france24--2020-06-11--US President Trump struggles to unite country as he launches reelection campaign

US President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with conservative black supporters in the White House in Washington , D.C. , USA , June 10 , 2020 .
US President Donald Trump will address searing anger over racism and police brutality during a trip to Texas on Thursday , but his main focus is rapidly shifting to a more personal problem - his troubled reelection campaign .
The Republican has struggled to find the right tone to address the explosion of protests against years of police abuses and what many African-American leaders , and others , say is systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic devastation of the COVID-19 shutdown - and the fact that the pandemic continues to kill about 1,000 people a day - has left the country crying out for healing .
Trump , whose political style is built largely on fierce division and exciting his right-wing base , is due to address those national anxieties when he holds a roundtable meeting in Dallas .
The theme announced by the White House - `` Transition to Greatness : Restoring , Rebuilding , and Renewing '' - promotes the image of Trump as an optimistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger in the streets , nervousness across the economic landscape , and fear of the coronavirus lingering everywhere , living up to it will be a tall order .
Critics say he is incapable , pointing to the contrast between shows of empathy from previous presidents during crises and Trump 's instinct for fighting and insulting foes , even in the midst of calamity .
`` For weeks we 've seen President Trump run away from a meaningful conversation on systemic racism and police brutality .
Instead , he 's further divided our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said Thursday .
`` Today 's trip to Texas wo n't change any of that .
President Trump is more interested in photo-ops than offering a healing voice as our nation mourns . ''
With his poll numbers underwater five months ahead of election day , Trump seems unlikely to change tack .
Despite the extraordinary turmoil , his base remains loyal and he has made clear his priority is getting back on the campaign trail .
Immediately after his remarks in Dallas , the president heads to his first campaign fundraiser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 580,600 per couple event .
Then he flies to his golf course resort in New Jersey for the weekend , another post-COVID first .
Next Friday , he will restart his mothballed series of rallies - raucous , often two-hour love fests between Trump the entertainer-in-chief and thousands of his most loyal supporters - with an event in Oklahoma .
The choice of Texas for Thursday 's trip is notable because this has been a Republican state for decades but things are changing .
Trump won narrowly in 2016 and a Quinnipiac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage point ahead of Biden .
In 2016 , polls and politics watchers in general got it wrong about Trump , who ran a chaotic campaign against the ultra-professional Hillary Clinton yet still scored a famous electoral college win .
This has left many election watchers gun-shy .
Even so , current polls make grim reading for the Republican .
The FiveThirtyEight.com average shows Trump 's approval rating at just 41 percent , having taken a big hit from his handling of the COVID-19 and race crises .
The realclearpolitics.com average for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump 's 41.7 .
Worse for Trump - given his hope of repeating his electoral college win , even if losing the overall popular vote - Biden leads in almost every swing state .

US President Donald Trump will address searing anger over racism and police brutality during a trip to Texas on Thursday, but his main focus is rapidly shifting to a more personal problem - his troubled reelection campaign.
US President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with conservative black supporters in the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, June 10, 2020.
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The Republican has struggled to find the right tone to address the explosion of protests against years of police abuses and what many African-American leaders, and others, say is systemic racism.
That crisis, coupled with the economic devastation of the COVID-19 shutdown - and the fact that the pandemic continues to kill about 1,000 people a day - has left the country crying out for healing.
Trump, whose political style is built largely on fierce division and exciting his right-wing base, is due to address those national anxieties when he holds a roundtable meeting in Dallas.
The theme announced by the White House - "Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing" - promotes the image of Trump as an optimistic, can-do businessman president.
But with anger in the streets, nervousness across the economic landscape, and fear of the coronavirus lingering everywhere, living up to it will be a tall order.
Critics say he is incapable, pointing to the contrast between shows of empathy from previous presidents during crises and Trump's instinct for fighting and insulting foes, even in the midst of calamity.
"For weeks we've seen President Trump run away from a meaningful conversation on systemic racism and police brutality. Instead, he's further divided our country," Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday.
"Today's trip to Texas won't change any of that. President Trump is more interested in photo-ops than offering a healing voice as our nation mourns."
With his poll numbers underwater five months ahead of election day, Trump seems unlikely to change tack.
Despite the extraordinary turmoil, his base remains loyal and he has made clear his priority is getting back on the campaign trail.
Immediately after his remarks in Dallas, the president heads to his first campaign fundraiser since the COVID-19 lockdown began - a $580,600 per couple event. Then he flies to his golf course resort in New Jersey for the weekend, another post-COVID first.
Next Friday, he will restart his mothballed series of rallies - raucous, often two-hour love fests between Trump the entertainer-in-chief and thousands of his most loyal supporters - with an event in Oklahoma.
Hitting the trail
The choice of Texas for Thursday's trip is notable because this has been a Republican state for decades but things are changing. Trump won narrowly in 2016 and a Quinnipiac poll last week put him only one percentage point ahead of Biden.
In 2016, polls and politics watchers in general got it wrong about Trump, who ran a chaotic campaign against the ultra-professional Hillary Clinton yet still scored a famous electoral college win.
This has left many election watchers gun-shy. Even so, current polls make grim reading for the Republican.
The FiveThirtyEight.com average shows Trump's approval rating at just 41 percent, having taken a big hit from his handling of the COVID-19 and race crises.
The realclearpolitics.com average for a presidential election match-up puts Biden at 49.8 to Trump's 41.7.
Worse for Trump - given his hope of repeating his electoral college win, even if losing the overall popular vote - Biden leads in almost every swing state.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-11--Martin Luther King Jr's son on George Floyd protests: 'I've never seen anything like this'

In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Martin Luther King III , the son of Martin Luther King Jr , recounted the anger and frustration he felt upon learning about the death of George Floyd , an unarmed African American suffocated by a white police officer .
He said that while it was part of a long list of such killings , Floyd 's murder had galvanised the nation and the world in a way he had never witnessed before .
Reacting to the worldwide protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd , the son of Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests and the massive presence of white protesters made it a much larger movement than the one that followed the assassination of his father in 1968 .
`` I 've never seen anything quite like this in my life , '' Martin Luther King III told FRANCE 24 .
King said that if his father were alive , he would be angered that racial inequalities are still ingrained but at the same time would embrace the protest movement .
King , a human rights activist like his father , expressed confidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with real change when it comes to the treatment of African Americans .
If not , he warned that there were already discussions in African American circles about organising business boycotts in order to ramp up the pressure on the business community .
Finally , King said he did not believe that Donald Trump would be able to replicate what Richard Nixon did in 1968 , when he won the presidency on a law-and-order platform following the protest movement at that time .
He also said Trump had the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing to his refusal to envisage a change to US military bases named after Civil War Confederate leaders .
> > Trump , Pelosi at loggerheads over Confederate monuments in US South

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King Jr, recounted the anger and frustration he felt upon learning about the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American suffocated by a white police officer. He said that while it was part of a long list of such killings, Floyd's murder had galvanised the nation and the world in a way he had never witnessed before.
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Reacting to the worldwide protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, the son of Martin Luther King Jr said that the breadth of the protests and the massive presence of white protesters made it a much larger movement than the one that followed the assassination of his father in 1968. "I've never seen anything quite like this in my life," Martin Luther King III told FRANCE 24. King said that if his father were alive, he would be angered that racial inequalities are still ingrained but at the same time would embrace the protest movement.
King, a human rights activist like his father, expressed confidence that the US Congress was now under pressure to come up with real change when it comes to the treatment of African Americans. If not, he warned that there were already discussions in African American circles about organising business boycotts in order to ramp up the pressure on the business community.
Finally, King said he did not believe that Donald Trump would be able to replicate what Richard Nixon did in 1968, when he won the presidency on a law-and-order platform following the protest movement at that time. He also said Trump had the "behaviour" of a racist person, pointing to his refusal to envisage a change to US military bases named after Civil War Confederate leaders.
>> Trump, Pelosi at loggerheads over Confederate monuments in US South
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france24--2020-06-11--Ex-athletics chief Diack admits delaying the treatment of Russian doping cases

