france24--2020-06-02--Iranian scientist acquitted in US trade secrets case deported, Tehran says

According to US Homeland Security , the country had attempted to deport Asgari several times during the spring of 2020 , but the flights had all been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
An Iranian scientist imprisoned in the U.S. after being acquitted in a federal trade secrets case is on his way back to Iran after being deported , the country ’ s foreign minister said Tuesday .
Sirous Asgari was in the air on a flight back to Iran , Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post .
“ Congratulations to his wife and his esteemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no immediate word on Iranian state-run media about the flight .
Asgari , a professor at Iran ’ s Sharif University of Technology , had been indicted in April 2016 , accused by federal prosecutors of trying to steal secret research from Case Western Reserve University .
The Cleveland school had been working on a project for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research to create and produce anti-corrosive stainless steel .
Asgari ultimately was acquitted in November after U.S. District Judge James Gwin tossed the case by prosecutors .
Ken Cuccinelli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , earlier told the Associated Press that the DHS had started to try to deport Asgari on Dec. 12 after his acquittal .
However , he said , Iran refused to recognize him as legitimately Iranian and provide him with a validated passport until late February .
Once Asgari received the passport , DHS made several attempts to fly him back to Iran , purchasing tickets for flights on March 10 , March 18 , March 23 , April 1 and May 1 , according to Cuccinelli .
Each of those flights was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Asgari ’ s supporters told The Guardian newspaper in April he had contracted the coronavirus while imprisoned .
He had been held at Louisiana ’ s Winn Correctional Center by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before his deportation , they said .
Iran ’ s deputy education minister , Hossein Salar Amoli , recently said Asgari had recovered from the virus and would be able to travel , the state-run IRNA news agency reported .
Iranian officials had associated Asgari ’ s release with U.S. prisoners held in Iran potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iranian officials in recent days had been saying they believed Asgari soon would return to Iran .
Among the U.S. citizens held in Iran is U.S. Navy veteran Michael White , of Imperial Beach , California .
White was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran .
He was convicted of insulting Iran ’ s supreme leader and posting private information online .
He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in the country in the care of the Swiss Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s interests in Iran .
White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran , which was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the spreading coronavirus .
In December , Iran released a Princeton University scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist .
In March , the family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson , who vanished in Iran 13 years ago on an unauthorized CIA mission , said they had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined that Levinson was probably dead .
They have not elaborated on how they made that determination .
Westerners and Iranian dual nationals with ties to the West often find themselves tried and convicted in closed-door trials in Iran , only later to be used as bargaining chips in negotiations .
The release comes as the U.S. under President Donald Trump continues a maximum-pressure campaign targeting Iran after unilaterally withdrawing from Tehran ’ s nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018 .
In the time since , the two countries have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. drone strike killing an Iranian general in Baghdad and an Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting American troops in Iraq .

An Iranian scientist imprisoned in the U.S. after being acquitted in a federal trade secrets case is on his way back to Iran after being deported, the country’s foreign minister said Tuesday.
According to US Homeland Security, the country had attempted to deport Asgari several times during the spring of 2020, but the flights had all been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Sirous Asgari was in the air on a flight back to Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post.
“Congratulations to his wife and his esteemed family,” Zarif wrote.
There was no immediate word on Iranian state-run media about the flight.
Asgari, a professor at Iran’s Sharif University of Technology, had been indicted in April 2016, accused by federal prosecutors of trying to steal secret research from Case Western Reserve University. The Cleveland school had been working on a project for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research to create and produce anti-corrosive stainless steel.
Asgari ultimately was acquitted in November after U.S. District Judge James Gwin tossed the case by prosecutors.
Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, earlier told the Associated Press that the DHS had started to try to deport Asgari on Dec. 12 after his acquittal. However, he said, Iran refused to recognize him as legitimately Iranian and provide him with a validated passport until late February.
Once Asgari received the passport, DHS made several attempts to fly him back to Iran, purchasing tickets for flights on March 10, March 18, March 23, April 1 and May 1, according to Cuccinelli. Each of those flights was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
Asgari’s supporters told The Guardian newspaper in April he had contracted the coronavirus while imprisoned. He had been held at Louisiana’s Winn Correctional Center by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before his deportation, they said.
Iran’s deputy education minister, Hossein Salar Amoli, recently said Asgari had recovered from the virus and would be able to travel, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Iranian officials had associated Asgari’s release with U.S. prisoners held in Iran potentially being freed, something Cuccinelli strongly disputed. Iranian officials in recent days had been saying they believed Asgari soon would return to Iran.
Among the U.S. citizens held in Iran is U.S. Navy veteran Michael White, of Imperial Beach, California. White was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran. He was convicted of insulting Iran’s supreme leader and posting private information online.
