france24--2020-08-09--Video of Uighur handcuffed to bed in quarantine centre refocuses attention on Chinese persecution

In this video , published by BBC , Ghappar films his small quarantine room .
He is handcuffed to the bed .
Footage courtesy of Ghappar family .
Ghappar is Uighur , a Muslim minority group that has been the target of discrimination and oppression by Chinese officials in recent years .
In January 2020 , officials took Ghappar from his home in the southern city of Foshan to a police station in Kucha , Xinjiang .
He was held for 18 days in a police detention centre , then transferred to a temporary “ epidemic prevention centre ” where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , his aunt received the video via WeChat , along with a series of text messages in which Ghappar described his time in the detention centre : “ I saw 50–60 people were locked in a small room not 50 metres square ... men on the right , women on the left , divided up and locked in cages .
And from head to toe , they were all wearing four-piece suits .
This so-called four-piece suit was a black cloth bag over the head ; handcuffs ; shackles ; and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shackles… .
The sounds of horrible screams came through , from men and women .
It was awful whatever it was , just terrifying .
It scared the hell out of the people in the cages.
” Ghappar is Uighur , a Muslim minority group that has been the target of discrimination and oppression by Chinese officials in recent years .
In January 2020 , officials took Ghappar from his home in the southern city of Foshan to a police station in Kucha , Xinjiang .
He was held for 18 days in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a temporary “ epidemic prevention centre ” where he filmed the video.In early March , his aunt received the video via WeChat , along with a series of text messages in which Ghappar described his time in the detention centre : “ I saw 50–60 people were locked in a small room not 50 metres square ... men on the right , women on the left , divided up and locked in cages .
And from head to toe , they were all wearing four-piece suits .
This so-called four-piece suit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; handcuffs ; shackles ; and a steel chain between the handcuffs and the shackles… .
The sounds of horrible screams came through , from men and women .
It was awful whatever it was , just terrifying .
It scared the hell out of the people in the cages.
” In the video , which lasts four and a half minutes , Ghappar slowly and silently pans to show the small room where he is confined .
There is a dirt floor , a barred window , a bed and nothing else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His ankles are swollen and he wears dirty clothes .
In the background , a message can be heard playing over a loudspeaker in Mandarin Chinese and Uighur .
The message blames “ separatist forces ” for trying to encourage Uighurs to “ believe in Islam to unite ” .

CHINA
Stills from the video that Merdan Ghappar managed to send to his family in March from inside a coronavirus quarantine centre in Xinjiang. Ghappar, an ethnic Uighur, was taken from his home by authorities in January 2020.
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A newly emerged video showing a Uighur former fashion model detained inside a Covid-19 quarantine centre has refocused attention on China’s persecution of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang province. The video, posted by the BBC on July 5, was filmed by Merdan Ghappar, 31, and sent to his family in March along with text messages describing his captivity. The Observers team spoke to two Uighur activists who analysed the video and accompanying text messages.
In the video, which lasts four and a half minutes, Ghappar slowly and silently pans to show the small room where he is confined. There is a dirt floor, a barred window, a bed and nothing else. Ghappar is handcuffed to his bed. His ankles are swollen and he wears dirty clothes. In the background, a message can be heard playing over a loudspeaker in Mandarin Chinese and Uighur. The message blames “separatist forces” for trying to encourage Uighurs to “believe in Islam to unite”.
In this video, published by BBC, Ghappar films his small quarantine room. He is handcuffed to the bed. Footage courtesy of Ghappar family.
Ghappar is Uighur, a Muslim minority group that has been the target of discrimination and oppression by Chinese officials in recent years. In January 2020, officials took Ghappar from his home in the southern city of Foshan to a police station in Kucha, Xinjiang. He was held for 18 days in a police detention centre, then transferred to a temporary “epidemic prevention centre” where he filmed the video.
In early March, his aunt received the video via WeChat, along with a series of text messages in which Ghappar described his time in the detention centre: “I saw 50–60 people were locked in a small room not 50 metres square...men on the right, women on the left, divided up and locked in cages. And from head to toe, they were all wearing four-piece suits. This so-called four-piece suit was a black cloth bag over the head; handcuffs; shackles; and a steel chain between the handcuffs and the shackles…. The sounds of horrible screams came through, from men and women. It was awful whatever it was, just terrifying. It scared the hell out of the people in the cages.”
In this message, sent to his aunt in March and translated by Georgetown professor James Millward, Ghappar describes the conditions in the detention centre. Read Ghappar’s full testimony here.
"They are detaining people so that they can completely control the region."
Alfred Erkin is a Uighur activist residing in the US. His father is imprisoned in Xinjiang. For Erkin, Ghappar’s messages about the detention centre were more telling than the video, because they describe conditions often imposed on Uighur prisoners - conditions that are not only cruel but also conducive to outbreaks of Covid-19.
The more important focus, in my belief, should be his messages about the situation in the actual detention centre. The actual story is very important and very tragic. According to a lot of witness testimony, there are no beds in the camps. They tend to have at least 12 people, maybe 30 people inside a cell. They have to take turns sleeping because it’s so crowded. There are cameras and monitors so they can’t speak.
When asked about the video on July 5, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs, told Radio Free Asia that he had no knowledge of the situation. Wenbin added that the situation in Xinjiang is not an ethnic or religious issue, but rather a strategy to fight violence, terrorism, separatism, and de-radicalization.
Erkin says it’s a territorial issue.
People are not being detained because of their faith. It really has nothing to do with your faith. It is completely like what is happening in Hong Kong. Like Tibet, the [Xinjiang] region was an autonomous region. And they are detaining people so that they can completely control the region. It’s completely a territorial problem just like Tibet.
This Twitter thread was published on March 9 when Ghappar first sent videos and messages to his family.
“It makes me feel as if we time-traveled back to the Cultural Revolution”
Halmurat Harri Uyghur, a Finland-based doctor and founder of #MeTooUyghur, analyzed Ghappar’s video for the Observers team.
My biggest question is where he got his phone. I don’t contest the legitimacy of this case but from when he got taken into the detention center in January, it’s at least 30 days to two months time. So how can he hide his phone and charge it? I don’t know. Or, it's possible someone who works for the Chinese system wanted to expose this to the world and just gave him his own phone. If so, their system is starting to crack. He was handcuffed to the bed, with a loudspeaker announcing that we, Uighurs, were never independent, that this place was part of China. It makes me feel as if we time-traveled back to the Cultural Revolution. This place, the quarantine center, should be a place where they take care of people medically, not a political [tool]. It’s so scary.
Denial and disappearances
Chinese authorities continue to deny the abuse of Uighurs and other minorities, asserting that the camps are actually voluntary reeducation programs against extremism. Independent reporting suggests, however, that over the past three years, authorities have sent as many as 1.8 million people to prisons and internment camps in Xinjiang.
In August 2018, Ghappar was arrested for allegedly selling cannabis and sentenced to 16 months in prison. His friends maintain that the charges were false. Ghappar was released in November 2019.
Ghappar himself was relatively well-assimilated into mainstream Chinese society. He modeled for the Chinese online brand Taobao. However, since Ghappar disappeared, Taobao removed any record of the model from their website. Ghappar no longer appears in any searches on Baidu, China’s best-known search engine, according to Radio Free Asia. Harri Uyghur verified this.
I checked for his other videos and photos that had previously been uploaded to social media. But I couldn’t find them after the BBC report. I should have screenshotted some of those. But from all this material, it is easy to say that he melded into the Han majority society and he speaks Mandarin Chinese well. He actually lived in Guangdong Province, one of the most developed areas of China. He’s not religious, according to his parents. I don’t think he needs vocational training to become someone working in a factory. Even so, Chinese authorities detained him and put him in a concentration camp before finding he had a fever and moving him to this center
Ghappar’s family has not heard from him since the messages in March.
Article by Sophie Stuber


france24--2020-08-08--Belarus opposition figures detained before presidential vote

Supporters of Svetlana Tikhanouskaya , a candidate in the upcoming presidential election and President Alexander Lukashenko 's main challenger , react during a rally in Minsk , Belarus August 6 , 2020 .
The campaign manager of Belarus 's leading opposition candidate and another opposition ally were detained on Saturday on the eve of a tense presidential vote , her office said .
One has since been released .
A spokeswoman for presidential hopeful Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP that her campaign manager Maria Moroz had been detained and will likely be held until after the vote .
It was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been detained , said spokeswoman Anna Krasulina .
`` She probably wo n't be released before Monday , '' Krasulina added .
Moroz was also detained by the interior ministry on Thursday after visiting the Lithuanian embassy in Minsk .
She was later released .
Authorities in Belarus on Saturday also briefly detained Maria Kolesnikova , a prominent member of the opposition campaign , the team said .
Belarus holds the presidential election on Sunday with Tikhanovskaya posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko .
The 65-year-old leader has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1994 and Sunday 's polls are expected to hand him his sixth term .
Lukashenko has presided over an aggressive crackdown on the opposition and Tikhanovskaya has charged that he will rig the vote .
Early voting began in the country of 9.5 million people on Tuesday , with official turnout over the past four days already at more than 32 percent .
Tikhanovskaya has drawn huge crowds to campaign rallies throughout the country after she was allowed to participate in place of her husband who was jailed and barred from running .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , jailed two of his main rivals in the elections while another would-be candidate fled the country .
The strongman has accused Moscow and Western countries of meddling in the elections and last week his security service detained more than 30 Russians who the authorities said were plotting violent protests with members of the opposition .
Belarusian authorities also detained Vitali Shkliarov , a well-known political analyst who was born in Belarus and worked on the US presidential bids of Bernie Sanders and advised the Russian opposition .
His lawyer said Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organise mass unrest in Belarus and faces up to three years in prison , if convicted .

