france24--2020-08-30--Global virus cases cross 25 million as India sets grim record

Global coronavirus infections soared past 25 million on Sunday , as countries around the world further tightened restrictions to try to stop the rampaging pandemic .
A million additional cases have been detected globally roughly every four days since mid-July , according to an AFP tally , with India on Sunday setting the record for the highest single-day rise in cases with 78,761 .
The surge in India , home to 1.3 billion people , came as the government further eased lockdown restrictions on the weekend to help ease pressure on the reeling economy .
Even nations such as New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously brought their outbreaks largely under control , are now battling new clusters of infections .
On the other side of the world , Latin America -- the worst-hit region -- was still struggling with its first wave , with Covid-19 deaths in Brazil crossing 120,000 , second only to the United States .
Brazil 's curve `` has stabilised now , but at a very dangerous level : nearly 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases per day , '' said Christovam Barcellos , a researcher at public health institute Fiocruz .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Nearly 843,000 people have died of Covid-19 globally , and with no vaccine or effective treatment available yet , governments have been forced to resort to some form of social distancing and lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus .
Masks will become mandatory from Monday on public transport and flights in New Zealand , which went more than 100 days without local transmission before the current cluster emerged .
And tightened virus curbs kicked in on Sunday in South Korea , which is also battling fresh clusters -- including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to half the country 's population .
Despite the grim numbers , there has been steady opposition to lockdowns and social distancing measures in many parts of the world , often because of their crushing economic cost .
But resistance has also come from the extreme right and left of the political spectrum , as well as conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine campaigners .
In Berlin on Saturday , around 18,000 people gathered to march against coronavirus restrictions -- but police later stopped the rally because many were not respecting social distancing measures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Chancellor Angela Merkel often used by the far-right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) party .
Many carried placards promoting widely debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines , face masks and 5G communications .
Similar protests were held in London and Zurich , where some carried signs supporting the far-right QAnon movement , which promotes bizarre theories about Satan-worshipping cabals and `` deep state '' plots -- without any credible evidence .
The pandemic has upended economies and societies around the world , and halted most large gatherings -- from sport and music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de France set off from the French Riviera on Saturday , two months later than planned and with the French sport minister not ruling out the cancellation of the event because of the coronavirus .
Under the Tour rules , a team with two positive tests in its entourage would be expelled .
A virus testing cell will travel with the teams throughout the race .
The world 's top sport , culture and music events are struggling with the challenge of hosting spectators while reducing the risk of virus transmission .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , once among the world 's biggest coronavirus hotspots .
Visitors raised their arms , clapped and lined up to get tickets as New York 's Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its doors to the public in a festive atmosphere after a six-month closure .
Tracy-Ann Samuel , who came with her daughters aged four and nine , said she could n't wait to again be `` surrounded by beautiful art '' .
`` It means that there is some semblance of normalcy , '' Samuel said .
`` The Met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history for over 150 years ...
So this is a big first step . ''

New Delhi (AFP) –
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Global coronavirus infections soared past 25 million on Sunday, as countries around the world further tightened restrictions to try to stop the rampaging pandemic.
A million additional cases have been detected globally roughly every four days since mid-July, according to an AFP tally, with India on Sunday setting the record for the highest single-day rise in cases with 78,761.
The surge in India, home to 1.3 billion people, came as the government further eased lockdown restrictions on the weekend to help ease pressure on the reeling economy.
Even nations such as New Zealand and South Korea, which had previously brought their outbreaks largely under control, are now battling new clusters of infections.
On the other side of the world, Latin America -- the worst-hit region -- was still struggling with its first wave, with Covid-19 deaths in Brazil crossing 120,000, second only to the United States.
Brazil's curve "has stabilised now, but at a very dangerous level: nearly 1,000 deaths and 40,000 cases per day," said Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at public health institute Fiocruz.
"And Brazil still isn't past the peak."
Nearly 843,000 people have died of Covid-19 globally, and with no vaccine or effective treatment available yet, governments have been forced to resort to some form of social distancing and lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus.
Masks will become mandatory from Monday on public transport and flights in New Zealand, which went more than 100 days without local transmission before the current cluster emerged.
And tightened virus curbs kicked in on Sunday in South Korea, which is also battling fresh clusters -- including in the greater Seoul region, home to half the country's population.
- 'Anti-corona' rallies in Europe -
Despite the grim numbers, there has been steady opposition to lockdowns and social distancing measures in many parts of the world, often because of their crushing economic cost.
But resistance has also come from the extreme right and left of the political spectrum, as well as conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine campaigners.
In Berlin on Saturday, around 18,000 people gathered to march against coronavirus restrictions -- but police later stopped the rally because many were not respecting social distancing measures.
Protesters waved German flags and shouted slogans against Chancellor Angela Merkel often used by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Many carried placards promoting widely debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines, face masks and 5G communications.
Similar protests were held in London and Zurich, where some carried signs supporting the far-right QAnon movement, which promotes bizarre theories about Satan-worshipping cabals and "deep state" plots -- without any credible evidence.
- 'A big first step' -
The pandemic has upended economies and societies around the world, and halted most large gatherings -- from sport and music to religion and politics.
The Tour de France set off from the French Riviera on Saturday, two months later than planned and with the French sport minister not ruling out the cancellation of the event because of the coronavirus.
Under the Tour rules, a team with two positive tests in its entourage would be expelled. A virus testing cell will travel with the teams throughout the race.
The world's top sport, culture and music events are struggling with the challenge of hosting spectators while reducing the risk of virus transmission.
But there was some cheer on Saturday in New York, once among the world's biggest coronavirus hotspots.
Visitors raised their arms, clapped and lined up to get tickets as New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its doors to the public in a festive atmosphere after a six-month closure.
Tracy-Ann Samuel, who came with her daughters aged four and nine, said she couldn't wait to again be "surrounded by beautiful art".
"It means that there is some semblance of normalcy," Samuel said.
"The Met has been a part of New York history for over 150 years... So this is a big first step."
burs-qan/mtp
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-30--India sets world's highest single-day rise with 78,761 new coronavirus cases

An Indian health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 during a door-to-door test drive in Gauhati , India , on August 29 , 2020 .
India on Sunday set a new virus record when it reported 78,761 new infections in 24 hours , according to health ministry figures , passing the United States for the world 's highest single-day rise .
India , home to 1.3 billion people , is already the world 's third-most infected nation with more than 3.5 million cases , behind the US and Brazil .
It has also reported more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous record on July 17 with 77,638 daily infections , according to an AFP tally .
India 's grim milestone came a day after the government further eased its coronavirus lockdown , in place since late March , to boost the struggling economy .
Millions have lost their jobs since the start of the lockdown , with the poor particularly hard hit .
The Home Affairs Ministry said gatherings of up to 100 people would be allowed with face masks and social distancing at cultural , entertainment , sports and political events from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also resume `` in a graded manner '' in major cities .
The coronavirus has badly hit megacities such as financial hub Mumbai and the capital New Delhi , but is now also surging in smaller cities and rural areas .
Schools remain closed but students can meet teachers on a voluntary basis on school premises if needed , according to the new guidelines .

India on Sunday set a new virus record when it reported 78,761 new infections in 24 hours, according to health ministry figures, passing the United States for the world's highest single-day rise.
An Indian health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 during a door-to-door test drive in Gauhati, India, on August 29, 2020.
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India, home to 1.3 billion people, is already the world's third-most infected nation with more than 3.5 million cases, behind the US and Brazil.
It has also reported more than 63,000 deaths.
The US set the previous record on July 17 with 77,638 daily infections, according to an AFP tally.
#IndiaFightsCorona
Physical distancing is the key to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Keep a safe distance from others at all times.
#BadalkarApnaVyavaharKareinCoronaParVaar #TogetherAgainstCovid19 pic.twitter.com/T0fJ8SeTQh — Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 30, 2020
India's grim milestone came a day after the government further eased its coronavirus lockdown, in place since late March, to boost the struggling economy.
Millions have lost their jobs since the start of the lockdown, with the poor particularly hard hit.
The Home Affairs Ministry said gatherings of up to 100 people would be allowed with face masks and social distancing at cultural, entertainment, sports and political events from next month.
Metro train services would also resume "in a graded manner" in major cities.
Unlock 4:
👉 Metro services can resume from Sept 7;
👉 States & UTs may permit 50% of teaching staff to come to schools for online teaching from 21st Sept.
👉Schools, colleges & coaching institutions to remain closed.
👉Swimming pools, theatres, cinema halls to remain closed pic.twitter.com/eeyYnhsoMy — G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) August 29, 2020
The coronavirus has badly hit megacities such as financial hub Mumbai and the capital New Delhi, but is now also surging in smaller cities and rural areas.
Schools remain closed but students can meet teachers on a voluntary basis on school premises if needed, according to the new guidelines.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--All migrants moved off Banksy-funded rescue vessel stranded in Mediterranean

