france24--2020-03-09--Coronavirus cases in US surpass 500, deaths rise to 22

A nursing home worker and a medic at the Life Care Center of Kirkland , the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state , in Kirkland , Washington , U.S. March 7 , 2020 .
Older Americans , especially those with chronic medical concerns , should probably avoid big social gatherings and airline flights , given the rapid spread of coronavirus , a top U.S. health official said on Sunday , as investors braced for another volatile week in financial markets .
Anthony Fauci , the head of the infectious diseases unit at the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' that after initial missteps distributing diagnostic tests , there should be 400,000 more kits available by Monday and 4 million by the end of the week .
The number of confirmed U.S. cases of coronavirus reached nearly 550 on Sunday , including 22 deaths , according to state public health authorities and a running national tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University center tracking the outbreak .
More than half of the 50 U.S. states have reported infections , including the first cases in Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico , documented on Sunday .
Warnings from Fauci and others about the need for greater `` social distancing '' - the practice of minimizing unnecessary contact in public settings - came amid the disclosure of a high-profile example of the risks now inherent in large gatherings .
U.S .
Senator Ted Cruz said on Sunday he would self-quarantine after coming in contact at last month 's annual Conservative Political Action Conference with an attendee who had since tested positive for coronavirus .
The Texas Republican and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefly interacted '' with the infected person at the CPAC meeting in Maryland 10 days ago , but was not experiencing any symptoms and felt `` fine and healthy . ''
The coronavirus originated in China last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19 .
The outbreak has killed more than 3,600 globally .
As the outbreak spreads , daily life has been increasingly disrupted , with concerts and conferences canceled and universities telling students to stay home and take classes online .
To contain the outbreak in China , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Italy has announced similar measures , locking down 16 million people in the north of the country .
As recently as Saturday , President Donald Trump said he would continue to hold political rallies , which sometimes draw up to 20,000 people .
The Democrats competing to challenge him in the November 3 presidential election , Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden , have not cancelled any campaign events so far .
Germany , which has nearly 1,000 cases , on Sunday urged the cancellation of all events with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities in the United States may also need to consider steps to keep people out of crowded places if the virus continued to spread .
Still , he downplayed the likelihood of the type of large-scale mandatory quarantines imposed in China and Italy , while saying nothing could be ruled out .
`` I do n't imagine that the degree of the draconian nature of what the Chinese did would ever be either feasible , applicable , doable or whatever you want to call it in the United States , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 Minutes . ''
`` But the idea of social distancing , I mean , obviously , that 's something that will be seriously considered . ''
He urged those most at risk to limit travel .
`` If you 're a person with an underlying condition and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition , you need to think twice about getting on a plane , on a long trip , and not only think twice , just do n't get on a cruise ship , '' Fauci said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN that case numbers would rise , adding that the average age of death for people with the virus was 80 , and the average age of those needing medical attention was 60 .
`` Unfortunately , you are going to see more deaths , but that doesn ’ t mean that we should panic , ” he said .
Communities need to “ prepare for more cases so we can prevent more deaths , ” Adams said .
In financial markets , talk about recessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to assess how badly the outbreak will damage global growth .
Many strategists have turned more pessimistic in recent days and are anticipating further market drops and a possible end to the longest economic expansion in U.S. history .
The hardest-hit place in the United States has been a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland , and Washington state is considering mandatory measures such as banning large gatherings but not necessarily imposing massive quarantines , the governor said .
The Life Care Center nursing facility has accounted for 13 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , which has reported a total of 136 cases overall to date , the most of any state .
In California , officials said on Sunday that the cruise ship Grand Princess , barred from returning to San Francisco last week due to a coronavirus outbreak on board , would send most of its 2,400 passengers to quarantine centers set up at four military bases across the country .
Those requiring immediate medical attention will go to hospitals .
The crew of 1,100 will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care off the vessel .
The ship was ordered to remain at sea last week after a group of passengers and crew developed flu-like symptoms , and health officials learned that some passengers from an earlier cruise aboard the same vessel had later contracted coronavirus .
One has died .
Twenty-one people aboard the Grand Princess tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday , and the ship has been redirected to a specially secured terminal across San Francisco Bay at the port of Oakland for a brief stop on Monday to let passengers off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s tally of confirmed cases had risen to 114 statewide , including the two passengers aboard the Grand Princess who tested positive two days earlier , the state Public Health Department .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the number of cases in New York was now 105 and he expects that to rise as testing expands .
`` What we are really trying to do here is avoid the massive disruption of closing everything down for two weeks the way China did , the way Italy is doing , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Westchester County who is believed to be at the center of the outbreak there had attended a number of large gatherings , contributing to the roughly 70 people in Westchester who have tested positive .
`` It 's these large gatherings where you can expose a number of people in a very short period of time and then it 's like dominoes , right , then the tree continues to expand with branches . ''
In New York state , the Scarsdale public school district said it was closing all its campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday after a middle-school teacher tested positive .
Columbia University in New York City said it was suspending classes on Monday and Tuesday because someone on the campus was under quarantine from exposure to the virus .

Older Americans, especially those with chronic medical concerns, should probably avoid big social gatherings and airline flights, given the rapid spread of coronavirus, a top U.S. health official said on Sunday, as investors braced for another volatile week in financial markets.
A nursing home worker and a medic at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland, Washington, U.S. March 7, 2020.
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Anthony Fauci, the head of the infectious diseases unit at the National Institutes of Health, also said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that after initial missteps distributing diagnostic tests, there should be 400,000 more kits available by Monday and 4 million by the end of the week.
The number of confirmed U.S. cases of coronavirus reached nearly 550 on Sunday, including 22 deaths, according to state public health authorities and a running national tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University center tracking the outbreak.
More than half of the 50 U.S. states have reported infections, including the first cases in Virginia, Connecticut and Iowa, as well as the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico, documented on Sunday.
Warnings from Fauci and others about the need for greater "social distancing" - the practice of minimizing unnecessary contact in public settings - came amid the disclosure of a high-profile example of the risks now inherent in large gatherings.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Sunday he would self-quarantine after coming in contact at last month's annual Conservative Political Action Conference with an attendee who had since tested positive for coronavirus.
The Texas Republican and 2016 presidential candidate said he had "briefly interacted" with the infected person at the CPAC meeting in Maryland 10 days ago, but was not experiencing any symptoms and felt "fine and healthy."
The coronavirus originated in China last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19. The outbreak has killed more than 3,600 globally.
As the outbreak spreads, daily life has been increasingly disrupted, with concerts and conferences canceled and universities telling students to stay home and take classes online.
To contain the outbreak in China, the government quarantined millions of people for weeks. Italy has announced similar measures, locking down 16 million people in the north of the country.
As recently as Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would continue to hold political rallies, which sometimes draw up to 20,000 people.
The Democrats competing to challenge him in the November 3 presidential election, Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden, have not cancelled any campaign events so far.
Germany, which has nearly 1,000 cases, on Sunday urged the cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 people.
'Think twice'
Fauci said authorities in the United States may also need to consider steps to keep people out of crowded places if the virus continued to spread.
Still, he downplayed the likelihood of the type of large-scale mandatory quarantines imposed in China and Italy, while saying nothing could be ruled out.
"I don't imagine that the degree of the draconian nature of what the Chinese did would ever be either feasible, applicable, doable or whatever you want to call it in the United States," he said in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes." "But the idea of social distancing, I mean, obviously, that's something that will be seriously considered."
He urged those most at risk to limit travel.
"If you're a person with an underlying condition and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition, you need to think twice about getting on a plane, on a long trip, and not only think twice, just don't get on a cruise ship," Fauci said on "Meet the Press."
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN that case numbers would rise, adding that the average age of death for people with the virus was 80, and the average age of those needing medical attention was 60.
"Unfortunately, you are going to see more deaths, but that doesn’t mean that we should panic,” he said. Communities need to “prepare for more cases so we can prevent more deaths,” Adams said.
In financial markets, talk about recessions and bear markets was growing as investors try to assess how badly the outbreak will damage global growth. Many strategists have turned more pessimistic in recent days and are anticipating further market drops and a possible end to the longest economic expansion in U.S. history.
Cruise ship crisis
The hardest-hit place in the United States has been a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, and Washington state is considering mandatory measures such as banning large gatherings but not necessarily imposing massive quarantines, the governor said.
The Life Care Center nursing facility has accounted for 13 of the 18 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in Washington state, which has reported a total of 136 cases overall to date, the most of any state.
In California, officials said on Sunday that the cruise ship Grand Princess, barred from returning to San Francisco last week due to a coronavirus outbreak on board, would send most of its 2,400 passengers to quarantine centers set up at four military bases across the country.
Those requiring immediate medical attention will go to hospitals. The crew of 1,100 will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship, unless they are in need of acute care off the vessel.
The ship was ordered to remain at sea last week after a group of passengers and crew developed flu-like symptoms, and health officials learned that some passengers from an earlier cruise aboard the same vessel had later contracted coronavirus. One has died.
Twenty-one people aboard the Grand Princess tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, and the ship has been redirected to a specially secured terminal across San Francisco Bay at the port of Oakland for a brief stop on Monday to let passengers off the ship.
As of Sunday, California’s tally of confirmed cases had risen to 114 statewide, including the two passengers aboard the Grand Princess who tested positive two days earlier, the state Public Health Department.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the number of cases in New York was now 105 and he expects that to rise as testing expands.
"What we are really trying to do here is avoid the massive disruption of closing everything down for two weeks the way China did, the way Italy is doing," he said.
Cuomo said a lawyer from Westchester County who is believed to be at the center of the outbreak there had attended a number of large gatherings, contributing to the roughly 70 people in Westchester who have tested positive.
"It's these large gatherings where you can expose a number of people in a very short period of time and then it's like dominoes, right, then the tree continues to expand with branches."
In New York state, the Scarsdale public school district said it was closing all its campuses for more than a week starting on Monday after a middle-school teacher tested positive.
Columbia University in New York City said it was suspending classes on Monday and Tuesday because someone on the campus was under quarantine from exposure to the virus.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-09--Huge protests in Latin America on International Women's Day