The campaign manager of Belarus's leading opposition candidate and another opposition ally were detained on Saturday on the eve of a tense presidential vote, her office said. One has since been released.
Supporters of Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, a candidate in the upcoming presidential election and President Alexander Lukashenko's main challenger, react during a rally in Minsk, Belarus August 6, 2020.
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A spokeswoman for presidential hopeful Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP that her campaign manager Maria Moroz had been detained and will likely be held until after the vote.
It was not immediately clear on what grounds she had been detained, said spokeswoman Anna Krasulina.
"She probably won't be released before Monday," Krasulina added.
Moroz was also detained by the interior ministry on Thursday after visiting the Lithuanian embassy in Minsk. She was later released.
Police in Belarus have arrested and detained Svetlana Tikhanovskaya’s campaign manager Maria Moroz - three days before the election and ahead of a massive rally planned for tonight that authorities are trying to stop. pic.twitter.com/QZlPbJzHH2 — Jean Mackenzie (@jeanmackenzie) August 6, 2020
Authorities in Belarus on Saturday also briefly detained Maria Kolesnikova, a prominent member of the opposition campaign, the team said.
Belarus holds the presidential election on Sunday with Tikhanovskaya posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
The 65-year-old leader has headed the ex-Soviet country bordering Russia since 1994 and Sunday's polls are expected to hand him his sixth term.
Lukashenko has presided over an aggressive crackdown on the opposition and Tikhanovskaya has charged that he will rig the vote.
Europe's longest-serving leader
Early voting began in the country of 9.5 million people on Tuesday, with official turnout over the past four days already at more than 32 percent.
Tikhanovskaya has drawn huge crowds to campaign rallies throughout the country after she was allowed to participate in place of her husband who was jailed and barred from running.
Lukashenko, who is Europe's longest-serving leader, jailed two of his main rivals in the elections while another would-be candidate fled the country.
The strongman has accused Moscow and Western countries of meddling in the elections and last week his security service detained more than 30 Russians who the authorities said were plotting violent protests with members of the opposition.
Belarusian authorities also detained Vitali Shkliarov, a well-known political analyst who was born in Belarus and worked on the US presidential bids of Bernie Sanders and advised the Russian opposition.
His lawyer said Saturday that Shkliarov had been charged with helping organise mass unrest in Belarus and faces up to three years in prison, if convicted.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-09--Macron condemns 'cowardly' attack in Niger, vows to fight 'terrorist groups in the Sahel region'

French President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday denounced a 'cowardly '' attack on humanitarian workers in Niger and said he would @ @ @ @ @ on the incident in which eight people died .
The French leader , who spoke @ @ @ @ @ Issoufou , added that he was determined to help counter the `` terrorist groups in @ @ @ @ @ Officials in Niger said six of the eight people killed by gunmen on Sunday were @ @ @

French President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday denounced a "cowardly" attack on humanitarian workers in Niger and said he would do everything to shed light on the incident in which eight people died.
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The French leader, who spoke with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou, added that he was determined to help counter the "terrorist groups in the Sahel region".
Officials in Niger said six of the eight people killed by gunmen on Sunday were French nationals.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-09--Belarus president Lukashenko looks set to win re-election, prompting protests

Belarus police fired water cannons , tear gas and stun grenades in a crackdown on protests that erupted on Sunday as President Alexander Lukashenko was set to claim another election win in the face of the biggest challenge in years to his grip on power .
Thousands of people took to the streets of Minsk and other cities while protesters clapped , shouted `` victory '' , waved flags and honked car horns in solidarity with the opposition .
Some built barricades with garbage cans .
A police prisoner transport van hit a crowd of people in Minsk , witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details of casualties .
The authorities said they had no reports of any injuries from the protests .
A former Soviet collective farm manager , the authoritarian Lukashenko has ruled the country since 1994 but has battled a wave of anger over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , the economy and his human rights record .
State-approved exit polls showed him winning 79.7 % of the vote while his main opponent Svetlana Tikhanouskaya , a former English teacher who emerged from obscurity a few weeks ago to lead rallies against him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race after her husband , an anti-government blogger who intended to run , was jailed .
`` I 'd like to ask the police and troops to remember that they are part of the people .
I ask my voters to prevent provocations , '' she said in an appeal through the news outlet tut.by .
`` Please stop the violence . ''
Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995 .
A harsh response to new protests could hurt Lukashenko 's attempts to mend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with traditional ally Russia , which has tried to press Belarus into closer economic and political union .
Tikhanouskaya 's rallies have drawn some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 , and on Sunday she arrived at a polling station with hundreds of supporters chanting her name .
Human rights groups say more than 1,300 people were detained in the crackdown ahead of the election , including independent election observers and members of Tikhanouskaya 's campaign team .
After casting his vote , Lukashenko denied imposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-fetched accusations '' and said he did not regard Tikhanouskaya 's camp as a threat .
`` They are not worth enough to carry out any repression against them , '' he said .
Long queues of voters formed outside some polling stations in Minsk and also outside the Belarusian embassies in Moscow and Kyiv for people casting their ballot abroad .
`` It is unbearable to have him in power for so many years .
The man should understand himself that he must just leave , '' said Yuri Kanifatov in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as a guarantor of stability but criticised by the West as dictatorial , Lukashenko says the opposition protesters are in cahoots with foreign backers to destabilise the country .
`` Lukashenko a priori made it clear that he intends to retain his power at any cost .
The question remains what the price will be , '' said political analyst Alexander Klaskovsky .
Wedded to a Soviet-style economic model , Lukashenko has struggled to raise incomes and living standards in recent years .
He also faced anger over his handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` psychosis '' while suggesting drinking vodka and playing ice hockey as remedies .

Long-serving Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term with 80.23 percent of the vote, the central electoral commission said Monday, after police cracked down on opposition protesters.
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Central electoral commission chief Lidia Yermoshina said in televised comments that the strongman’s main challenger Svetlana Tikhanouskaya won 9.9 percent, citing a preliminary count.
The other three candidates each won less than two percent, Yermoshina said.
The announcement came after police broke up crowds of protesters with stun grenades and rubber bullets in Minsk and other cities on Sunday evening after an exit poll showed Lukashenko winning an overwhelming victory.
Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mother, former English teacher and political novice, galvanised the opposition during the election campaign and attracted tens of thousands of supporters to her rallies, some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
At least one person was killed after being knocked over by a police van and dozens were injured in the clashes that began after polling stations closed on Sunday, a representative of the rights group Spring 96 told Reuters.
A former Soviet collective farm manager, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994, but faces the biggest challenge in years to keep his grip on power with some voters believing strongly that it’s time he stood down.
He has cast himself as a guarantor of stability but has battled a wave of anger over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy and his human rights record.
02:34
Tikhanouskaya entered the race after her husband, an anti-government blogger who intended to run, was jailed.
Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995.
A severe crackdown on protests could hurt Lukashenko’s attempts to mend fences with the West amid fraying ties with traditional ally Russia, which has tried to press Belarus into closer economic and political union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated his counterpart on his re-election. The Kremlin said Putin had sent Alexander Lukashenko a congratulatory telegram expressing hope for “the further development of mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas”.
Human rights groups say more than 1,300 people were detained in the crackdown ahead of the election, including independent election observers and members of Tikhanouskaya’s campaign team.
After casting his vote on Sunday, Lukashenko denied imposing repressive measures as “fake news or far-fetched accusations”.
Neighbouring Poland on Monday called for an emergency European Union summit on the situation in Belarus after the overnight clashes in Minsk.
“The authorities have used force against their citizens, who are demanding change in the country. We must support the Belarusian people in their quest for freedom,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a statement.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS and AP)
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france24--2020-08-09--UK might stop official Covid death count over claims of 'exaggeration': Telegraph

FILE PHOTO : Nurses care for victims of the coronavirus in Surrey , Britain , May 22 , 2020 .
The UK 's official COVID-19 daily death count could be scrapped following an investigation into Public Health England 's method of counting the toll , The Telegraph newspaper reported .
The conclusions of the investigation , which was ordered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock after it emerged officials were `` exaggerating '' virus deaths , are expected this week , the newspaper said .
One recommendation could be to move to a weekly official death toll instead , a government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its daily update of the death toll last month and the government ordered a review into how Public Health England reports coronavirus deaths , after academics said the daily figures may include people who died of other causes .
Academics in a blog post had warned that the way the government health agency calculated the figures was skewed as patients who tested positive for coronavirus , but are successfully treated , will still be counted as dying from the virus `` even if they had a heart attack or were run over by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England 's death figures vary substantially from day to day due to this reason , the academics had argued .
In contrast , the other parts of the United Kingdom do not follow the same approach .
There is a cut-off threshold of 28 days in Scotland after a positive test , after which a patient is not automatically considered to have died from the virus .
Britain , one of the countries hardest hit by the virus , reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday , its highest daily increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases past 310,000 .

