france24--2020-06-19--Week in Review: Cracks in France’s healthcare, toppling statues and birth of ‘La Résistance’

French health workers took to the streets this week to highlight a crisis at the heart of a healthcare system often touted as the world 's best .
Elsewhere , nations debated whether to topple statues of figures from slavery or the colonial era while Britain and France joined forces to mark 80 years since a little-known general by the name of Charles de Gaulle called for France to resist the Nazis from his exile in London .
‘ Victory ’ at what cost ?
How Covid-19 exposed cracks in France ’ s cherished healthcare system Days after French President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the battle against Covid-19 , health workers protesting in cities across France told a very different tale of a crisis that has rattled a system long touted as one of the world 's best .
Hidalgo , Dati , Buzyn : Three women , three strategies in Paris City Hall race Three women are contending for the Paris mayor 's office in a run-off election on June 28 : Socialist incumbent Anne Hidalgo ; conservative Rachida Dati , a former justice minister ; and Agnès Buzyn , who was health minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
French teachers scramble to adapt after Macron announces surprise restart of classes French preschools , primary schools and middle schools will reopen on Monday with “ mandatory presence ” for all of the country ’ s pupils , Macron announced in a shock move , meaning the nation ’ s teachers had just one week to prepare their back-to-school programmes .
Covid-19 lockdowns have led to heartbreaking delays for many parents eager to claim their infants born through surrogacy .
With travel restrictions to Ukraine now easing , there have been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of babies remain uncollected , and the situation has shone a harsh light on the country 's booming surrogacy industry .
While Paris has long yearned to become the world ’ s No .
1 biking capital , it wasn ’ t until the coronavirus prompted widespread fears of transmission on public transport that Parisians really started to pedal .
Resistance heroes honoured on 80th anniversary of de Gaulle 's call to resist Nazis Four members of the French Resistance were honoured by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Charles de Gaulle made his famous appeal for resistance against the Nazis from the BBC in London during World War II .
Colbert , Gallieni , De Gaulle : The figures at the centre of France ’ s statue debate From Confederate leaders in the US , to slave traders in the UK , statues of controversial historic figures have been targeted by protesters around the world .
In France , statues of people involved in the country ’ s colonial past that have been targeted , ranging from a 17th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France protested this week over a government ban on using chokeholds to restrain suspects , with the technique coming under scrutiny following the deaths of George Floyd in the US and a string of similar incidents in France .
Meeting Syrian doctors on the Covid-19 front line in France At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when medical workers were overwhelmed , many foreign medics volunteered to support their French colleagues .
Our reporters went to meet Syrian doctors living in France , who are committed to helping their host country – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives – and whose skills in a war zone proved a valuable asset .
'Unwelcome guests ' : The plight of the Afghan community in Iran As anti-racist protests spread across the globe , we examine the plight of the Afghan community in Iran , sometimes called `` unwelcome guests '' .
Recent cases of Iranian police violence against Afghan refugees have highlighted the tensions and power imbalance between the neighbouring countries .
We speak to Fawzia Koofi , Afghanistan 's first woman deputy speaker of parliament .
Looking back at the rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anniversary of Charles de Gaulle 's appeal to the French people to resist Nazi occupation , French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister marked the historic event in ceremonies across the Chanel .
But while June 18 , 1940 , is forever ingrained in France 's collective memory , the truth is that it did n't immediately play out as hoped .
France after lockdown : Social distancing at the café With France easing its lockdown , there 's a welcome sense of normalcy in Paris as people once again fill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how does that work with social distancing rules ?
Also , the Eiffel Tower and cinemas are getting ready to re-open , but strict hygiene rules will apply there too .
Grand reopening ?
FRANCE 24 and Deutsche Welle at the French-German border As many EU nations lift their Covid-19 travel restrictions , FRANCE 24 ’ s François Picard in Schœneck and Deutsche Welle 's Melinda Crane in Saarbrücken at the France-Germany border examined why some locals on the French side are still bitter about Berlin 's unilateral decision to erect barriers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The world 's largest digital arts centre has opened in a former submarine base in the southern French city of Bordeaux .
The enormous chambers and dazzling visual effects of the Bassins de Lumières , with exhibitions dedicated to Gustave Klimt and Paul Klee , are exactly what we need after nearly three months in confinement .
Film show : 'Is Gone With the Wind ' too insensitive to the horrors of slavery ?
As anti-racism protests sweep the globe , films and television shows featuring insensitive depictions of race have been pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1939 classic `` Gone With the Wind '' has found itself in the spotlight , with some people calling for it not to be shown anymore – the Grand Rex cinema in Paris planned to celebrate the re-opening of cinemas nationwide by showing the famous film before Warner Bros. decided to withdraw it .
Is this romance set against the backdrop of the American Civil War too insensitive to the horrors of slavery to be shown today ?
As Black Lives Matter protests sweep through the world , we report on black female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have often failed to attract attention .
We also look at the French women taking to the streets in the name of racial justice and talk to journalist and activist Rokhaya Diallo about how women on both sides of the Atlantic are driving the movement .
YOU ARE HERE The Mercantour National Park in the south of France is a hiker 's paradise .
Roger Settimo , 94 , discovered the site almost 66 years ago and has spent his whole life studying and photographing its wildlife .
At altitude , hikers can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landscapes or take an interest in prehistoric engravings .
FRANCE 24 takes you to discover these breathtaking mountains , where more than 400,000 visitors come to recharge their batteries each summer .
( Post ) -confinement , # 12 weeks : The best of our reports on France 's Covid-19 lockdown In the final edition of our show on the coronavirus crisis , we bring you a selection of our reports from the past 12 weeks on the consequences of imposing , and then gradually lifting , the lockdown in Paris and around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What to expect for fashion ?
The Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing global lockdown have had a profound effect on the world of fashion .
So what will our sartorial future look like ?
Designer Jennifer Rönne is pushing for more sustainability while Dana Messika is rethinking her silhouettes .
The French Institute of Fashion , meanwhile , is urging labels to turn their socially responsible pledges and promises into concrete action .