Women holding green handkerchiefs calling for the legalization of abortion participate in a protest marking International Women 's Day , in Buenos Aires , Argentina March 8 , 2020 .
Hundreds of thousands of women across Latin America 's biggest cities flocked to the streets for International Women 's Day on Sunday , with anger over inequality , femicide and strict abortion controls boiling over into sporadic violence .
As Women 's Day events unfolded worldwide , with women donning purple to symbolise feminism , the Latin American marches were set against a backdrop of broader social unrest in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Chile 's capital of Santiago , and another 40,000 marched elsewhere in the country .
Many carried signs calling for access to abortion and an end to violence against women .
Organisers said the number of protesters was much higher .
`` We are a generation of women that has woken up .
We are not afraid to speak out and struggle , '' protester Valentina Navarro , 21 , told Reuters while marching in Santiago .
She and a group of friends accompanying her had green bandanas around their necks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Incidents of violence were reported as demonstrators confronted police near government offices .
Nineteen police were injured , authorities said , and 16 people arrested in the disturbances .
Other Chilean cities saw protests as well , with 1,700 police officers deployed nationwide for crowd control .
Broader protests in Chile against social inequality began last October and at their peak included more than 1 million people .
In Mexico 's capital , police and protest groups said up to 80,000 people gathered , including young girls and women in wheelchairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs and shouted chants against femicides , which have more than doubled over the last five years .
Miriam Hernandez , 42 , a preschool teacher in Mexico state , wiped away tears as she watched thousands of people fill Mexico 's biggest public square , recalling the recent morning when she was nearly kidnapped while walking to work .
`` I fought and fought and then I ran , '' she said .
`` I want more security , I want me and my daughters to always leave the house and know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Groups of women clashed outside Mexico City 's main cathedral with male anti-abortion protesters , some with shaved heads and making Nazi salutes .
Women activists threw Molotov cocktails at the doors of the National Palace .
Outside another historic building , protesters in black masks tore down a metal barricade put up to protect a monument , then sprayed the towering statue in pink and purple paint .
Elsewhere , protesters overturned a vehicle and sprayed it with graffiti .
Some women said they felt compelled to attend their first march @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been killed , and because they felt the government did n't grasp the gravity of the problem .
`` The situation has gotten out of control ... we have to march for those who no longer can , '' said Daniela Molinero , 29 , a jewelry shop owner who wore a purple bandana and eye liner .
In Brazil 's Sao Paulo , about a thousand women turned out , according to police estimates , with many protesting right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro , who came under criticism for comments he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted violence against women in Brazil , where four women were killed a day in 2019 , according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights .
Many marchers in Colombia 's capital Bogota carried placards in support of safe and freely available abortion services .
The country 's Constitutional Court this month upheld limits which restrict abortion to cases of sexual assault , fetal deformity or maternal health risks .
Women 's Day in Argentina lands just over three months into the new administration , which has announced plans to create a minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to legalise abortion after previous attempts were defeated in Congress .
Women in Buenos Aires planned to hold work stoppages on Monday in support of equal pay and legislation aimed at fighting violence against women and lowering impediments to abortion .

Hundreds of thousands of women across Latin America's biggest cities flocked to the streets for International Women's Day on Sunday, with anger over inequality, femicide and strict abortion controls boiling over into sporadic violence.
Women holding green handkerchiefs calling for the legalization of abortion participate in a protest marking International Women's Day, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 8, 2020.
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As Women's Day events unfolded worldwide, with women donning purple to symbolise feminism, the Latin American marches were set against a backdrop of broader social unrest in the region.
Police said 150,000 protesters gathered in Chile's capital of Santiago, and another 40,000 marched elsewhere in the country. Many carried signs calling for access to abortion and an end to violence against women. Organisers said the number of protesters was much higher.
"We are a generation of women that has woken up. We are not afraid to speak out and struggle," protester Valentina Navarro, 21, told Reuters while marching in Santiago. She and a group of friends accompanying her had green bandanas around their necks, a symbol of support for abortion rights.
Incidents of violence were reported as demonstrators confronted police near government offices. Nineteen police were injured, authorities said, and 16 people arrested in the disturbances. Other Chilean cities saw protests as well, with 1,700 police officers deployed nationwide for crowd control.
Broader protests in Chile against social inequality began last October and at their peak included more than 1 million people.
In Mexico's capital, police and protest groups said up to 80,000 people gathered, including young girls and women in wheelchairs, for a march in which they hoisted signs and shouted chants against femicides, which have more than doubled over the last five years.
Miriam Hernandez, 42, a preschool teacher in Mexico state, wiped away tears as she watched thousands of people fill Mexico's biggest public square, recalling the recent morning when she was nearly kidnapped while walking to work.
"I fought and fought and then I ran," she said. "I want more security, I want me and my daughters to always leave the house and know we're going to return home."
Groups of women clashed outside Mexico City's main cathedral with male anti-abortion protesters, some with shaved heads and making Nazi salutes. Women activists threw Molotov cocktails at the doors of the National Palace.
Outside another historic building, protesters in black masks tore down a metal barricade put up to protect a monument, then sprayed the towering statue in pink and purple paint. Elsewhere, protesters overturned a vehicle and sprayed it with graffiti.
Some women said they felt compelled to attend their first march to act as voices for women who have been killed, and because they felt the government didn't grasp the gravity of the problem.
"The situation has gotten out of control... we have to march for those who no longer can," said Daniela Molinero, 29, a jewelry shop owner who wore a purple bandana and eye liner.
In Brazil's Sao Paulo, about a thousand women turned out, according to police estimates, with many protesting right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who came under criticism for comments he made about two female reporters.
Protesters also targeted violence against women in Brazil, where four women were killed a day in 2019, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Many marchers in Colombia's capital Bogota carried placards in support of safe and freely available abortion services. The country's Constitutional Court this month upheld limits which restrict abortion to cases of sexual assault, fetal deformity or maternal health risks.
Women's Day in Argentina lands just over three months into the new administration, which has announced plans to create a minister for women and support a fresh effort to legalise abortion after previous attempts were defeated in Congress.
Women in Buenos Aires planned to hold work stoppages on Monday in support of equal pay and legislation aimed at fighting violence against women and lowering impediments to abortion.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-09--North Korea fires three projectiles into sea, South Korea says

A missile is seen as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a drill of long-range artillery sub-units of the Korean People 's Army , in North Korea in this image released by North Korea 's Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) on March 2 , 2020 .
North Korea fired three unidentified projectiles into the sea on Monday , Seoul 's military said , the second such weapons test by Pyongyang in a week .
The three devices were fired in a northeasterly direction from the Sondok area in South Hamgyong province , the South 's Joint Chiefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without further details .
`` The military is monitoring for additional launches and maintaining readiness , '' it added .
A spokesman at Japan 's defence ministry said North Korea launched what appeared to be `` ballistic missile ( s ) '' , adding there had been no indication of anything coming down in Tokyo 's territory or exclusive economic zone .
Analysts say the North has been continuing to refine its weapons capabilities during its long-stalled nuclear discussions with the US , which have been at a standstill since the collapse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Un and President Donald Trump more than a year ago .
Three projectiles fired successfully from a single Transporter Erector Launcher ( TEL ) would be `` a new milestone '' for the North 's short-range ballistic missile programme , tweeted Ankit Panda , senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists .
Vipin Narang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology added : `` Kim continues to test , improve , and operationalise his force . ''
After last week 's launch the North 's state media said Kim had overseen a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of multiple launch rocket systems and several of a larger calibre rocket being fired in a forest .
South Korea said that launch appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles -- which the nuclear-armed North is banned from testing under UN Security Council resolutions .
Monday 's launch came days after Kim sent a personal letter to the South 's President Moon Jae-in , offering `` comfort '' for the rapid outbreak of the new coronavirus in the country .
South Korea has one of the world 's largest infection totals outside China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insists it has not had a single case .
That message had followed an unprecedented statement by Kim 's younger sister Yo Jong , when she berated Seoul for its condemnation of Pyongyang 's weapons test last week was a `` truly senseless act '' and `` perfectly foolish '' .
The North carried out a series of weapons tests late last year , the last of them in November , which it often described as multiple launch rocket systems although others called them ballistic missiles .
It also conducted static engine tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set Washington a unilateral deadline of the end of 2019 to offer it fresh concessions on sanctions relief , and at a party meeting in late December Kim declared the North no longer considered itself bound by its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests .
He also threatened a demonstration of a `` new strategic weapon '' soon .
Pyongyang is under multiple sets of sanctions over its weapons programmes from the United Nations Security Council , US , South Korea and others .
Heightened tensions in 2017 were followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington , including three meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump , but little tangible progress was made .

