france24--2020-04-28--Clashes in Lebanon over price hikes turn deadly

A Lebanese demonstrator gestures to a Lebanese soldier , during a protest against the collapsing Lebanese pound currency and the price hikes , in Zouk , north of Beirut , Lebanon April 27 , 2020 .
Anger over the crash of Lebanon 's national currency that sent food prices soaring boiled over into street violence overnight in the northern city of Tripoli , where a man wounded in clashes between protesters and security forces died Tuesday .
The violence in Tripoli , Lebanon ’ s second-largest city with soaring unemployment and poverty , erupted late on Monday and lasted well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cocktails at several banks and caused wide damage .
Protests also erupted elsewhere in Lebanon , leaving scores injured and more than a dozen people detained , according to the Lebanese military .
The army said a fire-bomb was thrown at one of its vehicles and a hand grenade was hurled at a patrol during rioting in Tripoli , lightly wounding two soldiers .
Public and private property had been attacked and banks set on fire , it said .
The army blamed “ troublemakers who had infiltrated the protesters to attack banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military and setting a military vehicle on fire .
It said 54 troops were injured across the country and that the army detained 13 people .
Lebanon ’ s banking association declared all banks in Tripoli shut from Tuesday until security is restored , saying banks had been targeted in `` serious attacks and rioting '' .
Lebanon 's banks have been a frequent target of protesters during the financial and economic crisis that has led to the collapse in the value of the Lebanese pound and frozen savers out of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a head last year as capital inflows to Lebanon slowed and protests erupted against its political elite .
Since then , the pound has lost more than half its value , fuelling inflation in a country heavily dependent on imports .
Lebanon 's powerful Hezbollah movement on Tuesday criticised the country ’ s central bank over the pound 's drop to record lows against the US dollar and said the bank ’ s governor was partly responsible , according media reports .
The comments about the bank 's governor , Riad Salameh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed criticisms against Salameh by Prime Minister Hassan Diab Diab last week .
Diab blamed the longstanding central bank governor for the currency 's crash and broader financial fallout .
Influential parliament speaker Nabih Berri then warned of the danger of removing him .
On Tuesday , Qassem said the crisis pointed to a `` negative performance '' by the bank and said Salameh was responsible for the currency crash `` but not on his own '' in comments cited by broadcaster al-Jadeed .
Qassem said the `` appropriate decision '' must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest ahead of all else '' without providing details .
To halt the pound 's slide on a parallel market that is the primary source of hard currency amid a severe shortage , the central bank capped the selling price of dollars at 3,200 for exchange dealers .
Some dealers were selling small quantities of dollars at 4,200 pounds on Tuesday , according to one importer .
A second importer said he was unable to buy any dollars .
One currency dealer cited a buying price of 4,000 pounds .
Several dealers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a syndicate representing them said exchange bureaus would shut until they were released and the situation was resolved .
The official rate remains pegged at 1507.5 pounds to the dollar at banks , but the price remains available only for vital imports - wheat , fuel , and medicine .


france24--2020-04-29--Women on the frontline (2/3): Cashiers face 'warlike' conditions working under Covid-19

Supermarket cashiers are more than ever on the frontline as France enters its 7th week in lockdown .
With the Covid-19 pandemic and most French workers being asked to stay at home , supermarket cashiers are more than ever on the front lines as France enters its seventh week in lockdown .
The profession , which is 90 percent female , has proven to be essential .
But what price do they pay for being behind the till ?
Since the beginning of the lockdown , it is estimated that some 25 percent of French workers are heading into their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France Info .
Véronique , 55 , is one of them .
A supermarket cashier for almost 20 years , she does not plan to stay at home while there is work : `` We have a knot in our stomach but we go in regardless.
” In her store in the small town of Carqueiranne in south-eastern France , she explains that protective equipment has been brought in but not everything is usable .
`` We tried the peaked masks but they are painful , then there ’ s the issue of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you see nothing , ” she told FRANCE 24 .
Since the start of the lockdown , recommended hygiene rules have been applied differently across retail stores .
For example , plexiglass windows installed to protect cashiers do not always encircle their cash register , despite cashiers having the most contact with customers .
As for gloves , they are optional , their use being disputed by scientists .
It is the same for ensuring how many shoppers come through the door at the same time , with the number varying from one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to what are the best protective measures against the virus , it is not surprising that workers are confused .
`` We wear a mask but we keep it for several days , ” Veronique said .
When asked when she last changed her mask , she replied with a laugh : `` I could n't even tell you . ''
This lack of coherence has outraged union representatives .
`` We asked them to standardise protective measures , but some large companies tell us that each manager is entitled to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store , '' said Sylvie Vachoux , the federal secretary representing the retail sector for the CGT union .
On March 18 , the secretary general of the CFDT union , Laurent Berger , declared companies were not abiding by the rules , referring to the lack of equipment but also flexibility for mothers who were required to stay at home because of school closures without fear of losing their jobs .
In any case , the risk of contracting Covid-19 continues to exist for retail workers .
On March 27 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seine-Saint-Denis died from the virus .
Since lockdown came into effect on March 17 , “ the cashiers have been on the front line without protection , just like being in a trench during a war without ammunition '' , said Vachoux .
'We sometimes see the same customer four times a day' Leïla , a cashier at a hypermarket in Nice , told FRANCE 24 that there were large numbers of customers coming to shop each day .
`` I see some customers coming in the morning to buy fruit , returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheese and then come back to buy vegetables and pasta in the evening , '' she said .
They are making unnecessary purchases , the 43-year-old cashier explained : “ We keep telling them that we get deliveries every day and there would be no shortages if they did not buy so much .
I wonder where they are storing all of that food.
” According to the market research firm Nielsen , the retail sector saw a massive increase of 237 percent in sales on March 16 , the day before France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has meant cashiers find themselves often dealing with rude customers .
`` People are so stressed , it 's very , very hard , '' Véronique said .
She spoke about what happened to one of her colleagues .
`` A customer arrived and refused to put his purchases on the counter , objecting that he did not want them to be contaminated .
My colleague replied that she cleans it often , as she uses it all day long .
In return , the guy said ‘ Well , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Despite the stress and fear of contamination , Veronique works almost every day , putting in at least 43 hours a week .
This article has been translated from the original in French by Annette Young .

The 51%
With the Covid-19 pandemic and most French workers being asked to stay at home, supermarket cashiers are more than ever on the front lines as France enters its seventh week in lockdown. The profession, which is 90 percent female, has proven to be essential. But what price do they pay for being behind the till?
Supermarket cashiers are more than ever on the frontline as France enters its 7th week in lockdown.
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Since the beginning of the lockdown, it is estimated that some 25 percent of French workers are heading into their workplace, according to a survey for France Info. Véronique, 55, is one of them. A supermarket cashier for almost 20 years, she does not plan to stay at home while there is work: "We have a knot in our stomach but we go in regardless.”
In her store in the small town of Carqueiranne in south-eastern France, she explains that protective equipment has been brought in but not everything is usable.
"We tried the peaked masks but they are painful, then there’s the issue of fogging -- if you have glasses, you see nothing,” she told FRANCE 24.
Improvisation and disparity
Since the start of the lockdown, recommended hygiene rules have been applied differently across retail stores.
For example, plexiglass windows installed to protect cashiers do not always encircle their cash register, despite cashiers having the most contact with customers. As for gloves, they are optional, their use being disputed by scientists. It is the same for ensuring how many shoppers come through the door at the same time, with the number varying from one shop to another.
Amid conflicting messages as to what are the best protective measures against the virus, it is not surprising that workers are confused.
"We wear a mask but we keep it for several days,” Veronique said. When asked when she last changed her mask, she replied with a laugh: "I couldn't even tell you."
This lack of coherence has outraged union representatives. "We asked them to standardise protective measures, but some large companies tell us that each manager is entitled to do as he or she wishes in their store," said Sylvie Vachoux, the federal secretary representing the retail sector for the CGT union.
On March 18, the secretary general of the CFDT union, Laurent Berger, declared companies were not abiding by the rules, referring to the lack of equipment but also flexibility for mothers who were required to stay at home because of school closures without fear of losing their jobs.
In any case, the risk of contracting Covid-19 continues to exist for retail workers. On March 27, a 52-year-old cashier from the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis died from the virus. Since lockdown came into effect on March 17, “the cashiers have been on the front line without protection, just like being in a trench during a war without ammunition", said Vachoux.
'We sometimes see the same customer four times a day'
Leïla, a cashier at a hypermarket in Nice, told FRANCE 24 that there were large numbers of customers coming to shop each day. "I see some customers coming in the morning to buy fruit, returning in the early afternoon to get some cheese and then come back to buy vegetables and pasta in the evening," she said.
They are making unnecessary purchases, the 43-year-old cashier explained: “We keep telling them that we get deliveries every day and there would be no shortages if they did not buy so much. I wonder where they are storing all of that food.”
According to the market research firm Nielsen, the retail sector saw a massive increase of 237 percent in sales on March 16, the day before France went into lockdown.
The stress surrounding the pandemic has meant cashiers find themselves often dealing with rude customers. "People are so stressed, it's very, very hard," Véronique said.
She spoke about what happened to one of her colleagues. "A customer arrived and refused to put his purchases on the counter, objecting that he did not want them to be contaminated. My colleague replied that she cleans it often, as she uses it all day long. In return, the guy said ‘Well, you’re going to get it anyway."
Despite the stress and fear of contamination, Veronique works almost every day, putting in at least 43 hours a week.
This article has been translated from the original in French by Annette Young.
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france24--2020-04-29--US becomes first country to record one million cases of Covid-19