WEEK IN REVIEW
French health workers took to the streets this week to highlight a crisis at the heart of a healthcare system often touted as the world's best. Elsewhere, nations debated whether to topple statues of figures from slavery or the colonial era while Britain and France joined forces to mark 80 years since a little-known general by the name of Charles de Gaulle called for France to resist the Nazis from his exile in London.
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ARTICLES
‘Victory’ at what cost? How Covid-19 exposed cracks in France’s cherished healthcare system
Days after French President Emmanuel Macron declared a “first victory” in the battle against Covid-19, health workers protesting in cities across France told a very different tale of a crisis that has rattled a system long touted as one of the world's best.
Hidalgo, Dati, Buzyn: Three women, three strategies in Paris City Hall race
Three women are contending for the Paris mayor's office in a run-off election on June 28: Socialist incumbent Anne Hidalgo; conservative Rachida Dati, a former justice minister; and Agnès Buzyn, who was health minister in Macron's centrist government until February.
French teachers scramble to adapt after Macron announces surprise restart of classes
French preschools, primary schools and middle schools will reopen on Monday with “mandatory presence” for all of the country’s pupils, Macron announced in a shock move, meaning the nation’s teachers had just one week to prepare their back-to-school programmes.
Ukraine’s Covid-19 lockdown leads to baby pile-up and surrogacy backlash
Covid-19 lockdowns have led to heartbreaking delays for many parents eager to claim their infants born through surrogacy. With travel restrictions to Ukraine now easing, there have been a flurry of emotional homecomings. But dozens of babies remain uncollected, and the situation has shone a harsh light on the country's booming surrogacy industry.
Covid-19: Transmission fears spark bicycle frenzy in post-lockdown Paris
While Paris has long yearned to become the world’s No. 1 biking capital, it wasn’t until the coronavirus prompted widespread fears of transmission on public transport that Parisians really started to pedal.
Resistance heroes honoured on 80th anniversary of de Gaulle's call to resist Nazis
Four members of the French Resistance were honoured by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony marking 80 years since General Charles de Gaulle made his famous appeal for resistance against the Nazis from the BBC in London during World War II.
General Charles de Gaulle at the BBC in October 1941. © Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération
VIDEO REPORTS
Colbert, Gallieni, De Gaulle: The figures at the centre of France’s statue debate
From Confederate leaders in the US, to slave traders in the UK, statues of controversial historic figures have been targeted by protesters around the world. In France, statues of people involved in the country’s colonial past that have been targeted, ranging from a 17th century statesman to a former president.
From left to right, statues of Joseph Gallieni, Charles de Gaulle and Jean-Baptiste Colbert. © AFP / FRANCE 24
‘We feel insulted’: French police protest against chokehold ban
Police in France protested this week over a government ban on using chokeholds to restrain suspects, with the technique coming under scrutiny following the deaths of George Floyd in the US and a string of similar incidents in France.
A police officer protests in Nice, France, on Thursday, June 11, 2020. © Reuters / France 24
TV SHOWS ONLINE
REPORTERS
Meeting Syrian doctors on the Covid-19 front line in France
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when medical workers were overwhelmed, many foreign medics volunteered to support their French colleagues. Our reporters went to meet Syrian doctors living in France, who are committed to helping their host country – sometimes at the risk of their own lives – and whose skills in a war zone proved a valuable asset.
Reporters © FRANCE 24
MIDDLE EAST MATTERS
'Unwelcome guests': The plight of the Afghan community in Iran
As anti-racist protests spread across the globe, we examine the plight of the Afghan community in Iran, sometimes called "unwelcome guests". Recent cases of Iranian police violence against Afghan refugees have highlighted the tensions and power imbalance between the neighbouring countries. We speak to Fawzia Koofi, Afghanistan's first woman deputy speaker of parliament.
FRANCE IN FOCUS
Looking back at the rise of the French Resistance
On the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's appeal to the French people to resist Nazi occupation, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister marked the historic event in ceremonies across the Chanel. But while June 18, 1940, is forever ingrained in France's collective memory, the truth is that it didn't immediately play out as hoped.
FRENCH CONNECTIONS
France after lockdown: Social distancing at the café
With France easing its lockdown, there's a welcome sense of normalcy in Paris as people once again fill the capital's famous café terraces. But how does that work with social distancing rules? Also, the Eiffel Tower and cinemas are getting ready to re-open, but strict hygiene rules will apply there too.
French Connections © France 24
THE DEBATE
Grand reopening? FRANCE 24 and Deutsche Welle at the French-German border
As many EU nations lift their Covid-19 travel restrictions, FRANCE 24’s François Picard in Schœneck and Deutsche Welle's Melinda Crane in Saarbrücken at the France-Germany border examined why some locals on the French side are still bitter about Berlin's unilateral decision to erect barriers that hadn't been seen in decades.
ENCORE!
A spectacular, visually overwhelming light-and-sound museum to cure your lockdown blues
The world's largest digital arts centre has opened in a former submarine base in the southern French city of Bordeaux. The enormous chambers and dazzling visual effects of the Bassins de Lumières, with exhibitions dedicated to Gustave Klimt and Paul Klee, are exactly what we need after nearly three months in confinement.
Film show: 'Is Gone With the Wind' too insensitive to the horrors of slavery?
As anti-racism protests sweep the globe, films and television shows featuring insensitive depictions of race have been pulled from VOD platforms and cinemas. The 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind" has found itself in the spotlight, with some people calling for it not to be shown anymore – the Grand Rex cinema in Paris planned to celebrate the re-opening of cinemas nationwide by showing the famous film before Warner Bros. decided to withdraw it. Is this romance set against the backdrop of the American Civil War too insensitive to the horrors of slavery to be shown today?
ENCORE! © FRANCE 24
THE 51 PERCENT
#SayHerName movement highlights female victims of police brutality
As Black Lives Matter protests sweep through the world, we report on black female victims of police brutality in America that have often failed to attract attention. We also look at the French women taking to the streets in the name of racial justice and talk to journalist and activist Rokhaya Diallo about how women on both sides of the Atlantic are driving the movement.
YOU ARE HERE
France's Mercantour National Park, a hiker's paradise
The Mercantour National Park in the south of France is a hiker's paradise. Roger Settimo, 94, discovered the site almost 66 years ago and has spent his whole life studying and photographing its wildlife. At altitude, hikers can see marmots and deer, admire bucolic landscapes or take an interest in prehistoric engravings. FRANCE 24 takes you to discover these breathtaking mountains, where more than 400,000 visitors come to recharge their batteries each summer.
Mercantour national park © France 24
POST-CONFINEMENT
(Post)-confinement, #12 weeks: The best of our reports on France's Covid-19 lockdown
In the final edition of our show on the coronavirus crisis, we bring you a selection of our reports from the past 12 weeks on the consequences of imposing, and then gradually lifting, the lockdown in Paris and around the country.
FASHION
The post-Covid world: What to expect for fashion?
The Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing global lockdown have had a profound effect on the world of fashion. So what will our sartorial future look like? Designer Jennifer Rönne is pushing for more sustainability while Dana Messika is rethinking her silhouettes. The French Institute of Fashion, meanwhile, is urging labels to turn their socially responsible pledges and promises into concrete action.
Fashion © France 24
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france24--2020-06-18--Australia under nationwide cyberattack from ‘state actor’, says PM

A `` sophisticated state-based actor '' has been attempting to hack a wide range of Australian organisations for months and had stepped up its efforts recently , Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday .
The attacks have targeted all levels of the government , political organisations , essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure , Morrison said in a media briefing in Canberra .
`` We know it is a sophisticated state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting , '' he said .
Morrison said there were not a lot of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack , but Australia would not identify which country was responsible .
Australia 's Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said advice showed no large-scale personal data breaches from the attack .
The revelation comes after Reuters reported Canberra had determined in March last year that China was responsible for a hacking attack on Australia 's parliament .
Australia never publicly identified that source of the attack and China denied it was responsible .
A U.S. security ally , Australia strained ties with its largest trading partner , China , by pushing for an international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year .

A "sophisticated state-based actor" has been attempting to hack a wide range of Australian organisations for months and had stepped up its efforts recently, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
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The attacks have targeted all levels of the government, political organisations, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure, Morrison said in a media briefing in Canberra.
"We know it is a sophisticated state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting," he said.
Morrison said there were not a lot of state actors that could launch this sort of attack, but Australia would not identify which country was responsible.
Australia's Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said advice showed no large-scale personal data breaches from the attack.
The revelation comes after Reuters reported Canberra had determined in March last year that China was responsible for a hacking attack on Australia's parliament. Australia never publicly identified that source of the attack and China denied it was responsible.
A U.S. security ally, Australia strained ties with its largest trading partner, China, by pushing for an international inquiry into the source and spread of Covid-19 that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-19--China charges two detained Canadians with spying, 18 months after arrest

Canadians Michael Spavor ( L ) and Michael Kovrig were detained shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada , in what is widely seen as retaliation .
China has formally charged two Canadians with spying , officials said Friday , more than 18 months after they were arrested in a spat between Beijing and Ottawa .
The pair were detained shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a US warrant , in what is widely believed to have been a retaliatory move from China .
The Supreme People 's Procuratorate said Friday it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor , who were `` suspected of foreign espionage '' and `` providing state secrets '' .
The move comes just weeks after a key ruling in the Meng case where a Canadian judge ruled that proceedings to extradite her to the United States would go ahead .
The United States wants Meng extradited to face trial on charges related to the Chinese telecom equipment maker 's alleged violations of US sanctions against Iran .
Diplomatic relations between Canada and China have hit rock bottom over the arrests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Embassy in Ottawa accused the United States of trying `` to bring down Huawei '' .
China has also blocked billions of dollars ' worth of Canadian agricultural exports .
The arrests of Kovrig and Spavor nine days after Meng was taken into custody have been widely decried as retribution .
While the eldest daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has been out on bail and living in a mansion in Vancouver , the two Canadians remain in China 's opaque penal system .
Monthly consular visits for Kovrig and Spavor had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in April , amid concerns over their well-being .
China 's foreign ministry has insisted the pair are in good health and that their detention facility is `` in a region that is not particularly affected by Covid-19 '' .
However , people familiar with the matter have told AFP the two have endured hours of interrogation and in the first six months of detention were forced to sleep with the lights on .
Chinese human rights lawyer Li Fangping told AFP the pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in secret , with an official lawyer appointed .
Trudeau has insisted on leaving it to the courts to decide Meng 's fate .
He lamented in May that China `` does n't seem to understand '' the meaning of an independent judiciary .
His foreign minister , Francois-Philippe Champagne , said after the May ruling over Meng that Canada would `` continue to pursue principled engagement with China to address our bilateral differences '' .
Champagne also said Ottawa would continue to press for the release of Kovrig and Spavor , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 days '' , and for clemency for a third Canadian , Robert Schellenberg , facing execution .
Meng 's case now continues to a second phase , yet to be scheduled , when the defence will challenge the lawfulness of her arrest , followed by more hearings likely in September .
Any appeals could further drag it out for years .
In contrast , the trial of Kovrig and Spavor would likely happen fairly quickly , experts said .
Li said `` under normal circumstances a verdict would take six months .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese University of Hong Kong , said the long period of detention was `` probably intended to help coerce a 'voluntary ' confession out of one or both of the two Canadians '' .
`` These trials are thus likely to be quite rapidly dealt with , and the verdict and sentence already determined by the ( Communist ) Party officials overseeing management of the cases , '' he said .