The Louise Michel rescue vessel with people rescued on board after operations in the Mediterranean , 70 miles southwest Malta on August 29 , 2020 .
All of the migrants on board a rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy have been transferred to other vessels , the team behind the mission said after their pink-and-white ship carrying more than 200 passengers sent an urgent call for help .
An Italian patrol vessel rushed to the stranded MV Louise Michel in the Mediterranean and took in 49 of the most vulnerable people on Saturday , the coastguard said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 people , were received by a vessel chartered by German NGO Sea Watch and medical charity Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) , according to tweets from both organisations and the Louise Michel 's crew .
`` For those most recently embarked , medical assessment is ongoing , with the clinic full & # MSF medics treating people for fuel burns , dehydration , hypothermia & traumatic injuries , '' the MSF Sea Twitter account said of the situation on board the Sea-Watch 4 .
The German-flagged Louise Michel had said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one dead migrant in the sea that divides Africa and Europe .
Its crew said the 31-metre ( 101-foot ) ship had become overcrowded and unable to move , warning that some of the migrants had fuel burns and had been at sea for days .
`` Given the danger of the situation , the coastguard sent a patrol boat to Lampedusa which took in 49 people deemed the most fragile , including 32 women , 13 children and four men , '' said a coastguard statement .
The rescued migrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea before the arrival of the Louise Michel .
Banksy , who keeps his identity a secret , explained in an online video that he had bought the boat to help migrants `` because EU authorities deliberately ignore distress calls from non-Europeans '' .
Sea-Watch 4 , which has a clinic on board and is itself in search of a host port , said it was now carrying 350 people after sailing for four hours to help the Louise Michel .
Its crew decided to take action `` in the face of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Sea Watch spokesman told AFP .
The Louise Michel vessel 's crew of 10 had already rescued 89 people from a rubber boat in distress on Thursday .
They had tweeted that there were a total 219 people on board and that they had requested assistance from both the Italian and Maltese authorities .
The boat -- a former French customs vessel named after 19th-century French anarchist Louise Michel -- was around 90 kilometres ( 55 miles ) southeast of Lampedusa on Saturday , according to the global ship tracking website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up of European activists with long experience in search and rescue operations '' and is captained by German human rights activist Pia Klemp , who has also captained other such rescue vessels , The Guardian newspaper reported .
Thousands of people are thought to have died making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean to flee conflict , repression and poverty in Africa and the Middle East .
According to the UN refugee agency , UNHCR , attempts by migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean into Europe have increased this year , up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year 's figures , to 14,481 people .
Banksy 's involvement in the rescue mission goes back to September 2019 when he sent Klemp an email asking how he could contribute .
Klemp , who initially thought it was a joke , told the paper she believed she was chosen because of her political stance , The Guardian said .
`` I do n't see sea rescue as a humanitarian action , but as part of an anti-fascist fight , '' she told the paper .
This month , humanitarian organisations said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mediterranean Sea , where none have operated since the rescue ship Ocean Viking docked in Italy in early July .
Before the Ocean Viking 's last mission , rescue operations in the Mediterranean had been suspended for months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Meanwhile in the French port city of Marseille , 30 protesters called on Italian authorities to release the Ocean Viking , which was detained by the Italian coastguard over technical irregularities .

All of the migrants on board a rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy have been transferred to other vessels, the team behind the mission said after their pink-and-white ship carrying more than 200 passengers sent an urgent call for help.
The Louise Michel rescue vessel with people rescued on board after operations in the Mediterranean, 70 miles southwest Malta on August 29, 2020.
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An Italian patrol vessel rushed to the stranded MV Louise Michel in the Mediterranean and took in 49 of the most vulnerable people on Saturday, the coastguard said.
The remaining migrants on board, around 150 people, were received by a vessel chartered by German NGO Sea Watch and medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), according to tweets from both organisations and the Louise Michel's crew.
"For those most recently embarked, medical assessment is ongoing, with the clinic full & #MSF medics treating people for fuel burns, dehydration, hypothermia & traumatic injuries," the MSF Sea Twitter account said of the situation on board the Sea-Watch 4.
The German-flagged Louise Michel had said it needed aid after helping a boat carrying at least one dead migrant in the sea that divides Africa and Europe.
#LouiseMichel just transferred all remaining guests onto #SeaWatch4, who now have about 350 people on board. It's not over: We demand a Place of Safety for all survivors, now. pic.twitter.com/KjUEG6yp4A — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020
Its crew said the 31-metre (101-foot) ship had become overcrowded and unable to move, warning that some of the migrants had fuel burns and had been at sea for days.
"Given the danger of the situation, the coastguard sent a patrol boat to Lampedusa which took in 49 people deemed the most fragile, including 32 women, 13 children and four men," said a coastguard statement.
02:40
The rescued migrants later said three people had died at sea before the arrival of the Louise Michel.
Banksy, who keeps his identity a secret, explained in an online video that he had bought the boat to help migrants "because EU authorities deliberately ignore distress calls from non-Europeans".
'Lack of reaction'
Sea-Watch 4, which has a clinic on board and is itself in search of a host port, said it was now carrying 350 people after sailing for four hours to help the Louise Michel.
Its crew decided to take action "in the face of the lack of reaction" from the authorities, a Sea Watch spokesman told AFP.
The #SeaWatch4 has completed the transshipment of about 150 people rescued in recent days by the #LouiseMichel.
We now have ~350 people on board who need to disembark in a safe port as soon as possible.#DefendSolidarity pic.twitter.com/ZIMGkwBlGi — Sea-Watch International (@seawatch_intl) August 29, 2020
The Louise Michel vessel's crew of 10 had already rescued 89 people from a rubber boat in distress on Thursday.
They had tweeted that there were a total 219 people on board and that they had requested assistance from both the Italian and Maltese authorities.
The boat -- a former French customs vessel named after 19th-century French anarchist Louise Michel -- was around 90 kilometres (55 miles) southeast of Lampedusa on Saturday, according to the global ship tracking website Marine Traffic.
It features a Banksy artwork depicting a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy.
Its crew is "made up of European activists with long experience in search and rescue operations" and is captained by German human rights activist Pia Klemp, who has also captained other such rescue vessels, The Guardian newspaper reported.
Thousands of people are thought to have died making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean to flee conflict, repression and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, attempts by migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean into Europe have increased this year, up 91 percent from January to July over last year's figures, to 14,481 people.
'Anti-fascist fight'
Banksy's involvement in the rescue mission goes back to September 2019 when he sent Klemp an email asking how he could contribute.
Klemp, who initially thought it was a joke, told the paper she believed she was chosen because of her political stance, The Guardian said.
"I don't see sea rescue as a humanitarian action, but as part of an anti-fascist fight," she told the paper.
This month, humanitarian organisations said they would resume migrant rescues in the Mediterranean Sea, where none have operated since the rescue ship Ocean Viking docked in Italy in early July.
Before the Ocean Viking's last mission, rescue operations in the Mediterranean had been suspended for months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile in the French port city of Marseille, 30 protesters called on Italian authorities to release the Ocean Viking, which was detained by the Italian coastguard over technical irregularities.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Ready, set, Zoom: India gypsy dancers take their art online

As a blackout plunged her desert dwelling into darkness , Suwa Devi , a dancer belonging to India 's Kalbeliya gypsy community , asked her neighbour to turn on his jeep 's headlights so she could continue teaching her Zoom class , outside .
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to go online , but the largely nomadic , marginalised Kalbeliya face bigger challenges than most , with several living in mud huts or tents with patchy electricity and non-existent wifi .
`` In the beginning , I had no idea how to make this work , '' dancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early forays into hosting classes on Zoom .
`` We had so many internet problems .
Lessons would often get cancelled because the connection was terrible , '' said Sapera , whose students span the globe from Japan to Brazil .
Virus restrictions wiped out the 26-year-old single mother 's livelihood as a performer in tourism-dependent Rajasthan state .
Like others in the community , she has received no financial aid from the government .
The struggle to survive is not new to the Kalbeliya .
Although they have not faced persecution and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sinti and Roma gypsies , they have long been condemned to living on the fringes of Indian society .
British colonial rulers designated the group as a `` criminal tribe '' in the 1800s and they continue to be stigmatised as thieves and prostitutes in independent India .
A 1972 ban on snake charming -- their traditional economic pursuit -- pushed them to eke out a living as dancers , with many learning the art from their mothers and grandmothers , as Sapera did .
The dance , which is meant to mimic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with performers usually dressed in black , was classified as `` intangible cultural heritage '' by UNESCO in 2010 and has attracted a steady stream of global artists and researchers to Rajasthan .
Such access to international collaborators played a key role in their evolution as digital entrepreneurs , said Sapera , who is one of 11 dancers on Kalbeliya World , an online platform offering classes for a $ 10 fee that goes directly to the performers .
`` They were very enthusiastic .
They were also intimidated '' , said Belgian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founders of Kalbeliya World , describing the dancers ' initial response to the idea .
Joncheere and the group 's other co-founders Aakansha Maheshwari and Christina Gomes set up a `` buddy system '' , partnering each dancer with an overseas counterpart who could help navigate the administrative and technological challenges .
Since its launch in mid-May , some 600 students from 20 countries including Chile , Morocco , France and Finland have logged on to learn dance from the Kalbeliya .
The lessons , and the income they bring in , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of whom are the sole breadwinners for their large extended families .
The group 's success has prompted other Kalbeliya dancers to follow in their footsteps , but with mixed results .
When Binu Sapera -- members of the tribe often use the same last name meaning snake-charmer in Hindi -- first ventured into the world of online classes , she hosted a few lessons on Instagram , inviting students to pay what they wanted .
None of the people who signed up contributed .
`` It was so upsetting .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobile data recharged so I could host those lessons , and it was all for nothing , '' she told AFP .
A British backpacker friend then helped her set up classes on Zoom , where she now teaches a small pool of students and earns around 11,000 rupees ( $ 150 ) a month , barely half of what she used to make before the pandemic .
The loss of her livelihood coupled with a 20,000-rupee debt has left the 23-year-old mother-of-two , who lives in a mud hut with no electricity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future as rapid change comes to India .
`` I desperately want my children to study and pursue other jobs , away from dance , '' she said .
`` I used to love our way of life but now I feel that it 's all just too difficult .
You ca n't depend on it for anything . ''
Yet other Kalbeliya performers like Aasha Sapera believe dance may well be the key to empowering women and ending widespread discrimination against the community .
Dance gave Sapera the confidence to leave an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the conservative community -- because she could easily out-earn her musician husband and raise their six-year-old daughter on her own .
Such financial freedom is a watershed for women in a community that high-profile dancer Gulabo Sapera says used to bury baby girls alive , reflecting India 's longstanding gender bias in favour of men .
Gulabo , who has spoken of how she was rescued from such a fate , is one of a handful of dancers to enjoy international success -- helping to further ease the stigma .
Online classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could expand those possibilities , with Kalbeliya World planning to continue hosting lessons long after pandemic restrictions are relaxed .
With so much uncertainty still in the air , her devotion to dance has kept Aasha Sapera going .
`` Dance has given me an identity ... .
I never want it to fade away , '' she said .
`` I want my daughter to finish school .
But I also want her to learn how to dance . ''

