of Satkhira district on the Bangladeshi coast .
`` All I could do was to pray ... Almighty Allah saved us . ''
When the cyclone barrelled in from the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday , a storm surge of around five metres caused flooding across low-lying coastal areas .
Television footage showed people wading through knee-deep water and buses that had been smashed into each other .
Villagers could be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fishermen hauling their boats out of a choppy sea , and uprooted trees lying strewn across the countryside .
`` Have been seeing visuals from West Bengal on the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan , '' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted .
`` In this challenging hour , the entire nation stands in solidarity with West Bengal . ''
Designated a super cyclone , Amphan weakened after making landfall .
Moving inland through Bangladesh , it was downgraded to a cyclonic storm by the Indian weather office , and it was expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Low-lying Bangladesh has a history of cyclones , but even by those standards Amphan was powerful , said Mostak Hussain , humanitarian director for Save the Children in Bangladesh .
`` We ’ ve received reports that more than 5 million people were disconnected from the electricity grid for their own safety as winds of 150 kph smashed into power lines , destroying homes and uprooting trees , '' he said .
Concern was also growing over flooding in the Sundarbans , an ecologically fragile region straddling the Indian-Bangladesh border , best known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserve .
`` The tidal surge submerged part of the forest , '' said Belayet Hossain , a forest official on the Bangladeshi side .
`` We have seen trees uprooted , the tin roofs of the guard towers blown off . ''
On the Indian side , village official Sanjib Sagar said embankments protecting a low-lying island where some 5,000 people live had been washed away , and he had been unable to contact authorities for help .
Authorities in both countries managed to evacuate more than 3 million people to storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort was focused on communities that lay directly in the cyclone 's path , leaving villages on the flanks still vulnerable .
The two countries are already battling to stop the spread of the coronavirus , and some evacuees were initially reluctant to leave home for fear of infection in packed storm shelters .


france24--2020-05-21--France's daily Covid-19 toll drops below 100 as hospitalisations continue to fall

A nurse treats a patient at a hospital in Mamoudzou in Mayotte , on May 21 , 2020 .
French health authorities reported 83 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday , an increase of 0.3 % over 24 hours , bringing the total number of fatalities in hospitals and nursing homes to 28,215 .
Thursday 's tally marked a further decrease after the 110 deaths reported a day earlier .
The health ministry said the number of people in hospitals with Covid-19 fell to 17,583 from 17,941 on Wednesday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 1,745 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicators for the French health system ’ s ability to cope with the pandemic — have been on a downtrend for five weeks and peaked at more than 32,000 and more than 7,000 respectively in early to mid-April .
Geneviève Chêne , head of health authority Santé Publique France ( SPF ) , said there were no signs the pandemic was picking up , despite some new infection clusters , after France began emerging cautiously from lockdown on May 11 .
But she said another week would be needed for a more complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Thursday , health authorities reported an additional 318 known infections , an increase of 0.2 % over 24 hours .
The indicator is being closely watched by the government to ensure the gradual relaxation of lockdown measures does not trigger a feared second wave of the disease .
During the last two weeks of the lockdown , the daily rise in the number of confirmed cases had averaged 0.8 % .

French health authorities reported 83 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, an increase of 0.3% over 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities in hospitals and nursing homes to 28,215.
A nurse treats a patient at a hospital in Mamoudzou in Mayotte, on May 21, 2020.
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Thursday's tally marked a further decrease after the 110 deaths reported a day earlier.
The health ministry said the number of people in hospitals with Covid-19 fell to 17,583 from 17,941 on Wednesday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 1,745 from 1,794.
Both numbers — key indicators for the French health system’s ability to cope with the pandemic — have been on a downtrend for five weeks and peaked at more than 32,000 and more than 7,000 respectively in early to mid-April.
Geneviève Chêne, head of health authority Santé Publique France (SPF), said there were no signs the pandemic was picking up, despite some new infection clusters, after France began emerging cautiously from lockdown on May 11.
But she said another week would be needed for a more complete picture of the impact of easing restrictions.
On Thursday, health authorities reported an additional 318 known infections, an increase of 0.2% over 24 hours.
The indicator is being closely watched by the government to ensure the gradual relaxation of lockdown measures does not trigger a feared second wave of the disease.
During the last two weeks of the lockdown, the daily rise in the number of confirmed cases had averaged 0.8%.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--French Finance Minister Le Maire balks at signing €5 billion Renault bailout loan

