france24--2020-06-02--By bus or on foot: The long road home for Venezuelans stuck abroad during pandemic

“ My landlady said that she ’ d kick me out if I couldn ’ t pay rent ” Venezuelans gather in the square in front of Cali ’ s city hall on April 8 to demand help in returning home .
Eduardo Azuaje and his family say goodbye to their neighbour in Cali before leaving .
Neo Mendoza , who is also from Venezuela , went to Lima , Peru to work in early 2019 .
He said that the pandemic only served to speed up his departure because he had already wanted to return to Venezuela , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he hadn ’ t managed to find stable employment in Peru .
The restaurant where Neo Mendoza was working before the pandemic .
Many Venezuelans living and working abroad , like our three Observers , have been unable to pay their rents and have either been evicted or threatened with eviction .
In Colombia , the government Many Venezuelans living and working abroad , like our three Observers , have been unable to pay their rents and have either been evicted or threatened with eviction .
In Colombia , the government enacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late March .
In Peru , however , there is no such measure .
Lockdown left many Venezuelans without work , especially because a large number of them worked in the informal sector as street vendors for example.Yurkys Rosario came to Cali , Colombia from Venezuela in early 2019 .
Before the pandemic , she was working in the kitchen at a restaurant there.Eduardo Azuaje is a Venezuelan who also came to Cali in late 2019 after spending four years in Ecuador .
Before the pandemic , he worked doing different jobs including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he lost a lot of work and was unable to pay rent .
Just like Rosario , he decided to leave when his landlord threatened to kick him out .

VENEZUELA
The image on the left shows Neo Mendoza on the road in Peru. The image on the right shows Eduardo Azuaje’s group on the road in Colombia.
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Most Latin American countries went under lockdown in March in an effort to limit the spread of Covid-19. However, lockdown meant that many Venezuelans, who were living in Colombia, Peru or Ecuador because of the serious economic crisis in their own country, suddenly found themselves without work. Unable to make ends meet, tens of thousands of them decided to return to Venezuela. It’s a journey of several hundred – or, for some, several thousand – kilometres that some of them are undertaking on foot.
The number of Venezuelans who have returned home varies depending on the source. On May 18, Venezuelan authorities reported that 41,933 Venezuelans had returned home from abroad by land routes and 300 by air, thanks to a special programme called “Vuelta a la Patria” ('Return to the motherland'). The programme, which was launched by Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in 2018, allows Venezuelans living abroad to return home for free.
In the meantime, Colombian authorities reported on May 12 that around 25,000 Venezuelans had left the country, while Peruvian authorities reported that 31,000 Venezuelans had left between March 15 and May 11. Before the pandemic, around 1.8 million Venezuelans lived in Colombia and 860,000 in Peru, which represent the largest concentrations of the diaspora.
The FRANCE 24 Observers team interviewed three Venezuelans who decided to make the arduous journey home.
1 - Returning to Venezuela: a decision spurred by governmental lockdown measures
Lockdown left many Venezuelans without work, especially because a large number of them worked in the informal sector as street vendors for example.
“My landlady said that she’d kick me out if I couldn’t pay rent”
Yurkys Rosario came to Cali, Colombia from Venezuela in early 2019. Before the pandemic, she was working in the kitchen at a restaurant there.
The restaurant had to close so I found myself without any kind of income. I couldn’t find more work, so I wasn’t able to pay my rent or my bills or to keep sending money back to my family in Venezuela. I sold some of my belongings but it wasn’t enough to cover my rent. My landlady told me that she was going to kick me out if I didn’t pay it in full. So I decided to leave. I spent four nights sleeping in the square in front of the town hall.
Venezuelans gather in the square in front of Cali’s city hall on April 8 to demand help in returning home.
Eduardo Azuaje is a Venezuelan who also came to Cali in late 2019 after spending four years in Ecuador. Before the pandemic, he worked doing different jobs including painting and ceramics. When lockdown began, he lost a lot of work and was unable to pay rent. Just like Rosario, he decided to leave when his landlord threatened to kick him out.
Even if the situation is also really difficult in Venezuela, we can go to my sister’s house. We have family there. But it was a difficult decision to leave.
Eduardo Azuaje and his family say goodbye to their neighbour in Cali before leaving.
Neo Mendoza, who is also from Venezuela, went to Lima, Peru to work in early 2019. He said that the pandemic only served to speed up his departure because he had already wanted to return to Venezuela, both because he missed his daughters but also because he hadn’t managed to find stable employment in Peru.
I worked as a cook in a restaurant and when they announced that there would be a lockdown, I lost my job. I started washing the windscreens of cars when they stopped at stop signs just to make enough money to eat. In mid-April, I was evicted from my room because I was no longer able to afford rent.
The restaurant where Neo Mendoza was working before the pandemic.
Many Venezuelans living and working abroad, like our three Observers, have been unable to pay their rents and have either been evicted or threatened with eviction. In Colombia, the government enacted a ban on evictions during lockdown in late March. In Peru, however, there is no such measure.
2 - Travelling several hundred or thousand kilometres on foot, by hitch-hiking, by bus or by plane
Most Venezuelans have two options for getting home: a mix of walking and hitch-hiking, or they manage to get a bus ticket.
“City officials gave us food and water before the bus left”
Some cities in Colombia have worked with immigration services to organise free bus trips for Venezuelan nationals to the Venezuelan border, where those services have set up so-called “humanitarian corridors” so people can cross. Colombian officials also gave permission for several bus companies to ferry paying customers to the border.
Yurkys Rosario managed to travel to the border on one of the free buses provided by the city of Cali.
I left Cali on a bus on April 14. The journey went well. The city gave us things to eat and drink before we left and the bus made regular stops. But we were stopped and couldn’t go any further when we reached Cúcuta [Editor’s note: a town on the border with Venezuela]. Venezuelan immigration officials didn’t want us to cross the border immediately. So we spent the night at the border, without food or water. The next morning, we went to the Simón Bolívar International Bridge [Editor’s note: which separates the two countries]. We had to wait there all day, without any water even though the sun was beating down and there were children and pregnant women. Then, finally, at the end of the day, we were able to cross to the Venezuelan side.
Yurkys Rosario filmed this video in Cali, just before she began her bus journey.
Yurkys Rosario inside her bus in Cali. The paper bracelet she is wearing indicates that she has permission to go to the Venezuelan border.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) runs this station on the border between Colombia and Venezuela.
“The journey destroyed our feet”
In the meantime, Eduardo Azuaje decided to travel the 950 kilometres between Cali and the Venezuelan border by foot along with his girlfriend and her two daughters. He made this decision after being unable to get bus tickets, even though traveling such a distance by foot is banned under lockdown measures. If Venezuelans want to leave, they are supposed to contact local authorities, who will put them in touch with immigration officials.
In late April, I posted a message in the Facebook group Paso Fronterizo Cucuta (Cucuta border crossing) to see if any other Venezuelans wanted to make the journey from Cali with us. I wanted to travel in a group because I thought it would be safer.
“Who is up for traveling by foot, starting on the 12th, from Cali to Cúcuta?” These days, messages like this are being posted all the time in Facebook groups for Venezuelans in Colombia.
In the end, my family and I left in early May along with five other people. It was really hard. On one day, we walked from 6am until 9pm and covered around 45 kilometres. It destroyed our feet. The worst part was around Alto de Minas because of the elevation [Editor’s note: Alto de Minas sits at an altitude of about 2,460 metres]. One of the girls in the group had asthma and, during one ascent, we had to carry her until a passing car took her. We tried to sleep up there but it was almost impossible because of the cold. The girl with asthma got hypothermia and, in the end, an ambulance came to get her. {{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} Eduardo Azuaje and his group took these photos on the road. {{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} These photos were taken on the road between Cali and Medellín. The second image shows the wheelbarrow that Azuaje’s group bought to carry their suitcases because all of their wheels had been destroyed. An ambulance came to pick up this Venezuelan woman, who was suffering from hypothermia, on the mountainous road near Alto de Minas.
We tried to hitchhike and, luckily for us, we got picked up a few different times by passing trucks. Once, we rode in the same truck for about five hours.
This image shows Azuaje’s group in one of the trucks that picked them up.
The group hitched a ride on a rubbish collectors vehicle, which carried them for several miles.
During our trip, we always slept outside, not far from the road, near gas stations or restaurants. We cooked food on a campfire. People along the way helped us by giving us a bit of money, some bread, some potatoes or something to drink.
This photo shows Azuaje’s group sleeping next to a gas station.
The group cooked this meal over a campfire when they stayed near Caldas.
This man gave Azuaje’s group something to eat and drink.
After seven days, we reached Medellín on May 14 [Editor’s note: Medellín is about 420km from Cali]. We went to the bus station because we heard that there were free buses that would take us to the border. We stayed there for 3 or 4 days in the hopes of getting a spot on one, but it was in vain. One man offered us bus tickets for 150,000 pesos [Editor’s note: 36 euros], but we didn’t buy them because they were too expensive. Later, we learned it was a scam and that the bus didn’t have permission to make that journey… [Editor’s note: There are a lot of these scams going on right now, especially on social media.]
This is the bus station in Medellín where Eduardo Azuaje and his family stayed for several days in hopes of getting a spot on a bus to the Venezuelan border.
Finally, a doctor brought us to a shelter that is being run by the city. We are still there. There are about 200 Venezuelans staying here and the food is good. If no buses leave over the coming days then I think that we will continue on foot, because our goal is still to get to Valencia in Carabobo state. But there’s a huge distance still to cover [Editor’s note: nearly 600km] and it is the most dangerous part.
City officials in Medellín are running a shelter called the Coliseo Carlos Mauro Hoyos, where quite a few Venezuelans are staying.
“I was able to get on a flight in Quito, Ecuador”
Neo Mendoza and two of his friends also decided to travel by foot from Lima, Peru where they were living back home to Venezuela, even though travel was also banned within Peru. Mendoza was lucky enough to get on a flight home from Quito, Ecuador.
We left on foot on April 22, because that seemed like the only solution. [Editor’s note: Peru has not put in place any special measures to help Venezuelans return home]. On the first day, we managed to hitch a lift on a truck that took us between 60 and 80km. All in all, about a dozen trucks picked us up in Peru. When we walked, we could cover, at most, 20 to 25km per day if we walked between 6am and 7pm because my friends were carrying a lot of baggage. We always slept outdoors along the road, a little bit away from the road. People helped us by giving us a bit of food, some money and clothes. We traveled some of the way with a couple and their five-year-old child and two-month-old baby.
Neo Mendoza and his two friends in the bed of a truck that picked them up at the edge of Lima.
Neo Mendoza and his two friends stand next to a woman and her two children, who they travelled with for several days in Peru.
We reached the border with Ecuador on April 29 [Editor’s note: After travelling nearly 1,300km]. We had to cross the border illegally because it was closed [Editor’s note: a measure aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19]. That’s how we managed to reach Huaquillas. {{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} The first two photos show the men eating in Ecuador, while the third photo shows the mountains near Otavalo (photo 3).
After traveling for about a week, we reached Rumichaca Bridge, which marks the border between Ecuador and Colombia. But the border was completely shut and we met Venezuelans who had been camping there for days. We were surprised to see that they had tents and shelters made out of cardboard. We stayed there for three days and saw clashes between Colombian security forces, who fired tear gas to prevent anyone from crossing the border, and certain Venezuelans, who responded by throwing rocks. This photo shows Neo Mendoza and his two friends in Rumichaca.
Finally, on May 8, they told us that a flight back to Venezuela was scheduled for the next day as part of the “Vuelta a la Patria” programme. A bus brought us to the airport in Quito. Before taking off on May 9th, we had to take a rapid result test for Covid-19.
There was a party atmosphere in the bus bringing Venezuelans from Rumichaca to the airport in Quito.
{{ scope.counterText }} {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }} {{ scope.counterText }} i {{ scope.legend }} © {{ scope.credits }}
There were about a hundred of us Venezuelans stuck at Rumichaca, but about 15 of us weren’t able to get on the plane, including my two friends. They told them that there would be another flight, but there hasn’t been one yet. Currently, about 60 Venezuelans are still stuck there.
Voir en plein écran
This map shows the journeys undertaken by Yurkys Rosario, Eduardo Azuaje and Neo Mendoza. Red indicates travel by foot or by hitch-hiking. Green represents travel by bus. Blue represents travel by plane.
Article by Chloé Lauvergnier (@clauvergnier).
>> Read Part 2 of this article, where Yurkys Rosario and Neo Mendoza tell us what it was like to return home: How Venezuela is managing the flood of expats returning in the middle of the pandemic