Jodhpur (India) (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
As a blackout plunged her desert dwelling into darkness, Suwa Devi, a dancer belonging to India's Kalbeliya gypsy community, asked her neighbour to turn on his jeep's headlights so she could continue teaching her Zoom class, outside.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to go online, but the largely nomadic, marginalised Kalbeliya face bigger challenges than most, with several living in mud huts or tents with patchy electricity and non-existent wifi.
"In the beginning, I had no idea how to make this work," dancer Aasha Sapera told AFP, describing her early forays into hosting classes on Zoom.
"We had so many internet problems. Lessons would often get cancelled because the connection was terrible," said Sapera, whose students span the globe from Japan to Brazil.
Virus restrictions wiped out the 26-year-old single mother's livelihood as a performer in tourism-dependent Rajasthan state. Like others in the community, she has received no financial aid from the government.
The struggle to survive is not new to the Kalbeliya. Although they have not faced persecution and slaughter on the scale of Europe's Sinti and Roma gypsies, they have long been condemned to living on the fringes of Indian society.
British colonial rulers designated the group as a "criminal tribe" in the 1800s and they continue to be stigmatised as thieves and prostitutes in independent India.
A 1972 ban on snake charming -- their traditional economic pursuit -- pushed them to eke out a living as dancers, with many learning the art from their mothers and grandmothers, as Sapera did.
- Sway like a snake -
The dance, which is meant to mimic the swaying movements of a serpent, with performers usually dressed in black, was classified as "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO in 2010 and has attracted a steady stream of global artists and researchers to Rajasthan.
Such access to international collaborators played a key role in their evolution as digital entrepreneurs, said Sapera, who is one of 11 dancers on Kalbeliya World, an online platform offering classes for a $10 fee that goes directly to the performers.
"They were very enthusiastic. They were also intimidated", said Belgian anthropologist Ayla Joncheere, one of the co-founders of Kalbeliya World, describing the dancers' initial response to the idea.
Joncheere and the group's other co-founders Aakansha Maheshwari and Christina Gomes set up a "buddy system", partnering each dancer with an overseas counterpart who could help navigate the administrative and technological challenges.
Since its launch in mid-May, some 600 students from 20 countries including Chile, Morocco, France and Finland have logged on to learn dance from the Kalbeliya.
The lessons, and the income they bring in, have been a lifesaver for the women, many of whom are the sole breadwinners for their large extended families.
The group's success has prompted other Kalbeliya dancers to follow in their footsteps, but with mixed results.
- 'Too difficult' -
When Binu Sapera -- members of the tribe often use the same last name meaning snake-charmer in Hindi -- first ventured into the world of online classes, she hosted a few lessons on Instagram, inviting students to pay what they wanted.
None of the people who signed up contributed.
"It was so upsetting. I had spent so much money getting my mobile data recharged so I could host those lessons, and it was all for nothing," she told AFP.
A British backpacker friend then helped her set up classes on Zoom, where she now teaches a small pool of students and earns around 11,000 rupees ($150) a month, barely half of what she used to make before the pandemic.
The loss of her livelihood coupled with a 20,000-rupee debt has left the 23-year-old mother-of-two, who lives in a mud hut with no electricity, deeply ambivalent about the Kalbeliya's future as rapid change comes to India.
"I desperately want my children to study and pursue other jobs, away from dance," she said.
"I used to love our way of life but now I feel that it's all just too difficult. You can't depend on it for anything."
- Female breadwinners -
Yet other Kalbeliya performers like Aasha Sapera believe dance may well be the key to empowering women and ending widespread discrimination against the community.
Dance gave Sapera the confidence to leave an unhappy marriage -- divorce is a rarity in the conservative community -- because she could easily out-earn her musician husband and raise their six-year-old daughter on her own.
Such financial freedom is a watershed for women in a community that high-profile dancer Gulabo Sapera says used to bury baby girls alive, reflecting India's longstanding gender bias in favour of men.
Gulabo, who has spoken of how she was rescued from such a fate, is one of a handful of dancers to enjoy international success -- helping to further ease the stigma.
Online classes, and the global reach they offer, could expand those possibilities, with Kalbeliya World planning to continue hosting lessons long after pandemic restrictions are relaxed.
With so much uncertainty still in the air, her devotion to dance has kept Aasha Sapera going.
"Dance has given me an identity.... I never want it to fade away," she said.
"I want my daughter to finish school. But I also want her to learn how to dance."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-30--Lyon beat Wolfsburg to win women's Champions League

Soccer Football - Women 's Champions League - Final - VfL Wolfsburg v Olympique Lyonnais - Reale Arena , San Sebastian , Spain - August 30 , 2020 Olympique Lyonnais ' Jodie Taylor celebrates winning the Champions League , as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) .
Striker Eugenie Le Sommer scored one goal and made another as Olympique Lyonnais beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 to win the UEFA Women 's Champions League for an unprecedented fifth time in a row .
Called up to the starting line-up in place of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rebound from her own shot and swept the ball home in the 25th minute to put the French side ahead in San Sebastian .
With Wolfsburg struggling to hold on to the ball , Saki Kumagai struck a hammer blow for Lyon two minutes before halftime with a superb left-foot strike from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 .
Alexandra Popp threw the German side a lifeline 10 minutes into the second half , reacting quickest to head Ewa Pajor 's cross into an empty net and spark the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more threatening in the second half as Danish striker Pernille Harder , who is reported to be joining English Women 's Super League side Chelsea this week , caused havoc by dropping deeper to get on the ball .
But despite a much-improved performance in the second half , Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjoerk Gunnarsdottir put the game beyond doubt when she steered home Le Sommer 's shot in the 88th minute to secure Lyon 's fifth successive Champions League .

Striker Eugenie Le Sommer scored one goal and made another as Olympique Lyonnais beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 to win the UEFA Women's Champions League for an unprecedented fifth time in a row.
Soccer Football - Women's Champions League - Final - VfL Wolfsburg v Olympique Lyonnais - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - August 30, 2020 Olympique Lyonnais' Jodie Taylor celebrates winning the Champions League, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
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Called up to the starting line-up in place of the suspended Nikita Parris, Le Sommer collected the rebound from her own shot and swept the ball home in the 25th minute to put the French side ahead in San Sebastian.
With Wolfsburg struggling to hold on to the ball, Saki Kumagai struck a hammer blow for Lyon two minutes before halftime with a superb left-foot strike from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.
Alexandra Popp threw the German side a lifeline 10 minutes into the second half, reacting quickest to head Ewa Pajor's cross into an empty net and spark the game into life again.
Wolfsburg looked much more threatening in the second half as Danish striker Pernille Harder, who is reported to be joining English Women's Super League side Chelsea this week, caused havoc by dropping deeper to get on the ball.
But despite a much-improved performance in the second half, Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjoerk Gunnarsdottir put the game beyond doubt when she steered home Le Sommer's shot in the 88th minute to secure Lyon's fifth successive Champions League.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-30--Lebanon president calls for proclamation of 'secular state'

A handout picture provided by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati and Nohra on August 30 , 2020 shows President Michel Aoun delivering a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state .
Lebanon 's President Michel Aoun called Sunday for the proclamation of a `` secular state '' during a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state .
`` I call for the proclamation of Lebanon as a secular state , '' Aoun said during a speech after an enormous explosion at Beirut 's port in early August and months of deepening economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the only way `` of protecting and preserving pluralism '' and creating real unity .
`` Lebanon 's youth are calling for change ... for them and for their future , '' said the 85-year-old president , who has long been accused by protesters of being out of touch with the country 's youth .
`` I say yes , the time has come , '' he added .
`` There is a need to develop , modify , change the system . ''
Aoun spoke a day ahead of Lebanon marking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared the state of Greater Lebanon .
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to land in the country on Monday on his second visit in weeks to hammer home the need for reform in the wake of the deadly port blast that killed at least 188 people and wounded thousands .
Aoun said he would call for dialogue including religious authorities and political leaders to reach `` a formula that is accepted by everyone and that would be embodied in the appropriate constitutional amendments '' .
Macron on Friday spoke of the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's politics that was hampering reforms .
Hassan Nasrallah , the head of Hezbollah , an ally of Aoun 's Free Patriotic Movement , earlier Sunday said his Shiite movement was `` open '' to the French proposal for a new political pact for Lebanon as long as there is national consensus .
Aoun is to receive the representatives of parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers on Monday to start consultations towards naming a new premier after the government resigned following the Beirut explosion .

