france24--2020-05-25--Macron government faces tough talks on French hospital revamp in wake of Covid-19

Staff at the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois , north of Paris , pictured on April 30 , 2020 .
The French health ministry is set to open negotiations on Monday with healthcare personnel over a suite of reforms to hospitals and nursing homes .
Some health workers already doubt that the reforms will live up to the “ massive ” investment promised by President Emmanuel Macron .
French Health Minister Olivier Véran has set expectations high for his first meeting with medical personnel over the future of the French healthcare system .
“ We ’ ll go fast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said on Wednesday as he outlined his plans for reform .
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of France 's cherished healthcare system , which has seen its capacities cut and the burden on staff increased over the last several years .
In late March , French President Emmanuel Macron promised a “ massive ” new investment plan for public hospitals , with an eye to improving pay and working conditions for staff as well as patient capacity .
On Monday , the health ministry will hold its first meeting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unions and advocacy groups representing medical personnel .
To grease the wheels , the government has picked an ally to oversee the negotiations : Nicole Notat , a former head of the moderate CFDT labour union and a supporter of Macron during his 2017 presidential campaign .
Notat has promised to seek the widest possible consensus in negotiations and to refrain from expressing her own positions .
Not all parties have welcomed her pick , however .
“ This choice is a negative signal , ” wrote Dr. Jérôme Marty , head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
Marty highlights Notat ’ s support in 1995 for reforms to the Social Security system under then prime minister Alain Juppé .
The government backed down on key provisions of the reforms after they provoked the largest strike movement in France since 1968 .
However , it passed measures seeking to reduce the overall deficits of the Social Security system , which also funds hospitals .
Critics say the budget cuts took a heavy toll on hospitals .
The controversy over Notat adds to what are already likely to be tense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose grievances date back long before the current pandemic .
The negotiations also come after the government ’ s promise of Covid-19 bonuses for health workers met with a tepid response .
Véran has since told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche that he wants to increase salaries , a longstanding demand from health workers .
President Macron for his part has promised to end the “ pauperisation ” of medical personnel .
Currently , salaries for French nurses start around €1,500 per month — among the lowest in the OECD , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this measure .
In a recent poll commissioned by a private hospitals ’ federation , 55 % of respondents said they supported increasing health workers ’ pay .
Véran has said he wants to increase salaries in hospitals and nursing homes to “ at least the European average ” .
Unions , however , are worried that the pay hike will only apply to nurses .
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche , Frédéric Valletoux , president of the French Hospital Federation ( FHF ) , also urged the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public and the private sector , which weakens [ public ] hospitals ” .
The government has also put working hours on the table , saying it wants to remove the “ straightjacket that prevents those who would like to work more from doing so ” .
This , too , is a demand put forward by the FHF .
Since 2002 , French health personnel have officially been limited to a regular 35-hour workweek — a rule that unions are adamant about protecting .
They say that working hours are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insufficient staffing prevents health workers from taking their mandated paid time off to make up for the overtime .
According to the SNPI nurses ’ union , the hospital system for the Paris region alone owes its staff 1 million days of paid time off .
Valletoux , of the FHF , notes that thirty percent of positions in French hospitals are not staffed .
“ Hospitals are the biggest medical desert in France , ” he says , adopting a phrase normally used to refer to rural areas where health workers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that boosting pay and improving career paths will help attract more personnel .
“ Thirty percent of new nursing graduates leave the profession within five years , ” says Thierry Amouroux , spokesperson for the SNPI .
The unions blames working conditions but also inadequate management of human resources .
Staffing shortages lead to bed closures .
They also require hospitals to hire temporary workers , who are paid higher than their salaried counterparts .
Staffing shortages and saturation of activity have emerged in recent years years as the main challenges for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors to resign in protest .
In December , one intensive care doctor told FRANCE 24 he had resigned because he no longer wanted to “ walk on a tightrope without a safety net ” .
Despite the 1995 reforms , French hospital debt today is close to €30 billion .
Before Covid-19 hit , the government had agreed to pay off a third of this debt under the annual Social Security funding bill ( PLFSS ) .
On Wednesday , Véran offered to slightly increase that sum to €13 million over three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet been specified for the “ massive ” investment plan Macron promised in March .
A further area being considered for reform is the widely criticised model known as “ activity-based payment ” , implemented in 2003 .
Under this model , hospitals bill Social Security for each medical procedure , which is coded with a given fee .
Critics say the model is dangerous because it incites hospitals to carry out more procedures than might be necessary or to prioritise the best-paid ones to help balance their books .
Others argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for profitability ” .
In a manifesto published on May 13 , a group of MPs , including former members of Macron ’ s party , proposed reducing the share of hospital funding dependent on this scheme .
Véran said he wanted the hospital revamp plan to be included in the next Social Security budget in September .
Trade unions have already called this timeline into question .
“ If everything has to be completed by July 15 , the room for manoeuvre for negotiations will be very limited , ” a union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy groups are planning national demonstrations on June 16 .
“ We will stick to our demands , ” the Inter-Urgences collective warned on Twitter .
This article has been translated from the original in French .

The French health ministry is set to open negotiations on Monday with healthcare personnel over a suite of reforms to hospitals and nursing homes. Some health workers already doubt that the reforms will live up to the “massive” investment promised by President Emmanuel Macron.
Staff at the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois, north of Paris, pictured on April 30, 2020.
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French Health Minister Olivier Véran has set expectations high for his first meeting with medical personnel over the future of the French healthcare system.
“We’ll go fast, we’ll go strong,” he said on Wednesday as he outlined his plans for reform. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of France's cherished healthcare system, which has seen its capacities cut and the burden on staff increased over the last several years.
In late March, French President Emmanuel Macron promised a “massive” new investment plan for public hospitals, with an eye to improving pay and working conditions for staff as well as patient capacity. On Monday, the health ministry will hold its first meeting to discuss the reforms with 300 representatives of unions and advocacy groups representing medical personnel.
To grease the wheels, the government has picked an ally to oversee the negotiations: Nicole Notat, a former head of the moderate CFDT labour union and a supporter of Macron during his 2017 presidential campaign. Notat has promised to seek the widest possible consensus in negotiations and to refrain from expressing her own positions.
Not all parties have welcomed her pick, however.
“This choice is a negative signal,” wrote Dr. Jérôme Marty, head of the UFML doctors’ union, on Twitter. Marty highlights Notat’s support in 1995 for reforms to the Social Security system under then prime minister Alain Juppé. The government backed down on key provisions of the reforms after they provoked the largest strike movement in France since 1968. However, it passed measures seeking to reduce the overall deficits of the Social Security system, which also funds hospitals. Critics say the budget cuts took a heavy toll on hospitals.
The controversy over Notat adds to what are already likely to be tense negotiations between the government and medical personnel, whose grievances date back long before the current pandemic.
Salary hikes
The negotiations also come after the government’s promise of Covid-19 bonuses for health workers met with a tepid response. Véran has since told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche that he wants to increase salaries, a longstanding demand from health workers. President Macron for his part has promised to end the “pauperisation” of medical personnel.
Currently, salaries for French nurses start around €1,500 per month — among the lowest in the OECD, putting France 28th out of 32 on this measure. In a recent poll commissioned by a private hospitals’ federation, 55% of respondents said they supported increasing health workers’ pay.
Véran has said he wants to increase salaries in hospitals and nursing homes to “at least the European average”. Unions, however, are worried that the pay hike will only apply to nurses.
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, Frédéric Valletoux, president of the French Hospital Federation (FHF), also urged the government to “reduce the gap in pay between the public and the private sector, which weakens [public] hospitals”.
Working hours
The government has also put working hours on the table, saying it wants to remove the “straightjacket that prevents those who would like to work more from doing so”. This, too, is a demand put forward by the FHF.
Since 2002, French health personnel have officially been limited to a regular 35-hour workweek — a rule that unions are adamant about protecting. They say that working hours are already much longer in practice, and that insufficient staffing prevents health workers from taking their mandated paid time off to make up for the overtime. According to the SNPI nurses’ union, the hospital system for the Paris region alone owes its staff 1 million days of paid time off.
Hospitals the ‘biggest medical desert in France’
Valletoux, of the FHF, notes that thirty percent of positions in French hospitals are not staffed.
“Hospitals are the biggest medical desert in France,” he says, adopting a phrase normally used to refer to rural areas where health workers are lacking. Macron’s government hopes that boosting pay and improving career paths will help attract more personnel.
“Thirty percent of new nursing graduates leave the profession within five years,” says Thierry Amouroux, spokesperson for the SNPI. The unions blames working conditions but also inadequate management of human resources.
Staffing shortages lead to bed closures. They also require hospitals to hire temporary workers, who are paid higher than their salaried counterparts.
Staffing shortages and saturation of activity have emerged in recent years years as the main challenges for the health system in France, leading some doctors to resign in protest. In December, one intensive care doctor told FRANCE 24 he had resigned because he no longer wanted to “walk on a tightrope without a safety net”.
Funding
Despite the 1995 reforms, French hospital debt today is close to €30 billion. Before Covid-19 hit, the government had agreed to pay off a third of this debt under the annual Social Security funding bill (PLFSS). On Wednesday, Véran offered to slightly increase that sum to €13 million over three years.
Meanwhile, no sum has yet been specified for the “massive” investment plan Macron promised in March.
A further area being considered for reform is the widely criticised model known as “activity-based payment”, implemented in 2003. Under this model, hospitals bill Social Security for each medical procedure, which is coded with a given fee. Critics say the model is dangerous because it incites hospitals to carry out more procedures than might be necessary or to prioritise the best-paid ones to help balance their books. Others argue that it pushes hospitals into a “race for profitability”.
In a manifesto published on May 13, a group of MPs, including former members of Macron’s party, proposed reducing the share of hospital funding dependent on this scheme.
Timeline
Véran said he wanted the hospital revamp plan to be included in the next Social Security budget in September. Trade unions have already called this timeline into question.
“If everything has to be completed by July 15, the room for manoeuvre for negotiations will be very limited,” a union official told AFP.
Healthcare unions and advocacy groups are planning national demonstrations on June 16.
“We will stick to our demands,” the Inter-Urgences collective warned on Twitter.
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-05-24--Trump bans travel from Brazil to US due to Covid-19