French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire at the Elysee presidential palace on April 24 , 2020 .
France 's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he has not signed off on a 5 billion euro ( $ 5.47 billion ) state-guaranteed loan to help Renault cope with the fallout from the coronavirus , and that discussions continued .
Le Maire told newspaper Le Figaro that the government was seeking commitments from carmakers in three areas in return for help : electric vehicles ; the fair treatment of sub-contractors ; and that they base hi-tech activities in France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survival , '' Le Maire said in the interview published late on Thursday .
`` I have n't yet signed the loan . ''
Sources told Reuters on Monday that Renault had reached an agreement on the loan with banks and that it should be submitted to the board of directors soon , before being formally approved by the finance ministry .
Le Maire said France 's response to the worst depression since World War Two totalled 450 billion euros in aid and state guarantees - 20 % of France 's annual national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone 's second-biggest economy will shrink at least 8 % this year .
Its budget deficit is set to hit a post-war record of 9 % of economic output this year .
The European Union has granted member countries all the fiscal leeway they need to deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus , enabling governments to open the spending taps and wave aside EU budget rules that limit government borrowing .
There is no time limit set in the flexibility clause allowing this .
Nonetheless , Le Maire said he hoped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Nothing would be worse than reviving the economic machine while applying the brake on public spending , '' he said .

France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he has not signed off on a 5 billion euro ($5.47 billion) state-guaranteed loan to help Renault cope with the fallout from the coronavirus, and that discussions continued.
French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire at the Elysee presidential palace on April 24, 2020.
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Le Maire told newspaper Le Figaro that the government was seeking commitments from carmakers in three areas in return for help: electric vehicles; the fair treatment of sub-contractors; and that they base hi-tech activities in France.
"Renault is fighting for its survival," Le Maire said in the interview published late on Thursday. "I haven't yet signed the loan."
Sources told Reuters on Monday that Renault had reached an agreement on the loan with banks and that it should be submitted to the board of directors soon, before being formally approved by the finance ministry.
Le Maire said France's response to the worst depression since World War Two totalled 450 billion euros in aid and state guarantees - 20% of France's annual national output.
France forecasts at least 8 percent economic contraction
The government forecasts the euro zone's second-biggest economy will shrink at least 8% this year. Its budget deficit is set to hit a post-war record of 9% of economic output this year.
The European Union has granted member countries all the fiscal leeway they need to deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus, enabling governments to open the spending taps and wave aside EU budget rules that limit government borrowing.
There is no time limit set in the flexibility clause allowing this. Nonetheless, Le Maire said he hoped the rules would remain suspended in 2021.
"Nothing would be worse than reviving the economic machine while applying the brake on public spending," he said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--China plans controversial security law in response to Hong Kong unrest