He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in the country in the care of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents America’s interests in Iran. White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran, which was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the spreading coronavirus.
In December, Iran released a Princeton University scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist.
In March, the family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran 13 years ago on an unauthorized CIA mission, said they had been informed by U.S. officials that they had determined that Levinson was probably dead. They have not elaborated on how they made that determination.
Westerners and Iranian dual nationals with ties to the West often find themselves tried and convicted in closed-door trials in Iran, only later to be used as bargaining chips in negotiations.
The release comes as the U.S. under President Donald Trump continues a maximum-pressure campaign targeting Iran after unilaterally withdrawing from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. In the time since, the two countries have seen a series of escalating incidents, including the U.S. drone strike killing an Iranian general in Baghdad and an Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting American troops in Iraq.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-02--Yemen pledging drive seeks $2.4 billion to save aid operations as coronavirus spreads

Aid organisations have warned that a coronavirus outbreak in impoverished Yemen could have dire consequences after six years of civil war in the Arabian Peninsula country .
The United Nations and Saudi Arabia host a pledging conference for war-ravaged Yemen on Tuesday to help raise some $ 2.4 billion as funding shortages imperil the world 's biggest aid operation .
The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group has left 80 % of Yemen 's population reliant on aid .
The country now faces the spread of the novel coronavirus among an acutely malnourished people .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation will be facing catastrophic cutbacks , '' Lise Grande , U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen , told Reuters just days prior to the conference .
`` We wo n't be able to provide the food people need to survive , or the health care they need or the water or sanitation or the nutrition support which helps to keep 2 million malnourished children from dying , '' she said .
The U.N.-coordinated humanitarian plan received $ 3.2 billion last year , but so far in 2020 has only secured $ 474 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , adding that most agencies are weeks away from being broke .
Lowcock , asked about Saudi Arabia co-hosting the event , said Riyadh was a large donor and the U.N. would continue to call out warring parties on actions `` they should not be doing '' .
Saudi Arabia has already pledged $ 525 million .
The United States said last month it would extend $ 225 million in emergency aid for food .
Some $ 180 million of required funding is needed to combat coronavirus in a country with shattered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Yemen is at a precipice .
All indications point to COVID19 spreading fast and wide across the country , overwhelming the health system , '' pledge organisers said in a statement on Tuesday .
Yemen has been mired in violence since the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital , Sanaa , in late 2014 , prompting the coalition to intervene a few months later .
Donors had cut funding to Houthi-held areas over concerns the group is hindering aid delivery , a charge it denies .
Grande said several issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including waiving a 2 % tax on aid operations , allowing needs assessments and providing the World Food Programme with approval to start a pilot on a biometric registration and verification system .

The United Nations and Saudi Arabia host a pledging conference for war-ravaged Yemen on Tuesday to help raise some $2.4 billion as funding shortages imperil the world's biggest aid operation.
Aid organisations have warned that a coronavirus outbreak in impoverished Yemen could have dire consequences after six years of civil war in the Arabian Peninsula country.
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The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group has left 80% of Yemen's population reliant on aid. The country now faces the spread of the novel coronavirus among an acutely malnourished people.
"Anything below $1.6 billion and the operation will be facing catastrophic cutbacks," Lise Grande, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, told Reuters just days prior to the conference.
"We won't be able to provide the food people need to survive, or the health care they need or the water or sanitation or the nutrition support which helps to keep 2 million malnourished children from dying," she said.
The U.N.-coordinated humanitarian plan received $3.2 billion last year, but so far in 2020 has only secured $474 million, aid chief Mark Lowcock said on Thursday, adding that most agencies are weeks away from being broke.
A staggering 80% of the population of Yemen requires some form of humanitarian aid and protection. Find out more about the country's humanitarian crisis and the impact of #COVID19 at the upcoming pledging event for #Yemen today at 9:00 AM EDT @UNWebTV: https://t.co/bVM0XQj7Js pic.twitter.com/9Qjrh5OaCW — Dr David Nabarro (@davidnabarro) June 2, 2020
Lowcock, asked about Saudi Arabia co-hosting the event, said Riyadh was a large donor and the U.N. would continue to call out warring parties on actions "they should not be doing".
Saudi Arabia has already pledged $525 million. The United States said last month it would extend $225 million in emergency aid for food.
Some $180 million of required funding is needed to combat coronavirus in a country with shattered health systems and inadequate testing capabilities.
"Yemen is at a precipice. All indications point to COVID19 spreading fast and wide across the country, overwhelming the health system," pledge organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.
Yemen has been mired in violence since the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, prompting the coalition to intervene a few months later.
Donors had cut funding to Houthi-held areas over concerns the group is hindering aid delivery, a charge it denies.