People are seen at the President Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport , amid the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Brasilia , Brazil May 24 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump on Sunday suspended travel from Brazil , which has emerged as a major new hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic , the White House said .
Non-Americans who have been in Brazil in the 14-day period prior to when they seek admittance to the US can not come to America , said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
Trade is not affected by the new rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country , '' she said in a statement .
With more than 360,000 confirmed cases , Brazil now has the second-biggest caseload in the world , after the United States .
It has registered more than 22,000 deaths .
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is a political ally of Trump and with his brash , not politically correct way of speaking , he has been dubbed the `` Tropical Trump . ''
And , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , famously comparing the virus to a `` little flu '' and arguing that stay-at-home measures are unnecessarily hurting Latin America 's largest economy .
`` The decision ... is identical to measures taken previously that suspended travel from other countries affected by COVID-19 , including China , Iran , the United Kingdom and Ireland , as well as the European Union 's Schengen zone , '' the foreign ministry said in a statement .
Brazil had itself already barred foreigners from entering the country because of the pandemic .

President Donald Trump on Sunday suspended travel from Brazil, which has emerged as a major new hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said.
People are seen at the President Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Brasilia, Brazil May 24, 2020.
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Non-Americans who have been in Brazil in the 14-day period prior to when they seek admittance to the US cannot come to America, said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Trade is not affected by the new rule.
"Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country," she said in a statement.
With more than 360,000 confirmed cases, Brazil now has the second-biggest caseload in the world, after the United States. It has registered more than 22,000 deaths.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is a political ally of Trump and with his brash, not politically correct way of speaking, he has been dubbed the "Tropical Trump."
And, like Trump, Bolsonaro has downplayed the health crisis, famously comparing the virus to a "little flu" and arguing that stay-at-home measures are unnecessarily hurting Latin America's largest economy.
Brazil downplayed Trump's move as standard procedure.
"The decision... is identical to measures taken previously that suspended travel from other countries affected by COVID-19, including China, Iran, the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the European Union's Schengen zone," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Brazil had itself already barred foreigners from entering the country because of the pandemic.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Volkswagen ordered to compensate motorists in landmark ‘Dieselgate’ ruling

The top court 's ruling could influence the outcome of tens of thousands of other `` Dieselgate '' cases .
A German federal court judge ruled on Monday that Volkswagen has to pay compensation to motorists who purchased vehicles with manipulated diesel engines , a major blow for the carmaker in its home market as it continues to reel from the emissions scandal .
Germany 's highest court for civil disputes ruled that those who purchased the vehicles in question are entitled in principle to receive damages from the carmaker .
The ruling , which will allow owners to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase price , is expected to serve as a template for about 60,000 lawsuits that are still pending with lower German courts .
Monday 's hearing specifically concerned a case brought by 65-year-old Herbert Gilbert who bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Sharan minivan in 2014 — just one of the 11 million cars worldwide fitted with emissions cheating software by the carmaker .
Judges at the Federal Court of Justice ( BGH ) in Karlsruhe largely confirmed a lower court 's finding in favour of Gilbert , ordering VW to pay around 25,600 euros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return of the car .
That payout , however , is almost 6,000 euros below the original purchase price , as the judges took into account depreciation of the vehicle 's value .
The scandal over engine control devices that mask excessive nitrogen oxides emissions has so far cost Volkswagen more than 30 billion euros ( $ 32.7 billion ) in damages and regulatory fines , mainly imposed in the United States .
In the US , authorities had banned the affected cars from roads after the so-called defeat devices were discovered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
European authorities , however , stopped short of taking VW cars off the road , leading Volkswagen to argue that claims for compensation from customers in its home region were without merit .
European authorities instead forced Volkswagen to update its engine control software to ensure that anti-pollution filters are activated and fined Volkswagen for fraud and administrative lapses .
On the criminal side , present chief executive Herbert Diess and supervisory board boss Hans Dieter Poetsch are off the hook on charges of market manipulation , after VW this month paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle the charges .
But a case remains open against Martin Winterkorn , the company 's CEO when the diesel cheating was uncovered , as well as Rupert Stadler , former chief of subsidiary Audi .

A German federal court judge ruled on Monday that Volkswagen has to pay compensation to motorists who purchased vehicles with manipulated diesel engines, a major blow for the carmaker in its home market as it continues to reel from the emissions scandal.
The top court's ruling could influence the outcome of tens of thousands of other "Dieselgate" cases.
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Germany's highest court for civil disputes ruled that those who purchased the vehicles in question are entitled in principle to receive damages from the carmaker.
The ruling, which will allow owners to return their vehicles for partial reimbursement of the purchase price, is expected to serve as a template for about 60,000 lawsuits that are still pending with lower German courts.
Monday's hearing specifically concerned a case brought by 65-year-old Herbert Gilbert who bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Sharan minivan in 2014 — just one of the 11 million cars worldwide fitted with emissions cheating software by the carmaker.
Judges at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe largely confirmed a lower court's finding in favour of Gilbert, ordering VW to pay around 25,600 euros ($27,887) and accept his return of the car.
That payout, however, is almost 6,000 euros below the original purchase price, as the judges took into account depreciation of the vehicle's value.
€30 billion fallout
The scandal over engine control devices that mask excessive nitrogen oxides emissions has so far cost Volkswagen more than 30 billion euros ($32.7 billion) in damages and regulatory fines, mainly imposed in the United States.
In the US, authorities had banned the affected cars from roads after the so-called defeat devices were discovered in diesel engines, triggering claims for compensation.
European authorities, however, stopped short of taking VW cars off the road, leading Volkswagen to argue that claims for compensation from customers in its home region were without merit.
European authorities instead forced Volkswagen to update its engine control software to ensure that anti-pollution filters are activated and fined Volkswagen for fraud and administrative lapses.
On the criminal side, present chief executive Herbert Diess and supervisory board boss Hans Dieter Poetsch are off the hook on charges of market manipulation, after VW this month paid a total of nine million euros to settle the charges.
But a case remains open against Martin Winterkorn, the company's CEO when the diesel cheating was uncovered, as well as Rupert Stadler, former chief of subsidiary Audi.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Spain eases Covid-19 lockdown in Madrid, Barcelona and reopens beaches

Workers use measuring tape to check social distancing as they set up a terrace which will be allowed to open from May 25 , amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , at Plaza Mayor Square in Madrid , Spain , May 24 , 2020 .
Coronavirus lockdown measures will finally be eased for people in Madrid and Barcelona from Monday , while elsewhere in Spain the first beaches are due to reopen .
Residents in the two cities can now meet in groups of up to 10 people in their homes or on the terraces of bars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's parks will also be reopened , and major museums will be able to receive a limited number of visitors .
The Madrid and Barcelona regions , the most populated in the country , and a large part of Castile-Leon in the northwest are moving into the first phase of Spain 's four-phase deconfinement programme , following what has been one of the strictest lockdowns in the world .
These regions have been on a slower deconfinement track as they bore the brunt of the pandemic in Spain , which has killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world 's highest tolls .
Everyone must continue to wear a mask , which is already compulsory in buildings and on public streets when it is not possible to keep a distance of two metres ( six feet ) .
The rest of the country meanwhile -- 22 million out of Spain 's 47 million inhabitants -- is moving on to the second phase , which is expected to last until the end of June .
Restaurants may then reopen to a limited number of customers , and outings for walks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to certain hours of the day .
As the summer heat arrives , beaches on the Atlantic Ocean coast and in much of Andalusia , as well as on the Balearic and Canary Islands , are open for swimming , subject to safety measures .
The health ministry recommends limiting the number of visitors to the beaches , creating boundaries and spacing umbrellas four metres apart .
Only locals will benefit for the time being .
Travel between regions is still forbidden and foreigners arriving in Spain must quarantine for 14 days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders to foreign tourists in July .
The lockdown , in force since mid-March , has been among the most severe in the world .
In the first few weeks , Spaniards could hardly set foot outside and their children were kept indoors .
Many residents have become impatient over the government 's slow and cautious process of lifting the restrictions .
Thousands of people protested on Saturday by car in major Spanish cities at the call of the far-right Vox party .
Drivers honked their horns , waved Spanish flags and banged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management of the coronavirus crisis by the left-wing government of Pedro Sanchez .