North Korea fired three unidentified projectiles into the sea on Monday, Seoul's military said, the second such weapons test by Pyongyang in a week.
A missile is seen as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a drill of long-range artillery sub-units of the Korean People's Army, in North Korea in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 2, 2020.
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The three devices were fired in a northeasterly direction from the Sondok area in South Hamgyong province, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without further details.
"The military is monitoring for additional launches and maintaining readiness," it added.
A spokesman at Japan's defence ministry said North Korea launched what appeared to be "ballistic missile(s)", adding there had been no indication of anything coming down in Tokyo's territory or exclusive economic zone.
Analysts say the North has been continuing to refine its weapons capabilities during its long-stalled nuclear discussions with the US, which have been at a standstill since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump more than a year ago.
Three projectiles fired successfully from a single Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) would be "a new milestone" for the North's short-range ballistic missile programme, tweeted Ankit Panda, senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists.
Vipin Narang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology added: "Kim continues to test, improve, and operationalise his force."
After last week's launch the North's state media said Kim had overseen a "long-range artillery" drill, carrying images of multiple launch rocket systems and several of a larger calibre rocket being fired in a forest.
South Korea said that launch appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles -- which the nuclear-armed North is banned from testing under UN Security Council resolutions.
Personal letter
Monday's launch came days after Kim sent a personal letter to the South's President Moon Jae-in, offering "comfort" for the rapid outbreak of the new coronavirus in the country.
South Korea has one of the world's largest infection totals outside China with more than 7,300, while Pyongyang insists it has not had a single case.
That message had followed an unprecedented statement by Kim's younger sister Yo Jong, when she berated Seoul for its condemnation of Pyongyang's weapons test last week was a "truly senseless act" and "perfectly foolish".
The North carried out a series of weapons tests late last year, the last of them in November, which it often described as multiple launch rocket systems although others called them ballistic missiles.
It also conducted static engine tests, most recently in December.
Pyongyang set Washington a unilateral deadline of the end of 2019 to offer it fresh concessions on sanctions relief, and at a party meeting in late December Kim declared the North no longer considered itself bound by its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
He also threatened a demonstration of a "new strategic weapon" soon.
Pyongyang is under multiple sets of sanctions over its weapons programmes from the United Nations Security Council, US, South Korea and others.
Heightened tensions in 2017 were followed by two years of nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington, including three meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump, but little tangible progress was made.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-09--All of Italy on lockdown as coronavirus cases surge

A waiter stands by empty tables outside a restaurant at St Mark 's Square after the Italian government imposed a virtual lockdown on the north of Italy including Venice to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak , in Venice , Italy , March 9 , 2020 .
Global financial markets tanked , oil prices crashed and Italy extended strict quarantine meadures across the whole country on Monday as the deadly coronavirus disrupted economies and societies across the world .
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned `` the threat of a pandemic has become very real , '' but stressed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history that can be controlled '' .
The death toll from the novel coronavirus neared 4,000 , with more than 110,000 cases recorded in over 100 countries since the epidemic erupted in December in Wuhan , China .
It has disrupted global travel , and cancelled conferences and sporting events .
In Italy -- Europe 's hardest-hit country -- Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued unprecedented nationwide measures , telling his citizens to `` stay home '' , banning public gatherings and suspending all sporting events , including Serie A football matches .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a protected zone , '' he said , extending measures that had already been put in place in the country 's most affected northern regions -- mimicking a lockdown at the disease 's epicentre in China -- across the whole country .
Tens of millions of people are now in quarantine worldwide but there are fears that the disease will spread further and force several economies into recession .
The number of cases in Europe passed 15,000 on Monday as Germany and Canada reported their first coronavirus deaths , but the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there are signs the outbreak has peaked .
Ireland meanwhile announced that it was cancelling the annual St. Patrick 's Day Parade in Dublin .
France 's Culture Minister Franck Riester became the latest high-profile official to test positive .
It was also revealed that two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump are in self-quarantine after being exposed to the virus .
Republican Representative Doug Collins , who shook hands with Trump on Friday , and Matt Gaetz , who travelled with the president on Air Force One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close contact with an infected person at a conference 11 days ago .
Neither have reported any symptoms , and both are awaiting test results .
Coronavirus fears and the steepest fall in oil princes since the 1991 Gulf War sent markets into a tailspin , wiping hundreds of billions of dollars from exchanges and prompting analysts to dub it `` Black Monday '' .
Major US indices plunged more than seven percent -- with the Dow Jones finishing more than 2,000 points lower in its worst session since 2008 -- following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session triggered by a plunge .
Brazil 's Sao Paulo exchange also suspended trading briefly , and plummeted more than 12 percent .
European stock markets slumped dramatically , following a downturn in Asia , with indexes in London , Paris and Frankfurt falling by seven percent or more .
Millions of people have seen daily life disrupted by school closures -- with those announced Monday in Greece and Spain -- as well as runs on basic household goods and travel restrictions .
Italy reported 97 more deaths on Monday , bringing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total past 500 .
Italian officials faced a further headache after prisoners fearful of infection protested or rioted in 23 jails across the country -- leaving several dead .
Conte said `` it is our darkest hour but we will make it . ''
Sporting events continue to be severely disrupted , with the Indian Wells tournament in California cancelled .
Top-flight football matches across Europe were being played behind closed doors , and international rugby matches have also had several postponements .
There are mounting concerns that the United States -- the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- could be the next COVID-19 hotspot .
At least 22 people have died in the country and the number of cases has passed 500 as Trump 's administration struggled to deal with a virus-hit cruise ship stuck off the California coast .
The Grand Princess docked in Oakland on Monday with 21 confirmed infections among its 3,500 passengers .
The president has been accused of peddling misinformation on the outbreak , but he hit back on Sunday , accusing the media of trying to make his government `` look bad '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan '' .
Some forecasters are painting a doom-laden picture for the global economy , and several central banks have already intervened to prop up faltering economies .
The International Monetary Fund called on governments worldwide to join forces and roll out aggressive financial supports , including direct payments to workers and businesses .
European Union leaders will hold an emergency videoconference on Tuesday aimed at coordinating their response to the outbreak .
But there were signs that the peak may have been reached in both China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had closed most of the makeshift hospitals opened to receive coronavirus patients in the epidemic 's epicentre around Wuhan , as the number of new infections in the country hit a record low .
There were 40 new cases nationwide , the lowest number of fresh cases since it started reporting the data in January .
China has seen almost 75 percent of the global coronavirus cases .
The WHO reported that 70 percent of the people infected with the virus in China had recovered .
South Korea , which has one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported its smallest daily rise in cases for two weeks .
But Iran announced 43 new deaths on Monday , bringing its toll to 237 , and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cancelled an annual speech marking the start of the Persian new year .
Israel announced a two-week quarantine for all travellers entering the country .