Former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF ) Lamine Diack , wearing a face mask , arrives for his trial at the Paris courthouse , France , June 8 , 2020 .
Lamine Diack , the former head of World Athletics , on Thursday told a French court he had slowed the handling of Russian doping cases between 2011-2013 to save a sponsorship deal with a Russian bank .
Diack , 87 , said he had not sought to protect the athletes caught up in the scandal , some of whom later competed in the London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases did come to public attention all at once .
This , he said , would have caused a scandal .
Diack , once one of the most influential men in athletics , faces charges of corruption , money laundering and breach of trust .
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail .
The former long-jumper has consistently denied wrongdoing .
`` Who took the decision to spread out the ( sanction procedures ) ?
It was me , '' Diack told the court 's three judges .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it did n't stop us from quietly working on doping . ''
`` When the Russian cases arose , we were going through a difficult moment financially , '' he continued .
`` My duty was to make sure the IAAF got out of it . ''
Prosecutors allege Diack solicited bribes totalling 3.45 million euros ( $ 3.9 million ) from athletes suspected of doping to cover up test results and let them continue competing .
They also say Diack obtained $ 1.5 million of Russian funds while negotiating sponsorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sall 's campaign for the 2012 Senegal presidential election , in exchange for slowing anti-doping procedures .
Diack told the court the Russian bank renewed its sponsorship contract worth $ 32 million in February 2013 .
Earlier this week , Habib Cisse , Diack 's former lawyer at the IAAF , renamed as World Athletics , told the court the IAAF could have survived financially without its Russian sponsors .

Lamine Diack, the former head of World Athletics, on Thursday told a French court he had slowed the handling of Russian doping cases between 2011-2013 to save a sponsorship deal with a Russian bank.
Former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lamine Diack, wearing a face mask, arrives for his trial at the Paris courthouse, France, June 8, 2020.
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Diack, 87, said he had not sought to protect the athletes caught up in the scandal, some of whom later competed in the London 2012 Olympics, but to ensure the cases did come to public attention all at once. This, he said, would have caused a scandal.
Diack, once one of the most influential men in athletics, faces charges of corruption, money laundering and breach of trust. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
The former long-jumper has consistently denied wrongdoing.
"Who took the decision to spread out the (sanction procedures)? It was me," Diack told the court's three judges. "Everyone said I was taking a risk, but it didn't stop us from quietly working on doping."
"When the Russian cases arose, we were going through a difficult moment financially," he continued. "My duty was to make sure the IAAF got out of it."
Prosecutors allege Diack solicited bribes totalling 3.45 million euros ($3.9 million) from athletes suspected of doping to cover up test results and let them continue competing.
They also say Diack obtained $1.5 million of Russian funds while negotiating sponsorship and television rights to help finance Macky Sall's campaign for the 2012 Senegal presidential election, in exchange for slowing anti-doping procedures.
Diack told the court the Russian bank renewed its sponsorship contract worth $32 million in February 2013.
Earlier this week, Habib Cisse, Diack's former lawyer at the IAAF, renamed as World Athletics, told the court the IAAF could have survived financially without its Russian sponsors.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-11--China removes pangolins from traditional medicine list

The pangolin , the animal some believe may have played a role in the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus , will no longer be authorised for use in traditional Chinese medicine , offering a vital lifeline to the rare and endangered species .
China removed pangolin body parts from its official list of traditional medicines , state media reported on Tuesday , just days after giving the animal the country ’ s highest level of protected status due to its dwindling numbers .
The move has been lauded by wildlife groups as a vital step towards protecting the species .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the part of mainland China to help protect pangolin species around the world , ” Dr David Olson , director of conservation at the World Wide Fund for Nature , told AFP .
“ The traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used pangolins for centuries as part of their prescriptions and the scales in particular , “ he said .
Pangolin scales are used in Chinese medicine for a range of ailments , including treating blood clots and aiding lactation , though there is no scientific evidence they have any medicinal value .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the animal becoming the most trafficked in the world .
In 2019 alone , more than 130 tons of pangolin parts were seized by authorities , representing up to 400,000 animals , according to figures from WildAid .
Illegal poaching has taken a heavy toll on Pangolin numbers .
Of the eight species of the animal , found in Asia and Africa , three are listed as critically endangered and the other five as endangered or vulnerable .
The animal has been in the spotlight recently over a possible link to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Studies have suggested it may have been the intermediate host that transmitted the virus to humans when it first emerged at a wet market in China ’ s Wuhan last year .
China has since banned the sale of wild animals for food in such markets , though their trade for medicine has remained legal .

The pangolin, the animal some believe may have played a role in the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, will no longer be authorised for use in traditional Chinese medicine, offering a vital lifeline to the rare and endangered species.
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China removed pangolin body parts from its official list of traditional medicines, state media reported on Tuesday, just days after giving the animal the country’s highest level of protected status due to its dwindling numbers.
The move has been lauded by wildlife groups as a vital step towards protecting the species.
“This is a really significant action on the part of mainland China to help protect pangolin species around the world,” Dr David Olson, director of conservation at the World Wide Fund for Nature, told AFP.
“The traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used pangolins for centuries as part of their prescriptions and the scales in particular,“ he said.
Pangolin scales are used in Chinese medicine for a range of ailments, including treating blood clots and aiding lactation, though there is no scientific evidence they have any medicinal value.
Demand for pangolin scales and meat have led to the animal becoming the most trafficked in the world.
In 2019 alone, more than 130 tons of pangolin parts were seized by authorities, representing up to 400,000 animals, according to figures from WildAid.
Illegal poaching has taken a heavy toll on Pangolin numbers. Of the eight species of the animal, found in Asia and Africa, three are listed as critically endangered and the other five as endangered or vulnerable.
The animal has been in the spotlight recently over a possible link to the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in China.
Studies have suggested it may have been the intermediate host that transmitted the virus to humans when it first emerged at a wet market in China’s Wuhan last year.
China has since banned the sale of wild animals for food in such markets, though their trade for medicine has remained legal.
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france24--2020-06-11--Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fires prime minister

This file photo from May 11 , 2013 , shows Imad Khamis answering journalists ' questions following a meeting in the Syrian capital of Damascus .
Syrian President Bashar Assad has fired his prime minister a month ahead of elections as the economic crisis worsens and public anger rises in the territory under his control .
Assad on Thursday also appointed the current water resources minister to replace Imad Khamis , who has been the premier since 2016 .
The Syrian president asked Hussein Arnous to replace Khamis until parliament elections are held next month and a new government comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deepening economic crisis that Assad 's government has been facing .
Syria 's national currency is tumbling to the dollar , reaching unprecedented lows while food prices have skyrocketed .
The economic meltdown comes ahead of looming new U.S. sanctions against any entity or country that do business with the Syrian government .
The new sanctions are due to take effect in the second half of June but they have shaken the already teetering economy .
The hardships have also sparked unprecedented protests in areas controlled by the Assad government .
Hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken to the streets in the last four days , decrying the rising cost of living and chanting against Assad , in scenes reminiscent of the early days of anti-government protests that erupted in 2011 .
The peaceful 2011 protests were met with a brutal government crackdown and turned into a civil war that has devastated the country .
More than 400,000 have been killed , millions displaced and large parts of the country remain outside of government control .
The parliamentary elections , scheduled for next month , were originally due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been delayed since because of restrictions imposed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in Syria .

