france24--2020-07-09--Bolivia's President Anez tests positive for Covid-19

Bolivian President Jeanine Anez waves , while wearing a face mask , after attending a Corpus Christi procession at the @ @ @ @ @ of the government palace in La Paz , on June 11 , 2020 , amid @ @ @ @ @ Bolivia 's President Jeanine Anez said on Thursday that she has tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ in a tweet she was `` well '' and continuing to work while in isolation @ @ @ @ @ will come out of this , '' she said .
The confirmation came a week @ @ @ @ @ María Eidy Roca said she too had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The landlocked @ @ @ @ @ million people has registered more than 42,000 confirmed cases of the disease and 1,500 deaths @ @ @ @ @ worst affected countries per capita in the world .

Bolivia's President Jeanine Anez said on Thursday that she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Bolivian President Jeanine Anez waves, while wearing a face mask, after attending a Corpus Christi procession at the Plaza de Armas in front of the government palace in La Paz, on June 11, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
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Anez said in a tweet she was "well" and continuing to work while in isolation. "Together, we will come out of this," she said.
The Bolivian government confirmed that at least seven ministers, including its health minister, had tested positive and were either undergoing treatment or recuperating at home.
Anez said she had conducted a test given that many of her team had fallen ill.
"I feel well, I feel strong, I am going to keep working remotely from my isolation, and I want to thank all the Bolivians who are working to help us in this health crisis," she said.
Bolivia is due to hold general elections on Sept. 6. The elections were originally planned for May but delayed due to the pandemic.
Political turmoil gripped the country last October when a disputed election led to widespread protests that eventually toppled longtime leftist leader Evo Morales.
Anez, a conservative former senator, assumed the interim president role in the political vacuum and initially said she would not run for full office, but later threw her hat in the ring.
Rival candidate and former President Jorge Tuto Quiroga, who is running again, said it was "indispensable" for Anez to be in full health and working towards the democratic transition.
Other leaders around the world also have contracted the virus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 55, spent three days in intensive care sick with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, while Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed on Wednesday he had tested positive.
Bolivia, a landlocked Andean nation of over 11.5 million people has registered more than 42,000 confirmed cases of the disease and 1,500 deaths and is one of the worst affected countries per capita in the world.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-09--UK declines participating in EU Covid-19 vaccine scheme over concerns of delays

( FILE PHOTO ) Some countries are calling for any vaccine against the novel coronavirus to be patent-free .
The @ @ @ @ @ to join a European Union coronavirus vaccine scheme because of concerns there could be costly @ @ @ @ @ , The Telegraph reported Thursday , citing sources .
The European Commission is expected to @ @ @ @ @ the report said .
UK business minister Alok Sharma is believed to have withdrawn from @ @ @ @ @ get `` sufficient assurance '' that the UK would receive the number of vaccines it @ @ @ @ @ report added .
The officials believed that signing up to the scheme could delay the @ @ @ @ @ in the UK by up to six months as talks on distribution took place , @ @ @ @ @ government sources .
The decision comes a week after officials in London and Brussels said @ @ @ @ @ the EU about whether it would join a plan by the bloc to secure supplies @ @ @ @ @ .

The British government has decided not to join a European Union coronavirus vaccine scheme because of concerns there could be costly delays in securing the vaccines, The Telegraph reported Thursday, citing sources.
(FILE PHOTO) Some countries are calling for any vaccine against the novel coronavirus to be patent-free.
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The European Commission is expected to be notified on Friday, the report said.
UK business minister Alok Sharma is believed to have withdrawn from the plan after failing to get "sufficient assurance" that the UK would receive the number of vaccines it needs on time, the report added.
The officials believed that signing up to the scheme could delay the rollout of a successful vaccine in the UK by up to six months as talks on distribution took place, the report said, citing government sources.
The decision comes a week after officials in London and Brussels said Britain was in discussions with the EU about whether it would join a plan by the bloc to secure supplies of potential vaccines against COVID-19.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-09--Facing ridicule, France changes title for its ‘minister for attractiveness’

After provoking a chorus of mockery on social media with its new “ Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness ” , the French government on Tuesday dropped this overly literal translation for the dossier tasked with luring more trade and investment to France .
After provoking mockery on social media with its new “ minister for foreign trade and attractiveness ” , the French government on Tuesday dropped the overly literal translation for the dossier tasked with luring more trade and investment to France .
President Emmanuel Macron ’ s cabinet reshuffle on Monday attracted much commentary , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conservative turn .
Some critics accused him of making a power grab by ditching his centre-right Prime Minister Édouard Philippe – whose popularity had soared thanks to what many saw as his deft handling of the coronavirus crisis – for little-known civil servant Jean Castex .
The shakeup was widely seen as Macron ’ s attempt to reinvent his presidency before facing re-election in 2022 .
But Macron ’ s cabinet revamp brought commentary of another variety when the French foreign ministry ’ s Twitter account offered a list of its new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riester the new “ minister for foreign trade and attractiveness ” .
The Twitterverse was quick to respond .
Politico reporter Zia Weiss tweeted : “ only France could have a minister for attractiveness ( but srsly : what ) ” .
“ ‘ Attractiveness ’ .
International relations are going to get interesting … ” one French joker replied to original tweet .
“ When you think your mastery of a foreign language is better than it is .
Although [ Riester ] is , in fact , an attractive man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Orsay ’ s assertion that it had looked up the word on the Oxford English dictionary website did little to stem the mockery .
The three definitions it gives are , “ The quality of being pleasing or appealing to the senses , ” “ ( in a person ) the quality of being appealing or sexually alluring to look at ” and “ The possession of qualities or features that arouse interest.
” A French foreign ministry communiqué issued on Tuesday instead referred to Riester as the minister for trade and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Quai d ’ Orsay ’ s head of English-language communications said “ economic attractiveness ” would be the phrase to use .
But that works much better in the language of Molière than of Shakespeare .
“ Attractivité ” can describe something that is economically attractive , as in the case of attracting investment , rather than good looks .
Each new French cabinet includes a raft of reworked ministerial titles , although some key dossiers – defence , culture , energy – remain largely the same .
And attempts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusion .
A 2012 reshuffle under then president François Hollande gave us the “ minister for sports , youth , popular education and community life ” .
One new cabinet member was “ in charge of educational success ” ( but not to be confused with the “ minister of higher education and research ” ) while another minister was responsible for “ old people and dependence ” .
Other problems arise when trying to communicate the happenings in French politics .
It seems impossible to translate La France Insoumise – the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jean-Luc Mélenchon – with a straight face .
The Economist calls it “ Unsubmissive France ” and Politico came up with “ France Untamed ” .
The New York Times writes “ Rebellious France ” .
In its 2017 French presidential election coverage , FRANCE 24 called the party “ Indomitable France ” and later settled on “ France Unbowed ” .
The name of the centrist party Macron founded for his insurgent run for the Élysée Palace – En Marche – poses another translation challenge for the anglophone world .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opted to translate En Marche !
as “ Onward !
” although many Anglophone media translated it as , “ On the move !
” Upon winning the presidential election in May 2017 , he changed the party ’ s name to La République En Marche .
Commonly translated as “ The Republic on the Move ” , Macron was apparently seeking to communicate that his party would propel the country forward with a can-do , go-getter attitude .

After provoking mockery on social media with its new “minister for foreign trade and attractiveness”, the French government on Tuesday dropped the overly literal translation for the dossier tasked with luring more trade and investment to France.
After provoking a chorus of mockery on social media with its new “Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness”, the French government on Tuesday dropped this overly literal translation for the dossier tasked with luring more trade and investment to France.
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President Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet reshuffle on Monday attracted much commentary, with many noting that the government had taken a conservative turn. Some critics accused him of making a power grab by ditching his centre-right Prime Minister Édouard Philippe – whose popularity had soared thanks to what many saw as his deft handling of the coronavirus crisis – for little-known civil servant Jean Castex. The shakeup was widely seen as Macron’s attempt to reinvent his presidency before facing re-election in 2022.
But Macron’s cabinet revamp brought commentary of another variety when the French foreign ministry’s Twitter account offered a list of its new cabinet positions into English, naming Franck Riester the new “minister for foreign trade and attractiveness”.
When you think your mastery of a foreign language is better than it is. Although he is, in fact, an attractive man. — For justice: look backward, not forward (J Fine) (@bartimaeusblue) July 6, 2020
The Twitterverse was quick to respond.
Politico reporter Zia Weiss tweeted: “only France could have a minister for attractiveness (but srsly: what)”. “‘Attractiveness’. International relations are going to get interesting …” one French joker replied to original tweet. “When you think your mastery of a foreign language is better than it is. Although [Riester] is, in fact, an attractive man,” another responded.
The Quai d’Orsay’s assertion that it had looked up the word on the Oxford English dictionary website did little to stem the mockery. The three definitions it gives are, “The quality of being pleasing or appealing to the senses,” “(in a person) the quality of being appealing or sexually alluring to look at” and “The possession of qualities or features that arouse interest.”
A French foreign ministry communiqué issued on Tuesday instead referred to Riester as the minister for trade and “appeal”. The next day, the Quai d’Orsay’s head of English-language communications said “economic attractiveness” would be the phrase to use.
But that works much better in the language of Molière than of Shakespeare. “Attractivité” can describe something that is economically attractive, as in the case of attracting investment, rather than good looks.
The ‘unsubmissive' party
Each new French cabinet includes a raft of reworked ministerial titles, although some key dossiers – defence, culture, energy – remain largely the same. And attempts at understanding the new responsibilities often lead to confusion.
A 2012 reshuffle under then president François Hollande gave us the “minister for sports, youth, popular education and community life”. One new cabinet member was “in charge of educational success” (but not to be confused with the “minister of higher education and research”) while another minister was responsible for “old people and dependence”.
Other problems arise when trying to communicate the happenings in French politics. It seems impossible to translate La France Insoumise – the name of the far-left party led by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon – with a straight face. The Economist calls it “Unsubmissive France” and Politico came up with “France Untamed”. The New York Times writes “Rebellious France”. In its 2017 French presidential election coverage, FRANCE 24 called the party “Indomitable France” and later settled on “France Unbowed”.
The name of the centrist party Macron founded for his insurgent run for the Élysée Palace – En Marche – poses another translation challenge for the anglophone world. At the time, Macron’s PR people opted to translate En Marche! as “Onward!” although many Anglophone media translated it as, “On the move!”
Upon winning the presidential election in May 2017, he changed the party’s name to La République En Marche. Commonly translated as “The Republic on the Move”, Macron was apparently seeking to communicate that his party would propel the country forward with a can-do, go-getter attitude.
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france24--2020-07-09--Libya: Countries who supported Haftar 'bet on the losing horse,' adviser to GNA says