China has formally charged two Canadians with spying, officials said Friday, more than 18 months after they were arrested in a spat between Beijing and Ottawa.
Canadians Michael Spavor (L) and Michael Kovrig were detained shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada, in what is widely seen as retaliation.
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The pair were detained shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a US warrant, in what is widely believed to have been a retaliatory move from China.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate said Friday it has begun the prosecution of ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, who were "suspected of foreign espionage" and "providing state secrets".
The move comes just weeks after a key ruling in the Meng case where a Canadian judge ruled that proceedings to extradite her to the United States would go ahead.
The United States wants Meng extradited to face trial on charges related to the Chinese telecom equipment maker's alleged violations of US sanctions against Iran.
Diplomatic relations between Canada and China have hit rock bottom over the arrests, damaging trade between the countries.
China's Embassy in Ottawa accused the United States of trying "to bring down Huawei".
China has also blocked billions of dollars' worth of Canadian agricultural exports.
The arrests of Kovrig and Spavor nine days after Meng was taken into custody have been widely decried as retribution.
While the eldest daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has been out on bail and living in a mansion in Vancouver, the two Canadians remain in China's opaque penal system.
Monthly consular visits for Kovrig and Spavor had been suspended since the coronavirus outbreak started in China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in April, amid concerns over their well-being.
China's foreign ministry has insisted the pair are in good health and that their detention facility is "in a region that is not particularly affected by Covid-19".
However, people familiar with the matter have told AFP the two have endured hours of interrogation and in the first six months of detention were forced to sleep with the lights on.
Chinese human rights lawyer Li Fangping told AFP the pair could expect their trial to be held in secret, with an official lawyer appointed.
'Arbitrarily detained'
Trudeau has insisted on leaving it to the courts to decide Meng's fate.
He lamented in May that China "doesn't seem to understand" the meaning of an independent judiciary.
His foreign minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, said after the May ruling over Meng that Canada would "continue to pursue principled engagement with China to address our bilateral differences".
Champagne also said Ottawa would continue to press for the release of Kovrig and Spavor, "who have been arbitrarily detained for over 500 days", and for clemency for a third Canadian, Robert Schellenberg, facing execution.
Meng's case now continues to a second phase, yet to be scheduled, when the defence will challenge the lawfulness of her arrest, followed by more hearings likely in September.
Any appeals could further drag it out for years.
In contrast, the trial of Kovrig and Spavor would likely happen fairly quickly, experts said.
Li said "under normal circumstances a verdict would take six months."
Ryan Mitchell, law professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the long period of detention was "probably intended to help coerce a 'voluntary' confession out of one or both of the two Canadians".
"These trials are thus likely to be quite rapidly dealt with, and the verdict and sentence already determined by the (Communist) Party officials overseeing management of the cases," he said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Pompeo slams ‘lies’ by ‘traitor’ Bolton over White House tell-all book

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late Thursday ripped into John Bolton for his explosive memoir about working for President Donald Trump , calling the former national security advisor a `` traitor . ''
`` John Bolton is spreading a number of lies , fully-spun half-truths and outright falsehoods , '' Pompeo said in a statement .
`` It is both sad and dangerous that John Bolton 's final public role is that of a traitor who damaged America by violating his sacred trust with its people . ''
`` To our friends around the world : You know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for good in the world . ''
Pompeo said he had not yet read the book , `` The Room Where It Happened , '' which the Trump administration is trying to block from publication .
But according to excerpts published by major newspapers , Bolton said that Pompeo – one of the rare aides never to clash publicly with Trump – disparaged him in private .
According to The New York Times , Bolton writes that he received a note from Pompeo during Trump 's historic first meeting with North Korean leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president , `` He is so full of shit . ''
Pompeo traveled four times to North Korea in 2018 to jumpstart diplomacy for Trump , who has hailed his own efforts as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize .
But Bolton wrote that Pompeo , a month after the Singapore summit in June 2018 , dismissed Trump 's North Korea diplomacy , saying it had `` zero probability of success , '' according to the Times report .
Bolton is well-known for his hawkish views on North Korea and left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Pompeo , again met Kim on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea .

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late Thursday ripped into John Bolton for his explosive memoir about working for President Donald Trump, calling the former national security advisor a "traitor."
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"John Bolton is spreading a number of lies, fully-spun half-truths and outright falsehoods," Pompeo said in a statement.
"It is both sad and dangerous that John Bolton's final public role is that of a traitor who damaged America by violating his sacred trust with its people."
"To our friends around the world: You know that President Trump's America is a force for good in the world."
It is both sad and dangerous that John Bolton’s final public role is that of a traitor who damaged America by violating his sacred trust with its people. To our friends around the world: you know that President @realDonaldTrump's America is a force for good in the world. — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 19, 2020
Pompeo said he had not yet read the book, "The Room Where It Happened," which the Trump administration is trying to block from publication.
But according to excerpts published by major newspapers, Bolton said that Pompeo – one of the rare aides never to clash publicly with Trump – disparaged him in private.
According to The New York Times, Bolton writes that he received a note from Pompeo during Trump's historic first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, saying of the president, "He is so full of shit."
Pompeo traveled four times to North Korea in 2018 to jumpstart diplomacy for Trump, who has hailed his own efforts as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.
But Bolton wrote that Pompeo, a month after the Singapore summit in June 2018, dismissed Trump's North Korea diplomacy, saying it had "zero probability of success," according to the Times report.
Bolton is well-known for his hawkish views on North Korea and left in September shortly after Trump, accompanied by Pompeo, again met Kim on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--South Korea’s unification minister resigns amid rising tensions with North

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul meets with reporters at the government complex in Seoul on June 17 , 2020 , to announce his offer to resign over the worsening of inter-Korean relations .
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday accepted the resignation of his point man on North Korea , who had asked to quit after the North destroyed a liaison office while ramping up pressure against Seoul amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration .
Kim Yeon-chul , whom Moon appointed as unification minister in April last year as talks between the Trump administration and Pyongyang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without having a single meeting with the North Koreans .
He said he wanted to resign to take responsibility for tensions between the rivals .
The North in recent months has virtually cut off all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over Seoul ’ s unwillingness to break away from ally Washington and restart inter-Korean economic projects held back by U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program .
Kim offered to resign after North Korea in a made-for-TV demonstration Tuesday used explosives to destroy the building in its border town of Kaesong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will cut off all government and military communication channels and abandon a key military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce conventional threats , which experts say elevates risks of skirmishes in border areas in land and sea .
It isn ’ t immediately clear who Moon is considering as Kim ’ s replacement .
There are calls that Moon should overhaul his foreign policy and national security personnel amid deteriorating relations with the North and Seoul ’ s fading role as mediator in the nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disarmament steps .
Moon ’ s government had been credited for coordinating a diplomatic push to defuse the nuclear standoff with North Korea , with his envoys shuttling between Pyongyang and Washington to help set up the first meeting between the North ’ s leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in in Singapore in June 2018 .
But there ’ s criticism that South Korean officials had been too optimistic about the signs they were seeing from Pyongyang and ran into credibility problems once it became clear Kim had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival .
While taking provocative steps toward the South this month , the North has also unleashed vitriol against defector-activists who for years have flown anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border that condemn Kim 's nuclear ambitions and human rights record .
The North , which is sensitive to any criticism toward its leadership , has mobilized massive demonstrations in past weeks condemning the defectors state media describe as “ human scum.
” It 's military has also announced plans to support North Korean civilians from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the land and sea border , which experts say could potentially create security problems for the South .
Desperate to prevent tensions from getting out of control , the South has vowed to stop the activists and threatened to press charges against two North Korea-born brothers who for years have led campaigns dropping leaflets over the border and floating rice-filled bottles into the North by sea .
But both Park Sang-hak and Park Jong-oh have vowed to continue their campaigns despite the warnings and accused Seoul of caving to North Korean threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government will closely coordinate with police and local authority to strengthen on-site response and security , ” to prevent the border campaigns , Unification Ministry spokeswoman Cho Hye-sil said Friday .
While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block the activists from leafleting during sensitive times , it had previously resisted North Korea ’ s calls to fully ban them , saying they were exercising their freedom of speech .
Experts say the North could be using the defectors ' activities as an excuse to dial up pressure on the South as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift public attention away from diplomatic failures and a dismal economy that likely worsened under the Covid-19 pandemic .