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the Chinese People 's Political Consultative Conference ( CPPCC ) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 21 , 2020 .
China will propose national security laws for Hong Kong in response to last year ’ s often violent pro-democracy protests that plunged the city into its deepest turmoil since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 , state news agency Xinhua said .
The report confirmed what three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters .
Xinhua said a preparatory meeting for a Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an item to review a bill “ on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security ” .
The South China Morning Post newspaper , citing unnamed sources , said the laws would ban secession , foreign interference , terrorism and all seditious activities aimed at toppling the central government and any external interference in the former British colony .
The legislation , which could be introduced as a motion to China ’ s parliament , could be a turning point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , potentially triggering a revision of its special status in Washington and likely to spark more unrest .
Online posts have already emerged urging people to gather to protest on Thursday night and dozens were seen shouting pro-democracy slogans in a shopping mall as riot police stood nearby .
Hong Kong people took to the streets last year , sometimes in their millions , to protest a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions of criminal suspects to mainland China .
The movement broadened to include demands for broader democracy amid perceptions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city .
“ If Beijing passes the law ... how ( far ) will civil society resist repressive laws ?
How much impact will it unleash onto Hong Kong as an international financial centre ?
” said Ming Sing , political scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology .
The Hong Kong dollar weakened on the news .
The technical details of the proposals remain unclear but an announcement will be made in Beijing later on Thursday , one senior Hong Kong government source said .
China ’ s parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is due to begin its annual session on Friday , after being delayed for months by the coronavirus .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on May 6 he was delaying the report assessing whether Hong Kong was sufficiently autonomous to warrant Washington ’ s special economic treatment that has helped it remain a world financial centre .
The delay was to account for any actions at the National People ’ s Congress , he said .
Tension between the two superpowers has heightened in recent weeks , as they exchanged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , souring an already worsening relationship over trade .
A previous attempt by Hong Kong to introduce national security legislation , known as Article 23 , in 2003 was met with mass peaceful protests and shelved .
Hong Kong has a constitutional obligation to enact Article 23 “ on its own ” , but similar laws can be introduced by Beijing separately into an annex of the Basic Law , the city ’ s mini-constitution .
That legal mechanism could bypass the city ’ s legislature as the laws could be imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Beijing government .
“ Some people are destroying Hong Kong ’ s peace and stability .
Beijing saw all that has happened , ” pro-establishment lawmaker Christopher Cheung , who is not part of discussions in Beijing , told Reuters .
“ Legislation is necessary and the sooner the better.
” National security legislation has been strongly opposed by pro-democracy protesters who argue it could erode the city ’ s freedoms and high degree of autonomy , guaranteed under the “ one country , two systems ” formula put in place when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western diplomat , who declined to be identified , said the imposition of such laws from China , without any local legislative process , would hurt international perceptions about the city and its economy .
Protesters denounce what they see as the creeping meddling in Hong Kong by China ’ s Communist Party rulers .
Beijing denies the charge and blames the West , especially the United States and Britain , for stirring up trouble .

China will propose national security laws for Hong Kong in response to last year’s often violent pro-democracy protests that plunged the city into its deepest turmoil since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, state news agency Xinhua said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 21, 2020.
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The report confirmed what three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Xinhua said a preparatory meeting for a Chinese parliament session adopted an agenda that included an item to review a bill “on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security”.
The South China Morning Post newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said the laws would ban secession, foreign interference, terrorism and all seditious activities aimed at toppling the central government and any external interference in the former British colony.
The legislation, which could be introduced as a motion to China’s parliament, could be a turning point for its freest and most international city, potentially triggering a revision of its special status in Washington and likely to spark more unrest.
01:32
Online posts have already emerged urging people to gather to protest on Thursday night and dozens were seen shouting pro-democracy slogans in a shopping mall as riot police stood nearby.
Hong Kong people took to the streets last year, sometimes in their millions, to protest a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions of criminal suspects to mainland China.
The movement broadened to include demands for broader democracy amid perceptions that Beijing was tightening its grip over the city. “If Beijing passes the law ... how (far) will civil society resist repressive laws? How much impact will it unleash onto Hong Kong as an international financial centre?” said Ming Sing, political scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
The Hong Kong dollar weakened on the news. The technical details of the proposals remain unclear but an announcement will be made in Beijing later on Thursday, one senior Hong Kong government source said. China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress, is due to begin its annual session on Friday, after being delayed for months by the coronavirus.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on May 6 he was delaying the report assessing whether Hong Kong was sufficiently autonomous to warrant Washington’s special economic treatment that has helped it remain a world financial centre. The delay was to account for any actions at the National People’s Congress, he said.
Tension between the two superpowers has heightened in recent weeks, as they exchanged accusations on the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, souring an already worsening relationship over trade.
Bypass mechanism
A previous attempt by Hong Kong to introduce national security legislation, known as Article 23, in 2003 was met with mass peaceful protests and shelved.
Hong Kong has a constitutional obligation to enact Article 23 “on its own”, but similar laws can be introduced by Beijing separately into an annex of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.
That legal mechanism could bypass the city’s legislature as the laws could be imposed by promulgation by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government.
“Some people are destroying Hong Kong’s peace and stability. Beijing saw all that has happened,” pro-establishment lawmaker Christopher Cheung, who is not part of discussions in Beijing, told Reuters.
“Legislation is necessary and the sooner the better.” National security legislation has been strongly opposed by pro-democracy protesters who argue it could erode the city’s freedoms and high degree of autonomy, guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” formula put in place when it returned to Chinese rule.
A senior Western diplomat, who declined to be identified, said the imposition of such laws from China, without any local legislative process, would hurt international perceptions about the city and its economy.
Protesters denounce what they see as the creeping meddling in Hong Kong by China’s Communist Party rulers. Beijing denies the charge and blames the West, especially the United States and Britain, for stirring up trouble.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-21--Covid-19: Neglected by government, Amazon tribes turn to traditional medicine