Grande said several issues had now been addressed by Houthi authorities, including waiving a 2% tax on aid operations, allowing needs assessments and providing the World Food Programme with approval to start a pilot on a biometric registration and verification system.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-02--Hong Kong leader accuses US of 'double standards' over protest response

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a news conference over the new national security legislation in Hong Kong , China , June 2 , 2020 .
Hong Kong 's leader accused the United States on Tuesday of applying `` double standards '' in its response to violent protests as she warned Washington 's plan to place trade restrictions on the financial hub would `` only hurt themselves '' .
Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been rocked by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy over the past year , which riot police have stamped out with more than 9,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong 's response to the protests with US President Donald Trump last week vowing to end the city 's special trading status after Beijing announced plans to impose a sweeping national security law on the business hub .
On Tuesday , Hong Kong 's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said such a move would be self-defeating as she took aim at the Trump administration for its own response to violent racial justice protests sweeping the United States .
`` We have seen most clearly in recent weeks the double standards that are around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as city leader by a pro-Beijing committee , told reporters .
`` You know there are riots in the United States and we see how local governments reacted .
And then in Hong Kong , when we had similar riots , we saw what position they adopted then . ''
Both Chinese and Hong Kong officials have seized on the unrest gripping the United States in their propaganda drive to justify their own crackdown on pro-democracy protests and the national security law plans .
Last week , China 's rubber-stamp parliament approved the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secession , subversion of state power , terrorism and acts that endanger national security -- as well as allow Chinese security agencies to operate openly in Hong Kong .
Beijing says the anti-subversion law -- which will bypass Hong Kong 's legislature -- is needed to tackle `` terrorism '' and `` separatism '' .
Opponents fear it will bring mainland-style political oppression to a business hub supposedly guaranteed freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its 1997 handover from Britain to China .

Hong Kong's leader accused the United States on Tuesday of applying "double standards" in its response to violent protests as she warned Washington's plan to place trade restrictions on the financial hub would "only hurt themselves".
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a news conference over the new national security legislation in Hong Kong, China, June 2, 2020.
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Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been rocked by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy over the past year, which riot police have stamped out with more than 9,000 arrests.
Washington has been critical of Hong Kong's response to the protests with US President Donald Trump last week vowing to end the city's special trading status after Beijing announced plans to impose a sweeping national security law on the business hub.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said such a move would be self-defeating as she took aim at the Trump administration for its own response to violent racial justice protests sweeping the United States.
"We have seen most clearly in recent weeks the double standards that are around," Lam, who was selected as city leader by a pro-Beijing committee, told reporters.
"You know there are riots in the United States and we see how local governments reacted. And then in Hong Kong, when we had similar riots, we saw what position they adopted then."
Both Chinese and Hong Kong officials have seized on the unrest gripping the United States in their propaganda drive to justify their own crackdown on pro-democracy protests and the national security law plans.
Last week, China's rubber-stamp parliament approved the plans for a law that would punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and acts that endanger national security -- as well as allow Chinese security agencies to operate openly in Hong Kong.
Beijing says the anti-subversion law -- which will bypass Hong Kong's legislature -- is needed to tackle "terrorism" and "separatism".
Opponents fear it will bring mainland-style political oppression to a business hub supposedly guaranteed freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its 1997 handover from Britain to China.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-02--African refugees in Minneapolis join protesters in their adopted homeland

Art and posters at a memorial for George Floyd that has been created at the place where he was taken into police custody and later died in Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA , June 1 , 2020 .
African refugees living in Minneapolis were already struggling with their `` American dream '' when George Floyd died in police custody .
Now their dream is in tatters and they have joined their African American `` brothers '' in the streets to protest racism in their adopted homeland .
`` I came here for freedom .
My country was at war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from South Sudan at age 15 .
`` I end up having two boys , 10 and six , who are afraid because we are not white , '' she said , full of rage .
Leaving her family and her country was hard , as was the journey to get to the United States , but she was determined to pursue her own American dream of peace , equality and democracy .
Now , she realises , `` it 's all a lie .
Now we have to face that reality .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ marching to protest the death at the hands of a white police officer of George Floyd , a 46-year-old African American man whose killing has sparked nationwide protests and clashes with police .
`` I came here as a refugee but not as a white refugee , '' she said .
`` My permanent home is the US and my permanent color is black .
I have to protest . ''
The state of Minnesota , where Minneapolis is located , has the highest percentage of refugees per inhabitant in the whole country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population but 13 percent of its refugees , according to the most recent census .
Among them are a large number of people from the Horn of Africa -- Ethiopians and Somalis -- whose presence in the marches was noticeable because of the colorful robes worn by the women .
Deka Jama , a 24-year-old woman who came to the United States from Somalia in 2007 , showed up with friends , all of them veiled , to protest the discrimination that met them in their new homeland .
