france24--2020-06-14--Greece's coastguard picks up migrants off Lesbos as boat arrivals resume

File photo taken May 13 , 2020 : A temporary Covid-19 testing station was set up at a migrant and refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos after cases were detected there .
Thirty-six migrants travelling from Turkey were spotted off Lesbos and transferred to a temporary settlement in the north of the island , Greece ’ s coastguard said Sunday .
Among the group , “ one person had to be hospitalised ” , an official for the coastguard press office told AFP , without giving further details .
The rest of the group were safely transferred to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for seven days under measures to combat coronavirus , the source said .
According to the Greek state news agency ANA , the group is made up of 10 women , 10 children and 16 men , all from Iran and Afghanistan .
Their boat was spotted on Saturday morning but the rescue and transfer operation did not take place until midnight , according to the coastguard .
Migrant advocacy NGOs Aegean Boat Report and Watch the Med denounced the Greek and Turkish coastguards on social media for leaving the boat in distress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while they both attempted to palm off responsibility .
With the boat in their waters on Saturday evening , the Greek coastguard finally rescued the migrants .
Migrants trying to reach Europe to flee war and poverty frequently use this narrow route between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea .
There have been numerous reports from NGOs and the media published in recent months accusing Greece of driving migrants back towards Turkey .
On Friday the UN ’ s refugee agency , the International Organization for Migration and the EU called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” into the matter and “ take the necessary measures ” .
It is the third boat to arrive in Lesbos since the beginning of June .
A total of 108 migrants have been rescued off the island in the last two weeks , according to ANA , an increase in numbers after a significant drop in previous months due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic .

Thirty-six migrants travelling from Turkey were spotted off Lesbos and transferred to a temporary settlement in the north of the island, Greece’s coastguard said Sunday.
File photo taken May 13, 2020: A temporary Covid-19 testing station was set up at a migrant and refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos after cases were detected there.
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Among the group, “one person had to be hospitalised”, an official for the coastguard press office told AFP, without giving further details.
The rest of the group were safely transferred to a migrant facility on Lesbos and quarantined for seven days under measures to combat coronavirus, the source said.
According to the Greek state news agency ANA, the group is made up of 10 women, 10 children and 16 men, all from Iran and Afghanistan.
Their boat was spotted on Saturday morning but the rescue and transfer operation did not take place until midnight, according to the coastguard.
Migrant advocacy NGOs Aegean Boat Report and Watch the Med denounced the Greek and Turkish coastguards on social media for leaving the boat in distress offshore “for 14 hours”, while they both attempted to palm off responsibility.
A boat carrying 36 people, 11 children, 10 women and 16 men, was taken to port Petra by HCG just before midnight last... Publiée par Aegean Boat Report sur Dimanche 14 juin 2020
With the boat in their waters on Saturday evening, the Greek coastguard finally rescued the migrants.
Migrants trying to reach Europe to flee war and poverty frequently use this narrow route between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea.
There have been numerous reports from NGOs and the media published in recent months accusing Greece of driving migrants back towards Turkey.
On Friday the UN’s refugee agency, the International Organization for Migration and the EU called on Athens to “urgently open an investigation” into the matter and “take the necessary measures”.
It is the third boat to arrive in Lesbos since the beginning of June.
A total of 108 migrants have been rescued off the island in the last two weeks, according to ANA, an increase in numbers after a significant drop in previous months due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-14--Somalia recognizes contested leader in semi-autonomous border state

File photo : Ahmed Mohamed Islam , better known as Ahmed Madobe ( C ) , speaks after his reelection as President of Jubaland , a semi-autonomous state of Somalia on August 22 , 2019 .
The Somali government on Sunday officially recognised the contested leader of the semi-autonomous Jubaland state after months of rising tensions and armed violence .
Ahmed Madobe , a former warlord , was re-elected as president of the state in August 2019 in an election boycotted by the federal government who backed a loyalist candidate in a parallel election The Jubaland crisis strained ties between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long accused its larger neighbour of meddling in its affairs .
Those tensions escalated in March , when heavy fighting broke out near the Kenyan border between Somali troops and Jubaland forces , with Kenya accusing Somali troops of violating its territorial integrity .
The rival leaders in Jubaland signed a peace pact in April .
“ In considering the need to have an administration that is mutually accepted by all the local people , and in order to end the protracted conflicts ” the government recognises Madobe as Jubaland leader , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
The government has also invited heads of the various states to Mogadishu next week to discuss national elections due before February 2021 .
Somalia has faced criticism from observers for engaging in political feuds with federal states to gain control in the upcoming election , rather than focusing on the fight against Islamist group Al-Shabaab .

The Somali government on Sunday officially recognised the contested leader of the semi-autonomous Jubaland state after months of rising tensions and armed violence.
File photo: Ahmed Mohamed Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe (C), speaks after his reelection as President of Jubaland, a semi-autonomous state of Somalia on August 22, 2019.
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Ahmed Madobe, a former warlord, was re-elected as president of the state in August 2019 in an election boycotted by the federal government who backed a loyalist candidate in a parallel election
The Jubaland crisis strained ties between Kenya—who backed Madobe—and Somalia, which has long accused its larger neighbour of meddling in its affairs.
Those tensions escalated in March, when heavy fighting broke out near the Kenyan border between Somali troops and Jubaland forces, with Kenya accusing Somali troops of violating its territorial integrity.
The rival leaders in Jubaland signed a peace pact in April.
“In considering the need to have an administration that is mutually accepted by all the local people, and in order to end the protracted conflicts” the government recognises Madobe as Jubaland leader, said a statement from the office of the president.
The government has also invited heads of the various states to Mogadishu next week to discuss national elections due before February 2021.
Somalia has faced criticism from observers for engaging in political feuds with federal states to gain control in the upcoming election, rather than focusing on the fight against Islamist group Al-Shabaab.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-14--Two UN peacekeepers killed in northern Mali attack

Armed men have killed two UN peacekeepers in a region of northwestern Mali wracked by jihadist violence , the United Nations said Sunday .
A logistical convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission travelling between the towns of Tessalit and Gao was attacked Saturday evening by “ unidentified armed individuals ” who killed two of the soldiers , the mission , known as MINUSMA , said in a statement .
It did not indicate the nationalities of those killed .
The convoy had stopped when it was attacked near the village of Tarkint , northeast of Gao , the largest town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ retaliated firmly and sent the assailants fleeing ” , the statement said .
The head of the peacekeeping mission , Mahamat Saleh Annadif , condemned the “ cowardly acts aimed at paralysing the mission ’ s operations on the ground.
” “ We will have to work together to identify and apprehend those responsible for these terrorist acts so that they can be held accountable for their crimes before the courts , ” the statement quoted him as saying .
The MINUSMA has some 13,000 troops drawn from several nations deployed across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in 2012 and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since .
Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops , the conflict has engulfed the centre of the country and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger to the west .

Armed men have killed two UN peacekeepers in a region of northwestern Mali wracked by jihadist violence, the United Nations said Sunday.
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A logistical convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission travelling between the towns of Tessalit and Gao was attacked Saturday evening by “unidentified armed individuals” who killed two of the soldiers, the mission, known as MINUSMA, said in a statement.
It did not indicate the nationalities of those killed.
The convoy had stopped when it was attacked near the village of Tarkint, northeast of Gao, the largest town in northern Mali.
The UN troops “retaliated firmly and sent the assailants fleeing”, the statement said.
The head of the peacekeeping mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemned the “cowardly acts aimed at paralysing the mission’s operations on the ground.”
“We will have to work together to identify and apprehend those responsible for these terrorist acts so that they can be held accountable for their crimes before the courts,” the statement quoted him as saying.
The MINUSMA has some 13,000 troops drawn from several nations deployed across the vast semi-arid country.
Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in 2012 and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since.
Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict has engulfed the centre of the country and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger to the west.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-14--Fans dub Belgrade 'capital' of tennis as crowds flock to Djokovic's charity event