france24--2020-06-03--George Floyd protesters take to streets of affluent Washington DC suburb

FRANCE 24 reports from a protest in the wealthy Washington DC commuter city of Bathesda , Maryland .
Thousands of @ @ @ @ @ of an affluent Washington DC suburb on Tuesday in protest at the death of George @ @ @ @ @ .
FRANCE 24 reports from Maryland .
Bethesda , Maryland is typically known as a @ @ @ @ @ white suburb of Washington DC .
Yet the rallying cries from protesters were the same @ @ @ @ @ streets of poor black neighborhoods in Minneapolis where the George Floyd protests started .
`` @ @ @ @ @ the same thing in 60 years – just see us as a human being , @ @ @ @ @ `` When does it ever change ?
When is enough enough ? ''
Click on @ @ @ @ @ the video report in full .

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of an affluent Washington DC suburb on Tuesday in protest at the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. FRANCE 24 reports from Maryland.
FRANCE 24 reports from a protest in the wealthy Washington DC commuter city of Bathesda, Maryland.
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Bethesda, Maryland is typically known as a quiet, wealthy and overwhelmingly white suburb of Washington DC.
Yet the rallying cries from protesters were the same as those heard on the streets of poor black neighborhoods in Minneapolis where the George Floyd protests started.
"We’re asking for the same thing in 60 years – just see us as a human being," said one protester. "When does it ever change? When is enough enough?"
Click on the player above to watch the video report in full.
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france24--2020-06-03--Clashes break out at Paris's banned George Floyd-inspired protest