Global financial markets tanked, oil prices crashed and Italy extended strict quarantine meadures across the whole country on Monday as the deadly coronavirus disrupted economies and societies across the world.
A waiter stands by empty tables outside a restaurant at St Mark's Square after the Italian government imposed a virtual lockdown on the north of Italy including Venice to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak, in Venice, Italy, March 9, 2020.
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WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned "the threat of a pandemic has become very real," but stressed that "it would be the first pandemic in history that can be controlled".
The death toll from the novel coronavirus has now passed 4,000, with more than 114,000 cases recorded in over 100 countries since the epidemic erupted in December in Wuhan, China. It has disrupted global travel, and cancelled conferences and sporting events.
In Italy – Europe's hardest-hit country – Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued unprecedented nationwide measures, telling his citizens to "stay home", banning public gatherings and suspending all sporting events, including Serie A football matches.
"The whole of Italy will become a protected zone," he said, extending measures that had already been put in place in the country's most affected northern regions – mimicking a lockdown at the disease's epicentre in China – across the whole country.
00:35
The Lombardy region, which is one of the Italian regions most affected by the virus outbreak, has started to run out of hospital beds.
Under the decree, all swimming pools, spas, sports halls and ski resorts have been shut, along with museums and cultural venues. Bars and restaurants are only allowed to open between 6am and 6pm, and only if it is possible to keep a distance of at least a metre between customers.
Schools and universities have also been closed, and all exams cancelled.
Religious institutions will stay open, as long as people can stay a metre from one another – but ceremonies such as marriages, baptisms and funerals are banned.
Tens of millions of people are now in quarantine worldwide but there are fears that the disease will spread further and force several economies into recession.
The number of cases in Europe passed 15,000 on Monday as Germany and Canada reported their first coronavirus deaths, but the vast majority of fatalities have been in China, where there are signs the outbreak has peaked.
Ireland meanwhile announced that it was cancelling the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.
France's Culture Minister Franck Riester became the latest high-profile official to test positive.
It was also revealed that two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump are in self-quarantine after being exposed to the virus.
Republican Representative Doug Collins, who shook hands with Trump on Friday, and Matt Gaetz, who travelled with the president on Air Force One on Monday, said they came in close contact with an infected person at a conference 11 days ago. Neither have reported any symptoms, and both are awaiting test results.
'Black Monday'
Coronavirus fears and the steepest fall in oil princes since the 1991 Gulf War sent markets into a tailspin, wiping hundreds of billions of dollars from exchanges and prompting analysts to dub it "Black Monday".
Major US indices plunged more than seven percent – with the Dow Jones finishing more than 2,000 points lower in its worst session since 2008 – following a 15-minute halt to trading early in the session triggered by a plunge.
Brazil's Sao Paulo exchange also suspended trading briefly, and plummeted more than 12 percent.
European stock markets slumped dramatically, following a downturn in Asia, with indexes in London, Paris and Frankfurt falling by seven percent or more.
Millions of people have seen daily life disrupted by school closures – with those announced Monday in Greece and Spain – as well as runs on basic household goods and travel restrictions.
Italy reported 97 more deaths on Monday, bringing its toll to 463 and pushing Europe's total past 500.
Italian officials faced a further headache after prisoners fearful of infection protested or rioted in 23 jails across the country – leaving several dead.
Conte said "it is our darkest hour but we will make it."
Sporting events continue to be severely disrupted, with the Indian Wells tournament in California cancelled.
Top-flight football matches across Europe were being played behind closed doors, and international rugby matches have also had several postponements.
US cases surge
There are mounting concerns that the United States – the world's largest and most connected economy – could be the next COVID-19 hotspot.
At least 22 people have died in the country and the number of cases has passed 500 as Trump's administration struggled to deal with a virus-hit cruise ship stuck off the California coast.
The Grand Princess docked in Oakland on Monday with 21 confirmed infections among its 3,500 passengers.
The president has been accused of peddling misinformation on the outbreak, but he hit back on Sunday, accusing the media of trying to make his government "look bad", tweeting that the White House had a "perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan".
Spread slowing in China
Some forecasters are painting a doom-laden picture for the global economy, and several central banks have already intervened to prop up faltering economies.
The International Monetary Fund called on governments worldwide to join forces and roll out aggressive financial supports, including direct payments to workers and businesses.
European Union leaders will hold an emergency videoconference on Tuesday aimed at coordinating their response to the outbreak.
But there were signs that the peak may have been reached in both China and South Korea.
China said it had closed most of the makeshift hospitals opened to receive coronavirus patients in the epidemic's epicentre around Wuhan, as the number of new infections in the country hit a record low.
There were 40 new cases nationwide, the lowest number of fresh cases since it started reporting the data in January. China has seen almost 75 percent of the global coronavirus cases.
The WHO reported that 70 percent of the people infected with the virus in China had recovered.
South Korea, which has one of the largest coronavirus totals outside China, reported its smallest daily rise in cases for two weeks.
But Iran announced 43 new deaths on Monday, bringing its toll to 237, and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cancelled an annual speech marking the start of the Persian new year.
Israel announced a two-week quarantine for all travellers entering the country.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-09--Two US lawmakers exposed to coronavirus before meeting Trump now in self-quarantine

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Georgia Governor Brian Kemp ( R-GA ) beside Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) at Dobbins Air National Guard Base in Marietta , Georgia , U.S. , March 6 , 2020 .
Picture taken March 6 , 2020 .
Two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump announced Monday that they were in self-quarantine after being exposed to the new coronavirus at a late-February conservative conference .
Republican Representative Doug Collins , who met and shook hands with Trump last Friday at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with a person who tested positive for the new coronavirus at the conference last month .
A second representative , Matt Gaetz , who traveled with Trump on Air Force One on Monday , likewise announced his self-quarantine after being notified that he too had come in close contact with the infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) 11 days ago .
Neither Collins nor Gaetz reported any symptoms of the virus .
`` I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today and expects results soon , '' Gaetz 's office said on his Twitter account .
Collins was with Trump last Friday visiting the Atlanta , Georgia CDC headquarters where they were briefed on the virus 's spread .
A photograph published by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal shows the two shaking hands at what appears to be an airport during the visit .
The newspaper said Collins was also in close contact with the state 's governor , Brian Kemp , and Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler -- who Collins is challenging for election in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the White House .
Five US lawmakers have now said they are distancing themselves from others after coming in contact with coronavirus-infected individuals .
The other three are Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Republican Representative Paul Gosar , both of whom also were exposed at the CPAC conference , and Democratic congresswoman Julia Brownley .
Earlier Monday Trump downplayed the threat of the disease , which has recorded more than 600 cases of the COVID-19 virus in the US , and 26 deaths .
`` So last year 37,000 Americans died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,000 and 70,000 per year .
Nothing is shut down , life & the economy go on .
At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus , with 22 deaths .

Two US lawmakers with recent close contacts with President Donald Trump announced Monday that they were in self-quarantine after being exposed to the new coronavirus at a late-February conservative conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) beside Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) at Dobbins Air National Guard Base in Marietta, Georgia, U.S., March 6, 2020. Picture taken March 6, 2020.
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Republican Representative Doug Collins, who met and shook hands with Trump last Friday at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control, said he had been informed he had been in contact with a person who tested positive for the new coronavirus at the conference last month.
A second representative, Matt Gaetz, who travelled with Trump on Air Force One on Monday, likewise announced his self-quarantine after being notified that he too had come in close contact with the infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 11 days ago.
Neither Collins nor Gaetz reported any symptoms of the virus.
"I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution," Collins said.
"He received testing today and expects results soon," Gaetz's office said on his Twitter account.
Collins was with Trump last Friday visiting the Atlanta, Georgia CDC headquarters where they were briefed on the virus's spread.
A photograph published by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal shows the two shaking hands at what appears to be an airport during the visit.
The newspaper said Collins was also in close contact with the state's governor, Brian Kemp, and Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler -- who Collins is challenging for election in November.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Five US lawmakers have now said they are distancing themselves from others after coming in contact with coronavirus-infected individuals.
The other three are Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Republican Representative Paul Gosar, both of whom also were exposed at the CPAC conference, and Democratic congresswoman Julia Brownley.
Earlier Monday Trump downplayed the threat of the disease, which has recorded more than 600 cases of the COVID-19 virus in the US, and 26 deaths.
"So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-09--France's culture minister has coronavirus

French Culture Minister Franck Riester has been infected by the coronavirus outbreak , a source close to the culture ministry said on Monday , adding the 46-year-old member of government was `` feeling well '' .
`` The minister tested positive today '' after displaying symptoms , the ministry said .
It noted that Riester spent several days last week at the country 's lower house National Assembly , where five virus cases were confirmed earlier .
The prime minister 's office said that the rules for ministers with the virus `` are the same for all French people '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to minimise the chances of the disease spreading .
The culture minister has not met French President Emmanuel Macron for several days , the source close to the culture ministry said .
One of the European countries hit hardest by the coronavirus , France 's tally reached 25 deaths and 1,412 cases on Monday evening ( up by 286 from the previous day ) .
The disease has killed nearly 4,000 worldwide .
Having banned large public gatherings at the end of February , France will see its first match with no fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadium on Wednesday .
Meanwhile the Louvre said on Monday it was restricting entry to the world 's most visited museum , as concerts were cancelled across France , including Madonna 's Paris concerts as part of her `` Madame X '' tours .