Serbia 's Dusan Lajovic takes on Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria at the charity tournament hosted by Novak Djokovic , on June 13 , 2020 in Belgrade .
Novak Djokovic 's Balkans charity tennis tournament suffered a setback on Saturday when its planned Montenegro leg was cancelled over coronavirus fears .
But the blow did n't deter fans from hailing the event as having made Belgrade into the temporary `` capital '' of world tennis .
The Adria Tour , which features world number one Djokovic , as well as third-ranked Dominic Thiem , number seven Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday .
The Montenegro leg was due to be the third stop on June 27 and 28 after Croatia and before the conclusion in Bosnia .
However , a spokesman for the organisers said the visit to neighbouring Montenegro was called off when it became apparent Serbia did not match strict health guidelines .
`` The fact that citizens of Serbia are not on the list of the Montenegrin public health institute , and can not travel to Montenegro , is an insurmountable obstacle , '' organisers said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for countries with fewer than 25 people infected with the coronavirus from 100,000 inhabitants .
The list of those countries is regularly updated .
However , Serbia does not figure on it .
Asked to comment on social distancing measures during the Belgrade leg of the event , which has witnessed packed stands , Djokovic said that both Serbia and the region were relatively successful in containing the virus .
`` Of course you can criticise , you can also say this is dangerous or not , but it 's not up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health-wise right or wrong , '' he told reporters on Friday , stressing he was acting in line with recommendations of the Serbian government .
Balkan countries coped with the coronavirus pandemic with relative success .
The region of some 22 million people registered about 24,000 infections and fewer than 800 deaths .
The ATP and WTA Tours have been suspended since March due to the pandemic and will not resume at least until the end of July .
Initially , the organisers in Belgrade , respecting the rules in force after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put 1,000 tickets on sale .
They sold out in just seven minutes .
Since then , the authorities have further relaxed the lockdown and another 1,000 tickets were put on sale and they sold out almost as quickly .
According to the organisers , 2,000 additional tickets were distributed to various sponsors .
`` It 's fantastic , we are the capital of the tennis world this weekend , '' said Dusan Bogicevic , 25 , a law student from Belgrade .
Fans watching the action at the Novak Tennis Centre on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have little regard for health precautions recommended by the organisers .
Each person was given a mask at the entrance to the stadium , but inside only a few wore them .
Amongst the players , Zverev of Germany was happy to be back playing .
`` To tell you the truth I did n't see that many people in one room in quite a while , '' Zverev told a press conference .
Since Friday , fans flocked into the centre , taking selfies with the players .
Youngsters received tennis lessons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one Jelena Jankovic came out of retirement after more than two years to play mixed doubles with Djokovic .
The Belgrade action began in earnest on Saturday and will finish Sunday .
Matches are on clay courts .
The four headline stars were joined by Serbian ATP players — Viktor Troicki , Filip Krajinovic and Dusan Lajovic .
Two big surprises marked the first day — Djokovic lost to Krajinovic in three sets and Dimitrov went down in two against late call-up Nikola Milojevic .
On June 20 and 21 , the Adria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Croatia 's Adriatic coast .
Djokovic will be joined there by Croatia 's 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic and Borna Coric .
The final stop in Bosnia will be in the northwestern town of Banja Luka on July 3 and 4 .
The tournament will close on July 5 with an exhibition match in Sarajevo between Djokovic and Bosnia 's Damir Dzumhur .
The money raised will be donated to various regional charities .

Novak Djokovic's Balkans charity tennis tournament suffered a setback on Saturday when its planned Montenegro leg was cancelled over coronavirus fears. But the blow didn't deter fans from hailing the event as having made Belgrade into the temporary "capital" of world tennis.
Serbia's Dusan Lajovic takes on Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria at the charity tournament hosted by Novak Djokovic, on June 13, 2020 in Belgrade.
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The Adria Tour, which features world number one Djokovic, as well as third-ranked Dominic Thiem, number seven Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov, the world 19, got underway on Saturday.
The Montenegro leg was due to be the third stop on June 27 and 28 after Croatia and before the conclusion in Bosnia.
However, a spokesman for the organisers said the visit to neighbouring Montenegro was called off when it became apparent Serbia did not match strict health guidelines.
"The fact that citizens of Serbia are not on the list of the Montenegrin public health institute, and cannot travel to Montenegro, is an insurmountable obstacle," organisers said in a statement.
Podgorica reopened its borders on June 1 for countries with fewer than 25 people infected with the coronavirus from 100,000 inhabitants.
The list of those countries is regularly updated. However, Serbia does not figure on it.
Asked to comment on social distancing measures during the Belgrade leg of the event, which has witnessed packed stands, Djokovic said that both Serbia and the region were relatively successful in containing the virus.
"Of course you can criticise, you can also say this is dangerous or not, but it's not up to me to make the calls what is health-wise right or wrong," he told reporters on Friday, stressing he was acting in line with recommendations of the Serbian government.
Balkan countries coped with the coronavirus pandemic with relative success.
The region of some 22 million people registered about 24,000 infections and fewer than 800 deaths.
This is the stunning location of #NovakTennisCentre, home of World No 1 @DjokerNole & the place which is currently the epicentre of Tennis!
Thank you @AdriaTennisTour for organising this wonderful event in #Belgrade, #Serbia.
How proud do we feel right now? 🙌🏻🇷🇸♥ pic.twitter.com/HVZIhaYV6J — Kristina (@KrisSekMNT) June 13, 2020
The ATP and WTA Tours have been suspended since March due to the pandemic and will not resume at least until the end of July.
Initially, the organisers in Belgrade, respecting the rules in force after the relaxation of the lockdown in Serbia, put 1,000 tickets on sale.
They sold out in just seven minutes.
Since then, the authorities have further relaxed the lockdown and another 1,000 tickets were put on sale and they sold out almost as quickly.
According to the organisers, 2,000 additional tickets were distributed to various sponsors.
"It's fantastic, we are the capital of the tennis world this weekend," said Dusan Bogicevic, 25, a law student from Belgrade.
Fans watching the action at the Novak Tennis Centre on the banks of the Danube appeared to have little regard for health precautions recommended by the organisers.
Each person was given a mask at the entrance to the stadium, but inside only a few wore them.
Amongst the players, Zverev of Germany was happy to be back playing.
"To tell you the truth I didn't see that many people in one room in quite a while," Zverev told a press conference.
More exhibition tennis in Belgrade, with some of the Adria Tour team members. pic.twitter.com/QuX66wrjkJ — Del🇪🇺 (@Stroppa_Del) June 12, 2020
Since Friday, fans flocked into the centre, taking selfies with the players. Youngsters received tennis lessons.
Former Serbian women's world number one Jelena Jankovic came out of retirement after more than two years to play mixed doubles with Djokovic.
The Belgrade action began in earnest on Saturday and will finish Sunday. Matches are on clay courts.
The four headline stars were joined by Serbian ATP players — Viktor Troicki, Filip Krajinovic and Dusan Lajovic.
Two big surprises marked the first day — Djokovic lost to Krajinovic in three sets and Dimitrov went down in two against late call-up Nikola Milojevic.
On June 20 and 21, the Adria Tour tournament will move to Zadar, on Croatia's Adriatic coast.
Djokovic will be joined there by Croatia's 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic and Borna Coric.
The final stop in Bosnia will be in the northwestern town of Banja Luka on July 3 and 4.
The tournament will close on July 5 with an exhibition match in Sarajevo between Djokovic and Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur.
The money raised will be donated to various regional charities.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Grand reopening? FRANCE 24 and Deutsche Welle at France-Germany border

FRANCE 24 's François Picard and Deutsche Welle 's Melinda Crane on either side of the Franco-German border .
A @ @ @ @ @ the day when many EU nations are lifting coronavirus travel restrictions , The FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @ in Schoeneck and Deutsche Welle 's Melinda Crane in Sarrebrücken at the common border between @ @ @ @ @ , locals on the French side are still bitter about Berlin 's unilateral decision to @ @ @ @ @ seen in decades .
As Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel now join forces to propose @ @ @ @ @ do citizens want ?
To answer this and many more questions , the hosts will @ @ @ @ @ of the Confederation of German Trade Unions ; and Ludovic Subran , Chief Economist , @ @ @ @ @ .
Do n't miss this special programme at the Franco-German border at 19:15 Paris time @ @ @ @

FRANCE 24's François Picard and Deutsche Welle's Melinda Crane on either side of the Franco-German border.
A new phase begins: As many EU nations lift their coronavirus travel restrictions, host François Picard of The FRANCE 24 Debate is in Schœneck while Deutsche Welle's Melinda Crane is in Saarbrücken at the border between France and Germany.
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Some locals on the French side are still bitter about Berlin's unilateral decision to erect barriers that hadn't been seen in decades. As French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel join forces to propose EU-wide stimulus plans, what do citizens want?
To answer these and other questions, the hosts interview Reiner Hoffmann, president of the Confederation of German Trade Unions, and Ludovic Subran, chief economist at Allianz Insurance and Asset Management.
Produced by Pascal HALLIER, Georges YAZBECK, Alessandro XENOS, Juliette LAURAIN.
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france24--2020-06-15--Russia sentences former US marine Paul Whelan to 16 years in prison for espionage

A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which U.S. diplomats said was unfair and opaque .
Whelan , who holds U.S. , British , Canadian and Irish passports , has been in custody since he was detained by agents from Russia ’ s Federal Security Service in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 2018 .
Moscow says Whelan , 50 , was caught red-handed with a computer flash drive containing classified information .
Whelan , who pleaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in a sting and had thought the drive , given to him by a Russian acquaintance , contained holiday photos .
> > Read more : Spy or tourist in Russia ?
The strange case of Paul Whelan U.S. diplomats have described the case as a `` significant obstacle '' to improving already poor bilateral ties and have repeatedly said there is no evidence against him and asked Russia to release him .
State prosecutors , who accused Whelan of being at least a ranking U.S. military intelligence colonel , had asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in a maximum security prison .