People attend a banned demonstration in memory of Adama Traore , a 24-year-old black Frenchman who died in a 2016 police operation which some have likened to the death of George Floyd in the United States , in front of the courthouse in Paris , France on June 2 , 2020 .
Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris on Tuesday after around 20,000 people defied a ban to rally over the 2016 death of a black man in police custody , galvanised by US demonstrations against racism and deadly police violence .
The protesters used slogans from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice for Adama Traoré , whose death four years ago has been a rallying cause against police brutality in France .
The demonstration , which came after the release of two differing medical reports into the cause of Traoré 's death , had been prohibited by police citing a coronavirus ban on gatherings of more than 10 people .
The protest started in the late afternoon outside the court in northern Paris , before projectiles were thrown and the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd .
“ They kill us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they insult us .
At some point , we have to react , '' one female protester told FRANCE 24 .
`` This has been going on for far too long .
George Floyd is just the tip of the iceberg… And that iceberg hasn ’ t melted if you know what I mean , ” she added .
Sporadic clashes broke out near the city 's main ring road , with stones thrown at the police , who responded by firing rubber bullets .
Some protesters burned bins , bicycles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner responded by saying that `` violence has no place in a democracy '' .
`` Nothing justifies the behaviour that took place in Paris this evening , when protests on public streets are banned to protect everyone 's health , '' he tweeted .
Many of the protesters drew inspiration from the protest movement raging across the United States over the police killing last week of George Floyd , an unarmed black man , holding up slogans in English such as `` Black Lives Matter '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier in the day Traoré 's elder sister Assa spoke to the large crowd .
`` Today we are not just talking about the fight of the Traoré family .
It is the fight for everyone .
When we fight for George Floyd , we fight for Adama Traoré , '' she said .
`` What is happening in the United States is an echo of what is happening in France . ''
Other protests were held across France , with 2,500 people attending a rally in the northern city of Lille @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lyon .
The Traoré case has long been controversial in France .
Following a dispute over an identity check , Traoré , 24 , was apprehended in a house where he hid after leading police on a 15-minute chase in 2016 .
One of the three arresting officers has told investigators that they pinned Traoré down with their combined bodyweight .
Traoré lost consciousness in their vehicle and died at a nearby police station .
He was still handcuffed when paramedics arrived .
On Friday , French medical experts exonerated the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not die of `` positional suffocation '' , ruling out the officers pinning him to the ground as the cause of his death .
Instead , the experts found Traoré died of heart failure possibly brought on by underlying health conditions in a context of `` intense stress '' and physical exertion , as well as the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol -- the active ingredient of cannabis -- in his body .
The findings , the third official report to clear the officers , dismissed a previous medical report commissioned by the young man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of asphyxiation .
But on Tuesday a new probe commissioned by the Traoré family said that his death was caused by the arrest technique used by the officers .
The contradictory medical reports also echoes the case of George Floyd , whose preliminary autopsy said he died from pre-existing heart problems , while an autopsy arranged by his family found he died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure .
Floyd 's official autopsy then confirmed he died in a homicide involving `` neck compression '' .
Paris police chief Didier Lallement , who banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter to police officers defending their conduct .
He said he sympathised with the `` pain '' officers must feel `` faced with accusations of violence and racism , repeated endlessly by social networks and certain activist groups '' .
The Paris police force `` is not violent , nor racist : it acts within the framework of the right to liberty for all '' , he insisted in an email to the city 's 27,500 law enforcers .
Several French officers have also been investigated for brutality against members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-government rallies , and more recent anti-pension reform strikes .
Scores of protesters were maimed by rubber bullets or stun grenades , some losing an eye or a hand .

Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris on Tuesday after around 20,000 people defied a ban to rally over the 2016 death of a black man in police custody, galvanised by US demonstrations against racism and deadly police violence.
People attend a banned demonstration in memory of Adama Traore, a 24-year-old black Frenchman who died in a 2016 police operation which some have likened to the death of George Floyd in the United States, in front of the courthouse in Paris, France on June 2, 2020.
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The protesters used slogans from the American protest movement to call for justice for Adama Traoré, whose death four years ago has been a rallying cause against police brutality in France.
The demonstration, which came after the release of two differing medical reports into the cause of Traoré's death, had been prohibited by police citing a coronavirus ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.
The protest started in the late afternoon outside the court in northern Paris, before projectiles were thrown and the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“They kill us, they injure us, they attack us, they insult us. At some point, we have to react," one female protester told FRANCE 24.
"This has been going on for far too long. George Floyd is just the tip of the iceberg… And that iceberg hasn’t melted if you know what I mean,” she added.
Sporadic clashes broke out near the city's main ring road, with stones thrown at the police, who responded by firing rubber bullets.
Some protesters burned bins, bicycles and scooters to set up flaming barricades on the streets.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner responded by saying that "violence has no place in a democracy".
"Nothing justifies the behaviour that took place in Paris this evening, when protests on public streets are banned to protect everyone's health," he tweeted.
Many of the protesters drew inspiration from the protest movement raging across the United States over the police killing last week of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, holding up slogans in English such as "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe".
Earlier in the day Traoré's elder sister Assa spoke to the large crowd.
"Today we are not just talking about the fight of the Traoré family. It is the fight for everyone. When we fight for George Floyd, we fight for Adama Traoré," she said.
"What is happening in the United States is an echo of what is happening in France."
Other protests were held across France, with 2,500 people attending a rally in the northern city of Lille, 1,800 in Marseille, and 1,200 in Lyon.
Medical reports
The Traoré case has long been controversial in France.
Following a dispute over an identity check, Traoré, 24, was apprehended in a house where he hid after leading police on a 15-minute chase in 2016.
One of the three arresting officers has told investigators that they pinned Traoré down with their combined bodyweight.
Traoré lost consciousness in their vehicle and died at a nearby police station. He was still handcuffed when paramedics arrived.
On Friday, French medical experts exonerated the three police officers, saying that Traoré did not die of "positional suffocation", ruling out the officers pinning him to the ground as the cause of his death.
Instead, the experts found Traoré died of heart failure possibly brought on by underlying health conditions in a context of "intense stress" and physical exertion, as well as the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol -- the active ingredient of cannabis -- in his body.
The findings, the third official report to clear the officers, dismissed a previous medical report commissioned by the young man's family that said he had died of asphyxiation.
But on Tuesday a new probe commissioned by the Traoré family said that his death was caused by the arrest technique used by the officers.
The contradictory medical reports also echoes the case of George Floyd, whose preliminary autopsy said he died from pre-existing heart problems, while an autopsy arranged by his family found he died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure.
Floyd's official autopsy then confirmed he died in a homicide involving "neck compression".
'Not violent, nor racist'
Paris police chief Didier Lallement, who banned the protest, earlier on Tuesday wrote a letter to police officers defending their conduct.
He said he sympathised with the "pain" officers must feel "faced with accusations of violence and racism, repeated endlessly by social networks and certain activist groups".
The Paris police force "is not violent, nor racist: it acts within the framework of the right to liberty for all", he insisted in an email to the city's 27,500 law enforcers.
Several French officers have also been investigated for brutality against members of the public at long-running "yellow vest" anti-government rallies, and more recent anti-pension reform strikes.
Scores of protesters were maimed by rubber bullets or stun grenades, some losing an eye or a hand.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-03--UK-China row escalates as Johnson pledges asylum for Hong Kongers