A healthcare worker is seen outside the Brooklyn Hospital Center , during the outbreak of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in the Brooklyn borough of New York City , New York , U.S. , April 28 , 2020 .
The United States on Tuesday recorded its one-millionth coronavirus case as countries including Spain , Russia and Nigeria took tentative steps back towards normal life by preparing to reopen some businesses .
Excitement over partial easing of the lockdowns affecting more than half of humanity has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- where millions of jobs have gone -- reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths , a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam War .
The overall US case load rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump 's re-election chances .
But some countries have reported falling infection numbers , and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns .
France said Tuesday that shops , markets and selected schools could reopen next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks .
Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe admitted even a gradual return to normal life was `` risky . ''
Spain said restrictions would be slowly lifted over the next two months , while Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives from next week -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes .
Italy , Spain and France have been the worst affected countries in Europe , with each reporting more than 23,000 deaths .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead , saying `` the situation remains very difficult . ''
But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month .
Data on infection rates has shown mixed results in Germany , which is being closely watched after allowing some shops to reopen last week .
`` We all need to take care that we do n't end up with more infections , '' said Lothar Wieler , president of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control .
'The cries of the people' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contagion if restrictions are lifted too hastily , and the World Health Organization has said reinfection may be possible even among recovered patients .
In Nigeria 's largest city Lagos , bus driver Taju Olonade told AFP a decision to ease the lockdown showed that authorities had finally listened `` to the cries of the people . ''
`` For almost one month I have not earned a penny , '' he said .
`` I hope life will soon return to normal . ''
The new coronavirus has killed at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China in December , according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Tuesday .
More than three million cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories , although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures .
The United States , which on Tuesday recorded a further 2,207 deaths in 24 hours , has seen by far the highest number of fatalities .
Trump has increasingly sought to blame China , but China pushed back fiercely on Tuesday , accusing US politicians of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have only one objective : shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures , '' foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters .
Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak .
It seems to be under control in China with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the death toll standing at 4,633 -- although much doubt has been cast on whether the numbers are accurate .
Anger at the global economic paralysis has intensified in recent weeks , and anti-government protesters took to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a lockdown .
`` I came down to raise my voice against hunger , poverty and rising prices , '' Khaled , 41 , told AFP , saying he had lost his job selling motorcycle parts and could no longer support his three children .
In the latest sign of big business woes , British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs , its parent company said .
The carrier , which has approximately 45,000 employees , has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff .
Despite other European countries moving towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit .
That was in contrast to New Zealand , where people enjoyed fast food and coffee shop treats for the first time in five weeks after the country lifted its strict lockdown .
`` We see the difference in other countries and I do n't envy them , that 's for sure , '' said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson , who planned to celebrate her newfound freedom with a curry .
In Australia , hundreds of surfers and swimmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach in Sydney , five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds flouting social distancing rules .
`` I 've been excited for like a week , '' Diane Delaurens told AFP , dripping after an early-morning surf .
However , there is not yet a vaccine for the disease and Britain issued a warning of coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children -- including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart .
`` What I would also stress is that it is rare .
Although it is very significant for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases is small , '' said Health Secretary Matt Hancock .
In Tokyo , organisers said that the postponed 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled next year if the pandemic is n't brought under control .
In Latin America , Brazil emerged as a new hotspot with 5,000 deaths so far -- more than China 's -- while nine inmates were killed when rioting broke out at a prison in Lima , Peru after two inmates died from COVID-19 .

The United States on Tuesday recorded its one millionth Covid-19 case, as the country’s economy shrank at a 4.8 percent annual rate last quarter, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down much of the country, triggering a recession that will end the longest expansion on record.
A healthcare worker is seen outside the Brooklyn Hospital Center, during the outbreak of coronavirus disease in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, USA, April 28, 2020.
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Excitement over partial easing of the lockdowns affecting more than half of humanity has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US – where millions of jobs have gone – reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths, a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam War.
The overall US case load rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump's re-election chances.
For a president who was banking on a strong economy to bolster his chances of re-election, it was the sharpest fall since the economy shrank at an 8.4 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2008 in the depths of the Great Recession.
The drop in the January-March quarter will be only a precursor of a far grimmer GDP report to come on the current April-June period, with business shutdowns and layoffs striking with devastating force. With much of the economy paralysed, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that GDP will plunge this quarter at a 40 percent annual rate.
That would be, by a breathtaking margin, the bleakest quarter since such records were first compiled in 1947.
‘Risky’ return to normal
But other countries have reported falling infection numbers and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns.
France said Tuesday that shops, markets and selected schools could reopen next month, with face masks required on public transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks.
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe admitted even a gradual return to normal life was "risky", conceding that the French government’s plans are predicated on the idea that “we will have to live with the virus”.
Spain said restrictions would be slowly lifted over the next two months, while Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives from next week – but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes.
Italy, Spain and France have been the worst affected countries in Europe, with each reporting more than 23,000 deaths.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead, saying "the situation remains very difficult".
But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month.
Data on infection rates has shown mixed results in Germany, which is being closely watched after allowing some shops to reopen last week.
"We all need to take care that we don't end up with more infections," said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control.
'The cries of the people'
Experts have warned of a second wave of contagion if restrictions are lifted too hastily, and the World Health Organization has said reinfection may be possible even among recovered patients.
Counter-intuitively, prolonged lockdowns will help the economy over the long run as well as saving lives. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published on March 31 found that in the last pandemic to take the world by storm, the 1918-19 Spanish flu, US cities where lockdowns and social distancing lasted longest “performed better” economically after the disease had run its course.
In Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, bus driver Taju Olonade told AFP a decision to ease the lockdown showed that authorities had finally listened "to the cries of the people".
"For almost one month I have not earned a penny," he said. "I hope life will soon return to normal."
The new coronavirus has killed at least 214,451 people since the outbreak first emerged in China in December, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Tuesday.
More than three million cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories, although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures.
The United States, which on Tuesday recorded a further 2,207 deaths in 24 hours, has seen by far the highest number of fatalities.
Trump has increasingly sought to blame China, but China pushed back fiercely on Tuesday, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies".
"They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters.
Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak.
It seems to be under control in China with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the death toll standing at 4,633 – although much doubt has been cast on whether the numbers are accurate.
Shattered economies
Anger at the global economic paralysis has intensified in recent weeks and anti-government protesters took to the streets in Lebanon on Tuesday in defiance of a lockdown.
"I came down to raise my voice against hunger, poverty and rising prices," Khaled, 41, told AFP, saying he had lost his job selling motorcycle parts and could no longer support his three children.
In the latest sign of big business woes, British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs, its parent company said. The carrier, which has approximately 45,000 employees, has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff.
Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit.
That was in contrast to New Zealand, where people enjoyed fast food and coffee shop treats for the first time in five weeks after the country lifted its strict lockdown.
"We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate her newfound freedom with a curry.
In Australia, hundreds of surfers and swimmers rushed back to the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds flouting social distancing rules.
"I've been excited for like a week," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after an early-morning surf.
However, there is not yet a vaccine for the disease and Britain issued a warning of coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children – including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart.
"What I would also stress is that it is rare. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
In Tokyo, organisers said that the postponed 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled next year if the pandemic isn't brought under control.
In Latin America, Brazil emerged as a new hotspot with 5,000 deaths so far – more than China's – and nine inmates were killed when rioting broke out at a prison in Lima, Peru after two inmates died from Covid-19.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-04-29--Militia leader Haftar claims mandate to rule Libya, UN-backed government denounces 'coup'