Coronavirus lockdown measures will finally be eased for people in Madrid and Barcelona from Monday, while elsewhere in Spain the first beaches are due to reopen.
Workers use measuring tape to check social distancing as they set up a terrace which will be allowed to open from May 25, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at Plaza Mayor Square in Madrid, Spain, May 24, 2020.
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Residents in the two cities can now meet in groups of up to 10 people in their homes or on the terraces of bars and restaurants.
The gates of the capital's parks will also be reopened, and major museums will be able to receive a limited number of visitors.
The Madrid and Barcelona regions, the most populated in the country, and a large part of Castile-Leon in the northwest are moving into the first phase of Spain's four-phase deconfinement programme, following what has been one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.
These regions have been on a slower deconfinement track as they bore the brunt of the pandemic in Spain, which has killed more than 28,700 people to date, one of the world's highest tolls.
Everyone must continue to wear a mask, which is already compulsory in buildings and on public streets when it is not possible to keep a distance of two metres (six feet).
The rest of the country meanwhile -- 22 million out of Spain's 47 million inhabitants -- is moving on to the second phase, which is expected to last until the end of June.
Restaurants may then reopen to a limited number of customers, and outings for walks or sports will no longer be limited to certain hours of the day.
As the summer heat arrives, beaches on the Atlantic Ocean coast and in much of Andalusia, as well as on the Balearic and Canary Islands, are open for swimming, subject to safety measures.
The health ministry recommends limiting the number of visitors to the beaches, creating boundaries and spacing umbrellas four metres apart.
Only locals will benefit for the time being. Travel between regions is still forbidden and foreigners arriving in Spain must quarantine for 14 days.
But the government plans to reopen the borders to foreign tourists in July.
The lockdown, in force since mid-March, has been among the most severe in the world.
In the first few weeks, Spaniards could hardly set foot outside and their children were kept indoors.
Many residents have become impatient over the government's slow and cautious process of lifting the restrictions.
Thousands of people protested on Saturday by car in major Spanish cities at the call of the far-right Vox party.
Drivers honked their horns, waved Spanish flags and banged on pots and pans to denounce the management of the coronavirus crisis by the left-wing government of Pedro Sanchez.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--China's space programme targets July launch for maiden mission to Mars

A lander for China 's Mars mission is pictured during tests at a facility in Huailai , in China 's Hebei province , on November 14 , 2019 .
China is targeting a July launch for its ambitious plans for a Mars mission which will include landing a remote-controlled robot on the surface of the red planet , the company in charge of the project has said .
Beijing has invested billions of dollars in its space programme in an effort to catch up with its rival the United States and affirm its status as a major world power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new space projects China is pursuing , including putting Chinese astronauts on the moon and having a space station by 2022 .
Beijing had been planning the Mars mission for sometime this year , but China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation ( CASC ) has confirmed it could come as early as July .
`` This big project is progressing as planned and we are targeting a launch in July , '' CASC said in a statement issued on Sunday .
CASC is the main contractor for China 's space programme .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission will put a probe into orbit around Mars and land the robotic rover to explore and analyse the surface .
It will take several months to cover the roughly 55 million kilometres ( 31 million miles ) distance between Earth and Mars , which is ever-changing due to their planetary orbits .
China has already carried out a similar mission to the Moon , and in January 2019 landed a small rover on the dark side of the lunar surface , becoming the first nation to do so .
The US , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mars , intends to launch a fifth this summer .
It should arrive around February 2021 .
The United Arab Emirates plans to launch the first Arab probe to the Red Planet on July 15 from Japan .

China is targeting a July launch for its ambitious plans for a Mars mission which will include landing a remote-controlled robot on the surface of the red planet, the company in charge of the project has said.
A lander for China's Mars mission is pictured during tests at a facility in Huailai, in China's Hebei province, on November 14, 2019.
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Beijing has invested billions of dollars in its space programme in an effort to catch up with its rival the United States and affirm its status as a major world power.
The Mars mission is among a number of new space projects China is pursuing, including putting Chinese astronauts on the moon and having a space station by 2022.
Beijing had been planning the Mars mission for sometime this year, but China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has confirmed it could come as early as July.
"This big project is progressing as planned and we are targeting a launch in July," CASC said in a statement issued on Sunday.
CASC is the main contractor for China's space programme.
Called "Tianwen", the Chinese mission will put a probe into orbit around Mars and land the robotic rover to explore and analyse the surface.
China builds Asia's largest steerable radio telescope for Mars mission
With an antenna the size of 9 basketball courts, it will receive scientific data sent back by the Mars probe https://t.co/nFXxgf8mj9 pic.twitter.com/M9PyPXicYK — China Xinhua News (@XHNews) April 27, 2020
It will take several months to cover the roughly 55 million kilometres (31 million miles) distance between Earth and Mars, which is ever-changing due to their planetary orbits.
China has already carried out a similar mission to the Moon, and in January 2019 landed a small rover on the dark side of the lunar surface, becoming the first nation to do so.
The US, which has already sent four exploratory vehicles to Mars, intends to launch a fifth this summer. It should arrive around February 2021.
The United Arab Emirates plans to launch the first Arab probe to the Red Planet on July 15 from Japan.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Tourists trickle back as Charleston reopens after Covid-19 shutdown

South Carolina was among the first US states to start easing stay-at-home orders imposed to halt the spread of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ Charleston , a magnet for tourists , the lockdown has helped keep infection numbers low @ @ @ @ @ has been devastating , and with visitors still only a trickle , business owners say @ @ @ @ @ be a long one .
FRANCE 24 ’ s Fanny Allard and Kethevane Gorjestani report @

Tourists trickle back as Charleston reopens after Covid-19 shutdown
02:01
South Carolina was among the first US states to start easing stay-at-home orders imposed to halt the spread of Covid-19. In the city of Charleston, a magnet for tourists, the lockdown has helped keep infection numbers low. But the economic impact has been devastating, and with visitors still only a trickle, business owners say the road to recovery will be a long one. FRANCE 24’s Fanny Allard and Kethevane Gorjestani report.


france24--2020-05-25--France has lowest daily increase in new Covid-19 cases, deaths since lockdown

People enjoy the sunny weather sitting on the banks of the river Seine amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , in Paris , France , May 24 , 2020 .
French authorities reported the smallest daily rise in new coronavirus cases and deaths on Sunday since before a lockdown began on March 17 , raising hopes that the worst of the epidemic is over in France .
The number of confirmed cases rose by 115 to 144,921 , health ministry data showed , and the death toll increased by 35 to 28,367 - an increase of just 0.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals for new cases and deaths were also both the lowest since France began easing its strict coronavirus restrictions on May 11 .
Epidemiologist Laurent Toubiana , director of the IRSAN health data institute , suggested the worst of the epidemic had passed and said the coronavirus may not come back , unlike previous pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu .
`` If we do not see a quick resurgence of the epidemic , we might get a break for a few weeks , '' he said on BFM TV .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules remain in place in France and Environment Minister Elisabeth Borne told France Inter radio the government did not want people to travel abroad this summer .
She also said Paris parks must remain closed for now as the capital is still a `` red zone '' for circulation of the coronavirus .
The new data showed that , because of slower data reporting and with patients staying in hospital longer over the long holiday weekend , the number of people admitted to hospital with the coronavirus had increased by seven to 17,185 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Until now , the number had fallen every day since April 15 .
But the number of people in intensive care continued its uninterrupted decline , falling by 10 to 1,655 .
It was the slowest decline since the peak of the crisis , when 7,148 people were in intensive care .