The UK's official COVID-19 daily death count could be scrapped following an investigation into Public Health England's method of counting the toll, The Telegraph newspaper reported.
FILE PHOTO: Nurses care for victims of the coronavirus in Surrey, Britain, May 22, 2020.
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The conclusions of the investigation, which was ordered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock after it emerged officials were "exaggerating" virus deaths, are expected this week, the newspaper said.
One recommendation could be to move to a weekly official death toll instead, a government source told the Telegraph.
Britain paused its daily update of the death toll last month and the government ordered a review into how Public Health England reports coronavirus deaths, after academics said the daily figures may include people who died of other causes.
Academics in a blog post had warned that the way the government health agency calculated the figures was skewed as patients who tested positive for coronavirus, but are successfully treated, will still be counted as dying from the virus "even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later".
England's death figures vary substantially from day to day due to this reason, the academics had argued.
In contrast, the other parts of the United Kingdom do not follow the same approach. There is a cut-off threshold of 28 days in Scotland after a positive test, after which a patient is not automatically considered to have died from the virus.
Britain, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus, reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, its highest daily increase since June, taking the total number of cases past 310,000.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-09--French NGO workers among eight killed by gunmen in Niger, local governor says

A handout photo obtained by AFP on August 9 , 2020 shows the car where six French tourists , their local guide and the driver were killed by an unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles on August 9 , 2020 in an area of southwestern Niger .
Six French citizens and their local guide and driver were killed Sunday by gunmen riding motorcycles in an area of southwestern Niger that is home to the last West African giraffes , officials said .
It is believed to be the first such attack on tourists in the area , a popular attraction in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of West African or Niger giraffes .
France 's presidency confirmed that French citizens had been killed in Niger , without giving the number of dead .
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke on the phone with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou , the Elysee palace said .
`` There are eight dead : two Nigeriens including a guide and a driver , while the other six are French , '' the governor of the Tillaberi region Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella told AFP .
`` We are managing the situation , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , without indicating who was behind the attack .
A source close to the environmental services said the assault took place at around 11:30 am ( 1030 GMT ) six kilometres ( four miles ) east of the town of Koure , which is an hour 's drive from the capital Niamey .
'Most of the victims were shot' '' Most of the victims were shot ... We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene , '' the source told AFP .
`` We do not know the identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists . ''
The source added that the tourists ' vehicle belonged to the French humanitarian organisation ACTED .
Grisly pictures seen by AFP of the scene showed bodies lying near a torched off-road vehicle , which had bullet holes in its rear window .
Around 20 years ago , a small herd of West African giraffes , a subspecies distinguished by its lighter colour , found a safe haven from poachers and predators in the Koure area .
Today they number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourist attraction , enjoying the protection of local people and conservation groups .
However the Tillaberi region is in a hugely unstable location , near the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso .
The region has become a hideout for Sahel jihadist groups such as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara ( ISGS ) .
The use of motorcycles has been totally banned since January in an attempt to curb the movements of such jihadists .

Six French citizens and their local guide and driver were killed Sunday by gunmen riding motorcycles in an area of southwestern Niger that is home to the last West African giraffes, officials said.
A handout photo obtained by AFP on August 9, 2020 shows the car where six French tourists, their local guide and the driver were killed by an unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles on August 9, 2020 in an area of southwestern Niger.
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It is believed to be the first such attack on tourists in the area, a popular attraction in the former French colony thanks to its unique population of West African or Niger giraffes.
France's presidency confirmed that French citizens had been killed in Niger, without giving the number of dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke on the phone with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou, the Elysee palace said.
02:33
"There are eight dead: two Nigeriens including a guide and a driver, while the other six are French," the governor of the Tillaberi region Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella told AFP.
"We are managing the situation, we will give more information later," Katiella said, without indicating who was behind the attack.
A source close to the environmental services said the assault took place at around 11:30 am (1030 GMT) six kilometres (four miles) east of the town of Koure, which is an hour's drive from the capital Niamey.
'Most of the victims were shot'
"Most of the victims were shot... We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene," the source told AFP.
"We do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists."
The source added that the tourists' vehicle belonged to the French humanitarian organisation ACTED.
Grisly pictures seen by AFP of the scene showed bodies lying near a torched off-road vehicle, which had bullet holes in its rear window.
Around 20 years ago, a small herd of West African giraffes, a subspecies distinguished by its lighter colour, found a safe haven from poachers and predators in the Koure area.
Today they number in their hundreds and are a key tourist attraction, enjoying the protection of local people and conservation groups.
However the Tillaberi region is in a hugely unstable location, near the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso.
The region has become a hideout for Sahel jihadist groups such as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).
The use of motorcycles has been totally banned since January in an attempt to curb the movements of such jihadists.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-09--Beirut protestors call for fall of government on second day of demonstrations

Demonstrators are seen during a protest following Tuesday 's blast , in Beirut , Lebanon August 9 , 2020 .
Lebanese police fired tear gas to try to disperse rock-throwing protesters blocking a road near parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a second day of anti-government demonstrations triggered by last week 's devastating explosion .
Fire broke out at an entrance to Parliament Square as demonstrators tried to break into a cordoned-off area , TV footage showed .
Protesters also broke into the housing and transport ministry offices .
Tuesday 's blast of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6,000 , compounding months of political and economic collapse and prompting furious calls for the government to quit .
Riot police wearing body armour and carrying batons clashed with demonstrators as thousands converged on Parliament Square and nearby Martyrs ' Square , a Reuters correspondent said .
`` We gave these leaders so many chances to help us and they always failed .
We want them all out , especially Hezbollah , because it 's a militia and just intimidates people with its weapons , '' Walid Jamal , an unemployed demonstrator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most influential Iran-backed armed grouping that has ministers in the government .
Lebanon 's top Christian Maronite cleric , Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai , said the cabinet should resign as it can not `` change the way it governs '' .
`` The resignation of an MP or a minister is not enough ... the whole government should resign as it is unable to help the country recover , '' he said in his Sunday sermon .
Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad said she was resigning from Prime Minister Hassan Diab 's government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the failure of the government to carry out reforms .
Her departure was followed on Sunday by the resignation of Lebanon 's environment minister , Damianos Kattar .
`` In light of the enormous catastrophe ...
I have decided to hand in my resignation from government , '' Kattar announced in a statement , saying he had lost hope in a `` sterile regime that botched several opportunities . ''

Lebanese police fired tear gas to try to disperse rock-throwing protesters blocking a road near parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a second day of anti-government demonstrations triggered by last week's devastating explosion.
Demonstrators are seen during a protest following Tuesday's blast, in Beirut, Lebanon August 9, 2020.
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Fire broke out at an entrance to Parliament Square as demonstrators tried to break into a cordoned-off area, TV footage showed. Protesters also broke into the housing and transport ministry offices.
Tuesday's blast of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate killed 158 people and injured more than 6,000, compounding months of political and economic collapse and prompting furious calls for the government to quit.
Riot police wearing body armour and carrying batons clashed with demonstrators as thousands converged on Parliament Square and nearby Martyrs' Square, a Reuters correspondent said.
Big protests in #beirut demanding the goverment and parliament to resign. https://t.co/UbaQn98v7J — louay kadri (@louaykadri) August 9, 2020
"We gave these leaders so many chances to help us and they always failed. We want them all out, especially Hezbollah, because it's a militia and just intimidates people with its weapons," Walid Jamal, an unemployed demonstrator, said, referring to the country's most influential Iran-backed armed grouping that has ministers in the government.
Lebanon's top Christian Maronite cleric, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, said the cabinet should resign as it cannot "change the way it governs".
"The resignation of an MP or a minister is not enough ... the whole government should resign as it is unable to help the country recover," he said in his Sunday sermon.
Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad said she was resigning from Prime Minister Hassan Diab's government on Sunday, citing the explosion and the failure of the government to carry out reforms.
Her departure was followed on Sunday by the resignation of Lebanon's environment minister, Damianos Kattar.
"In light of the enormous catastrophe... I have decided to hand in my resignation from government," Kattar announced in a statement, saying he had lost hope in a "sterile regime that botched several opportunities."
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-09--US passes 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases

A health worker takes a patient 's temperature before sending them to a tent to be tested at a COVID-19 testing site at St. John 's Well Child and Family Center , Los Angeles , California , July 24 , 2020 .
The United States has registered over five million cases in the coronavirus pandemic , Johns Hopkins University 's real-time tally showed Sunday , as well as over 162,000 deaths as the country struggles to control the disease .
The US tally reached 5,000,603 cases on Sunday morning and 162,441 deaths -- both totals by far the highest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have showed a large majority of voters unhappy with President Donald Trump 's handling of the crisis , ahead of the November election that could see him ousted from office .
`` The United States just passed 5 million reported infections of COVID-19 , '' his Democrat opponent Joe Biden tweeted Sunday .
`` It 's a number that boggles the mind and breaks the heart .
Each time the number goes up , it represents a life altered , a family stricken with anxiety , a community on edge .
It should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keen to show he was taking action , Trump on Saturday signed executive actions extending financial relief to Americans hit by the pandemic after lawmakers failed to agree on a new economic stimulus package .
`` We 've had it and we 're going to save American jobs and provide relief to the American workers , '' Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey , where he was spending the weekend .
With double digit unemployment , disruption to businesses from social distancing rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans have been relying on relief measures approved earlier by Congress , but which mostly expired in July .