Syrian President Bashar Assad has fired his prime minister a month ahead of elections as the economic crisis worsens and public anger rises in the territory under his control.
This file photo from May 11, 2013, shows Imad Khamis answering journalists' questions following a meeting in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
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Assad on Thursday also appointed the current water resources minister to replace Imad Khamis, who has been the premier since 2016. The Syrian president asked Hussein Arnous to replace Khamis until parliament elections are held next month and a new government comes in.
The surprise move comes amid a deepening economic crisis that Assad's government has been facing. Syria's national currency is tumbling to the dollar, reaching unprecedented lows while food prices have skyrocketed.
The economic meltdown comes ahead of looming new U.S. sanctions against any entity or country that do business with the Syrian government. The new sanctions are due to take effect in the second half of June but they have shaken the already teetering economy.
The hardships have also sparked unprecedented protests in areas controlled by the Assad government. Hundreds of protesters in the southern Sweida province have taken to the streets in the last four days, decrying the rising cost of living and chanting against Assad, in scenes reminiscent of the early days of anti-government protests that erupted in 2011.
The peaceful 2011 protests were met with a brutal government crackdown and turned into a civil war that has devastated the country. More than 400,000 have been killed, millions displaced and large parts of the country remain outside of government control.
The parliamentary elections, scheduled for next month, were originally due in April. The vote has twice been delayed since because of restrictions imposed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in Syria.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-11--Turkey sentences US Consulate translator to eight years in prison

A woman walks in front of the courthouse in Istanbul on December 11 , 2019 during the trial of Metin Topuz , a US consulate staffer accused of spying and attempting to overthrow the government .
A Turkish court sentenced U.S. consulate employee Metin Topuz to eight years and nine months in jail for aiding a terrorist organisation , state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Thursday , a development that could strain ties with Washington .
Topuz 's trial has been one of several sources of friction between NATO allies Turkey and the United States , who have also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences in Syria and Turkey 's purchase of Russian missile defence systems .
Topuz , who has been in jail for more than two and a half years while facing trial , was initially accused of espionage and trying to overthrow the government .
A prosecutor said in March he should be acquitted on those charges and instead be sentenced up to 15 years in prison for membership of a terrorist organisation .
Two lawyers for Topuz were not immediately available for comment on Thursday .
In a 78-page indictment that included telephone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Topuz was accused of links to officials who led a 2013 corruption investigation and were later found to be members of the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen , which Ankara blames for a failed 2016 coup .
A translator and fixer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency ( DEA ) at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul , Topuz maintained throughout the trial that he contacted the individuals , who at the time held high-ranking positions in the police and judiciary , as part of his job .
Gulen , a Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999 , and has denied any involvement in the coup attempt .

A Turkish court sentenced U.S. consulate employee Metin Topuz to eight years and nine months in jail for aiding a terrorist organisation, state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Thursday, a development that could strain ties with Washington.
A woman walks in front of the courthouse in Istanbul on December 11, 2019 during the trial of Metin Topuz, a US consulate staffer accused of spying and attempting to overthrow the government.
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Topuz's trial has been one of several sources of friction between NATO allies Turkey and the United States, who have also been at odds in recent years over policy differences in Syria and Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems.
Topuz, who has been in jail for more than two and a half years while facing trial, was initially accused of espionage and trying to overthrow the government. A prosecutor said in March he should be acquitted on those charges and instead be sentenced up to 15 years in prison for membership of a terrorist organisation.
Two lawyers for Topuz were not immediately available for comment on Thursday.
In a 78-page indictment that included telephone calls, text messages and CCTV images, Topuz was accused of links to officials who led a 2013 corruption investigation and were later found to be members of the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Ankara blames for a failed 2016 coup.
A translator and fixer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Topuz maintained throughout the trial that he contacted the individuals, who at the time held high-ranking positions in the police and judiciary, as part of his job.
Gulen, a Muslim cleric, has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and has denied any involvement in the coup attempt.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-11--Death of Afghan migrants in burning car after police chase in Iran sparks fury

A video of a dramatic and fatal police chase in Iran sparked outrage after it was shared online in early June .
The video shows the police chasing Iranian smugglers , known as 'shooti ' .
One of the human traffickers ' cars , filled with migrants , catches fire , killing three Afghan migrants and injuring eight more .
This is not the first incident of its kind demonstrating Iranian security forces ’ violence against Afghan migrants .
On June 3 , two videos showing a burning car with dead bodies inside and survivors on the road nearby were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The caption reads , `` Iranian police shot at a car , full of Afghan 'illegal ' migrants and the car caught fire .
Many of them died inside . ''
The FRANCE 24 Observers team has decided not to publish the videos in their entirety .
The images in this article are blurred screen captures from the videos .
A Peugeot 405 burns on a road to Yazd , east of IranI .
Parts of a dead body are recognisable in the boot of the car .
Screengrab blurred by France 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Peugeot 405 is on fire , and you can make out the bodies of some of the victims in the boot of the car .
Survivors stand on the side of the road , shocked and injured .
One of them is running and crying , while another begs for water .
In one of the videos , a voice in the background says , `` Police shot at the car , the car caught fire and the police car just kept going . ''
Two Afgan victims in the video .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crying and asking for water .
The man filming asks them to sit and can be heard saying , “ I ’ ll bring water.
” Iranian bootleggers , or 'shooti ' , smuggle everything from contraband clothes to alcohol and migrants into Iran from the border with Afghanistan in the east of the country .
These smugglers drive as fast as 200 km per hour and pack over a dozen migrants into small cars , squeezing them into the boot if necessary .
They drive as fast as they can to escape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends with the police shooting at the vehicle .
This kind of incident involving smugglers transporting Afghan migrants is not unusual in Iran : Similar incidents happened in 2015 and 2016 .
But this is the first time the death toll has been so high .
> > READ MORE : Iran 's 'Fast and Furious ' smugglers : Duelling with police at 200 kph Another victim of the incident , who appears in pain , next to the highway .
Iranian police confirmed the incident , saying they “ fired at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , Iranian police published a press release and confirmed the incident .
The press release says the incident happened on June 3 on the road between Mehriz and Yazd in eastern Iran .
Iranian police claimed that they noticed four shootis at a checkpoint and stopped three of them , but the fourth car refused to stop .
According to the Iranian police , after a car chase that went on for several kilometres and police officers firing warning shots , they finally shot at the car ’ s tyres .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after eight kilometres of driving with flat tyres , the car caught fire and only stopped when it hit the barriers on the edge of the road .
The police said there were 14 migrants in the car , including at least one Pakistani person , which means that three other migrants and the driver are unaccounted for and wanted by the police .
The car on fire on a highway in eastern Iran .
According to the Iranian police , 14 Afghan migrants were inside .
Screengrab of the video blurred by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of the incident on TikTok to show their anger .
On June 7 , members of an Afghan political party went on strike in front of Iran ’ s embassy in Kabul , throwing red paint over the building in protest .
On June 5 , Iranian state TV broadcast images of Abdul Ghafoor Liwal , Afghanistan 's ambassador to Iran , visiting the survivors in the hospital in Yazd .
Many Aghans have expressed their anger on Tiktok with the hashtag “ bring me some water ” , a phrase uttered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of the incident .
One of the victims said `` We saw that the car was on fire , and we begged the driver to stop but he did n't . ''
In an interview with Iranian state TV Ghafoor Liwal said , `` It is my belief that the human traffickers are responsible for this incident . ''
However Kabul has ordered its diplomatic mission in Iran to investigate the incident .
Many Afghan MPs are calling on Iran to `` use less lethal methods with Afghan migrants '' .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly showdown between Iranian police and Afghans .
On May 1 , Iranian border guards forced 57 Afghan migrant workers into a river on the Iran-Afghan border .
Afghanistan says only 12 survived .
Iran denies the allegations .
> > READ MORE : Investigation : videos reveal location of mass drowning on Iran-Afghan border