A member of the Sateré Mawé collects ingredients for traditional medicine in the Amazon rain forest on May 17,2020 .
With the Covid-19 pandemic taking a heavy toll on Brazil ’ s Amazonas state , some Amazon tribes are turning to traditional medicine to treat the illness amid what they say is a lack of help from the country ’ s government .
Using ingredients including tree bark , mango peel mint and honey , as well as knowledge passed down through generations , members of the Sateré Mawé say their concoctions are effective against the virus .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been experiencing with homemade remedies , ” community leader André Sateré Mawé told AFP .
“ Thanks to knowledge passed over generations , each member of the community has gathered an understanding of remedies .
We have been experimenting , each remedy fights a symptom of the disease . ''
But they also say they have little choice but to turn to traditional medicine .
`` It seems that the government chooses who to attend to and they leave us without attention .
We have learnt to manage ourselves .
We have learnt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community leader .
Amazonas is one of the states most affected by the pandemic in Brazil with 22,132 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,491 deaths , according to official figures , overwhelming hospitals in the state ’ s capital Manaus .
Local officials and NGOs have warned that indigenous tribes are particularly at risk due to a lack of health services in remote areas , while the government of Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of doing little to help .
On Tuesday the mayor of Manaus , Arthur Virgilio Neto , warned of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as a result of government inaction .
`` I fear genocide and I want to denounce this thing to the whole world .
We have here a government that does not care about the lives of indigenous people , ” he said .

With the Covid-19 pandemic taking a heavy toll on Brazil’s Amazonas state, some Amazon tribes are turning to traditional medicine to treat the illness amid what they say is a lack of help from the country’s government.
A member of the Sateré Mawé collects ingredients for traditional medicine in the Amazon rain forest on May 17,2020.
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Using ingredients including tree bark, mango peel mint and honey, as well as knowledge passed down through generations, members of the Sateré Mawé say their concoctions are effective against the virus.
"We have treated all the symptoms we have been experiencing with homemade remedies,” community leader André Sateré Mawé told AFP.
“Thanks to knowledge passed over generations, each member of the community has gathered an understanding of remedies. We have been experimenting, each remedy fights a symptom of the disease."
But they also say they have little choice but to turn to traditional medicine.
"It seems that the government chooses who to attend to and they leave us without attention. We have learnt to manage ourselves. We have learnt to fight alone,” said the community leader.
Amazonas is one of the states most affected by the pandemic in Brazil with 22,132 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,491 deaths, according to official figures, overwhelming hospitals in the state’s capital Manaus.
Local officials and NGOs have warned that indigenous tribes are particularly at risk due to a lack of health services in remote areas, while the government of Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of doing little to help.
On Tuesday the mayor of Manaus, Arthur Virgilio Neto, warned of an impending “genocide” of indigenous people as a result of government inaction.
"I fear genocide and I want to denounce this thing to the whole world. We have here a government that does not care about the lives of indigenous people,” he said.
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france24--2020-05-21--Italy’s Covid-19 death toll ‘could be 19,000 higher than reported’