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday accepted the resignation of his point man on North Korea, who had asked to quit after the North destroyed a liaison office while ramping up pressure against Seoul amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.
South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul meets with reporters at the government complex in Seoul on June 17, 2020, to announce his offer to resign over the worsening of inter-Korean relations.
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Kim Yeon-chul, whom Moon appointed as unification minister in April last year as talks between the Trump administration and Pyongyang began falling apart, leaves the job without having a single meeting with the North Koreans. He said he wanted to resign to take responsibility for tensions between the rivals.
The North in recent months has virtually cut off all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over Seoul’s unwillingness to break away from ally Washington and restart inter-Korean economic projects held back by U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.
Kim offered to resign after North Korea in a made-for-TV demonstration Tuesday used explosives to destroy the building in its border town of Kaesong. The North has also declared it will cut off all government and military communication channels and abandon a key military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce conventional threats, which experts say elevates risks of skirmishes in border areas in land and sea.
This is how South Korea knew #NorthKorea was destroying the liaison office. The taller building, a residential complex for Seoul officials and businesspeople, didn’t go down completely. #연락사무소 pic.twitter.com/W4z8Smnf1L — Hyonhee Shin (@HeeShin) June 16, 2020
It isn’t immediately clear who Moon is considering as Kim’s replacement. There are calls that Moon should overhaul his foreign policy and national security personnel amid deteriorating relations with the North and Seoul’s fading role as mediator in the nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, which have faltered over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps.
Moon’s government had been credited for coordinating a diplomatic push to defuse the nuclear standoff with North Korea, with his envoys shuttling between Pyongyang and Washington to help set up the first meeting between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in in Singapore in June 2018.
But there’s criticism that South Korean officials had been too optimistic about the signs they were seeing from Pyongyang and ran into credibility problems once it became clear Kim had no intent to voluntarily deal away the nukes he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
While taking provocative steps toward the South this month, the North has also unleashed vitriol against defector-activists who for years have flown anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border that condemn Kim's nuclear ambitions and human rights record.
The North, which is sensitive to any criticism toward its leadership, has mobilized massive demonstrations in past weeks condemning the defectors state media describe as “human scum.” It's military has also announced plans to support North Korean civilians from flying anti-South Korean propaganda leaflets in areas near the land and sea border, which experts say could potentially create security problems for the South.
Desperate to prevent tensions from getting out of control, the South has vowed to stop the activists and threatened to press charges against two North Korea-born brothers who for years have led campaigns dropping leaflets over the border and floating rice-filled bottles into the North by sea.
But both Park Sang-hak and Park Jong-oh have vowed to continue their campaigns despite the warnings and accused Seoul of caving to North Korean threats.
“The (South Korean) government will closely coordinate with police and local authority to strengthen on-site response and security,” to prevent the border campaigns, Unification Ministry spokeswoman Cho Hye-sil said Friday.
While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block the activists from leafleting during sensitive times, it had previously resisted North Korea’s calls to fully ban them, saying they were exercising their freedom of speech.
Experts say the North could be using the defectors' activities as an excuse to dial up pressure on the South as it attempts to build internal unity and shift public attention away from diplomatic failures and a dismal economy that likely worsened under the Covid-19 pandemic.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-18--Further Covid-19 lockdowns not needed in US, says top health expert Fauci

Top US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said one thing that bothered him was a lack of compliance to authorities ' recommendations about wearing masks .
The United States does not require more widespread lockdowns to get its Covid-19 outbreak under control , despite the fact that the national daily infection rate is not showing signs of decline , leading government expert Anthony Fauci told AFP in an interview Thursday .
`` I do n't think we 're going to be talking about going back to lockdown , '' he said when asked whether places like California and Texas that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should reissue stay-at-home orders .
`` I think we 're going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases . ''
The US leads the world in the number of confirmed infections and in deaths – with the fatality toll approaching 120,000 .
But while former epicenters New York and New Jersey have succeeded in controlling their outbreaks , the virus is now increasing in 20 states – creating a plateau in the national case graph .
Fauci stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country takes further steps to return to normal – including on the crucial question of when to reopen schools .
`` Counties where there are certainly no cases at all , there 's no problem with the schools opening , '' he said .
`` There are other parts where there 's a modest amount of infection ( where ) you may delay school openings .
`` And there are other parts of the country where there 's minimum infection , where you want to make some modification of the process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , seating people apart from each other wearing masks . ''
Fauci , who has led America 's response to every major epidemic since the outbreak of AIDS in the 1980s , said one thing that bothered him was a lack of compliance to authorities ' recommendations about wearing masks .
`` We have a country where even when the recommendations are to wear a mask , a recommendation that I 've been involved in making , there are some groups that actually do the recommendations very strictly and they adhere to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see pictures of people in bars and in congregations without that .
So again , it 's a mixed bag .
Some people are doing it fine , and some are not . ''

The United States does not require more widespread lockdowns to get its Covid-19 outbreak under control, despite the fact that the national daily infection rate is not showing signs of decline, leading government expert Anthony Fauci told AFP in an interview Thursday.
Top US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said one thing that bothered him was a lack of compliance to authorities' recommendations about wearing masks.
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"I don't think we're going to be talking about going back to lockdown," he said when asked whether places like California and Texas that are seeing a surge in their caseload should reissue stay-at-home orders.
"I think we're going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases."
The US leads the world in the number of confirmed infections and in deaths – with the fatality toll approaching 120,000.
But while former epicenters New York and New Jersey have succeeded in controlling their outbreaks, the virus is now increasing in 20 states – creating a plateau in the national case graph.
Fauci stressed a localized approach would be required as the country takes further steps to return to normal – including on the crucial question of when to reopen schools.
"Counties where there are certainly no cases at all, there's no problem with the schools opening," he said.
"There are other parts where there's a modest amount of infection (where) you may delay school openings.
"And there are other parts of the country where there's minimum infection, where you want to make some modification of the process, namely: alternate days, morning versus afternoon, seating people apart from each other wearing masks."
Fauci, who has led America's response to every major epidemic since the outbreak of AIDS in the 1980s, said one thing that bothered him was a lack of compliance to authorities' recommendations about wearing masks.
"We have a country where even when the recommendations are to wear a mask, a recommendation that I've been involved in making, there are some groups that actually do the recommendations very strictly and they adhere to it.
"And then... you see pictures of people in bars and in congregations without that. So again, it's a mixed bag. Some people are doing it fine, and some are not."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Italy sees Covid-19 'warning signs' after Rome outbreaks

Rome 's Colosseum lit up in the colours of the Italian flag .
Italy 's top health agency on Friday urged caution after last week seeing `` warning signs '' of new coronavirus transmission , especially over outbreaks of cases in Rome .
In its weekly report , the Higher Institute of Health ( ISS ) said the situation was generally positive but that there was still `` a significant circulation of the virus '' .
`` In some regions , a high number of new cases of COVID-19 infection continues to be reported , '' the agency said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lazio , the region including the capital Rome , topped the number of cases , exceeding Lombardy , the original epicentre of the epidemic in the country .
Two outbreaks were identified in recent days in Rome , where health officials say the situation is `` under control '' .
One was an illegally occupied building in a working-class neighbourhood and the other in a hospital .
`` This should encourage caution because it indicates that in certain parts of the country , the circulation of the virus is still significant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has killed more than 34,500 people in Italy , since the first case was recorded in Codogno in Lombardy , the first infection identified outside China where the disease appeared in December 2019 .
The disease now appears to be under control in Italy , with an average of a few dozen deaths per day and a reduced number of infections .

Italy's top health agency on Friday urged caution after last week seeing "warning signs" of new coronavirus transmission, especially over outbreaks of cases in Rome.
Rome's Colosseum lit up in the colours of the Italian flag.
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In its weekly report, the Higher Institute of Health (ISS) said the situation was generally positive but that there was still "a significant circulation of the virus".
"In some regions, a high number of new cases of COVID-19 infection continues to be reported," the agency said in the report for the week June 8-14.
Lazio, the region including the capital Rome, topped the number of cases, exceeding Lombardy, the original epicentre of the epidemic in the country.
Two outbreaks were identified in recent days in Rome, where health officials say the situation is "under control". One was an illegally occupied building in a working-class neighbourhood and the other in a hospital.
"This should encourage caution because it indicates that in certain parts of the country, the circulation of the virus is still significant," the report said.
The epidemic has killed more than 34,500 people in Italy, since the first case was recorded in Codogno in Lombardy, the first infection identified outside China where the disease appeared in December 2019.
The disease now appears to be under control in Italy, with an average of a few dozen deaths per day and a reduced number of infections.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Divided EU leaders face challenges on Covid-19 stimulus package