Britain will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law that would conflict with its international obligations , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday – after pledging to give Hong Kong citizens asylum if need be .
Intensifying the diplomatic spat between the two countries , China responded by saying the UK had “ grossly interfered ” in its territory .
Johnson 's remarks followed a warning to China on Tuesday to step back from the brink over the national security legislation for Hong Kong , saying it risked destroying one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while ruining the reputation of China .
`` Hong Kong succeeds because its people are free , '' Johnson wrote in The Times and the South China Morning Post .
`` If China proceeds , this would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration , a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations . ''
China ’ s legislature approved last week a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition , secession , terrorism and foreign interference .
Mainland security and intelligence agents may , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city , a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 .
The plan for the legislation follows months of often violent pro-democracy protests in last year that plunged Hong Kong into its biggest crisis since the handover .
`` Many people in Hong Kong fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat , '' Johnson said .
`` If China proceeds to justify their fears , then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide an alternative . ''
Johnson repeated Britain 's pledge to give British National Overseas passport-holders in Hong Kong a path to British citizenship , allowing them to settle in the United Kingdom .
There are about 350,000 holders of BNO passports in Hong Kong and another 2.5 million are eligible for them , Johnson said .
China 's decision to impose the national security law on Hong Kong would `` curtail its freedoms and dramatically erode its autonomy '' , Johnson wrote .
`` Since the handover in 1997 , the key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , two systems ' , enshrined in Hong Kong 's Basic Law and underpinned by the Joint Declaration signed by Britain and China , '' Johnson wrote .
The Basic law is Hong Kong 's mini constitution while the Sino-British Joint Declaration set out the arrangements for Hong Kong 's return to China .
Addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday , British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had reached out to Australia , New Zealand , the United States and Canada about contingency plans if the law creates a deluge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I raised it on the Five Eyes call yesterday — the possibility of burden sharing if we see a mass exodus from Hong Kong , '' Raab told MPs , referencing the intelligence-sharing alliance between the five powers .
China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair .
`` The UK 's irresponsible remarks and accusations ... have grossly interfered in China ’ s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs , '' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said .
`` We advise the UK side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` The UK said the legislation is authoritarian , but this word is the exact characterisation of the UK 's former rule over HK , '' the spokesman said .
Under British rule democratic reforms were not introduced until Chris Patten ’ s tenure as governor in the 1990s .
But colonial Hong Kong enjoyed political liberalism – with freedom of expression , the rule of law and an impartial justice system .
Protesters have frequently waved the flag of British Hong Kong at demonstrations , and even draped it over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council on the 2019 anniversary of the handover to China , as a symbol of prized values .
In light of the impending expiration of Britain ’ s lease of the New Territories ( the largest part of Hong Kong ) in 1997 , then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration with Chinese leader Deng Xiapeng in 1984 .
Despite Britain ’ s relatively weak hand – with little ability to defend a territory located right next to mainland China – Thatcher secured China ’ s agreement to a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong after the handover , with its “ social and economic systems ” remaining “ unchanged ” and its laws “ basically unchanged ” .
Under the Basic Law created by China in 1990 , this continuity would remain in place until 2047 .
Johnson ’ s comments come after US President Donald Trump , responding to Beijing 's plan to impose the security legislation , ordered his administration to begin the process of eliminating special US treatment for Hong Kong to punish China .
A survey of US businesses revealed deep fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong , with 30 % of respondents `` moderately '' concerned and 53.3 % `` very concerned '' about it .
The survey , on June 1-2 for the American Chamber of Commerce ( Amcham ) , drew responses from 180 , or 15 % , of its members .
About 60 % thought the legislation would harm their business operations , while a third said they were considering moving capital , assets or operations out of the semi-autonomous city , with 38 % personally considering moving out .
Contributing to simmering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to resume debate on a bill that would criminalise disrespect of China 's national anthem , following scuffles in the legislature in recent weeks .
Hong Kong activists plan to take their movement forward with demonstrations to mark the June 4 , 1989 anniversary of Chinese troops opening fire on pro-democracy students in and around Tiananmen Square , even though for the first time , an annual vigil for the anniversary has been cancelled over coronavirus concerns .
Demonstrations are also planned for the June 9 anniversary of last year 's million-strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the extradition of offenders to mainland China , and protests three days later that police tackled with tear gas and rubber bullets .

Britain will not walk away from the people of Hong Kong if China imposes a national security law that would conflict with its international obligations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday – after pledging to give Hong Kong citizens asylum if need be. Intensifying the diplomatic spat between the two countries, China responded by saying the UK had “grossly interfered” in its territory.
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Johnson's remarks followed a warning to China on Tuesday to step back from the brink over the national security legislation for Hong Kong, saying it risked destroying one of the jewels of Asia's economy while ruining the reputation of China.
"Hong Kong succeeds because its people are free," Johnson wrote in The Times and the South China Morning Post. "If China proceeds, this would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the joint declaration, a legally binding treaty registered with the United Nations."
China’s legislature approved last week a decision to create laws for Hong Kong to curb sedition, secession, terrorism and foreign interference.
Mainland security and intelligence agents may, for the first time, be stationed in the city, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
‘Way of life under threat’
The plan for the legislation follows months of often violent pro-democracy protests in last year that plunged Hong Kong into its biggest crisis since the handover.
"Many people in Hong Kong fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat," Johnson said.
"If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away; instead we will honour our obligations and provide an alternative."
Johnson repeated Britain's pledge to give British National Overseas passport-holders in Hong Kong a path to British citizenship, allowing them to settle in the United Kingdom.
There are about 350,000 holders of BNO passports in Hong Kong and another 2.5 million are eligible for them, Johnson said.
China's decision to impose the national security law on Hong Kong would "curtail its freedoms and dramatically erode its autonomy", Johnson wrote.
"Since the handover in 1997, the key has been the precious concept of 'one country, two systems', enshrined in Hong Kong's Basic Law and underpinned by the Joint Declaration signed by Britain and China," Johnson wrote.
The Basic law is Hong Kong's mini constitution while the Sino-British Joint Declaration set out the arrangements for Hong Kong's return to China.
Addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had reached out to Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada about contingency plans if the law creates a deluge of Hong Kongers looking to leave.
"I raised it on the Five Eyes call yesterday — the possibility of burden sharing if we see a mass exodus from Hong Kong," Raab told MPs, referencing the intelligence-sharing alliance between the five powers.
Political liberalism
China said its decisions on national security in Hong Kong were its own affair.
"The UK's irresponsible remarks and accusations ... have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. "We advise the UK side to step back from the brink."
"The UK said the legislation is authoritarian, but this word is the exact characterisation of the UK's former rule over HK," the spokesman said.
Under British rule democratic reforms were not introduced until Chris Patten’s tenure as governor in the 1990s. But colonial Hong Kong enjoyed political liberalism – with freedom of expression, the rule of law and an impartial justice system.
Protesters have frequently waved the flag of British Hong Kong at demonstrations, and even draped it over a podium in the territory’s Legislative Council on the 2019 anniversary of the handover to China, as a symbol of prized values.
In light of the impending expiration of Britain’s lease of the New Territories (the largest part of Hong Kong) in 1997, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration with Chinese leader Deng Xiapeng in 1984.
Despite Britain’s relatively weak hand – with little ability to defend a territory located right next to mainland China – Thatcher secured China’s agreement to a “high degree of autonomy” for Hong Kong after the handover, with its “social and economic systems” remaining “unchanged” and its laws “basically unchanged”.
Under the Basic Law created by China in 1990, this continuity would remain in place until 2047.
Protests planned for Tiananmen anniversary
Johnson’s comments come after US President Donald Trump, responding to Beijing's plan to impose the security legislation, ordered his administration to begin the process of eliminating special US treatment for Hong Kong to punish China.
A survey of US businesses revealed deep fears for the future of their operations in Hong Kong, with 30% of respondents "moderately" concerned and 53.3% "very concerned" about it.
The survey, on June 1-2 for the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), drew responses from 180, or 15%, of its members.
About 60% thought the legislation would harm their business operations, while a third said they were considering moving capital, assets or operations out of the semi-autonomous city, with 38% personally considering moving out.
Contributing to simmering anti-government tension, Hong Kong lawmakers are set to resume debate on a bill that would criminalise disrespect of China's national anthem, following scuffles in the legislature in recent weeks.
Hong Kong activists plan to take their movement forward with demonstrations to mark the June 4, 1989 anniversary of Chinese troops opening fire on pro-democracy students in and around Tiananmen Square, even though for the first time, an annual vigil for the anniversary has been cancelled over coronavirus concerns.
Demonstrations are also planned for the June 9 anniversary of last year's million-strong march against a now-withdrawn bill to allow for the extradition of offenders to mainland China, and protests three days later that police tackled with tear gas and rubber bullets.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AP)
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france24--2020-06-03--Tens of thousands march against 'systemic racism' in US