IRAN
Screengrabs from the video of the accident that occurred in early June at the border between Iran and Afghanistan.
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A video of a dramatic and fatal police chase in Iran sparked outrage after it was shared online in early June. The video shows the police chasing Iranian smugglers, known as 'shooti'. One of the human traffickers' cars, filled with migrants, catches fire, killing three Afghan migrants and injuring eight more. This is not the first incident of its kind demonstrating Iranian security forces’ violence against Afghan migrants.
On June 3, two videos showing a burning car with dead bodies inside and survivors on the road nearby were shared on social media in Iran. The caption reads, "Iranian police shot at a car, full of Afghan 'illegal' migrants and the car caught fire. Many of them died inside."
The FRANCE 24 Observers team has decided not to publish the videos in their entirety. The images in this article are blurred screen captures from the videos.
A Peugeot 405 burns on a road to Yazd, east of IranI. Parts of a dead body are recognisable in the boot of the car. Screengrab blurred by France 24 Observers.
In the two videos, a Peugeot 405 is on fire, and you can make out the bodies of some of the victims in the boot of the car.
Survivors stand on the side of the road, shocked and injured. One of them is running and crying, while another begs for water. In one of the videos, a voice in the background says, "Police shot at the car, the car caught fire and the police car just kept going."
Two Afgan victims in the video. One of them appears severely injured, crying and asking for water. The man filming asks them to sit and can be heard saying, “I’ll bring water.”
Iranian bootleggers, or 'shooti', smuggle everything from contraband clothes to alcohol and migrants into Iran from the border with Afghanistan in the east of the country.
These smugglers drive as fast as 200 km per hour and pack over a dozen migrants into small cars, squeezing them into the boot if necessary. They drive as fast as they can to escape the police – a method that sometimes ends with the police shooting at the vehicle. This kind of incident involving smugglers transporting Afghan migrants is not unusual in Iran: Similar incidents happened in 2015 and 2016. But this is the first time the death toll has been so high.
>> READ MORE: Iran's 'Fast and Furious' smugglers: Duelling with police at 200 kph
Another victim of the incident, who appears in pain, next to the highway.
Iranian police confirmed the incident, saying they “fired at the car’s tyres”
On 5 June, Iranian police published a press release and confirmed the incident.
The press release says the incident happened on June 3 on the road between Mehriz and Yazd in eastern Iran.
Iranian police claimed that they noticed four shootis at a checkpoint and stopped three of them, but the fourth car refused to stop. According to the Iranian police, after a car chase that went on for several kilometres and police officers firing warning shots, they finally shot at the car’s tyres. The car still did not stop, and after eight kilometres of driving with flat tyres, the car caught fire and only stopped when it hit the barriers on the edge of the road.
The police said there were 14 migrants in the car, including at least one Pakistani person, which means that three other migrants and the driver are unaccounted for and wanted by the police.
The car on fire on a highway in eastern Iran. According to the Iranian police, 14 Afghan migrants were inside. Screengrab of the video blurred by France 24.
Kabul asks for an investigation
Many Afghans shared the video of the incident on TikTok to show their anger. On June 7, members of an Afghan political party went on strike in front of Iran’s embassy in Kabul, throwing red paint over the building in protest.
On June 5, Iranian state TV broadcast images of Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, Afghanistan's ambassador to Iran, visiting the survivors in the hospital in Yazd.
Many Aghans have expressed their anger on Tiktok with the hashtag “bring me some water”, a phrase uttered by one of the victims in a video of the incident.
One of the victims said "We saw that the car was on fire, and we begged the driver to stop but he didn't." In an interview with Iranian state TV Ghafoor Liwal said, "It is my belief that the human traffickers are responsible for this incident."
However Kabul has ordered its diplomatic mission in Iran to investigate the incident. Many Afghan MPs are calling on Iran to "use less lethal methods with Afghan migrants".
This incident happened only a month after another deadly showdown between Iranian police and Afghans. On
May 1, Iranian border guards forced 57 Afghan migrant workers into a river on the Iran-Afghan border.
Afghanistan says only 12 survived. Iran denies the allegations.
>> READ MORE: Investigation: videos reveal location of mass drowning on Iran-Afghan border


france24--2020-06-12--French police stage Champs-Élysées protest over ban on chokeholds

Police officers rally on the Champs-Elysées in Paris to protest against a ban on chokeholds on June 12 , 2020 .
French police protested on Friday against a ban on chokeholds and limits to what they can do during arrests , part of new government efforts to stem police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of global protests over George Floyd ’ s death in the United States and a reckoning in France over the 2016 death of Adama Traoré , who died in police custody .
Police officers rallied on the French capital 's famed Champs-Élysées avenue on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foot of the Arc de Triomphe in protest against new restrictions on restraint holds they can use .
One van carried a poster reading `` No police , no peace '' .
Another carried graphic images of injuries sustained by police officers attacked in the line of duty , with the words : `` Who is massacring who ? ''
The protest came as police unions were due to hold talks on Friday with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to discuss changes to police tactics , after Castaner announced earlier this week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seize suspects by the neck or push on their necks .
Castaner stopped short of banning another technique – pressing on a prone suspect ’ s chest – that also has been blamed for leading to asphyxiation and possible death .
Such immobilisation techniques have come under growing criticism since Floyd ’ s death .
But French police say the new restrictions go too far .
Officers from the union Unité SGP Police FO laid their handcuffs on the ground outside police stations around France on Thursday night in a symbolic protest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working , ” Unité SGP Police FO representative Yves Lefebvre said on BFM television .
“ Mr .
Castaner appears to have heard us , but not heard us enough.
” France has seen several protests sparked by Floyd ’ s death and another is planned Saturday .
Floyd ’ s killing by a white police officer in Minneapolis has evoked comparisons with the case of 24-year-old Adama Traoré , whose death while in police custody in July 2016 sparked days of clashes in the Paris suburbs .
Two autopsies and four separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Traoré ’ s death , with his family maintaining that he suffocated under the weight of the three officers who used a controversial technique to restrain him .
Earlier this week , Jacques Toubon , France 's human rights ombudsman , raised the alarm over a `` crisis of public confidence in the security forces '' , urging a reversal of what he described as a `` warring mentality '' in law enforcement .
Leaked comments from a private Facebook group for police officers fuelled outrage over racism among French law enforcement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
The Élysée presidential palace said Monday that President Emmanuel Macron had urged cabinet ministers to come up with proposals to improve policing practices and address accusations of racial prejudice .
Announcing the chokehold ban , Castaner pledged “ zero tolerance ” for racism in the police force , adding that the use of body cameras would be beefed up .
> > France vows ‘ zero tolerance ’ of police racism after wave of protests '' Racism has no place in our society and even less in our Republican police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions of some [ officers ] stigmatise the police as a whole , ” Castaner told reporters .
He added : “ I refuse to say that the [ police ] institution is racist , but yes some police officers are racist.
” Though Castaner spoke at length in support of the police , his acknowledgement of racist incidents marked a rare concession from a minister who had so far strenuously denied police malpractice .

French police protested on Friday against a ban on chokeholds and limits to what they can do during arrests, part of new government efforts to stem police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of global protests over George Floyd’s death in the United States and a reckoning in France over the 2016 death of Adama Traoré, who died in police custody.
Police officers rally on the Champs-Elysées in Paris to protest against a ban on chokeholds on June 12, 2020.
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Police officers rallied on the French capital's famed Champs-Élysées avenue on Friday, parking dozens of vehicles at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe in protest against new restrictions on restraint holds they can use.
One van carried a poster reading "No police, no peace". Another carried graphic images of injuries sustained by police officers attacked in the line of duty, with the words: "Who is massacring who?"
The protest came as police unions were due to hold talks on Friday with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to discuss changes to police tactics, after Castaner announced earlier this week that police would no longer be taught to seize suspects by the neck or push on their necks.
Castaner stopped short of banning another technique – pressing on a prone suspect’s chest – that also has been blamed for leading to asphyxiation and possible death.
Such immobilisation techniques have come under growing criticism since Floyd’s death. But French police say the new restrictions go too far.
"Colleagues can't take this any more," Fabien Vanhemelryck of the National Police Alliance union told reporters after Friday's protesters arrived at the front gate of the interior ministry.
"We need to be protected, respected, supported. The police are never above the law, but they should never be left below the law," Vanhemelryck said.
01:38
Officers from the union Unité SGP Police FO laid their handcuffs on the ground outside police stations around France on Thursday night in a symbolic protest.
“They want to prevent us from working,” Unité SGP Police FO representative Yves Lefebvre said on BFM television. “Mr. Castaner appears to have heard us, but not heard us enough.”
‘Zero tolerance’ for police racism
France has seen several protests sparked by Floyd’s death and another is planned Saturday.
Floyd’s killing by a white police officer in Minneapolis has evoked comparisons with the case of 24-year-old Adama Traoré, whose death while in police custody in July 2016 sparked days of clashes in the Paris suburbs. Two autopsies and four separate medical examinations have offered conflicting reasons for Traoré’s death, with his family maintaining that he suffocated under the weight of the three officers who used a controversial technique to restrain him.
Earlier this week, Jacques Toubon, France's human rights ombudsman, raised the alarm over a "crisis of public confidence in the security forces", urging a reversal of what he described as a "warring mentality" in law enforcement.
Leaked comments from a private Facebook group for police officers fuelled outrage over racism among French law enforcement, prompting Paris prosecutors to open an investigation last week.
The Élysée presidential palace said Monday that President Emmanuel Macron had urged cabinet ministers to come up with proposals to improve policing practices and address accusations of racial prejudice.
Announcing the chokehold ban, Castaner pledged “zero tolerance” for racism in the police force, adding that the use of body cameras would be beefed up.
>> France vows ‘zero tolerance’ of police racism after wave of protests
"Racism has no place in our society and even less in our Republican police. I will not let the hateful actions of some [officers] stigmatise the police as a whole,” Castaner told reporters. He added: “I refuse to say that the [police] institution is racist, but yes some police officers are racist.”
Though Castaner spoke at length in support of the police, his acknowledgement of racist incidents marked a rare concession from a minister who had so far strenuously denied police malpractice.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-06-12--UK economy shrank more than 20% in April amid Covid-19 lockdown