The United States has registered over five million cases in the coronavirus pandemic, Johns Hopkins University's real-time tally showed Sunday, as well as over 162,000 deaths as the country struggles to control the disease.
A health worker takes a patient's temperature before sending them to a tent to be tested at a COVID-19 testing site at St. John's Well Child and Family Center, Los Angeles, California, July 24, 2020.
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The US tally reached 5,000,603 cases on Sunday morning and 162,441 deaths -- both totals by far the highest of any country in the world.
Polls have showed a large majority of voters unhappy with President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, ahead of the November election that could see him ousted from office.
"The United States just passed 5 million reported infections of COVID-19," his Democrat opponent Joe Biden tweeted Sunday.
"It's a number that boggles the mind and breaks the heart. Each time the number goes up, it represents a life altered, a family stricken with anxiety, a community on edge. It shouldn't have gotten this bad."
The United States just passed 5 million reported infections of COVID-19. It’s a number that boggles the mind and breaks the heart. Each time the number goes up, it represents a life altered, a family stricken with anxiety, a community on edge. It shouldn’t have gotten this bad. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 9, 2020
Keen to show he was taking action, Trump on Saturday signed executive actions extending financial relief to Americans hit by the pandemic after lawmakers failed to agree on a new economic stimulus package.
"We've had it and we're going to save American jobs and provide relief to the American workers," Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he was spending the weekend.
With double digit unemployment, disruption to businesses from social distancing rules, and rapid coronavirus spread, many Americans have been relying on relief measures approved earlier by Congress, but which mostly expired in July.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-09--‘You will not lock all of us up!’: Protesters in Poland denounce arrests of LGBT activists

Thousands of LGBT rights supporters demonstrate in central Warsaw , Poland against the detaining of a transgender activist on August 8 , 2020 .
Demonstrators turned out in Warsaw and other Polish cities Saturday to protest anti-LGBT attitudes promoted by the government as well as the detention of pro-LGBT rights protesters .
“ You will not lock all of us up !
” people chanted at a protest in Warsaw that drew thousands of mostly young people , most wearing masks for protection from the coronavirus .
Similar protests took place in Krakow , Lublin , Wroclaw and other places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBT rights supporters and police scuffled in Warsaw after the arrest of transgender activist Malgorzata Szutowicz , better known as Margot .
Police said they detained nearly 50 people , with several activists accusing police of using rough tactics .
“ The police were aggressively pushing the protesters out of the way , knocking people to the ground and holding them down with their boots , ” the Campaign Against Homophobia , a Warsaw-based rights group , said in an online statement .
After Margot was arrested in the neighbourhood of the rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographer saw dozens of protesters blocking the police car carrying her .
Scuffles then broke out between activists and dozens of police officers , who eventually cleared the way for the car to pass .
Warsaw police said on Twitter that 48 people were arrested in connection with `` insults directed at police as well as damage to a police car '' .
The protests come amid an intensifying standoff in Poland between people who support LGBT rights and the conservative government , which has declared it a dangerous “ ideology ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in for a second term on Thursday , won re-election on an anti-LGBT platform .
He has also compared what he called the “ LGBT ideology ” to Communism .
Some critics accuse the governing Law and Justice Party of stoking social tensions to channel attention and anger away from what they say are plans to further erode the rule of law .
Last week the justice ministry said it is preparing legislation that would require NGOs to declare any foreign funding sources , echoing laws passed in Russia and Hungary that critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others that are critical of the authorities .
In late July , the EU criticised and moved to deny funding to six Polish municipalities that declared themselves “ LGBT-free zones ” or used the term “ pro-family rights ” , a more subtle way of expressing anti-gay sentiment in Poland .
The EU move came after approximately 100 municipal councils in Poland had adopted “ LGBT-free ” resolutions as of late June .
Poland and Hungary convinced the EU earlier this month to water down a proposal to tie the bloc ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what France ’ s minister for European affairs , Clément Beaune , called the “ basic rules of democracy , free media and equal rights ” .
Beaune had expressed alarm at recent developments in Poland and Hungary .
Margot was put in pre-trial detention for two months on Friday for acts of civil disobedience , including using a knife to cut the tires of a van belonging to a pro-life foundation that broadcasts anti-LGBT messages – including a claim that homosexuals “ are preparing society to accept pedophilia ” .
Police allege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the van , shaking and pushing him .
Margot belongs to a group called Stop Bzdurom ( Stop the Nonsense ) , which has been draping rainbow flags on Warsaw statues , including one of Jesus , infuriating the conservative government .
Some others sympathetic to the LGBT movement also say the stunt with the statues was offensive and counter-productive .
Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski , Duda 's challenger in the recent presidential election , called it `` an unnecessary provocation ” .
Those defending Margot say the legal measures being used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention of dozens of others on Friday night – are disproportionate .
Lawyers have not had contact with her since her arrest , her defense lawyer said in comments to AP .
Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro defended the Warsaw police ’ s behaviour as appropriate .
He accused opposition politicians defending the LGBT protesters of supporting “ banditry ” .
“ Perhaps the knife that was used to destroy the van back then will be used for a bigger crime next time , ” Ziobro told AP .
However , Poland ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , issued a statement on Saturday expressing his “ major distress and concern ” at police actions against the protesters in Warsaw .
Citing his responsibility “ for protecting fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms , in particular against violations of rights by public authorities ” , Bodnar opened a preliminary investigation into the events , stating that media recordings from the scene and public witness statements – including from Polish members of parliament – “ indicate that the conduct of police officers requires urgent examination ” .
Among the subjects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention of a large number of persons ” and the “ use of coercive measures against the protesters ” .
Bodnar also said that representatives from the National Prevention Mechanism Against Torture , an organisation that seeks to prevent “ inhuman or degrading treatment ” , would be visiting police stations to seek information on the treatment and conditions of the detainees .
In a subsequent statement on Saturday , Bodnar ’ s office said that representatives who spoke with 33 detainees found evidence of police brutality and that they were denied contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe , the continent ’ s top human rights body , called for Margot ’ s immediate release on Saturday .
Mijatovic tweeted that the activist was detained `` for blocking an anti-LGBT hate van and putting rainbow flags on Warsaw monuments '' , saying that an order for Margot 's two-month detention sends a `` very chilling signal '' for freedom of speech and LGBT rights in Poland .
LGBT rights activist Magdalena Dropek said she was kneeling in front of her TV on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conflict between protesters and police in Warsaw .
“ It was unbelievable for me what was happening , ” she told FRANCE 24 .
The 37-year-old activist , who sits on the board of the Equality.org.pl Foundation , cut short a weekend trip to return to her home in Krakow and participate in a Saturday night “ solidarity walk ” to express support for Margot and the detained protesters .
For her , Friday ’ s events in Warsaw were a result of the anti-LGBT rhetoric coming from the top .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw this violence in the Equality marches , in the Polish streets , ” she said .
“ Now we see it from the state.
” “ It starts with the words and it ends with the violence , ” she said .
Marek Szolc , a Warsaw city council member who coordinated efforts Friday night to get legal aid for the detainees , described the police actions as “ an outrageous violation of human rights ” .
“ It was a peaceful blockade , ” Szolc , 28 , told FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to halt the police car with Margot inside .
“ The police attacked the demonstrators.
” “ Emotionally , I ’ m shocked , disappointed .
But at the same time , I think there is tremendous solidarity among the LGBT community right now , ” he said .