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun called Sunday for the proclamation of a "secular state" during a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state.
A handout picture provided by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati and Nohra on August 30, 2020 shows President Michel Aoun delivering a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state.
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"I call for the proclamation of Lebanon as a secular state," Aoun said during a speech after an enormous explosion at Beirut's port in early August and months of deepening economic crisis.
He said such a state was the only way "of protecting and preserving pluralism" and creating real unity.
"Lebanon's youth are calling for change... for them and for their future," said the 85-year-old president, who has long been accused by protesters of being out of touch with the country's youth.
"I say yes, the time has come," he added. "There is a need to develop, modify, change the system."
Aoun spoke a day ahead of Lebanon marking a hundred years since French mandate authorities declared the state of Greater Lebanon.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to land in the country on Monday on his second visit in weeks to hammer home the need for reform in the wake of the deadly port blast that killed at least 188 people and wounded thousands.
Aoun said he would call for dialogue including religious authorities and political leaders to reach "a formula that is accepted by everyone and that would be embodied in the appropriate constitutional amendments".
Macron on Friday spoke of the "constraints of a confessional system" in the country's politics that was hampering reforms.
Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, an ally of Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, earlier Sunday said his Shiite movement was "open" to the French proposal for a new political pact for Lebanon as long as there is national consensus.
Aoun is to receive the representatives of parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers on Monday to start consultations towards naming a new premier after the government resigned following the Beirut explosion.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Frenchman Alaphilippe wins Tour de France second stage, takes yellow jersey

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 2 - Nice Haut Pays to Nice - France - August 30 , @ @ @ @ @ Julian Alaphilippe of France wins the stage .
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe won the second stage @ @ @ @ @ , a 186-km mountain ride around Nice , and took the overall leader 's yellow @ @ @ @ @ Marc Hirschi took second place with Briton Adam Yates coming home third .
Alaphilippe , @ @ @ @ @ coveted jersey for 14 days , kept his cool to prevail in a three-man sprint @ @ @ @ @ down their neck .
Dark horse Dani Martinez , of Colombia , lost time after @ @ @ @ @ of the day shortly after crashing in a descent .

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe won the second stage of the Tour de France, a 186-km mountain ride around Nice, and took the overall leader's yellow jersey on Sunday.
Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 2 - Nice Haut Pays to Nice - France - August 30, 2020. Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Julian Alaphilippe of France wins the stage.
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Swiss Marc Hirschi took second place with Briton Adam Yates coming home third.
Alaphilippe, who last year wore the coveted jersey for 14 days, kept his cool to prevail in a three-man sprint as the peloton was breathing down their neck.
Dark horse Dani Martinez, of Colombia, lost time after cracking in the last climb of the day shortly after crashing in a descent.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-30--Montenegro voters face choice between pro-EU ruling party and pro-Russian opposition

A woman wearing a face mask due to the ongoing coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak casts her vote at a polling station during the general election in Podgorica , Montenegro August 30 , 2020 .
Voters in Montenegro on Sunday cast ballots in a tense election that is pitting the long-ruling pro-Western party against an opposition seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia .
The parliamentary vote is marked by a dispute over a law on religious rights that is staunchly opposed by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church .
The issue has fueled divisions in the nation of 620,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies to become independent in 2006 and join NATO in 2017 .
Indicating high interest in the election , more than half of eligible voters had cast their ballots by midday .
Lines formed outside some polling stations on a very hot summer day .
Months of church-led protests against the property bill have raised tensions and fears of potential incidents during and after the election on Sunday .
Authorities are also thinking back to the previous election , in October 2016 , when they said they thwarted a planned election-day coup orchestrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said the state will deal with any attempts to affect this election .
“ This is the day when Montenegro decides to move strongly forward toward economic and general development — a Montenegro that is a member of the the European Union and a reliable member of NATO , '' he said .
Some 540,000 voters are choosing whether to keep in power the Democratic Party of Socialists , which has governed Montenegro for some 30 years .
The party led Montenegro to independence peacefully from much larger Serbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Russia .
However , the DPS and its leader , Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic , have faced accusations of an autocratic rule , widespread graft and criminal links .
Djukanovic has said Sunday 's vote will determine whether Montenegro will continue toward membership in the European Union or allow Serbia and Russia to install their stooges .
“ I am absolutely convinced that the democratic will of the majority is on the side of Montenegro and its European future , '' Djukanovic said after voting on Sunday .
He cited alleged attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montenegro and blasted neighboring Serbia .
“ We have all together registered that stampede ... .
in which the entire Serbian media and political scene is involved , '' said Djukanovic .
“ We could possibly pick with tweezers someone who is not involved . ''
The Montenegrin president , known as the longest-serving European leader , has been a key Western ally in the efforts to push the volatile Balkan region toward Euro Atlantic integration .
Opinion polls ahead of the election have predicted that the DPS will finish ahead of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes to form the government on its own .
The main opposition group , the pro-Serb and pro-Russian “ For the future of Montenegro '' alliance , has backed church-led protests against the religion law , and it wants closer ties with Belgrade and Moscow .
The group 's leader , Zdravko Krivokapic , said Sunday that he expected “ a new day for Montenegro which will take a different path . ''
Krivokapic said his grouping wants to unite a divided nation and “ distribute this wealth we have equally for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued that the law allows the Montenegrin state to confiscate its property as a prelude to setting up a separate Montenegrin church .
This has been denied by the government .
About one third of Montenegro 's 620,000 people declare themselves as Serbs , which makes relations with Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church a highly sensitive issue .
Bishop Amfilohije , who heads the church in Montenegro , has turned openly against the government because of the property law .
Third-placed in pre-election surveys has been the “ Peace is our nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking middle ground in the Montenegrin political dispute .
Several other smaller parties and those run by ethnic minorities are also in the race that is being held amid the new coronavirus outbreak .
The virus this summer ravaged Montenegro 's tourism , which normally feeds the country 's weak economy .
The mountainous Adriatic Sea nation is blessed by stunning nature and golden beaches .

Voters in Montenegro on Sunday cast ballots in a tense election that is pitting the long-ruling pro-Western party against an opposition seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.
A woman wearing a face mask due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak casts her vote at a polling station during the general election in Podgorica, Montenegro August 30, 2020.
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The parliamentary vote is marked by a dispute over a law on religious rights that is staunchly opposed by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church.
The issue has fueled divisions in the nation of 620,000 people that has defied its traditional Slavic allies to become independent in 2006 and join NATO in 2017.
Indicating high interest in the election, more than half of eligible voters had cast their ballots by midday. Lines formed outside some polling stations on a very hot summer day.
Months of church-led protests against the property bill have raised tensions and fears of potential incidents during and after the election on Sunday.
Authorities are also thinking back to the previous election, in October 2016, when they said they thwarted a planned election-day coup orchestrated by two Russia military intelligence officers.
Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said the state will deal with any attempts to affect this election.
“This is the day when Montenegro decides to move strongly forward toward economic and general development — a Montenegro that is a member of the the European Union and a reliable member of NATO," he said.
Some 540,000 voters are choosing whether to keep in power the Democratic Party of Socialists, which has governed Montenegro for some 30 years.
The party led Montenegro to independence peacefully from much larger Serbia and into NATO, despite strong opposition from Russia.
However, the DPS and its leader, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, have faced accusations of an autocratic rule, widespread graft and criminal links.
Djukanovic has said Sunday's vote will determine whether Montenegro will continue toward membership in the European Union or allow Serbia and Russia to install their stooges.
“I am absolutely convinced that the democratic will of the majority is on the side of Montenegro and its European future," Djukanovic said after voting on Sunday. He cited alleged attempts to “induce" tensions from outside Montenegro and blasted neighboring Serbia.
“We have all together registered that stampede .... in which the entire Serbian media and political scene is involved," said Djukanovic. “We could possibly pick with tweezers someone who is not involved."
The Montenegrin president, known as the longest-serving European leader, has been a key Western ally in the efforts to push the volatile Balkan region toward Euro Atlantic integration.
Opinion polls ahead of the election have predicted that the DPS will finish ahead of other groups, but might not garner enough votes to form the government on its own.
The main opposition group, the pro-Serb and pro-Russian “For the future of Montenegro" alliance, has backed church-led protests against the religion law, and it wants closer ties with Belgrade and Moscow.
The group's leader, Zdravko Krivokapic, said Sunday that he expected “a new day for Montenegro which will take a different path."
Krivokapic said his grouping wants to unite a divided nation and “distribute this wealth we have equally for all."
The Serbian Orthodox Church has argued that the law allows the Montenegrin state to confiscate its property as a prelude to setting up a separate Montenegrin church. This has been denied by the government.
About one third of Montenegro's 620,000 people declare themselves as Serbs, which makes relations with Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church a highly sensitive issue.
Bishop Amfilohije, who heads the church in Montenegro, has turned openly against the government because of the property law.
Third-placed in pre-election surveys has been the “Peace is our nation" group that comprises more moderate parties seeking middle ground in the Montenegrin political dispute.
Several other smaller parties and those run by ethnic minorities are also in the race that is being held amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
The virus this summer ravaged Montenegro's tourism, which normally feeds the country's weak economy. The mountainous Adriatic Sea nation is blessed by stunning nature and golden beaches.
(AP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Boat carrying nearly 370 migrants reaches Italy's Lampedusa