Young woman protesting against police brutality and systemic racism in the US wears mask reading ' I ca n't breathe ' , New York City , June 2nd 2020 .
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of major US cities on Tuesday for an eighth consecutive night of protests over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody .
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York , Philadelphia , Atlanta and Los Angeles , as well as Washington , DC to protest against last week 's killing in Minneapolis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a white policeman .
Protesters in New York marched from Foley Square to Washington Square Park and Union Square chanting `` no justice , no peace '' .
Most of them wore masks and some , including Chenele Shaw , handed out water and snacks to their fellow demonstrators .
Shaw described a mood of solidarity amongst the protesters : `` It has been too much for too long .
We 've seen black men and women being killed by racist police .
We need to keep the police accountable , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Floyd 's death has reignited the explosive issue of police brutality against African Americans five months before the November presidential election but many protesters said the marches were also about systemic racism .
Fanta Fortune , 42 , wore a mask with `` 401 years of injustice '' written on it .
`` America has to clean up its system , so that it 's fair for all of us , especially the ones who helped build this country , '' Fortune said .
She added that the protests were about more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they were a sign that the civil rights movement was reawakening .
Derrick Smith , a nurse anesthetist at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx , echoed her sentiments , saying that all Americans should speak out against systemic racism .
Smith said that the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted deep-rooted injustices : `` Covid disproportionately affects black people , same with police violence , it 's all part of the public health crisis and we 're here to do something about it now . ''
New York City has imposed a curfew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , following several nights of riots and looting in cities across the country .
There were more than 700 arrests in New York on Monday night as looters targeted businesses across the city , including the flagship Macy ’ s department store in midtown Manhattan .
“ We saw stuff last night that we will not accept , ” said New York ’ s Democratic Mayor Bill De Blasio at a press briefing on Tuesday , highlighting incidents of rioters attacking police officers .
As the curfew fell , thousands of chanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center down Flatbush towards the Brooklyn Bridge as police helicopters whirred overheard .
A crowd , gathered at an entrance to the Manhattan Bridge roadway , chanted at riot police : “ Walk with us !
Walk with us . ''
Police in riot helmets , far fewer than on previous nights , watched at a distance from the sidewalk as cars honked rhythmically in support .
Construction workers boarding up the windows of stores showed their solidarity with protesters by using their tools to beat a rhythm to the demonstrators ' chants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hundreds of people filled the street from curb to curb , marching past famous landmarks of the film centre .
Others gathered outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown , in some cases hugging and shaking hands with a line of officers outside .
A majority of Americans sympathise with the protests , according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday .
The survey conducted on Monday and Tuesday found 64 % of American adults were `` sympathetic to people who are out protesting right now '' , while 27 % said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsure .
More than 55 % of Americans said they disapproved of Trump 's handling of the protests , including 40 % who `` strongly '' disapproved , while just one-third said they approved – lower than his overall job approval of 39 % , the poll showed .
Trump has threatened to use the military to battle violence that has erupted nightly , often after a day of peaceful protests .
He has derided local authorities , including state governors , for their response to the disturbances .
In Minneapolis , Roxie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter , Gianna , told a news conference he was a good man .
`` I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took from me ... .
, '' she said , sobbing .
`` Gianna does not have a father .
He will never see her grow up , graduate . ''
Some of those who have gathered at the site of Floyd 's killing have invoked the non-violent message of the late US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. , assassinated in 1968 , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be truly appalled by the violence because he gave his life for this stuff , '' said Al Clark , 62 , a black man who drove to the Minneapolis memorial with one of King 's speeches blaring from his truck .
`` But I can understand the frustration and anger . ''

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of major US cities on Tuesday for an eighth consecutive night of protests over the death of an unarmed black man in police custody.
Young woman protesting against police brutality and systemic racism in the US wears mask reading 'I can't breathe', New York City, June 2nd 2020.
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Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Los Angeles, as well as Washington, DC to protest against last week's killing in Minneapolis of an unarmed black man at the hands of a white policeman.
Protesters in New York marched from Foley Square to Washington Square Park and Union Square chanting "no justice, no peace".
00:23
Most of them wore masks and some, including Chenele Shaw, handed out water and snacks to their fellow demonstrators. Shaw described a mood of solidarity amongst the protesters: "It has been too much for too long. We've seen black men and women being killed by racist police. We need to keep the police accountable, because we're tired," she said.
Floyd's death has reignited the explosive issue of police brutality against African Americans five months before the November presidential election but many protesters said the marches were also about systemic racism.
Fanta Fortune, 42, wore a mask with "401 years of injustice" written on it. "America has to clean up its system, so that it's fair for all of us, especially the ones who helped build this country," Fortune said.
She added that the protests were about more than police brutality and that she hoped that they were a sign that the civil rights movement was reawakening.
Derrick Smith, a nurse anesthetist at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, echoed her sentiments, saying that all Americans should speak out against systemic racism. Smith said that the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted deep-rooted injustices: "Covid disproportionately affects black people, same with police violence, it's all part of the public health crisis and we're here to do something about it now."
New York City has imposed a curfew from 8pm to 5am from Tuesday through Sunday, following several nights of riots and looting in cities across the country. There were more than 700 arrests in New York on Monday night as looters targeted businesses across the city, including the flagship Macy’s department store in midtown Manhattan.
“We saw stuff last night that we will not accept,” said New York’s Democratic Mayor Bill De Blasio at a press briefing on Tuesday, highlighting incidents of rioters attacking police officers.
As the curfew fell, thousands of chanting and cheering protesters marched from the Barclays Center down Flatbush towards the Brooklyn Bridge as police helicopters whirred overheard.
A crowd, gathered at an entrance to the Manhattan Bridge roadway, chanted at riot police: “Walk with us! Walk with us."
Police in riot helmets, far fewer than on previous nights, watched at a distance from the sidewalk as cars honked rhythmically in support.
Construction workers boarding up the windows of stores showed their solidarity with protesters by using their tools to beat a rhythm to the demonstrators' chants.
On Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, hundreds of people filled the street from curb to curb, marching past famous landmarks of the film centre. Others gathered outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown, in some cases hugging and shaking hands with a line of officers outside.
Most Americans sympathise
A majority of Americans sympathise with the protests, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday.
The survey conducted on Monday and Tuesday found 64% of American adults were "sympathetic to people who are out protesting right now", while 27% said they were not and 9% were unsure.
More than 55% of Americans said they disapproved of Trump's handling of the protests, including 40% who "strongly" disapproved, while just one-third said they approved – lower than his overall job approval of 39%, the poll showed.
Trump has threatened to use the military to battle violence that has erupted nightly, often after a day of peaceful protests. He has derided local authorities, including state governors, for their response to the disturbances.
In Minneapolis, Roxie Washington, mother of Floyd's 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, told a news conference he was a good man. "I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took from me....," she said, sobbing. "Gianna does not have a father. He will never see her grow up, graduate."
Some of those who have gathered at the site of Floyd's killing have invoked the non-violent message of the late US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, as the only way forward.
"He would be truly appalled by the violence because he gave his life for this stuff," said Al Clark, 62, a black man who drove to the Minneapolis memorial with one of King's speeches blaring from his truck.
"But I can understand the frustration and anger."
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-03--Why have the George Floyd protests gone global?

IN THE PAPERS - Wednesday , June 3 : The death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer continues to dominate the papers .
As the protests go global , The Washington Post looks at why his death resonates around the world .
Also , we look at the symbolism of the masks worn by protesters , which have become more than just a medical device .
Finally , Donald Trump 's attitude to the protesters gets scathing treatment in the illustrated press .
From Australia to France , the death of George Floyd has sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and it ’ s the focus of this article from The Washington Post which asks : why do the US protests matter worldwide ?
One former ambassador explains it 's because people around the world understand that their own battles for human rights and equality would become more difficult if the America of Martin Luther King Jr. , of `` I have a dream '' , were to disappear .
We 're seeing that ripple effect in France .
Thousands of people gathered in the streets yesterday to protest against police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Adama Traoré , a young man of African origin , died of asphyxiation while in police custody in 2016 .
Those protesting around France brandished boards with both George Floyd and Adama Traoré ’ s names , Le Parisien reports .
The New York Times is looking at the US protests and in particular the ubiquity of masks worn .
The mask is not just a defining symbol of the pandemic , it has become a tool for protest… those who support wearing masks see it as an expression of civic duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its critics , like Donald Trump and Brazil ’ s Jair Bolsonaro , see it as weak and emasculating .
The mask is steeped in history from the plague to Napoleon : you can read about that in The New York Times .
We mentioned Donald Trump there .
Let 's end with a scathing cartoon from the Times of London cartoonist Peter Brookes , a condemnation of Trump 's attitudes towards the protests .
You see Trump ordering troops to plant the American flag , like in Iwo Jima , but this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd and his chilling last words : `` I ca n't breathe '' .