`` We thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be judged by religion , by color , by our dresses .
That 's not how we were welcomed , '' she told AFP .
She feels a close affinity to African Americans , many of them descended from slaves and who have been Americans for generations .
There is `` something connects us , '' she said .
`` We are all dehumanized , regardless of our cultural differences .
We have to be here for them . ''
Minnesota 's Somali community has a source of pride , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Mogadishu who was elected to Congress in 2018 .
But she too has been the target of racial abuse , death threats and slander .
Last summer , President Donald Trump said that she and three other women of color in Congress should `` go back '' to their countries of origin .
For the past week , Omar has often been asked to comment on the situation .
She has not held back from telling people that , beyond acts of police violence , Americans have to address the core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` So many people know a social and economic neglect , '' Omar said on Sunday .
According to Minnesota Compass , a website that tracks the state 's demographics , families from Africa are particularly hard hit .
In 2016 , 12 percent of the population of Minnesota was living under the poverty line , but that number rose to 31 percent among the Ethiopian community and 55 percent among Somalis .
That has meant that for many refugees , an important facet of the American dream -- social mobility -- has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots that have followed some protests have not helped their plight , since some of the looted businesses were immigrant-owned .
`` I am very disappointed , very disappointed , '' Ahmed , a 42-year-old who arrived from Ethiopia a decade ago , said as he took in the blackened ruins of a burned building .
For him and many others , the major concern is for their children .
One Ethiopian woman , who asked not to be named , said she has four sons and worries that , when they grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the type of police brutality that took the life of George Floyd .
`` This could happen to our children , '' she said , encouraging protesters marching below on a highway .
You have to support this movement , she said , `` to stop racism , for the future . ''

African refugees living in Minneapolis were already struggling with their "American dream" when George Floyd died in police custody.
Art and posters at a memorial for George Floyd that has been created at the place where he was taken into police custody and later died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 1, 2020.
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Now their dream is in tatters and they have joined their African American "brothers" in the streets to protest racism in their adopted homeland.
"I came here for freedom. My country was at war," said Tiha Jibi, who arrived from South Sudan at age 15.
"I end up having two boys, 10 and six, who are afraid because we are not white," she said, full of rage.
Leaving her family and her country was hard, as was the journey to get to the United States, but she was determined to pursue her own American dream of peace, equality and democracy.
Now, she realises, "it's all a lie. Now we have to face that reality."
That's why she has been marching to protest the death at the hands of a white police officer of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man whose killing has sparked nationwide protests and clashes with police.
"I came here as a refugee but not as a white refugee," she said. "My permanent home is the US and my permanent color is black. I have to protest."
The state of Minnesota, where Minneapolis is located, has the highest percentage of refugees per inhabitant in the whole country, with two percent of the US population but 13 percent of its refugees, according to the most recent census.
Among them are a large number of people from the Horn of Africa -- Ethiopians and Somalis -- whose presence in the marches was noticeable because of the colorful robes worn by the women.
'Dehumanised'
Deka Jama, a 24-year-old woman who came to the United States from Somalia in 2007, showed up with friends, all of them veiled, to protest the discrimination that met them in their new homeland.
"We thought that everyone would be equal, that we would not be judged by religion, by color, by our dresses. That's not how we were welcomed," she told AFP.
She feels a close affinity to African Americans, many of them descended from slaves and who have been Americans for generations.
There is "something connects us," she said. "We are all dehumanized, regardless of our cultural differences. We have to be here for them."
Minnesota's Somali community has a source of pride, though, in Ilhan Omar, a 37-year-old born in Mogadishu who was elected to Congress in 2018.
But she too has been the target of racial abuse, death threats and slander. Last summer, President Donald Trump said that she and three other women of color in Congress should "go back" to their countries of origin.
For the past week, Omar has often been asked to comment on the situation. She has not held back from telling people that, beyond acts of police violence, Americans have to address the core issue of inequality in the country.
Poverty
"So many people know a social and economic neglect," Omar said on Sunday.
According to Minnesota Compass, a website that tracks the state's demographics, families from Africa are particularly hard hit.
In 2016, 12 percent of the population of Minnesota was living under the poverty line, but that number rose to 31 percent among the Ethiopian community and 55 percent among Somalis.
That has meant that for many refugees, an important facet of the American dream -- social mobility -- has broken down over time.
And the riots that have followed some protests have not helped their plight, since some of the looted businesses were immigrant-owned.
"I am very disappointed, very disappointed," Ahmed, a 42-year-old who arrived from Ethiopia a decade ago, said as he took in the blackened ruins of a burned building.
For him and many others, the major concern is for their children.
One Ethiopian woman, who asked not to be named, said she has four sons and worries that, when they grow up, they too could be subjected to the type of police brutality that took the life of George Floyd.