Libya 's eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar is seen in an unknown location in this screen grab taken from a video released on April 27 , 2020 .
Libya 's UN-recognised government Tuesday accused rival military strongman Khalifa Haftar of seeking to stage a new coup after he claimed to have a `` popular mandate '' to govern the country .
Accused by critics of wanting to install a new military dictatorship , Haftar , who controls swathes of eastern and southern Libya , announced his self-styled `` army '' was `` proud to be mandated with the historic task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimacy from an eastern-based parliament elected in 2014 , but the body has not said whether it supported his move .
He did not offer specifics on how he had received his `` mandate '' or from which institution .
France said on Tuesday that the Libyan conflict could not be solved through unilateral decisions , but only under UN-backed dialogue after Libya 's eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar 's move to seize control of the country .
`` The solution to the Libyan conflict can only go through dialogue between the parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not through unilateral decisions , '' foreign ministry deputy spokesman Olivier Gauvin said in a statement that made no direct reference to Haftar .
`` There is no alternative to an inclusive political solution , as part of the conclusions of the Berlin conference , '' Gauvin said , adding Paris was attached to Libya 's unity and stability .
Haftar said on Monday his Libyan National Army ( LNA ) was accepting a `` popular mandate '' to rule over the country , apparently brushing aside the civilian authorities which nominally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government Tuesday accused rival military strongman of seeking to stage a new coup .
Accused by critics of wanting to install a new military dictatorship , Haftar , who controls swathes of eastern and southern Libya , announced his self-styled `` army '' was `` proud to be mandated with the historic task '' of leading Libya .
Analysts said his move was a sign he wanted to consolidate his power after a series of setbacks earlier this month , when the interim government forces captured a string of strategic towns west of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been gripped by chaos since the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 , with rival administrations in the east and west vying for power .
Haftar claims legitimacy from an eastern-based parliament elected in 2014 , but the body has not said whether it supported his move .
He did not offer specifics on how he had received his `` mandate '' or from which institution .
Nor did he say whether the parliament , which was forced to move its headquarters after violence ripped apart Tripoli six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A source close to Haftar said he was preparing to announce a new government in eastern Libya .
Haftar also announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement , a 2015 UN-mediated deal signed in Morocco that produced the Tripoli-based unity government .
In a pre-dawn statement , the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in Tripoli denounced Haftar 's announcement as `` a farce and the latest in a long series of coups d'etat '' .
Haftar previously announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement in 2017 and three years earlier also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power in Libya .
The United Nations , which mediated the deal , voiced concern Tuesday over Haftar 's move .
`` For us the ( Skhirat ) agreement , the institutions that come out of this agreement , remain the sole internationally recognised framework of government in Libya , '' said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric .
Pro-Haftar forces have been battling to seize Tripoli since April last year but their offensive stalled on the edge of the capital .
Earlier this month GNA forces ousted them from two key coastal cities west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are now encircling Haftar 's main rear base at Tarhunah , 60 kilometres ( 39 miles ) southeast of the capital .
The GNA claimed Haftar 's latest announcement was an attempt to `` conceal the defeat of his militias and mercenaries '' and `` the failure of his dictatorial project '' .
Hamish Kinnear , an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft , said his move `` to formalise his direct control of eastern Libya is a sign of his rising desperation in the face of GNA successes in western Libya '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ( parliament ) and electing himself as undisputed leader in the east , Haftar is making himself central to any negotiated solution , '' Kinnear said .
In recent months , foreign military support has exacerbated Libya 's conflict , with the United Arab Emirates and Russia backing Haftar and Ankara supplying the GNA .
On Tuesday however , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow `` is still convinced that the only possible solution in Libya depends on political and diplomatic contacts between the parties to the conflict '' .
Washington called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` humanitarian '' truce .
European Union spokesman Peter Stano said `` any attempt to push forward unilateral solutions -- even more so by force -- will never provide a sustainable solution '' for Libya .
Like Libya itself , lawmakers are divided between those who support Haftar and those in Tripoli who oppose him .
On Tuesday , the GNA invited `` those lawmakers remaining in the east to rejoin their colleagues in Tripoli to resume dialogue and relaunch the political process '' .
Emad Badi , a Libya analyst at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to establish himself as the only power in eastern Libya and oust any actors in favour of dialogue .

Libya's UN-recognised government Tuesday accused rival military strongman Khalifa Haftar of seeking to stage a new coup after he claimed to have a "popular mandate" to govern the country.
Libya's eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar is seen in an unknown location in this screen grab taken from a video released on April 27, 2020.
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Accused by critics of wanting to install a new military dictatorship, Haftar, who controls swathes of eastern and southern Libya, announced his self-styled "army" was "proud to be mandated with the historic task" of leading Libya.
Haftar claims legitimacy from an eastern-based parliament elected in 2014, but the body has not said whether it supported his move. He did not offer specifics on how he had received his "mandate" or from which institution.
France said on Tuesday that the Libyan conflict could not be solved through unilateral decisions, but only under UN-backed dialogue after Libya's eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar's move to seize control of the country.
"The solution to the Libyan conflict can only go through dialogue between the parties under the aegis of the United Nations, not through unilateral decisions," foreign ministry deputy spokesman Olivier Gauvin said in a statement that made no direct reference to Haftar.
"There is no alternative to an inclusive political solution, as part of the conclusions of the Berlin conference," Gauvin said, adding Paris was attached to Libya's unity and stability.
Haftar said on Monday his Libyan National Army (LNA) was accepting a "popular mandate" to rule over the country, apparently brushing aside the civilian authorities which nominally govern eastern Libya.
Libya's UN-recognised government Tuesday accused rival military strongman of seeking to stage a new coup.
Accused by critics of wanting to install a new military dictatorship, Haftar, who controls swathes of eastern and southern Libya, announced his self-styled "army" was "proud to be mandated with the historic task" of leading Libya.
Analysts said his move was a sign he wanted to consolidate his power after a series of setbacks earlier this month, when the interim government forces captured a string of strategic towns west of Tripoli.
The oil-rich North African nation has been gripped by chaos since the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations in the east and west vying for power.
Haftar claims legitimacy from an eastern-based parliament elected in 2014, but the body has not said whether it supported his move.
He did not offer specifics on how he had received his "mandate" or from which institution.
Nor did he say whether the parliament, which was forced to move its headquarters after violence ripped apart Tripoli six years ago, would be dissolved.
A source close to Haftar said he was preparing to announce a new government in eastern Libya.
Haftar also announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement, a 2015 UN-mediated deal signed in Morocco that produced the Tripoli-based unity government.
'Rising desperation'
In a pre-dawn statement, the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli denounced Haftar's announcement as "a farce and the latest in a long series of coups d'etat".
Haftar previously announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement in 2017 and three years earlier also said on television that he was taking power in Libya.
The United Nations, which mediated the deal, voiced concern Tuesday over Haftar's move.
"For us the (Skhirat) agreement, the institutions that come out of this agreement, remain the sole internationally recognised framework of government in Libya," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Pro-Haftar forces have been battling to seize Tripoli since April last year but their offensive stalled on the edge of the capital.
Earlier this month GNA forces ousted them from two key coastal cities west of Tripoli.
Backed by Turkey, they are now encircling Haftar's main rear base at Tarhunah, 60 kilometres (39 miles) southeast of the capital.
The GNA claimed Haftar's latest announcement was an attempt to "conceal the defeat of his militias and mercenaries" and "the failure of his dictatorial project".
Hamish Kinnear, an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said his move "to formalise his direct control of eastern Libya is a sign of his rising desperation in the face of GNA successes in western Libya".
"By sweeping aside the authority of the (parliament) and electing himself as undisputed leader in the east, Haftar is making himself central to any negotiated solution," Kinnear said.
In recent months, foreign military support has exacerbated Libya's conflict, with the United Arab Emirates and Russia backing Haftar and Ankara supplying the GNA.
On Tuesday however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow "is still convinced that the only possible solution in Libya depends on political and diplomatic contacts between the parties to the conflict".
Washington called for dialogue between the two sides and a "humanitarian" truce.
European Union spokesman Peter Stano said "any attempt to push forward unilateral solutions -- even more so by force -- will never provide a sustainable solution" for Libya.
Divided lawmakers
Like Libya itself, lawmakers are divided between those who support Haftar and those in Tripoli who oppose him.
On Tuesday, the GNA invited "those lawmakers remaining in the east to rejoin their colleagues in Tripoli to resume dialogue and relaunch the political process".
Emad Badi, a Libya analyst at the Atlantic Council, said Haftar hoped to establish himself as the only power in eastern Libya and oust any actors in favour of dialogue.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-28--Out of control? Covid-19 in Bolsonaro's Brazil

Out of control ?
Covid-19 in Bolsonaro 's Brazil As Brazil 's coronavirus death toll tops that of China , @ @ @ @ @ worse as the South American giant enters winter .
Yet the country 's president is @ @ @ @ @ his supporters clamour for a reopening of businesses in states where governors have issued lockdown @ @ @ @ @ panel discusses how it 's turned into a culture war that mirrors scenes witnessed in @ @ @ @ @ and how in the midst of the crisis , there 's talk of impeachment – @ @ @ @ @ trying to obstruct justice to protect his sons .