IN THE PAPERS - Wednesday, June 3: The death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer continues to dominate the papers. As the protests go global, The Washington Post looks at why his death resonates around the world. Also, we look at the symbolism of the masks worn by protesters, which have become more than just a medical device. Finally, Donald Trump's attitude to the protesters gets scathing treatment in the illustrated press.
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From Australia to France, the death of George Floyd has sparked some soul-searching about police brutality against black people and it’s the focus of this article from The Washington Post which asks: why do the US protests matter worldwide? One former ambassador explains it's because people around the world understand that their own battles for human rights and equality would become more difficult if the America of Martin Luther King Jr., of "I have a dream", were to disappear.
We're seeing that ripple effect in France. Thousands of people gathered in the streets yesterday to protest against police violence. This comes after an autopsy showed that Adama Traoré, a young man of African origin, died of asphyxiation while in police custody in 2016. Those protesting around France brandished boards with both George Floyd and Adama Traoré’s names, Le Parisien reports.
The New York Times is looking at the US protests and in particular the ubiquity of masks worn. The mask is not just a defining symbol of the pandemic, it has become a tool for protest… those who support wearing masks see it as an expression of civic duty and an affirmation of scientific authority. Its critics, like Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, see it as weak and emasculating. The mask is steeped in history from the plague to Napoleon: you can read about that in The New York Times.
We mentioned Donald Trump there. Let's end with a scathing cartoon from the Times of London cartoonist Peter Brookes, a condemnation of Trump's attitudes towards the protests. You see Trump ordering troops to plant the American flag, like in Iwo Jima, but this time impaled on the body of George Floyd and his chilling last words: "I can't breathe".
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france24--2020-06-03--Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée on his murder: 'We need a neutral and independent trial'

In May , the elder son of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi declared that his family had `` forgiven '' those responsible for the killing of their father in October 2018 .
The announcement would give legal reprieve to the five Saudi government agents who have been sentenced to death for the brutal murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul .
But Khashoggi 's fiancée Hatice Cengiz has since renounced that statement .
Reacting to the recent announcement by Khashoggi 's sons that they `` forgive '' their father 's killers , his fiancée made it clear that she opposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made has nothing to do with the idea of justice , '' Cengiz told FRANCE 24 .
`` We need a neutral and independent trial . ''
The slain journalist 's fiancée also reacted to Saudi Arabia 's bid to buy the English Premier League club Newcastle United .
`` Saudi Arabia , in particular the crown prince , uses this kind of business for soft power , for their financial and political clout .
When Jamal was killed as a result of the plot against him , the kingdom 's image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to restore it .
We wo n't let them do this , which is why we 'll keep working , '' she told FRANCE 24 's Sanam Shantyaei .
> > Sons of murdered Saudi journalist Khashoggi 'forgive ' killers , setting up possible clemency Also on the show , Muslims across the Middle East are returning to mosques as a number of countries ease restrictions imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic .
After more than two months of praying at home , tens of thousands of worshippers will be able to pray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks remain mandatory .
Last but not least , Iranian authorities are warning women that if they post photos on social media without wearing the hijab , they 're breaking the law and could be arrested .
The crackdown comes after the detention of two athletes over photos that show them kissing on a rooftop .
Our Tehran correspondent Reza Sayah reports .

In May, the elder son of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi declared that his family had "forgiven" those responsible for the killing of their father in October 2018. The announcement would give legal reprieve to the five Saudi government agents who have been sentenced to death for the brutal murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. But Khashoggi's fiancée Hatice Cengiz has since renounced that statement.
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Reacting to the recent announcement by Khashoggi's sons that they "forgive" their father's killers, his fiancée made it clear that she opposes this move. "The statement that was made has nothing to do with the idea of justice," Cengiz told FRANCE 24. "We need a neutral and independent trial."
The slain journalist's fiancée also reacted to Saudi Arabia's bid to buy the English Premier League club Newcastle United. "Saudi Arabia, in particular the crown prince, uses this kind of business for soft power, for their financial and political clout. When Jamal was killed as a result of the plot against him, the kingdom's image was tainted. And they're trying to restore it. We won't let them do this, which is why we'll keep working," she told FRANCE 24's Sanam Shantyaei.
>> Sons of murdered Saudi journalist Khashoggi 'forgive' killers, setting up possible clemency
Also on the show, Muslims across the Middle East are returning to mosques as a number of countries ease restrictions imposed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. After more than two months of praying at home, tens of thousands of worshippers will be able to pray together, but social distancing and face masks remain mandatory.
Last but not least, Iranian authorities are warning women that if they post photos on social media without wearing the hijab, they're breaking the law and could be arrested. The crackdown comes after the detention of two athletes over photos that show them kissing on a rooftop. Our Tehran correspondent Reza Sayah reports.
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france24--2020-06-03--Italy reopens to tourists from Europe after economically crippling lockdown

Tourists wearing a protective respiratory mask tour outside the Colosseo monument ( Colisee , Coliseum ) in downtown Rome on February 28 , 2020 amid fear of Covid-19 epidemic .
- Since February 23 , more than 50,000 people have been confined to 10 towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto -- a drastic measure taken to halt the spread of the new coronavirus , which has infected some 400 people in Italy , mostly in the north .
Italy reopens to travellers from Europe on Wednesday , three months after the country went into coronavirus lockdown , with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry as the summer season begins .
Gondolas are ready to punt along Venice 's canals , lovers will be able to act out `` Romeo and Juliet '' on Verona 's famed balcony , and gladiator fans can pose for selfies at Rome 's Colosseum .
But there were fears many foreign tourists would be put off coming to a country still shaking off a vicious pandemic .
`` Come to Calabria .
There 's only one risk : that you 'll get fat , '' the southern region 's governor Jole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to lure big spenders -- or any spenders -- back to Italy 's sandy shores .
Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the coronavirus and has officially reported more than 33,000 deaths .
It imposed an economically crippling lockdown in early March and has since seen its contagion numbers drop off dramatically .
With the country facing its deepest recession since World War II , it needs foreigners to return , and quickly .
But it is still reporting dozens of new cases a day , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts warn the government may be being hasty in permitting travel between regions and abroad .
International flights were only expected to resume in three main cities : Milan , Rome and Naples .
And there were concerns that those who usually come in by car , train or ferry from neighbouring countries would go elsewhere on their holidays .
Switzerland has warned its citizens that if they go to Italy they will be subject to `` health measures '' on their return .
The country will open its borders with Germany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not with Italy .
Austria is lifting restrictions in mid-June with Germany , Switzerland , the Czech Republic , Slovakia and Hungary -- but again , not Italy , described last week by Vienna 's health minister as `` still a hotspot '' .
Other countries , such as Belgium and Britain , are still advising against , or forbidding , all non-essential travel abroad .
In response to perceived anti-Italian sentiment , Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned countries not to treat Italy `` like a leper '' .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , Slovenia and Greece to persuade them Italy is safe for foreign tourists .
Arrivals in Italy from Europe will not be required to self-isolate unless they have recently travelled from another continent .
Italy 's lockdown has had a particularly devastating effect on the tourism sector , which amounts to some 13 percent of Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) .
Historic sites were shut , restaurants closed , and hotels were used to care for coronavirus sick .
Restaurants , cafes and beach establishments have slowly reopened over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it reserves the right to impose localised lockdowns if it sees contagion numbers rise .
But only 40 of Rome 's 1,200 hotels have reopened , the Corriere della Sera newspaper said Monday , and just a dozen in Milan .
It costs too much to open them if they will just stand empty .
`` My hoteliers all want to reopen , but as long as the borders remain closed , it 's not possible , '' Marco Michielli , deputy head of hoteliers ' association Federalberghi , said Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) said some 40 percent of Italians traditionally travel abroad for their holidays , but could be forced this year to vacation at home , helping local businesses .
That may be little comfort to those running the country 's costly historic sites , because most of the tens of thousands of visitors that usually flock daily to the Tower of Pisa , Pantheon or Pompeii come from abroad .