"This could happen to our children," she said, encouraging protesters marching below on a highway.
You have to support this movement, she said, "to stop racism, for the future."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-02--Biden blasts Trump, promises to heal ‘racial wounds’ in Philadelphia address

Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks about President Donald Trump 's response to protests and rioting across the United States during an event at City Hall in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on June 2 , 2020 .
Joe Biden on Tuesday blistered President Donald Trump a day after police drove back peaceful protesters near the White House so Trump could pose with a Bible before a damaged church .
Biden said Trump 's “ narcissism has become more important than the nation that he leads.
” The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee delivered a speech at Philadelphia 's City Hall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd .
Biden said `` the moment has come ” to deal with systemic racism and deeply ingrained economic inequality — and insisted that the nation ca n't wait until November 's election and its outcome .
“ I call on the Congress to act this month , '' Biden said , urging lawmakers to start “ with real police reform '' and citing proposed legislation outlawing choke holds .
But Biden stepped up his criticism of Trump as he works to elevate his voice in the national debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign for the White House being frozen amid the outbreak of the coronavirus .
“ This president today is part of the problem and accelerates it , ” Biden said , adding that Trump is “ consumed with his blinding ego . ''
Biden ’ s criticism comes a day after Trump threatened the nation ’ s governors that he would deploy the military to states if they did not stamp out violent protests over police brutality that have roiled the nation .
Authorities under federal command later forced back peaceful demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president could walk to nearby church St. John ’ s Church and pose briefly with a Bible .
The church had sustained damage during Sunday protests .
Biden noted that “ peaceful protesters ” were dispersed from the “ doorstep of the people ’ s house , the White House ” using tear gas and flash grenades to stage what he called a “ photo op ” publicity stunt .
“ The president held up a Bible , ” Biden added .
“ I just wished he opened it once in awhile instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything right' The 20-plus minute address was covered live by cable networks and Biden used it to declare , `` This job ’ s not about me .
It ’ s about you .
It ’ s about us.
” “ Look , the presidency is a big job .
Nobody will get everything right .
And I won ’ t either , ” Biden said , but promised , `` I won ’ t fan the flames of hate.
” As the former vice president spoke , the National Guard maintained a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia grapples with sustained violent protests .
Several adjacent businesses — banks , convenience stores and hotels were boarded up .
A very small audience , including Mayor Jim Kenney , was on hand .
Biden is trying to create a stark contrast with Trump , who has embraced the language of confrontation and war , casting himself as the “ president of law and order.
” Trump signaled he would stake his reelection on convincing voters his forceful approach was warranted in a time of national tumult and racial unrest .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounds that have long plagued this country – not use them for political gain , ” Biden said .

Joe Biden on Tuesday blistered President Donald Trump a day after police drove back peaceful protesters near the White House so Trump could pose with a Bible before a damaged church. Biden said Trump's “narcissism has become more important than the nation that he leads.”
Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks about President Donald Trump's response to protests and rioting across the United States during an event at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 2, 2020.
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The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee delivered a speech at Philadelphia's City Hall, addressing the civil unrest across America following the death of George Floyd. Biden said "the moment has come” to deal with systemic racism and deeply ingrained economic inequality — and insisted that the nation can't wait until November's election and its outcome.
“I call on the Congress to act this month," Biden said, urging lawmakers to start “with real police reform" and citing proposed legislation outlawing choke holds.
But Biden stepped up his criticism of Trump as he works to elevate his voice in the national debate — after more than two months of the campaign for the White House being frozen amid the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“This president today is part of the problem and accelerates it,” Biden said, adding that Trump is “consumed with his blinding ego."
Biden’s criticism comes a day after Trump threatened the nation’s governors that he would deploy the military to states if they did not stamp out violent protests over police brutality that have roiled the nation.
Authorities under federal command later forced back peaceful demonstrators in Washington with tear gas so the president could walk to nearby church St. John’s Church and pose briefly with a Bible. The church had sustained damage during Sunday protests.
Biden noted that “peaceful protesters” were dispersed from the “doorstep of the people’s house, the White House” using tear gas and flash grenades to stage what he called a “photo op” publicity stunt.
“The president held up a Bible,” Biden added. “I just wished he opened it once in awhile instead of brandishing it.”
'Nobody will get everything right'
The 20-plus minute address was covered live by cable networks and Biden used it to declare, "This job’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s about us.”
“Look, the presidency is a big job. Nobody will get everything right. And I won’t either,” Biden said, but promised, "I won’t fan the flames of hate.”
As the former vice president spoke, the National Guard maintained a visible presence to defend public buildings as Philadelphia grapples with sustained violent protests. Several adjacent businesses — banks, convenience stores and hotels were boarded up. A very small audience, including Mayor Jim Kenney, was on hand.