A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which U.S. diplomats said was unfair and opaque.
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Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained by agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 2018.
Moscow says Whelan, 50, was caught red-handed with a computer flash drive containing classified information. Whelan, who pleaded not guilty, said he was set up in a sting and had thought the drive, given to him by a Russian acquaintance, contained holiday photos.
>> Read more: Spy or tourist in Russia? The strange case of Paul Whelan
U.S. diplomats have described the case as a "significant obstacle" to improving already poor bilateral ties and have repeatedly said there is no evidence against him and asked Russia to release him.
State prosecutors, who accused Whelan of being at least a ranking U.S. military intelligence colonel, had asked the court to sentence Whelan to 18 years in a maximum security prison.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-15--French teachers in panic after Macron announces surprise lockdown lift on classes

The Mayor of Nancy , Laurent Henart , visits the Placieux elementary school in Villers-les-Nancy , two days after France eased lockdown measures on May 11 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic .
As of next Monday , French preschools , primary schools and middle schools will reopen with “ mandatory presence ” for all of the country ’ s pupils , President Emmanuel Macron announced in a shock move on Sunday , sparking panic among many of the nation ’ s teachers who will have just one week to prepare for their “ back to school ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation on Sunday evening , Macron announced that this year ’ s summer school holidays will be postponed until July 4 and that the country ’ s children will be expected to return to their nurseries , primary schools and middle schools for two weeks already on June 22 .
Presence would be “ mandatory ” , he said .
“ Two weeks count , two weeks are not nothing , whether it ’ s out of an educational aspect or a psychological aspect , ” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should never be considered as a day-care centre of sorts.
” The news sent shock waves through the teaching community , whose members now have only one week to prepare curriculums and organise their classroom groups .
Since May 11 , when France entered the first phase of its eased lockdown measures , French schoolchildren have been able to return to school on a voluntary basis .
According to the government , only 1.8 million of the country ’ s 6.7 million pre- and primary schoolers have since gone back to class , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 3.3 million middle schoolers .
“ There are a lot of questions that still remain unanswered : Do we keep with the previous health guidelines or not , do people who are at risk have to come back or not ?
Once again , the abrupt nature of announcements [ like this ] hardly allow for our teaching teams to prepare for the resumption of classes in the best conditions , ” the Sud-Education teachers ’ union said in a statement .
The teacher advocacy group Des Stylos Rouges ( The Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of details on how teachers were expected to handle the imminent resumption of classes .
“ Everyone back to school on June 22 !
For 10 days of classes ?
What about the health guidlines ?
And people who are at risk ?
We have no information .
Not a word about # Profbashing ( teacher bashing ) or # MerciLesProfs ( thank you teachers ) , ” it said on Twitter .
Although the Snes-FSU teachers ’ union struck a lighter tone , saying it welcomed the resumption of classes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track , it said that it would be challenging for the country ’ s teachers and schools to fully organise in just one week .
“ It ’ s good news , because we couldn ’ t understand how school had become optional for some , ” its national secretary and spokeswoman Frédérique Rolet told radio station Franceinfo .
“ We have to … catch the dropouts , ” she said .
“ These few days might allow for some teachers to establish what students have , or haven ’ t done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lockdown.
” But , she added : “ We have to reorganise .
We had already drawn up new timetables , and student classroom groups .
And so we have to work together and redo them , ” she said .
“ There are a lot , a lot of questions.
” Since May 11 , French classrooms have been restricted to allow a maximum of 15 pupils at a time , but that is set to change as the government unveils the details of its new health guidelines for schools on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be less restrictive , ” Blanquer told national broadcaster Europe 1 , saying that the required social distancing would be reduced from the previous four square metres to just one square meter , meaning that each classroom will now be able to take in more pupils .
A government decree published on Monday said that : “ In elementary schools and middle schools , the measure of at least one metre of social distancing will only be applied in classrooms and in enclosed spaces , between teachers and students , and between @ @ @

French preschools, primary schools and middle schools will reopen next Monday with “mandatory presence” for all of the country’s pupils, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a shock move on Sunday, meaning the nation’s teachers have just one week to prepare their back-to-school programmes.
The Mayor of Nancy, Laurent Henart, visits the Placieux elementary school in Villers-les-Nancy, two days after France eased lockdown measures on May 11 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, Macron announced that this year’s summer school holidays will be postponed until July 4 and that the country’s children will be expected to return to their nurseries, primary schools and middle schools for two weeks already on June 22. Presence would be “mandatory”, he said.
“Two weeks count, two weeks are not nothing, whether it’s out of an educational aspect or a psychological aspect,” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said following Macron’s address. “School should never be considered as a day-care centre of sorts.”
The news sent shock waves through the teaching community, whose members now have only one week to prepare curriculums and organise their classroom groups. Since May 11, when France entered the first phase of its eased lockdown measures, French schoolchildren have been able to return to school on a voluntary basis. According to the government, only 1.8 million of the country’s 6.7 million pre- and primary schoolers have since gone back to class, and just 600,000 of the country’s 3.3 million middle schoolers.
“There are a lot of questions that still remain unanswered: Do we keep with the previous health guidelines or not, do people who are at risk have to come back or not? Once again, the abrupt nature of announcements [like this] hardly allow for our teaching teams to prepare for the resumption of classes in the best conditions,” the Sud-Education teachers’ union said in a statement.
The teacher advocacy group Des Stylos Rouges (The Red Pens), also reacted about the lack of details on how teachers were expected to handle the imminent resumption of classes. “Everyone back to school on June 22! For 10 days of classes? What about the health guidlines? And people who are at risk? We have no information. Not a word about #Profbashing (teacher bashing) or #MerciLesProfs (thank you teachers),” it said on Twitter.
Tous en classe le 22 juin! Pour 10 jours de cours? Quid du fameux protocole? Et des personnes fragiles? Nous n’avons aucune information.
Pas un mot sur le #ProfBashing ni un #MerciLesProfs
Salaires. Moyens. Respect. ✊🖍#StylosRouges #stopmepris #macron20h — Les Stylos Rouges (@stylos_les) June 14, 2020
Although the Snes-FSU teachers’ union struck a lighter tone, saying it welcomed the resumption of classes in order to bring potential dropouts back on track, it said that it would be challenging for the country’s teachers and schools to fully organise in just one week.
“It’s good news, because we couldn’t understand how school had become optional for some,” its national secretary and spokeswoman Frédérique Rolet told radio station Franceinfo. “We have to … catch the dropouts,” she said. “These few days might allow for some teachers to establish what students have, or haven’t done, [in terms of schoolwork] during the lockdown.”
But, she added: “We have to reorganise. We had already drawn up new timetables, and student classroom groups. And so we have to work together and redo them,” she said. “There are a lot, a lot of questions.”
New guidelines
Since May 11, French classrooms have been restricted to allow a maximum of 15 pupils at a time, but that is set to change as the government unveils the details of its new health guidelines for schools on Tuesday.
“The physical distancing will now be less restrictive,” Blanquer told national broadcaster Europe 1, saying that the required social distancing would be reduced from the previous four square metres to just one square meter, meaning that each classroom will now be able to take in more pupils.
A government decree published on Monday said that: “In elementary schools and middle schools, the measure of at least one metre of social distancing will only be applied in classrooms and in enclosed spaces, between teachers and students, and between students.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Diasporas in the coronavirus era, Part 1: Tunisian baker Kader supplies French palace

This week , FRANCE 24 looks at how those who have come to live here from elsewhere have coped during @ @ @ @ @ .
In this first episode in a five-part daily series , meet the Tunisian baker @ @ @ @ @ .
With borders now reopening , expatriates in the country will have the potential to @ @ @ @ @ ones abroad once again .
But what has it been like being separated amid the @ @ @ @ @ arrived in France in 1986 from Tunisia and initially considered becoming a mechanic .
Today @ @ @ @ @ baker , supplying baguettes to the French president 's and prime minister 's residences .
@ @ @ @ @ after working through the unprecedented Covid-19 lockdown , Kader thinks fondly on the wise words @ @ @ @ @ Tunisia , `` You never know what will happen in times of war , but @ @ @ @ @ for bakers . ''
FRANCE 24 's Mohammed Farhat , Karim Yahiaoui and Chris Moore @ @ @ @ @ watch , click on the video player above .