Out of control? Covid-19 in Bolsonaro's Brazil
42:53 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
As Brazil's coronavirus death toll tops that of China, the pandemic could get much worse as the South American giant enters winter. Yet the country's president is still resisting social distancing while his supporters clamour for a reopening of businesses in states where governors have issued lockdown orders. François Picard's panel discusses how it's turned into a culture war that mirrors scenes witnessed in Donald Trump's United States and how in the midst of the crisis, there's talk of impeachment – amid accusations Jair Bolsonaro is trying to obstruct justice to protect his sons.


france24--2020-04-29--Ivory Coast presidential candidate Soro hit with 20-year jail term

File photo of former Ivorian prime minister Guillaume Soro taken in Paris , January 29 2020 .
Guillaume Soro , the former rebel leader running for president in Ivory Coast , was convicted in absentia on Tuesday of embezzlement and sentenced to 20 years in prison .
The former prime minister , who is in exile in France , has denied the charges , claiming they are politically motivated .
The verdict , announced after a trial in Ivory Coast that lasted only a few hours and was boycotted by Soro 's lawyers , is likely to exclude Soro from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ouattara is due to step down .
Prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Soro in December for allegedly plotting a coup against his former ally Ouattara 's government and stealing public funds .
Soro , who has been living in Europe , diverted his plane in the air instead of returning home in December to Ivory Coast -- where he planned to launch his campaign -- when it became clear that Ivorian authorities had issued an arrest warrant for him .
Soro has denied the charges , which he says are intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successor , Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly , in the election .
In an interview with a French weekly in December , Soro vowed to lead the `` resistance '' from abroad `` like de Gaulle '' , referring to the French wartime resistance leader .
'Thunderbolt in the sky of Ivorian corruption' The Abidjan court fined him nearly seven million euros ( $ 7.6 million ) , ordered the confiscation of his Abidjan home and barred him from civic duties for five years .
The court issued a fresh arrest warrant against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contesting elections , and ordered him to pay three million euros in damages and interest to the state .
Soro helped Ouattara to power in 2010 amid political violence that cost 3,000 lives , later serving as premier and then parliamentary speaker .
After falling out with Ouattara , he launched an unsuccessful bid to become president last year .
Government lawyer Ben Meite Abdoulaye dismissed suggestions the verdict was political , calling it a `` thunderbolt in the sky of Ivorian corruption '' .
`` This decision is the start of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must hunt down corruption wherever it is found , '' he said .
The African Court on Human and Peoples ' Rights had recently ordered Ivory Coast to suspend an arrest warrant against Soro , who had taken his case to a Tanzania-based court last month .

Guillaume Soro, the former rebel leader running for president in Ivory Coast, was convicted in absentia on Tuesday of embezzlement and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The former prime minister, who is in exile in France, has denied the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.
File photo of former Ivorian prime minister Guillaume Soro taken in Paris, January 29 2020.
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The verdict, announced after a trial in Ivory Coast that lasted only a few hours and was boycotted by Soro's lawyers, is likely to exclude Soro from October's election, when President Alassane Ouattara is due to step down.
Prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Soro in December for allegedly plotting a coup against his former ally Ouattara's government and stealing public funds.
Soro, who has been living in Europe, diverted his plane in the air instead of returning home in December to Ivory Coast -- where he planned to launch his campaign -- when it became clear that Ivorian authorities had issued an arrest warrant for him.
Soro has denied the charges, which he says are intended to prevent him from challenging Ouattara's preferred successor, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, in the election.
In an interview with a French weekly in December, Soro vowed to lead the "resistance" from abroad "like de Gaulle", referring to the French wartime resistance leader.
'Thunderbolt in the sky of Ivorian corruption'
The Abidjan court fined him nearly seven million euros ($7.6 million), ordered the confiscation of his Abidjan home and barred him from civic duties for five years.
The court issued a fresh arrest warrant against him, in effect barring him from contesting elections, and ordered him to pay three million euros in damages and interest to the state.
Soro helped Ouattara to power in 2010 amid political violence that cost 3,000 lives, later serving as premier and then parliamentary speaker.
After falling out with Ouattara, he launched an unsuccessful bid to become president last year.
Government lawyer Ben Meite Abdoulaye dismissed suggestions the verdict was political, calling it a "thunderbolt in the sky of Ivorian corruption".
"This decision is the start of a new era in Ivory Coast. We must hunt down corruption wherever it is found," he said.
The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights had recently ordered Ivory Coast to suspend an arrest warrant against Soro, who had taken his case to a Tanzania-based court last month.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-29--Brazil’s Bolsonaro picks family friend to head federal police

File photo of Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro greeting Alexandre Ramagem during his inauguration ceremony in Brasilia , Brazil July 11 , 20109 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday named a family friend to head the federal police , days after his justice minister quit and accused the president of meddling in law enforcement for political motives .
The controversy over the appointment by Bolsonaro and allegations by outgoing minister Sergio Moro of improper interference in the police force triggered talk of impeachment and a criminal investigation approved by the Supreme Court , distracting from the coronavirus epidemic that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's official gazette confirmed the appointment of new federal police chief Alexandre Ramagem , 48 , who took charge of the president 's security after he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018 .
The selection comes amid investigations of alleged wrongdoing by Bolsonaro 's sons .
Ramagem , who joined the federal police in 2005 , has the fewest years of service of any officer tapped to lead the force .
He has run the Brazilian Intelligence Agency since July .
Announcing the appointment , Bolsonaro said the federal police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have autonomy from the government .
On Friday , Justice Minister Sergio Moro alleged in a stunning televised address that Bolsonaro had repeatedly said he wanted a `` personal contact '' in the top police job `` from whom he could get information , intelligence reports '' .
Brazil 's Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for the top public prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Bolsonaro of interfering in law enforcement .
Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to carry out the investigation requested by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on the results of the police investigation , the public prosecutor will decide whether to press charges against the president .
An indictment would have to be approved by the lower house .
The biggest political storm since Bolsonaro took office last year came in the midst of Brazil 's worst public health crisis .
The health ministry reported that a record 474 people died from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours , bringing the death toll to 5,017 .
Confirmed cases have risen at 5,000 a day in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly expresses his impatience with restrictions imposed by the state governors to slow the disease 's spread and has pushed hard for economic activity to restart .
Asked about the rising death count , Bolsonaro responded , `` And what ?
I am sorry about it .
What do you want me to do ? ''
On Tuesday , the opposition Democratic Labor Party asked the Supreme Court to block Ramagem 's nomination , alleging an abuse of power .
The affair has sparked talk in Congress of impeachment , just four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rousseff .
However , a poll by Datafolha published on Monday evening showed Brazilians divided on impeachment , with 45 percent supporting the move and 48 percent against .
Crucially , Bolsonaro appears to be keeping core supporters , the poll showed , with 33 percent of those surveyed saying they thought he was doing a good or excellent job .
Still , the accusations from the popular `` super minister '' Moro , who locked up scores of powerful politicians and businessmen as a judge , has dented Bolsonaro 's corruption-fighting image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
Moro said he had never seen political interference of the kind sought by Bolsonaro over Brazil 's federal police , even under previous governments whose officials and allies were convicted of participating in sweeping corruption schemes .
A New Year 's party photo on social media of Ramagem grinning beside the president 's son Carlos Bolsonaro , a Rio de Janeiro city councilman , circulated widely on Tuesday , emphasizing the close ties between the family and the new top cop .
Carlos Bolsonaro is the subject of a Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` fake news '' , according to newspaper Folha de S. Paulo .
His brother , lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro , was accused in a congressional investigation of participating in a `` fake news '' scheme .
Their eldest brother , Senator Flavio Bolsonaro , is also being investigated by state prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro over alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds .
All three have denied any wrongdoing .
They and the president have decried the probes as politically motivated attacks .
Over the weekend , Bolsonaro took to Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his nomination leaked to the press .
`` So what ?
I knew Ramagem before he knew my children .
Should he be vetoed for that reason ?
Whose friend should I pick ? ''
the president said in a post .