French Culture Minister Franck Riester has been infected by the coronavirus outbreak, a source close to the culture ministry said on Monday, adding the 46-year-old member of government was "feeling well".
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"The minister tested positive today" after displaying symptoms, the ministry said.
It noted that Riester spent several days last week at the country's lower house National Assembly, where five virus cases were confirmed earlier.
The prime minister's office said that the rules for ministers with the virus "are the same for all French people" including acting with caution and taking measures to minimise the chances of the disease spreading.
>> Read more: Louvre restricts entry, French concerts cancelled over coronavirus fears
The culture minister has not met French President Emmanuel Macron for several days, the source close to the culture ministry said.
One of the European countries hit hardest by the coronavirus, France's tally reached 25 deaths and 1,412 cases on Monday evening (up by 286 from the previous day). The disease has killed nearly 4,000 worldwide.
Having banned large public gatherings at the end of February, France will see its first match with no fans in 10 years at PSG’s stadium on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the Louvre said on Monday it was restricting entry to the world's most visited museum, as concerts were cancelled across France, including Madonna's Paris concerts as part of her "Madame X" tours.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-03-09--'Very real' threat of coronavirus outbreak becoming pandemic, WHO says

Director General of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus ( COVID-2019 ) , in Geneva , Switzerland , February 28 , 2020 .
The coronavirus is closer to causing a pandemic but outbreaks in countries can still be controled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said on Monday .
`` Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries , the threat of a pandemic has become very real , '' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference .
`` But it would be the first pandemic that could be controlled .
The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of the virus . ''
Four countries account for 93 % of the nearly 110,000 cases worldwide , Tedros said .
`` We are encouraged that Italy is taking aggressive measures to contain its epidemic and we hope that those measures prove effective in the coming days , '' he added .
According to an AFP tally Monday , the number of deaths in Europe from the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump in Italy from 366 to 463 deaths .
The figure tallies 21 deaths in France , 16 in Spain , four in Britain , three in the Netherlands , two in Switzerland and two in Germany .

The coronavirus is closer to causing a pandemic but outbreaks in countries can still be controled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020.
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"Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference. "But it would be the first pandemic that could be controlled. The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of the virus."
Four countries account for 93% of the nearly 110,000 cases worldwide, Tedros said. "We are encouraged that Italy is taking aggressive measures to contain its epidemic and we hope that those measures prove effective in the coming days," he added.
>> Read more: France's culture minister has coronavirus
According to an AFP tally Monday, the number of deaths in Europe from the coronavirus has topped 500, including the latest jump in Italy from 366 to 463 deaths. The figure tallies 21 deaths in France, 16 in Spain, four in Britain, three in the Netherlands, two in Switzerland and two in Germany.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-03-09--Balkany dynasty: Local power couple manoeuvres to hold on to posh Paris suburb

Levallois-Perret 's Mayor Patrick Balkany and his wife and Deputy Mayor Isabelle Balkany pose with members of the municipal police force in Levallois-Perret , outside Paris , on May 7 , 2015 .
For nearly four decades , Patrick Balkany has been the centre-right mayor of the upscale Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret , with his wife Isabelle often acting as his deputy .
But last year they were convicted of tax fraud and money laundering , resulting in jail sentences and barring them from running in the city ’ s March elections .
They have since named an heir-designate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – is a way to prolong the Balkany dynasty .
It ’ s Friday morning and the local farmers ’ market in front of Levallois-Perret ’ s majestic town hall is buzzing with activity .
“ Shall we go get the oysters now ?
” a sophisticated-looking middle-aged woman asks her friend , while they stroll through the neat rows of white tents that have been set up in the town hall ’ s courtyard .
Although this town of 63,500 inhabitants touches the western fringes of the French capital , Levallois-Perret – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flowerbeds and cobblestoned pedestrian streets – is not like any other Parisian suburb .
Here , inhabitants feel safe to leave their shopping caddies unattended and their bicycles unlocked while going about their weekly shopping .
But Levallois-Perret has not always been the suburban dream it is today .
Up until 1983 , when Patrick and Isabelle Balkany first became the city ’ s first couple , it was a run-down industrial town dominated by factories , low-rent social housing ( known as HLM in France ) , and a diverse , mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple has orchestrated a massive overhaul of the city – cleaning up its streets and squares , replacing factories and HLMs with smart offices and apartment blocks , and embellishing the overall landscape with parks , trees and flowers .
Under the Balkanys , Levallois-Perret has developed into a flourishing hub of comfort and security , and is known nationwide for its exceptional citizen services : free local buses , discount trips to far-away destinations and lavish Christmas baskets – containing foie gras and champagne – donated to the elderly with great fanfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s , Levallois-Perret became the first city in France to install video surveillance cameras and arm its local police officers .
“ The mayor has transformed this city , which was nothing but an industrial wasteland before he came to power , ” Nathalie , a resident who only wanted to give her first name , told FRANCE 24 .
“ He and his team have built this city , in every sense and meaning of the word.
” 'Far from everyone likes them here' But the couple ’ s management of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For years now , Levallois-Perret has topped the list as France ’ s most indebted city per capita , and the couple have regularly been subject to legal woes .
In 1996 they were convicted of the `` misappropriation of public funds for personal gain '' after putting some of their household workers on the municipal payroll .
In September last year , they were convicted of tax fraud involving private assets and , a month later , for money laundering .
Despite appealing their convictions , a Paris court in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 elections .
Since then , Levallois-Perret has been thrown into a full election frenzy .
“ This is the first time in almost 40 years that we have an election without Balkany , so everyone has jumped on the opportunity , ” says Frédéric Léger , who is representing a long list of leftist parties in the elections .
Since the Balkanys arrived in the city 37 years ago , they have only lost a single mandate – against conservative politician Olivier de Chazeaux back in 1995 .
“ But [ de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he decided to reduce the number of presents handed out to the seniors , ” Léger scoffs , explaining that even though the Balkanys may have a multitude of accusations hanging over their heads – including persistent rumours of cronyism – “ most people seem to have less of a problem with that than with having their advantages taken away ” .
“ Far from everyone likes them here ; it ’ s just that those who don ’ t prefer to stay quiet about it , ” he says , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first round of the 2014 elections the abstention rate was 36.6 percent .
“ That kind of speaks for itself , ” he says .
By every entrance leading into the farmers ' market , dozens of campaigners in different-coloured vests compete in waving down inhabitants to hand out election leaflets and pitch their candidates .
In January , the campaigning in Levallois-Perret got so out of hand that the government issued a decree to stop campaigners from disregarding the country ’ s terror threat guidelines by gathering outside schools to pitch to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s been a bit crazy .
I think people are starting to get enough of it , ” Léger says .
The blue vests seem to outnumber the other campaigners by far – at least a dozen can be seen circulating through the market , and their leaflets have been handed out to the point that some of them have now spilled onto nearby sidewalks .
“ The blue team ” represents Agnès Pottier-Dumas and her running mate David-Xavier Weiss , who were recently appointed by the Balkanys as their designated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Oh I don ’ t like the word ‘ heir ’ , because it makes it sound as if we ’ re already dead , ” Isabelle Balkany jokingly tells FRANCE 24 in a telephone interview after learning through the grapevine that one of its journalists is in Levallois-Perret reporting on the local elections .
Pottier-Dumas , 34 , is a Balkany veteran who joined the couple ’ s political machine 15 years ago – first as Patrick Balkany ’ s parliamentary assistant and most recently as the town hall ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to repeated requests for an interview , but has previously told French media that she in no way should be regarded as a “ Balkany puppet ” .
Ever since the Balkanys were forced to withdraw their election bid , they have thrown their full weight behind their young protégé in a bid to help her win : Isabelle Balkany can often be seen campaigning alongside Pottier-Dumas , and posts almost daily about the candidate on her social media accounts using the hashtag # TeamBalkany .
“ # TeamBalkany means that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean , it ’ s a label that reassures some inhabitants , ” Isabelle Balkany says , with a nod to the many Levalloisiens who have supported her and her husband over the years .
Pottier-Dumas also regularly posts photos of herself kissing and hugging the Balkanys , but has so far eschewed the application of the # TeamBalkany hashtag to her posts .
On the front door of her campaign headquarters – located just a few steps from the town hall – a signed letter from Patrick Balkany has been taped onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Balkany expresses his “ profound sadness ” at having been prevented from taking part in the upcoming elections himself , but pleads for the city ’ s inhabitants to vote for Pottier-Dumas to “ preserve ” the city ’ s high quality of life .
Inside her campaign office , a large , framed portrait of Levallois-Perret ’ s mayoral couple hangs centred on the wall , and large stacks of Pottier-Dumas campaign leaflets – headlined “ le bien-vivre ” ( the good life ) , the Balkanys ’ own slogan for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much everything else with a flat surface .
FRANCE 24 was turned away after requesting an interview with one of the members of the Pottier-Dumas campaign crew .
“ We ’ re busy , we don ’ t have time for you , ” they said .
Nathalie , a Levalloisienne for the past two years and a fervent supporter of the Balkany couple , says that there ’ s no question that she will cast her vote for Pottier-Dumas come March 15 .
“ She ’ s worked alongside Patrick Balkany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her political programme , it respects what ’ s made Levallois so successful .
She ( Pottier-Dumas ) intends to continue the important work carried out by Isabelle and Patrick , and from which each and every Levalloisien benefits from in a calm , green , relaxing atmosphere.
” Delphine , a 40-year-old Levallois-Perret native who declined to give her real name for fear of repercussions , says she has no confidence in the Balkanys ' preferred town hall candidate whatsoever .
“ I have one dream , and that is that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve put together a team of puppets to replace them .
If [ Pottier-Dumas ] wins , they will stay in power , ruling from behind the scenes.
” Delphine , whose family has lived in Levallois-Perret for generations , says she feels disgusted by the way the city has changed since the Balkanys arrived in the early 1980s .
“ It used to be a very diverse and authentic city , but the people who used to live here have since been chased away and what ’ s been considered ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ It ’ s a city only for the white , upper-middle class now.
” Delphine also denounces the preferential , bribe-like system the couple have been accused of applying to control Levallois-Perret citizens .
“ They buy people ’ s votes with their ‘ amazing ’ presents , but what people don ’ t realise is that they ’ re just indebting Levallois even more .
And if you show that you ’ re against them in any way , they can punish you by not giving you that nursery spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been waiting for.
” “ That ’ s not democracy , ” she says , but admits that she , too , has – and will most likely continue to – benefit from the advantages of living in the city .
“ Have you heard of le Chalet Les Abeilles ?
, ” she asks with a smirk .
“ I ’ ve been there .
It ’ s the Levallois ’ s own ski chalet in Chantemerles in the Alps , where you can go for a very cheap sum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has a restaurant , disco , bar , hammam ( spa ) and everything .
But you need connections in town hall to secure a spot.
” Today , she enjoys a near half-price discount for her aqua aerobics classes at the local gym .
“ I pay around €250 a year , and non-Levalloisiens pay about double.
” But , she says , “ deep inside I feel really guilty about it because it means I ’ m actually participating in this mafia-like system ” .
Jean-Charles Deniau , a journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , l ’ impuni ” ( Balkany , the unpunished ) , says that “ the Balkany system ” is a real problem for Levallois-Perret – and that it would take a lot for the city to rid itself of the couple ’ s legacy even if they no longer hold official positions .
“ The Balkanys are political beasts who have politics in their blood – they won ’ t give up [ their power ] that easily .
For them , Dumas-Pottier is a puppet whose strings they will try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Balkanys , she owes them everything she is today , and so she has an interest in staying loyal to them .
But time will tell , of course.
” On March 4 , an appeals court ruled to lower Patrick Balkany ’ s four-year jail term for tax fraud to three years , and confirmed Isabelle Balkany ’ s three-year prison sentence .
It also banned them from holding office for the next 10 years .
Next month , a court will rule on their appeals regarding the money laundering case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent a day behind bars due to a recent suicide attempt , her husband spent almost six months in jail before he was transferred to house arrest in February after suffering from various health problems .
Isabelle Balkany declined to speculate on how she and her husband plan to stay involved with the city and its inhabitants in the future .
“ Step by step , ” she says .
“ Step by step.
” France 's 2020 municipal elections take place on March 15 and March 22 .
The municipal candidates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Républicains , The Union of Democrats and Independents ) Maud Bregeon ( The Republic on the Move )