In this image from April 15 , a sign in front of a Barbour Factory outlet in Jarrow , England alerts customers that the outlet store will be closed amid the UK ’ s Covid-19 lockdown .
Britain 's economy shrank by a record 20.4 % in April from March as the country spent the month in a tight coronavirus lockdown , official data showed on Friday in what is likely to be the bottom of the crash before a long and slow recovery .
In a slump that dwarfed previous downturns in Britain 's recent history , the Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shrank by 24.5 % compared with April last year .
Both readings were below the already unprecedentedly weak forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists .
`` Record GDP falls in today ’ s figures .
When taking April and March together the economy is 25 % smaller .
The economy in April the same size as it was in 2002 , '' ONS statistician Rob Kent-Smith said on Twitter .
The Bank of England and the country 's budget office have warned that Britain could be heading for its deepest recession in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with many other economies around the world , coronavirus is having a severe impact on our economy , '' finance minister Rishi Sunak said .
France 's economy looks set to show a 15 % quarterly contraction in April-June period , the Bank of France estimated on Thursday .
German industrial output dropped by 17.9 % in April from March , data showed this week .
However , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Wednesday that Britain was on course for the worst downturn among the countries it covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % this year .
Sunak said government measures including a scheme to pay workers who are only temporarily laid off , alongside grants , loans and tax cuts for companies , meant Britain had `` the best chance of recovering quickly as the economy reopens ” .
Next week much of Britain 's retail sector is due to reopen as long as shops follow social distancing rules .
Output in the dominant services sector fell by 19.0 % in April from March while manufacturing was down more than 24 % and construction crashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months to April , the overall economy contracted by 10.4 % from the previous three-month period , also the biggest fall on record since the ONS began to publish monthly economic data in 1997 .
`` Given the lockdown started to be eased in May , April will mark the trough in GDP .
So we are past the worst , '' Andrew Wishart , an economist with Capital Economics , said .
`` While the trough in activity is now behind us , the fiscal cost of the collapse and the rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % that will result are only just starting to emerge.
” BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said on Wednesday he could see some signs of an economic recovery as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted , but he warned there was still likely to be long-term economic damage .
The BoE is expected to announce a further increase of at least 100 billion pounds in its bond-buying firepower next week to try to stop the coronavirus crisis from inflicting further damage on Britain 's economy .

Britain's economy shrank by a record 20.4% in April from March as the country spent the month in a tight coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday in what is likely to be the bottom of the crash before a long and slow recovery.
In this image from April 15, a sign in front of a Barbour Factory outlet in Jarrow, England alerts customers that the outlet store will be closed amid the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown.
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In a slump that dwarfed previous downturns in Britain's recent history, the Office for National Statistics also said the economy shrank by 24.5% compared with April last year.
Both readings were below the already unprecedentedly weak forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists.
"Record GDP falls in today’s figures. When taking April and March together the economy is 25% smaller. The economy in April the same size as it was in 2002," ONS statistician Rob Kent-Smith said on Twitter.
The Bank of England and the country's budget office have warned that Britain could be heading for its deepest recession in three centuries this year.
"In line with many other economies around the world, coronavirus is having a severe impact on our economy," finance minister Rishi Sunak said.
German figures down; France also expects drop
France's economy looks set to show a 15% quarterly contraction in April-June period, the Bank of France estimated on Thursday. German industrial output dropped by 17.9% in April from March, data showed this week.
However, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Wednesday that Britain was on course for the worst downturn among the countries it covers with the economy forecast to contract 11.5% this year.
Sunak said government measures including a scheme to pay workers who are only temporarily laid off, alongside grants, loans and tax cuts for companies, meant Britain had "the best chance of recovering quickly as the economy reopens”.
Next week much of Britain's retail sector is due to reopen as long as shops follow social distancing rules.
Output in the dominant services sector fell by 19.0% in April from March while manufacturing was down more than 24% and construction crashed by nearly half.
'April will mark the trough'
In the three months to April, the overall economy contracted by 10.4% from the previous three-month period, also the biggest fall on record since the ONS began to publish monthly economic data in 1997.
"Given the lockdown started to be eased in May, April will mark the trough in GDP. So we are past the worst," Andrew Wishart, an economist with Capital Economics, said.
"While the trough in activity is now behind us, the fiscal cost of the collapse and the rise in the unemployment rate to over 8% that will result are only just starting to emerge.”
BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said on Wednesday he could see some signs of an economic recovery as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted, but he warned there was still likely to be long-term economic damage.
The BoE is expected to announce a further increase of at least 100 billion pounds in its bond-buying firepower next week to try to stop the coronavirus crisis from inflicting further damage on Britain's economy.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-12--India's Covid-19 caseload ranks fourth in the world as infections near 300,000

Migrant workers and families wait in Chennai on June 11 , 2020 , before boarding special trains to Bihar and Jharkhand states after the government eased a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19 .
India reported a total of 297,535 coronavirus infections on Friday after its latest single-day spike , surpassing the United Kingdom to become the country with the fourth-highest number of cases in the world .
The number of infections increased by 10,956 on Friday from the previous day and the death toll reached 8,498 , India 's ministry of health and family welfare said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ past 24 hours .
India 's number of confirmed coronavirus cases is behind only the United States , Brazil and Russia .
The country 's two-month lockdown kept transmission low but in a large population of 1.3 billion , people remain susceptible and the campaign against the virus is likely to go on for months , Balram Bhargava , director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research , said .
India 's lockdown was imposed nationwide in late March but has eased since , and it is now largely being enforced in high-risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India allowed reopening of shops , shopping malls , manufacturing and religious places .
Mumbai , New Delhi and Chennai are the worst-hit cities in the country , and Bhargava said urban residents have greater chance of contracting the virus .
Infections in rural areas have surged , however , after migrant workers who left cities and towns after they lost jobs returned to their hometowns .