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday named a family friend to head the federal police, days after his justice minister quit and accused the president of meddling in law enforcement for political motives.
File photo of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro greeting Alexandre Ramagem during his inauguration ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil July 11, 20109
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The controversy over the appointment by Bolsonaro and allegations by outgoing minister Sergio Moro of improper interference in the police force triggered talk of impeachment and a criminal investigation approved by the Supreme Court, distracting from the coronavirus epidemic that has killed 5,017 people in Brazil.
The government's official gazette confirmed the appointment of new federal police chief Alexandre Ramagem, 48, who took charge of the president's security after he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. The selection comes amid investigations of alleged wrongdoing by Bolsonaro's sons.
Ramagem, who joined the federal police in 2005, has the fewest years of service of any officer tapped to lead the force.
He has run the Brazilian Intelligence Agency since July.
Announcing the appointment, Bolsonaro said the federal police under the command of the new chief will have autonomy from the government.
On Friday, Justice Minister Sergio Moro alleged in a stunning televised address that Bolsonaro had repeatedly said he wanted a "personal contact" in the top police job "from whom he could get information, intelligence reports".
Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for the top public prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Bolsonaro of interfering in law enforcement. Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to carry out the investigation requested by Brazil's chief public prosecutor Augusto Aras.
Based on the results of the police investigation, the public prosecutor will decide whether to press charges against the president. An indictment would have to be approved by the lower house.
Distraction from coronavirus crisis
The biggest political storm since Bolsonaro took office last year came in the midst of Brazil's worst public health crisis.
The health ministry reported that a record 474 people died from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,017. Confirmed cases have risen at 5,000 a day in the last 48 hours, to 71,866.
Bolsonaro regularly expresses his impatience with restrictions imposed by the state governors to slow the disease's spread and has pushed hard for economic activity to restart.
Asked about the rising death count, Bolsonaro responded, "And what? I am sorry about it. What do you want me to do?"
Divisions over impeachment chances
On Tuesday, the opposition Democratic Labor Party asked the Supreme Court to block Ramagem's nomination, alleging an abuse of power.
The affair has sparked talk in Congress of impeachment, just four years after such proceedings toppled former president Dilma Rousseff.
However, a poll by Datafolha published on Monday evening showed Brazilians divided on impeachment, with 45 percent supporting the move and 48 percent against.
Crucially, Bolsonaro appears to be keeping core supporters, the poll showed, with 33 percent of those surveyed saying they thought he was doing a good or excellent job.
Political interference
Still, the accusations from the popular "super minister" Moro, who locked up scores of powerful politicians and businessmen as a judge, has dented Bolsonaro's corruption-fighting image, which was central to his 2018 campaign.
Moro said he had never seen political interference of the kind sought by Bolsonaro over Brazil's federal police, even under previous governments whose officials and allies were convicted of participating in sweeping corruption schemes.
A New Year's party photo on social media of Ramagem grinning beside the president's son Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro city councilman, circulated widely on Tuesday, emphasizing the close ties between the family and the new top cop.
Bolsonaro brothers face corruption allegations
Carlos Bolsonaro is the subject of a Supreme Court probe looking at his role in disseminating "fake news", according to newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. His brother, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, was accused in a congressional investigation of participating in a "fake news" scheme.
Their eldest brother, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is also being investigated by state prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro over alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds.
All three have denied any wrongdoing. They and the president have decried the probes as politically motivated attacks.
Over the weekend, Bolsonaro took to Facebook to defend Ramagem, after word of his nomination leaked to the press.
"So what? I knew Ramagem before he knew my children. Should he be vetoed for that reason? Whose friend should I pick?" the president said in a post.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-29--Dozens killed by blast in Syrian town of Afrin, Turkey says

A picture released by the Syrian Civil Defence rescue workers shows the scene of a fuel truck bomb on April 28 , 2020 in the northern Syrian city of Afrin , At least 40 civilians were killed , including 11 children , when a bomb detonated in the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Tuesday , the Turkish Defence Ministry said , blaming the attack on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia .
In a statement on Twitter , the ministry said the blast occurred in a crowded area in Afrin 's centre .
A video shared by the ministry showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambulance and police sirens wailed in the background .
The United States condemned the attack late on Tuesday , which State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said claimed `` the lives of dozens of people shopping in the central market as they prepared to break the Ramadan fast . ''
`` Initial reports indicate many victims were civilians , including children , '' she said in the statement , reiterating a U.S. call for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria .
`` Such cowardly acts of evil are unacceptable from any side in this conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a terrorist group linked to Kurdish militants on its own soil and has mounted military operations in northern Syria to push it back from the border .
Turkey 's military and its Syrian rebel allies seized Afrin , a mainly Kurdish district , from the YPG in March 2018 in a major offensive .
Tuesday 's blast was one of the deadliest to hit a region under the control of Turkish-backed forces .
Ankara frequently blames the YPG for the attacks , while the militia says it does not target civilians .

At least 40 civilians were killed, including 11 children, when a bomb detonated in the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Tuesday, the Turkish Defence Ministry said, blaming the attack on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
A picture released by the Syrian Civil Defence rescue workers shows the scene of a fuel truck bomb on April 28, 2020 in the northern Syrian city of Afrin,
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In a statement on Twitter, the ministry said the blast occurred in a crowded area in Afrin's centre. A video shared by the ministry showed black smoke billowing in the air while ambulance and police sirens wailed in the background.
The United States condemned the attack late on Tuesday, which State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said claimed "the lives of dozens of people shopping in the central market as they prepared to break the Ramadan fast."
"Initial reports indicate many victims were civilians, including children," she said in the statement, reiterating a U.S. call for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. "Such cowardly acts of evil are unacceptable from any side in this conflict."
Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to Kurdish militants on its own soil and has mounted military operations in northern Syria to push it back from the border.
Turkey's military and its Syrian rebel allies seized Afrin, a mainly Kurdish district, from the YPG in March 2018 in a major offensive.
Tuesday's blast was one of the deadliest to hit a region under the control of Turkish-backed forces. Ankara frequently blames the YPG for the attacks, while the militia says it does not target civilians.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-28--Women on the front line (1/3): Nurses are patients' last contact before passing away

Medical staff are having to make tough decisions on who should and should not be given precious intensive care beds Every night , from their balconies and windows , the French publicly applaud healthcare workers and nursing staff on the front line in the fight against Covid-19 .
In France , nearly 90 percent of nurses are female .
So how are these women coping with this unprecedented crisis ?
FRANCE 24 spoke to four of them .
`` For the moment , our most important mission is to help patients but if this continues , they will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leslie , a palliative care nurse in Marseille , working 12 hours a day to care for people at the end of their life .
Like all hospitals and clinics in France , her department is constantly receiving critical Covid-19 cases : `` We have drastically reduced visits , so imagine telling families , who know their loved ones are at the end of their life , that they have no right to see them .
Psychologically , this is incredibly difficult for us .
We are their only contact before they die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only one male employee out of 18 nurses .
It ’ s estimated that 88 percent of nurses are women , according to SNPI , a French union for nurses . '
I said to myself : if it ’ s positive , that 's it , I 'm finished' The 31-year-old nurse said her clinic recently saw a patient in the final stage of cancer who showed symptoms suggesting coronavirus .
`` He had a fever and respiratory failure .
He arrived at our department in the morning but the doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet throughout the morning , I was in close contact with him without protection . ''
The result did not come back until the next day , creating enormous anxiety for Leslie .
`` I said to myself : if it 's positive , that 's it , I 'm finished . ''
It turned out that he was negative but Leslie was still furious at the lack of responsiveness from her superiors that had been the case since the pandemic broke out in France .
The same is true for Sylvie* .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 years and now works for a mobile emergency and resuscitation service in northern France .
As soon as she heard of the epidemic in China , she began to study the virus .
`` When I saw what was happening there , I said to myself , we had to prepare .
We ’ re now realising how serious the situation is ; we should have been better prepared , ” Sylvie said .
One morning , she was looking after a 22-year-old female patient who had a 40°C degree temperature while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a dog after a race , very short of breath .
We transferred her to intensive care as soon as she arrived . ''
Like many , Sylvie did not think that young people would be seriously at risk .
`` And here ’ s a concrete example of a 22-year-old suffering serious symptoms .
She has a good chance of coping but her case was very worrying , ” she said .
She worried that information was not being passed on to frontline workers .
`` We ’ re told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe it .
The doctors themselves are not even aware of all the measures to take when there is a doubt about a patient . ''
'We ended up wearing a mask a day when we should have changed it every three to four hours' Pauline* is a nursing assistant in Bordeaux .
In her cardiology department , as with all medical facilities in France , non-emergency operations have been postponed since mid-March at the government ’ s request .
Surrounded by a majority of women in her workplace ( 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed there had been a lack of equipment and problems with distribution .
`` As they were afraid of thefts , they stored everything in locked management offices .
Every time , we need a new mask , we have to ask permission to access their offices .
So we ended up wearing a mask a day when we should have changed it every three to four hours , '' Pauline told FRANCE 24 .
Many French healthcare workers have been openly critical about the lack of personal protective equipment since the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know how big this storm is' In her unit , Virginie* , has at least 10 patients with Covid-19 .
The night nurse at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris does not complain but readily admits the work is relentless .
`` The infected patients come here .
We have to decide where to place them : send them home if it 's not too serious or send them to an intensive care unit when their condition deteriorates .
We also have to disinfect the rooms ; it does n't stop .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our medical knowledge , ” she told FRANCE 24 while saying she had never experienced a situation like this since she began working in 1996 .
Virginie added that she is “ a little anxious but not afraid '' .
In her department , made up mainly of women , two colleagues have caught the coronavirus .
`` The main thing is not to convey our anxieties to patients , but we have to be honest , we just do n't know how big this storm is . ''
This article has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Annette Young