Children and women rescued from the MV Louise Michel , a migrants search and rescue ship financed by British street artist Banksy , stand on the dock after disembarking in Lampedusa , Italy , August 29 , 2020 .
A fishing boat carrying nearly 370 migrants landed overnight on the Italian island of Lampedusa , the country 's news agencies reported on Sunday , as a nearby humanitarian ship carrying another 350 people sought a port of disembarkation .
Italy has been struggling in recent months to deal with daily arrivals of hundreds of migrants to its southern shores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the ongoing coronavirus crisis .
The boat carrying 367 people , which was in danger of sinking due to high winds , was escorted by the Italian coast guard and police to the island 's port , ANSA news agency said .
They were met at the port by a demonstration organised by the far-right , anti-immigrant League party .
The migrants , whose nationalities were not known , underwent temperature checks before they were taken to an emergency reception centre on the island which now houses some 1,160 people , 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor , Toto Martello , told ANSA .
About 30 other small boats , mostly from the Tunisian coast , had already reached the island since Friday carrying some 500 migrants , the Italian press reported .
Martello called for a general strike on the island on Monday to protest the national government 's `` frightening silence '' on the issue .
`` Lampedusa can no longer cope with this situation .
Either the government takes immediate decisions or the whole island will go on strike .
We ca n't manage the emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Martello had earlier told ANSA .
`` If a fishing boat of this size with hundreds of people arrives here and nobody notices it , it means that there are no controls in the Mediterranean .
But what do the military vessels do ?
We are not at war , why not use them for security interventions at sea and to transfer migrants , '' Martello said .
Nello Musumeci , the right-leaning leader of sister island Sicily , on Sunday wrote on Facebook that he would ask the government for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis '' .
`` Lampedusa ca n't do it anymore .
Sicily can not continue to pay for the indifference of Brussels and the silence of Rome , '' he wrote .
Musumeci issued a decree last week ordering the closure of migrant centres in Sicily to curb the spread of coronavirus , a move that was rejected by the Italian courts .
Mayors on the island have voiced fears the presence of migrants could discourage tourism .
The Italian coast guard on Saturday also transported 49 people who had been rescued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michel , a vessel funded by the street artist Banksy .
The 150 other passengers on that ship were transferred late Saturday to the humanitarian rescue boat Sea-Watch 4 , which now has some 350 people on board and is looking for a port of disembarkation .
The crew of the vessel chartered by German NGO Sea Watch and medical charity Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) wrote on Twitter that it was treating people for `` fuel burns , dehydration , hypothermia & traumatic injuries '' .
The German-flagged Louise Michel had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boat carrying at least one dead migrant in the sea that divides Africa and Europe .
Its crew said the 31-metre ( 101-foot ) ship had become overcrowded and unable to move , warning that some of the migrants had fuel burns and had been at sea for days .
The rescued migrants later said three people had died at sea before the arrival of the Louise Michel .
Banksy , who keeps his identity a secret , explained in an online video that he had bought the boat to help migrants `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from non-Europeans '' .
Thousands of people are thought to have died making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean to flee conflict , repression and poverty in Africa and the Middle East .
According to the UN refugee agency , UNHCR , attempts by migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean into Europe have increased this year , up 91 percent from January to July over last year 's figures , to more than 14,000 people .

A fishing boat carrying nearly 370 migrants landed overnight on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the country's news agencies reported on Sunday, as a nearby humanitarian ship carrying another 350 people sought a port of disembarkation.
Children and women rescued from the MV Louise Michel, a migrants search and rescue ship financed by British street artist Banksy, stand on the dock after disembarking in Lampedusa, Italy, August 29, 2020.
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Italy has been struggling in recent months to deal with daily arrivals of hundreds of migrants to its southern shores, a task complicated by security measures imposed by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The boat carrying 367 people, which was in danger of sinking due to high winds, was escorted by the Italian coast guard and police to the island's port, ANSA news agency said.
They were met at the port by a demonstration organised by the far-right, anti-immigrant League party.
The migrants, whose nationalities were not known, underwent temperature checks before they were taken to an emergency reception centre on the island which now houses some 1,160 people, 10 times its maximum capacity, Lampedusa's mayor, Toto Martello, told ANSA.
About 30 other small boats, mostly from the Tunisian coast, had already reached the island since Friday carrying some 500 migrants, the Italian press reported.
'No controls'
Martello called for a general strike on the island on Monday to protest the national government's "frightening silence" on the issue.
"Lampedusa can no longer cope with this situation. Either the government takes immediate decisions or the whole island will go on strike. We can't manage the emergency and the situation is now really unsustainable," Martello had earlier told ANSA.
"If a fishing boat of this size with hundreds of people arrives here and nobody notices it, it means that there are no controls in the Mediterranean. But what do the military vessels do? We are not at war, why not use them for security interventions at sea and to transfer migrants," Martello said.
Nello Musumeci, the right-leaning leader of sister island Sicily, on Sunday wrote on Facebook that he would ask the government for a meeting on the "humanitarian and health crisis".
"Lampedusa can't do it anymore. Sicily cannot continue to pay for the indifference of Brussels and the silence of Rome," he wrote.
Musumeci issued a decree last week ordering the closure of migrant centres in Sicily to curb the spread of coronavirus, a move that was rejected by the Italian courts.
Mayors on the island have voiced fears the presence of migrants could discourage tourism.
'Traumatic injuries'
The Italian coast guard on Saturday also transported 49 people who had been rescued in the Mediterranean by the MV Louise Michel, a vessel funded by the street artist Banksy.
The 150 other passengers on that ship were transferred late Saturday to the humanitarian rescue boat Sea-Watch 4, which now has some 350 people on board and is looking for a port of disembarkation.
The crew of the vessel chartered by German NGO Sea Watch and medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) wrote on Twitter that it was treating people for "fuel burns, dehydration, hypothermia & traumatic injuries".
The German-flagged Louise Michel had said it needed aid after helping a boat carrying at least one dead migrant in the sea that divides Africa and Europe.
Its crew said the 31-metre (101-foot) ship had become overcrowded and unable to move, warning that some of the migrants had fuel burns and had been at sea for days.
The rescued migrants later said three people had died at sea before the arrival of the Louise Michel.
Banksy, who keeps his identity a secret, explained in an online video that he had bought the boat to help migrants "because EU authorities deliberately ignore distress calls from non-Europeans".
Thousands of people are thought to have died making the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean to flee conflict, repression and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, attempts by migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean into Europe have increased this year, up 91 percent from January to July over last year's figures, to more than 14,000 people.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Meet two of the women running for president in male-dominated Ivory Coast