In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Mohammed Ali Abdallah – a senior adviser to Libya 's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord ( GNA ) led by Fayez al-Sarraj – ruled out any negotiation with eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar or anyone close to him .
He also warned that although the GNA was eager to find a political solution , it would not hesitate to push its military offensive towards the strategic town of Sirte .
Speaking to FRANCE 24 from Washington , Ali Abdallah brushed aside the threat of military intervention by Egypt , if the GNA moves towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` a joke '' .
He stressed that Egypt had already been intervening in Libya as the main platform for African and Russian mercenaries fighting alongside Haftar 's forces .
The senior adviser to the GNA claimed that many countries , including France , who had supported Haftar were now realising they had `` bet on the losing horse '' .
He also blasted the UAE for its role in the conflict , saying the government would not accept the UAE in `` any political dialogue '' on Libya in the future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support the GNA 's forces , Ali Abdallah claimed the agreement with Turkey was a legal one .
He said that it did not include the establishment of permanent Turkish military bases in Libya but added that if this step was necessary to stabilise the country , it could be decided .
He also argued that countries like France who have their own grievances with Turkey should not use the Libyan conflict to settle scores .
Finally , he said he regretted that Turkey had brought in Syrian mercenaries to fight on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that they would leave , while firmly denying reports that Yemeni fighters had recently been brought in to shore up the government forces .

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Mohammed Ali Abdallah – a senior adviser to Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj – ruled out any negotiation with eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar or anyone close to him. He also warned that although the GNA was eager to find a political solution, it would not hesitate to push its military offensive towards the strategic town of Sirte.
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Speaking to FRANCE 24 from Washington, Ali Abdallah brushed aside the threat of military intervention by Egypt, if the GNA moves towards the Libyan town of Sirte, as "a joke". He stressed that Egypt had already been intervening in Libya as the main platform for African and Russian mercenaries fighting alongside Haftar's forces.
The senior adviser to the GNA claimed that many countries, including France, who had supported Haftar were now realising they had "bet on the losing horse". He also blasted the UAE for its role in the conflict, saying the government would not accept the UAE in "any political dialogue" on Libya in the future.
Reacting to the deployment of Turkish troops to support the GNA's forces, Ali Abdallah claimed the agreement with Turkey was a legal one. He said that it did not include the establishment of permanent Turkish military bases in Libya but added that if this step was necessary to stabilise the country, it could be decided. He also argued that countries like France who have their own grievances with Turkey should not use the Libyan conflict to settle scores.
Finally, he said he regretted that Turkey had brought in Syrian mercenaries to fight on the government's side and held out hope that they would leave, while firmly denying reports that Yemeni fighters had recently been brought in to shore up the government forces.
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france24--2020-07-09--Seoul's mayor found dead of unknown causes

Police officers stand guard in front of the residence of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as rescue workers conduct a search operation in Seoul , South Korea , July 10 , 2020 .
Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon was found dead on Friday , South Korea 's Yonhap news agency reported , after police mounted a large search when his daughter reported him missing .
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency found his body at Mt Bugak in northern Seoul , near where his phone signal was last detected during a late night search , Yonhap said .
Yonhap said the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. ( 0817 GMT ) and said his phone was off and that he had left a message `` like a will '' .
As longtime mayor of the city of nearly 10 million people , Park was one of the country 's most influential politicians and played a high-profile role in its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
He was seen as a potential presidential hopeful for the liberals in the 2022 presidential elections .
Hundreds of South Korean police using drones and dogs had searched for the mayor on Thursday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Park left the official residence at around 10:40 a.m. , wearing a black hat and a backpack , having cancelled a policy meeting that was scheduled for Thursday morning , according to multiple local reports .
Park , who was mayor of Seoul since 2011 , played a vocal role in the huge Candlelight Demonstrations that helped lead to the ousting of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017 .

The mayor of Seoul, a former human rights lawyer and potential South Korean presidential candidate, died in an apparent suicide a day after being accused of sexual harassment.
Police officers stand guard in front of the residence of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as rescue workers conduct a search operation in Seoul, South Korea, July 10, 2020.
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The death of Park Won-soon, whose body was recovered early Friday on a mountain in the capital, is by far the most dramatic end to a #MeToo case in South Korea, a highly patriarchal society where the women's movement has brought down scores of prominent men in multiple fields.
If Park does prove to have killed himself he would be the highest-profile South Korean politician to do so since former president Roh Moo-hyun, who jumped off a cliff in 2009 after being questioned over corruption allegations involving family members.
There were no signs of foul play, police said, and according to Yonhap news agency Park was presumed to have taken his own life.
He had been reported missing by his daughter on Thursday, who said he had been unreachable after leaving a message that sounded like "last words".
A heavyweight figure in the ruling centre-left Democratic party, Park ran South Korea's sprawling capital -- home to almost a fifth of the national population -- for nearly a decade.
He won three elections while promoting gender and social equality, and did not shy away from expressing his ambitions to replace incumbent President Moon Jae-in in 2022.
But his death came a day after his former secretary filed a police complaint -- said to involve sexual harassment -- against him.
South Korea remains male-dominated despite its economic and technological advances, but the country has seen a widespread #MeToo movement in the last two years, sparked by a prosecutor who publicly accused a superior of groping her at a funeral.
The perpetrators have included a former provincial governor who sought the presidency in 2017 but was jailed last year for sexual intercourse by abuse of authority after his female assistant accused him of repeatedly raping her.
According to a document purporting to be the statement of Park's victim, who worked as his personal secretary from 2015, he committed "sexual harassment and inappropriate gestures during work hours", including insisting she hug him in the bedroom adjoining his office.
After work, she said, he sent her "selfies of himself in his underwear and lewd comments" on a messenger app.
"I brainwashed myself, bearing tremendous fear and humiliation, that all of this was in the interest of Seoul City, myself, and mayor Park," she said, according to the document.
The police confirmed a complaint had been filed but declined to confirm the details.
Park's death means the investigation will automatically be closed.
Jailhouse to courthouse
Park was a student activist in the days of South Korea's military dictatorship -- he was jailed for taking part in a rally against then-president Park Chung-hee -- and later became a human rights lawyer.
He defended many political activists and in the 1990s won South Korea's first sexual harassment conviction, in a landmark judgement.
He helped launch the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, an influential NGO pushing to reform the conglomerates that dominate South Korean business.
Park also founded the Beautiful Foundation -- a philanthropic group that promotes volunteerism and community service.
It grew into one of the largest non-profit organisations in South Korea and launched the Beautiful Stores, a chain of charity shops modelled after Britain's Oxfam shops.
Reactions were mixed on Friday, including both condolences and criticism that he killed himself to avoid punishment.
There was an outpouring of grief from his supporters, some of whom wailed at Seoul National University Hospital as his body was brought in.
"Mayor Park, you were an excellent politician," one poster wrote on Daum, the country's second-largest portal site.
"But a twist of fate put an end to your journey. I hope you are at ease in heaven."
Others were more critical of the 64-year-old, accusing him of exploiting his power to harass a subordinate and then taking his own life to "avoid the fallout".
"The victim must have had painful times in the run-up to the filing of the complaint," wrote one user. "I hope Park reflects on his misdeeds and atones in the afterlife."
The Seoul city government said a memorial altar will be set up in front of the city hall for citizens to pay respects.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-09--‘Not your sexual object’: Corsicans harness the #IWas movement to challenge a culture of silence