Biden is trying to create a stark contrast with Trump, who has embraced the language of confrontation and war, casting himself as the “president of law and order.” Trump signaled he would stake his reelection on convincing voters his forceful approach was warranted in a time of national tumult and racial unrest.
“I will seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country – not use them for political gain,” Biden said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-02--‘Back where we belong’: Parisians bask in sun as cafés reopen after Covid-19 lockdown

Parisians enjoy their first post-lockdown café stop above the Parc de Belleville in eastern Paris , with the Eiffel Tower in the distance .
Carving out precious space along the pavement , the French capital ’ s cherished cafés finally opened their sun-soaked terraces to the public on Tuesday after almost three months on lockdown .
But with stringent Covid-19 restrictions still in place , many establishments say they ’ re opening for the statement rather than the business .
Achour Abdelguerfi cuts a lonely figure behind his wood and marble bar at L ’ Entrepot ’ s , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eastern Paris .
One needs to step a little closer to see the broad smile hiding behind the plastic visor that covers his face , ostensibly shielding him and his customers from the threat of Covid-19 .
“ It feels a little odd standing at the bar without my usual customers , ” he says , operating the coffee machine that has sat idle for eleven weeks .
“ But we ’ re open at last .
It ’ s great to see them out on the terrace.
” L ’ Entrepot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : friendly , efficient and reasonably priced , a magnet for early workers and evening revellers alike .
Like other eateries across France , it was forced to shut down in mid-March , when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus .
That ban has finally been lifted as of June 2 , allowing bars , cafés and restaurants across France to reopen .
However , those in the Paris region – designated an “ orange zone ” where the virus still poses a greater threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terraces , assuming they have one .
Ahead of the long-awaited reopening , Abdelguerfi was as nervous as a young pupil on the first day of school .
But the anxiety soon evaporated as the familiar faces of local customers arrived one by one .
“ After all that time under lockdown , and with the virus still around , I was scared people wouldn ’ t show up – but they ’ re all here , ” he says .
“ In fact , now I ’ m worried I won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them.
” Out on the vastly expanded terrace , regular customers Paule and Nathalie poke fun at the staff ’ s clumsy visors while enjoying an early morning coffee in the first rays of sunshine .
They ’ re normally the standing-at-the-counter type , engaging with the bartenders and whoever is propping up the bar while glancing at the local daily , Le Parisien .
But for the time being , a spot in the sun is more than welcome .
“ It feels strange being out here , ” says Paule , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat .
“ But we really can ’ t complain : It ’ s sunny and we ’ re back where we belong.
” There ’ s certainly been no shortage of sunshine .
The French capital has been blessed with a record 37 days of “ abundant sunshine ” this spring , according to Météo France , eclipsing the previous record of 28 days set in 1976 and 2011 .
As Abdelguerfi puts it , “ We can only hope the sun keeps on shining.
” In France ’ s densely populated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long been an integral part of life – an extension of home , allowing people to escape the confines of often cramped apartments .
The relief is all the more palpable after weeks of confinement .
Over on the left bank of Paris , historian Laure Léveillé has found a spot at the café Le Mêlécasse in the Butte-aux-Cailles , an area popular with students .
Parisian coffeehouses have been a second home for her ever since she wrote her thesis shuffling between bistros .
“ As a single woman with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly important to my social life , ” she says .
“ I come alone and always find someone I ’ ve met here before.
” On the nearby Place d'Italie , Nouhed has sat down for a drink with his friends Louis and Salah at their favourite drinking hole .
It 's their first trip to the Café O'Jules in months and the trio already plan to return in the evening .
“ We 've really missed coming here , terraces are part of Paris life , ” says Nouhed , sipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 'll come back every day , at least for this week , ” adds Louis .
In the days of Covid-19 , returning to cafés and restaurants is not just a cherished habit , but an act of civic duty too .
At least that ’ s how Paris officials have put it .
For all their iconic status , French cafés are closing in droves .
They have dwindled from 200,000 in 1960 to around 40,000 today , half of them in the Paris area .
According to industry statistics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day – an alarming rate that is likely to accelerate after months of lockdown and with a deep recession looming .
To ease the situation for restaurateurs , Paris authorities have allowed establishments to eke out space along the sidewalks until September .
The city also plans to temporarily close streets in tourist hotspots to give them extra space , including in the Marais area and Montmartre .
To ensure that the local residents can still get peace and quiet , establishments have to fulfil a 10-point charter displayed in their windows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart and allow pedestrians to pass freely .
This being Paris , the 10 points include a “ pledge to use ( ... ) aesthetically pleasing furniture ” .