Part 1 of 5
This week, FRANCE 24 looks at how those who have come to live here from elsewhere have coped during France's stringent coronavirus lockdown. In this first episode in a five-part daily series, meet the Tunisian baker who supplies the Elysée Palace.
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With borders now reopening, expatriates in the country will have the potential to gradually travel and see loved ones abroad once again. But what has it been like being separated amid the global pandemic?
Ridha Khader arrived in France in 1986 from Tunisia and initially considered becoming a mechanic. Today, he is an award-winning baker, supplying baguettes to the French president's and prime minister's residences.
At his Paris bakery, after working through the unprecedented Covid-19 lockdown, Kader thinks fondly on the wise words of his mother back in Tunisia, "You never know what will happen in times of war, but there will always be work for bakers."
FRANCE 24's Mohammed Farhat, Karim Yahiaoui and Chris Moore have this report. To watch, click on the video player above.
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france24--2020-06-15--End of Covid-19 lockdown serves up relief for Paris restaurants

The European continent is re-opening .
From Monday cafes and restaurants in Paris can open in full and not just on terraces outside .
Restaurant and cafe owners in Paris cheered their chance to get back to business Monday after the government said they could once again open their dining rooms , three months after being shut to blunt the coronavirus outbreak .
The sooner-than-expected reopening for the Paris region was announced by President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday , shortly before officials reported just nine COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours -- the lowest figure since March .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , '' Health Minister Olivier Veran said Monday , though he cautioned that `` this does n't mean we can stop fighting the virus . ''
Until now , restaurants in and around the capital could only serve clients on outdoor terraces , even as eateries in the rest of the country opened fully earlier this month .
`` It 's going to be a party , '' Stephane Manigold , owner of four Paris restaurants , including the two-starred Maison Rostang , told AFP .
`` We were waiting for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready , and they 're eager to get back to work , '' he said .
Manigold made headlines last month after successfully suing his insurer , the French giant Axa , to pay around 70,000 euros ( $ 79,000 ) in compensation for the lost business .
Insurers have argued that most contracts do not cover nationwide administrative shutdowns , but restaurants say their livelihoods are on the line , and have called on the government to intervene .
Even in the rest of France , where restaurants were allowed to fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to remove tables to ensure at least one metre ( 3.3 feet ) between diners .
Didier Chenet , head of the GNI association of independent hotel and restaurant owners , estimates the social distancing rules have cut capacity by at least half .
`` Being able to finally get back to work across all of France does bring a sigh of relief , '' he said .
But unless the government lifts the one-metre rule , he said , `` a recovery will be very slow , with economic conditions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
Foreign tourists , the key ingredient for success at Paris restaurants in particular , are also not expected to arrive in pre-COVID numbers anytime soon , even as the EU begins to tentatively open up borders within the bloc .
With French employers still being urged to have employees work from home whenever possible , lunch crowds also remain far from what they were before the outbreak , Chenet said .
And Manigold said that restaurants will need some time to restock and get their employees back -- the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their salaries since the lockdown to avoid layoffs , a colossal financial effort .
`` At best we 'll open two restaurants on Wednesday , and the others next week , '' he said .
`` One day maybe politicians will understand that you ca n't just open a restaurant in a day .
They could have avoided the abruptness , '' he said .
Macron said Sunday that the government had mobilised 500 billion euros to ease the coronavirus blow to the economy , including more than six billion euros in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cafes .
He also announced that all students below high school grades must return to class next Monday , a relief for parents who have been juggling work and school from home .
Hygiene rules will be relaxed , with teachers now able to welcome more than 15 children per class , Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Monday .

Restaurant and cafe owners in Paris cheered their chance to get back to business Monday after the government said they could once again open their dining rooms, three months after being shut to blunt the coronavirus outbreak.
The European continent is re-opening. From Monday cafes and restaurants in Paris can open in full and not just on terraces outside.
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The sooner-than-expected reopening for the Paris region was announced by President Emmanuel Macron late Sunday, shortly before officials reported just nine COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours -- the lowest figure since March.
"The bulk of the epidemic is behind us," Health Minister Olivier Veran said Monday, though he cautioned that "this doesn't mean we can stop fighting the virus."
Until now, restaurants in and around the capital could only serve clients on outdoor terraces, even as eateries in the rest of the country opened fully earlier this month.
"It's going to be a party," Stephane Manigold, owner of four Paris restaurants, including the two-starred Maison Rostang, told AFP.
"We were waiting for the president's speech. Our teams are ready, and they're eager to get back to work," he said.
Manigold made headlines last month after successfully suing his insurer, the French giant Axa, to pay around 70,000 euros ($79,000) in compensation for the lost business.
Insurers have argued that most contracts do not cover nationwide administrative shutdowns, but restaurants say their livelihoods are on the line, and have called on the government to intervene.
Even in the rest of France, where restaurants were allowed to fully reopen on May 11, owners have had to remove tables to ensure at least one metre (3.3 feet) between diners.
Didier Chenet, head of the GNI association of independent hotel and restaurant owners, estimates the social distancing rules have cut capacity by at least half.
"Being able to finally get back to work across all of France does bring a sigh of relief," he said.
But unless the government lifts the one-metre rule, he said, "a recovery will be very slow, with economic conditions that are not viable for our businesses," he said.
'Can't open in a day'
Foreign tourists, the key ingredient for success at Paris restaurants in particular, are also not expected to arrive in pre-COVID numbers anytime soon, even as the EU begins to tentatively open up borders within the bloc.
With French employers still being urged to have employees work from home whenever possible, lunch crowds also remain far from what they were before the outbreak, Chenet said.
And Manigold said that restaurants will need some time to restock and get their employees back -- the French state has been paying the bulk of their salaries since the lockdown to avoid layoffs, a colossal financial effort.
"At best we'll open two restaurants on Wednesday, and the others next week," he said.
"One day maybe politicians will understand that you can't just open a restaurant in a day. They could have avoided the abruptness," he said.
Macron said Sunday that the government had mobilised 500 billion euros to ease the coronavirus blow to the economy, including more than six billion euros in state-backed loans to restaurants, hotels and cafes.
He also announced that all students below high school grades must return to class next Monday, a relief for parents who have been juggling work and school from home.
Hygiene rules will be relaxed, with teachers now able to welcome more than 15 children per class, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Monday.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--China locks down Beijing neighbourhoods to contain Covid-19 cluster

People wearing face masks commute inside a subway station during morning rush hour , following new cases of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) infections in Beijing , China June 15 , 2020 .
China is locking now ten more neighbourhoods in Beijing to try and contain the spread of a new coronavirus outbreak linked to a food market , authorities announced Monday .
City official Li Junjie said at a press conference that fresh cases had been found in a second wholesale market in northwestern Haidian district , and as a result , the market and nearby schools would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities around it placed under lockdown .
Beijing reported its second consecutive day of record new numbers of Covid-19 cases on Monday , adding urgency to efforts to rein in a sudden resurgence of the coronavirus in the Chinese capital .
The recent outbreak has been traced to a major wholesale food market , Xinfadi , which accounts for 80 percent of Beijing 's farm produce supply sourced both domestically and from overseas .
The market has been shut , tens of thousands of nearby residents are being tested for the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have recently visited the market or have been in contact with people who have .
Beijing officials on Monday confirmed 36 new Covid-19 cases for June 14 , the same as a day earlier , which was the city 's highest daily infection count since late March .
Officials have now reported 79 cases over just four days , the biggest concentration of infections since February .
A number of neighbourhoods in the west and southwest of Beijing have been upgraded to medium-risk , including Financial Street where banks and financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as strict control of people and vehicle movements , disinfections and temperature checks .
One neighbourhood in the same district as the food market was raised to high-risk , denoting the most severe level of infection .
As three other provinces reported new cases linked to the Beijing cluster , several provinces warned their residents against non-essential travel to the capital and implemented isolation protocols for travellers from riskier parts of Beijing .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) said on Sunday it was informed of the outbreak by Chinese officials who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO called for thorough investigations to better understand the source of the cluster .
The Xinfadi market spans an area the size of near 160 soccer pitches .
Thousands of tonnes of vegetables , fruits and meats are traded at Asia 's largest wholesale food centre .

China is locking now ten more neighbourhoods in Beijing to try and contain the spread of a new coronavirus outbreak linked to a food market, authorities announced Monday.
People wearing face masks commute inside a subway station during morning rush hour, following new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in Beijing, China June 15, 2020.
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City official Li Junjie said at a press conference that fresh cases had been found in a second wholesale market in northwestern Haidian district, and as a result, the market and nearby schools would be closed, and people living in ten communities around it placed under lockdown.
Beijing reported its second consecutive day of record new numbers of Covid-19 cases on Monday, adding urgency to efforts to rein in a sudden resurgence of the coronavirus in the Chinese capital.
The recent outbreak has been traced to a major wholesale food market, Xinfadi, which accounts for 80 percent of Beijing's farm produce supply sourced both domestically and from overseas.
The market has been shut, tens of thousands of nearby residents are being tested for the virus and a city-wide campaign was launched to identify people who have recently visited the market or have been in contact with people who have.
Beijing officials on Monday confirmed 36 new Covid-19 cases for June 14, the same as a day earlier, which was the city's highest daily infection count since late March. Officials have now reported 79 cases over just four days, the biggest concentration of infections since February.
A number of neighbourhoods in the west and southwest of Beijing have been upgraded to medium-risk, including Financial Street where banks and financial firms converge. This entails measures such as strict control of people and vehicle movements, disinfections and temperature checks. One neighbourhood in the same district as the food market was raised to high-risk, denoting the most severe level of infection.
As three other provinces reported new cases linked to the Beijing cluster, several provinces warned their residents against non-essential travel to the capital and implemented isolation protocols for travellers from riskier parts of Beijing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday it was informed of the outbreak by Chinese officials who were investigating its source and extent. WHO called for thorough investigations to better understand the source of the cluster.
The Xinfadi market spans an area the size of near 160 soccer pitches. Thousands of tonnes of vegetables, fruits and meats are traded at Asia's largest wholesale food centre.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--France, Belgium, Greece lift restrictions for EU travel as members chart sundry course