A woman touches the tombstone of a relative at the Monumental Cemetery of Bergamo , the Italian city hit hardest by Covid-19 , a day after it reopened on May 19 , 2020 .
Italy ’ s death toll from the novel coronavirus in March and April could be nearly 19,000 higher than the official figure of 32,000 , the national social security agency said Thursday .
The Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale ( INPS ) , the largest social security and welfare institute in Italy , said in a new study that the official death figures were not “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 156,42 total deaths were recorded in Italy in March and April , which is 46,909 higher than the average number of fatalities in those months recorded between 2015 and 2019 .
But only 27,938 deaths linked to coronavirus were reported during that period by the Civil Protection Agency , whose toll forms the basis of national statistics , the INPS said .
That meant there were 18,971 more deaths than normal during this period , with the vast majority of 18,412 recorded in the coronavirus-ravaged north of the country .
“ Given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite stable in these times , we can — with necessary caution — attribute a large portion of these deaths during these past two months to the epidemic , ” the INPS said .
It added that the increase in deaths was likely not only due to the disease , but from people suffering from other illnesses unable to get healthcare due to hospitals being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic .
As of Friday , the pandemic has claimed 32,486 deaths in Italy , of which 26,715 have been in Lombardy alone — @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Italy’s death toll from the novel coronavirus in March and April could be nearly 19,000 higher than the official figure of 32,000, the national social security agency said Thursday.
A woman touches the tombstone of a relative at the Monumental Cemetery of Bergamo, the Italian city hit hardest by Covid-19, a day after it reopened on May 19, 2020.
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The Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS), the largest social security and welfare institute in Italy, said in a new study that the official death figures were not “reliable”.
Its study showed that 156,42 total deaths were recorded in Italy in March and April, which is 46,909 higher than the average number of fatalities in those months recorded between 2015 and 2019.
But only 27,938 deaths linked to coronavirus were reported during that period by the Civil Protection Agency, whose toll forms the basis of national statistics, the INPS said.
That meant there were 18,971 more deaths than normal during this period, with the vast majority of 18,412 recorded in the coronavirus-ravaged north of the country.
“Given the fact that the number of deaths is quite stable in these times, we can — with necessary caution — attribute a large portion of these deaths during these past two months to the epidemic,” the INPS said.
>> ‘Never give up’: volunteers raise hospital, and spirits, in Italy's virus-wracked Bergamo
It added that the increase in deaths was likely not only due to the disease, but from people suffering from other illnesses unable to get healthcare due to hospitals being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Friday, the pandemic has claimed 32,486 deaths in Italy, of which 26,715 have been in Lombardy alone — Europe’s worst affected region.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-21--Doctors Without Borders warns of Covid-19 'catastrophe' in war-torn Yemen