European Union leaders found that a quick deal on the bloc ’ s future long-term budget and a multibillion-euro post-pandemic recovery plan remained beyond their reach Friday as the coronavirus ravages their economies .
Following a four-hour video summit aimed at paving the way for a compromise this summer , there was common ground on the need for a quick response but divergences persisted among the leaders of EU member nations .
`` It is essential to take a decision as soon as possible , '' EU Council President Charles Michel said , announcing he plans to call an in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc for mid-July .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , the head of the EU 's executive arm , said she hopes a deal can be secured before the EU closes for an August summer holiday .
“ Leaders unanimously agreed that the severity of this crisis justifies an ambitious common response , one that combines solidarity , investment and reforms , '' von der Leyen said .
“ Many leaders stressed that we must do everything in our power to reach an agreement soon in the European Council before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member states ’ economies cushion the impact of the coronavirus , the package is far from being unanimously welcomed .
Von der Leyen said differences remain on such topics as the size of the package , how the money will be dispatched and the balance between grants and loans in the recovery fund .
To tackle the economic crisis , von der Leyen has proposed a revised long-term budget for the 2021-2027 period that would represent around 1.1 % of European GDP after the U.K. ’ s departure , coupled with the temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside to combat the virus .
The whole package represents a huge €1.85 trillion stimulus for the bloc 's struggling economies .
A blend of debt mutualization , grants and loans , the aid plan has failed to gain the approval of a group of countries known as the Frugal Four — the Netherlands , Denmark , Austria and Sweden .
They oppose issuing too much common debt to support the hardest-hit countries and argue that the money should mainly be handed out in loans instead of grants .
Under the commission ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund — a half-trillion euros — would take the form of grants .
The plan is backed by France and Germany , the bloc ’ s two most powerful countries .
With their allies , they need to convince the countries opposed to debt mutualization or increases in the EU budget that grants will benefit the whole bloc .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the quartet of frugal countries “ once again expressed their skepticism toward grants , though not so specifically , in general form .
But the position has not changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed was a bare minimum , a senior French official nonetheless described progress from discussions that took place in a “ studious and quiet atmosphere . ''
“ We weren ’ t in a spirit of confrontation and tension , '' said the official , who was not authorized to publicly talk about the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity .
“ We 've made considerable progress in a few weeks on the issue of the common borrowing .
None of the participants is challenging the idea anymore .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees on this ambitious and exceptional recovery plan .
There is work to be done , but it is possible . ''
Among the divisive topics , the allocation of the money remains problematic .
The European Commission proposed basing it on criteria that include population size , gross domestic product per capita and unemployment figures during 2015-2019 .
Merkel and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis questioned whether the criteria reflect the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We should try , as far as possible , to put a figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done now by the pandemic , although of course it is barely possible to do that very substantially because it is so current , '' Merkel said .
`` But as far as it is possible , we should do it.
” To fund the plan , the European Commission proposed borrowing money on financial markets .
The European Commission has a triple A credit rating , which would give it favorable loan terms .
Repayments would not begin before 2028 , with the full amount due after 30 years .
To facilitate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rapid development of new EU funding sources that could take the form of taxes on carbon or single-use plastic .
Such revenues would make the EU budget less dependent on national contributions from member states , which are reluctant to pay more .

European Union leaders found that a quick deal on the bloc’s future long-term budget and a multibillion-euro post-pandemic recovery plan remained beyond their reach Friday as the coronavirus ravages their economies.
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Following a four-hour video summit aimed at paving the way for a compromise this summer, there was common ground on the need for a quick response but divergences persisted among the leaders of EU member nations.
"It is essential to take a decision as soon as possible," EU Council President Charles Michel said, announcing he plans to call an in-person summit for the leaders of the 27-nation bloc for mid-July.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU's executive arm, said she hopes a deal can be secured before the EU closes for an August summer holiday.
'Ambitious'
“Leaders unanimously agreed that the severity of this crisis justifies an ambitious common response, one that combines solidarity, investment and reforms," von der Leyen said. “Many leaders stressed that we must do everything in our power to reach an agreement soon in the European Council before the summer break."
Devised to help member states’ economies cushion the impact of the coronavirus, the package is far from being unanimously welcomed. Von der Leyen said differences remain on such topics as the size of the package, how the money will be dispatched and the balance between grants and loans in the recovery fund.
“We don’t underestimate the difficulties,” Michel said.
To tackle the economic crisis, von der Leyen has proposed a revised long-term budget for the 2021-2027 period that would represent around 1.1% of European GDP after the U.K.’s departure, coupled with the temporary reinforcement of the 750 billion euros set aside to combat the virus. The whole package represents a huge €1.85 trillion stimulus for the bloc's struggling economies.
A blend of debt mutualization, grants and loans, the aid plan has failed to gain the approval of a group of countries known as the Frugal Four — the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Sweden. They oppose issuing too much common debt to support the hardest-hit countries and argue that the money should mainly be handed out in loans instead of grants.
Under the commission’s plans, two-thirds of the recovery fund — a half-trillion euros — would take the form of grants.
Franco-German axis
The plan is backed by France and Germany, the bloc’s two most powerful countries. With their allies, they need to convince the countries opposed to debt mutualization or increases in the EU budget that grants will benefit the whole bloc.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the quartet of frugal countries “once again expressed their skepticism toward grants, though not so specifically, in general form. But the position has not changed there.”
Insisting the 500-billion-euros in grants proposed was a bare minimum, a senior French official nonetheless described progress from discussions that took place in a “studious and quiet atmosphere."
“We weren’t in a spirit of confrontation and tension," said the official, who was not authorized to publicly talk about the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity. “We've made considerable progress in a few weeks on the issue of the common borrowing. None of the participants is challenging the idea anymore. There is no agreement on an amount, but everyone agrees on this ambitious and exceptional recovery plan. There is work to be done, but it is possible."
Among the divisive topics, the allocation of the money remains problematic. The European Commission proposed basing it on criteria that include population size, gross domestic product per capita and unemployment figures during 2015-2019.
Merkel and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis questioned whether the criteria reflect the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We should try, as far as possible, to put a figure on the economic damage that has been done now by the pandemic, although of course it is barely possible to do that very substantially because it is so current," Merkel said. "But as far as it is possible, we should do it.”
To fund the plan, the European Commission proposed borrowing money on financial markets. The European Commission has a triple A credit rating, which would give it favorable loan terms. Repayments would not begin before 2028, with the full amount due after 30 years.
To facilitate the reimbursement, several member states pushed for the rapid development of new EU funding sources that could take the form of taxes on carbon or single-use plastic. Such revenues would make the EU budget less dependent on national contributions from member states, which are reluctant to pay more.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-19--‘A woman’: Wikipedia page records trials and achievements of invisible women

Building on the success of the hashtag # unefemme ( a woman ) , which aims to call out everyday sexism in the media , a satirical Wikipedia page in French has begun recording the many accomplishments of women lumped together in news headlines under the anonymous label “ a woman ” .
It ’ s been a busy month of June for “ a woman ” , rich in thrills , debuts and promotions , judging by headlines in the French press .
A week after taking charge of France ’ s aviation academy , “ a woman ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 12 , the same day she was appointed head of NASA ’ s human spaceflight programme .
Somehow , “ a woman ” still found time to lead a fire brigade in France ’ s rural Creuse department , preside over a Swiss cancer charity , become the world ’ s best paid executive and win the “ young economist of the year ” award , while also brewing “ green tea-flavoured beer , 100 % Catalan.
” These are just a sample of the most recent news headlines that defined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without naming them .
They are catalogued in the French-language Wikipedia page “ Une femme ” ( A woman ) , the latest in a string of recent online initiatives aimed at exposing and ridiculing sexism in the media .
The satirical page “ brilliantly exposes the absurdity of this situation , ” says activist Sherine Deraz , who has authored a series of web-based videos on feminism .
“ After years of being silenced , the achievements of women are rendered invisible by the phrase ‘ a woman ’ ( ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know who has done what , and are therefore unable to give these women due credit.
” The page is “ funny , original , clever and incisive , ” adds Marlène Coulomb-Gully , a professor at the University of Toulouse who has written extensively about women in the media .
“ Humour has always been the tool of the oppressed , a means to wittily expose what can not be said.
” Wikipedia ’ s “ a woman ” has numerous nationalities , multiple professions and an array of skills that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s best-selling Bild newspaper , lead Japan ’ s main opposition party and take over as minister of happiness in the United Arab Emirates , all at once .
Her scientific achievements have earned her five Nobel prizes in medicine “ but only one Fields Medal ” , the top distinction for mathematics .
While little is known about her childhood , it appears her mother was also “ a woman ” .
More recently , her CV has been embellished with a slew of prestigious postings , often bestowed by men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year , “ a woman ” was appointed president of Greece , “ on the suggestion of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mytsotakis ” .
As the French weekly that ran the story noted , her post is “ essentially ceremonial ” and “ her dark hair is cropped into a bob ” .
While adopting a tongue-in-cheek tone throughout , the Wikipedia page is deadly serious when it comes to the obituary section .
“ A woman ” , it points out , dies every two and half days in France at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tackling domestic violence : ‘ If you ask the right questions at the right time , you will save lives ’ According to activist Marion Vaquero , who launched the collective @ pepitesexiste ( sexist nugget ) to call out sexism on social media , the “ tragi-comic ” tone of the page is “ a useful way to expose the difference in the way women and men are treated in the media.
” In an interview with Le Monde , she added : “ While women are still under-represented , the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their accomplishments only makes them even more invisible.
” “ No one would ever dream of writing a headline that reads ‘ A man elected president of so and so ’ , it would be seen as ridiculous , ” adds Professor Coulomb-Gully .
“ That ’ s because women are always treated as having a specific quality , whereas men are seen as having a universal one , ” she argues , noting that media headlines that comfort this specificity often do so involuntarily .
Many of the articles catalogued in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First woman… ” phrase , stressing the novelty of a woman ’ s breakthrough in a given field .
In doing so , however , they risk reinforcing the notion of an exceptional occurrence , almost an anomaly , in a world dominated by men — while also rendering the person invisible .
“ It ’ s a complex question , because in some cases ‘ a woman ’ can define and render invisible at once , ” says Professor Coulomb-Gully .
“ Highlighting the role of female pioneers can have an educational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an examination of the systemic nature of gender-based discriminations that explains why the wait for a female pioneer has been so long.
” The trouble , says Deraz , is that most readers read no further than the title .
“ News organisations quite rightly want to stress the fact that women have had to wait a long time for recognition , but they do so in a clumsy fashion , ” she says , noting that many readers get their information from headlines alone .
She believes the media should proceed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and then providing context and analysis for those who wish to learn more .
Supposedly positive stories about women ’ s empowerment often come with a catch , the Wikipedia page points out , noting that newly appointed women are required to juggle between jobs and other chores , unlike their male counterparts .
“ Much to the amazement of French media , in 2019 a woman is allowed to referee her first Ligue 1 football match ahead of the women ’ s football World Cup [ organised on French soil ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She does so in a semi-professional capacity , which leaves her with three full days per week to fulfill her [ other ] professional obligations.
” Even before the page ’ s launch , Twitter users had adopted the # unefemme hashtag to draw a parallel between the numerous activities the media attribute to “ a woman ” and the disproportionately heavy workload bearing on women in general — an imbalance highlighted by the fallout from the latest iteration of the deadly coronavirus , which , the Wikipedia page notes , “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Already , there are signs the campaign is having some effect , as one Twitter user noted on Wednesday .
Two days after running the headline , “ A woman leads 850 firefighters in the Creuse ” , local daily La Montagne quietly amended its title to give the titular protagonist her name and surname… followed by “ a woman ” .