A passenger arrives at the Zaventem International Airport as Belgium eases restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus , near Brussels , Belgium , on June 15 , 2020 .
As European countries emerge from their coronavirus lockdowns and lift travel restrictions to revive their tourist industries , the EU has been aiming to coordinate the border reopening among its 27 members .
The bloc has recommended that the member states fully reopen their frontiers with each other on June 15 , and many countries are planning to relax controls on that date .
But the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Early birds ... and those that never closed Italy , which has been among the world 's hardest hit by the new coronavirus pandemic , reopened its borders on June 3 , lifting all restrictions for travellers from within Europe .
Bulgaria , Croatia , Hungary , Latvia , Lithuania , Estonia , Slovakia and Slovenia have also already begun to lift restrictions for foreigners entering their countries but excluded those from nations they deem as not safe -- in many cases that list includes Sweden and the UK .
Poland has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members and the UK from June 13 .
Sweden meanwhile never closed its borders to EU countries .
Neither did tiny Luxembourg -- but quickly found all its neighbours closing their borders instead .
In line with the EU 's plans to reopen borders in the bloc by mid-June , Belgium , France and Greece are lifting restrictions on Monday for travel within Europe .
Paris , however , has specified it wants reciprocity and so may impose restrictions on those countries blocking travellers from France .
Greece , on the other hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travellers from farther afield , such as Australia , New Zealand , Japan , South Korea , China , Israel and Lebanon .
Germany is due to end land border checks on June 15 , while the Dutch government has announced it would ease warnings against non-essential foreign travel from the same date .
Austria , which has already opened its borders to most of its neighbours , will on June 16 lift travel restrictions with a total of 31 countries -- but has excluded Portugal , Spain , Sweden and the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing free travel with a number of European countries from Monday , but restrictions are still in place with those deemed a risk due to their levels of coronavirus infections .
Spain will only lift travel restrictions on June 21 , re-establishing free travel with fellow EU countries .
The land border with Portugal will however remain closed until July 1 .
Portugal has suffered a much lower death rate than Spain from the coronavirus epidemic .
However , Spain 's Balearic Islands will see an earlier contingent of foreign guests when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pilot project for the revival of the crucial tourism sector .
Romania has not yet announced when it will re-open its borders to foreigners without restrictions .
Meanwhile , others are lifting border controls , but are still doing so more gradually .
Denmark opens its borders to Germany , Norway and Iceland for visitors from Monday as long as they can show they plan to stay outside the capital Copenhagen for at least six consecutive nights .

As European countries emerge from their coronavirus lockdowns and lift travel restrictions to revive their tourist industries, the EU has been aiming to coordinate the border reopening among its 27 members.
A passenger arrives at the Zaventem International Airport as Belgium eases restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, near Brussels, Belgium, on June 15, 2020.
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The bloc has recommended that the member states fully reopen their frontiers with each other on June 15, and many countries are planning to relax controls on that date.
But the border reopenings have been far from harmoniously coordinated.
Early birds... and those that never closed
Italy, which has been among the world's hardest hit by the new coronavirus pandemic, reopened its borders on June 3, lifting all restrictions for travellers from within Europe.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia and Slovenia have also already begun to lift restrictions for foreigners entering their countries but excluded those from nations they deem as not safe -- in many cases that list includes Sweden and the UK.
Since the signing of #Schengen Treaty 35 years ago today, citizens have learned to enjoy the value of freedom of movement in the EU. I am happy that after the restrictions imposed by the #coronavirus pandemic, borders are now reopening across the Schengen area and the EU. pic.twitter.com/xy7UrkeIJ1 — Ursula von der Leyen #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus (@vonderleyen) June 14, 2020
Poland has reopened its borders to all fellow EU members and the UK from June 13.
Sweden meanwhile never closed its borders to EU countries.
Neither did tiny Luxembourg -- but quickly found all its neighbours closing their borders instead.
EU's mid-June plans
In line with the EU's plans to reopen borders in the bloc by mid-June, Belgium, France and Greece are lifting restrictions on Monday for travel within Europe.
Paris, however, has specified it wants reciprocity and so may impose restrictions on those countries blocking travellers from France.
Greece, on the other hand, has gone further, also allowing travellers from farther afield, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Israel and Lebanon.
01:14
Germany is due to end land border checks on June 15, while the Dutch government has announced it would ease warnings against non-essential foreign travel from the same date.
Austria, which has already opened its borders to most of its neighbours, will on June 16 lift travel restrictions with a total of 31 countries -- but has excluded Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The Czech Republic is also allowing free travel with a number of European countries from Monday, but restrictions are still in place with those deemed a risk due to their levels of coronavirus infections.
5:30 in the morning, all volunteers here to greet our first passengers after almost 90 days of grounding. Simply amazing ... ❤❤❤ pic.twitter.com/ChNj55l4S2 — Austrian Airlines (@_austrian) June 15, 2020
Hold outs
Spain will only lift travel restrictions on June 21, re-establishing free travel with fellow EU countries.
The land border with Portugal will however remain closed until July 1. Portugal has suffered a much lower death rate than Spain from the coronavirus epidemic.
However, Spain's Balearic Islands will see an earlier contingent of foreign guests when they welcome 11,000 Germans from June 15 in a pilot project for the revival of the crucial tourism sector.
Romania has not yet announced when it will re-open its borders to foreigners without restrictions.
Meanwhile, others are lifting border controls, but are still doing so more gradually.
Denmark opens its borders to Germany, Norway and Iceland for visitors from Monday as long as they can show they plan to stay outside the capital Copenhagen for at least six consecutive nights.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--US police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta ruled a homicide

Former Atlanta Police Department officer Garrett Rolfe searches 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy 's restaurant parking lot in a still image from the video body camera of officer Devin Bronsan in Atlanta , Georgia , U.S. June 12 , 2020 .
Video taken June 12 , 2020 .
The death of Rayshard Brooks , a black man killed by a white police officer in Atlanta on Friday , was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back , the Fulton County Medical Examiner 's office said on Sunday .
Brooks ' death reignited protests in Atlanta after days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality prompted by the death of George Floyd , an African American , in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 .
An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed that Brooks , 27 , died from blood loss and organ injuries caused by two gunshot wounds , an investigator for the medical examiner said in a statement .
The manner of his death was homicide , the statement said .
Brooks ' fatal encounter with police came after an employee of a Wendy 's restaurant in Atlanta phoned authorities to say that someone had fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's drive-through lane .
Caught on the officer 's body camera and a surveillance camera , the encounter seemed friendly at first , as Brooks cooperated with a sobriety test and talked about his daughter 's birthday .
`` I watched the interaction with Mr. Brooks and it broke my heart , '' Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on CNN .
`` This was not confrontational .
This was a guy that you were rooting for . ''
But when an officer moved to arrest him , Brooks struggled with him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police Taser in his hand , a bystander 's video showed .
A video from the restaurant ’ s cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls .
Atlanta 's police chief , Erika Shields , resigned over the shooting .
The officer suspected of killing Brooks was fired , and the other officer involved in the incident , also white , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators in Atlanta took to the streets and chanted for the officers in Brooks ' case to be criminally charged , at one point late on Saturday blocking traffic on a nearby interstate highway , the Wendy 's restaurant went up in flames .
On Sunday , police offered a $ 10,000 reward and published photos of what appeared to be a masked white woman being sought in connection with the case .
Police said they were seeking those responsible for the blaze , including a woman who was `` attempting to hide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos on social media of what looked to be a young white woman wearing a black baseball cap and face mask , and a video clip filmed by a protester that appeared to show a woman encouraging the flames .
`` Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy 's , '' the man recording the video can heard saying .
`` This was n't us . ''
Bottoms said on Saturday that she did not believe the shooting was a justified use of deadly force .
Lawyers for Brooks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday .
They said the officers had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser , a non-lethal weapon , in their direction .
Prosecutors will decide by midweek whether to bring charges , Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Sunday .
`` ( The victim ) did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone , and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable , '' Howard @ @ @