French authorities reported the smallest daily rise in new coronavirus cases and deaths on Sunday since before a lockdown began on March 17, raising hopes that the worst of the epidemic is over in France.
People enjoy the sunny weather sitting on the banks of the river Seine amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Paris, France, May 24, 2020.
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The number of confirmed cases rose by 115 to 144,921, health ministry data showed, and the death toll increased by 35 to 28,367 - an increase of just 0.1% for both tallies.
The weekend totals for new cases and deaths were also both the lowest since France began easing its strict coronavirus restrictions on May 11.
Epidemiologist Laurent Toubiana, director of the IRSAN health data institute, suggested the worst of the epidemic had passed and said the coronavirus may not come back, unlike previous pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu.
"If we do not see a quick resurgence of the epidemic, we might get a break for a few weeks," he said on BFM TV.
Despite the easing of restrictions, social distancing rules remain in place in France and Environment Minister Elisabeth Borne told France Inter radio the government did not want people to travel abroad this summer.
She also said Paris parks must remain closed for now as the capital is still a "red zone" for circulation of the coronavirus.
The new data showed that, because of slower data reporting and with patients staying in hospital longer over the long holiday weekend, the number of people admitted to hospital with the coronavirus had increased by seven to 17,185.
It was the first increase in weeks. Until now, the number had fallen every day since April 15.
But the number of people in intensive care continued its uninterrupted decline, falling by 10 to 1,655. It was the slowest decline since the peak of the crisis, when 7,148 people were in intensive care.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-25--Germany's top court to rule on compensation for Volkwagen 'Dieselgate' scandal

Almost five years after Volkswagen 's admission to cheating on regulatory emissions tests involving millions of cars , Germany 's top court will on Monday finally rule in a battle over compensation for tens of thousands of affected owners .
In an early May hearing , judges at the Federal Court of Justice ( BGH ) said there was a chance for at least partial compensation for some VW buyers , saying they had indeed been harmed by purchasing a manipulated vehicle .
If their colleagues at the Federal Constitutional Court ( BVG ) agree in a ruling issued from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases demanding financial compensation could be brought to a close in the coming months .
Such a ruling would be the first major legal setback for VW in its home country , although the scandal has helped drag the entire car sector -- one of Germany 's most vital -- into a historic crisis .
In recent weeks , an out-of-court settlement covering hundreds of thousands of cases and the closure of criminal proceedings already drew a line under the biggest domestic risks for the sprawling car group from the `` Dieselgate '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case brought by 65-year-old Herbert Gilbert , who bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Sharan minivan in 2014 -- just one of the 11 million cars worldwide fitted with cheating software by the carmaker .
An appeals court found in favour of the pensioner , ordering VW to pay 25,616 euros ( $ 27,930 ) and accept his return of the car .
That payout would have been almost 6,000 euros below the original purchase price , as the judges took into account depreciation on the vehicle .
But both VW and Gilbert appealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for reimbursing the pensioner , while the plaintiff said he should be paid the full purchase price .
If BVG judges decide in favour of reimbursement , that `` must to some extent take into account '' Gilbert 's years of use from the vehicle and its corresponding loss in value , judge Stephan Seiters said at the court 's earlier hearing .
Such a discount could limit the potential financial blow to VW from thousands of similar cases .
The end of April also brought the closure of a mass lawsuit against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaintiffs , the first of its kind .
VW will pay out at least 750 million euros to 235,000 drivers under an out-of-court settlement reached with consumer representatives , well below the amounts paid out in the United States .
Buybacks , fines and compensation payments in the US alone account for most of the more than 30 billion euro cost of the scandal to the manufacturer so far .
Not out of the woods A constitutional court ruling `` could help bring many cases to an end , '' VW hopes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing them to grind their way through the court system .
The company has already settled tens of thousands of cases .
According to German media reports , VW 's strategy has been to delay for as long as possible the arrival of any `` Dieselgate '' decision before top judges , hoping to maximise manipulated vehicles ' loss of value and thereby minimise its potential payouts .
But the company itself has denied such claims .
On the criminal side , present chief executive Herbert Diess and supervisory board boss Hans Dieter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of market manipulation from Brunswick prosecutors , after VW paid a total of nine million euros to settle the charges .
But a case remains open against Martin Winterkorn , VW CEO at the time the diesel cheating was uncovered , as well as Rupert Stadler , former chief of subsidiary Audi .
And a major court case continues by investors demanding compensation for their VW shares ' plunge in value after `` Dieselgate '' came to light .

Almost five years after Volkswagen's admission to cheating on regulatory emissions tests involving millions of cars, Germany's top court will on Monday finally rule in a battle over compensation for tens of thousands of affected owners.
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In an early May hearing, judges at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) said there was a chance for at least partial compensation for some VW buyers, saying they had indeed been harmed by purchasing a manipulated vehicle.
If their colleagues at the Federal Constitutional Court (BVG) agree in a ruling issued from 0900 GMT, tens of thousands of cases demanding financial compensation could be brought to a close in the coming months.
Such a ruling would be the first major legal setback for VW in its home country, although the scandal has helped drag the entire car sector -- one of Germany's most vital -- into a historic crisis.
In recent weeks, an out-of-court settlement covering hundreds of thousands of cases and the closure of criminal proceedings already drew a line under the biggest domestic risks for the sprawling car group from the "Dieselgate" scandal.
Monday's hearing specifically concerns a case brought by 65-year-old Herbert Gilbert, who bought a diesel-powered Volkswagen Sharan minivan in 2014 -- just one of the 11 million cars worldwide fitted with cheating software by the carmaker.
The depreciation factor
An appeals court found in favour of the pensioner, ordering VW to pay 25,616 euros ($27,930) and accept his return of the car.
That payout would have been almost 6,000 euros below the original purchase price, as the judges took into account depreciation on the vehicle.
But both VW and Gilbert appealed, with the company disputing the grounds for reimbursing the pensioner, while the plaintiff said he should be paid the full purchase price.
If BVG judges decide in favour of reimbursement, that "must to some extent take into account" Gilbert's years of use from the vehicle and its corresponding loss in value, judge Stephan Seiters said at the court's earlier hearing.
Such a discount could limit the potential financial blow to VW from thousands of similar cases.
The end of April also brought the closure of a mass lawsuit against the carmaker by hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs, the first of its kind.
VW will pay out at least 750 million euros to 235,000 drivers under an out-of-court settlement reached with consumer representatives, well below the amounts paid out in the United States.
Buybacks, fines and compensation payments in the US alone account for most of the more than 30 billion euro cost of the scandal to the manufacturer so far.
Around 60,000 individual German VW owners' cases remain open, making the top court's decision a crucial precedent.
Not out of the woods
A constitutional court ruling "could help bring many cases to an end," VW hopes, opening the way to settlements rather than allowing them to grind their way through the court system.
The company has already settled tens of thousands of cases.
According to German media reports, VW's strategy has been to delay for as long as possible the arrival of any "Dieselgate" decision before top judges, hoping to maximise manipulated vehicles' loss of value and thereby minimise its potential payouts.
But the company itself has denied such claims.
On the criminal side, present chief executive Herbert Diess and supervisory board boss Hans Dieter Poetsch are off the hook on charges of market manipulation from Brunswick prosecutors, after VW paid a total of nine million euros to settle the charges.
But a case remains open against Martin Winterkorn, VW CEO at the time the diesel cheating was uncovered, as well as Rupert Stadler, former chief of subsidiary Audi.
Meanwhile an ongoing Stuttgart probe targets supervisory board chairman Poetsch.
And a major court case continues by investors demanding compensation for their VW shares' plunge in value after "Dieselgate" came to light.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Burundi expected to announce results of presidential election Monday

Burundi 's President Pierre Nkurunziza is attended by a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( CENI ) at a polling station during the presidential , legislative and communal council elections , under the simmering political violence and the growing threat of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Ngozi , Burundi May 20 , 2020 .
Burundi 's electoral commission is to announce provisional results from last week 's presidential election Monday , with the outgoing head of state 's handpicked successor Evariste Ndayishimiye poised to be declared the winner .
The announcement is set for 2:00 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an official press invitation received Sunday .
Definitive results will be published on June 4 .
Burundians voted last Wednesday to elect their president , lawmakers and local officials in a poll marked by allegations of fraud and conducted with scant attention to the coronavirus pandemic .
The vote came five years after the highly contested re-election of Pierre Nkurunziza for a third term , which sparked violence that left at least 1,200 dead , saw 400,000 flee the country and plunged the former Belgian colony into turmoil that persists to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media gave Ndayishimiye , 52 , around 80 percent of the vote .
The opposition National Council for Liberty ( CNL ) has cried foul , with a spokesman on Friday calling the polls `` a carefully prepared hold-up '' .
CNL leader Agathon Rwasa , who drew large crowds during the campaign , scored around 20 percent , with the remaining five candidates barely scoring one percent combined .
After a campaign marked by violence , the election was generally calm .
However the CNL said several of its officials had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Burundi's electoral commission is to announce provisional results from last week's presidential election Monday, with the outgoing head of state's handpicked successor Evariste Ndayishimiye poised to be declared the winner.
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is attended by a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) at a polling station during the presidential, legislative and communal council elections, under the simmering political violence and the growing threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ngozi, Burundi May 20, 2020.
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The announcement is set for 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), according to an official press invitation received Sunday. Definitive results will be published on June 4.
Burundians voted last Wednesday to elect their president, lawmakers and local officials in a poll marked by allegations of fraud and conducted with scant attention to the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote came five years after the highly contested re-election of Pierre Nkurunziza for a third term, which sparked violence that left at least 1,200 dead, saw 400,000 flee the country and plunged the former Belgian colony into turmoil that persists to this day.
Partial results published by state media gave Ndayishimiye, 52, around 80 percent of the vote.
The opposition National Council for Liberty (CNL) has cried foul, with a spokesman on Friday calling the polls "a carefully prepared hold-up".
CNL leader Agathon Rwasa, who drew large crowds during the campaign, scored around 20 percent, with the remaining five candidates barely scoring one percent combined.
After a campaign marked by violence, the election was generally calm. However the CNL said several of its officials had been arrested and harassed, and alleged fraud.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--France's health workers to get ‘significant’ pay rises after coronavirus pandemic