Building on the success of the hashtag #unefemme (a woman), which aims to call out everyday sexism in the media, a satirical Wikipedia page in French has begun recording the many accomplishments of women lumped together in news headlines under the anonymous label “a woman”.
Advertising Read more
It’s been a busy month of June for “a woman”, rich in thrills, debuts and promotions, judging by headlines in the French press.
A week after taking charge of France’s aviation academy, “a woman” piloted her first stealth aircraft into combat on June 12, the same day she was appointed head of NASA’s human spaceflight programme. Somehow, “a woman” still found time to lead a fire brigade in France’s rural Creuse department, preside over a Swiss cancer charity, become the world’s best paid executive and win the “young economist of the year” award, while also brewing “green tea-flavoured beer, 100% Catalan.”
These are just a sample of the most recent news headlines that defined their subjects as “a woman”, without naming them. They are catalogued in the French-language Wikipedia page “Une femme” (A woman), the latest in a string of recent online initiatives aimed at exposing and ridiculing sexism in the media.
Encore une période très faste pour « Une femme ».
Félicitations à elle. pic.twitter.com/o7VBECkT5l — Guillaume Blardone ☀ (@gblardone) June 6, 2020
The satirical page “brilliantly exposes the absurdity of this situation,” says activist Sherine Deraz, who has authored a series of web-based videos on feminism. “After years of being silenced, the achievements of women are rendered invisible by the phrase ‘a woman’ (...). We never really get to know who has done what, and are therefore unable to give these women due credit.”
The page is “funny, original, clever and incisive,” adds Marlène Coulomb-Gully, a professor at the University of Toulouse who has written extensively about women in the media. “Humour has always been the tool of the oppressed, a means to wittily expose what cannot be said.”
‘Tragi-comic’
Wikipedia’s “a woman” has numerous nationalities, multiple professions and an array of skills that, in 2016, saw her head Germany’s best-selling Bild newspaper, lead Japan’s main opposition party and take over as minister of happiness in the United Arab Emirates, all at once. Her scientific achievements have earned her five Nobel prizes in medicine “but only one Fields Medal”, the top distinction for mathematics.
While little is known about her childhood, it appears her mother was also “a woman”. More recently, her CV has been embellished with a slew of prestigious postings, often bestowed by men. Thus, at the start of the year, “a woman” was appointed president of Greece, “on the suggestion of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mytsotakis”. As the French weekly that ran the story noted, her post is “essentially ceremonial” and “her dark hair is cropped into a bob”.
While adopting a tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, the Wikipedia page is deadly serious when it comes to the obituary section. “A woman”, it points out, dies every two and half days in France at the hands of her partner.
>> Tackling domestic violence: ‘If you ask the right questions at the right time, you will save lives’
According to activist Marion Vaquero, who launched the collective @pepitesexiste (sexist nugget) to call out sexism on social media, the “tragi-comic” tone of the page is “a useful way to expose the difference in the way women and men are treated in the media.” In an interview with Le Monde, she added: “While women are still under-represented, the fact that they are not named when referring to their accomplishments only makes them even more invisible.”
Anonymous trailblazers
“No one would ever dream of writing a headline that reads ‘A man elected president of so and so’, it would be seen as ridiculous,” adds Professor Coulomb-Gully. “That’s because women are always treated as having a specific quality, whereas men are seen as having a universal one,” she argues, noting that media headlines that comfort this specificity often do so involuntarily.
Many of the articles catalogued in the Wikipedia page adopt the traditional “First woman…” phrase, stressing the novelty of a woman’s breakthrough in a given field. In doing so, however, they risk reinforcing the notion of an exceptional occurrence, almost an anomaly, in a world dominated by men — while also rendering the person invisible.
“It’s a complex question, because in some cases ‘a woman’ can define and render invisible at once,” says Professor Coulomb-Gully. “Highlighting the role of female pioneers can have an educational utility, provided it is accompanied by an examination of the systemic nature of gender-based discriminations that explains why the wait for a female pioneer has been so long.”
The trouble, says Deraz, is that most readers read no further than the title.
“News organisations quite rightly want to stress the fact that women have had to wait a long time for recognition, but they do so in a clumsy fashion,” she says, noting that many readers get their information from headlines alone. She believes the media should proceed the other way round, first naming the women and then providing context and analysis for those who wish to learn more.
#unefemme
Supposedly positive stories about women’s empowerment often come with a catch, the Wikipedia page points out, noting that newly appointed women are required to juggle between jobs and other chores, unlike their male counterparts.
“Much to the amazement of French media, in 2019 a woman is allowed to referee her first Ligue 1 football match ahead of the women’s football World Cup [organised on French soil],” the page reads. “She does so in a semi-professional capacity, which leaves her with three full days per week to fulfill her [other] professional obligations.”
Even before the page’s launch, Twitter users had adopted the #unefemme hashtag to draw a parallel between the numerous activities the media attribute to “a woman” and the disproportionately heavy workload bearing on women in general — an imbalance highlighted by the fallout from the latest iteration of the deadly coronavirus, which, the Wikipedia page notes, “a woman” first discovered back in 1964.
>> The women fighting Covid-19: Pandemic highlights lack of female representation
Already, there are signs the campaign is having some effect, as one Twitter user noted on Wednesday. Two days after running the headline, “A woman leads 850 firefighters in the Creuse”, local daily La Montagne quietly amended its title to give the titular protagonist her name and surname… followed by “a woman”.
Il y a quelques heures c'était "une femme", depuis celle-ci a un nom et un prénom ! Bravo pour la réactivité @lamontagne_fr Stéphanie Duchet, une femme à la tête de 850 pompiers en Creuse https://t.co/GQFCcW1qRD — Martin PIERRE (@MartinPIERRE14) June 17, 2020
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france24--2020-06-19--Turkey says will work with Italy for Libya peace, excoriates EU

Turkey and Italy will continue to work for a lasting peace and political solution in Libya , Turkey ’ s foreign minister said Friday , while slamming the European Union ’ s naval operation in the Mediterranean that tries to enforce a U.N. arms embargo on the conflict-torn country .
Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio .
Italy and Turkey support the U.N.-backed government that is based in Tripoli against the rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter , who is supported by France , Russia , Jordan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key Arab countries .
Turkey says the EU ’ s naval operation — dubbed Irini — is focusing its efforts on the Tripoli-based administration and not enough on Hifter ’ s forces who launched an offensive in April 2019 to capture the capital .
“ We will continue to work with Italy for a last peace and a solution-oriented political process , ” Cavusoglu told reporters , praising Italy for what he described as its “ balanced stance ” on Libya .
“ Operation Irini is not balanced .
It has never met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of National Accord ’ s requests and concerns , ” Cavusoglu said .
He maintained that the operation ignores alleged “ constant arms transfers to Hifter by France.
” Cavusoglu ’ s comments come amid growing tensions between Turkey and France over Libya .
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the military alliance would investigate an incident between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean , as France accused Turkey of repeated violations of the U.N. arms embargo on Libya and branded Ankara an obstacle to securing a cease-fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Libyan conflict should have access to arms , adding that Rome welcomed indications that the sides were willing to negotiate .
He also defended the EU naval operation , describing it as “ balanced.
” “ The aim is to control the arrival of all armaments , ” Di Maio said .
“ It is not a remedy for all ills , but at least it ensures that the embargo is observed.
” Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a NATO-backed uprising toppled leader Moammar Gadhafi , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since been split between rival administrations in the east and the west , each backed by armed groups and different foreign governments .
Turkish military support to the U.N.-backed government has turned the tide in the conflict , driving back Hifter ’ s forces .
Turkey has also sent Syrian militias to fight for the Tripoli government .