A burgeoning movement on the French island of Corsica has harnassed the # IWas hashtag to recount and denounce acts of sexual violence they suffered as minors , challenging a local culture that is more used to victims ' silence .
The hashtag is often simply followed by an age : # IWas7 .
In the southwestern Corsican city of Ajaccio , at least 400 people , mostly young women , marched on July 5 to bring attention to the sexual abuse of minors .
Some held signs bearing messages : “ Not your sexual object ” , “ She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ From 6 to 10 years , by my father ” .
Marchers chanted , “ We are strong , we are proud feminists and radicals , and angry !
” The Ajaccio protest followed one in the northern city of Bastia on June 21 when some 300 marched with similar slogans .
The movement has gained the support of Ajaccio Mayor Laurent Marcangeli , who joined the July 5 march , as well as the mayors of Bastia and Bonifacio , Corsica ’ s southernmost town .
Three days before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who served as French minister of gender equality before this week 's cabinet shakeup – asked that the city ’ s prefecture receive a delegation of protesters .
Some marchers in Ajaccio wore white T-shirts printed with “ # IWas ” , a hashtag that emerged in the US this spring and the latest in a series aimed at encouraging women and men to reveal experiences of sexual harassment and assault .
In October 2017 , in the wake of reports on Harvey Weinstein ’ s assaults on women in the film industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to # Balancetonporc ( roughly , `` Squeal on your pig '' ) by sharing stories of workplace sexual harassment .
A few days later , American actress Alyssa Milano gave new fuel to the # MeToo movement by asking her followers to reply if they had been harassed or assaulted .
More recently , # JeSuisUneVictime ( I was a victim ) emerged as a response to the awarding of a César award ( the French equivalent of an Oscar ) to director Roman Polanski , who has been accused of rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What distinguishes tweets tagged with # IWas is the age users say they were at the time of the alleged sexual assault – often well below the age of consent .
That is also the case in testimonies on the page # IwasCorsica , a homegrown version of # IWas that current and former residents of the island began using in June to share their accounts of abuse .
Culomba Sicurani , 25 , was one of the first .
On June 5 , she tweeted , “ # Iwas approximately six .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 .
I woke up in the night .
He wasn ’ t sleeping .
And asked me to help him finish what he was doing.
” Now living in Dublin , Sicurani explained the difficulty of recounting such an experience to AFP : “ In Corsica , it ’ s small , we all know each other .
We don ’ t dare speak because the rapist is the friend , the cousin.
” “ Iwas is an electro-shock , nobody expected it , '' Sicurani said , adding that she did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after Sicurani ’ s tweet , Stella Pasquini tweeted : “ # Iwas it happened from age 4 to age 10 .
He was my own father and it was always sodomy .
He told me that it was normal , that all dads did that to their daughters … I was 4 years old … I believed it and let myself do it , I told myself it was normal and only a terrible moment I had to endure.
” Pasquini told FRANCE 24 how she managed to speak out at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents separated , and then file a complaint against her father .
`` The police found more than 12,000 pornographic photos of children.
” A discovery `` that proved what he did to me ” , the young woman said .
Pasquini 's father was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2019 .
She said the Corsican movement had encouraged her to share her story : “ When I saw all these girls sharing in Corsica , it made me want to do it too.
” The movement comes as something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island culture where a code of silence known as omerta has long protected criminals from justice .
Known as France ’ s `` island of beauty '' , Corsica has also been labelled “ the murder capital ” of Europe .
`` On the island , silence comes from shame and fear of reprisals , ” Laetitia Maroccu , a town councillor in Ajaccio and the president of Donne e Surelle , a nonprofit devoted to helping women in Corsica , told AFP .
`` The omerta is not a myth on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is familiar with cases of sexual violence .
`` Most cases are committed by relatives , ” he said , adding : Without a trial , `` the victims are not recognised as such ” .
Maroccu and Anaïs Mattei , one of the organisers of the recent protests , told AFP that the prefect of Ajaccio gave them his email and mobile phone number so they could send him complaints of abuse .
Mattei , 22 , said she had gathered `` the testimonies of 15 people ready to file a complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Bastia ’ s police station on July 7 .
Bastia 's public prosecutor , Caroline Tharot , said that a 15-page document comprising 14 `` # Iwas testimonies '' had been filed at the police station by two young women from the movement , but she said the testimonies were not official complaints .
Each source must file an official report to police that specifies their place of residence , the date of the alleged incident and where it took place “ in a manner that permits the opening of an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may then choose whether or not to file an official complaint .
For the moment , only one `` official complaint for a rape committed last summer in Haute-Corse '' had been registered , she said .
While victims ’ complaints are still rare , 48 complaints of defamation have been filed in Haute-Corse , the French administrative region on the northern half of the island , following “ the publication of dozens of names of potential assailants or rapists ” in private messages on social media , Tharot said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corsica , the island ’ s second such region .

A burgeoning movement on the French island of Corsica has harnassed the #IWas hashtag to recount and denounce acts of sexual violence they suffered as minors, challenging a local culture that is more used to victims' silence. The hashtag is often simply followed by an age: #IWas7.
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In the southwestern Corsican city of Ajaccio, at least 400 people, mostly young women, marched on July 5 to bring attention to the sexual abuse of minors. Some held signs bearing messages: “Not your sexual object”, “She files a complaint, she dies anyway” and “From 6 to 10 years, by my father”. Marchers chanted, “We are strong, we are proud feminists and radicals, and angry!” The Ajaccio protest followed one in the northern city of Bastia on June 21 when some 300 marched with similar slogans.
The movement has gained the support of Ajaccio Mayor Laurent Marcangeli, who joined the July 5 march, as well as the mayors of Bastia and Bonifacio, Corsica’s southernmost town. Three days before the Ajaccio march, Marlène Schiappa – who served as French minister of gender equality before this week's cabinet shakeup – asked that the city’s prefecture receive a delegation of protesters.
Some marchers in Ajaccio wore white T-shirts printed with “#IWas”, a hashtag that emerged in the US this spring and the latest in a series aimed at encouraging women and men to reveal experiences of sexual harassment and assault. In October 2017, in the wake of reports on Harvey Weinstein’s assaults on women in the film industry, French journalist Sandra Muller encouraged women to #Balancetonporc (roughly, "Squeal on your pig") by sharing stories of workplace sexual harassment. A few days later, American actress Alyssa Milano gave new fuel to the #MeToo movement by asking her followers to reply if they had been harassed or assaulted.
More recently, #JeSuisUneVictime (I was a victim) emerged as a response to the awarding of a César award (the French equivalent of an Oscar) to director Roman Polanski, who has been accused of rape in the United States and France.
‘An electro-shock’
What distinguishes tweets tagged with #IWas is the age users say they were at the time of the alleged sexual assault – often well below the age of consent. That is also the case in testimonies on the page #IwasCorsica, a homegrown version of #IWas that current and former residents of the island began using in June to share their accounts of abuse.
Culomba Sicurani, 25, was one of the first. On June 5, she tweeted, “#Iwas approximately six. It was my cousin. He was 14. I woke up in the night. He wasn’t sleeping. And asked me to help him finish what he was doing.” Now living in Dublin, Sicurani explained the difficulty of recounting such an experience to AFP: “In Corsica, it’s small, we all know each other. We don’t dare speak because the rapist is the friend, the cousin.”
#Iwas 6 environs. C'était mon cousin. Il en avait 14. Je me suis réveillée la nuit. Il ne dormait pas. Et m'a demandé de l'aider à finir ce qu'il était en train de faire. Ça c'est moi à cette époque. Cette photo me rappelle et me tétanise.
Là aussi j'avais trop bu sûrement. pic.twitter.com/khpwmrpZNq — Culomba (@CulombaS) June 5, 2020
“Iwas is an electro-shock, nobody expected it," Sicurani said, adding that she didn't want to press charges.
Two days after Sicurani’s tweet, Stella Pasquini tweeted: “#Iwas it happened from age 4 to age 10. He was my own father and it was always sodomy. He told me that it was normal, that all dads did that to their daughters … I was 4 years old … I believed it and let myself do it, I told myself it was normal and only a terrible moment I had to endure.”
#iwas c’a c’est passer de 4 à 8-10 ans c’était mon propre père et uniquement par sodomie. Il me disait que c’était normal que tout les papas faisaient ça à leurs filles... j’ai 4 ans... j’y crois et me laisse faire, je me disais que c’était normal et qu’un mauvais moment à passer — stella_pasquini (@stella_pasquini) June 7, 2020
Pasquini told FRANCE 24 how she managed to speak out at the age of 15, when her parents separated, and then file a complaint against her father. "The police found more than 12,000 pornographic photos of children.” A discovery "that proved what he did to me”, the young woman said.
Pasquini's father was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2019.
She said the Corsican movement had encouraged her to share her story: “When I saw all these girls sharing in Corsica, it made me want to do it too.”
The movement comes as something of a surprise for a patriarchal, insular island culture where a code of silence known as omerta has long protected criminals from justice. Known as France’s "island of beauty", Corsica has also been labelled “the murder capital” of Europe.
‘Silence comes from shame’
"On the island, silence comes from shame and fear of reprisals,” Laetitia Maroccu, a town councillor in Ajaccio and the president of Donne e Surelle, a nonprofit devoted to helping women in Corsica, told AFP.
"The omerta is not a myth on the island," said a policeman who is familiar with cases of sexual violence. "Most cases are committed by relatives,” he said, adding: Without a trial, "the victims are not recognised as such”.
Maroccu and Anaïs Mattei, one of the organisers of the recent protests, told AFP that the prefect of Ajaccio gave them his email and mobile phone number so they could send him complaints of abuse.
Mattei, 22, said she had gathered "the testimonies of 15 people ready to file a complaint" who were due to go together to Bastia’s police station on July 7.
Bastia's public prosecutor, Caroline Tharot, said that a 15-page document comprising 14 "#Iwas testimonies" had been filed at the police station by two young women from the movement, but she said the testimonies were not official complaints.
Each source must file an official report to police that specifies their place of residence, the date of the alleged incident and where it took place “in a manner that permits the opening of an investigation”, Tharot said, specifying that they may then choose whether or not to file an official complaint.
For the moment, only one "official complaint for a rape committed last summer in Haute-Corse" had been registered, she said.
While victims’ complaints are still rare, 48 complaints of defamation have been filed in Haute-Corse, the French administrative region on the northern half of the island, following “the publication of dozens of names of potential assailants or rapists” in private messages on social media, Tharot said. A 49th complaint has been filed in South Corsica, the island’s second such region.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-09--Notre-Dame Cathedral: Volunteer carpenters aim to settle reconstruction debate