A picture taken by a nurse at the Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital shows colleagues posing for a selfie picture in the coronavirus section .
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Monday that health workers would soon get hefty pay increases as part of an overhaul of France 's hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis .
`` I can say without any ambiguity , the increase will be significant , '' Philippe said while kicking off consultations with doctors and nurses that are expected to conclude in July .
Health workers have long complained about low salaries and insufficient staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of strikes over the past year to demand funding increases .
In recent weeks , many have insisted that the nightly rounds of applause for caregivers treating COVID-19 patients would begin to ring hollow if the government did not back up the public recognition of their work with additional resources .
Starting pay for a nurse , for example , stands at 1,500 euros ( $ 1,600 ) , one of the lowest levels in the OECD group of developed economies .
Philippe promised `` massive investments '' as well as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules on working hours and scheduling to ensure that healthcare workers remain motivated despite the strains of their jobs .
`` The key word here is pragmatism .
I can not say now what these discussions will lead to , but I 've said that we must remove all constraints , whatever they are , '' he said .
The government had already promised last November an additional 1.5 billion euros for hospitals over the next three years , including bonuses for thousands of nurses , in the face of growing anger over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state also pledged to absorb 10 billion euros of hospital debt , giving the system the ability to take on new loans for investments .
`` We must do more , '' Philippe acknowledged Monday , without providing any figure on potential spending .
`` I believe this crisis requires us not to change our goals , but to step up our pace , '' he said .
The coronavirus outbreak has killed over 28,000 people in France , though the number of daily deaths has fallen sharply since the peak of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announce next week a further loosening of the lockdown imposed in mid-March , which currently limits people from travelling more than 100 kilometres ( 60 miles ) from their homes .
Restaurants , bars and cinemas also remain closed , though they could be allowed to re-open with strict social distancing restrictions in areas where the number of COVID-19 cases has remained limited .

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Monday that health workers would soon get hefty pay increases as part of an overhaul of France's hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis.
A picture taken by a nurse at the Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital shows colleagues posing for a selfie picture in the coronavirus section.
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"I can say without any ambiguity, the increase will be significant," Philippe said while kicking off consultations with doctors and nurses that are expected to conclude in July.
Health workers have long complained about low salaries and insufficient staff at French hospitals, leading to a series of strikes over the past year to demand funding increases.
In recent weeks, many have insisted that the nightly rounds of applause for caregivers treating COVID-19 patients would begin to ring hollow if the government did not back up the public recognition of their work with additional resources.
Starting pay for a nurse, for example, stands at 1,500 euros ($1,600), one of the lowest levels in the OECD group of developed economies.
Philippe promised "massive investments" as well as "radical changes" that could include new rules on working hours and scheduling to ensure that healthcare workers remain motivated despite the strains of their jobs.
"The key word here is pragmatism. I cannot say now what these discussions will lead to, but I've said that we must remove all constraints, whatever they are," he said.
The government had already promised last November an additional 1.5 billion euros for hospitals over the next three years, including bonuses for thousands of nurses, in the face of growing anger over heavy workloads and staff shortages.
The state also pledged to absorb 10 billion euros of hospital debt, giving the system the ability to take on new loans for investments.
"We must do more," Philippe acknowledged Monday, without providing any figure on potential spending.
"I believe this crisis requires us not to change our goals, but to step up our pace," he said.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed over 28,000 people in France, though the number of daily deaths has fallen sharply since the peak of the outbreak.
The government is expected to announce next week a further loosening of the lockdown imposed in mid-March, which currently limits people from travelling more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from their homes.
Restaurants, bars and cinemas also remain closed, though they could be allowed to re-open with strict social distancing restrictions in areas where the number of COVID-19 cases has remained limited.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Branson's Virgin Orbit rocket fails on first launch attempt

The first test launch of a rocket that is released from a jumbo jet at 35,000 feet and then propels itself into orbit to deploy a satellite failed on Monday , the Virgin Orbit company said .
`` The mission terminated shortly into the flight .
Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base , '' Virgin Orbit 's Twitter account reported as the test was underway off the coast of California .
The plane released the rocket cleanly , but the latter developed trouble of unknown origin after igniting its first-stage engine , the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Branson in 2012 , Virgin Orbit wants to offer a quick and flexible launch service for operators of small satellites , weighing between 300 and 500 kilos ( 600 to 1,00 pounds ) , a market which is currently booming .
The 70-foot ( 21-meter ) Virgin Orbit rocket , named LauncherOne , does not take off from a vertical lift off , but rather is strapped to the underside of a wing on a converted Boeing 747 named Cosmic Girl .
When it reaches the required altitude , the plane releases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push it into Earth 's orbit and place its payload in space .
The company said that the initial phase of the test worked after Cosmic Girl took off from an airfield in the Mojave desert where a number of space launch companies are based .
The plane flew to a designated area over the Pacific Ocean , off the coast of Los Angeles , for the rocket release .
`` Cosmic Girl has released LauncherOne ! ''
the company said on Twitter .
`` We 've confirmed a clean release from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes later , but noted that the mission had been terminated .
Hours later the company explained : `` LauncherOne maintained stability after release , and we ignited our first stage engine , NewtonThree .
An anomaly then occurred early in first stage flight .
We 'll learn more as our engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today . ''
Before the test flight , the company had stressed that `` this mission is the most technically complex thing we 've tried to achieve yet . ''
`` The first few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all comes together , '' it said .
Asked by AFP if the rocket had been lost , a company spokesman did not immediately respond .
The concept of launching a rocket from a plane is not new .
The rocket Pegasus , developed by the Northrop Grumman group , has been around since the 1990s .
But Virgin Orbit wants to make a less expensive version of the launch .
Launching a rocket from a plane is more flexible than a vertical blast off because theoretically all a company needs is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard Branson has founded another space company , Virgin Galactic , which is using a similar concept with the goal of taking tourists into space to experience weightlessness some 50 miles ( 80 kilometers ) above the surface of the Earth .

The first test launch of a rocket that is released from a jumbo jet at 35,000 feet and then propels itself into orbit to deploy a satellite failed on Monday, the Virgin Orbit company said.
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"The mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base," Virgin Orbit's Twitter account reported as the test was underway off the coast of California.
The plane released the rocket cleanly, but the latter developed trouble of unknown origin after igniting its first-stage engine, the company said.
Founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2012, Virgin Orbit wants to offer a quick and flexible launch service for operators of small satellites, weighing between 300 and 500 kilos (600 to 1,00 pounds), a market which is currently booming.
The 70-foot (21-meter) Virgin Orbit rocket, named LauncherOne, does not take off from a vertical lift off, but rather is strapped to the underside of a wing on a converted Boeing 747 named Cosmic Girl.
When it reaches the required altitude, the plane releases the rocket, whose own engine fires up to push it into Earth's orbit and place its payload in space.
The company said that the initial phase of the test worked after Cosmic Girl took off from an airfield in the Mojave desert where a number of space launch companies are based.
The plane flew to a designated area over the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Los Angeles, for the rocket release.
"Cosmic Girl has released LauncherOne!" the company said on Twitter.
"We've confirmed a clean release from the aircraft," it added three minutes later, but noted that the mission had been terminated.
Hours later the company explained: "LauncherOne maintained stability after release, and we ignited our first stage engine, NewtonThree. An anomaly then occurred early in first stage flight. We'll learn more as our engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today."
Before the test flight, the company had stressed that "this mission is the most technically complex thing we've tried to achieve yet."
"The first few seconds after release are where it really all comes together," it said.
Asked by AFP if the rocket had been lost, a company spokesman did not immediately respond.
The concept of launching a rocket from a plane is not new. The rocket Pegasus, developed by the Northrop Grumman group, has been around since the 1990s. But Virgin Orbit wants to make a less expensive version of the launch.
Launching a rocket from a plane is more flexible than a vertical blast off because theoretically all a company needs is an airstrip rather than a space launchpad.
Richard Branson has founded another space company, Virgin Galactic, which is using a similar concept with the goal of taking tourists into space to experience weightlessness some 50 miles (80 kilometers) above the surface of the Earth.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--WHO halts study of 'coronavirus' drug touted by Trump