Demonstrators turned out in Warsaw and other Polish cities Saturday to protest anti-LGBT attitudes promoted by the government as well as the detention of pro-LGBT rights protesters.
Thousands of LGBT rights supporters demonstrate in central Warsaw, Poland against the detaining of a transgender activist on August 8, 2020.
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“You will not lock all of us up!” people chanted at a protest in Warsaw that drew thousands of mostly young people, most wearing masks for protection from the coronavirus. Similar protests took place in Krakow, Lublin, Wroclaw and other places.
The protests came a day after LGBT rights supporters and police scuffled in Warsaw after the arrest of transgender activist Malgorzata Szutowicz, better known as Margot. Police said they detained nearly 50 people, with several activists accusing police of using rough tactics.
“The police were aggressively pushing the protesters out of the way, knocking people to the ground and holding them down with their boots,” the Campaign Against Homophobia, a Warsaw-based rights group, said in an online statement.
After Margot was arrested in the neighbourhood of the rights group’s offices, an AFP photographer saw dozens of protesters blocking the police car carrying her. Scuffles then broke out between activists and dozens of police officers, who eventually cleared the way for the car to pass.
Warsaw police said on Twitter that 48 people were arrested in connection with "insults directed at police as well as damage to a police car".
Intensifying stand-off
The protests come amid an intensifying standoff in Poland between people who support LGBT rights and the conservative government, which has declared it a dangerous “ideology”. President Andrzej Duda, who was sworn in for a second term on Thursday, won re-election on an anti-LGBT platform. He has also compared what he called the “LGBT ideology” to Communism.
Some critics accuse the governing Law and Justice Party of stoking social tensions to channel attention and anger away from what they say are plans to further erode the rule of law.
Last week the justice ministry said it is preparing legislation that would require NGOs to declare any foreign funding sources, echoing laws passed in Russia and Hungary that critics say are meant to hamstring rights groups and others that are critical of the authorities.
In late July, the EU criticised and moved to deny funding to six Polish municipalities that declared themselves “LGBT-free zones” or used the term “pro-family rights”, a more subtle way of expressing anti-gay sentiment in Poland.
The EU move came after approximately 100 municipal councils in Poland had adopted “LGBT-free” resolutions as of late June.
Poland and Hungary convinced the EU earlier this month to water down a proposal to tie the bloc’s €750 billion Covid-19 stimulus package to what France’s minister for European affairs, Clément Beaune, called the “basic rules of democracy, free media and equal rights”.
Beaune had expressed alarm at recent developments in Poland and Hungary.
Pre-trial detention
Margot was put in pre-trial detention for two months on Friday for acts of civil disobedience, including using a knife to cut the tires of a van belonging to a pro-life foundation that broadcasts anti-LGBT messages – including a claim that homosexuals “are preparing society to accept pedophilia”.
Police allege she also used violence against the driver of the van, shaking and pushing him.
Margot belongs to a group called Stop Bzdurom (Stop the Nonsense), which has been draping rainbow flags on Warsaw statues, including one of Jesus, infuriating the conservative government.
Some others sympathetic to the LGBT movement also say the stunt with the statues was offensive and counter-productive. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, Duda's challenger in the recent presidential election, called it "an unnecessary provocation”.
Those defending Margot say the legal measures being used against her – as well as the detention of dozens of others on Friday night – are disproportionate. Lawyers have not had contact with her since her arrest, her defense lawyer said in comments to AP.
Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro defended the Warsaw police’s behaviour as appropriate. He accused opposition politicians defending the LGBT protesters of supporting “banditry”.
“Perhaps the knife that was used to destroy the van back then will be used for a bigger crime next time,” Ziobro told AP.
However, Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Adam Bodnar, issued a statement on Saturday expressing his “major distress and concern” at police actions against the protesters in Warsaw.
Citing his responsibility “for protecting fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms, in particular against violations of rights by public authorities”, Bodnar opened a preliminary investigation into the events, stating that media recordings from the scene and public witness statements – including from Polish members of parliament – “indicate that the conduct of police officers requires urgent examination”.
Among the subjects of inquiry were the reasons behind “the detention of a large number of persons” and the “use of coercive measures against the protesters”.
Bodnar also said that representatives from the National Prevention Mechanism Against Torture, an organisation that seeks to prevent “inhuman or degrading treatment”, would be visiting police stations to seek information on the treatment and conditions of the detainees.
In a subsequent statement on Saturday, Bodnar’s office said that representatives who spoke with 33 detainees found evidence of police brutality and that they were denied contact with lawyers.
Preliminary report of the Commissioner for Human Rights based on interviews with detained people:
- police brutality;
- in some cases homophobic and transphobic policemen comments;
- personal control by making people undress naked;
- no ability to contact legal representative. https://t.co/uZ2S9GuEcu — Pavanat 🇪🇺🏳🌈 (@pwwanat) August 8, 2020
Dunja Mijatovic, the human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body, called for Margot’s immediate release on Saturday.
Mijatovic tweeted that the activist was detained "for blocking an anti-LGBT hate van and putting rainbow flags on Warsaw monuments", saying that an order for Margot's two-month detention sends a "very chilling signal" for freedom of speech and LGBT rights in Poland.
‘Tremendous solidarity’
LGBT rights activist Magdalena Dropek said she was kneeling in front of her TV on Friday night, transfixed by the media coverage of the conflict between protesters and police in Warsaw.
“It was unbelievable for me what was happening,” she told FRANCE 24.
The 37-year-old activist, who sits on the board of the Equality.org.pl Foundation, cut short a weekend trip to return to her home in Krakow and participate in a Saturday night “solidarity walk” to express support for Margot and the detained protesters.
Lots of people on #LGBT rally in #Kraków! We showed our solidarity with people arrested yesterday in #Warsaw. After the rally police was carding random people (inc me), asking about offensive slogans. I haven't seen them but I can say a lot about being offended and excluded 🤷🏻♀ pic.twitter.com/9JCD3z9wKV — Magda Dropek (@magdadropek) August 8, 2020
For her, Friday’s events in Warsaw were a result of the anti-LGBT rhetoric coming from the top.
“In the last year, we saw this violence in the Equality marches, in the Polish streets,” she said. “Now we see it from the state.”
“It starts with the words and it ends with the violence,” she said.
Marek Szolc, a Warsaw city council member who coordinated efforts Friday night to get legal aid for the detainees, described the police actions as “an outrageous violation of human rights”.
“It was a peaceful blockade,” Szolc, 28, told FRANCE 24, referring to the protesters who tried to halt the police car with Margot inside. “The police attacked the demonstrators.”
“Emotionally, I’m shocked, disappointed. But at the same time, I think there is tremendous solidarity among the LGBT community right now,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-08-09--Macron urges donors to 'act quickly' at UN virtual conference on aid for Lebanon

Humanitarian aid bound for Beirut is loaded on an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on August 6 , 2020 .
French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations co-hosted a virtual donors ' conference Sunday to solicit international aid for Lebanon , whose capital Beirut was devastated by explosions on Tuesday that left more than 150 people dead and a quarter of a million homeless .
`` We must act quickly and efficiently so that this aid goes directly to where it is needed , '' Macron said in his opening remarks for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being held by video link .
Macron also called on the Lebanese government to act responsibly to safeguard the country 's future .
`` It is up to the authorities of the country to act so that the country does not sink , and to respond to the aspirations that the Lebanese people are expressing right now , legitimately , in the streets of Beirut , '' Macron said .
`` We must all work together to ensure that neither violence nor chaos prevails , '' he added .
`` It is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The conference succeeded to raise pledges worth nearly €253 million euros for immediate humanitarian relief on Sunday , Macron ’ s office said .
France has so far committed 55 security personnel and 6 tonnes of health equipment to Lebanon as well as urgent care doctors .
The European Commission on Sunday added €30 million to the €33 million it pledged on Friday to finance emergency aid to Lebanon .
But some foreign governments have been wary about writing blank cheques to a government perceived by its own people to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beirut port , blamed on a vast store of ammonium nitrate that was allowed to rot for years in a warehouse , killed more than 150 people and left a quarter of a million homeless .
The explosions amplified the anger of many Lebanese .
The political class was already under enormous pressure from a protest movement that rejects it as inept , corrupt and beholden to the country 's myriad sectarian groups rather than the national interest .
Battling runaway inflation , mass unemployment and rising poverty , the government is struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply evaporate .
And despite weeks of talks , the cabinet failed to reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund on a rescue package after Lebanon defaulted on its debt earlier this year .
Macron on Thursday became the first world leader to visit Beirut after Tuesday 's double explosion and warned Lebanese leaders that while international aid would be forthcoming deep change was needed to resolve the country 's problems .
Speaking in Beirut during his visit , Macron said that the conference aimed to mobilise funding from Europe , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , care , food and housing , but he also called for transparency and said any aid would go `` directly to the people '' as well as relief groups .
`` We will also put in place clear and transparent governance so that all of this aid – whether it is French aid or international – is directly channelled to the people , to NGOs , to the teams in the field who need it , without any possible opacity or diversion , '' he said .
Prime Minister Hassan Diab has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early elections amid the anger of many Lebanese , thousands of whom took to the streets in anti-government protests on Saturday .
A group of protesters led by retired Lebanese army officers also stormed the foreign ministry .
An `` emergency response framework '' drafted by the United Nations said $ 66.3 million was needed for immediate humanitarian aid for Lebanon , including health services for the injured , emergency shelter for those whose homes were destroyed , food distribution and programmes to `` prevent further spread of Covid-19 '' .
Phase II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million to rebuild public infrastructure , rehabilitate private homes and prevent disease outbreaks .
More than 30 international leaders and government officials took part in the video conference co-organised by France and the United Nations on Sunday , including US President Donald Trump , Jordan 's King Abdullah II and Egypt 's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi .
Key Arab states in the Gulf , including Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Iraq and the UAE were represented as were Britain and China .
Turkey and Russia , absent from the conference , are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in his opening speech .
Lebanon 's President Michel Aoun , UN aid coordinator Mark Lowcock and representatives of the World Bank , the Red Cross , the IMF and European nations also took part .
Iran , which wields huge influence in Lebanon through the Shiite group Hezbollah , was not on the list of participants .
Israel , with whom Lebanon has no diplomatic relations , was not at the conference but has offered aid .
Macron , who helped host the conference from his summer residence on the Mediterranean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Lebanon on September 1 to check on the country 's progress .