A group of volunteer carpenters are hoping to settle the debate over how Paris ’ s fire-ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral should be rebuilt by constructing a replica of part of the structure 's roof entirely by hand using traditional techniques and materials .
Armed with axes and hand saws , the team of 25 craftsmen and women , who belong to a collective called Carpenters Without Borders , managed to build one of the 25 trusses that made up the wooden roof of Notre-Dame that they say is identical to the original .
`` It is a demonstration of traditional techniques @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framework of the nave of Notre-Dame that serves to show how viable these techniques are from an economic point of view on the one hand and from a technical point of view on the other , ” researcher Frédéric Epaud told AFP .
Known as ‘ the forest ’ and built out of vast oak beams , the 800-year-old intricate wooden lattice of Notre-Dame ’ s knave was completely destroyed in last year ’ s fire .
Since then debate has raged over how it should be rebuilt .
Some have argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficiently old and large enough oak trees no longer exist in France .
Modern alternatives , such as concrete and steel have been suggested .
But Carpenters Without Borders say their work proves the roof can be rebuilt in its original form without huge expense .
`` We , in less than a week , with 25 professional carpenters , have entirely built one of the trusses of the nave of Notre-Dame as it was before the fire .
One truss , one week , ” the group ’ s founder and ethnologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , François Calame , told AFP .
“ Of course , there were not only trusses in the Notre-Dame structure , but this provides some answers that immediately dispel all the misunderstandings and misinformation that may have existed . ''

A group of volunteer carpenters are hoping to settle the debate over how Paris’s fire-ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral should be rebuilt by constructing a replica of part of the structure's roof entirely by hand using traditional techniques and materials.
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Armed with axes and hand saws, the team of 25 craftsmen and women, who belong to a collective called Carpenters Without Borders, managed to build one of the 25 trusses that made up the wooden roof of Notre-Dame that they say is identical to the original.
"It is a demonstration of traditional techniques on one of the trusses of the framework of the nave of Notre-Dame that serves to show how viable these techniques are from an economic point of view on the one hand and from a technical point of view on the other,” researcher Frédéric Epaud told AFP.
Known as ‘the forest’ and built out of vast oak beams, the 800-year-old intricate wooden lattice of Notre-Dame’s knave was completely destroyed in last year’s fire.
Since then debate has raged over how it should be rebuilt. Some have argued that reconstructing the original roof is impossible as sufficiently old and large enough oak trees no longer exist in France.
Modern alternatives, such as concrete and steel have been suggested. But Carpenters Without Borders say their work proves the roof can be rebuilt in its original form without huge expense.
"We, in less than a week, with 25 professional carpenters, have entirely built one of the trusses of the nave of Notre-Dame as it was before the fire. One truss, one week,” the group’s founder and ethnologist at France’s Ministry of Culture, François Calame, told AFP.
“Of course, there were not only trusses in the Notre-Dame structure, but this provides some answers that immediately dispel all the misunderstandings and misinformation that may have existed."
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france24--2020-07-09--George Floyd told officers, 'I can't breathe' more than 20 times, transcript shows

A demonstrator holds a painting depicting George Floyd during a protest against racism and police violence in New York on June 9 , 2020 .
George Floyd said he could n't breathe more than 20 times , called out for his children and late mother and said officers would `` kill '' him before he died in Minneapolis police custody , new evidence showed .
Floyd , a black man , died on May 25 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
His death has unleashed a massive wave of protests against systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States and inspired demos across the world .
Video of his death went viral and showed Floyd shouting `` I ca n't breathe '' and calling for his mother as he suffocated .
But transcripts of the police officers ' body camera footage , filed Tuesday in Minnesota state court by Thomas Lane , one of the officers involved in Floyd 's death , has revealed new details about his final moments .
When the officers first arrested him , Floyd begged them not to put him in the police car , telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distress .
As they tried to force him into the car , Floyd cried out that he could n't breathe and was `` going to die in here . ''
Later , according to the transcript , he said , `` Momma , I love you .
Tell my kids I love them .
I 'm dead . ''
He called for his mother and children several more times .
Throughout his arrest , Floyd said `` I ca n't breathe '' more than 20 times .
The officers can be heard telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was doing `` fine '' and `` talking fine . ''
At one point , as Floyd insisted they were going to kill him , officer Derek Chauvin shouted , `` Then stop talking , stop yelling , it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk . ''
According to the transcript , Floyd 's last words were , `` They 're going to kill me .
They 're going to kill me .
I ca n't breathe . ''
The transcript was submitted Tuesday by Lane to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abetted in Floyd 's murder thrown out by a judge .
He and the other three officers involved — Chauvin , Tou Thao and Alexander Kueng — were all fired from the Minneapolis police force one day after Floyd 's death and charged in his murder .
They each face up to 40 years behind bars .
Chauvin , who knelt on the handcuffed 46-year-old 's neck , faces second and third-degree murder charges .
Thao and Kueng , like Lane , have been charged with aiding and abetting a murder .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and horrified Americans , igniting protests and riots in cities across the country and sparking a national debate on racism and police violence .
Floyd was detained for the minor charge of attempting to use a counterfeit $ 20 bill , and while in handcuffs , two of the officers held him down on the street while Chauvin pressed his knee to Floyd 's neck and the fourth officer stood watch .

George Floyd said he couldn't breathe more than 20 times, called out for his children and late mother and said officers would "kill" him before he died in Minneapolis police custody, new evidence showed.
A demonstrator holds a painting depicting George Floyd during a protest against racism and police violence in New York on June 9, 2020.
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Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death has unleashed a massive wave of protests against systemic racism and police brutality in the United States and inspired demos across the world.
Video of his death went viral and showed Floyd shouting "I can't breathe" and calling for his mother as he suffocated.
But transcripts of the police officers' body camera footage, filed Tuesday in Minnesota state court by Thomas Lane, one of the officers involved in Floyd's death, has revealed new details about his final moments.
When the officers first arrested him, Floyd begged them not to put him in the police car, telling them he was claustrophobic and in physical distress.
As they tried to force him into the car, Floyd cried out that he couldn't breathe and was "going to die in here."
Later, according to the transcript, he said, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead." He called for his mother and children several more times.
Throughout his arrest, Floyd said "I can't breathe" more than 20 times. The officers can be heard telling him to "relax," and that he was doing "fine" and "talking fine."
At one point, as Floyd insisted they were going to kill him, officer Derek Chauvin shouted, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
'I can't breathe'
According to the transcript, Floyd's last words were, "They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me. I can't breathe."
The transcript was submitted Tuesday by Lane to have the charges that he aided and abetted in Floyd's murder thrown out by a judge.
He and the other three officers involved — Chauvin, Tou Thao and Alexander Kueng — were all fired from the Minneapolis police force one day after Floyd's death and charged in his murder. They each face up to 40 years behind bars.
Chauvin, who knelt on the handcuffed 46-year-old's neck, faces second and third-degree murder charges.
Thao and Kueng, like Lane, have been charged with aiding and abetting a murder.
The bystander video of Floyd's death stunned and horrified Americans, igniting protests and riots in cities across the country and sparking a national debate on racism and police violence.
Floyd was detained for the minor charge of attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill, and while in handcuffs, two of the officers held him down on the street while Chauvin pressed his knee to Floyd's neck and the fourth officer stood watch.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-09--Brazil's Bolsonaro boasts about taking 'miraculous' hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19

Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with journalists while wearing a protective face mask as he arrives at Alvorada Palace , amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , in Brasilia , Brazil , May 22 , 2020 .
After months of touting an unproven anti-malaria drug as a treatment for the new coronavirus , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is turning himself into a test case live before millions of people as he swallows hydroxychloroquine pills on social media and encourages others to do the same .
Bolsonaro said this week that he had tested positive for the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hours later he shared a video of himself gulping down what he said was his third dose .
On Wednesday , he was again extolling the drug 's benefits on Facebook , and claimed that his political opponents were rooting against it .
A string of studies in Britain and the United States , as well as by the World Health Organization , have found chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ineffective against COVID-19 and sometimes deadly because of their adverse side effects on the heart .
Several studies were canceled early because of adverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 but chloroquine — a more toxic version of the drug , produced in Brazil — has been even more enthusiastically promoted by Bolsonaro , who contends the virus is largely unavoidable and , what is more , not a serious medical problem .
“ He has become the poster boy for curing COVID with hydroxychloroquine , ” said Paulo Calmon , a political science professor at the University of Brasilia .
“ Chloroquine composes part of the denialist 's political strategy , with the objective of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be easily controlled.
” Trump first mentioned hydroxychloroquine on March 19 during a pandemic briefing .
Two days later , and a month after Brazil 's first confirmed case , Bolsonaro took one of his only big actions to fight the coronavirus .
He announced he was directing the Brazilian army to ramp up output of chloroquine .
The army churned out more than 2 million pills — 18 times the country 's normal annual production — even as Brazil 's intensive care medicine association recommended it not be prescribed and doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 31 said it had donated 2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to Brazil .
Two weeks later the U.S. Food & Drug Administration revoked authorization for its emergency use , citing adverse side effects and saying it is unlikely to be effective .
Brazil ’ s audit court on June 18 requested an investigation into alleged overbilling from local production of chloroquine , which it called unreasonable given the drug ’ s ineffectiveness and cited the FDA decision .
Meantime , stocks of sedatives and other medications used in intensive care ran out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report from Brazil 's council of state health secretariats .
A former defense minister , Aldo Rebelo , told The Associated Press that he is concerned the army will be wrongly blamed for its involvement in production of a drug that most experts call ineffective against the coronavirus .
“ All they did was to follow a legal order and produce the pills , ” said Rebelo .
“ The problem is the health ministry and the decision that the president made.
” Brazil ’ s interim health minister , an army general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsed chloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment days after assuming the post in May .
His predecessor , a doctor and health consultant , quit rather than do so .
As Brazil 's death toll continued to climb — nearing 68,000 on Wednesday , the second-most in the world — the health ministry distributed millions of chloroquine pills across Brazil 's vast territory .
They have reached small cities with little or no health infrastructure to handle the pandemic and even a far-flung Indigenous territory .
“ They ’ re trying to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chloroquine , use the Indigenous to advertise for chloroquine like Bolsonaro has done on his live broadcasts , like a poster boy for chloroquine , ” Kretã Kaingang , an executive coordinator of the Indigenous organization APIB , said by phone from Brazil 's capital , Brasilia .
In Brazil 's largest city , Sao Paulo , three doctors treating COVID-19 in different hospitals told AP that patients routinely requested chloroquine as the pandemic spread , often citing Bolsonaro .
In recent weeks , inquiries about the drug were less frequent after scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians said .
All say they worry Bolsonaro 's cheerleading will spur a new wave of desperate patients and relatives clamoring for chloroquine .
“ I tell them that I do n't prescribe it because there 's no study proving it improves patients , that there are important risks with the indiscriminate use of this drug , ” said Dr. Natalia Magacho , an attending physician at the Hospital das Clinicas .
“ Some even get angry at first .
But all prescriptions are the doctor 's responsibility and , as the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescribe it.
” Most doctors oppose any protocols for the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine , but some physicians continue to believe and have pressured local authorities to permit its use , said João Gabbardo , the former No .
2 official at Brazil 's health ministry .
“ This issue has been framed in a very polarizing , politicized manner , '' said Gabbardo , who is now executive coordinator of Sao Paulo ’ s COVID-19 contingency center .
`` We are moving away from the discussion of science , of scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions.
” Bolsonaro 's supporters and aides have amplified his message .
Eduardo Bolsonaro , the president 's son and a federal lawmaker , said his father will beat the disease because he is taking the anti-malarial drug .
`` Treatment with chloroquine is rather effective at the start of the illness ( and should be available for any Brazilian who needs it ) , ” the younger Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter , without distinguishing between the two types of the drug .
Margareth Dalcolmo , a clinical researcher and prominent respiratory medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said she has no objection to Bolsonaro and his doctor agreeing on hydroxychloroquine treatment .
The problem , she said , is broadcasting that information to an impressionable public that , if he recovers , will believe a potentially dangerous drug was responsible .
Dalcolmo treats patients and contracted COVID-19 herself .
Before she bounced back , some friends asked if she would authorize administration of either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were she unable to grant consent .
“ Over my dead body , dear , ” she said .
“ I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , intubated , none of you are authorized to put me on chloroquine .
I would never authorize its use on me .
And I haven ’ t used it on my dozens of patients .
”

After months of touting an unproven anti-malaria drug as a treatment for the new coronavirus, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is turning himself into a test case live before millions of people as he swallows hydroxychloroquine pills on social media and encourages others to do the same.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with journalists while wearing a protective face mask as he arrives at Alvorada Palace, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 22, 2020.
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Bolsonaro said this week that he had tested positive for the disease but already felt better thanks to hydroxychloroquine. Hours later he shared a video of himself gulping down what he said was his third dose.
“I trust hydroxychloroquine,” he said, smiling. “And you?”
On Wednesday, he was again extolling the drug's benefits on Facebook, and claimed that his political opponents were rooting against it.
A string of studies in Britain and the United States, as well as by the World Health Organization, have found chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ineffective against COVID-19 and sometimes deadly because of their adverse side effects on the heart. Several studies were canceled early because of adverse effects.
U.S. President Donald Trump has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 but chloroquine — a more toxic version of the drug, produced in Brazil — has been even more enthusiastically promoted by Bolsonaro, who contends the virus is largely unavoidable and, what is more, not a serious medical problem.
01:01
“He has become the poster boy for curing COVID with hydroxychloroquine,” said Paulo Calmon, a political science professor at the University of Brasilia. “Chloroquine composes part of the denialist's political strategy, with the objective of convincing voters that the pandemic's effects can be easily controlled.”
Trump first mentioned hydroxychloroquine on March 19 during a pandemic briefing. Two days later, and a month after Brazil's first confirmed case, Bolsonaro took one of his only big actions to fight the coronavirus. He announced he was directing the Brazilian army to ramp up output of chloroquine.
The army churned out more than 2 million pills — 18 times the country's normal annual production — even as Brazil's intensive care medicine association recommended it not be prescribed and doctors mostly complied.
The White House on May 31 said it had donated 2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to Brazil. Two weeks later the U.S. Food & Drug Administration revoked authorization for its emergency use, citing adverse side effects and saying it is unlikely to be effective.
Brazil’s audit court on June 18 requested an investigation into alleged overbilling from local production of chloroquine, which it called unreasonable given the drug’s ineffectiveness and cited the FDA decision. Meantime, stocks of sedatives and other medications used in intensive care ran out in three states, according to a late-June report from Brazil's council of state health secretariats.
A former defense minister, Aldo Rebelo, told The Associated Press that he is concerned the army will be wrongly blamed for its involvement in production of a drug that most experts call ineffective against the coronavirus.
“All they did was to follow a legal order and produce the pills,” said Rebelo. “The problem is the health ministry and the decision that the president made.”
Brazil’s interim health minister, an army general with no health experience before April, endorsed chloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment days after assuming the post in May. His predecessor, a doctor and health consultant, quit rather than do so.
As Brazil's death toll continued to climb — nearing 68,000 on Wednesday, the second-most in the world — the health ministry distributed millions of chloroquine pills across Brazil's vast territory. They have reached small cities with little or no health infrastructure to handle the pandemic and even a far-flung Indigenous territory.
“They’re trying to use the Indigenous people as guinea pigs to test chloroquine, use the Indigenous to advertise for chloroquine like Bolsonaro has done on his live broadcasts, like a poster boy for chloroquine,” Kretã Kaingang, an executive coordinator of the Indigenous organization APIB, said by phone from Brazil's capital, Brasilia.
In Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, three doctors treating COVID-19 in different hospitals told AP that patients routinely requested chloroquine as the pandemic spread, often citing Bolsonaro. In recent weeks, inquiries about the drug were less frequent after scientific doubts arose about its effectiveness, two physicians said.
All say they worry Bolsonaro's cheerleading will spur a new wave of desperate patients and relatives clamoring for chloroquine.
“I tell them that I don't prescribe it because there's no study proving it improves patients, that there are important risks with the indiscriminate use of this drug,” said Dr. Natalia Magacho, an attending physician at the Hospital das Clinicas. “Some even get angry at first. But all prescriptions are the doctor's responsibility and, as the risk outweighs the benefit, I don't prescribe it.”
Most doctors oppose any protocols for the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, but some physicians continue to believe and have pressured local authorities to permit its use, said João Gabbardo, the former No. 2 official at Brazil's health ministry.
“This issue has been framed in a very polarizing, politicized manner," said Gabbardo, who is now executive coordinator of Sao Paulo’s COVID-19 contingency center. "We are moving away from the discussion of science, of scientific evidence, toward a discussion of political positions.”
Bolsonaro's supporters and aides have amplified his message. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president's son and a federal lawmaker, said his father will beat the disease because he is taking the anti-malarial drug.
"Treatment with chloroquine is rather effective at the start of the illness (and should be available for any Brazilian who needs it),” the younger Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter, without distinguishing between the two types of the drug.
Margareth Dalcolmo, a clinical researcher and prominent respiratory medicine professor at the state-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, said she has no objection to Bolsonaro and his doctor agreeing on hydroxychloroquine treatment. The problem, she said, is broadcasting that information to an impressionable public that, if he recovers, will believe a potentially dangerous drug was responsible.
Dalcolmo treats patients and contracted COVID-19 herself. Before she bounced back, some friends asked if she would authorize administration of either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were she unable to grant consent.
“Over my dead body, dear,” she said. “I said if I’m in a coma, intubated, none of you are authorized to put me on chloroquine. I would never authorize its use on me. And I haven’t used it on my dozens of patients.”
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-10--Lebanon’s neo-liberal wheels sped to a dream future, but the past applies the brakes