“ We have to stand in solidarity with our restaurants and bars , ” Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Le Parisien on Sunday , stressing that hundreds of jobs are at stake .
“ They are the soul of our city.
” Judging by Tuesday ’ s evidence , the call has been heeded far and wide .
At the Palissade , a trendy bistro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canal-Saint-Martin , owner Marzena Leska is busy serving coffees to the many unexpected customers who showed up the minute she lifted her shutter .
“ I was planning to open tomorrow , ” she explains .
“ I was only taking pictures of the terrace to check it complies with the city hall ’ s guidelines , but the whole neighbourhood showed up .
It ’ s been such a long wait , people were desperate for their cafés to reopen.
” The Palissade now encroaches on the pavement to maximise the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has submitted the new configuration to the local authorities , who will be inspecting café layouts in the days ahead .
Already , she is concerned that very few of her customers are wearing face masks .
Like many other business owners , Leska doesn ’ t think she ’ ll make any money in the coming weeks , not while Covid-19 restrictions are in place .
However much she expands her terrace , it simply won ’ t make up for the dozens of tables lost inside .
Faced with a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pizzeria in the Jourdain area , in north-east Paris , says he is opening “ not for the money , but just to keep things going ” .
“ It ’ s good that the city hall will give us a little more room on the pavement , I can add an extra five tables that way , ” Chalabi says .
“ But I still lose thirty tables inside , there ’ s no way this will be profitable.
” For the owner of Il Posto , the coming weeks will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the neighbourhood .
“ It was important for my Italian staff to reopen .
They ’ ve been badly affected by the health emergency back home and really needed to get started again , ” he says .
“ Above all , we ’ re opening for the statement : To say , 'We ’ re here ' and to put all this sadness behind us.
” * Many of the most popular bars in north-east Paris have been run since the 1960s by immigrant families from the Berber region of Kabylie @ @ @

On the ground
Carving out precious space along the pavement, the French capital’s cherished cafés finally opened their sun-soaked terraces to the public on Tuesday after almost three months on lockdown. But with stringent Covid-19 restrictions still in place, many establishments say they’re opening for the statement rather than the business.
Parisians enjoy their first post-lockdown café stop above the Parc de Belleville in eastern Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
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Achour Abdelguerfi cuts a lonely figure behind his wood and marble bar at L’Entrepot’s, a popular brasserie on the slopes of Ménilmontant in eastern Paris. One needs to step a little closer to see the broad smile hiding behind the plastic visor that covers his face, ostensibly shielding him and his customers from the threat of Covid-19.
“It feels a little odd standing at the bar without my usual customers,” he says, operating the coffee machine that has sat idle for eleven weeks. “But we’re open at last. It’s great to see them out on the terrace.”
L’Entrepot’s is your classic bistro kabyle*: friendly, efficient and reasonably priced, a magnet for early workers and evening revellers alike. Like other eateries across France, it was forced to shut down in mid-March, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
That ban has finally been lifted as of June 2, allowing bars, cafés and restaurants across France to reopen. However, those in the Paris region – designated an “orange zone” where the virus still poses a greater threat – can only seat customers in outdoor terraces, assuming they have one.
Back in business: the Entrepot's bar and brasserie in the Ménilmontant area of eastern Paris. © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24
Ahead of the long-awaited reopening, Abdelguerfi was as nervous as a young pupil on the first day of school. But the anxiety soon evaporated as the familiar faces of local customers arrived one by one.
“After all that time under lockdown, and with the virus still around, I was scared people wouldn’t show up – but they’re all here,” he says. “In fact, now I’m worried I won’t have enough food for all of them.”
Out on the vastly expanded terrace, regular customers Paule and Nathalie poke fun at the staff’s clumsy visors while enjoying an early morning coffee in the first rays of sunshine. They’re normally the standing-at-the-counter type, engaging with the bartenders and whoever is propping up the bar while glancing at the local daily, Le Parisien. But for the time being, a spot in the sun is more than welcome.
“It feels strange being out here,” says Paule, looking a little awkward on her too-comfortable seat. “But we really can’t complain: It’s sunny and we’re back where we belong.”
There’s certainly been no shortage of sunshine. The French capital has been blessed with a record 37 days of “abundant sunshine” this spring, according to Météo France, eclipsing the previous record of 28 days set in 1976 and 2011.
As Abdelguerfi puts it, “We can only hope the sun keeps on shining.”
‘Soul of the city’
In France’s densely populated capital, cafés, bistros and brasseries have long been an integral part of life – an extension of home, allowing people to escape the confines of often cramped apartments. The relief is all the more palpable after weeks of confinement.
The iconic Café de Flore, one of the oldest and most celebrated coffeehouse in Paris. © Martin Bureau, AFP
Over on the left bank of Paris, historian Laure Léveillé has found a spot at the café Le Mêlécasse in the Butte-aux-Cailles, an area popular with students. Parisian coffeehouses have been a second home for her ever since she wrote her thesis shuffling between bistros.