India reported a total of 297,535 coronavirus infections on Friday after its latest single-day spike, surpassing the United Kingdom to become the country with the fourth-highest number of cases in the world.
Migrant workers and families wait in Chennai on June 11, 2020, before boarding special trains to Bihar and Jharkhand states after the government eased a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19.
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The number of infections increased by 10,956 on Friday from the previous day and the death toll reached 8,498, India's ministry of health and family welfare said. The death toll increased 396 in the past 24 hours.
India's number of confirmed coronavirus cases is behind only the United States, Brazil and Russia.
The country's two-month lockdown kept transmission low but in a large population of 1.3 billion, people remain susceptible and the campaign against the virus is likely to go on for months, Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, said.
India's lockdown was imposed nationwide in late March but has eased since, and it is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas. The spiking caseload came after India allowed reopening of shops, shopping malls, manufacturing and religious places.
Subway, schools, colleges and movie halls, however, remain shuttered nationwide.
Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai are the worst-hit cities in the country, and Bhargava said urban residents have greater chance of contracting the virus. Infections in rural areas have surged, however, after migrant workers who left cities and towns after they lost jobs returned to their hometowns.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AP)
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france24--2020-06-11--Trump authorizes sanctions on ICC staff investigating US war crimes in Afghanistan

FILE PHOTO : U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops , with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him , during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan , November 28 , 2019 .
President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against International Criminal Court employees investigating the actions of US forces in Afghanistan on Thursday in a move ICC chief O-Gon Kwon said would `` undermine our common endeavor to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities '' .
President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized U.S. economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan .
In announcing the president 's executive order , Trump administration officials said the Hague-based tribunal threatens to infringe on U.S. national sovereignty and accused Russia of manipulating it to serve Moscow 's ends .
`` We can not , we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in announcing the move .
`` I have a message to many close allies in the world .
Your people could be next , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan right alongside us , '' he said .
In a statement , the ICC said Washington 's move was the `` latest in a series of unprecedented attacks on the court . ''
`` These attacks constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court 's judicial proceedings , '' the ICC said .
Foreign Minister Stef Blok of the Netherlands , a member of the Western security alliance , wrote on Twitter he was `` very disturbed '' by the U.S. stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he described as `` crucial in the fight against impunity . ''
The sanctions that can be imposed under the order include freezing the U.S. assets of those who help the ICC investigate or prosecute American citizens without U.S. consent as well as barring them and their families from visiting the United States .
Neither Pompeo nor any of the top officials who were present at the announcement - Defense Secretary Mark Esper , national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Attorney General William Barr - took questions from reporters .
ICC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes committed between 2003 and 2014 , including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban , as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and , to a lesser extent , by U.S. forces and the CIA .
The ICC investigation was given the go-ahead in March .
The ICC decided to investigate after a preliminary examination by prosecutors in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction .
Rights activists assailed Trump 's move .
Andrea Prasow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the action `` demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law '' and represents a `` blatant attempt at obstruction . ''
The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes , genocide and crimes against humanity .
It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself .
The United States has never been a member of the court .
The U.S. action is the latest under Trump taking aim at an international body .
Trump , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , late last month said he would end the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization .
Afghanistan is a member of the ICC , though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally .
Speaking at the U.S. announcement , Barr , the chief U.S. law enforcement officer , said the Justice Department `` has received substantial credible information that raises serious concerns about a long history of financial corruption and malfeasance '' in the ICC prosecutor 's office .
He provided no details .
He also said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but did not elaborate on how .
John Bellinger , the State Department 's former top lawyer under Republican former President George W. Bush , said the two sides could have avoided the conflict but chose not to .
`` It 's unfortunate that the long-running U.S. dispute with the ICC has reached this new low point .
...
It 's not surprising that the Trump administration has reacted forcefully with threatened sanctions , especially in an election year , '' he said .
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against International Criminal Court employees investigating the actions of US forces in Afghanistan on Thursday in a move ICC chief O-Gon Kwon said would "undermine our common endeavor to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities".
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops, with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him, during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019.
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President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized U.S. economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court employees involved in an investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
In announcing the president's executive order, Trump administration officials said the Hague-based tribunal threatens to infringe on U.S. national sovereignty and accused Russia of manipulating it to serve Moscow's ends.
"We cannot, we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in announcing the move.
"I have a message to many close allies in the world. Your people could be next, especially those from NATO countries who fight terrorism in Afghanistan right alongside us," he said.
In a statement, the ICC said Washington's move was the "latest in a series of unprecedented attacks on the court."
"These attacks constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court's judicial proceedings," the ICC said.
Foreign Minister Stef Blok of the Netherlands, a member of the Western security alliance, wrote on Twitter he was "very disturbed" by the U.S. stance, saying his nation supported the ICC, which he described as "crucial in the fight against impunity."
Very disturbed by the United States’ measures against the @IntlCrimCourt. We call on the US not to sanction ICC staff. The Netherlands fully supports the ICC and will continue to do so. The ICC is crucial in the fight against impunity and in upholding international rule of law. — Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) June 11, 2020
The sanctions that can be imposed under the order include freezing the U.S. assets of those who help the ICC investigate or prosecute American citizens without U.S. consent as well as barring them and their families from visiting the United States.
Neither Pompeo nor any of the top officials who were present at the announcement - Defense Secretary Mark Esper, national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Attorney General William Barr - took questions from reporters.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wants to investigate possible crimes committed between 2003 and 2014, including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban, as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and, to a lesser extent, by U.S. forces and the CIA. The ICC investigation was given the go-ahead in March.
The ICC decided to investigate after a preliminary examination by prosecutors in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction.
Rights activists assailed Trump's move. Andrea Prasow, the Washington director for Human Rights Watch, said the action "demonstrates contempt for the global rule of law" and represents a "blatant attempt at obstruction."
01:12
'Low point'
The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It has jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself. The United States has never been a member of the court.
The U.S. action is the latest under Trump taking aim at an international body. Trump, who has promoted an "America First" policy, late last month said he would end the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization.
Afghanistan is a member of the ICC, though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally.
Speaking at the U.S. announcement, Barr, the chief U.S. law enforcement officer, said the Justice Department "has received substantial credible information that raises serious concerns about a long history of financial corruption and malfeasance" in the ICC prosecutor's office. He provided no details.
He also said the court was being manipulated by Russia, but did not elaborate on how.
John Bellinger, the State Department's former top lawyer under Republican former President George W. Bush, said the two sides could have avoided the conflict but chose not to.
"It's unfortunate that the long-running U.S. dispute with the ICC has reached this new low point. ... It's not surprising that the Trump administration has reacted forcefully with threatened sanctions, especially in an election year," he said.
The Trump administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees a year ago.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-12--Twitter shuts thousands of accounts linked to China, Russia and Turkey

A 3D-printed Twitter logo is seen in front of a display of cyber code in this illustration taken on March 22 , 2016 .
Twitter on Friday said it had removed tens of thousands of `` state linked '' accounts used by China , Russia and Turkey to push their own propaganda , sow misinformation or attack critics .
By far the biggest network uncovered was linked to China , the US social media giant said , comprised of a `` highly engaged core '' of 23,750 accounts that was boosted by a further 150,000 `` amplifier '' accounts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,340 accounts while the Russian group was 1,152 strong .
All accounts and their content have been removed from Twitter but have been placed on an archive database for researchers .
Twitter said the Chinese network was detected with the help of systems it used to previously delete state-linked accounts last August at the height of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong .
The current network had `` failed to achieve considerable traction '' but was `` involved in a range of manipulative and coordinated activities '' .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China , while continuing to push deceptive narratives about the political dynamics in Hong Kong , '' Twitter wrote in its analysis .
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute ( ASPI ) — a Canberra based think-tank — analysed the dataset ahead of the announcement and said the network was primarily looking to sway views within the global Chinese diaspora .
As well as pushing Beijing 's narrative on the Hong Kong protests , the network did the same for the coronavirus pandemic and criticising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later `` pivoted '' to the US government 's response to seething racial injustice protests `` to create the perception of moral equivalence with the suppression of protest in Hong Kong , '' ASPI wrote .
`` While the Chinese Communist Party wo n't allow the Chinese people to use Twitter , our analysis shows it is happy to use it to sow propaganda and disinformation internationally , '' Fergus Hanson , director of ASPI 's cyber centre , wrote .
Twitter — along with YouTube , Google and Facebook — is banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Firewall '' to scrub its internet and censor negative information .
In recent years Beijing has pushed to be much more visible on such companies with state media and ambassadors embracing platforms that regular Chinese citizens can not access .
In its analysis Twitter said the Turkish network was detected in early 2020 and was primarily aimed at boosting domestic support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party .
The Russian accounts were involved in `` cross-posting and amplifying content in an inauthentic , coordinated manner for political ends '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking political dissidents .