For decades , Lebanon was a poster child of the triumph of private enterprise , its failure to close its civil war chapter overlooked in the hopes that prosperity would overcome the weakness of the state .
But now that the current economic crisis has ripped the neo-liberal band-aid , can the Lebanese confront the wounds of the past ?
The trains in Lebanon are an unfortunate metaphor for the state .
They ’ re going nowhere .
In fact , they haven ’ t budged since the national rail system ground to a halt during the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public memory , an object of yearning and a testimony to the limitations of private enterprise .
Artists put up shows offering sepia-tinted nostalgia of a heritage service .
Newspapers feature profiles of “ Lebanon ’ s last living train driver ” .
NGOs raise awareness , via songs and video clips , hoping it will lay the groundwork for a modern railway system linking cities as they did under Ottoman and colonial rule .
The wheels of the dream however are stuck , like the country ’ s trains going rusty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , Lebanon has a Public Transport and Railway Administration – or Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Common ( OCFTC ) in French .
The department is staffed by civil servants and has a budget of more than $ 8 million a year .
But the OCFTC ’ s only transportation offering is a fleet of public buses with a grand total of 35 vehicles officially running nine routes nationwide .
In reality , many OCFTC bus drivers never get behind a wheel .
Some confess they haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re afraid of being attacked by the drivers of private minibuses , who dominate Lebanon ’ s public transport sector .
Transport regulation services , meanwhile , range from corrupt to non-existent .
Red registration plates necessary for public transport vehicles are issued by the Transport and Vehicle Management Authority ( TVMA ) under the Interior Ministry .
But they can be bought and sold or simply forged , with the number of red plate vehicles on the streets far exceeding TVMA-issued registrations .
But Lebanon nevertheless kept moving , its estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enterprise , resilience and business acumen – getting where they needed to somehow .
The rich and upper middle classes in their cars maneuvered traffic snarls , the less fortunate hailed minibuses or “ service ” – Lebanon ’ s celebrated shared taxis .
The money also flowed , with Lebanese banks – the historic “ jewel ” of the country ’ s economy ” – offering high interest rates , attracting currency from local and regional depositors as well as the large Lebanese diaspora across the world .
“ Little Lebanon ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an autocratic Arab neighbourhood .
After the civil war , it turned into a neo-liberal dream , the absence of effective state services , it was believed , could be filled by private enterprise , mirroring the post-Soviet zeitgeist of privatisation against the sin of “ bloated ” governments .
International attention instead was focused on Lebanon ’ s precarious political equilibrium in a volatile region .
The Lebanese , it was believed , could manage finance .
But the neo-liberal bubble has burst with deadly consequences .
A spiraling economic crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state and its people into destitution .
The Lebanese pound in recent days fetched more than 9,000 to the greenback on the black market , hyper-inflation has wiped meat off many Lebanese tables – including the army ’ s menu – and the desperation has triggered a spike in suicides .
Four Lebanese killed themselves last week in suicides apparently linked to the economic downturn .
In one case , a 61-year-old man shot himself before a Dunkin ’ Donuts shop in the heart of capital , Beirut .
A suicide note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a popular song , “ I am not a heretic .
But hunger is heresy , ” according to local media reports .
IMF as ‘ defenders of widows and orphans ’ Meanwhile talks between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) for an emergency bailout have stalled over the country ’ s inability to overhaul its entrenched patronage systems .
Two members of Lebanon ’ s negotiating team resigned last month , including one of the main architects of the government ’ s rescue plan .
Alain Bifany , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry , told a news conference he “ refused to be part of , or witness to , what is being done ” .
A blame game has since dominated the Lebanese airwaves .
But it hasn ’ t changed the facts on the ground .
The collapse of talks was not due to differences between Lebanon and the IMF , the two negotiating parties .
It was sparked by infighting within the Lebanese team , pitting civil servants against bankers and politicians over the extent of losses accrued by the banks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government ’ s assessment of central bank losses of around $ 50 billion – equivalent to more than 90 percent of Lebanon ’ s 2019 total economic output – was rejected by the central bank governor and some parliamentarians who maintained the amount was lower , according to the Financial Times .
The IMF is more in line with Lebanese civil service figures , estimating losses of over $ 90 billion .
The collapse of IMF talks “ is really disappointing .
Basically , there is no plan B and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign currency which could offer a respite to the economy , ” said Karim Emile Bitar , senior fellow at the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs ( IRIS ) and director of the Institute for Political Science at St. Joseph University , Beirut .
While IMF bailouts , with the accompanying austerity and belt-tightening measures , tend to be unpopular across the world , the reverse is true in Lebanon , Bitar explained .
“ The irony in Lebanon is that there ’ s such a degree of egregious corruption , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended up being seen as defending the widows and orphans , ” said Bitar in a phone interview with FRANCE 24 from Beirut .
“ This is one of the very few cases when the IMF is seen on the side of social justice against political elites in cahoots with private interests , banks and big depositors – the few who have over $ 10 million each [ in bank deposits ] and don ’ t want to contribute to a fair solution.
” The IMF bailout of around $ 5 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time defaulted on its sovereign debt – would pave the way for contributions from France , the EU , and Gulf states keen to rescue the country , but wary of pouring money into the morass .
But overhauling Lebanon ’ s entrenched patronage systems has proved to be easier said than done .
“ You would not think this would be difficult , ” a senior European diplomat told the Guardian .
“ We have been begging them to behave like a normal state , and they are acting like they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national carpet though is a structurally threadbare tapestry of sectarian divides that has been historically managed – more often mismanaged – by feudal lords , warlords and their families and friends .
The carpet is ripped in times of war , but when the conflict ends – with an invariable division of spoils – the fabric of the nation is rarely strengthened .
The country ’ s once warring elites and weary populace instead place their hopes on the magic of the market and the memory of the last bloodbath as a deterrent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the current crisis lie in the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war and the country ’ s failure to effectively close that historical chapter by addressing existential issues .
The lessons of the past are important not just for Lebanon , but also for other countries in the region , such as Syria and Iraq , grappling with sectarianism and strife .
Lebanon ’ s brutal civil war between internecine sectarian groups backed by regional powers ended with the Taif Accord .
The agreement reached in the mountainous Saudi city of Taif ended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peace .
Instead of abolishing colonial era divide-and-rule policies , imperative for newly independent democracies , the parties merely updated the confessional equation .
Post-conflict justice and reconciliation was avoided in favour of national amnesia , encapsulated by the dictum “ la ghalib , wa la maghloub ” ( no victors , no vanquished ) .
The old system of zaims , or feudal overlords , providing protection and services in exchange for patronage survived with a few nomenclature tweaks : warlords became politicians , their funding sources switched to international business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and profiteering proceeded at usual unregulated levels .
The postwar healing focused on obliterating the visual signs of the conflict , particularly in Beirut with its bombed out buildings and pockmarked concrete carcasses .
But the national reconstruction , which was essentially a construction boom , soon became a symbol of the ailments infecting the state .
The country ’ s first postwar prime minister , Rafik Hariri , led a reconstruction that set the bar for politico-business enrichment .
A businessman tycoon with close Saudi ties and dual citizenship , Hariri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint stock company that snagged most of his government ’ s reconstruction projects .
Hariri also owned Lebanon ’ s largest private construction company , whose director was appointed the head of the Council for Development and Reconstruction , leading an architect to explain to the Washington Post that “ the agency that the government used to control private development has now reversed its role.
” The fact that Hariri was not a warlord and had the drive and pockets to rebuild his country made him a popular figure in Lebanon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called “ Mr .
Lebanon ” – but it was tolerated as the price of Lebanon ’ s “ reentry in the world ” as the businessman-prime minister repeatedly proclaimed .
Critics of his rebuilding – particularly architects and heritage groups bemoaning the demolition of historic sites – were brushed aside .
Downtown Beirut turned into a glitzy giant shopping mall financed by debt on the detritus of Lebanon ’ s past , a perfect symbol of the reemerging nation .
“ We were sold a myth , that many had an interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need for a strong state , Lebanese resilience would always come on top .
Today , those truly resilient are the oligarchs , ruling class and corrupt elites while average citizens are no longer capable of making ends meet , ” said Bitar .
The construction and reconstruction boom was financed by borrowing , increasing the country ’ s debt-to-GDP ratio to recent peaks of nearly 150 percent , putting Lebanon in the world ’ s top three most-indebted countries .
Interest payments , meanwhile , covered more than a third of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banks , which own most of the debt , happen to be controlled by politicians and their families and friends who are sinking Lebanon .
The “ Mr .
Lebanon ” template for the state could be negotiated , with wry humour , by the affluent and upper middle classes .
But it was never amusing for the less fortunate , who were driven to their communities – Hezbollah for the Shiites , modern day zaim-politicians for others – to survive .
This entailed non-state patronage networks that often exploited the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of several departments staffed by salaried cadres who secured jobs by wasta ( influence ) but did precious little .
The system , at the very least , managed to prop a middle-class .
But the current crisis has pulled the rug on that .
“ The country had a solid middle class .
Today , the middle class has all but vanished .
Many are thinking of leaving the country , ” said Bitar .
The Lebanese , acutely aware of the brewing problem , have been trying to do something about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 “ You Stink ” protest campaign against the garbage collection problem .
In the 2018 parliamentary elections , a record number of civil society figures , under an umbrella coalition called Kuluna Watani , stood for the long-delayed polls .
But while that fired up hopes on the campaign trail , it did little to change the post-election power dynamic since electoral rules ensured the survival of the old guard .
Anti-government protests once again broke out in October , with demonstrators demanding an end to the system .
They got , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Saad Hariri ’ s resignation , but nothing changed .
Ministry posts are still doled out on patronage terms , the trains are still stuck .
The only silver lining of the current crisis is that this time it ’ s so serious , the Lebanese will not be hoodwinked by a bailout band-aid on the national wound .
“ There must be a rejection of the old clientelist system .
Many aspire to a new Lebanon based on citizenship rather than community affiliations , ” said Bitar .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go begging to sectarian leaders begging for jobs , asking for money for medicine .
Today , Lebanon needs a new social contract .
”