Despite the male-dominated political landscape in Ivory Coast , a handful of women intend to stand for president in the October election .
Among them are Marie Carine Bladi and Danièle Boni Claverie , who offer a study in contrasts : one is a relative newcomer , a beauty queen making waves , while the other is a seasoned politician .
Politics in the Ivory Coast is a largely masculine affair .
The ballot for October ’ s presidential election is dominated by three veteran male politicians : 78-year-old President Alassane Ouattara , 86-year-old former president Henri Konan Bédié and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Article 36 of the new constitution , introduced at the end of 2016 , says the state must seek “ the promotion of political rights for women by increasing their representation in elected assemblies ” .
While a new law introduced in 2019 stipulates that at least 30 percent of candidates fielded by parties for parliamentary and regional elections must be women , there is still a long way to go .
“ Who is in power ?
Who governs ?
” asks Rachel Gogoua , president of the Group of Female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which lobbied for the quota .
“ The president is a man .
The prime minister is a man .
The minister of finance , the president of the National Assembly , the president of the Independent Electoral Commission : They are all men.
” Only 15 percent of government ministers are women – in the National Assembly , this percentage drops to just 12 percent .
But Gogoua does not believe that traditional cultural or societal barriers facing women are to blame .
“ Men don ’ t put women in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves don ’ t want to be candidates , ” she said .
In reality , she believes it boils down to economics and male fragility .
“ Women are poorer than men .
They don ’ t have the resources to finance their campaigns , ” she said .
“ There is also resistance from men in the cities .
Men in suits and ties think women are coming to take their place .
But such places shouldn ’ t be reserved for anyone .
Women , like men , are part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the development of this country .
Everyone has their place.
” Until now , the most influential woman in Ivorian politics has been Simone Gbagbo , who served as First Lady between 2000-2011 .
She has since divorced her husband .
Despite the male-dominated political landscape , a handful of women intend to stand for president in the upcoming election .
Among them are two highly contrasting figures , Danièle Boni Claverie and Marie Carine Bladi .
A seasoned politician , Boni Claverie enters the presidential race as the candidate for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , the centrist party she created in 2006 .
She began her career as a journalist , climbing to become president of Canal Horizons , a TV channel broadcasting across Africa and the Middle East .
She has also served as the director of the country ’ s national broadcaster , RTI .
In 1994 she was scouted and named as the minister of communications during the presidency of Konan Bédié , who was ousted five years later in a bloodless coup .
Disillusioned with the Democratic Party ( Parti Démocratique de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boni Claverie swiftly aligned her new party with former president Laurent Gbagbo ’ s Ivorian Popular Front .
“ We had a very strong start , ” she said .
“ We had lots of members , we were very well-structured and we followed a moderate line .
We never allowed ourselves to enter into extreme discourse.
” Astute political manoeuvring allowed Boni Claverie to obtain a second ministerial post as the minister of women , family and children under Gbagbo ’ s government .
Since then , she has been in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily .
“ Like all women , I had to assert myself twice as hard .
On a professional level , even in my career as a journalist , I saw boys and men get ahead of me with promotions that weren ’ t totally deserved , ” she said .
Her party ’ s slogan is , “ Change and Construct ” .
Their priorities include tackling youth unemployment and the `` integration '' of immigrants within Ivorian society .
Like most candidates , she also stresses the need for stability in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that saw Ouattara unseat Gbagbo in 2010-2011 claimed more than 3,000 lives .
“ The big parties have been warning that we need to look out for a post-electoral crisis , ” she said .
“ But for two or three months , I have been warning of a pre-electoral crisis .
And I think we are living through one .
We have clashes now that could transform into communitarian and ethnic violence.
” Since President Ouattara said he would run for a third mandate , in what most legal experts consider a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-term limit , at least six people have been killed in street protests .
There are already signs that the unrest is morphing into communal violence , in towns such as Bonoua , some 50 kms ( 31 miles ) from Abidjan .
While insisting , “ I don ’ t like stereotypes , ” Boni Claverie thinks women might be uniquely placed to lead the country away from such tensions .
“ Women manage their households every day .
We have experience in settling conflicts .
We have a natural way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appease people .
All of this must be put to the service of the collective.
” Boni Claverie has already been lobbying to bring more women into municipal councils and says she will make the eradication of female genital mutilation a priority if she gets into office .
She also promises to make school textbooks free for all primary school children .
“ It would benefit girls especially , who are often victims of selection in families who don ’ t have the means to pay to educate all of their children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education could create a new generation of female leaders .
The first runner-up in the Miss Côte d ’ Ivoire 2002 beauty pageant , Carine Bladi is a relative newcomer to politics but was the first woman to declare her candidacy for October ’ s election .
“ She is young and beautiful but still has a sharp mind .
I think she is bringing in some freshness in the debate , ” confided one male member of a rival party to FRANCE 24 .
She is standing as the head of Nouvel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political party she created in 2018 that describes itself as `` divine '' and rooted in `` biblical truth '' .
“ All political alliances in Ivory Coast have failed and led Ivorians into torment , ” she wrote in a statement .
“ The only true alliance that will save Ivory Coast is that which is sealed in respect of divine principles of love for one ’ s neighbour , peace , social cohesion and true conciliation.
” The party declined to send a manifesto or discuss their political platform with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bladi was a businesswoman , leading companies such as De Collins , Noces de Cana and Victoire Transport .
She also designed a clothing line aimed at married women .
In a statement released by the party , Bladi said that she hopes her candidacy will inspire other women to enter politics .
“ We must believe in ourselves and our potential .
I am convinced that the best presidency in the history of Ivory Coast will be that of a woman .
Women should not ask [ for ] but take what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding : `` We often hear that women are the pillar of the family .
So who better than a woman to be the pillar of the nation ?
”

Despite the male-dominated political landscape in Ivory Coast, a handful of women intend to stand for president in the October election. Among them are Marie Carine Bladi and Danièle Boni Claverie, who offer a study in contrasts: one is a relative newcomer, a beauty queen making waves, while the other is a seasoned politician.
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Politics in the Ivory Coast is a largely masculine affair. The ballot for October’s presidential election is dominated by three veteran male politicians: 78-year-old President Alassane Ouattara, 86-year-old former president Henri Konan Bédié and 67-year-old former premier Pascal Affi N'Guessan.
But Article 36 of the new constitution, introduced at the end of 2016, says the state must seek “the promotion of political rights for women by increasing their representation in elected assemblies”.
While a new law introduced in 2019 stipulates that at least 30 percent of candidates fielded by parties for parliamentary and regional elections must be women, there is still a long way to go.
“Who is in power? Who governs?” asks Rachel Gogoua, president of the Group of Female Organisations for Gender Equality (GOFEHF), which lobbied for the quota. “The president is a man. The prime minister is a man. The minister of finance, the president of the National Assembly, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission: They are all men.”
Only 15 percent of government ministers are women – in the National Assembly, this percentage drops to just 12 percent. But Gogoua does not believe that traditional cultural or societal barriers facing women are to blame.
“Men don’t put women in political positions under the pretext that women themselves don’t want to be candidates,” she said. In reality, she believes it boils down to economics and male fragility.
“Women are poorer than men. They don’t have the resources to finance their campaigns,” she said. “There is also resistance from men in the cities. Men in suits and ties think women are coming to take their place. But such places shouldn’t be reserved for anyone. Women, like men, are part of society. They must both contribute to the development of this country. Everyone has their place.”
Until now, the most influential woman in Ivorian politics has been Simone Gbagbo, who served as First Lady between 2000-2011. She has since divorced her husband.
Despite the male-dominated political landscape, a handful of women intend to stand for president in the upcoming election. Among them are two highly contrasting figures, Danièle Boni Claverie and Marie Carine Bladi.
Danièle Boni Claverie
A seasoned politician, Boni Claverie enters the presidential race as the candidate for the Union Républicaine pour la Démocratie (URD), the centrist party she created in 2006.
She began her career as a journalist, climbing to become president of Canal Horizons, a TV channel broadcasting across Africa and the Middle East. She has also served as the director of the country’s national broadcaster, RTI.
In 1994 she was scouted and named as the minister of communications during the presidency of Konan Bédié, who was ousted five years later in a bloodless coup.
Disillusioned with the Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique de la Côte d'Ivoire or PDCI), Boni Claverie swiftly aligned her new party with former president Laurent Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front. “We had a very strong start,” she said. “We had lots of members, we were very well-structured and we followed a moderate line. We never allowed ourselves to enter into extreme discourse.”
Astute political manoeuvring allowed Boni Claverie to obtain a second ministerial post as the minister of women, family and children under Gbagbo’s government. Since then, she has been in the opposition.
Such success did not come easily. “Like all women, I had to assert myself twice as hard. On a professional level, even in my career as a journalist, I saw boys and men get ahead of me with promotions that weren’t totally deserved,” she said.
Her party’s slogan is, “Change and Construct”. Their priorities include tackling youth unemployment and the "integration" of immigrants within Ivorian society.
Like most candidates, she also stresses the need for stability in a country where the last post-electoral crisis that saw Ouattara unseat Gbagbo in 2010-2011 claimed more than 3,000 lives.
“The big parties have been warning that we need to look out for a post-electoral crisis,” she said. “But for two or three months, I have been warning of a pre-electoral crisis. And I think we are living through one. We have clashes now that could transform into communitarian and ethnic violence.”
Since President Ouattara said he would run for a third mandate, in what most legal experts consider a violation of a constitutional rule that establishes a two-term limit, at least six people have been killed in street protests. There are already signs that the unrest is morphing into communal violence, in towns such as Bonoua, some 50 kms (31 miles) from Abidjan.
While insisting, “I don’t like stereotypes,” Boni Claverie thinks women might be uniquely placed to lead the country away from such tensions. “Women manage their households every day. We have experience in settling conflicts. We have a natural way of mediating and using words that can appease people. All of this must be put to the service of the collective.”
Boni Claverie has already been lobbying to bring more women into municipal councils and says she will make the eradication of female genital mutilation a priority if she gets into office. She also promises to make school textbooks free for all primary school children.
“It would benefit girls especially, who are often victims of selection in families who don’t have the means to pay to educate all of their children,” she said. Broader access to education could create a new generation of female leaders.
Marie Carine Bladi
The first runner-up in the Miss Côte d’Ivoire 2002 beauty pageant, Carine Bladi is a relative newcomer to politics but was the first woman to declare her candidacy for October’s election.
“She is young and beautiful but still has a sharp mind. I think she is bringing in some freshness in the debate,” confided one male member of a rival party to FRANCE 24.
She is standing as the head of Nouvel Ivoirien Côte d’Ivoire Nouvelle, a political party she created in 2018 that describes itself as "divine" and rooted in "biblical truth".
“All political alliances in Ivory Coast have failed and led Ivorians into torment,” she wrote in a statement. “The only true alliance that will save Ivory Coast is that which is sealed in respect of divine principles of love for one’s neighbour, peace, social cohesion and true conciliation.”
The party declined to send a manifesto or discuss their political platform with FRANCE 24.
Before entering politics, Bladi was a businesswoman, leading companies such as De Collins, Noces de Cana and Victoire Transport. She also designed a clothing line aimed at married women.
In a statement released by the party, Bladi said that she hopes her candidacy will inspire other women to enter politics.
“We must believe in ourselves and our potential. I am convinced that the best presidency in the history of Ivory Coast will be that of a woman. Women should not ask [for] but take what they deserve," she said, adding: "We often hear that women are the pillar of the family. So who better than a woman to be the pillar of the nation?”
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france24--2020-08-30--France calls for 'rapid transition' to civilian rule in post-coup Mali

Members of the military junta arrive at the Malian Ministry of Defence in Bamako , Mali , on August 19 , 2020 , a day after the military arrested Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and he officially resigned .
France on Sunday called on Mali 's military junta to `` quickly '' organise a transition to civilian rule after this month 's coup , warning that the political crisis would benefit terrorists .
The August 18 coup has shocked ally France , which fears instability in Mali could undermine its military campaigns against Islamist militants in West Africa 's Sahel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done quickly ...
It is a matter of months , '' Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told French media .
`` If this is not done , then the risk is that it will first benefit the terrorists , because terrorists feed on the weakness of states and the Malian state is weak , very weak at the moment , '' she added .
`` Moreover , the international community , which has committed itself to the Sahel , and Mali in particular , could ask itself questions , '' she also warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside of the control of central authorities and years of fighting have failed to halt an Islamist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since emerging in 2012 .
France has more than 5,000 soldiers as part of Operation Barkhane , its anti-jihadist force in the Sahel .
The UN has deployed 13,000 soldiers to Mali in one of its biggest peacekeeping operations , while a European special forces group dubbed Takuba and the so-called G5 Sahel , an under-resourced force of regional soldiers , are also present .
Mali 's military rulers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with political and civil organisations on the transfer of power .
A protest coalition that had campaigned against former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita , the June 5 Movement , was not invited to the meeting and accused the new military rulers of trying to hijack the coup .
Neighbouring West African countries , which are demanding a return to civil rule and elections within 12 months , decided Friday to maintain the closure of borders and a ban on trade and financial flows with Mali .