Every night, from their balconies and windows, the French publicly applaud healthcare workers and nursing staff on the front line in the fight against Covid-19. In France, nearly 90 percent of nurses are female. So how are these women coping with this unprecedented crisis? FRANCE 24 spoke to four of them.
Medical staff are having to make tough decisions on who should and should not be given precious intensive care beds
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"For the moment, our most important mission is to help patients but if this continues, they will have to find cannon fodder elsewhere," said Leslie, a palliative care nurse in Marseille, working 12 hours a day to care for people at the end of their life.
Like all hospitals and clinics in France, her department is constantly receiving critical Covid-19 cases: "We have drastically reduced visits, so imagine telling families, who know their loved ones are at the end of their life, that they have no right to see them. Psychologically, this is incredibly difficult for us. We are their only contact before they die."
In her department, there is only one male employee out of 18 nurses. It’s estimated that 88 percent of nurses are women, according to SNPI, a French union for nurses.
'I said to myself: if it’s positive, that's it, I'm finished'
The 31-year-old nurse said her clinic recently saw a patient in the final stage of cancer who showed symptoms suggesting coronavirus. "He had a fever and respiratory failure. He arrived at our department in the morning but the doctor decided to test him at 2pm. Yet throughout the morning, I was in close contact with him without protection."
The result did not come back until the next day, creating enormous anxiety for Leslie. "I said to myself: if it's positive, that's it, I'm finished."
It turned out that he was negative but Leslie was still furious at the lack of responsiveness from her superiors that had been the case since the pandemic broke out in France. The same is true for Sylvie*. The 50-year-old nurse has been practicing for 20 years and now works for a mobile emergency and resuscitation service in northern France. As soon as she heard of the epidemic in China, she began to study the virus.
"When I saw what was happening there, I said to myself, we had to prepare. We’re now realising how serious the situation is; we should have been better prepared,” Sylvie said.
One morning, she was looking after a 22-year-old female patient who had a 40°C degree temperature while struggling for oxygen: "She was like a dog after a race, very short of breath. We transferred her to intensive care as soon as she arrived."
Like many, Sylvie did not think that young people would be seriously at risk. "And here’s a concrete example of a 22-year-old suffering serious symptoms. She has a good chance of coping but her case was very worrying,” she said.
She worried that information was not being passed on to frontline workers. "We’re told that surgical masks are enough but we don’t believe it. The doctors themselves are not even aware of all the measures to take when there is a doubt about a patient."
'We ended up wearing a mask a day when we should have changed it every three to four hours'
Pauline* is a nursing assistant in Bordeaux. In her cardiology department, as with all medical facilities in France, non-emergency operations have been postponed since mid-March at the government’s request.
Surrounded by a majority of women in her workplace (39 out of 40 nurses), she confirmed there had been a lack of equipment and problems with distribution.
"As they were afraid of thefts, they stored everything in locked management offices. Every time, we need a new mask, we have to ask permission to access their offices. So we ended up wearing a mask a day when we should have changed it every three to four hours," Pauline told FRANCE 24.
Many French healthcare workers have been openly critical about the lack of personal protective equipment since the beginning of the pandemic.
'We just don't know how big this storm is'
In her unit, Virginie*, has at least 10 patients with Covid-19. The night nurse at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris does not complain but readily admits the work is relentless.
"The infected patients come here. We have to decide where to place them: send them home if it's not too serious or send them to an intensive care unit when their condition deteriorates. We also have to disinfect the rooms; it doesn't stop. It’s making us question all of our medical knowledge,” she told FRANCE 24 while saying she had never experienced a situation like this since she began working in 1996.
Virginie added that she is “a little anxious but not afraid".
In her department, made up mainly of women, two colleagues have caught the coronavirus. "The main thing is not to convey our anxieties to patients, but we have to be honest, we just don't know how big this storm is."
*Names have been changed
This article has been translated from the original in French by Annette Young
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france24--2020-04-29--Pence tours US hospital without Covid-19 mask despite being told to wear one

Vice President Mike Pence visits Dennis Nelson , a recovered COVID-19 disease patient who is now donating his blood for research on the virus and disease as Pence tours Mayo Clinic facilities supporting coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) research and treatment in Rochester , Minnesota , U.S. , April 28 , 2020 .
US Vice President Mike Pence did not wear a face mask during a Tuesday visit to the Mayo Clinic , violating the prestigious medical center 's policy despite his team being warned in advance .
Video showed Pence visiting staff and a patient in a crowded hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota-based center 's policy states : `` Part of our protocol for ensuring your safety is to require all patients , visitors and staff to wear a face covering or mask while at Mayo Clinic to guard against transmission of COVID-19 . ''
The clinic said in a statement that it had `` shared the masking policy with the VP 's office . ''
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) recently updated its advice to recommend that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where it is difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times , such as in grocery stores and pharmacies .
This is because a very high proportion of people infected with the coronavirus are believed to be asymptomatic and because recent research has shown that it may in certain circumstances be possible to infect others through normal speaking and breathing .
Pence , President Donald Trump , and other senior White House officials have pointedly ignored the advice , leading to speculation it is a coordinated decision to downplay the severity of the crisis .
The vice president said he did not wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that masks help prevent the spread of the virus by those who are infected -- and he is not .
`` Since I do n't have the coronavirus , I thought it 'd be a good opportunity for me to be here , to be able to speak to these researchers , these incredible health care personnel , and look them in the eye and say thank you , '' he said .

US Vice President Mike Pence did not wear a face mask during a Tuesday visit to the Mayo Clinic, violating the prestigious medical center's policy despite his team being warned in advance.
Vice President Mike Pence visits Dennis Nelson, a recovered COVID-19 disease patient who is now donating his blood for research on the virus and disease as Pence tours Mayo Clinic facilities supporting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) research and treatment in Rochester, Minnesota, U.S., April 28, 2020.
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Video showed Pence visiting staff and a patient in a crowded hospital room without wearing a mask.
The Minnesota-based center's policy states: "Part of our protocol for ensuring your safety is to require all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face covering or mask while at Mayo Clinic to guard against transmission of COVID-19."
The clinic said in a statement that it had "shared the masking policy with the VP's office."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its advice to recommend that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where it is difficult to maintain adequate physical distance at all times, such as in grocery stores and pharmacies.
This is because a very high proportion of people infected with the coronavirus are believed to be asymptomatic and because recent research has shown that it may in certain circumstances be possible to infect others through normal speaking and breathing.
Pence, President Donald Trump, and other senior White House officials have pointedly ignored the advice, leading to speculation it is a coordinated decision to downplay the severity of the crisis.
The vice president said he did not wear a mask because the CDC guidelines suggest that masks help prevent the spread of the virus by those who are infected -- and he is not.
"Since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you," he said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-29--Covid-19: France considers introducing series of ‘stop and go’ lockdowns