For nearly four decades, Patrick Balkany has been the centre-right mayor of the upscale Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, with his wife Isabelle often acting as his deputy. But last year they were convicted of tax fraud and money laundering, resulting in jail sentences and barring them from running in the city’s March elections. They have since named an heir-designate, whom some hope – and others fear – is a way to prolong the Balkany dynasty.
Levallois-Perret's Mayor Patrick Balkany and his wife and Deputy Mayor Isabelle Balkany pose with members of the municipal police force in Levallois-Perret, outside Paris, on May 7, 2015.
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It’s Friday morning and the local farmers’ market in front of Levallois-Perret’s majestic town hall is buzzing with activity.
“Shall we go get the oysters now?” a sophisticated-looking middle-aged woman asks her friend, while they stroll through the neat rows of white tents that have been set up in the town hall’s courtyard. Although this town of 63,500 inhabitants touches the western fringes of the French capital, Levallois-Perret – with its perfectly trimmed tree-lines, pretty flowerbeds and cobblestoned pedestrian streets – is not like any other Parisian suburb. Here, inhabitants feel safe to leave their shopping caddies unattended and their bicycles unlocked while going about their weekly shopping.
The Friday farmers market in the upscale town of Levallois-Perret, west of Paris. © Louise Nordstrom, FRANCE 24
But Levallois-Perret has not always been the suburban dream it is today. Up until 1983, when Patrick and Isabelle Balkany first became the city’s first couple, it was a run-down industrial town dominated by factories, low-rent social housing (known as HLM in France), and a diverse, mainly working-class population. Since then, the couple has orchestrated a massive overhaul of the city – cleaning up its streets and squares, replacing factories and HLMs with smart offices and apartment blocks, and embellishing the overall landscape with parks, trees and flowers. Under the Balkanys, Levallois-Perret has developed into a flourishing hub of comfort and security, and is known nationwide for its exceptional citizen services: free local buses, discount trips to far-away destinations and lavish Christmas baskets – containing foie gras and champagne – donated to the elderly with great fanfare at an annual ceremony. In the 1990s, Levallois-Perret became the first city in France to install video surveillance cameras and arm its local police officers.
“The mayor has transformed this city, which was nothing but an industrial wasteland before he came to power,” Nathalie, a resident who only wanted to give her first name, told FRANCE 24. “He and his team have built this city, in every sense and meaning of the word.”
The majestic town hall in Levallois-Perret © Louise Nordstrom, FRANCE 24
'Far from everyone likes them here'
But the couple’s management of the city has had its share of controversies. For years now, Levallois-Perret has topped the list as France’s most indebted city per capita, and the couple have regularly been subject to legal woes. In 1996 they were convicted of the "misappropriation of public funds for personal gain" after putting some of their household workers on the municipal payroll. In September last year, they were convicted of tax fraud involving private assets and, a month later, for money laundering. Despite appealing their convictions, a Paris court in December barred them from running in the March 15 elections. Since then, Levallois-Perret has been thrown into a full election frenzy.
“This is the first time in almost 40 years that we have an election without Balkany, so everyone has jumped on the opportunity,” says Frédéric Léger, who is representing a long list of leftist parties in the elections. Since the Balkanys arrived in the city 37 years ago, they have only lost a single mandate – against conservative politician Olivier de Chazeaux back in 1995.
“But [de Chazeaux] only lasted one term because he decided to reduce the number of presents handed out to the seniors,” Léger scoffs, explaining that even though the Balkanys may have a multitude of accusations hanging over their heads – including persistent rumours of cronyism – “most people seem to have less of a problem with that than with having their advantages taken away”.
“Far from everyone likes them here; it’s just that those who don’t prefer to stay quiet about it,” he says, noting that while Balkany scored 51 percent in the first round of the 2014 elections the abstention rate was 36.6 percent.
“That kind of speaks for itself,” he says.
Frédéric Léger, leftist candidate in the 2020 local elections in Levallois-Perret, west of Paris © Louise Nordstrom, FRANCE 24
‘Heir’ sounds like we’re dead
By every entrance leading into the farmers' market, dozens of campaigners in different-coloured vests compete in waving down inhabitants to hand out election leaflets and pitch their candidates. In January, the campaigning in Levallois-Perret got so out of hand that the government issued a decree to stop campaigners from disregarding the country’s terror threat guidelines by gathering outside schools to pitch to parents waiting for their children.
“It’s been a bit crazy. I think people are starting to get enough of it,” Léger says.
Since a court barred the Balkany couple from running in the 2020 local elections; Levallois-Perret has been struck by an election campaign frenzy. © Louise Nordstrom, FRANCE 24
The blue vests seem to outnumber the other campaigners by far – at least a dozen can be seen circulating through the market, and their leaflets have been handed out to the point that some of them have now spilled onto nearby sidewalks. “The blue team” represents Agnès Pottier-Dumas and her running mate David-Xavier Weiss, who were recently appointed by the Balkanys as their designated heirs to take over town hall.
“Oh I don’t like the word ‘heir’, because it makes it sound as if we’re already dead,” Isabelle Balkany jokingly tells FRANCE 24 in a telephone interview after learning through the grapevine that one of its journalists is in Levallois-Perret reporting on the local elections.
Pottier-Dumas, 34, is a Balkany veteran who joined the couple’s political machine 15 years ago – first as Patrick Balkany’s parliamentary assistant and most recently as the town hall’s chief of staff. Pottier-Dumas did not respond to repeated requests for an interview, but has previously told French media that she in no way should be regarded as a “Balkany puppet”.
La continuité dans la lignée de Patrick et @ibalkany 💙💛avec @AgnesPottierD et @DXWEISS92300 . Likez retweetez ! Merci ! ⬇⬇ pic.twitter.com/g5f7Vj5Ww9 — Page de soutien à #teamBalkany (@PageBalkany) February 21, 2020
#TeamBalkany
Ever since the Balkanys were forced to withdraw their election bid, they have thrown their full weight behind their young protégé in a bid to help her win: Isabelle Balkany can often be seen campaigning alongside Pottier-Dumas, and posts almost daily about the candidate on her social media accounts using the hashtag #TeamBalkany.
“#TeamBalkany means that she’s a part of … I mean, it’s a label that reassures some inhabitants,” Isabelle Balkany says, with a nod to the many Levalloisiens who have supported her and her husband over the years.
Pottier-Dumas also regularly posts photos of herself kissing and hugging the Balkanys, but has so far eschewed the application of the #TeamBalkany hashtag to her posts. On the front door of her campaign headquarters – located just a few steps from the town hall – a signed letter from Patrick Balkany has been taped onto the glass. In the letter, Balkany expresses his “profound sadness” at having been prevented from taking part in the upcoming elections himself, but pleads for the city’s inhabitants to vote for Pottier-Dumas to “preserve” the city’s high quality of life.
Inside her campaign office, a large, framed portrait of Levallois-Perret’s mayoral couple hangs centred on the wall, and large stacks of Pottier-Dumas campaign leaflets – headlined “le bien-vivre” (the good life), the Balkanys’ own slogan for many decades – have been placed on pretty much everything else with a flat surface.
FRANCE 24 was turned away after requesting an interview with one of the members of the Pottier-Dumas campaign crew.
“We’re busy, we don’t have time for you,” they said.
Nathalie, a Levalloisienne for the past two years and a fervent supporter of the Balkany couple, says that there’s no question that she will cast her vote for Pottier-Dumas come March 15. “She’s worked alongside Patrick Balkany,” she says. “I like her political programme, it respects what’s made Levallois so successful. She (Pottier-Dumas) intends to continue the important work carried out by Isabelle and Patrick, and from which each and every Levalloisien benefits from in a calm, green, relaxing atmosphere.”
The Levallois-Perret logo © Louise Nordstrom, FRANCE 24
Chalet in the Alps
Delphine, a 40-year-old Levallois-Perret native who declined to give her real name for fear of repercussions, says she has no confidence in the Balkanys' preferred town hall candidate whatsoever.
“I have one dream, and that is that the Balkanys leave Levallois. But now they’ve put together a team of puppets to replace them. If [Pottier-Dumas] wins, they will stay in power, ruling from behind the scenes.”
Delphine, whose family has lived in Levallois-Perret for generations, says she feels disgusted by the way the city has changed since the Balkanys arrived in the early 1980s.
“It used to be a very diverse and authentic city, but the people who used to live here have since been chased away and what’s been considered ‘ugly’ has been flattened and replaced.”
“It’s a city only for the white, upper-middle class now.”
Delphine also denounces the preferential, bribe-like system the couple have been accused of applying to control Levallois-Perret citizens.
“They buy people’s votes with their ‘amazing’ presents, but what people don’t realise is that they’re just indebting Levallois even more. And if you show that you’re against them in any way, they can punish you by not giving you that nursery spot, or that apartment, that you’ve been waiting for.”
“That’s not democracy,” she says, but admits that she, too, has – and will most likely continue to – benefit from the advantages of living in the city.
“Have you heard of le Chalet Les Abeilles?,” she asks with a smirk. “I’ve been there. It’s the Levallois’s own ski chalet in Chantemerles in the Alps, where you can go for a very cheap sum if you’re a Levalloisien. It has a restaurant, disco, bar, hammam (spa) and everything. But you need connections in town hall to secure a spot.”
Today, she enjoys a near half-price discount for her aqua aerobics classes at the local gym. “I pay around €250 a year, and non-Levalloisiens pay about double.”
But, she says, “deep inside I feel really guilty about it because it means I’m actually participating in this mafia-like system”.
Jean-Charles Deniau, a journalist and author of the book “Balkany, l’impuni” (Balkany, the unpunished), says that “the Balkany system” is a real problem for Levallois-Perret – and that it would take a lot for the city to rid itself of the couple’s legacy even if they no longer hold official positions.
“The Balkanys are political beasts who have politics in their blood – they won’t give up [their power] that easily. For them, Dumas-Pottier is a puppet whose strings they will try to pull.”
“She was created by the Balkanys, she owes them everything she is today, and so she has an interest in staying loyal to them. But time will tell, of course.”
On March 4, an appeals court ruled to lower Patrick Balkany’s four-year jail term for tax fraud to three years, and confirmed Isabelle Balkany’s three-year prison sentence. It also banned them from holding office for the next 10 years.
Next month, a court will rule on their appeals regarding the money laundering case. While Isabelle Balkany has not yet spent a day behind bars due to a recent suicide attempt, her husband spent almost six months in jail before he was transferred to house arrest in February after suffering from various health problems.
Isabelle Balkany declined to speculate on how she and her husband plan to stay involved with the city and its inhabitants in the future.
“Step by step,” she says. “Step by step.”
France's 2020 municipal elections take place on March 15 and March 22.
The municipal candidates in Levallois-Perret are:
Agnès Pottier-Dumas (Les Républicains, The Union of Democrats and Independents)
Arnaud de Courson (Miscellaneous right)
Sylvie Ramond (Miscellaneous right)
Maud Bregeon (The Republic on the Move)
Lies Messatfa (Mouvement Radical)
Frédéric Léger (Green party, Socialist Party, French Communist Party, France Unbowed party, Génération.s party).
Philippe Coste (National Rally)
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france24--2020-03-09--US starts withdrawing troops from Afghanistan