French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations co-hosted a virtual donors' conference Sunday to solicit international aid for Lebanon, whose capital Beirut was devastated by explosions on Tuesday that left more than 150 people dead and a quarter of a million homeless.
Humanitarian aid bound for Beirut is loaded on an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on August 6, 2020.
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"We must act quickly and efficiently so that this aid goes directly to where it is needed," Macron said in his opening remarks for the UN-backed donors' conference, which was being held by video link.
Macron also called on the Lebanese government to act responsibly to safeguard the country's future.
"It is up to the authorities of the country to act so that the country does not sink, and to respond to the aspirations that the Lebanese people are expressing right now, legitimately, in the streets of Beirut," Macron said.
"We must all work together to ensure that neither violence nor chaos prevails," he added. "It is the future of Lebanon that is at stake."
The conference succeeded to raise pledges worth nearly €253 million euros for immediate humanitarian relief on Sunday, Macron’s office said.
01:03
France has so far committed 55 security personnel and 6 tonnes of health equipment to Lebanon as well as urgent care doctors. The European Commission on Sunday added €30 million to the €33 million it pledged on Friday to finance emergency aid to Lebanon.
But some foreign governments have been wary about writing blank cheques to a government perceived by its own people to be deeply corrupt.
The blast at the Beirut port, blamed on a vast store of ammonium nitrate that was allowed to rot for years in a warehouse, killed more than 150 people and left a quarter of a million homeless.
The explosions amplified the anger of many Lebanese. The political class was already under enormous pressure from a protest movement that rejects it as inept, corrupt and beholden to the country's myriad sectarian groups rather than the national interest.
Battling runaway inflation, mass unemployment and rising poverty, the government is struggling. Many have seen their life savings simply evaporate. And despite weeks of talks, the cabinet failed to reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund on a rescue package after Lebanon defaulted on its debt earlier this year.
01:52
Calls for transparency
Macron on Thursday became the first world leader to visit Beirut after Tuesday's double explosion and warned Lebanese leaders that while international aid would be forthcoming deep change was needed to resolve the country's problems.
Speaking in Beirut during his visit, Macron said that the conference aimed to mobilise funding from Europe, the US and regional states to provide medicine, care, food and housing, but he also called for transparency and said any aid would go "directly to the people" as well as relief groups.
"We will also put in place clear and transparent governance so that all of this aid – whether it is French aid or international – is directly channelled to the people, to NGOs, to the teams in the field who need it, without any possible opacity or diversion," he said.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab has said he would soon be calling for early elections amid the anger of many Lebanese, thousands of whom took to the streets in anti-government protests on Saturday. A group of protesters led by retired Lebanese army officers also stormed the foreign ministry.
Emergency response
An "emergency response framework" drafted by the United Nations said $66.3 million was needed for immediate humanitarian aid for Lebanon, including health services for the injured, emergency shelter for those whose homes were destroyed, food distribution and programmes to "prevent further spread of Covid-19".
Phase II of the plan will require $50.6 million to rebuild public infrastructure, rehabilitate private homes and prevent disease outbreaks.
More than 30 international leaders and government officials took part in the video conference co-organised by France and the United Nations on Sunday, including US President Donald Trump, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Key Arab states in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and the UAE were represented as were Britain and China.
Turkey and Russia, absent from the conference, are expected to provide aid as well, Macron said in his opening speech.
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, UN aid coordinator Mark Lowcock and representatives of the World Bank, the Red Cross, the IMF and European nations also took part.
Iran, which wields huge influence in Lebanon through the Shiite group Hezbollah, was not on the list of participants. Israel, with whom Lebanon has no diplomatic relations, was not at the conference but has offered aid.
Macron, who helped host the conference from his summer residence on the Mediterranean, has said he will be returning to Lebanon on September 1 to check on the country's progress.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-10--Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni handed three-year jail term

Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni received a three-year prison term Monday , a lawyer said , in a trial rights groups have called a test of press freedom in a country recently rocked by anti-government protests .
“ It ’ s a very heavy verdict for Khaled Drareni .
We are surprised , ” lawyer and president of the Algerian League for Human Rights Nouredine Benissad told AFP .
Drareni , 40 , editor of the Casbah Tribune news site and correspondent for French-language channel TV5 Monde , was arrested on March 29 on charges of “ inciting an unarmed gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after covering demonstrations by the “ Hirak ” protest movement .
Two co-accused in the trial , protest members Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche , were sentenced to two years ’ jail each , said Benissad .
Weekly protests rocked Algeria for more than a year and only came to a halt in March due to the novel coronavirus crisis .
The prosecutor had called for Drareni to be sentenced to four years in prison , fined 100,000 dinars ( $ 784 ) and stripped of his civil rights at the opening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hamed court in Algiers on August 3 .
Drareni denied the charges when he appeared via video-conference due to coronavirus measures .
“ I just did my job as an independent journalist , ” he said , according to a statement by press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) , for which Drareni also works .
He argued he had exercised his “ right to inform as a journalist and citizen ” .
RSF , part of an international support committee for Drareni , earlier condemned the charges and said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shift to authoritarianism ” in the North African country .
If judges were to “ accept this absurd indictment , it would show that Algeria ’ s judiciary and executive have turned their back on the ideals of the country ’ s independence , ” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said .
The US-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists had demanded Algeria “ immediately and unconditionally release journalist Khaled Drareni , especially as there is no evidence he did anything except his job as a journalist ” .
The Algerian judiciary has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hirak activists , political opponents and bloggers in recent months .
Some journalists have been accused of sowing discord , threatening national interests and being on the payroll of “ foreign parties ” , with several in prison and trials under way .
In July , Ali Djamel Toubal , a correspondent for the privately-owned media group Ennahar , was sentenced to 15 months in prison for , among other things , broadcasting footage showing police officers mistreating anti-regime demonstrators .
RSF ranked Algeria 146 out of 180 countries and territories in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five places lower than in 2019 .

Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni received a three-year prison term Monday, a lawyer said, in a trial rights groups have called a test of press freedom in a country recently rocked by anti-government protests.
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“It’s a very heavy verdict for Khaled Drareni. We are surprised,” lawyer and president of the Algerian League for Human Rights Nouredine Benissad told AFP.
Drareni, 40, editor of the Casbah Tribune news site and correspondent for French-language channel TV5 Monde, was arrested on March 29 on charges of “inciting an unarmed gathering” and “endangering national unity” after covering demonstrations by the “Hirak” protest movement.
Two co-accused in the trial, protest members Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche, were sentenced to two years’ jail each, said Benissad.
Weekly protests rocked Algeria for more than a year and only came to a halt in March due to the novel coronavirus crisis.
The prosecutor had called for Drareni to be sentenced to four years in prison, fined 100,000 dinars ($784) and stripped of his civil rights at the opening of his trial at the Sidi M’hamed court in Algiers on August 3.
Drareni denied the charges when he appeared via video-conference due to coronavirus measures.
“I just did my job as an independent journalist,” he said, according to a statement by press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), for which Drareni also works.
He argued he had exercised his “right to inform as a journalist and citizen”.
‘Shift to authoritarianism’
RSF, part of an international support committee for Drareni, earlier condemned the charges and said “a prison sentence would be proof of a shift to authoritarianism” in the North African country.
If judges were to “accept this absurd indictment, it would show that Algeria’s judiciary and executive have turned their back on the ideals of the country’s independence,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
The US-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists had demanded Algeria “immediately and unconditionally release journalist Khaled Drareni, especially as there is no evidence he did anything except his job as a journalist”.
The Algerian judiciary has stepped up prosecutions and convictions of journalists, Hirak activists, political opponents and bloggers in recent months.
Some journalists have been accused of sowing discord, threatening national interests and being on the payroll of “foreign parties”, with several in prison and trials under way.
In July, Ali Djamel Toubal, a correspondent for the privately-owned media group Ennahar, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for, among other things, broadcasting footage showing police officers mistreating anti-regime demonstrators.
RSF ranked Algeria 146 out of 180 countries and territories in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index, five places lower than in 2019.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-10--France's anti-terror prosecutor to investigate aid worker killings in Niger

This August 9 , 2020 image shows the wreckage of the car where six French aid workers , their local guide and the driver were killed by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles in an area of southwestern Niger .
France ’ s anti-terrorism prosecutor opened an investigation on Monday into “ murder in connection with terrorism ” over Sunday 's attack on humanitarian workers in Niger , in which eight people were killed including six French citizens .
The prosecutor ’ s office is delegating the investigation to the DGSI – France ’ s internal intelligence agency , equivalent to Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French police ’ s national counter-terror unit .
French and Nigerien soldiers on Monday combed a wildlife reserve in Niger and the surrounding area for traces of the gunmen who killed the aid workers , a French military source told Reuters .
The unidentified gunmen , who rode on motorbikes , attacked the group who worked for the humanitarian charity ACTED in a giraffe reserve just 65 km ( 40 miles ) from the capital Niamey .
A Nigerien guide and a local driver employed by ACTED were also killed .
ACTED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been `` senselessly and cowardly murdered by armed individuals '' .
Thus far , no group has claimed responsibility for the attack .
But France and other countries have warned people against travelling to parts of Niger where militants including Boko Haram and an affiliate of Islamic State operate .
`` Military operations are ongoing today , '' the military source said .
French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the families ' grief and tweeted : `` Our determination to combat armed terrorist groups is resolute .
The fight continues . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a popular attraction in Niger , a vast country that borders seven states in an unstable region including Libya , Mali , Chad , Algeria and Nigeria .
France started its military operations there in 2013 , after Mali asked it to help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Touareg rebellion in the country ’ s northern desert regions the previous year .
The French military succeeded in this initial task – but the jihadist insurgency has since spread throughout Mali and across the border to Niger and Burkina @ @