The WHO 's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying here on May 19 , 2020 , that there were `` 106,000 cases reported to WHO – the most in a single day since the outbreak began '' .
The World Health Organization said Monday it had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure .
The decision came after publication last week of a study in The Lancet which indicated that using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their chances of dying , WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference .
Tedros said that the executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial , in which hundreds of hospitals across several countries have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus , had as a precaution suspended trials using that drug .
`` The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board , '' Tedros said .
`` The other arms of the trial are continuing , '' he stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald Trump -- who announced last week he is taking the drug -- has prompted governments to bulk buy the medicine .
Brazil 's health minister also recommended last week using hydroxychloroquine , as well as the anti-malarial chloroquine , to treat even mild COVID-19 cases .
The Lancet study found that both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects , particularly heart arrhythmia .
And neither drug benefitted patients hospitalised with COVID-19 , according to a Lancet study , which looked at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals .
Tedros stressed Monday that the two drugs `` are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria . ''
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Monday 's briefing that the WHO-backed Solidarity Trial had been looking only at the effects of hydroxychloroquine and not chloroquine .
The decision on suspending enrolment for trials using hydroxychloroquine was `` a temporary measure '' , she said .
`` We 're just acting by precaution , '' WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan agreed .
The COVID-19 pandemic , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has killed nearly 350,000 people worldwide and infected almost 5.5 million , according to an AFP tally using official sources .
While there is still no approved treatment or vaccine for the novel coronavirus , drastic measures that at one point saw half of humanity under lockdown have pushed down transmission rates in a number of countries .
As many nations begin to gradually lift restrictions , the WHO on Monday stressed the need to keep up with physical distancing measures and to scale up efforts to test and detect cases .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alert , '' WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove said , stressing that `` even countries that have seen a decline in cases must remain ready . ''
She warned that studies using antibody tests to determine how many people have been infected and might have some level of immunity `` indicate that a large proportion of the population remains susceptible . ''
`` The virus will take the opportunity to amplify if it can , '' she said .
Ryan agreed , urging countries to `` continue to put in place ... a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a downward trajectory and that we do n't have an immediate second peak . ''
He warned against the idea that the pandemic might move in natural seasonal waves , stressing that the reason transmission is going down in a number of countries was the drastic measures put in place .
`` My concern right now is that people might be assuming that the current rapid infections represents a natural seasonality , '' he said .
`` Making an assumption that it is on a downward trajectory , and the next danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think that would be a dangerous assumption . ''
`` If we take the pressure off the virus then the virus can bounce back , '' he said .

The World Health Organization said Monday it had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.
The WHO's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying here on May 19, 2020, that there were "106,000 cases reported to WHO – the most in a single day since the outbreak began".
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The decision came after publication last week of a study in The Lancet which indicated that using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their chances of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
Tedros said that the executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across several countries have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had as a precaution suspended trials using that drug.
"The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board," Tedros said.
"The other arms of the trial are continuing," he stressed.
Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald Trump -- who announced last week he is taking the drug -- has prompted governments to bulk buy the medicine.
Brazil's health minister also recommended last week using hydroxychloroquine, as well as the anti-malarial chloroquine, to treat even mild COVID-19 cases.
The Lancet study found that both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.
And neither drug benefitted patients hospitalised with COVID-19, according to a Lancet study, which looked at the records of 96,000 patients across hundreds of hospitals.
Tedros stressed Monday that the two drugs "are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria."
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Monday's briefing that the WHO-backed Solidarity Trial had been looking only at the effects of hydroxychloroquine and not chloroquine.
The decision on suspending enrolment for trials using hydroxychloroquine was "a temporary measure", she said.
"We're just acting by precaution," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan agreed.
'Dangerous assumption'?
The COVID-19 pandemic, which began late last year in China, has killed nearly 350,000 people worldwide and infected almost 5.5 million, according to an AFP tally using official sources.
While there is still no approved treatment or vaccine for the novel coronavirus, drastic measures that at one point saw half of humanity under lockdown have pushed down transmission rates in a number of countries.
As many nations begin to gradually lift restrictions, the WHO on Monday stressed the need to keep up with physical distancing measures and to scale up efforts to test and detect cases.
"All countries need to remain on high alert," WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove said, stressing that "even countries that have seen a decline in cases must remain ready."
She warned that studies using antibody tests to determine how many people have been infected and might have some level of immunity "indicate that a large proportion of the population remains susceptible."
"The virus will take the opportunity to amplify if it can," she said.
Ryan agreed, urging countries to "continue to put in place ... a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downward trajectory and that we don't have an immediate second peak."
He warned against the idea that the pandemic might move in natural seasonal waves, stressing that the reason transmission is going down in a number of countries was the drastic measures put in place.
"My concern right now is that people might be assuming that the current rapid infections represents a natural seasonality," he said.
"Making an assumption that it is on a downward trajectory, and the next danger point is sometime in October or November, I think that would be a dangerous assumption."
"If we take the pressure off the virus then the virus can bounce back," he said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Burundi’s ruling party candidate wins presidential election with 68 percent of the vote

Évariste Ndayishimiye , Burundi 's presidential candidate of the ruling party the CNDD-FDD , speaks to the media after voting during presidential and general elections in Giheta , Burundi , on May 20 , 2020 .
Burundi 's ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye was on Monday declared the winner of the country 's presidential election , which the opposition has said was flawed .
The national election commission , in results streamed live on Burundian media , announced that Ndayishimiye had won 68.72 percent of the vote , while opposition leader Agathon Rwasa came in far behind with 24.19 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former army general who was handpicked by the ruling CNDD-FDD to replace President Pierre Nkurunziza , who has been in power since 2005 and whose final years in office have been wracked with turmoil .
Nkurunziza 's third-term election run in 2015 sparked violence which left at least 1,200 dead and pushed 400,000 to flee the country .
Ndayishimiye is set to inherit a deeply isolated country , under sanctions and cut off by foreign donors , its economy and national psyche damaged by the years of political violence and rights violations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus outbreak -- which has been largely ignored -- and on top of a potential public health crisis , the opposition looks set to contest the outcome of the election .
No foreign observers were allowed in to keep an eye on the election process .
Rwasa , the main opposition candidate , has already alleged foul play , saying initial numbers which showed his CNL party heading for a bruising defeat were a `` fantasy '' .
The veteran politician attracted large crowds throughout his campaign , and observers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populace exhausted by the CNDD-FDD 's rule .
The CNL has alleged the stuffing of ballot boxes , proxy voting , intimidation , and said its polling agents were arrested or booted out during voting and counting .
However Rwasa has already hinted he would not take to the streets in protest and would appeal to the Constitutional Court , though he considers the process imperfect .
The commercial capital Bujumbura was calm on Monday , with shops open and only a slight increase in the visibility of security forces .
A high-ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke on condition of anonymity , said the party had urged its supporters to remain calm .
`` The message was to remain calm and vigilant ... not to provoke and that when the time is right the party will tell us when to celebrate our victory . ''
The election commission has yet to respond to the fraud allegations , but Pierre Nkurikiye , the spokesman for Burundi 's public security ministry , accused members of the CNL of attempted fraud , confirming some of their members were arrested for minor incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking anonymously , expressed strong doubts about the official result but said it was not surprising .
`` We were expecting it to happen like this .
Nobody could imagine for a second that the CNDD-FDD and its generals would cede power in any way , '' the diplomat said .
Burundi , which the World Bank ranks among the world 's three poorest countries , has been under sanctions from its major donors since 2015 , when Nkurunziza 's decision to run for a third term as president triggered violent unrest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the ruling party and its youth wing , the Imbonerakure , have been accused of a forceful crackdown against the government 's critics in the aftermath of 2015 .
State security forces have been accused by rights groups and the United Nations of crimes against humanity and severe rights abuses such as torture , disappearances , sexual violence and executions .
Ndayishimiye is expected to be sworn in for a seven-year term in late August , when Nkurunziza 's term ends .
Observers have noted it is unclear whether Ndayishimiye would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nkurunziza , who in February was elevated by parliament to the rank of `` supreme guide for patriotism '' and will remain chairman of the party 's highly influential council of elders .
The final election results will be declared by the Constitutional Court on June 4 .