Turkey and Italy will continue to work for a lasting peace and political solution in Libya, Turkey’s foreign minister said Friday, while slamming the European Union’s naval operation in the Mediterranean that tries to enforce a U.N. arms embargo on the conflict-torn country.
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Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio. Italy and Turkey support the U.N.-backed government that is based in Tripoli against the rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter, who is supported by France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries.
Turkey says the EU’s naval operation — dubbed Irini — is focusing its efforts on the Tripoli-based administration and not enough on Hifter’s forces who launched an offensive in April 2019 to capture the capital.
“We will continue to work with Italy for a last peace and a solution-oriented political process,” Cavusoglu told reporters, praising Italy for what he described as its “balanced stance” on Libya.
“Operation Irini is not balanced. It has never met any of the (Tripoli-based) Government of National Accord’s requests and concerns,” Cavusoglu said. He maintained that the operation ignores alleged “constant arms transfers to Hifter by France.”
Cavusoglu’s comments come amid growing tensions between Turkey and France over Libya. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the military alliance would investigate an incident between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean, as France accused Turkey of repeated violations of the U.N. arms embargo on Libya and branded Ankara an obstacle to securing a cease-fire there.
Di Maio said neither side in the Libyan conflict should have access to arms, adding that Rome welcomed indications that the sides were willing to negotiate.
He also defended the EU naval operation, describing it as “balanced.”
“The aim is to control the arrival of all armaments,” Di Maio said. “It is not a remedy for all ills, but at least it ensures that the embargo is observed.”
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising toppled leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and different foreign governments.
Turkish military support to the U.N.-backed government has turned the tide in the conflict, driving back Hifter’s forces. Turkey has also sent Syrian militias to fight for the Tripoli government.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Bob Dylan releases first original album in almost a decade

US folk and rock legend Bob Dylan released his first album of original songs in eight years on Friday with the ten-track `` Rough and Rowdy Ways . ''
Dylan 's 39th studio album , which comes 58 years after his first , features a 17-minute ballad about the assassination of John F Kennedy , as well as a tribute to American electric bluesman Jimmy Reed .
`` Rough and Rowdy Ways '' is the Nobel winner 's first collection of new material since `` Tempest '' in 2012 , although he has released a number of cover albums in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gritty blues with folksy storytelling , his signature raspy voice delivering lyrics that switch between bleakly haunting and darkly humorous .
At times he sounds warm , at other times scathing .
In the album 's opening song `` I Contain Multitudes , '' the 79-year-old grapples with mortality .
He starts by singing tenderly , `` Today and tomorrow and yesterday too / The flowers are dying like all things do . ''
Later he says : `` I sleep with life and death in the same bed . ''
Dylan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with The New York Times , his first since he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 .
`` I think about the death of the human race .
The long strange trip of the naked ape , '' he replied .
`` Not to be light on it , but everybody 's life is so transient .
Every human being , no matter how strong or mighty , is frail when it comes to death .
I think about it in general terms , not in a personal way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pop culture , touch on myths and refer to historical and fictional figures -- some light , others tragic .
In `` I Contain Multitudes , '' Dylan cites Indiana Jones , Anne Frank and the Rolling Stones in the same verse .
`` Murder Most Foul , '' first revealed in March , retells the shooting of President Kennedy in Dallas , Texas while describing the evolution of 1960s counterculture .
The song , which rose to the top of the Billboard chart , is packed with artist name-drops including the Eagles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woodstock and The Beatles .
Dylan -- some of whose most-loved songs from the 1960s and 70s addressed police brutality and racism , such as `` Hurricane '' -- also mentions the Tulsa race massacre of 1921 .
The `` Birdman of Alcatraz , '' a convicted murderer who became a respected ornithologist raising birds in prison , gets a mention , too .
Recounting Kennedy 's slaying , Dylan sings : `` We 're gon na kill you with hatred , without any respect / We 'll mock you and shock you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face / We 've already got someone here to take your place . ''
In `` False Prophet , '' the album 's six-minute second track , Dylan sounds cocky and unapologetic as he addresses his own mythology .
`` I ai n't no false prophet / I just said what I said / I 'm just here to bring vengeance on somebody 's head , '' he sings over a slow blues riff .
British music magazine NME called the album `` arguably his grandest poetic statement yet . ''
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beaumont wrote `` Rough ?
Perhaps , but it certainly has the warmth and lustre of the intimate and home-made . ''
Rolling Stone magazine hailed it an `` absolute classic , '' calling it one of Dylan 's `` most timely albums ever . ''
`` As Dylan pushes 80 , his creative vitality remains startling -- and a little frightening , '' wrote critic Rob Sheffield .
Despite his years , Dylan , awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2012 , has toured almost non-stop for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced him to cancel a string of dates in Japan and North America this spring and summer , but he has promised to be back on the road as soon as it 's safe to do so .

US folk and rock legend Bob Dylan released his first album of original songs in eight years on Friday with the ten-track "Rough and Rowdy Ways."
Advertising Read more
Dylan's 39th studio album, which comes 58 years after his first, features a 17-minute ballad about the assassination of John F Kennedy, as well as a tribute to American electric bluesman Jimmy Reed.
"Rough and Rowdy Ways" is the Nobel winner's first collection of new material since "Tempest" in 2012, although he has released a number of cover albums in the interim.
It sees Dylan mix gritty blues with folksy storytelling, his signature raspy voice delivering lyrics that switch between bleakly haunting and darkly humorous.
At times he sounds warm, at other times scathing.
𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒘𝒅𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒚𝒔.
The New Album from Bob Dylan.
Out Now. https://t.co/SN0XeyNKiN pic.twitter.com/pllqAxs0ig — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) June 19, 2020
In the album's opening song "I Contain Multitudes," the 79-year-old grapples with mortality.
He starts by singing tenderly, "Today and tomorrow and yesterday too / The flowers are dying like all things do."
Later he says: "I sleep with life and death in the same bed."
Dylan was asked about the lyrics in a recent interview with The New York Times, his first since he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
"I think about the death of the human race. The long strange trip of the naked ape," he replied.
"Not to be light on it, but everybody's life is so transient. Every human being, no matter how strong or mighty, is frail when it comes to death. I think about it in general terms, not in a personal way."
The songs run through 20th century pop culture, touch on myths and refer to historical and fictional figures -- some light, others tragic.
In "I Contain Multitudes," Dylan cites Indiana Jones, Anne Frank and the Rolling Stones in the same verse.
"Murder Most Foul," first revealed in March, retells the shooting of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas while describing the evolution of 1960s counterculture.
The song, which rose to the top of the Billboard chart, is packed with artist name-drops including the Eagles, Charlie Parker, Stevie Nicks, Woodstock and The Beatles.
'Absolute classic'
Dylan -- some of whose most-loved songs from the 1960s and 70s addressed police brutality and racism, such as "Hurricane" -- also mentions the Tulsa race massacre of 1921.
The "Birdman of Alcatraz," a convicted murderer who became a respected ornithologist raising birds in prison, gets a mention, too.
Recounting Kennedy's slaying, Dylan sings: "We're gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect / We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face / We've already got someone here to take your place."
In "False Prophet," the album's six-minute second track, Dylan sounds cocky and unapologetic as he addresses his own mythology.
"I ain't no false prophet / I just said what I said / I'm just here to bring vengeance on somebody's head," he sings over a slow blues riff.
British music magazine NME called the album "arguably his grandest poetic statement yet."
In a review on its website, critic Mark Beaumont wrote "Rough? Perhaps, but it certainly has the warmth and lustre of the intimate and home-made."
Rolling Stone magazine hailed it an "absolute classic," calling it one of Dylan's "most timely albums ever."
"As Dylan pushes 80, his creative vitality remains startling -- and a little frightening," wrote critic Rob Sheffield.
Despite his years, Dylan, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2012, has toured almost non-stop for the past three decades.
The coronavirus crisis forced him to cancel a string of dates in Japan and North America this spring and summer, but he has promised to be back on the road as soon as it's safe to do so.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Neymar ordered to pay Barcelona 6.7 million euros as case against club dismissed