Italy reopens to travellers from Europe on Wednesday, three months after the country went into coronavirus lockdown, with all hopes pinned on reviving the key tourism industry as the summer season begins.
Tourists wearing a protective respiratory mask tour outside the Colosseo monument (Colisee, Coliseum) in downtown Rome on February 28, 2020 amid fear of Covid-19 epidemic. - Since February 23, more than 50,000 people have been confined to 10 towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto -- a drastic measure taken to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected some 400 people in Italy, mostly in the north.
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Gondolas are ready to punt along Venice's canals, lovers will be able to act out "Romeo and Juliet" on Verona's famed balcony, and gladiator fans can pose for selfies at Rome's Colosseum.
But there were fears many foreign tourists would be put off coming to a country still shaking off a vicious pandemic.
"Come to Calabria. There's only one risk: that you'll get fat," the southern region's governor Jole Santelli said on Sunday as the race began to lure big spenders -- or any spenders -- back to Italy's sandy shores.
Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the coronavirus and has officially reported more than 33,000 deaths.
It imposed an economically crippling lockdown in early March and has since seen its contagion numbers drop off dramatically.
With the country facing its deepest recession since World War II, it needs foreigners to return, and quickly.
But it is still reporting dozens of new cases a day, particularly in the northern Lombardy region, and experts warn the government may be being hasty in permitting travel between regions and abroad.
'Like a leper'
International flights were only expected to resume in three main cities: Milan, Rome and Naples.
And there were concerns that those who usually come in by car, train or ferry from neighbouring countries would go elsewhere on their holidays.
Switzerland has warned its citizens that if they go to Italy they will be subject to "health measures" on their return. The country will open its borders with Germany, France and Austria on June 15, but not with Italy.
Austria is lifting restrictions in mid-June with Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary -- but again, not Italy, described last week by Vienna's health minister as "still a hotspot".
Other countries, such as Belgium and Britain, are still advising against, or forbidding, all non-essential travel abroad.
In response to perceived anti-Italian sentiment, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned countries not to treat Italy "like a leper".
He said Saturday he would be travelling to Germany, Slovenia and Greece to persuade them Italy is safe for foreign tourists.
Arrivals in Italy from Europe will not be required to self-isolate unless they have recently travelled from another continent.
Too expensive
Italy's lockdown has had a particularly devastating effect on the tourism sector, which amounts to some 13 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Historic sites were shut, restaurants closed, and hotels were used to care for coronavirus sick.
Restaurants, cafes and beach establishments have slowly reopened over the past two weeks -- although the government has said it reserves the right to impose localised lockdowns if it sees contagion numbers rise.
But only 40 of Rome's 1,200 hotels have reopened, the Corriere della Sera newspaper said Monday, and just a dozen in Milan. It costs too much to open them if they will just stand empty.
"My hoteliers all want to reopen, but as long as the borders remain closed, it's not possible," Marco Michielli, deputy head of hoteliers' association Federalberghi, said Saturday.
Italy's national tourism agency (ENIT) said some 40 percent of Italians traditionally travel abroad for their holidays, but could be forced this year to vacation at home, helping local businesses.
That may be little comfort to those running the country's costly historic sites, because most of the tens of thousands of visitors that usually flock daily to the Tower of Pisa, Pantheon or Pompeii come from abroad.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-03--Death toll from Covid-19 surpasses 30,000 in Brazil

An anti-government demonstrator wearing a protective face mask holds a poster representing a coffin of a victim of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) with the message `` 30,000 deaths , so what ?
`` , during a protest named `` Amazonas for Democracy '' in Manaus , Brazil , June 2 , 2020 .
Brazil surpassed 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday as the disease continued to rip through South America 's worst-hit country .
Figures released by the health ministry showed a new record 1,262 deaths in the previous 24 hours , as well as 28,936 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Brazilian states began to emerge from weeks of economically-stifling quarantine measures despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists .
The overall number of confirmed cases -- 555,383 -- makes Brazil the second most affected country after the United States .
The official Covid-19 death toll of 31,199 released Tuesday is the fourth-highest in the world , after the US , Britain and Italy .
Experts estimate the real number of infections could be up to 15 times higher than official figures , given relatively little testing across the vast country of 210 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sao Paulo state on Tuesday recorded its highest daily figures for both deaths and infections , on the day when cities across the state began reopening shopping malls and offices .
Sao Paulo now has a total of nearly 120,000 cases with almost 8,000 deaths .
In Sao Paulo itself , Mayor Bruno Covas has put back reopening non-essential businesses until after June 15 .
The other worst affected state , Rio de Janeiro , also began emerging from quarantine measures on Tuesday with beaches and businesses re-opening .
`` In the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gasoline to the fire , '' Rafael Galliez , an infections expert at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro , told AFP .
The regional office of the World Health Organization warned Brazil on Tuesday against reopening `` too quickly as there is a risk of a resurgence of COVID-19 . ''
The health ministry said there was `` no way to specify when the peak of deaths will occur '' due to the country 's size and geographic diversity .
Brazil 's health crisis has merged with a political crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashed with local authorities that insist on lockdown measures .

Brazil surpassed 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday as the disease continued to rip through South America's worst-hit country.
An anti-government demonstrator wearing a protective face mask holds a poster representing a coffin of a victim of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with the message "30,000 deaths, so what?", during a protest named "Amazonas for Democracy" in Manaus, Brazil, June 2, 2020.
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Figures released by the health ministry showed a new record 1,262 deaths in the previous 24 hours, as well as 28,936 new infections.
The figures come as some Brazilian states began to emerge from weeks of economically-stifling quarantine measures despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists.
The overall number of confirmed cases -- 555,383 -- makes Brazil the second most affected country after the United States.
The official Covid-19 death toll of 31,199 released Tuesday is the fourth-highest in the world, after the US, Britain and Italy.
Experts estimate the real number of infections could be up to 15 times higher than official figures, given relatively little testing across the vast country of 210 million.
In a worrying sign, Sao Paulo state on Tuesday recorded its highest daily figures for both deaths and infections, on the day when cities across the state began reopening shopping malls and offices.
Sao Paulo now has a total of nearly 120,000 cases with almost 8,000 deaths.
In Sao Paulo itself, Mayor Bruno Covas has put back reopening non-essential businesses until after June 15.
The other worst affected state, Rio de Janeiro, also began emerging from quarantine measures on Tuesday with beaches and businesses re-opening.
"In the current situation, relaxing the measures is adding gasoline to the fire," Rafael Galliez, an infections expert at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told AFP.
The regional office of the World Health Organization warned Brazil on Tuesday against reopening "too quickly as there is a risk of a resurgence of COVID-19."
The health ministry said there was "no way to specify when the peak of deaths will occur" due to the country's size and geographic diversity.
Brazil's health crisis has merged with a political crisis, as far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has openly clashed with local authorities that insist on lockdown measures.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-03--India confirmed Covid-19 cases surpass 200,000, peak weeks away

A municipal worker in protective gear and relatives place the body of a man , who died due to the @ @ @ @ @ , before his cremation at a crematorium in Ahmedabad , India , June 2 , @ @ @ @ @ infections crossed 200,000 , the health ministry said on Wednesday , and a peak could @ @ @ @ @ the world 's second mostpopulous country .
Cases jumped by 8,909 over the previous day @ @ @ @ @ single-day spikes , taking the tally to 2,07,615 .
Six other nations , from the @ @ @ @ @ and Brazil , have a higher caseload .
`` We are very far away for @ @ @ @ @ Dr Nivedita Gupta , of the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research .
Government officials @ @ @ @ @ be later this month , or even July , before cases start to fall off @ @ @ @ @ the disease stood at 5,815 .