A coronavirus “ catastrophe ” is unfolding in Yemen , medical charity Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) said on Thursday , warning that many of those infected with Covid-19 in the war-torn country never even make it to hospital .
The charity 's main facility in the southern Yemeni city of Aden admitted 173 patients between April 30 and May 17 , of whom at least 68 have died , Doctors Without Borders , also known by its French acronym MSF , said in a statement .
“ What we are seeing in our treatment center is just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of people infected and dying in the city , ” said Caroline Seguin , the group ’ s operations manager for Yemen .
“ People are coming to us too late to save , and we know that many more people are not coming at all : they are just dying at home , ” she added .
Yemen 's UN-recognised government based in the south has confirmed 180 cases nationwide , with just 29 fatalities .
However , the government tally does not include confirmed cases in the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of Houthi rebels backed by Iran .
The Houthis are believed to be concealing the magnitude of the coronavirus outbreak by suppressing numbers and intimidating journalists and doctors who might leak any information .
So far , they have reported just four cases , including the death of one Somali migrant .
The Houthis took control of Yemen ’ s north and captured the capital Sanaa in 2014 , forcing the UN-recognised government there to flee to Aden .
Since 2015 , a Saudi-led coalition of mostly Arab countries has been battling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi .
Victims 'much younger ' than in the West The increase in suspected coronavirus cases in Yemen is sounding alarms throughout the global health community , which fears the virus will spread like wildfire among some of the world ’ s most vulnerable populations .
The World Health Organization says its models suggest that , under some scenarios , half of Yemen ’ s population of 30 million could be infected with the virus and more than 40,000 could die .
Half of Yemen ’ s health facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s 333 districts have no doctors .
Water and sanitation systems have collapsed .
Many families can barely afford one meal a day .
“ The high level of mortality we are seeing amongst our patients is equivalent to those of intensive care units in Europe , but the people we see dying are much younger than in France or Italy : mostly men between 40 and 60 years old , ” said Seguin of MSF .
The war in Yemen has killed more than 100,000 people , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which tracks violence reports in Yemen .
The war has also created the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
In Iran , meanwhile , a report carried by semi-official news agencies , including ISNA , on Thursday said that more than 10,000 of the country ’ s health care workers have been infected with the coronavirus .
The report cited Deputy Health Minister Qassem Janbabaei , who did not elaborate .
Reports earlier in the week had put the number of infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran says more than 100 of those workers have died .
Iran on Thursday put the total number of dead from the virus at 7,249 , or 66 more than Wednesday .
Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said there were more than 129,000 confirmed cases of the virus , including 2,392 more than Wednesday .
Iran has the highest number of casualties from the disease in the region .

A coronavirus “catastrophe” is unfolding in Yemen, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday, warning that many of those infected with Covid-19 in the war-torn country never even make it to hospital.
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The charity's main facility in the southern Yemeni city of Aden admitted 173 patients between April 30 and May 17, of whom at least 68 have died, Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, said in a statement.
“What we are seeing in our treatment center is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the number of people infected and dying in the city,” said Caroline Seguin, the group’s operations manager for Yemen. “People are coming to us too late to save, and we know that many more people are not coming at all: they are just dying at home,” she added.
Yemen's UN-recognised government based in the south has confirmed 180 cases nationwide, with just 29 fatalities. However, the government tally does not include confirmed cases in the country’s north, which is under the control of Houthi rebels backed by Iran.
The Houthis are believed to be concealing the magnitude of the coronavirus outbreak by suppressing numbers and intimidating journalists and doctors who might leak any information. So far, they have reported just four cases, including the death of one Somali migrant.
The Houthis took control of Yemen’s north and captured the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing the UN-recognised government there to flee to Aden. Since 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of mostly Arab countries has been battling the Houthi rebels to reinstate the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Victims 'much younger' than in the West
The increase in suspected coronavirus cases in Yemen is sounding alarms throughout the global health community, which fears the virus will spread like wildfire among some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The World Health Organization says its models suggest that, under some scenarios, half of Yemen’s population of 30 million could be infected with the virus and more than 40,000 could die.
Half of Yemen’s health facilities are dysfunctional and 18% of the country’s 333 districts have no doctors. Water and sanitation systems have collapsed. Many families can barely afford one meal a day.
“The high level of mortality we are seeing amongst our patients is equivalent to those of intensive care units in Europe, but the people we see dying are much younger than in France or Italy: mostly men between 40 and 60 years old,” said Seguin of MSF.
The war in Yemen has killed more than 100,000 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, which tracks violence reports in Yemen. The war has also created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages.
Infections among Iran health workers soar
In Iran, meanwhile, a report carried by semi-official news agencies, including ISNA, on Thursday said that more than 10,000 of the country’s health care workers have been infected with the coronavirus.
The report cited Deputy Health Minister Qassem Janbabaei, who did not elaborate. Reports earlier in the week had put the number of infected health care workers at only 800. Iran says more than 100 of those workers have died.
Iran on Thursday put the total number of dead from the virus at 7,249, or 66 more than Wednesday. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said there were more than 129,000 confirmed cases of the virus, including 2,392 more than Wednesday.
Iran has the highest number of casualties from the disease in the region.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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