Burundi's ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye was on Monday declared the winner of the country's presidential election, which the opposition has said was flawed.
Évariste Ndayishimiye, Burundi's presidential candidate of the ruling party the CNDD-FDD, speaks to the media after voting during presidential and general elections in Giheta, Burundi, on May 20, 2020.
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The national election commission, in results streamed live on Burundian media, announced that Ndayishimiye had won 68.72 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Agathon Rwasa came in far behind with 24.19 percent.
Ndayishimiye, 52, is a former army general who was handpicked by the ruling CNDD-FDD to replace President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005 and whose final years in office have been wracked with turmoil.
Nkurunziza's third-term election run in 2015 sparked violence which left at least 1,200 dead and pushed 400,000 to flee the country.
Ndayishimiye is set to inherit a deeply isolated country, under sanctions and cut off by foreign donors, its economy and national psyche damaged by the years of political violence and rights violations.
The election was conducted with scant regard to the coronavirus outbreak -- which has been largely ignored -- and on top of a potential public health crisis, the opposition looks set to contest the outcome of the election.
No foreign observers were allowed in to keep an eye on the election process.
Rwasa, the main opposition candidate, has already alleged foul play, saying initial numbers which showed his CNL party heading for a bruising defeat were a "fantasy".
The veteran politician attracted large crowds throughout his campaign, and observers said he may reap the benefit of a populace exhausted by the CNDD-FDD's rule.
The CNL has alleged the stuffing of ballot boxes, proxy voting, intimidation, and said its polling agents were arrested or booted out during voting and counting.
However Rwasa has already hinted he would not take to the streets in protest and would appeal to the Constitutional Court, though he considers the process imperfect.
'Calm and vigilant'
The commercial capital Bujumbura was calm on Monday, with shops open and only a slight increase in the visibility of security forces.
A high-ranking member of the ruling party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party had urged its supporters to remain calm.
"The message was to remain calm and vigilant ... not to provoke and that when the time is right the party will tell us when to celebrate our victory."
The election commission has yet to respond to the fraud allegations, but Pierre Nkurikiye, the spokesman for Burundi's public security ministry, accused members of the CNL of attempted fraud, confirming some of their members were arrested for minor incidents.
A foreign diplomat in Burundi, speaking anonymously, expressed strong doubts about the official result but said it was not surprising.
"We were expecting it to happen like this. Nobody could imagine for a second that the CNDD-FDD and its generals would cede power in any way," the diplomat said.
Burundi, which the World Bank ranks among the world's three poorest countries, has been under sanctions from its major donors since 2015, when Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term as president triggered violent unrest and political chaos.
Burundi is tightly controlled by the ruling party and its youth wing, the Imbonerakure, have been accused of a forceful crackdown against the government's critics in the aftermath of 2015.
State security forces have been accused by rights groups and the United Nations of crimes against humanity and severe rights abuses such as torture, disappearances, sexual violence and executions.
Ndayishimiye is expected to be sworn in for a seven-year term in late August, when Nkurunziza's term ends.
Observers have noted it is unclear whether Ndayishimiye would be able to rule free from interference by Nkurunziza, who in February was elevated by parliament to the rank of "supreme guide for patriotism" and will remain chairman of the party's highly influential council of elders.
The final election results will be declared by the Constitutional Court on June 4.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--Covid-19: No new death toll published but hospitalisations continue to fall in France

A nurse prepares a patient infected with coronavirus at the intensive care service of the Nantes CHU hospital , on @ @ @ @ @ in Nantes , France .
The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in France @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , resuming a gradual decline that had been interrupted Sunday .
The health @ @ @ @ @ care fell by 46 to 1,609 , continuing a more than six-week downtrend .
France @ @ @ @ @ death toll .
A total of 28,367 people had died from the virus as of @ @

The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in France fell by 387 to 16,798 on Monday, resuming a gradual decline that had been interrupted Sunday.
A nurse prepares a patient infected with coronavirus at the intensive care service of the Nantes CHU hospital, on May 19, 2020, in Nantes, France.
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The health ministry said numbers in intensive care fell by 46 to 1,609, continuing a more than six-week downtrend.
France did not publish a new death toll. A total of 28,367 people had died from the virus as of Sunday.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-25--Madagascar to send troops to town where two died of coronavirus

Madagascar 's government has announced it will dispatch troops and doctors to an eastern town after several bodies were found in the streets and where two people died from the novel coronavirus .
Madagascar 's cabinet held a special meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Toamasina , the country 's second largest city .
The Indian Ocean island nation has registered 527 infections and two deaths , both in Toamasina .
Since Thursday , more than 120 new cases were confirmed , and several bodies were found in the city 's streets though the cause of death was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out thorough examinations to see if these deaths are caused by another illness ( ... ) or if they are really due to severe acute respiratory problems which is the critical form of COVID-19 , '' Professor Hanta Marie Danielle Vololontiana , spokesperson for the government 's virus taskforce , said in a national broadcast on Sunday .
The government will send 150 soldiers to reinforce Toamasina , maintain order and enforce measures against the coronavirus such as mask wearing and social distancing .
The cabinet also fired Toamasina 's prefect without providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered to distribute a drink based on artemisia , a plant recognised as a treatment against malaria , which the Malagasy authorities claim cures COVID-19 .
The potential benefits of this herbal tea , called Covid-Organics , have not been validated by any scientific study .
The cabinet has also announced an investigation into the death of a doctor in Toamasina .
According to local press , the victim was hospitalised after contracting COVID-19 and was found dead hanged in his room on Sunday morning .

Madagascar's government has announced it will dispatch troops and doctors to an eastern town after several bodies were found in the streets and where two people died from the novel coronavirus.
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Madagascar's cabinet held a special meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Toamasina, the country's second largest city.
The Indian Ocean island nation has registered 527 infections and two deaths, both in Toamasina.
Since Thursday, more than 120 new cases were confirmed, and several bodies were found in the city's streets though the cause of death was not clear.
"Doctors must carry out thorough examinations to see if these deaths are caused by another illness (...) or if they are really due to severe acute respiratory problems which is the critical form of COVID-19," Professor Hanta Marie Danielle Vololontiana, spokesperson for the government's virus taskforce, said in a national broadcast on Sunday.
The government will send 150 soldiers to reinforce Toamasina, maintain order and enforce measures against the coronavirus such as mask wearing and social distancing.
The cabinet also fired Toamasina's prefect without providing any explanation.
A team was also ordered to distribute a drink based on artemisia, a plant recognised as a treatment against malaria, which the Malagasy authorities claim cures COVID-19.
The potential benefits of this herbal tea, called Covid-Organics, have not been validated by any scientific study.
The cabinet has also announced an investigation into the death of a doctor in Toamasina. According to local press, the victim was hospitalised after contracting COVID-19 and was found dead hanged in his room on Sunday morning.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--First Iranian fuel tanker arrives in Venezuela, despite US criticism

The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela has moored at Venezuela 's El Palito refinery , Iran @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
Iran is providing Venezuela with 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and components @ @ @ @ @ U.S. authorities as both nations are under U.S. sanctions , according to the governments , @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The Iranian oil/chem Handymax tanker , FORTUNE , which loaded 43 million liters @ @ @ @ @ Port Shahid Rajaee , Iran , has now moored at berth 2 at the refinery @ @ @ @ @ , situated west of capital city , Caracas , '' tweeted TankerTrackers.com .
A second @ @ @ @ @ entered the Caribbean Sea on Saturday .
The three remaining vessels were crossing the Atlantic @

The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela has moored at Venezuela's El Palito refinery, Iran's English-language Press TV reported on Monday.
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Iran is providing Venezuela with 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and components in a move criticised by U.S. authorities as both nations are under U.S. sanctions, according to the governments, sources and calculations by TankerTrackers.com.
"The Iranian oil/chem Handymax tanker, FORTUNE, which loaded 43 million liters of gasoline during mid-March at Port Shahid Rajaee, Iran, has now moored at berth 2 at the refinery of El Palito, Venezuela, situated west of capital city, Caracas," tweeted TankerTrackers.com.
A second vessel, the Forest, entered the Caribbean Sea on Saturday. The three remaining vessels were crossing the Atlantic.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-25--Erdogan adviser: 'France and those supporting Haftar are on wrong side of Libyan conflict'

In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Ibrahim Kalin , a special adviser and spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , discussed the situation in Libya , where Turkey has sent troops in support of the UN-backed Tripoli-based government .
He also talked about Syria and the dispute with the Trump administration over Turkey ’ s acquisition of Russia S-400 air defence systems .
Concerning Libya , Turkish presidential adviser Kalin said the military support that Ankara has given to the Tripoli-based government of Fayez al-Sarraj against the forces of his arch-rival Khalifa Haftar has provided some `` balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Haftar 's troops have retreated from the capital , Tripoli , singling out the role of foreign mercenaries from Africa but also from Russia 's Wagner Group .
Kalin also said the United Arab Emirates had been supporting Haftar , which he said was illustrated by a recent UN report alleging that Western mercenaries working for companies based in the UAE were sent to Libya a few months ago to support Haftar .
He accused the eastern Libyan strongman of breaking `` every single agreement , every single ceasefire '' and stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political solution '' and not egging on Sarraj to militarily go after Haftar .
The top Turkish official said countries such as France – which he accuses of still supporting Haftar – had `` of course '' been wrong to do so .
`` We believe that anyone who is still supporting Haftar is on the wrong side in the Libyan conflict , '' Kalin told FRANCE 24 .
He said the disagreements with France , as well as the US , also extended to Syria , stressing that their support for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was merely the Syrian branch of the PKK `` terrorist organisation '' .
In addition , he said this support undermined the territorial continuity of Syria .
Finally , with regards to the dispute with the Trump administration over Turkey 's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems , Kalin said Turkey had postponed the activation of the systems due to Covid-19 .
He said the plan was still to activate the Russian-made system but hinted that if the US showed it was open to sending Patriot missiles to Turkey , Erdogan @ @ @ @ @ @