France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor opened an investigation on Monday into “murder in connection with terrorism” over Sunday's attack on humanitarian workers in Niger, in which eight people were killed including six French citizens.
This August 9, 2020 image shows the wreckage of the car where six French aid workers, their local guide and the driver were killed by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles in an area of southwestern Niger.
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French humanitarian aid group ACTED said at a press conference on Monday that the eight of its staff killed by gunmen in Niger on Sunday included four women and four men.
"We want to protect the victims' anonymity for now, but we can say they were aged 25 to 50 and included four women and four men," ACTED development director Frederic Roussel told a news conference in Paris.
The prosecutor’s office is delegating the investigation to the DGSI – France’s internal intelligence agency, equivalent to Britain’s MI5 – and SDAT, the French police’s national counter-terror unit.
French and Nigerien soldiers on Monday combed a wildlife reserve in Niger and the surrounding area for traces of the gunmen who killed the aid workers, a French military source told Reuters.
The unidentified gunmen, who rode on motorbikes, attacked the group in a giraffe reserve just 65 km (40 miles) from the capital Niamey. A Nigerien guide and a local driver employed by ACTED were also killed.
ACTED said in a statement the group had been "senselessly and cowardly murdered by armed individuals".
Thus far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. But France and other countries have warned people against travelling to parts of Niger where militants including Boko Haram and an affiliate of Islamic State operate.
"Military operations are ongoing today," the military source said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the families' grief and tweeted: "Our determination to combat armed terrorist groups is resolute. The fight continues."
The reserve southeast of the capital is a popular attraction in Niger, a vast country that borders seven states in an unstable region including Libya, Mali, Chad, Algeria and Nigeria.
France started its military operations there in 2013, after Mali asked it to help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Touareg rebellion in the country’s northern desert regions the previous year.
The French military succeeded in this initial task – but the jihadist insurgency has since spread throughout Mali and across the border to Niger and Burkina Faso.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-09--Belarus strongman Lukashenko wins re-election by landslide, election commission says

Long-serving Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term with 80.23 percent of the vote , the central electoral commission said Monday , after police cracked down on opposition protesters .
Central electoral commission chief Lidia Yermoshina said in televised comments that the strongman ’ s main challenger Svetlana Tikhanouskaya won 9.9 percent , citing a preliminary count .
The other three candidates each won less than two percent , Yermoshina said .
The announcement came after police broke up crowds of protesters with stun grenades and rubber bullets in Minsk and other cities on Sunday evening after an exit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old stay-at-home mother , former English teacher and political novice , galvanised the opposition during the election campaign and attracted tens of thousands of supporters to her rallies , some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 .
At least one person was killed after being knocked over by a police van and dozens were injured in the clashes that began after polling stations closed on Sunday , a representative of the rights group Spring 96 told Reuters .
A former Soviet collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1994 , but faces the biggest challenge in years to keep his grip on power with some voters believing strongly that it ’ s time he stood down .
He has cast himself as a guarantor of stability but has battled a wave of anger over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , the economy and his human rights record .
Tikhanouskaya entered the race after her husband , an anti-government blogger who intended to run , was jailed .
Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crackdown on protests could hurt Lukashenko ’ s attempts to mend fences with the West amid fraying ties with traditional ally Russia , which has tried to press Belarus into closer economic and political union .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated his counterpart on his re-election .
The Kremlin said Putin had sent Alexander Lukashenko a congratulatory telegram expressing hope for “ the further development of mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas ” .
Human rights groups say more than 1,300 people were detained in the crackdown ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Tikhanouskaya ’ s campaign team .
After casting his vote on Sunday , Lukashenko denied imposing repressive measures as “ fake news or far-fetched accusations ” .
Neighbouring Poland on Monday called for an emergency European Union summit on the situation in Belarus after the overnight clashes in Minsk .
“ The authorities have used force against their citizens , who are demanding change in the country .
We must support the Belarusian people in their quest for freedom , ” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a statement .


france24--2020-08-10--Hong Kong media mogul and activist Jimmy Lai arrested for 'collusion with foreign powers'

Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying , founder of Apple Daily ( C ) is detained by the national security unit in Hong Kong , China August 10 , 2020 .
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested over suspected collusion with foreign forces under the new national security law , his top aide said on Twitter , in what is the highest-profile arrest yet under the legislation .
Lai has been one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Beijing , which imposed the sweeping new law on Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western countries .
The new security law punishes anything China considers subversion , secession , terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison .
Critics say it crushes freedoms in the semiautonomous city , while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged pro-democracy protests last year .
`` Jimmy Lai is being arrested for collusion with foreign powers at this time , '' Mark Simon , a senior executive at Lai 's media company Next Digital , which publishes local tabloid Apple Daily , said early on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken away from his home in Ho Man Tin early on Monday .
The paper says one of Lai 's sons , Ian , was also arrested at his home .
Around 10 other people were expected to be arrested on Monday , local newspaper South China Morning Post reported , without naming its sources .
Lai was also arrested this year on illegal assembly charges , along with other leading activists , relating to protests last year .
In an interview with Reuters in May , Lai pledged to stay in Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though he expected to be one of the targets of the new legislation .
Before Monday , 15 people had been arrested under the law , including four aged 16-21 late last month over posts on social media .
The new legislation has sent a chill through Hong Kong , affecting many aspects of life .
Activists have disbanded their organisations , while some have fled the city altogether .
Slogans have been declared illegal , certain songs and activities such as forming human chains have been banned in schools , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public libraries .
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam , the territory 's current and former police chiefs and eight other top officials for what Washington says is their role in curtailing political freedoms in the territory .
Beijing 's top representative office in Hong Kong described the sanctions as `` clowning actions . ''
Beijing and the Hong Kong government have said the law will not affect rights and freedoms , and that it is needed to plug security loopholes .
They said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` troublemakers . ''

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai became the highest-profile person arrested under a new national security law on Monday, detained over suspected collusion with foreign forces as around 200 police searched the offices of his Apple Daily newspaper.
Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily (C) is detained by the national security unit in Hong Kong, China August 10, 2020.
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Mainland-born Lai, who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, has been one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Beijing.
His arrest comes amid Beijing's crackdown against pro-democracy opposition in the city and further stokes concerns about media and other freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to China in 1997. China imposed the sweeping new security law on Hong Kong on June 30, drawing condemnation from Western countries.
The arrest "bears out the worst fears that Hong Kong's National Security Law would be used to suppress critical pro-democracy opinion and restrict press freedom", said Steven Butler, the Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia programme coordinator.
Ryan Law, chief editor of Apple Daily, a staunch anti-government tabloid that also does investigative work, told Reuters the paper would not be intimidated.
"Business as usual," he said.
02:01
The security law punishes anything China considers subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Critics say it crushes freedoms, while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged pro-democracy protests last year.
Beijing said it supported Lai's arrest.
A spokesman for China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office told the official Xinhua news agency Lai was a representative of people who were "anti-China, anti-Hong Kong," and that he planned and instigated "illegal" protests, funded pro-independence forces and used his media group to spread rumours.
Lai, 71, had been a frequent visitor to Washington, where he has met officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a "traitor".
Hong Kong police said they had arrested nine men and one woman, aged between 23 and 72, without naming them, adding that further arrests were possible.
Suspected offences included "collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security, conspiracy to defraud" and others, the police said.
Apple Daily posted on its Facebook page a livestream of police officers roaming through its newsroom and rifling through files, and asking staff for identity documents.
Some executive offices were sealed off with red cordons. The police later wheeled in stacks of empty plastic containers. Lai himself was brought back to the office, initially in handcuffs.
"We can't worry that much, we can only go with the flow," Lai said, before being escorted into a police vehicle.
Police said around 200 officers entered the premises with a court warrant and collected 25 boxes of evidence after finishing the search. The law allows police to search premises without one "under exceptional circumstances."
In major cases in Hong Kong, the central government in Beijing can claim jurisdiction. The legislation allows agents to take suspects across the border for trials in Communist Party-controlled courts.
Apple Daily reported that one of Lai's sons, Ian, had also been arrested at his home and later showed his restaurant, Cafe Seasons, being raided by police.
Shares in Lai's media company Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, plunged 16.7% before rebounding to trade 344% higher at one point as online pro-democracy forums called on investors to buy shares to show support.
'Third-world'
Other senior Apple Daily staff, including Executive Director Cheung Kim-hung, were also arrested.
"We see this as straight harassment," an Apple Daily source said, adding that Lai was arrested on suspicion of sedition, criminal fraud and colluding with foreign forces.
Next Media Trade Union called the search "an extremely rare and serious incident in Hong Kong history", with a "catastrophic" impact. It said journalists "will continue to guard their posts until the last minute".
Britain said the arrest was further evidence the security law was "a pretext to silence opposition."
Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman Chris Yeung said the search was akin to "third-world" press freedom suppression.
Apple Daily executive Chan Pui-man said the newspaper will be published on Tuesday.
"Even if Apple Daily publish a pile of blank paper tomorrow, we would go and buy a copy," prominent young activist Joshua Wong said on Twitter.
Wong's longtime colleague Agnes Chow and two other activists were among those arrested on Monday, local media reported.
In a Reuters interview in May, Lai pledged to stay in Hong Kong and continue to fight for democracy.
Before Monday, 15 people, including teenagers, had been arrested under the new law.
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and other officials, drawing mockery and condemnation from Beijing.
The arrest shows Hong Kong "wasn't intimidated" by sanctions, Global Times editor Hu Xijin said in a tweet. Global Times is published by China's official Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-10--Beirut blast destroyed landmark 19th-century palace after painstaking restoration