For decades, Lebanon was a poster child of the triumph of private enterprise, its failure to close its civil war chapter overlooked in the hopes that prosperity would overcome the weakness of the state. But now that the current economic crisis has ripped the neo-liberal band-aid, can the Lebanese confront the wounds of the past?
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The trains in Lebanon are an unfortunate metaphor for the state. They’re going nowhere. In fact, they haven’t budged since the national rail system ground to a halt during the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war.
But they live in the public memory, an object of yearning and a testimony to the limitations of private enterprise. Artists put up shows offering sepia-tinted nostalgia of a heritage service. Newspapers feature profiles of “Lebanon’s last living train driver”. NGOs raise awareness, via songs and video clips, hoping it will lay the groundwork for a modern railway system linking cities as they did under Ottoman and colonial rule.
The wheels of the dream however are stuck, like the country’s trains going rusty in yards roamed by packs of wild dogs.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has a Public Transport and Railway Administration – or Office des Chemins de Fer et des Transports en Common (OCFTC) in French. The department is staffed by civil servants and has a budget of more than $8 million a year.
But the OCFTC’s only transportation offering is a fleet of public buses with a grand total of 35 vehicles officially running nine routes nationwide. In reality, many OCFTC bus drivers never get behind a wheel. Some confess they haven’t driven for years because they’re afraid of being attacked by the drivers of private minibuses, who dominate Lebanon’s public transport sector.
Transport regulation services, meanwhile, range from corrupt to non-existent. Red registration plates necessary for public transport vehicles are issued by the Transport and Vehicle Management Authority (TVMA) under the Interior Ministry. But they can be bought and sold or simply forged, with the number of red plate vehicles on the streets far exceeding TVMA-issued registrations.
But Lebanon nevertheless kept moving, its estimated 4 million citizens – famed for their enterprise, resilience and business acumen – getting where they needed to somehow. The rich and upper middle classes in their cars maneuvered traffic snarls, the less fortunate hailed minibuses or “service” – Lebanon’s celebrated shared taxis.
The money also flowed, with Lebanese banks – the historic “jewel” of the country’s economy” – offering high interest rates, attracting currency from local and regional depositors as well as the large Lebanese diaspora across the world.
“Little Lebanon” has long been the hailed liberal island in an autocratic Arab neighbourhood. After the civil war, it turned into a neo-liberal dream, the absence of effective state services, it was believed, could be filled by private enterprise, mirroring the post-Soviet zeitgeist of privatisation against the sin of “bloated” governments. International attention instead was focused on Lebanon’s precarious political equilibrium in a volatile region. The Lebanese, it was believed, could manage finance.
But the neo-liberal bubble has burst with deadly consequences. A spiraling economic crisis driven by a currency collapse is driving the state and its people into destitution. The Lebanese pound in recent days fetched more than 9,000 to the greenback on the black market, hyper-inflation has wiped meat off many Lebanese tables – including the army’s menu – and the desperation has triggered a spike in suicides.
Four Lebanese killed themselves last week in suicides apparently linked to the economic downturn.
In one case, a 61-year-old man shot himself before a Dunkin’ Donuts shop in the heart of capital, Beirut. A suicide note on his chest quoted a line from a popular song, “I am not a heretic. But hunger is heresy,” according to local media reports.
IMF as ‘defenders of widows and orphans’
Meanwhile talks between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an emergency bailout have stalled over the country’s inability to overhaul its entrenched patronage systems.
Two members of Lebanon’s negotiating team resigned last month, including one of the main architects of the government’s rescue plan. Alain Bifany, the top civil servant in the Lebanese finance ministry, told a news conference he “refused to be part of, or witness to, what is being done”.
A blame game has since dominated the Lebanese airwaves. But it hasn’t changed the facts on the ground. The collapse of talks was not due to differences between Lebanon and the IMF, the two negotiating parties. It was sparked by infighting within the Lebanese team, pitting civil servants against bankers and politicians over the extent of losses accrued by the banks, particularly Lebanon’s central bank.
The government’s assessment of central bank losses of around $50 billion – equivalent to more than 90 percent of Lebanon’s 2019 total economic output – was rejected by the central bank governor and some parliamentarians who maintained the amount was lower, according to the Financial Times. The IMF is more in line with Lebanese civil service figures, estimating losses of over $90 billion.
The collapse of IMF talks “is really disappointing. Basically, there is no plan B and it was the last hope to inject badly needed foreign currency which could offer a respite to the economy,” said Karim Emile Bitar, senior fellow at the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) and director of the Institute for Political Science at St. Joseph University, Beirut.
While IMF bailouts, with the accompanying austerity and belt-tightening measures, tend to be unpopular across the world, the reverse is true in Lebanon, Bitar explained.
“The irony in Lebanon is that there’s such a degree of egregious corruption, political clientelism and kleptocracy that the IMF ended up being seen as defending the widows and orphans,” said Bitar in a phone interview with FRANCE 24 from Beirut. “This is one of the very few cases when the IMF is seen on the side of social justice against political elites in cahoots with private interests, banks and big depositors – the few who have over $10 million each [in bank deposits] and don’t want to contribute to a fair solution.”
The IMF bailout of around $5 billion in aid – after Lebanon for the first time defaulted on its sovereign debt – would pave the way for contributions from France, the EU, and Gulf states keen to rescue the country, but wary of pouring money into the morass.
But overhauling Lebanon’s entrenched patronage systems has proved to be easier said than done. “You would not think this would be difficult,” a senior European diplomat told the Guardian. “We have been begging them to behave like a normal state, and they are acting like they are selling us a carpet.”
Beautiful, but threadbare national carpet
The Lebanese national carpet though is a structurally threadbare tapestry of sectarian divides that has been historically managed – more often mismanaged – by feudal lords, warlords and their families and friends.
The carpet is ripped in times of war, but when the conflict ends – with an invariable division of spoils – the fabric of the nation is rarely strengthened. The country’s once warring elites and weary populace instead place their hopes on the magic of the market and the memory of the last bloodbath as a deterrent against future man-made disasters.
The roots of the current crisis lie in the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war and the country’s failure to effectively close that historical chapter by addressing existential issues. The lessons of the past are important not just for Lebanon, but also for other countries in the region, such as Syria and Iraq, grappling with sectarianism and strife.
Lebanon’s brutal civil war between internecine sectarian groups backed by regional powers ended with the Taif Accord. The agreement reached in the mountainous Saudi city of Taif ended the fighting, but failed to effectively secure the peace. Instead of abolishing colonial era divide-and-rule policies, imperative for newly independent democracies, the parties merely updated the confessional equation.
Post-conflict justice and reconciliation was avoided in favour of national amnesia, encapsulated by the dictum “la ghalib, wa la maghloub” (no victors, no vanquished). The old system of zaims, or feudal overlords, providing protection and services in exchange for patronage survived with a few nomenclature tweaks: warlords became politicians, their funding sources switched to international business and finance, territories turned into ministries, and profiteering proceeded at usual unregulated levels.
>> Read more: Lebanon’s modern zaims, or feudal lords-turned-candidates
‘Mr Lebanon’ rebuilds corruption
The postwar healing focused on obliterating the visual signs of the conflict, particularly in Beirut with its bombed out buildings and pockmarked concrete carcasses.
But the national reconstruction, which was essentially a construction boom, soon became a symbol of the ailments infecting the state.
The country’s first postwar prime minister, Rafik Hariri, led a reconstruction that set the bar for politico-business enrichment. A businessman tycoon with close Saudi ties and dual citizenship, Hariri was the largest stakeholder in Solidere, a joint stock company that snagged most of his government’s reconstruction projects. Hariri also owned Lebanon’s largest private construction company, whose director was appointed the head of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, leading an architect to explain to the Washington Post that “the agency that the government used to control private development has now reversed its role.”
The fact that Hariri was not a warlord and had the drive and pockets to rebuild his country made him a popular figure in Lebanon. The corruption was evident – Hariri was called “Mr. Lebanon” – but it was tolerated as the price of Lebanon’s “reentry in the world” as the businessman-prime minister repeatedly proclaimed.
Critics of his rebuilding – particularly architects and heritage groups bemoaning the demolition of historic sites – were brushed aside. Downtown Beirut turned into a glitzy giant shopping mall financed by debt on the detritus of Lebanon’s past, a perfect symbol of the reemerging nation.
File photo from May 2001 shows construction in downtown Beirut. AFP - RAMZI HAIDAR
“We were sold a myth, that many had an interest in telling, that there was no need for a strong state, Lebanese resilience would always come on top. Today, those truly resilient are the oligarchs, ruling class and corrupt elites while average citizens are no longer capable of making ends meet,” said Bitar.
The construction and reconstruction boom was financed by borrowing, increasing the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to recent peaks of nearly 150 percent, putting Lebanon in the world’s top three most-indebted countries. Interest payments, meanwhile, covered more than a third of the government’s annual spending.
But the banks, which own most of the debt, happen to be controlled by politicians and their families and friends who are sinking Lebanon.
Toward a zaim-less state
The “Mr. Lebanon” template for the state could be negotiated, with wry humour, by the affluent and upper middle classes. But it was never amusing for the less fortunate, who were driven to their communities – Hezbollah for the Shiites, modern day zaim-politicians for others – to survive. This entailed non-state patronage networks that often exploited the state.
The defunct railways was just one of several departments staffed by salaried cadres who secured jobs by wasta (influence) but did precious little. The system, at the very least, managed to prop a middle-class. But the current crisis has pulled the rug on that. “The country had a solid middle class. Today, the middle class has all but vanished. Many are thinking of leaving the country,” said Bitar.
The Lebanese, acutely aware of the brewing problem, have been trying to do something about it. Grassroots movements have included the 2015 “You Stink” protest campaign against the garbage collection problem. In the 2018 parliamentary elections, a record number of civil society figures, under an umbrella coalition called Kuluna Watani, stood for the long-delayed polls. But while that fired up hopes on the campaign trail, it did little to change the post-election power dynamic since electoral rules ensured the survival of the old guard.
Anti-government protests once again broke out in October, with demonstrators demanding an end to the system. They got, instead, a change of government with Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation, but nothing changed. Ministry posts are still doled out on patronage terms, the trains are still stuck.
The only silver lining of the current crisis is that this time it’s so serious, the Lebanese will not be hoodwinked by a bailout band-aid on the national wound.
“There must be a rejection of the old clientelist system. Many aspire to a new Lebanon based on citizenship rather than community affiliations,” said Bitar. “They want rights from the state without having to go begging to sectarian leaders begging for jobs, asking for money for medicine. Today, Lebanon needs a new social contract.”
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france24--2020-07-10--PSG to face Italy's Atalanta in Champions League quarter-finals