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed the situation in Libya, where Turkey has sent troops in support of the UN-backed Tripoli-based government. He also talked about Syria and the dispute with the Trump administration over Turkey's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems.
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Concerning Libya, Turkish presidential spokesman Kalin said the military support that Ankara has given to the Tripoli-based government of Fayez al-Sarraj against the forces of his arch-rival Khalifa Haftar has provided some "balance" to the conflict. He confirmed that Haftar's troops have retreated from the capital, Tripoli, singling out the role of foreign mercenaries from Africa but also from Russia's Wagner Group.
Kalin also said the United Arab Emirates had been supporting Haftar, which he said was illustrated by a recent UN report alleging that Western mercenaries working for companies based in the UAE were sent to Libya a few months ago to support Haftar. He accused the eastern Libyan strongman of breaking "every single agreement, every single ceasefire" and stressed that Turkey was looking for a "political solution" and not egging on Sarraj to militarily go after Haftar.
>> Libya's UN-backed govt accuses France of supporting Haftar, ends cooperation
The top Turkish official said countries such as France – which he accuses of still supporting Haftar – had "of course" been wrong to do so. "We believe that anyone who is still supporting Haftar is on the wrong side in the Libyan conflict," Kalin told FRANCE 24.
He said the disagreements with France, as well as the US, also extended to Syria, stressing that their support for the Kurdish PYD/YPG was wrongheaded because he claimed this was merely the Syrian branch of the PKK "terrorist organisation". In addition, he said this support undermined the territorial continuity of Syria.
Finally, with regards to the dispute with the Trump administration over Turkey's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems, Kalin said Turkey had postponed the activation of the systems due to Covid-19. He said the plan was still to activate the Russian-made system but hinted that if the US showed it was open to sending Patriot missiles to Turkey, Erdogan would be ready to listen.
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france24--2020-05-25--Afghanistan frees first group of Taliban prisoners in response to ceasefire

In this handout photograph taken and released on May 25 , 2020 by Afghanistan 's ( NCS ) National Security Council , Taliban prisoners wave inside a vehicle during their release from the Bagram prison , next to the US military base in Bagram , 50km north of Kabul .
Afghan authorities released 100 Taliban prisoners Monday as part of the government 's response to a surprise , three-day ceasefire the insurgents called to mark the Eid al-Fitr festival .
The pause in fighting , only the second of its kind in Afghanistan 's nearly 19-year-old war , appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government welcomed the truce by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates .
President Ashraf Ghani said his administration was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban , seen as key to ending the war in the impoverished country .
`` The government of Afghanistan has today released 100 Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison , '' National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told AFP .
He said the prisoner release was to `` help the peace process '' and will continue until 2,000 prisoners are freed .
Faisal said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceasefire violations so far , adding that authorities plan to release insurgent prisoners in batches of 100 daily .
`` We hope this will eventually lead to a lasting peace that the people of Afghanistan so much desire and deserve , '' he said .
In the northern city of Kunduz , which the Taliban attacked just days ago , calm prevailed as residents celebrated Eid at the end of the holy month of Ramadan .
`` Just two days ago panic had set in the city , '' said Atiqullah , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you go out and feel as if there is no more fighting .
People are actually celebrating Eid . ''
The current ceasefire is the first initiated by the Taliban .
The only other comparable pause came over Eid in 2018 , and was first offered by Ghani .
The normally restive southern province of Uruzgan was also calm , police said .
`` There was non-stop fighting every single day , but since the ceasefire was announced not a single shot has been fired , '' said Haji Lal Agha , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially good for the residents of Trinkot who would hear the sound of gunfire every day , '' he added , referring to the provincial capital .
There were no reports of fighting from Kandahar , once a bastion for the Taliban , and the southeast province of Khost was also peaceful , police said .
`` We are carefully monitoring the ceasefire and the situation , and there has not been any major activity by the enemy since the ceasefire was announced , '' interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mortar attack on Sunday in Laghman province that killed five civilians .
Violence had escalated since the Taliban signed a deal with Washington in February to withdraw all US forces from the country by next year .
The agreement also set the stage for intra-Afghan peace talks and stipulated that the government would first release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners , while the militants would free about 1,000 national security personnel .
Before Sunday 's announcement to free up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a `` goodwill gesture '' , Kabul had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the insurgents had freed about 300 Afghan security force captives .
The Taliban insist Kabul must release all 5,000 members as agreed in the deal with the US .
`` This process should be completed in order to remove hurdles in the way of commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations , '' Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the ceasefire , but insists the freed Taliban prisoners should not return to the battlefield .

Afghan authorities released 100 Taliban prisoners Monday as part of the government's response to a surprise, three-day ceasefire the insurgents called to mark the Eid al-Fitr festival.
In this handout photograph taken and released on May 25, 2020 by Afghanistan's (NCS) National Security Council, Taliban prisoners wave inside a vehicle during their release from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram, 50km north of Kabul.
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The pause in fighting, only the second of its kind in Afghanistan's nearly 19-year-old war, appeared to be holding on day two after the government welcomed the truce by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates.
President Ashraf Ghani said his administration was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban, seen as key to ending the war in the impoverished country.
"The government of Afghanistan has today released 100 Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison," National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told AFP.
He said the prisoner release was to "help the peace process" and will continue until 2,000 prisoners are freed.
Faisal said there had been no reports of any ceasefire violations so far, adding that authorities plan to release insurgent prisoners in batches of 100 daily.
"We hope this will eventually lead to a lasting peace that the people of Afghanistan so much desire and deserve," he said.
In the northern city of Kunduz, which the Taliban attacked just days ago, calm prevailed as residents celebrated Eid at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
"Just two days ago panic had set in the city," said Atiqullah, a shopkeeper from Kunduz.
"Today, you go out and feel as if there is no more fighting. People are actually celebrating Eid."
The current ceasefire is the first initiated by the Taliban. The only other comparable pause came over Eid in 2018, and was first offered by Ghani.
'Goodwill gesture'
The normally restive southern province of Uruzgan was also calm, police said.
"There was non-stop fighting every single day, but since the ceasefire was announced not a single shot has been fired," said Haji Lal Agha, the provincial police chief.
"It is especially good for the residents of Trinkot who would hear the sound of gunfire every day," he added, referring to the provincial capital.
There were no reports of fighting from Kandahar, once a bastion for the Taliban, and the southeast province of Khost was also peaceful, police said.
"We are carefully monitoring the ceasefire and the situation, and there has not been any major activity by the enemy since the ceasefire was announced," interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said.
He said they were, however, investigating a mortar attack on Sunday in Laghman province that killed five civilians.
Violence had escalated since the Taliban signed a deal with Washington in February to withdraw all US forces from the country by next year.
The agreement also set the stage for intra-Afghan peace talks and stipulated that the government would first release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the militants would free about 1,000 national security personnel.
Before Sunday's announcement to free up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a "goodwill gesture", Kabul had already released about 1,000 Taliban inmates while the insurgents had freed about 300 Afghan security force captives.
The Taliban insist Kabul must release all 5,000 members as agreed in the deal with the US.
"This process should be completed in order to remove hurdles in the way of commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed the ceasefire, but insists the freed Taliban prisoners should not return to the battlefield.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-25--France's cultural industry eager to bounce back after lockdown

In France , the month of May is usually synonymous with the Cannes Film Festival .
But this year , @ @ @ @ @ extravaganza did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Whether it 's cinema @ @ @ @ @ all branches of France 's prized cultural sector have taken a hit from the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ things will improve .
Facing harsh criticism from the artistic world , the French government @ @ @ @ @ .
Will it be enough to save the country 's prized cultural industry ?
Join @ @ @ @ @ French Connections .

France's cultural industry eager to bounce back after lockdown
06:40 FRENCH CONNECTIONS © FRANCE 24
In France, the month of May is usually synonymous with the Cannes Film Festival. But this year, the world's biggest movie extravaganza did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whether it's cinema, theatre or music, all branches of France's prized cultural sector have taken a hit from the lockdown and it's unclear when things will improve. Facing harsh criticism from the artistic world, the French government recently unveiled a rescue plan. Will it be enough to save the country's prized cultural industry? Join us for this episode of French Connections.


france24--2020-05-25--Parisians flock to painters’ haven of Barbizon for breath of fresh air

Parisians flock to painters ’ haven of Barbizon for breath of fresh air After two months of lockdown and with @ @ @ @ @ still shut to the public , Parisians starved of nature are flocking to the picturesque @ @ @ @ @ gateway to the vast forest of Fontainebleau and a magnet for art lovers .
Relieved @ @ @ @ @ visitors , local business owners are now hoping for the prompt return of foreign tourists @ @ @ @ @ than a third of all visitors before the pandemic .
FRANCE 24 ’ s Jonathan @ @ @ @ @ .

Parisians flock to painters’ haven of Barbizon for breath of fresh air
02:05 Parisians stroll around Barbizon enjoying an extended weekend during the Ascension holiday. © France 24
After two months of lockdown and with the French capital's gardens still shut to the public, Parisians starved of nature are flocking to the picturesque village of Barbizon, a gateway to the vast forest of Fontainebleau and a magnet for art lovers. Relieved by the sudden influx of visitors, local business owners are now hoping for the prompt return of foreign tourists, who made up more than a third of all visitors before the pandemic. FRANCE 24’s Jonathan Walsh and Emerald Maxwell report.