The death of Rayshard Brooks, a black man killed by a white police officer in Atlanta on Friday, was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office said on Sunday.
Former Atlanta Police Department officer Garrett Rolfe searches 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy's restaurant parking lot in a still image from the video body camera of officer Devin Bronsan in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 12, 2020. Video taken June 12, 2020.
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Brooks' death reignited protests in Atlanta after days of worldwide demonstrations against racism and police brutality prompted by the death of George Floyd, an African American, in Minneapolis police custody on May 25.
An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed that Brooks, 27, died from blood loss and organ injuries caused by two gunshot wounds, an investigator for the medical examiner said in a statement. The manner of his death was homicide, the statement said.
Brooks' fatal encounter with police came after an employee of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta phoned authorities to say that someone had fallen asleep in his car in the restaurant's drive-through lane.
Caught on the officer's body camera and a surveillance camera, the encounter seemed friendly at first, as Brooks cooperated with a sobriety test and talked about his daughter's birthday.
"I watched the interaction with Mr. Brooks and it broke my heart," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on CNN. "This was not confrontational. This was a guy that you were rooting for."
But when an officer moved to arrest him, Brooks struggled with him and another officer at the scene before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police Taser in his hand, a bystander's video showed.
A video from the restaurant’s cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls.
Atlanta's police chief, Erika Shields, resigned over the shooting. The officer suspected of killing Brooks was fired, and the other officer involved in the incident, also white, was put on administrative leave.
Search for suspects in restaurant blaze
As demonstrators in Atlanta took to the streets and chanted for the officers in Brooks' case to be criminally charged, at one point late on Saturday blocking traffic on a nearby interstate highway, the Wendy's restaurant went up in flames.
On Sunday, police offered a $10,000 reward and published photos of what appeared to be a masked white woman being sought in connection with the case.
Police said they were seeking those responsible for the blaze, including a woman who was "attempting to hide her identity." The department posted photos on social media of what looked to be a young white woman wearing a black baseball cap and face mask, and a video clip filmed by a protester that appeared to show a woman encouraging the flames.
"Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy's," the man recording the video can heard saying. "This wasn't us."
Bottoms said on Saturday that she did not believe the shooting was a justified use of deadly force.
Lawyers for Brooks' family said he was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday. They said the officers had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction.
Prosecutors will decide by midweek whether to bring charges, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said on Sunday.
"(The victim) did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable," Howard told CNN.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-15--Journalist critical of Duterte found guilty of libel charges in Philippines

Maria Ressa , Executive Editor and CEO of Philippine news website Rappler , arrives for the promulgation of her cyber-libel case at Manila Regional Trial Court in Manila City Hall , Manila , Philippines , June 15 , 2020 .
The head of a Philippine news website known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte faces up to six years in jail after being found guilty of cyber libel by a Manila court on Monday in what is being seen as a test case for media freedom in the country .
`` We are going to stand up against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Ressa told journalists after the conviction in Manila .
Monday 's verdict decided a trial that stemmed from a businessman 's 2017 complaint over a Rappler story five years earlier about his alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation 's top court .
Ressa , who Time magazine named as a Person of the Year in 2018 , did not write the article and government investigators initially dismissed the businessman 's allegation .
But state prosecutors later filed charges against her and Reynaldo Santos , the former Rappler journalist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime statute aimed at online offences such as stalking and child pornography .
The law they are accused of violating took effect in September 2012 , months after the article was published .
But prosecutors say Rappler 's typographical correction to the story in 2014 to change `` evation '' to `` evasion '' was a substantial modification and the article was thus covered by the law .
`` I 've been the cautionary tale : be quiet or you 're next ... that 's part of the reason why I have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rappler and a former CNN journalist , told AFP in an exclusive interview last week .
Duterte 's government has said the case is not politically motivated and that authorities must enforce the law , even against journalists .
But rights groups and press advocates say the libel charge along with a series of tax cases against Rappler and a government move to strip the news site of its licence amount to state harassment .
Amnesty International said the `` attacks '' against Rappler were part of a wider government crackdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's verdict comes just over a month after government regulators forced off the air ABS-CBN , the nation 's top broadcaster , following years of threats by Duterte to shut down the network .
Both Rappler and ABS-CBN have reported extensively on Duterte 's anti-drugs campaign in which police have gunned down alleged dealers and users in operations condemned by rights groups .
Some of the crackdown 's highest-profile critics have wound up behind bars , including Senator Leila de Lima , who is serving three years in jail on drug charges she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2018 , Duterte denounced Rappler as a `` fake news outlet '' and subsequently banned Ressa and her colleagues from his public engagements .

The head of a Philippine news website known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte faces up to six years in jail after being found guilty of cyber libel by a Manila court on Monday in what is being seen as a test case for media freedom in the country.
Maria Ressa, Executive Editor and CEO of Philippine news website Rappler, arrives for the promulgation of her cyber-libel case at Manila Regional Trial Court in Manila City Hall, Manila, Philippines, June 15, 2020.
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"We are going to stand up against any kind of attacks against press freedom," Ressa told journalists after the conviction in Manila.
Monday's verdict decided a trial that stemmed from a businessman's 2017 complaint over a Rappler story five years earlier about his alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation's top court.
Ressa, who Time magazine named as a Person of the Year in 2018, did not write the article and government investigators initially dismissed the businessman's allegation.
But state prosecutors later filed charges against her and Reynaldo Santos, the former Rappler journalist who wrote it, under a controversial cyber crime statute aimed at online offences such as stalking and child pornography.
The law they are accused of violating took effect in September 2012, months after the article was published.
But prosecutors say Rappler's typographical correction to the story in 2014 to change "evation" to "evasion" was a substantial modification and the article was thus covered by the law.
"I've been the cautionary tale: be quiet or you're next... that's part of the reason why I have been targeted," Ressa, a co-founder of Rappler and a former CNN journalist, told AFP in an exclusive interview last week.
Duterte's government has said the case is not politically motivated and that authorities must enforce the law, even against journalists.
'Fake news outlet'
But rights groups and press advocates say the libel charge along with a series of tax cases against Rappler and a government move to strip the news site of its licence amount to state harassment.
Amnesty International said the "attacks" against Rappler were part of a wider government crackdown on media freedom in the Philippines.
Ressa's verdict comes just over a month after government regulators forced off the air ABS-CBN, the nation's top broadcaster, following years of threats by Duterte to shut down the network.
Both Rappler and ABS-CBN have reported extensively on Duterte's anti-drugs campaign in which police have gunned down alleged dealers and users in operations condemned by rights groups.
Some of the crackdown's highest-profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who is serving three years in jail on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her.
In 2018, Duterte denounced Rappler as a "fake news outlet" and subsequently banned Ressa and her colleagues from his public engagements.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Morocco's King Mohammed VI undergoes heart surgery

Moroccan Royal Palace handout photo shows King Mohamed VI ( C ) during the opening of a car assembly line @ @ @ @ @ Assembly Plant on June 20 , 2019 .
King Mohammed VI of Morocco had successful @ @ @ @ @ Rabat , state news agency MAP said .
The King was treated for a heart @ @ @ @ @ atrial flutter '' , it said .
The 56-year-old King underwent a similar surgery to @ @ @ @ @ years ago in Paris .
King Mohammed VI has headed the Muslim world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ when his father Hassan II died .
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the King @ @ @ @

King Mohammed VI of Morocco had successful heart surgery on Sunday in Rabat, state news agency MAP said.
Moroccan Royal Palace handout photo shows King Mohamed VI (C) during the opening of a car assembly line at the Kenitra PSA Car Assembly Plant on June 20, 2019.
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The King was treated for a heart rhythm disorder known as "atrial flutter", it said.
The 56-year-old King underwent a similar surgery to normalise his heart rhythm two years ago in Paris.
King Mohammed VI has headed the Muslim world’s longest-serving dynasty since 1999, when his father Hassan II died.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the King holds sweeping powers.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-15--EU foreign ministers to hold talks with US counterpart Pompeo as rifts fester

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives to lead a joint briefing about an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court at the State Department in Washington , U.S. , June 11 , 2020 .
EU foreign ministers will hold video talks with their US counterpart Mike Pompeo on Monday as transatlantic rifts widen over Israel , international organisations and how to deal with China .
The meeting kicks off a crunch week for US-Europe ties , with a virtual meeting of NATO defence ministers starting Wednesday already overshadowed by Washington 's controversial plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US President Donald Trump 's `` America First '' approach has seen ties with Europe lurch from crisis to crisis , but EU officials are determined to keep talking to Washington , even if little progress is apparent .
High on the agenda will be the Middle East peace process , as Brussels seeks to persuade Israel to back down from plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
The new Israeli government led once again by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled it intends to annex West Bank settlements and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , with initial steps to begin from July 1 .
A senior EU official said Monday 's talks with Pompeo would begin three weeks `` devoted to strongly reaching out '' to all parties -- including the Israeli and US governments -- to try to stop the moves .
EU ministers will press their objections to annexations -- which they say breach international law -- with Pompeo .
`` We are reaching out trying to persuade everybody that annexations are not a good idea and will create instability , and the Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Pompeo has urged the Palestinians to embrace Trump 's Middle East peace plan , which promises them an independent but condensed and demilitarised state as well as international investment .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas travelled to Jerusalem this week to tell Israel of Europe 's `` serious concerns '' about the proposed annexations .
Europe is also increasingly alarmed by Trump 's withdrawal from international institutions and agreements , most recently the World Health Organization and the Open Skies treaty with Russia .
Monday 's meeting comes after the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court official who investigates US troops -- a move that EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said was a matter of `` serious concern '' .
The EU is still studying Trump 's order on the ICC to assess its likely impact , but the senior official said the bloc thought the sanctions move was wrong .
If the prospects of making progress on these issues on Monday look slim , diplomats hope the two sides may be able to make progress towards common ground on China .
While the US has pursued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the EU has sought to thread a path between cooperation , competition and confrontation .
But the senior EU official insisted that fundamentally the two sides share the same assessment of China , differing only in approach , and should be able to find more space to cooperate .
The EU has struggled to forge a unified position on China at times , with 27 countries ' competing national interests coming to the fore , and France has warned that Europe must avoid getting trapped between Washington and Beijing .
`` Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on firm defence of our interests and fundamental principles and openness to multilateral dialogue -- a third way that is neither Cold War nor naive complacency , '' French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said .
France has long pushed for Europe to be more independent of the US , a stance that has at times ruffled feathers at NATO .
Defence ministers from the alliance hold their own video talks on Thursday and Friday , after Washington told Berlin it was considering withdrawing some 9,500 troops from the 34,500 currently permanently based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Defense Secretary Mark Esper while also discussing NATO 's coronavirus response and how to handle Russia 's growing arsenal of weaponry , including next generation hypersonic missiles .