India's coronavirus infections crossed 200,000, the health ministry said on Wednesday, and a peak could still be weeks away in the world's second mostpopulous country.
A municipal worker in protective gear and relatives place the body of a man, who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), before his cremation at a crematorium in Ahmedabad, India, June 2, 2020.
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Cases jumped by 8,909 over the previous day in one of the highest single-day spikes, taking the tally to 2,07,615. Six other nations, from the United States, to Britain and Brazil, have a higher caseload.
"We are very far away for the peak," said Dr Nivedita Gupta, of the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research.
Government officials have previously said it could be later this month, or even July, before cases start to fall off.
The death toll from the disease stood at 5,815.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-03--Zoom sales boom as video meetings become pandemic norm

Zoom on Tuesday reported that its earnings soared as its video-meeting service became a popular way to work or socialise while hunkered down due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Zoom said it made a profit of $ 27 million on revenue that leapt 169 percent to slightly more than $ 328 million in the fiscal quarter that ended April 30 .
In the same quarter a year earlier , Zoom reported zero dollars per share in net income for stockholders .
`` The Covid-19 crisis has driven higher demand for distributed , face-to-face interactions and collaboration using Zoom , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a release .
The quarter ended with Zoom having approximately 265,400 paying customers with at least 10 employees each -- an increase of 354 percent from the first quarter in 2019 , according to the company based in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose .
Zoom shares that ended the formal trading day up slightly gave back the gain in after-market trades , apparently due to concerns that its popularity will decline when restrictions on movements ease and people can get back to seeing one another in person .
Zoom told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid use was customers paying month-to-month , and those types of subscribers are more likely to leave than those who commit to annual memberships .
`` It 's a reminder that Zoom is seeing an unusual spike during what we hope will be a relatively short term event , '' independent tech analyst Rob Enderle said .
`` Once you do n't have to socially distance as aggressively anymore , a lot of folks are going to want to go back to meeting in person . ''
It is too soon to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places where pandemic shelter-in-place rules are being eased because `` even there people are taking their time to go back to work , '' according to chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg .
The earnings come with Zoom under pressure to deal with security and privacy as the platform faces scrutiny from rising usage .
It has taken heat over uninvited cyber guests disrupting online meetings with a tactic called `` zoombombing . ''
Zoom was originally built for businesses with dedicated IT teams to handle implementing security features , but first-time users flocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from home due to the pandemic .
`` As CEO , I should have done a better job , '' Yuan said on an earnings video call with analysts .
`` We should have played the role of IT for first-time users .
We learned a hard lesson ; this was a mistake I made . ''
As a result the company has poured resources into privacy and security .
Zoom is also working on encrypting video meetings end-to-end , saying the feature will be made available only to its business customers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service .
Zoom recently launched a philanthropic foundation with initial grants to San Jose Digital Inclusion Fund , Destination Home , the CDC Foundation , the World Health Organization and the CDE Foundation .

Zoom on Tuesday reported that its earnings soared as its video-meeting service became a popular way to work or socialise while hunkered down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Zoom said it made a profit of $27 million on revenue that leapt 169 percent to slightly more than $328 million in the fiscal quarter that ended April 30.
In the same quarter a year earlier, Zoom reported zero dollars per share in net income for stockholders.
"The Covid-19 crisis has driven higher demand for distributed, face-to-face interactions and collaboration using Zoom," founder and chief executive Eric Yuan said in a release.
The quarter ended with Zoom having approximately 265,400 paying customers with at least 10 employees each -- an increase of 354 percent from the first quarter in 2019, according to the company based in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose.
Zoom shares that ended the formal trading day up slightly gave back the gain in after-market trades, apparently due to concerns that its popularity will decline when restrictions on movements ease and people can get back to seeing one another in person.
Zoom told analysts that about half the growth in paid use was customers paying month-to-month, and those types of subscribers are more likely to leave than those who commit to annual memberships.
"It's a reminder that Zoom is seeing an unusual spike during what we hope will be a relatively short term event," independent tech analyst Rob Enderle said.
"Once you don't have to socially distance as aggressively anymore, a lot of folks are going to want to go back to meeting in person."
It is too soon to tell if monthly customers are abandoning Zoom in places where pandemic shelter-in-place rules are being eased because "even there people are taking their time to go back to work," according to chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg.
'Hard lesson'
The earnings come with Zoom under pressure to deal with security and privacy as the platform faces scrutiny from rising usage.
It has taken heat over uninvited cyber guests disrupting online meetings with a tactic called "zoombombing."
Zoom was originally built for businesses with dedicated IT teams to handle implementing security features, but first-time users flocked to the service to work or socialise from home due to the pandemic.
"As CEO, I should have done a better job," Yuan said on an earnings video call with analysts.
"We should have played the role of IT for first-time users. We learned a hard lesson; this was a mistake I made."
As a result the company has poured resources into privacy and security.
Zoom is also working on encrypting video meetings end-to-end, saying the feature will be made available only to its business customers and not at the free version of the service.
Zoom recently launched a philanthropic foundation with initial grants to San Jose Digital Inclusion Fund, Destination Home, the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and the CDE Foundation.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-03--Former Pentagon chief Jim Mattis says Trump trying to 'divide' America

File photo of former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore , October 18 , 2018 .
After long refusing to explicitly criticize a sitting president , former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused President Donald Trump on Wednesday of trying to divide America and roundly denounced a militarization of the U.S. response to civil unrest .
Protests have erupted around the United States since the death on May 25 of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
`` Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Mattis , who resigned as Trump 's defense secretary in 2018 , wrote in a statement published by The Atlantic .
`` Instead he tries to divide us .
We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort . ''
He drew a comparison to the U.S. war against Nazi Germany , saying U.S. troops were reminded before the Normandy invasion : 'The Nazi slogan for destroying us … was 'Divide and Conquer . '
'' Mattis , a retired Marine general who denies political ambitions , also took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for participating in a Monday photo-op led by Trump after law enforcement -- including National Guard -- cleared away peaceful protesters .
He criticized use of the word `` battlespace '' by Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army General Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , to describe protest sites in the United States .
`` We must reject any thinking of our cities as a 'battlespace , ' '' Mattis wrote .
Trump 's threats to deploy active duty troops -- even in states that oppose their use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and in Congress , where a top Republican warned it could make troops `` political pawns . ''
`` Militarizing our response , as we witnessed in Washington , D.C. , sets up a conflict — a false conflict — between the military and civilian society , '' Mattis wrote .

After long refusing to explicitly criticize a sitting president, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused President Donald Trump on Wednesday of trying to divide America and roundly denounced a militarization of the U.S. response to civil unrest.
File photo of former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore, October 18, 2018.
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Protests have erupted around the United States since the death on May 25 of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
"Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try," Mattis, who resigned as Trump's defense secretary in 2018, wrote in a statement published by The Atlantic.
"Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort."
He drew a comparison to the U.S. war against Nazi Germany, saying U.S. troops were reminded before the Normandy invasion: 'The Nazi slogan for destroying us … was 'Divide and Conquer.'"
Mattis, a retired Marine general who denies political ambitions, also took a swipe at current U.S. military leadership for participating in a Monday photo-op led by Trump after law enforcement -- including National Guard -- cleared away peaceful protesters.
He criticized use of the word "battlespace" by Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to describe protest sites in the United States.
"We must reject any thinking of our cities as a 'battlespace,'" Mattis wrote.
Trump's threats to deploy active duty troops -- even in states that oppose their use -- has stirred alarm within the U.S. military and in Congress, where a top Republican warned it could make troops "political pawns."
"Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict — a false conflict — between the military and civilian society," Mattis wrote.
(REUTERS)
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