The Champions League trophy , the most coveted prize in European club football .
Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against this season 's surprise package Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals , while Lyon will take on either Real Madrid or Manchester City if they can first overcome Juventus in their delayed last-16 tie .
Four quarter-finalists were confirmed on Friday in a draw made confusing by the Covid-19 pandemic that suspended European club football 's top tournament in March .
In the remaining fixtures , Atletico Madrid will face Germany 's RB Leipzig , while the winners of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Chelsea .
The final stages of the Champions League , from the quarter-finals onwards , will be played as a mini-tournament in Portugal .
All those matches will be over one leg .
Though short of big names , Atalanta have produced some of the most entertaining football in Europe this year and will present a stern challenge for star-studded PSG , who are still chasing their first Champions League semi-final .
Whoever emerges on top will go on the face the winner of the Leipzig-Atletico Madrid clash in the semis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of a Clasico semi-final , with Barcelona and Real Madrid on collision course to meet in the last four should they both make it that far .
On Thursday , UEFA said the four rounds of 16 second-leg ties postponed because of Covid-19 will be played next month in the stadiums of the home teams —provided travelling is possible without restrictions .
The matches still to be completed will be played on Aug 7-8 .
City lead Real 2-1 , Bayern are 3-0 up against Chelsea , Juve trail Lyon 1-0 while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
UEFA said the decision on the fixture arrangements was `` consistent with the principle of sporting fairness '' and took into account the fact that all four home teams are currently playing domestic matches in their own stadiums .
However , UEFA added that it would monitor the situation and move matches to Portugal if `` new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues . ''

Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn against this season's surprise package Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Lyon will take on either Real Madrid or Manchester City if they can first overcome Juventus in their delayed last-16 tie.
The Champions League trophy, the most coveted prize in European club football.
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Four quarter-finalists were confirmed on Friday in a draw made confusing by the Covid-19 pandemic that suspended European club football's top tournament in March.
In the remaining fixtures, Atletico Madrid will face Germany's RB Leipzig, while the winners of the Napoli-Barcelona tie will face either Bayern Munich or Chelsea.
The final stages of the Champions League, from the quarter-finals onwards, will be played as a mini-tournament in Portugal. All those matches will be over one leg.
The UEFA Champions League draw is complete! 🙌
Who will lift the trophy next month? 🏆🤔#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/h7hYwKWw2K — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 10, 2020
Though short of big names, Atalanta have produced some of the most entertaining football in Europe this year and will present a stern challenge for star-studded PSG, who are still chasing their first Champions League semi-final.
Whoever emerges on top will go on the face the winner of the Leipzig-Atletico Madrid clash in the semis.
Friday's draw also threw up the possibility of a Clasico semi-final, with Barcelona and Real Madrid on collision course to meet in the last four should they both make it that far.
On Thursday, UEFA said the four rounds of 16 second-leg ties postponed because of Covid-19 will be played next month in the stadiums of the home teams —provided travelling is possible without restrictions.
The matches still to be completed will be played on Aug 7-8. City lead Real 2-1, Bayern are 3-0 up against Chelsea, Juve trail Lyon 1-0 while Barcelona and Napoli are level at 1-1.
UEFA said the decision on the fixture arrangements was "consistent with the principle of sporting fairness" and took into account the fact that all four home teams are currently playing domestic matches in their own stadiums.
However, UEFA added that it would monitor the situation and move matches to Portugal if "new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues."
PSG have two cup finals and the Champions League still to play 🏆
But some of their key players have already left 👋
And Thomas Tuchel isn't happy about it 😡 pic.twitter.com/zfoUnnpj1N — Goal (@goal) June 27, 2020
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france24--2020-07-10--China vows to hit US with 'reciprocal measures' after Xinjiang sanctions

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Kazakh citizens who say their family members have been detained in Xinjiang , China , during a visit to Nur-Sultan in February 2020 .
China said Friday it will impose tit-for-tat measures on US institutions and individuals who `` behave badly '' on Xinjiang-related issues after Washington slapped sanctions on Chinese officials over a crackdown on Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in the region .
The Chinese response came after the US announced visa bans and an assets freeze on three officials , including Chen Quanquo , the Chinese Communist Party chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardline policies against restive minorities .
`` The US actions seriously interfere in China 's internal affairs , seriously violate the basic norms of international relations , and seriously damage China-US relations , '' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a briefing .
`` In response to the wrong actions of the US , China has decided to impose reciprocal measures against the relevant US institutions and individuals who behave badly on Xinjiang-related issues , '' Zhao said without providing details about the sanctions .
Witnesses and human rights groups say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang in a vast brainwashing campaign aimed at forcibly homogenising minorities into the country 's Han majority .
China counters that the facilities are benign vocational education centres where `` students '' learn Mandarin and job skills in an effort to eradicate extremism following a spate of deadly violence .
The US sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act , which allows Washington to target human rights violators worldwide by freezing any US assets , banning US travel and prohibiting Americans from doing business with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of criticism of China over its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak and its tightening grip on Hong Kong .
A senior US administration official who briefed reporters after the sanctions were announced described Chen as the highest ranking Chinese official ever sanctioned by Washington .
The blacklisting is `` no joke , '' he said .
`` Not only in terms of symbolic and reputational affect , but it does have real meaning on a person 's ability to move around the world and conduct business . ''
Sanctions were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy party secretary and current deputy secretary of regional legislative body the Xinjiang 's People 's Congress ; Wang Mingshan , the director and Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau ; and former party secretary of the bureau Huo Liujun .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was also barring Chen , Zhu , Wang and their immediate families , as well as other unnamed Chinese Communist Party officials , from traveling to the United States .

China said Friday it will impose tit-for-tat measures on US institutions and individuals who "behave badly" on Xinjiang-related issues after Washington slapped sanctions on Chinese officials over a crackdown on Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in the region.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Kazakh citizens who say their family members have been detained in Xinjiang, China, during a visit to Nur-Sultan in February 2020.
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The Chinese response came after the US announced visa bans and an assets freeze on three officials, including Chen Quanquo, the Chinese Communist Party chief in Xinjiang and architect of Beijing's hardline policies against restive minorities.
"The US actions seriously interfere in China's internal affairs, seriously violate the basic norms of international relations, and seriously damage China-US relations," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a briefing.
"In response to the wrong actions of the US, China has decided to impose reciprocal measures against the relevant US institutions and individuals who behave badly on Xinjiang-related issues," Zhao said without providing details about the sanctions.
Witnesses and human rights groups say that China has rounded up more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang in a vast brainwashing campaign aimed at forcibly homogenising minorities into the country's Han majority.
China counters that the facilities are benign vocational education centres where "students" learn Mandarin and job skills in an effort to eradicate extremism following a spate of deadly violence.
The US sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows Washington to target human rights violators worldwide by freezing any US assets, banning US travel and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them.
Sanctions 'no joke'
The highly anticipated action followed months of criticism of China over its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak and its tightening grip on Hong Kong.
A senior US administration official who briefed reporters after the sanctions were announced described Chen as the highest ranking Chinese official ever sanctioned by Washington.
The blacklisting is "no joke," he said. "Not only in terms of symbolic and reputational affect, but it does have real meaning on a person's ability to move around the world and conduct business."
Sanctions were also imposed on Zhu Hailun, a former deputy party secretary and current deputy secretary of regional legislative body the Xinjiang's People's Congress; Wang Mingshan, the director and Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau; and former party secretary of the bureau Huo Liujun.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was also barring Chen, Zhu, Wang and their immediate families, as well as other unnamed Chinese Communist Party officials, from traveling to the United States.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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