France on Sunday called on Mali's military junta to "quickly" organise a transition to civilian rule after this month's coup, warning that the political crisis would benefit terrorists.
Members of the military junta arrive at the Malian Ministry of Defence in Bamako, Mali, on August 19, 2020, a day after the military arrested Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and he officially resigned.
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The August 18 coup has shocked ally France, which fears instability in Mali could undermine its military campaigns against Islamist militants in West Africa's Sahel region.
"This transition must be done quickly... It is a matter of months," Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told French media.
"If this is not done, then the risk is that it will first benefit the terrorists, because terrorists feed on the weakness of states and the Malian state is weak, very weak at the moment," she added.
"Moreover, the international community, which has committed itself to the Sahel, and Mali in particular, could ask itself questions," she also warned.
Swathes of Mali's territory are outside of the control of central authorities and years of fighting have failed to halt an Islamist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since emerging in 2012.
France has more than 5,000 soldiers as part of Operation Barkhane, its anti-jihadist force in the Sahel.
The UN has deployed 13,000 soldiers to Mali in one of its biggest peacekeeping operations, while a European special forces group dubbed Takuba and the so-called G5 Sahel, an under-resourced force of regional soldiers, are also present.
Mali's military rulers on Saturday postponed the first scheduled meeting with political and civil organisations on the transfer of power.
A protest coalition that had campaigned against former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the June 5 Movement, was not invited to the meeting and accused the new military rulers of trying to hijack the coup.
Neighbouring West African countries, which are demanding a return to civil rule and elections within 12 months, decided Friday to maintain the closure of borders and a ban on trade and financial flows with Mali.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Hezbollah ‘open’ to French proposal for new political order in Lebanon

A Hezbollah flag flutters , as seen from the Marjayoun area , in southern Lebanon , August 7 , 2020 .
Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah on Sunday said that his Shiite movement is `` open '' to a French proposal for a new political pact for Lebanon as long as there is national consensus .
`` On his latest visit to Lebanon , we heard a call from the French president for a new political pact in Lebanon ... today we are open to a constructive discussion in this regard , '' Nasrallah said in a speech .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be carried out ... with the will and consent of the various Lebanese factions . ''
Nasrallah did not elaborate on what kind of changes his movement was willing to consider but cited criticsm from `` official French sources '' over Lebanon 's `` sect-based political system and its inability to solve Lebanon 's problems and respond to its needs . ''
Lebanon recognises 18 official religious sects and its 128 parliamentary seats are divided equally between Muslims and Christians , an arrangement unique in the region .
However , governments born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deadlock and have failed to meet popular demands for better living conditions .
Macron , the first world leader to visit Lebanon after the devastating August 4 Beirut port blast , will return on Monday to press for reform and reconstruction .
On his earlier visit days after the blast , the French president said Lebanese leaders had a `` huge '' responsibility : `` that of a revamped pact with the Lebanese people in the coming weeks , that of deep change . ''
The explosion of a huge stockpile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years in a warehouse , prompted the government to step down on August 10 and reignited a months-old protest movement demanding a political overhaul .
Consultations to name a new premier are set to begin on Monday in tandem with Macron 's visit .
Nasrallah said his movement would be `` cooperative '' in the formation of a government capable of spearheading reform and reconstruction .
Many Lebanese have blamed the August 4 port blast on a ruling class seen as mired in nepotism and graft since the 1975-1990 civil war .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and laid entire districts to waste , reviving a protest movement that had emerged in October to demand the wholesale removal of the political elite .
On Friday , Macron spoke of the `` constraints of a confessional system '' in a country populated by Christians , Sunni Muslims and Shiites .
He said this , combined with `` what can be mildly described as vested interests '' had prevented political renewal and made reforms almost impossible .

Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah on Sunday said that his Shiite movement is "open" to a French proposal for a new political pact for Lebanon as long as there is national consensus.
A Hezbollah flag flutters, as seen from the Marjayoun area, in southern Lebanon, August 7, 2020.
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"On his latest visit to Lebanon, we heard a call from the French president for a new political pact in Lebanon... today we are open to a constructive discussion in this regard," Nasrallah said in a speech.
"But we have one condition: this discussion should be carried out... with the will and consent of the various Lebanese factions."
Nasrallah did not elaborate on what kind of changes his movement was willing to consider but cited criticsm from "official French sources" over Lebanon's "sect-based political system and its inability to solve Lebanon's problems and respond to its needs."
Lebanon recognises 18 official religious sects and its 128 parliamentary seats are divided equally between Muslims and Christians, an arrangement unique in the region.
However, governments born out of this system have been prone to deadlock and have failed to meet popular demands for better living conditions.
Macron, the first world leader to visit Lebanon after the devastating August 4 Beirut port blast, will return on Monday to press for reform and reconstruction.
On his earlier visit days after the blast, the French president said Lebanese leaders had a "huge" responsibility: "that of a revamped pact with the Lebanese people in the coming weeks, that of deep change."
The explosion of a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, left to languish for years in a warehouse, prompted the government to step down on August 10 and reignited a months-old protest movement demanding a political overhaul.
Consultations to name a new premier are set to begin on Monday in tandem with Macron's visit.
Nasrallah said his movement would be "cooperative" in the formation of a government capable of spearheading reform and reconstruction.
Many Lebanese have blamed the August 4 port blast on a ruling class seen as mired in nepotism and graft since the 1975-1990 civil war.
The explosion killed more than 180 people and laid entire districts to waste, reviving a protest movement that had emerged in October to demand the wholesale removal of the political elite.
On Friday, Macron spoke of the "constraints of a confessional system" in a country populated by Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shiites.
He said this, combined with "what can be mildly described as vested interests" had prevented political renewal and made reforms almost impossible.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Tens of thousands march in Belarus capital despite massive police presence

Opposition supporters take part in a rally against presidential election results near the Independence Palace in Minsk , Belarus August 30 , 2020 .
Tut.By via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY .
NO RESALES .
NO ARCHIVES .
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday calling for an end to strongman Alexander Lukashenko 's rule , despite heavily armed police and troops blocking streets and detaining dozens of demonstrators .
Protests have now entered a third week since the disputed presidential election on August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she was the true winner .
An AFP journalist and local media estimated that more than 100,000 people came to Sunday 's protest , equalling the scale of the rallies on previous weekends , the largest demonstrations the country has seen since independence from the USSR .
Some protesters gathered around Lukashenko 's official residence in the centre of Minsk , the Palace of Independence , which was guarded by a cordon of riot police and special forces with helmets and anti-riot shields , equipped with water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko 's 66th birthday and online opposition messages urged people to bring flowers and `` creative '' handmade gifts reflecting their attitude to the authoritarian leader .
Some chanted `` Get out !
We 're coming for you on your birthday ! ''
Others held quirky items aloft including a cardboard model toilet with a sign urging Lukashenko to `` flush '' himself away .
Others carried a model coffin with `` Dictatorship '' written on the side and a picture of a giant cockroach , the nickname used by the opposition for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rat is you and we 're the people , '' reported local news site Nasha Niva , after Lukashenko referred to protesters as `` rats . ''
Thousands also held similar rallies in other Belarusian cities , including Brest and Grodno , local media reported .
The Minsk Peace March started at 2pm local time ( 1100 GMT ) with police beginning to detain protesters minutes afterwards , as people headed for the central Independence Square .
Columns of protesters walked through the centre , carrying placards and the country 's historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tow , as cars honked horns in support .
Some linked arms to march along the middle of a main street and attempted to remonstrate with black-clad riot police .
The Belarusian interior ministry said police detained 125 in the first two hours , Interfax-Zapad news agency reported .
They faced a charge of taking part in illegal mass protests .
Protesters faced off against interior troops and riot police , kitted out in helmets and bullet-proof vests and armed with guns and batons , who used anti-riot shields to block people 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military vehicles driving towards the Independence Square Protesters in groups moved in various directions around the city , attempting to bypass police blocks .
Machine-gun-toting troops wearing balaclavas and without identifying badges took up positions around a war memorial that has been a rallying point for the protests .
Marchers began moving there and some stood on the grass nearby .
The atmosphere remained relaxed and festive , with a violinist playing a protest song and people dancing to rave music .
The latest rally came amid a harsh crackdown on media freedoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrew accreditation for numerous journalists working for international media , including AFP , the BBC and Radio Liberty / Radio Free Europe , with a government official citing `` counter-terrorism '' grounds .
Tikhanovskaya , who has fled to the safety of Lithuania , on Saturday said that this step was `` another sign that this regime is morally bankrupt '' and resorting to `` fear and intimidation . ''
France , Germany and the United States also condemned the crackdown on journalists .
`` The arbitrary measures taken by the Belarusian authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on Sunday .
`` I call on the Belarusian authorities to reverse these measures without delay , '' he added , saying that the crisis in Belarus requires `` the establishment of an inclusive national dialogue '' and that `` repressive measures against journalists can not help '' .
Germany will summon the Belarus ambassador after Minsk revoked accreditations of foreign media reporters covering the country 's anti-government protests , a government source told AFP on Sunday .
`` The Belarus ambassador will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the source said .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass has already condemned the moves against the foreign media as `` unacceptable '' .
European leaders have urged Lukashenko to launch dialogue with the opposition and Tikhanovskaya 's supporters have set up a Coordination Council to organise a peaceful transfer of power .
The Belarusian authorities have detained several members and hauled in others for questioning , including Nobel Literature Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich .
Lukashenko spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before the protest began with the Kremlin leader wishing him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they agreed to meet in Moscow `` in the next weeks '' and on their intentions to further strengthen Belarus-Russia 's alliance , '' after Putin this week vowed military support for Lukashenko if needed .
Putin said Russia had prepared a reserve of law enforcement officers to deploy if the situation got `` out of control . ''
Reporters covering the protests have been detained and police have confiscated memory cards from photographers ' cameras .
The authorities have also shut off Internet access repeatedly , making it harder for independent media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , more than 360 Belarusian sports figures including several Olympic athletes signed an open letter calling for new elections to be held according to international standards and condemning police violence .
Lukashenko ordered brutal police tactics following the elections that led to the death of three men while hundreds were wounded .
More than 7,000 people were detained .