Twitter on Friday said it had removed tens of thousands of "state linked" accounts used by China, Russia and Turkey to push their own propaganda, sow misinformation or attack critics.
A 3D-printed Twitter logo is seen in front of a display of cyber code in this illustration taken on March 22, 2016.
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By far the biggest network uncovered was linked to China, the US social media giant said, comprised of a "highly engaged core" of 23,750 accounts that was boosted by a further 150,000 "amplifier" accounts.
The Turkish network was made up of 7,340 accounts while the Russian group was 1,152 strong.
All accounts and their content have been removed from Twitter but have been placed on an archive database for researchers.
Twitter said the Chinese network was detected with the help of systems it used to previously delete state-linked accounts last August at the height of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The current network had "failed to achieve considerable traction" but was "involved in a range of manipulative and coordinated activities".
"They were tweeting predominantly in Chinese languages and spreading geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China, while continuing to push deceptive narratives about the political dynamics in Hong Kong," Twitter wrote in its analysis.
Analysis: Network aimed at Chinese diaspora
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) — a Canberra based think-tank — analysed the dataset ahead of the announcement and said the network was primarily looking to sway views within the global Chinese diaspora.
As well as pushing Beijing's narrative on the Hong Kong protests, the network did the same for the coronavirus pandemic and criticising Taiwan.
Some of the group also later "pivoted" to the US government's response to seething racial injustice protests "to create the perception of moral equivalence with the suppression of protest in Hong Kong," ASPI wrote.
"While the Chinese Communist Party won't allow the Chinese people to use Twitter, our analysis shows it is happy to use it to sow propaganda and disinformation internationally," Fergus Hanson, director of ASPI's cyber centre, wrote.
Twitter — along with YouTube, Google and Facebook — is banned in China, which uses a "Great Firewall" to scrub its internet and censor negative information.
In recent years Beijing has pushed to be much more visible on such companies with state media and ambassadors embracing platforms that regular Chinese citizens cannot access.
In its analysis Twitter said the Turkish network was detected in early 2020 and was primarily aimed at boosting domestic support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party.
The Russian accounts were involved in "cross-posting and amplifying content in an inauthentic, coordinated manner for political ends" including promoting the ruling United Russia and attacking political dissidents.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-12--US vows to reduce Iraq troop presence in first strategic talks in over a decade

FILE PHOTO : U.S. Brigadier General Vincent Barker ( R ) shakes hands with Iraqi General Mohammed Fadel ( C ) , wearing face mask and gloves , following the outbreak of coronvavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces , in the south of Mosul , Iraq March 26 , 2020 .
The United States said Thursday it would reduce troops in Iraq in the coming months as friction between the two countries eased under a new US-friendly premier in Baghdad .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling Iraqi economy as the two nations held their first strategic dialogue in more than a decade .
Tensions skyrocketed following a US strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , with lawmakers in Baghdad demanding the expulsion of the roughly 5,200 US troops in the country .
President Donald Trump responded by threatening crippling sanctions and , according to US military sources , Washington began planning a vast bombing spree against groups blamed for the rockets .
In a joint statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its military 's return to Iraq in 2014 -- defeating extremists from the Islamic State group -- had made major headway .
`` The two countries recognized that in light of significant progress towards eliminating the ISIS threat , over the coming months the US would continue reducing forces from Iraq , '' a joint statement said .
`` The United States reiterated that it does not seek nor request permanent bases or a permanent military presence in Iraq . ''
The coalition has already consolidated to just three bases in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The joint statement , hashed out ahead of time , did not give figures and Thursday 's dialogue was brief , with David Schenker , the top US diplomat for the Middle East , telling reporters the delegations did not discuss a timeline for reducing troops .
Due to coronavirus travel restrictions , top-level talks expected to take place in Baghdad were demoted to a brief online kick-off session .
Tensions have calmed substantially since Mustafa Kadhemi -- an ex-spy chief with close ties to the US and its allies in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premier in May .
Two Iraqi officials said Kadhemi has been invited to the White House this year , a diplomatic olive branch his predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi had never received .
`` There was a lack of confidence in the relationship with the previous government , '' one of the officials said .
Iraq in the joint statement promised to protect US bases that have seen a barrage of rocket fire blamed on paramilitary groups tied to Iran , a top adversary for the Trump administration .
The United States said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic reform in Iraq , which was rocked last year by major protests against unemployment and corruption .
`` We will support the new government through the international financial institutions to help it meet the challenge of COVID-19 and declining oil revenues , '' Schenker said .
Iraq 's economy relies almost exclusively on oil exports , with faltering prices and low demand drastically shrinking the government 's ability to pay wages , pensions and welfare to eight million Iraqis .
After Kadhemi took charge , the United States extended a waiver from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed gas from Iran , although the exemption runs out in September .
`` The entire US-Iraq bilateral relationship will not be fixed in a single day , '' said Robert Ford , an analyst at the Middle East Institute and a US diplomat in Baghdad during the last round of strategic talks in 2008 , which ironed out the US drawdown from the occupation that began after the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein .
`` But for once , we seem to have the right people in the right place at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A dramatic or sudden drop could hamper the coalition 's efforts to back an Iraqi fightback against IS sleeper cells , which have escalated attacks in recent weeks .
`` Whatever comes out of the dialogue is going to set the future of our strategic relationship , '' a top American official from the coalition told AFP .
`` Am I still going to fly surveillance drones or not ?
Do you still want our intelligence ? ''
he added .
`` The ability of non-US members of the coalition to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can stay .
We 're tied down by this dialogue , too , '' a Western diplomat told AFP .
The spokesman for the pro-Iran Fatah bloc , Ahmad al-Assadi , has insisted on a six-month deadline for foreign troops ' departure .
On Monday and Wednesday , two rockets hit near Baghdad airport and the American embassy , after weeks of calm .
But the rhetoric was more tempered than usual , with even the hardline Kataeb Hezbollah saying it would take a formal stance on the talks only after the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which gives Kadhemi some space with the Americans , '' Ford said .

The United States said Thursday it would reduce troops in Iraq in the coming months as friction between the two countries eased under a new US-friendly premier in Baghdad.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Brigadier General Vincent Barker (R) shakes hands with Iraqi General Mohammed Fadel (C), wearing face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronvavirus disease (COVID-19), during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020.
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The United States also promised support to prop up the struggling Iraqi economy as the two nations held their first strategic dialogue in more than a decade.
Tensions skyrocketed following a US strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, with lawmakers in Baghdad demanding the expulsion of the roughly 5,200 US troops in the country.
President Donald Trump responded by threatening crippling sanctions and, according to US military sources, Washington began planning a vast bombing spree against groups blamed for the rockets.
In a joint statement, the United States said that the reason for its military's return to Iraq in 2014 -- defeating extremists from the Islamic State group -- had made major headway.
"The two countries recognized that in light of significant progress towards eliminating the ISIS threat, over the coming months the US would continue reducing forces from Iraq," a joint statement said.
"The United States reiterated that it does not seek nor request permanent bases or a permanent military presence in Iraq."
The coalition has already consolidated to just three bases in recent months, down from a dozen.
The joint statement, hashed out ahead of time, did not give figures and Thursday's dialogue was brief, with David Schenker, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, telling reporters the delegations did not discuss a timeline for reducing troops.
Due to coronavirus travel restrictions, top-level talks expected to take place in Baghdad were demoted to a brief online kick-off session.
New PM changes tone
Tensions have calmed substantially since Mustafa Kadhemi -- an ex-spy chief with close ties to the US and its allies in the region -- took the reins as Iraq's premier in May.
Two Iraqi officials said Kadhemi has been invited to the White House this year, a diplomatic olive branch his predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi had never received.
"There was a lack of confidence in the relationship with the previous government," one of the officials said.
Iraq in the joint statement promised to protect US bases that have seen a barrage of rocket fire blamed on paramilitary groups tied to Iran, a top adversary for the Trump administration.
The United States said it would look to encourage investment and promote economic reform in Iraq, which was rocked last year by major protests against unemployment and corruption.
"We will support the new government through the international financial institutions to help it meet the challenge of COVID-19 and declining oil revenues," Schenker said.
Iraq's economy relies almost exclusively on oil exports, with faltering prices and low demand drastically shrinking the government's ability to pay wages, pensions and welfare to eight million Iraqis.
After Kadhemi took charge, the United States extended a waiver from American sanctions to let Iraq keep importing needed gas from Iran, although the exemption runs out in September.
"The entire US-Iraq bilateral relationship will not be fixed in a single day," said Robert Ford, an analyst at the Middle East Institute and a US diplomat in Baghdad during the last round of strategic talks in 2008, which ironed out the US drawdown from the occupation that began after the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
"But for once, we seem to have the right people in the right place at the right time," he said.
Eyes on troop future
A dramatic or sudden drop could hamper the coalition's efforts to back an Iraqi fightback against IS sleeper cells, which have escalated attacks in recent weeks.
"Whatever comes out of the dialogue is going to set the future of our strategic relationship," a top American official from the coalition told AFP.
"Am I still going to fly surveillance drones or not? Do you still want our intelligence?" he added.
Other coalition countries are watching closely.
"The ability of non-US members of the coalition to be in Iraq depends on whether the US can stay. We're tied down by this dialogue, too," a Western diplomat told AFP.
The spokesman for the pro-Iran Fatah bloc, Ahmad al-Assadi, has insisted on a six-month deadline for foreign troops' departure.
On Monday and Wednesday, two rockets hit near Baghdad airport and the American embassy, after weeks of calm.
But the rhetoric was more tempered than usual, with even the hardline Kataeb Hezbollah saying it would take a formal stance on the talks only after the first session.
"These groups are retrenching, which gives Kadhemi some space with the Americans," Ford said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-12--Lebanese pound plummets to record low, sparks mass protests