EU foreign ministers will hold video talks with their US counterpart Mike Pompeo on Monday as transatlantic rifts widen over Israel, international organisations and how to deal with China.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives to lead a joint briefing about an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court at the State Department in Washington, U.S., June 11, 2020.
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The meeting kicks off a crunch week for US-Europe ties, with a virtual meeting of NATO defence ministers starting Wednesday already overshadowed by Washington's controversial plans to slash its troop presence in Germany.
US President Donald Trump's "America First" approach has seen ties with Europe lurch from crisis to crisis, but EU officials are determined to keep talking to Washington, even if little progress is apparent.
High on the agenda will be the Middle East peace process, as Brussels seeks to persuade Israel to back down from plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
The new Israeli government led once again by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled it intends to annex West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, as proposed by Trump, with initial steps to begin from July 1.
A senior EU official said Monday's talks with Pompeo would begin three weeks "devoted to strongly reaching out" to all parties -- including the Israeli and US governments -- to try to stop the moves.
EU ministers will press their objections to annexations -- which they say breach international law -- with Pompeo.
"We are reaching out trying to persuade everybody that annexations are not a good idea and will create instability, and the Israeli government should reconsider," the official said.
Pompeo has urged the Palestinians to embrace Trump's Middle East peace plan, which promises them an independent but condensed and demilitarised state as well as international investment.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas travelled to Jerusalem this week to tell Israel of Europe's "serious concerns" about the proposed annexations.
Court concern
Europe is also increasingly alarmed by Trump's withdrawal from international institutions and agreements, most recently the World Health Organization and the Open Skies treaty with Russia.
Monday's meeting comes after the US leader authorised sanctions against any International Criminal Court official who investigates US troops -- a move that EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said was a matter of "serious concern".
The EU is still studying Trump's order on the ICC to assess its likely impact, but the senior official said the bloc thought the sanctions move was wrong.
If the prospects of making progress on these issues on Monday look slim, diplomats hope the two sides may be able to make progress towards common ground on China.
While the US has pursued a tough-talking approach to an increasingly assertive Beijing, the EU has sought to thread a path between cooperation, competition and confrontation.
But the senior EU official insisted that fundamentally the two sides share the same assessment of China, differing only in approach, and should be able to find more space to cooperate.
Hypersonic missiles
The EU has struggled to forge a unified position on China at times, with 27 countries' competing national interests coming to the fore, and France has warned that Europe must avoid getting trapped between Washington and Beijing.
"Europe must invent a third way, based on firm defence of our interests and fundamental principles and openness to multilateral dialogue -- a third way that is neither Cold War nor naive complacency," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said.
France has long pushed for Europe to be more independent of the US, a stance that has at times ruffled feathers at NATO.
Defence ministers from the alliance hold their own video talks on Thursday and Friday, after Washington told Berlin it was considering withdrawing some 9,500 troops from the 34,500 currently permanently based in Germany.
Allies will hear from US Defense Secretary Mark Esper while also discussing NATO's coronavirus response and how to handle Russia's growing arsenal of weaponry, including next generation hypersonic missiles.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--US to slash the number of American troops in Germany, Trump says

US soldiers sit in a M1A2 SEP tank during exercises in Grafenwoehr , Germany , on May 12 , 2017 .
President Donald Trump said Monday that the US will slash the number of troops stationed in Germany by roughly 9,500 to 25,000 , significantly reducing US commitments to European defence under NATO in what one former US military commander said would be a `` gift '' to Russia 's Vladimir Putin .
Trump said in comments to reporters that Germany does not spend enough on defence as required by the NATO alliance .
He said that until Germany spends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its troops .
His comments reflected the first official confirmation of the cut , which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on June 5 and later confirmed to Reuters by a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity .
That official said it was the result of months of work by the US military leadership and had nothing to do with tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel , who thwarted his plan to host an in-person Group of Seven ( G7 ) summit this month .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of US officials at the White House , State Department and Pentagon were surprised by the decision , and they offered explanations ranging from Trump ’ s pique over the G7 to the influence of Richard Grenell , the former US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist .
> > 'It 's complicated ' : Relations in the spotlight as US mulls pulling thousands of troops from Germany Trump 's lukewarm support of longstanding cooperation agreements with European allies has long caused alarm on the continent .
The US leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , repeatedly accusing Berlin of not spending enough on defence .
Germany hosts more US troops than any other country in Europe , a legacy of the Allied occupation after World War II .
Johann Wadephul , a senior member in Chancellor Angela Merkel 's conservative CDU party , said last week that the troop reduction plan showed that the Trump administration was `` neglecting an elementary leadership task : involving alliance partners in the decision-making process '' .
It also served as another `` wake-up call '' for Europeans to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Only China and Russia stood to gain from `` discord '' between NATO allies , Wadephul added .
> > 'Russia is a strategic adversary , ' says former NATO chief Rasmussen As the first reports of a planned US drawdown surfaced last week , former US Army Europe commander Ben Hodges , who was stationed in the German city of Wiesbaden before he retired , said that a US withdrawal would be `` a colossal mistake '' and `` a gift '' for Russian President Vladimir Putin .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect Germans ... `` he tweeted .
`` They are forward-based , as part of NATO , to protect all Members , including USA . ''
Although the American military presence has declined since the end of the Cold War nearly three decades ago , Germany remains a crucial hub for US armed forces .
As well as serving as a deterrence to Russia , US troops use their German bases to coordinate military operations in Europe , Africa and the Middle East .
The headquarters for US forces in Europe and Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US air base in Ramstein plays a major role in transporting soldiers and equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan .
The US military hospital in Landstuhl , near Ramstein , is the largest of its kind outside the United States .

President Donald Trump said Monday that the US will slash the number of troops stationed in Germany by roughly 9,500 to 25,000, significantly reducing US commitments to European defence under NATO in what one former US military commander said would be a "gift" to Russia's Vladimir Putin.
US soldiers sit in a M1A2 SEP tank during exercises in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on May 12, 2017.
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Trump said in comments to reporters that Germany does not spend enough on defence as required by the NATO alliance. He said that until Germany spends more, the United States will remove its troops.
His comments reflected the first official confirmation of the cut, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on June 5 and later confirmed to Reuters by a senior US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
That official said it was the result of months of work by the US military leadership and had nothing to do with tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who thwarted his plan to host an in-person Group of Seven (G7) summit this month.
01:23
But other sources familiar with the matter said a number of US officials at the White House, State Department and Pentagon were surprised by the decision, and they offered explanations ranging from Trump’s pique over the G7 to the influence of Richard Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist.
>> 'It's complicated': Relations in the spotlight as US mulls pulling thousands of troops from Germany
'Wake-up call'
Trump's lukewarm support of longstanding cooperation agreements with European allies has long caused alarm on the continent. The US leader been particularly scathing towards Germany in recent years, repeatedly accusing Berlin of not spending enough on defence.
Germany hosts more US troops than any other country in Europe, a legacy of the Allied occupation after World War II.
Johann Wadephul, a senior member in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party, said last week that the troop reduction plan showed that the Trump administration was "neglecting an elementary leadership task: involving alliance partners in the decision-making process". It also served as another "wake-up call" for Europeans to take more responsibility for their own defence, he said.
Only China and Russia stood to gain from "discord" between NATO allies, Wadephul added.
>> 'Russia is a strategic adversary,' says former NATO chief Rasmussen
'Colossal mistake'
As the first reports of a planned US drawdown surfaced last week, former US Army Europe commander Ben Hodges, who was stationed in the German city of Wiesbaden before he retired, said that a US withdrawal would be "a colossal mistake" and "a gift" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"US troops are not in Europe to protect Germans ... " he tweeted. "They are forward-based, as part of NATO, to protect all Members, including USA."
Completely agree...US troops are not in Europe to protect Germans...they are forward-based, as part of NATO, to protect all Members, including USA. Europe enables USA to project power to Middle East, Africa. BTW, 35K US Army in Europe...1/3 of a major American football stadium. https://t.co/M3lM98P9Bp — Ben Hodges (@general_ben) June 6, 2020
Although the American military presence has declined since the end of the Cold War nearly three decades ago, Germany remains a crucial hub for US armed forces.
As well as serving as a deterrence to Russia, US troops use their German bases to coordinate military operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The headquarters for US forces in Europe and Africa are both based in Stuttgart while the US air base in Ramstein plays a major role in transporting soldiers and equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The US military hospital in Landstuhl, near Ramstein, is the largest of its kind outside the United States.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Under pressure from police, France backs off chokehold ban