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Sunday calling for an end to strongman Alexander Lukashenko's rule, despite heavily armed police and troops blocking streets and detaining dozens of demonstrators.
Opposition supporters take part in a rally against presidential election results near the Independence Palace in Minsk, Belarus August 30, 2020. Tut.By via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
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Protests have now entered a third week since the disputed presidential election on August 9 in which Lukashenko claimed victory, while opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she was the true winner.
An AFP journalist and local media estimated that more than 100,000 people came to Sunday's protest, equalling the scale of the rallies on previous weekends, the largest demonstrations the country has seen since independence from the USSR.
Some protesters gathered around Lukashenko's official residence in the centre of Minsk, the Palace of Independence, which was guarded by a cordon of riot police and special forces with helmets and anti-riot shields, equipped with water cannons.
Sunday's rally fell on Lukashenko's 66th birthday and online opposition messages urged people to bring flowers and "creative" handmade gifts reflecting their attitude to the authoritarian leader.
Some chanted "Get out! We're coming for you on your birthday!"
Others held quirky items aloft including a cardboard model toilet with a sign urging Lukashenko to "flush" himself away. Others carried a model coffin with "Dictatorship" written on the side and a picture of a giant cockroach, the nickname used by the opposition for Lukashenko.
There were chants of "The rat is you and we're the people," reported local news site Nasha Niva, after Lukashenko referred to protesters as "rats."
Thousands also held similar rallies in other Belarusian cities, including Brest and Grodno, local media reported.
Protesters face off against riot police
The Minsk Peace March started at 2pm local time (1100 GMT) with police beginning to detain protesters minutes afterwards, as people headed for the central Independence Square.
Columns of protesters walked through the centre, carrying placards and the country's historic red-and-white flag, many with children in tow, as cars honked horns in support.
Some linked arms to march along the middle of a main street and attempted to remonstrate with black-clad riot police.
The Belarusian interior ministry said police detained 125 in the first two hours, Interfax-Zapad news agency reported. They faced a charge of taking part in illegal mass protests.
Protesters faced off against interior troops and riot police, kitted out in helmets and bullet-proof vests and armed with guns and batons, who used anti-riot shields to block people's passage.
Local media posted video of military vehicles driving towards the Independence Square
Protesters in groups moved in various directions around the city, attempting to bypass police blocks.
Machine-gun-toting troops wearing balaclavas and without identifying badges took up positions around a war memorial that has been a rallying point for the protests.
Marchers began moving there and some stood on the grass nearby. The atmosphere remained relaxed and festive, with a violinist playing a protest song and people dancing to rave music.
'Morally bankrupt'
The latest rally came amid a harsh crackdown on media freedoms.
On Saturday the Belarusian foreign ministry withdrew accreditation for numerous journalists working for international media, including AFP, the BBC and Radio Liberty / Radio Free Europe, with a government official citing "counter-terrorism" grounds.
Tikhanovskaya, who has fled to the safety of Lithuania, on Saturday said that this step was "another sign that this regime is morally bankrupt" and resorting to "fear and intimidation."
France, Germany and the United States also condemned the crackdown on journalists. "The arbitrary measures taken by the Belarusian authorities against journalists violate press freedom," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on Sunday.
"I call on the Belarusian authorities to reverse these measures without delay," he added, saying that the crisis in Belarus requires "the establishment of an inclusive national dialogue" and that "repressive measures against journalists cannot help".
Germany will summon the Belarus ambassador after Minsk revoked accreditations of foreign media reporters covering the country's anti-government protests, a government source told AFP on Sunday.
"The Belarus ambassador will be summoned to the foreign affairs ministry," the source said. German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass has already condemned the moves against the foreign media as "unacceptable".
European leaders have urged Lukashenko to launch dialogue with the opposition and Tikhanovskaya's supporters have set up a Coordination Council to organise a peaceful transfer of power.
The Belarusian authorities have detained several members and hauled in others for questioning, including Nobel Literature Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich.
Lukashenko spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before the protest began with the Kremlin leader wishing him a happy birthday.
The Kremlin said they agreed to meet in Moscow "in the next weeks" and on their intentions to further strengthen Belarus-Russia's alliance," after Putin this week vowed military support for Lukashenko if needed.
Putin said Russia had prepared a reserve of law enforcement officers to deploy if the situation got "out of control."
Reporters covering the protests have been detained and police have confiscated memory cards from photographers' cameras.
The authorities have also shut off Internet access repeatedly, making it harder for independent media to report from the scene.
On Sunday, more than 360 Belarusian sports figures including several Olympic athletes signed an open letter calling for new elections to be held according to international standards and condemning police violence.
Lukashenko ordered brutal police tactics following the elections that led to the death of three men while hundreds were wounded. More than 7,000 people were detained.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-30--Senior French military officer arrested on suspicion of spying for a 'foreign power'

French Defence Minister Florence Parly ( C ) on a visit to a military air base in Jordan on August 28 , 2020 .
French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Sunday that an investigation had been launched into a senior French officer who is suspected of being behind a `` security breach '' .
According to French media and a judicial source , the officer is believed to have transmitted sensitive documents to a `` foreign power '' , possibly Russia .
Europe 1 radio reported that a French lieutenant colonel based in Italy and stationed with NATO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Russian secret services .
Parly said her ministry had informed prosecutors about the case .
She did not elaborate on what the officer was suspected of having done .
`` What I can confirm is that a senior officer is facing legal proceedings for a security breach , '' Florence Parly told Europe 1 radio , CNews and Les Echos newspaper .
`` We have implemented all the necessary safeguards , '' Parly said .
A judicial source later confirmed that a senior officer had been indicted on charges involving `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fundamental interests of the nation '' .
He is being prosecuted for `` delivering information to a foreign power '' as well as `` collecting information harming the fundamental interests of the nation with a view to delivering them to a foreign power '' and `` compromising the secrecy of national defence '' , the source said .
The man was arrested by DGSI intelligence service as he was about to leave for Italy at the end of his holidays in France and is being held at a prison in Paris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaks Russian and was seen in Italy with a man identified as an agent of the GRU , the Russian military intelligence service , Europe 1 reported .

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Sunday that an investigation had been launched into a senior French officer who is suspected of being behind a "security breach". According to French media and a judicial source, the officer is believed to have transmitted sensitive documents to a "foreign power", possibly Russia.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly (C) on a visit to a military air base in Jordan on August 28, 2020.
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Europe 1 radio reported that a French lieutenant colonel based in Italy and stationed with NATO is suspected of having transmitted sensitive documents to the Russian secret services.
Parly said her ministry had informed prosecutors about the case. She did not elaborate on what the officer was suspected of having done.
"What I can confirm is that a senior officer is facing legal proceedings for a security breach," Florence Parly told Europe 1 radio, CNews and Les Echos newspaper.
"We have implemented all the necessary safeguards," Parly said.
A judicial source later confirmed that a senior officer had been indicted on charges involving "intelligence with a foreign power that undermines the fundamental interests of the nation".
He is being prosecuted for "delivering information to a foreign power" as well as "collecting information harming the fundamental interests of the nation with a view to delivering them to a foreign power" and "compromising the secrecy of national defence", the source said.
The man was arrested by DGSI intelligence service as he was about to leave for Italy at the end of his holidays in France and is being held at a prison in Paris, according to Europe 1.
The official speaks Russian and was seen in Italy with a man identified as an agent of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, Europe 1 reported.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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