In this file photo taken on April 18 , 2013 A US army soldier walks past the United States flag flying at half mast at Forward Base Honaker Miracle at Watahpur District in Kunar province .
American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement , the U.S. military confirmed Monday , amid political chaos in Kabul that threatens the deal .
Army Col. Sonny Leggett , spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan , said in a statement that the U.S. is moving ahead with plans to cut the number of forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8,600 over the next four and a half months .
Another U.S. official said hundreds of troops have headed out of the country as previously planned , but they will not be replaced .
The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the movement ahead of a public announcement .
The pullout comes as Afghanistan 's rival leaders were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies Monday , creating a complication for the United States as it figures out how to move forward on the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharpening dispute between President Ashraf Ghani , who was declared the winner of last September 's election , and his rival Abdullah Abdullah , who charged fraud in the vote along with the elections complaints commission , threatens to wreck the next key steps and even risks devolving into new violence .
The U.S. has not tied the withdrawal to political stability in Afghanistan or any specific outcome from the all-Afghan peace talks .
Instead , it depends on the Taliban meeting its commitment to prevent “ any group or individual , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.
” Under the peace agreement , the U.S. troop withdrawal had to begin within 10 days after the deal was signed on Feb. 29 .
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said March 2 that he had already approved the start of the withdrawal , which would then be coordinated by military commanders in Afghanistan .
The U.S. official said the troops leaving now had been scheduled to depart , but they will not be replaced .
Esper has said Gen. Scott Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will pause the withdrawal and assess conditions once the troop level goes down to 8,600 .
Leggett said the U.S. military in Afghanistan will maintain “ all the military means and authorities to accomplish our objectives , including conducting counterterrorism operations ” against al-Qaida and the Islamic State 's affiliate in the country , and will maintain support for Afghan forces..
The long-term plan is for the U.S. to remove all troops within 14 months if security conditions are met .
The agreement with the Taliban followed a seven-day “ reduction in violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration 's viewpoint , was meant to test the Taliban 's seriousness about moving toward a final peace agreement .