File photo of French police officers protesting in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 14 , 2020 .
Under pressure from police , the French government backed away Monday from a ban on chokeholds during arrests .
It came days after French authorities announced stun guns , which caused a fatal police killing in Atlanta , would be tested for wider use .
Last week , French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced the government would ban the use of chokeholds following protests over French police brutality and racial injustice unleashed by George Floyd ’ s death in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were focused on the 2016 death of Adama Traoré , who died in police custody .
But French police responded with five straight days of counterprotests , arguing that the ban deprived them of a key tool to subdue unruly suspects .
They also bristled at being compared to police in the US , or painted as white supremacists .
On Monday , the national police director sent a letter to staff , obtained by The Associated Press , saying chokeholds will no longer be taught in police schools but they can continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until alternatives are found .
Activists and some lawmakers have long lobbied for French police to abandon violent techniques blamed for injury and possible death , such as chokeholds and pressing on a prone suspect ’ s chest .
The French government has also promised that more police officers will be equipped with body cameras to help ensure that identity checks don ’ t lead to excessive violence or discrimination against minority groups .
Researchers have documented racial profiling by French police , and investigations were opened recently into racist comments on private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tens of thousands of people have marched or rallied around France over the past two weeks against police brutality and discrimination .
Last week , French authorities also announced it would test stun guns for wider use , adding to the ranks of European law enforcement agencies that have recently adopted the weapon .
In Atlanta , just hours after the French stun gun announcement on Friday , a seemingly routine sobriety check outside a Wendy ’ s restaurant ended in gunshots after Rayshard Brooks grabbed a Taser from officers and ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man in an encounter with two white officers late Friday rekindled fiery protests in Atlanta and prompted the police chief ’ s resignation .
One of the officers was dismissed .
Axon , the company that makes Tasers , has made a big push outside the United States in recent years and agencies in the Netherlands and Italy recently expanded use of stun guns , following the path of Britain , where use has increased steadily since they were introduced in 2003 .
Stun guns are in limited but increasing use in France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 1,400 in 2017 to 2,349 in 2019 .
According to the French police oversight agency , stun guns killed one person last year and three suffered severe injuries .
Police in England and Wales discharged Tasers 2,700 times over the 12 months ending in March 2019 , according to government statistics , which also showed black people were more likely than white ones to have stun guns used on them .
Britain 's Independent Office for Police Conduct said last month that there were growing concerns “ about its disproportionate use against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues.
” British rapper Wretch 32 posted video last week of his 62-year-old father being hit by a Taser in his London home during a police raid in April .
The Metropolitan Police force said a review found no indication of misconduct , but London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for an urgent investigation .
According to Amnesty International , at least 18 people in Britain have died after a stun gun was discharged on them by police , but in many cases it was not determined that the weapon caused the death .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 500 people died after being hit by stun guns between 2001 and 2012 in the United States .
Italy ’ s government approved using Tasers in January after a two-year trial and opened a bidding process to purchase nearly 4,500 stun guns to be divided among various law enforcement agencies .
Police chief Franco Gabrielli said in March that the next phase would involve a period of training and “ operational experimentation ” in a half-dozen cities .
“ The security of our personnel is first , obviously without causing damage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side , ” Gabrielli said outside a Genoa hospital where he had gone to visit two police officers injured in a shootout .
The Netherlands began issuing stun guns to police in 2017 and is training 17,000 of the force ’ s 40,000 officers .
But far fewer of the weapons are on order and they will not be part of an officer ’ s standard equipment .
There are about 15,000 stun guns in France , which has a total police and gendarme force of around 240,000 .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-quarters of officers carry the weapons as standard issue , according to William Terrill , a professor of criminal justice at Arizona State University .
Axon says it has standing relationships with 95 percent of American law enforcement agencies .

Under pressure from police, the French government backed away Monday from a ban on chokeholds during arrests. It came days after French authorities announced stun guns, which caused a fatal police killing in Atlanta, would be tested for wider use.
File photo of French police officers protesting in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 14, 2020.
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Last week, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced the government would ban the use of chokeholds following protests over French police brutality and racial injustice unleashed by George Floyd’s death in the US.
The protests in France were focused on the 2016 death of Adama Traoré, who died in police custody.
But French police responded with five straight days of counterprotests, arguing that the ban deprived them of a key tool to subdue unruly suspects. They also bristled at being compared to police in the US, or painted as white supremacists.
On Monday, the national police director sent a letter to staff, obtained by The Associated Press, saying chokeholds will no longer be taught in police schools but they can continue to be used “with discernment” until alternatives are found.
Police unions hailed the reversal.
Activists and some lawmakers have long lobbied for French police to abandon violent techniques blamed for injury and possible death, such as chokeholds and pressing on a prone suspect’s chest.
The French government has also promised that more police officers will be equipped with body cameras to help ensure that identity checks don’t lead to excessive violence or discrimination against minority groups.
Researchers have documented racial profiling by French police, and investigations were opened recently into racist comments on private Facebook and Whatsapp groups for police officers.
Tens of thousands of people have marched or rallied around France over the past two weeks against police brutality and discrimination.
Stun gun tests in France hours after Atlanta police killing
Last week, French authorities also announced it would test stun guns for wider use, adding to the ranks of European law enforcement agencies that have recently adopted the weapon.
In Atlanta, just hours after the French stun gun announcement on Friday, a seemingly routine sobriety check outside a Wendy’s restaurant ended in gunshots after Rayshard Brooks grabbed a Taser from officers and ran.
The killing of the 27-year-old black man in an encounter with two white officers late Friday rekindled fiery protests in Atlanta and prompted the police chief’s resignation. One of the officers was dismissed.
Axon, the company that makes Tasers, has made a big push outside the United States in recent years and agencies in the Netherlands and Italy recently expanded use of stun guns, following the path of Britain, where use has increased steadily since they were introduced in 2003.
Stun guns are in limited but increasing use in France already. The number of discharges increased from 1,400 in 2017 to 2,349 in 2019. According to the French police oversight agency, stun guns killed one person last year and three suffered severe injuries.
Increasing stun gun use in Britain, Netherlands
Police in England and Wales discharged Tasers 2,700 times over the 12 months ending in March 2019, according to government statistics, which also showed black people were more likely than white ones to have stun guns used on them.
Britain's Independent Office for Police Conduct said last month that there were growing concerns “about its disproportionate use against black men and those with mental health issues.”
British rapper Wretch 32 posted video last week of his 62-year-old father being hit by a Taser in his London home during a police raid in April. The Metropolitan Police force said a review found no indication of misconduct, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for an urgent investigation.
According to Amnesty International, at least 18 people in Britain have died after a stun gun was discharged on them by police, but in many cases it was not determined that the weapon caused the death. The human rights group has said at least 500 people died after being hit by stun guns between 2001 and 2012 in the United States.
Italy’s government approved using Tasers in January after a two-year trial and opened a bidding process to purchase nearly 4,500 stun guns to be divided among various law enforcement agencies. Police chief Franco Gabrielli said in March that the next phase would involve a period of training and “operational experimentation” in a half-dozen cities.
“The security of our personnel is first, obviously without causing damage to the people who might find themselves on the other side,” Gabrielli said outside a Genoa hospital where he had gone to visit two police officers injured in a shootout.
The Netherlands began issuing stun guns to police in 2017 and is training 17,000 of the force’s 40,000 officers. But far fewer of the weapons are on order and they will not be part of an officer’s standard equipment.
There are about 15,000 stun guns in France, which has a total police and gendarme force of around 240,000. In the US, by contrast, more than three-quarters of officers carry the weapons as standard issue, according to William Terrill, a professor of criminal justice at Arizona State University. Axon says it has standing relationships with 95 percent of American law enforcement agencies.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Grand reopening? FRANCE 24 and Deutsche Welle at the French-German border

FRANCE 24 's François Picard and Deutsche Welle 's Melinda Crane on either side of the Franco-German border .
A @ @ @ @ @ many EU nations lift their coronavirus travel restrictions , host François Picard of The FRANCE @ @ @ @ @ while Deutsche Welle 's Melinda Crane is in Saarbrücken at the border between France and @ @ @ @ @ the French side are still bitter about Berlin 's unilateral decision to erect barriers that @ @ @ @ @ decades .
As French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel join forces to @ @ @ @ @ what do citizens want ?
To answer these and other questions , the hosts interview @ @ @ @ @ the Confederation of German Trade Unions , and Ludovic Subran , chief economist at Allianz @ @ @ @ @