Demonstrators ride on motorbikes during a protest against fall in Lebanese pound currency and mounting economic hardship , in Beirut , Lebanon June 11 , 2020 .
The Lebanese pound sank to a record low on the black market on Thursday despite the authorities ' attempts to halt the plunge of the crisis-hit country 's currency , sparking a flare-up in anti-government protests .
Lebanon is in the grip of its worst economic turmoil in decades and holding talks with the International Monetary Fund to secure billions in aid .
A prolonged economic downturn was the major grievance that sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the political class , accused of corruption and incompetence .
Protests broke out again on Thursday , with roads blocked across the country , and security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators .
A throng of protesters blocked a key road in the centre of the capital Beirut , an AFP journalist reported .
`` Thief , thief , Riad Salame is a thief ! ''
demonstrators chanted , referring to the governor of the central bank .
Demonstrators also chanted slogans of national unity , after sectarian clashes shook Beirut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't take it anymore , that 's enough , '' said Haitham , a protester in central Beirut .
`` People have no work , no food to eat .
They can not buy medicines , nappies or milk for their children . ''
In the centre of the capital , near Riad al-Solh square , security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters who threw stones , according to local television .
In the northern city of Tripoli , the army also fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Central Bank , according to the state news agency ANI , adding that eight people were wounded .
A Molotov cocktail set fire to trees in front of the building , an AFP correspondent witnessed .
The Lebanese pound remains officially pegged to the US currency at a rate of 1,507 per dollar but its https : //www.france24.com/en/20200514-lebanon-covid-19-coronavirus-lockdown-imf-bailout-aid-package on the black market .
Rates from three money changers on Thursday morning indicated it had lost almost 70 percent of its value compared with the official rate .
One money changer who asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars at a rate of 5,000 pounds and buying them at 4,800 .
Another in Beirut 's Dahiya neighbourhood was buying dollars for 4,850 pounds .
The new nadir came despite government pledges to halt the pound 's devaluation , and the money changers ' union issuing a maximum daily buying rate of 3,890 and selling rate of 3,940 .
On Thursday evening , a central bank statement cited by local media hit out at `` baseless '' information on social media of `` exchange rates at levels far from reality , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced an urgent cabinet meeting would be held on Friday to discuss the situation .
Lebanese banks have gradually restricted dollar withdrawals since late last year , forcing those in need to buy them at a higher rate on the black market .
An AFP photographer said on Thursday that many money-changing shops had closed , citing a lack of dollars .
In an apparent bid to better oversee the exchange market , the central bank is set to launch an online platform on June 23 through which changers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lebanon 's economic crunch has caused poverty to soar to 45 percent of the population and pushed unemployment up by 35 percent .
It has also sparked steep inflation , including on imported products .
Nabil , a retired 64-year-old , said his buying power had taken a blow .
`` Yesterday I went to a home appliance store to buy a fridge , and the salesman asked me for $ 1,200 in cash , or the equivalent at an exchange rate of 5,000 , which is six million pounds , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my monthly pension . ''
Lebanon needs `` emergency external assistance to ward off the worst social consequences of the crisis '' , analysts from the International Crisis Group warned on Monday .
The country defaulted on its debt in March for the first time in its history .

The Lebanese pound sank to a record low on the black market on Thursday despite the authorities' attempts to halt the plunge of the crisis-hit country's currency, sparking a flare-up in anti-government protests.
Demonstrators ride on motorbikes during a protest against fall in Lebanese pound currency and mounting economic hardship, in Beirut, Lebanon June 11, 2020.
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Lebanon is in the grip of its worst economic turmoil in decades and holding talks with the International Monetary Fund to secure billions in aid.
A prolonged economic downturn was the major grievance that sparked unprecedented mass protests in October last year against the political class, accused of corruption and incompetence.
Protests broke out again on Thursday, with roads blocked across the country, and security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
A throng of protesters blocked a key road in the centre of the capital Beirut, an AFP journalist reported.
"Thief, thief, Riad Salame is a thief!" demonstrators chanted, referring to the governor of the central bank.
Demonstrators also chanted slogans of national unity, after sectarian clashes shook Beirut during protests last weekend.
"People can't take it anymore, that's enough," said Haitham, a protester in central Beirut.
"People have no work, no food to eat. They cannot buy medicines, nappies or milk for their children."
In the centre of the capital, near Riad al-Solh square, security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters who threw stones, according to local television.
In the northern city of Tripoli, the army also fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had tried to take over the local branch of the Central Bank, according to the state news agency ANI, adding that eight people were wounded.
A Molotov cocktail set fire to trees in front of the building, an AFP correspondent witnessed.
Tumbling currency
The Lebanese pound remains officially pegged to the US currency at a rate of 1,507 per dollar but its https://www.france24.com/en/20200514-lebanon-covid-19-coronavirus-lockdown-imf-bailout-aid-package on the black market.
Rates from three money changers on Thursday morning indicated it had lost almost 70 percent of its value compared with the official rate.
One money changer who asked to remain anonymous said he was selling dollars at a rate of 5,000 pounds and buying them at 4,800. Another in Beirut's Dahiya neighbourhood was buying dollars for 4,850 pounds.
The new nadir came despite government pledges to halt the pound's devaluation, and the money changers' union issuing a maximum daily buying rate of 3,890 and selling rate of 3,940.
On Thursday evening, a central bank statement cited by local media hit out at "baseless" information on social media of "exchange rates at levels far from reality, which mislead citizens".
The office of Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced an urgent cabinet meeting would be held on Friday to discuss the situation.
Lebanese banks have gradually restricted dollar withdrawals since late last year, forcing those in need to buy them at a higher rate on the black market.
An AFP photographer said on Thursday that many money-changing shops had closed, citing a lack of dollars.
In an apparent bid to better oversee the exchange market, the central bank is set to launch an online platform on June 23 through which changers will be asked to register all operations.
Buying power battered
Lebanon's economic crunch has caused poverty to soar to 45 percent of the population and pushed unemployment up by 35 percent.
It has also sparked steep inflation, including on imported products.
Nabil, a retired 64-year-old, said his buying power had taken a blow.
"Yesterday I went to a home appliance store to buy a fridge, and the salesman asked me for $1,200 in cash, or the equivalent at an exchange rate of 5,000, which is six million pounds," he said.
"That's twice my monthly pension."
Lebanon needs "emergency external assistance to ward off the worst social consequences of the crisis", analysts from the International Crisis Group warned on Monday.
The country defaulted on its debt in March for the first time in its history.
(AFP)
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