American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, the U.S. military confirmed Monday, amid political chaos in Kabul that threatens the deal.
In this file photo taken on April 18, 2013 A US army soldier walks past the United States flag flying at half mast at Forward Base Honaker Miracle at Watahpur District in Kunar province.
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Army Col. Sonny Leggett, spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement that the U.S. is moving ahead with plans to cut the number of forces in the country from about 13,000 to 8,600 over the next four and a half months.
Another U.S. official said hundreds of troops have headed out of the country as previously planned, but they will not be replaced. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the movement ahead of a public announcement.
The pullout comes as Afghanistan's rival leaders were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies Monday, creating a complication for the United States as it figures out how to move forward on the deal and end the 18-year war.
The sharpening dispute between President Ashraf Ghani, who was declared the winner of last September's election, and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who charged fraud in the vote along with the elections complaints commission, threatens to wreck the next key steps and even risks devolving into new violence.
The U.S. has not tied the withdrawal to political stability in Afghanistan or any specific outcome from the all-Afghan peace talks. Instead, it depends on the Taliban meeting its commitment to prevent “any group or individual, including al-Qaida, from using the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.”
Under the peace agreement, the U.S. troop withdrawal had to begin within 10 days after the deal was signed on Feb. 29. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said March 2 that he had already approved the start of the withdrawal, which would then be coordinated by military commanders in Afghanistan.
The U.S. official said the troops leaving now had been scheduled to depart, but they will not be replaced. Esper has said Gen. Scott Miller, the U.S. commander in Kabul, will pause the withdrawal and assess conditions once the troop level goes down to 8,600.
Leggett said the U.S. military in Afghanistan will maintain “all the military means and authorities to accomplish our objectives, including conducting counterterrorism operations” against al-Qaida and the Islamic State's affiliate in the country, and will maintain support for Afghan forces..
The long-term plan is for the U.S. to remove all troops within 14 months if security conditions are met.
The agreement with the Taliban followed a seven-day “reduction in violence” period that, from the Trump administration's viewpoint, was meant to test the Taliban's seriousness about moving toward a final peace agreement.
(AP)
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france24--2020-03-09--Dozens killed in northern Burkina Faso attack

Gunmen killed at least 43 people in attacks on two villages in northern Burkina Faso , the government said Monday .
Armed men attacked Dinguila and Barga villages in Yatenga province , the government said in a statement on Monday .
The military was dispatched to secure the villages and at least six injured were taken to the central hospital in nearby Ouahigouya , said the statement .
Government spokesman Remis Fulgance Dandjinou told The Associated Press he did n't know who was behind the violence .
The villages that were attacked , however , are known to be populated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by local defense groups and the army for their alleged affiliation with jihadists .
A resident from Ouahigouya , who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety , told the AP that the attacks occurred after jihadists sought shelter in the town of Dinguila .
Local defense groups followed the extremists to the town and massacred people , he said .
`` This is also one of the areas where we have identified a significant risk of increased stigmatization against the Fulani , '' said William Assanvo , senior researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the first massacre of this scale in that area , he said .
This trend is also occurring in neighboring Mali , said Christian Poonwah , director of Safer Access Consulting , an international security company in Ouagadougou .
`` This speaks to the wider trend of growing fault lines between local communities .
This is further exacerbated by extremist groups capitalizing on the inter-communal violence and attracting targeted communities to their side , '' he said .
Attacks by militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaida have shaken the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities were reported last year than in 2018 -- a six-fold increase -- according to a report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project , which collects and analyzes conflict information .

Gunmen killed at least 43 people in attacks on two villages in northern Burkina Faso, the government said Monday.
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Armed men attacked Dinguila and Barga villages in Yatenga province, the government said in a statement on Monday. The military was dispatched to secure the villages and at least six injured were taken to the central hospital in nearby Ouahigouya, said the statement.
Government spokesman Remis Fulgance Dandjinou told The Associated Press he didn't know who was behind the violence.
The villages that were attacked, however, are known to be populated by Fulani herdsman who have been targeted by local defense groups and the army for their alleged affiliation with jihadists.
A resident from Ouahigouya, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety, told the AP that the attacks occurred after jihadists sought shelter in the town of Dinguila. Local defense groups followed the extremists to the town and massacred people, he said.
Analysts say the attack signifies a worrying trend.
"This is also one of the areas where we have identified a significant risk of increased stigmatization against the Fulani," said William Assanvo, senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies. This is the first massacre of this scale in that area, he said.
This trend is also occurring in neighboring Mali, said Christian Poonwah, director of Safer Access Consulting, an international security company in Ouagadougou.
"This speaks to the wider trend of growing fault lines between local communities. This is further exacerbated by extremist groups capitalizing on the inter-communal violence and attracting targeted communities to their side," he said.
Attacks by militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaida have shaken the West African nation. Almost 2,000 more fatalities were reported last year than in 2018 -- a six-fold increase -- according to a report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which collects and analyzes conflict information.
(AP)
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france24--2020-03-09--Global arms trade has increased with US as top exporter, report shows

Worldwide major arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict , researchers in Sweden said Monday , with top exporter the United States widening its lead over Russia .
Worldwide major arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict , researchers in Sweden said Monday , with top exporter the United States widening its lead over Russia .
Over the five years from 2015 to 2019 , international arms exports grew by 5.5 percent from the 2010-2014 period , according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ( SIPRI ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Amongst the arms importing countries , the demand is high and seems to even have increased a bit , '' Pieter Wezeman , senior researcher at SIPRI , told AFP .
Shipments from the US grew by 23 percent , raising its share of total global arms exports to 36 percent .
Between 2015 and 2019 , the US delivered major arms to 96 countries .
Half of US arms exports went to the Middle East , and half of that to Saudi Arabia , the world 's number one importer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imports jumped by 130 percent from the 2010-2014 period , and it was on the receiving end of 12 percent of global major arms transfers in 2015 to 2019 .
The fact that so much heavy weaponry is exported to the Middle East is particularly `` of concern '' , Wezeman said , as the region is experiencing `` conflicts and tensions and potential further conflict escalation '' .
The researchers also noted that despite `` wide-ranging concerns '' in the UK and the US about Saudi Arabia 's military intervention in Yemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Saudi Arabia .
Meanwhile , arms transfers from the second largest exporter , Russia , decreased by 18 percent , largely due to a drop in sales to India .
`` It 's not necessarily very dramatic in the case of Russia .
But still it 's very clear and it also creates a bigger gap between the biggest one , the US , and Russia , the second , '' Wezeman said .
Arms imports to India , which used to be the world 's largest importer , decreased by 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell 39 percent .
SIPRI researchers said both nuclear powers `` have long-standing aims to produce their own major arms '' , but `` remain largely dependent on imports . ''
Exports of French arms saw one of the most dramatic increases -- up 72 percent from the five previous years -- putting France ahead of Germany as the third largest exporter in the world , with 7.9 percent of global exports .
Over half of France 's arms exports were to Egypt , Qatar and India , with deliveries of the Rafale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a quarter of total French exports .
The increase in arms exports follows a trend since the early 2000s , when arms transfers bottomed out after continually falling for a decade after the end of the Cold War .

Worldwide major arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict, researchers in Sweden said Monday, with top exporter the United States widening its lead over Russia.
Worldwide major arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict, researchers in Sweden said Monday, with top exporter the United States widening its lead over Russia.
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Over the five years from 2015 to 2019, international arms exports grew by 5.5 percent from the 2010-2014 period, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
"Overall, arms transfers have increased... Amongst the arms importing countries, the demand is high and seems to even have increased a bit," Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI, told AFP.
Shipments from the US grew by 23 percent, raising its share of total global arms exports to 36 percent.
Between 2015 and 2019, the US delivered major arms to 96 countries.
Half of US arms exports went to the Middle East, and half of that to Saudi Arabia, the world's number one importer of major arms.
The kingdom's arms imports jumped by 130 percent from the 2010-2014 period, and it was on the receiving end of 12 percent of global major arms transfers in 2015 to 2019.
The fact that so much heavy weaponry is exported to the Middle East is particularly "of concern", Wezeman said, as the region is experiencing "conflicts and tensions and potential further conflict escalation".
The researchers also noted that despite "wide-ranging concerns" in the UK and the US about Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen, both countries continued to export arms to Saudi Arabia.
'A bigger gap'
Meanwhile, arms transfers from the second largest exporter, Russia, decreased by 18 percent, largely due to a drop in sales to India.
"It's not necessarily very dramatic in the case of Russia. But still it's very clear and it also creates a bigger gap between the biggest one, the US, and Russia, the second," Wezeman said.
Arms imports to India, which used to be the world's largest importer, decreased by 32 percent and imports by bitter rival Pakistan fell 39 percent.
SIPRI researchers said both nuclear powers "have long-standing aims to produce their own major arms", but "remain largely dependent on imports."
Exports of French arms saw one of the most dramatic increases -- up 72 percent from the five previous years -- putting France ahead of Germany as the third largest exporter in the world, with 7.9 percent of global exports.
Over half of France's arms exports were to Egypt, Qatar and India, with deliveries of the Rafale combat aircraft to these countries accounting for nearly a quarter of total French exports.
The increase in arms exports follows a trend since the early 2000s, when arms transfers bottomed out after continually falling for a decade after the end of the Cold War.
(AFP)
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