Commuters wearing protective face masks make their way along a suburban train platform as they arrive at the Gare du Nord RER station in Paris during a lockdown imposed to slow the rate of Covid-19 in France , April 27 , 2020 .
France on Tuesday announced a plan to start lifting its nationwide coronavirus lockdown on May 11 , but the government is already anticipating how to reintroduce limits in the event of a second wave of the outbreak .
Faced with the reopening of schools and businesses and the return of some employees to their workplaces after May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility of a new wave of coronavirus contagion in France .
To prevent this , the authorities are exploring a “ stop and go ” strategy , consisting of alternating periods of lockdown and eased restrictions .
Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye addressed the approach in an interview with Le Monde by saying , `` this is one of the possibilities , especially if virus clusters develop in certain territories '' .
`` The aim is to allow the health system to be able to cope after the end of lockdown , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live with the virus , '' she said .
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against making any hasty moves that would lead to a reintroduction of stricter measures .
`` The worst thing would be to reopen too quickly , too hard , and then be forced to close again , '' said Macron during an exchange with religious authorities on April 21 .
The following day , during a visit to a supermarket in Finistère in western Brittany , Macron also mentioned this possibility : `` You have to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of these stages , because you do n't want to take steps backwards . ''
`` We must not jeopardise this effort by going back to normal too quickly , '' he added .
For economist Daniel Cohen , the driving forces behind ending the lockdown are not health considerations .
`` We are ending the lockdown for the economy in France and it is the same in almost every country , '' he explained to FRANCE 24 .
`` The economy is in a state of hibernation .
The INSEE ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) said that only vital functions are continuing .
Half of the employees in the private sector no longer work and productivity is at a standstill .
This is a very brutal situation and we have to start producing goods again . ''
However , even with a gradual reopening of society , a resurgence of infections is to be expected .
According to a study by the Institut Pasteur last week , less than 6 percent of the French population will have been infected by the new coronavirus by May 11 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sufficient level to avoid a second wave , 70 percent of people would need to be immunised , '' Simon Cauchemez , the main author of the study , told AFP .
Moreover , the World Health Organization said it is not yet known what level of immunity is offered by having recovered from the virus or having antibodies – or for how long .
As the number of new cases rises concurrently with eased restrictions , another lockdown is highly probable to avoid saturating hospital services .
`` There is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health which foresees 'stop-and-go ' situations for several more years , until we have a vaccine , '' explained Cohen .
British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson shares this theory .
In an article published on the Imperial College London website in March , he explained that to achieve a complete flattening of the transmission curve , lockdowns and easements would have to be alternated a number of times , `` until large stocks of vaccine are available to immunise the population , which could potentially be for 18 months or more '' .
Repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months or even years .
`` For the economy , this is obviously bad news , as it is for the people .
This means that any expected rebound will not actually take place , '' said Cohen .
And even if the stop-and-go strategy works on paper , it will be difficult to apply it in practice .
Astrid Vabret , head of the virology department at Caen University Hospital , has envisioned a new round of `` stop and go '' every fortnight in comments to France 3 Normandie .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficulties : `` It remains to be seen if this is possible to apply it because it requires the population to be very disciplined . ''
Chloé Hecketsweiler , a health specialist at Le Monde , is also sceptical .
`` It does n't necessarily work in real life .
People will get bored , lockdown is complicated to maintain , '' she said in a podcast earlier this month .
“ Politically , this scenario is difficult to defend and it will be very difficult to get economic life back on track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the original in French .

France on Tuesday announced a plan to start lifting its nationwide coronavirus lockdown on May 11, but the government is already anticipating how to reintroduce limits in the event of a second wave of the outbreak.
Commuters wearing protective face masks make their way along a suburban train platform as they arrive at the Gare du Nord RER station in Paris during a lockdown imposed to slow the rate of Covid-19 in France, April 27, 2020.
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Faced with the reopening of schools and businesses and the return of some employees to their workplaces after May 11, health professionals have warned of the possibility of a new wave of coronavirus contagion in France. To prevent this, the authorities are exploring a “stop and go” strategy, consisting of alternating periods of lockdown and eased restrictions.
Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye addressed the approach in an interview with Le Monde by saying, "this is one of the possibilities, especially if virus clusters develop in certain territories".
"The aim is to allow the health system to be able to cope after the end of lockdown, but also to allow the French to learn to live with the virus," she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against making any hasty moves that would lead to a reintroduction of stricter measures. "The worst thing would be to reopen too quickly, too hard, and then be forced to close again," said Macron during an exchange with religious authorities on April 21.
The following day, during a visit to a supermarket in Finistère in western Brittany, Macron also mentioned this possibility: "You have to make regular progress and be very careful at each of these stages, because you don't want to take steps backwards."
"We must not jeopardise this effort by going back to normal too quickly," he added.
Years of ‘stop and go’?
For economist Daniel Cohen, the driving forces behind ending the lockdown are not health considerations.
"We are ending the lockdown for the economy in France and it is the same in almost every country," he explained to FRANCE 24. "The economy is in a state of hibernation. The INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) said that only vital functions are continuing. Half of the employees in the private sector no longer work and productivity is at a standstill. This is a very brutal situation and we have to start producing goods again."
However, even with a gradual reopening of society, a resurgence of infections is to be expected. According to a study by the Institut Pasteur last week, less than 6 percent of the French population will have been infected by the new coronavirus by May 11.
"For herd immunity to be at a sufficient level to avoid a second wave, 70 percent of people would need to be immunised," Simon Cauchemez, the main author of the study, told AFP. Moreover, the World Health Organization said it is not yet known what level of immunity is offered by having recovered from the virus or having antibodies – or for how long.
As the number of new cases rises concurrently with eased restrictions, another lockdown is highly probable to avoid saturating hospital services.
"There is a study from the Harvard School of Public Health which foresees 'stop-and-go' situations for several more years, until we have a vaccine," explained Cohen.
British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson shares this theory. In an article published on the Imperial College London website in March, he explained that to achieve a complete flattening of the transmission curve, lockdowns and easements would have to be alternated a number of times, "until large stocks of vaccine are available to immunise the population, which could potentially be for 18 months or more".
Repeated lockdowns require discipline
Repeated lockdowns would extend the expected recessions by months or even years. "For the economy, this is obviously bad news, as it is for the people. This means that any expected rebound will not actually take place," said Cohen.
And even if the stop-and-go strategy works on paper, it will be difficult to apply it in practice. Astrid Vabret, head of the virology department at Caen University Hospital, has envisioned a new round of "stop and go" every fortnight in comments to France 3 Normandie. But she points out that there would be difficulties: "It remains to be seen if this is possible to apply it because it requires the population to be very disciplined."
Chloé Hecketsweiler, a health specialist at Le Monde, is also sceptical. "It doesn't necessarily work in real life. People will get bored, lockdown is complicated to maintain," she said in a podcast earlier this month. “Politically, this scenario is difficult to defend and it will be very difficult to get economic life back on track."
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-04-29--US says remdesivir shows 'clear-cut' effect in treating coronavirus

COVID-19 patients on the antiviral remdesivir recovered more than 30 percent faster than those on a placebo , the results of a major clinical trial showed Wednesday as a top US scientist hailed the drug 's `` clear-cut '' benefit .
It represents the first time any medication has been shown to improve outcomes against the COVID-19 illness , which has claimed more than 200,000 lives globally and brought the world economy to a grinding halt .
Anthony Fauci , who oversaw the investigation , told reporters at the White House : `` The data shows that remdesivir has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diminishing the time to recovery . ''
He added that the trial was proof `` that a drug can block this virus , '' and compared the finding to the arrival of the first antiretrovirals that worked against HIV in the 1980s , albeit with modest success at first .
A statement by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that Fauci heads said that patients on the drug had a 31 percent faster time to recovery than those on a placebo .
`` Specifically , the median time to recovery was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with 15 days for those who received placebo , '' it said .
The results also suggested that people who were on the drug were less likely to die , although the difference was not huge : The mortality rate was 8.0 percent for the group receiving remdesivir versus 11.6 percent for the placebo group .
The trial began on February 21 and involved 1,063 people across 68 locations in the US , Europe and Asia .
The first patient to be enrolled was an American who was repatriated after being quarantined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center .
Neither the patients nor their physicians were aware of which group they belonged to , in order to eliminate unconscious bias .
Peter Horby , an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the study , said : `` We need to see the full results , but if confirmed this would be a fantastic result and great news for the fight against COVID-19 . ''
Scott Gottlieb , a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There 's now enough data to support consideration of access under an emergency use authorization . ''
This would allow doctors to prescribe the drug outside of the context of clinical trials .
Remdesivir , which previously failed in trials against Ebola , belongs to a class of drugs that act on the virus directly -- as opposed to controlling the abnormal and often lethal autoimmune response it causes .
It mimics one of the four building blocks of RNA and DNA and gets absorbed into the virus 's genome , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his remarks to the press , Fauci indicated that since this had yielded some success , it could pave the way for better drugs using the same approach .
There had been mixed news about the intravenous antiviral in recent weeks .
A summary of results posted on the website of the World Health Organization last week showed it failed in a smaller Chinese trial .
The Lancet on Wednesday published the formal paper describing that experiment .
In this study of 237 patients in Wuhan , China , doctors found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with a control group of adults , except for those patients who required ventilators .
But the Chinese test had to be halted early because it could not recruit enough people to meet its initial goals , and was considered by many experts to be too small to draw reliable conclusions from .
Fauci said it was `` not an adequate study . ''
Apart from remdesivir , the antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are also being widely used against COVID-19 on a so-called `` compassionate basis '' pending results from large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studied include collecting antibodies from COVID-19 survivors and injecting them in patients , or harvesting antibodies from genetically-engineered mice that were deliberately infected .