This handout image obtained from the Sursock Museum in Lebanon 's capital Beirut on August 8 , 2020 and taken on August 5 shows a view of the damaged lobby of the museum premises in the neighbourhood of Ashrafiyeh , in the aftermath of the massive blast at the port of Beirut .
The 160-year-old palace withstood two world wars , the fall of the Ottoman Empire , the French mandate and Lebanese independence .
After the country ’ s 1975-1990 civil war , it took 20 years of careful restoration for the family to bring the palace back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split second , everything was destroyed again , ” says Roderick Sursock , owner of Beirut ’ s landmark Sursock Palace , one of the most storied buildings in the Lebanese capital .
He steps carefully over the collapsed ceilings , walking through rooms covered in dust , broken marble and crooked portraits of his ancestors hanging on the cracked walls .
The ceilings of the top floor are all gone , and some of the walls have collapsed .
The level of destruction from the massive explosion at Beirut ’ s port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 15 years of civil war did , he says .
More than 160 people were killed in the blast , around 6,000 were injured and thousands of residential buildings and offices were damaged .
Several heritage buildings , traditional Lebanese homes , museums and art galleries have also sustained various degrees of damage .
The Sursock palace , built in 1860 in the heart of historical Beirut on a hill overlooking the now-obliterated port , is home to beautiful works of art , Ottoman-era furniture , marble and paintings from Italy — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sursock family .
The Greek Orthodox family , originally from the Byzantine capital , Constantinople — now Istanbul — settled in Beirut in 1714 .
The three-story mansion has been a landmark in Beirut .
With its spacious garden , it ’ s been the venue for countless weddings , cocktail parties and receptions over the years , and has been admired by tourists who visit the nearby Sursock museum .
The house in Beirut ’ s Christian quarter of Achrafieh is listed as a cultural heritage site , but Sursock said only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage in the neighborhood .
So far , he ’ s had no luck reaching the Culture Ministry .
The palace is so damaged that it will require a long , expensive and delicate restoration , “ as if rebuilding the house from scratch , ” Sursock says .
Sursock has moved to a nearby pavilion in the palace gardens , but this has been his home for many years alongside his American wife , his 18-year-old daughter and his mother , Yvonne .
He says the 98-year-old Lady Cochrane ( born Sursock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 15 years of the civil war to defend the palace .
His wife was just dismissed from hospital , as the blast was so powerful that the wave affected her lungs .
Sursock says there is no point in restoring the house now — at least not until the country fixes its political problems .
“ We need a total change , the country is run by a gang of corrupt people , ” he said angrily .
Despite his pain and the damage from last week ’ s blast , Sursock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he will stay in Lebanon , where he has lived his whole life and which he calls home .
But he desperately hopes for change .
“ I hope there is going to be violence and revolution because something needs to break , we need to move on , we can not stay as we are .
”

The 160-year-old palace withstood two world wars, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French mandate and Lebanese independence. After the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, it took 20 years of careful restoration for the family to bring the palace back to its former glory.
This handout image obtained from the Sursock Museum in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 8, 2020 and taken on August 5 shows a view of the damaged lobby of the museum premises in the neighbourhood of Ashrafiyeh, in the aftermath of the massive blast at the port of Beirut.
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“In a split second, everything was destroyed again,” says Roderick Sursock, owner of Beirut’s landmark Sursock Palace, one of the most storied buildings in the Lebanese capital.
He steps carefully over the collapsed ceilings, walking through rooms covered in dust, broken marble and crooked portraits of his ancestors hanging on the cracked walls. The ceilings of the top floor are all gone, and some of the walls have collapsed. The level of destruction from the massive explosion at Beirut’s port last week is 10 times worse than what 15 years of civil war did, he says.
More than 160 people were killed in the blast, around 6,000 were injured and thousands of residential buildings and offices were damaged. Several heritage buildings, traditional Lebanese homes, museums and art galleries have also sustained various degrees of damage.
The Sursock palace, built in 1860 in the heart of historical Beirut on a hill overlooking the now-obliterated port, is home to beautiful works of art, Ottoman-era furniture, marble and paintings from Italy — collected by three long-lasting generations of the Sursock family.
The Greek Orthodox family, originally from the Byzantine capital, Constantinople — now Istanbul — settled in Beirut in 1714.
The three-story mansion has been a landmark in Beirut. With its spacious garden, it’s been the venue for countless weddings, cocktail parties and receptions over the years, and has been admired by tourists who visit the nearby Sursock museum.
An intimate snapshot of Beirut's devastation through a look at the Sursock Palace and Museum https://t.co/EnafU9GiJi pic.twitter.com/Ff7fTtqqqc — Ticia Verveer (@ticiaverveer) August 8, 2020
The house in Beirut’s Christian quarter of Achrafieh is listed as a cultural heritage site, but Sursock said only the army has come to assess the damage in the neighborhood. So far, he’s had no luck reaching the Culture Ministry.
The palace is so damaged that it will require a long, expensive and delicate restoration, “as if rebuilding the house from scratch,” Sursock says.
Sursock has moved to a nearby pavilion in the palace gardens, but this has been his home for many years alongside his American wife, his 18-year-old daughter and his mother, Yvonne. He says the 98-year-old Lady Cochrane (born Sursock) had courageously stayed in Beirut during the 15 years of the civil war to defend the palace. His wife was just dismissed from hospital, as the blast was so powerful that the wave affected her lungs.
Sursock says there is no point in restoring the house now — at least not until the country fixes its political problems.
“We need a total change, the country is run by a gang of corrupt people,” he said angrily.
Despite his pain and the damage from last week’s blast, Sursock, who was born in Ireland, says he will stay in Lebanon, where he has lived his whole life and which he calls home.
But he desperately hopes for change.
“I hope there is going to be violence and revolution because something needs to break, we need to move on, we cannot stay as we are.”
(AP)
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france24--2020-08-10--Afghanistan peace talks near as Taliban says ready ‘within a week’ of prisoner release

Members of the Taliban handover their weapons and join in the Afghan government 's reconciliation and reintegration program in Jalalabad , Afghanistan , on June 25 , 2020 .
Long-awaited peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban were expected to start in Qatar within a week once the final batch of Taliban prisoners were released , the U.S. special envoy and Afghan government sources said on Monday .
The government accepted the advice of a loya jirga , a grand assembly of elders , on Sunday to release 400 “ hard-core ” Taliban prisoners , paving the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has ground on since U.S.-backed Afghan forces ousted a Taliban government in late 2001 .
“ We are ready to sit for talks within a week from when we see our prisoners released .
We are ready , ” Taliban spokesman , Suhail Shaheen , told Reuters on Monday .
A government source told Reuters that President Ashraf Ghani would likely sign the decree to release the prisoners later on Monday .
“ Everyone is waiting for Ghani to sign on the decree .
The original plan is to travel to Doha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday , ” the source said .
U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad , who reached an agreement with the Taliban in February for the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops , welcomed the progress , having spent months trying to bring the militant movement to the negotiating table with the government .
“ In the next few days , we expect the completion of prisoner releases , then travel of the Islamic Republic team to Doha , & from there the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations , ” he said on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last 400 of 5,000 prisoners to be freed , as a condition for joining peace talk .
But the government had been hesitant as these prisoners were involved in some of the worst violence , including a 2017 truck bombing near the German embassy in Kabul that killed more than 150 people - the deadliest attack in the 19-year insurgency .

Long-awaited peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban were expected to start in Qatar within a week once the final batch of Taliban prisoners were released, the U.S. special envoy and Afghan government sources said on Monday.
Members of the Taliban handover their weapons and join in the Afghan government's reconciliation and reintegration program in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2020.
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The government accepted the advice of a loya jirga, a grand assembly of elders, on Sunday to release 400 “hard-core” Taliban prisoners, paving the way for talks aimed at ending a war that has ground on since U.S.-backed Afghan forces ousted a Taliban government in late 2001.
“We are ready to sit for talks within a week from when we see our prisoners released. We are ready,” Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told Reuters on Monday.
A government source told Reuters that President Ashraf Ghani would likely sign the decree to release the prisoners later on Monday.
“Everyone is waiting for Ghani to sign on the decree. The original plan is to travel to Doha on Wednesday and the talks will begin on Sunday,” the source said.
U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who reached an agreement with the Taliban in February for the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops, welcomed the progress, having spent months trying to bring the militant movement to the negotiating table with the government.
“In the next few days, we expect the completion of prisoner releases, then travel of the Islamic Republic team to Doha, & from there the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations,” he said on Twitter.
The Taliban had demanded the release of last 400 of 5,000 prisoners to be freed, as a condition for joining peace talk. But the government had been hesitant as these prisoners were involved in some of the worst violence, including a 2017 truck bombing near the German embassy in Kabul that killed more than 150 people - the deadliest attack in the 19-year insurgency.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-09--Macron condemns 'cowardly' attack in Niger, vows to fight 'terrorist groups in the Sahel'

French President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday denounced a `` cowardly '' attack on humanitarian workers in Niger and said he @ @ @ @ @ light on the incident in which eight people died .
The French leader , who @ @ @ @ @ Mahamadou Issoufou , added that he was determined to help counter the `` terrorist groups @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials in Niger said six of the eight people killed by gunmen on Sunday @ @ @ @