Neymar must pay 6.7 million euros ( $ 7.53m ) to Barcelona , a court ordered Friday after the player 's case against his former employer was dismissed .
After his world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 the Brazilian forward sued Barca for 43.6 million euros that he claimed he was due for various bonuses .
But a judge dismissed Neymar 's case and instead sided with Barcelona , who had also sued their former player for breach of contract .
Neymar has five days to appeal the decision .
He joined Barca in 2013 and signed a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a renewal bonus worth 43.6 million euros , with 14 million paid up front .
The remaining 29 million euros was due to be paid on August 1 , 2017 but Neymar left Barcelona on August 3 for Paris Saint-Germain , who activated the striker 's 222 million euro release clause .
Barcelona refused to pay Neymar the remainder of the bonus , insisting the terms of his contract had been broken .
The club in turn sued Neymar and requested the return of the 14 million euros they had paid him up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8.5 million euros in damages .
`` We express our satisfaction with the verdict announced today , '' Barcelona said in a statement .
`` The ruling has fully dismissed the player 's claim for payment of EUR43.6m , and has accepted a large part of the defence presented by FC Barcelona , as a result of which the player must return EUR6.7m to the club .
`` Since the player 's representative is entitled to appeal this decision , the club shall continue to fervently defend its legitimate interests . ''
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both the club and the player have been eager to be reunited .
There were even discussions last year about coming to an agreement out of court but a compromise could not be reached .
Barca spent most of last year 's summer transfer window negotiating a transfer with PSG but were unable to strike a deal , even as a number of different players were offered in exchange .
Neymar remains a popular figure among the leaders of the Barca squad , including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez , with whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his time at Camp Nou .
`` I 've said it many times , as a footballer Ney is one of the best in the world and I would love for him to return , '' Messi said in an interview with Barcelona newspaper Mundo Deportivo in February .
`` He was always happy , he had fun both on and off the pitch .
He brought a special sense of joy to the dressing room . ''
Messi added : `` He is eager to return , he was always regretful .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that would be the first step in trying to get him here . ''
Another attempt to re-sign Neymar was expected this summer but the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic make an agreement even more unlikely .
`` Neymar-type transfers will not happen , '' said La Liga president Javier Tebas earlier this month .
Neymar was brought to PSG to help them finally win the Champions League but they failed to go past the last 16 in his first two years at the club .
This season , they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter-finals , which will be played in Lisbon in August , according to an announcement made by UEFA on Wednesday .

Neymar must pay 6.7 million euros ($7.53m) to Barcelona, a court ordered Friday after the player's case against his former employer was dismissed.
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After his world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 the Brazilian forward sued Barca for 43.6 million euros that he claimed he was due for various bonuses.
But a judge dismissed Neymar's case and instead sided with Barcelona, who had also sued their former player for breach of contract.
Neymar has five days to appeal the decision.
He joined Barca in 2013 and signed a new five-year contract in 2016, which included a renewal bonus worth 43.6 million euros, with 14 million paid up front.
The remaining 29 million euros was due to be paid on August 1, 2017 but Neymar left Barcelona on August 3 for Paris Saint-Germain, who activated the striker's 222 million euro release clause.
Barcelona refused to pay Neymar the remainder of the bonus, insisting the terms of his contract had been broken.
The club in turn sued Neymar and requested the return of the 14 million euros they had paid him up front, as well as a further 8.5 million euros in damages.
"We express our satisfaction with the verdict announced today," Barcelona said in a statement.
"The ruling has fully dismissed the player's claim for payment of EUR43.6m, and has accepted a large part of the defence presented by FC Barcelona, as a result of which the player must return EUR6.7m to the club.
"Since the player's representative is entitled to appeal this decision, the club shall continue to fervently defend its legitimate interests."
Despite the financial dispute between Barcelona and Neymar, both the club and the player have been eager to be reunited.
There were even discussions last year about coming to an agreement out of court but a compromise could not be reached.
Barca spent most of last year's summer transfer window negotiating a transfer with PSG but were unable to strike a deal, even as a number of different players were offered in exchange.
Neymar remains a popular figure among the leaders of the Barca squad, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with whom he formed a devastating attacking trio during his time at Camp Nou.
"I've said it many times, as a footballer Ney is one of the best in the world and I would love for him to return," Messi said in an interview with Barcelona newspaper Mundo Deportivo in February.
"He was always happy, he had fun both on and off the pitch. He brought a special sense of joy to the dressing room."
Messi added: "He is eager to return, he was always regretful. He tried a lot to come back and that would be the first step in trying to get him here."
Another attempt to re-sign Neymar was expected this summer but the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic make an agreement even more unlikely.
"Neymar-type transfers will not happen," said La Liga president Javier Tebas earlier this month.
Neymar was brought to PSG to help them finally win the Champions League but they failed to go past the last 16 in his first two years at the club.
This season, they are one of four teams through to the quarter-finals, which will be played in Lisbon in August, according to an announcement made by UEFA on Wednesday.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-19--Thousands of Malians takes to streets in call for President Keita's resignation

Thousands of protesters in Mali 's capital Bamako call for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to quit , June 19 , 2020 .
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Mali 's capital Bamako on Friday to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita , heeding the call of the country 's newly resurgent opposition .
The 75-year-old president is under pressure over failures to contain a jihadist insurgency that emerged in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to the fragile centre of the West African state .
Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died , and hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sclerotic pace of political reforms , a flagging economy and a widely shared perception of government corruption have also fed anti-Keita sentiment .
On Friday , an imam led tens of thousands of protesters in a prayer in a central city square .
Protesters then sang the national anthem and blew vuvuzela horns , with many toting placards bearing anti-government slogans .
The demonstration follows a similar rally on June 5 organised by a newly-formed coalition of opposition groups .
That coalition has since adopted the name , `` Movement of June 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniting religious leaders and civil society figures , the coalition is channelling deep-seated frustration about the slow pace of progress and continuing bloodshed .
At its head is Mahmoud Dicko , an imam and Islamic hardliner whose political star is rising in the war-torn country .
The June 5 movement organised Friday 's protest , despite Keita 's pledge on Tuesday to form a new unity government that would include opposition figures .
Keita was elected president of the poor Sahel nation of some 19 million people in 2013 , and won a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been pushed to make several concessions in recent days in response to mounting criticism , like raising the salaries of public teachers on Tuesday after a long-running pay dispute .
The president also extended an olive branch to the political opposition on Tuesday , proposing to form a unity government .
But his efforts to appease opponents appear to have fallen on deaf ears .
Dicko had earlier told reporters in Bamako that Friday 's protest would go ahead come what may .
`` He has n't learned his lesson , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had said .
`` But this time he will understand '' .
Mamadou Diakite , a 42-year-old teacher at Friday 's protest , told AFP that Keita had to step down .
`` We are here for the final victory , there is no negotiation possible , '' he said .
The sharpening political divide in Mali is worrying the country 's neighbours .
A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc met Mali 's prime minister as well as opposition figures in Bamako on Thursday and Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, heeding the call of the country's newly resurgent opposition.
Thousands of protesters in Mali's capital Bamako call for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to quit, June 19, 2020.
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The 75-year-old president is under pressure over failures to contain a jihadist insurgency that emerged in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to the fragile centre of the West African state.
Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died, and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.
But the sclerotic pace of political reforms, a flagging economy and a widely shared perception of government corruption have also fed anti-Keita sentiment.
On Friday, an imam led tens of thousands of protesters in a prayer in a central city square.
Protesters then sang the national anthem and blew vuvuzela horns, with many toting placards bearing anti-government slogans.
The demonstration follows a similar rally on June 5 organised by a newly-formed coalition of opposition groups.
That coalition has since adopted the name, "Movement of June 5 -- Rally of Patriotic Forces."
Uniting religious leaders and civil society figures, the coalition is channelling deep-seated frustration about the slow pace of progress and continuing bloodshed.
At its head is Mahmoud Dicko, an imam and Islamic hardliner whose political star is rising in the war-torn country.
The June 5 movement organised Friday's protest, despite Keita's pledge on Tuesday to form a new unity government that would include opposition figures.
'He will understand'
Keita was elected president of the poor Sahel nation of some 19 million people in 2013, and won a second five-year term in 2018.
He has been pushed to make several concessions in recent days in response to mounting criticism, like raising the salaries of public teachers on Tuesday after a long-running pay dispute.
The president also extended an olive branch to the political opposition on Tuesday, proposing to form a unity government.
But his efforts to appease opponents appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
Dicko had earlier told reporters in Bamako that Friday's protest would go ahead come what may.
"He hasn't learned his lesson, he doesn't listen to people," he had said. "But this time he will understand".
Mamadou Diakite, a 42-year-old teacher at Friday's protest, told AFP that Keita had to step down.
"We are here for the final victory, there is no negotiation possible," he said.
The sharpening political divide in Mali is worrying the country's neighbours.
A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc met Mali's prime minister as well as opposition figures in Bamako on Thursday and Friday, in a bid to defuse tensions.
(AFP)
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