COVID-19 patients on the antiviral remdesivir recovered more than 30 percent faster than those on a placebo, the results of a major clinical trial showed Wednesday as a top US scientist hailed the drug's "clear-cut" benefit.
Advertising Read more
It represents the first time any medication has been shown to improve outcomes against the COVID-19 illness, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives globally and brought the world economy to a grinding halt.
Anthony Fauci, who oversaw the investigation, told reporters at the White House: "The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery."
He added that the trial was proof "that a drug can block this virus," and compared the finding to the arrival of the first antiretrovirals that worked against HIV in the 1980s, albeit with modest success at first.
A statement by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that Fauci heads said that patients on the drug had a 31 percent faster time to recovery than those on a placebo.
"Specifically, the median time to recovery was 11 days for patients treated with remdesivir compared with 15 days for those who received placebo," it said.
The results also suggested that people who were on the drug were less likely to die, although the difference was not huge: The mortality rate was 8.0 percent for the group receiving remdesivir versus 11.6 percent for the placebo group.
The trial began on February 21 and involved 1,063 people across 68 locations in the US, Europe and Asia.
The first patient to be enrolled was an American who was repatriated after being quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and was treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Neither the patients nor their physicians were aware of which group they belonged to, in order to eliminate unconscious bias.
Peter Horby, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the study, said: "We need to see the full results, but if confirmed this would be a fantastic result and great news for the fight against COVID-19."
Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wrote on Twitter: "There's now enough data to support consideration of access under an emergency use authorization."
This would allow doctors to prescribe the drug outside of the context of clinical trials.
Blocks viral replication
Remdesivir, which previously failed in trials against Ebola, belongs to a class of drugs that act on the virus directly -- as opposed to controlling the abnormal and often lethal autoimmune response it causes.
It mimics one of the four building blocks of RNA and DNA and gets absorbed into the virus's genome, which in turn stops the pathogen from replicating.
In his remarks to the press, Fauci indicated that since this had yielded some success, it could pave the way for better drugs using the same approach.
There had been mixed news about the intravenous antiviral in recent weeks.
A summary of results posted on the website of the World Health Organization last week showed it failed in a smaller Chinese trial. The Lancet on Wednesday published the formal paper describing that experiment.
In this study of 237 patients in Wuhan, China, doctors found no positive effects of administering the drug compared with a control group of adults, except for those patients who required ventilators.
But the Chinese test had to be halted early because it could not recruit enough people to meet its initial goals, and was considered by many experts to be too small to draw reliable conclusions from.
Fauci said it was "not an adequate study."
Apart from remdesivir, the antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are also being widely used against COVID-19 on a so-called "compassionate basis" pending results from large trials.
Other therapies that are being studied include collecting antibodies from COVID-19 survivors and injecting them in patients, or harvesting antibodies from genetically-engineered mice that were deliberately infected.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-29--Reduced pollution during Covid-19 lockdown could prevent 11,300 premature deaths in Europe: study

FILE PHOTO : General view of Rialto Bridge and the empty Grand Canal , as the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues in Venice , Italy , April 28 , 2020 .
R Improved air quality in Europe due to lockdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic has delivered health benefits equivalent to avoiding 11,300 premature deaths , according to a study published on Thursday .
Researchers extrapolated the likely impact on diseases caused or made worse by air pollution , which has fallen dramatically as hundreds of millions of people have stayed at home over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to everyone in Europe stopping smoking for a month , '' said Lauri Myllyvirta , lead analyst at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air , which conducted the study .
`` Our analysis highlights the tremendous benefits for public health and quality of life that could be achieved by rapidly reducing fossil fuels in a sustained and sustainable way . ''
The benefits in Germany , Britain and Italy exceeded the equivalent of more than 1,500 premature deaths in each country .
The average European citizen was exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would normally have been expected in the 30 days that ended on April 24 , CREA said .
The gas is mostly produced from road transport .
Exposure to particulate matter , generated by transport , industry and coal-fired heating , was 12 % below normal levels , according to the study , which covered 21 European countries .
The observed drop in pollution would also be expected to result in 1.3 million fewer days of absence from work and 6,000 fewer new cases of asthma in children , CREA said .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that prolonged exposure to dirty air prior to the pandemic could have caused or exacerbated diabetes , lung disease , heart disease and cancer – all conditions that increase the risk of death for COVID-19 patients .
`` What we can say so far is that there is an overlap between conditions associated with air pollution and those that have increased the risk of dying from COVID-19 , '' said Sara De Matteis , a professor at Italy 's Cagliari University and a member of the European Respiratory Society 's environmental health committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual premature deaths in the 27-member European Union and ex-member Britain , according to the EU environment agency .

Improved air quality in Europe due to lockdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic has delivered health benefits equivalent to avoiding 11,300 premature deaths, according to a study published on Thursday.
FILE PHOTO: General view of Rialto Bridge and the empty Grand Canal, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Venice, Italy, April 28, 2020. R
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Researchers extrapolated the likely impact on diseases caused or made worse by air pollution, which has fallen dramatically as hundreds of millions of people have stayed at home over the past month.
"You could compare it to everyone in Europe stopping smoking for a month," said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which conducted the study.
"Our analysis highlights the tremendous benefits for public health and quality of life that could be achieved by rapidly reducing fossil fuels in a sustained and sustainable way."
The benefits in Germany, Britain and Italy exceeded the equivalent of more than 1,500 premature deaths in each country.
The average European citizen was exposed to nitrogen dioxide levels 37% below what would normally have been expected in the 30 days that ended on April 24, CREA said. The gas is mostly produced from road transport.
Exposure to particulate matter, generated by transport, industry and coal-fired heating, was 12% below normal levels, according to the study, which covered 21 European countries.
The observed drop in pollution would also be expected to result in 1.3 million fewer days of absence from work and 6,000 fewer new cases of asthma in children, CREA said.
At the same time, the researchers noted that prolonged exposure to dirty air prior to the pandemic could have caused or exacerbated diabetes, lung disease, heart disease and cancer – all conditions that increase the risk of death for COVID-19 patients.
"What we can say so far is that there is an overlap between conditions associated with air pollution and those that have increased the risk of dying from COVID-19," said Sara De Matteis, a professor at Italy's Cagliari University and a member of the European Respiratory Society's environmental health committee.
Air pollution causes more than 400,000 annual premature deaths in the 27-member European Union and ex-member Britain, according to the EU environment agency.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-29--France's Covid-19 daily death toll increases slightly – but hospitalisations continue to fall

The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 427 to 24,087 on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ and people in ICU units continued to decline , the health ministry said in a @ @ @ @ @ has increased 1.8 % compared with Tuesday , a slightly higher rate of increase than @ @ @ @ @ .
The number of people in hospital with the COVID-19 infection fell further to 26,834 @ @ @ @ @ and the number of people in intensive care fell to 4,207 from 4,387 .
Both @ @ @ @ @ downward trend for more than two weeks .

The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 427 to 24,087 on Wednesday, while hospitalisations for the disease and people in ICU units continued to decline, the health ministry said in a statement.
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The death toll has increased 1.8% compared with Tuesday, a slightly higher rate of increase than over the previous 24 hours.
The number of people in hospital with the COVID-19 infection fell further to 26,834 from 27,484 on Tuesday, and the number of people in intensive care fell to 4,207 from 4,387. Both numbers have been on a downward trend for more than two weeks.
(REUTERS)
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