“As a single woman with no children, I find that cafés are particularly important to my social life,” she says. “I come alone and always find someone I’ve met here before.”
On the nearby Place d'Italie, Nouhed has sat down for a drink with his friends Louis and Salah at their favourite drinking hole. It's their first trip to the Café O'Jules in months and the trio already plan to return in the evening.
“We've really missed coming here, terraces are part of Paris life,” says Nouhed, sipping his freshly squeezed orange juice. "We'll come back every day, at least for this week,” adds Louis.
In the days of Covid-19, returning to cafés and restaurants is not just a cherished habit, but an act of civic duty too. At least that’s how Paris officials have put it.
For all their iconic status, French cafés are closing in droves. They have dwindled from 200,000 in 1960 to around 40,000 today, half of them in the Paris area. According to industry statistics, two cafés go out of business every day – an alarming rate that is likely to accelerate after months of lockdown and with a deep recession looming.
To ease the situation for restaurateurs, Paris authorities have allowed establishments to eke out space along the sidewalks until September. The city also plans to temporarily close streets in tourist hotspots to give them extra space, including in the Marais area and Montmartre.
A waitress wears a mask at the Café des Phares on place de la Bastille. © Eric Piermont, AFP
To ensure that the local residents can still get peace and quiet, establishments have to fulfil a 10-point charter displayed in their windows, including provisions to keep customers a metre apart and allow pedestrians to pass freely. This being Paris, the 10 points include a “pledge to use (...) aesthetically pleasing furniture”.
“We have to stand in solidarity with our restaurants and bars,” Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Le Parisien on Sunday, stressing that hundreds of jobs are at stake. “They are the soul of our city.”
‘Not for the money’
Judging by Tuesday’s evidence, the call has been heeded far and wide.
At the Palissade, a trendy bistro in the Sainte-Marthe area near the popular Canal-Saint-Martin, owner Marzena Leska is busy serving coffees to the many unexpected customers who showed up the minute she lifted her shutter.
“I was planning to open tomorrow,” she explains. “I was only taking pictures of the terrace to check it complies with the city hall’s guidelines, but the whole neighbourhood showed up. It’s been such a long wait, people were desperate for their cafés to reopen.”
The Palissade now encroaches on the pavement to maximise the number of tables Leska can set. She has submitted the new configuration to the local authorities, who will be inspecting café layouts in the days ahead. Already, she is concerned that very few of her customers are wearing face masks.
Palissade owner Marzena Leska holds a sign reading "Smoking and spitting are forbidden". © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24
Like many other business owners, Leska doesn’t think she’ll make any money in the coming weeks, not while Covid-19 restrictions are in place. However much she expands her terrace, it simply won’t make up for the dozens of tables lost inside.
Faced with a similar quandary, Moura Chalabi, who runs a pizzeria in the Jourdain area, in north-east Paris, says he is opening “not for the money, but just to keep things going”.
“It’s good that the city hall will give us a little more room on the pavement, I can add an extra five tables that way,” Chalabi says. “But I still lose thirty tables inside, there’s no way this will be profitable.”
For the owner of Il Posto, the coming weeks will be primarily about reestablishing links with customers and the neighbourhood.
“It was important for my Italian staff to reopen. They’ve been badly affected by the health emergency back home and really needed to get started again,” he says. “Above all, we’re opening for the statement: To say, 'We’re here' and to put all this sadness behind us.”
Like all other establishments in the French capital, the Café d'Italie in the 13th arrondissment of Paris is barred from serving customers at the bar. © Julia Dumont, FRANCE 24
* Many of the most popular bars in north-east Paris have been run since the 1960s by immigrant families from the Berber region of Kabylie in Algeria.
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france24--2020-06-02--Covid-19: France records more than 100 new deaths as country's lockdown eases

Technicians handling blood samples for Covid-19 tests at the LPA analysis laboratory in Besançon , France on May 29 2020 @ @ @ @ @ toll rose by more than 100 for the first time in 13 days on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ a new easing of lockdown measures .
The French health ministry said that the number @ @ @ @ @ 107 , or 0.4 percent , to 28,940 , the fifth-highest tally in the world @ @ @ @ @ number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units fell to 1,253 from Monday ’ s @ @ @ @

France's Covid-19 death toll rose by more than 100 for the first time in 13 days on Tuesday, as the country enacts a new easing of lockdown measures.
Technicians handling blood samples for Covid-19 tests at the LPA analysis laboratory in Besançon, France on May 29 2020.
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The French health ministry said that the number of fatalities had risen by 107, or 0.4 percent, to 28,940, the fifth-highest tally in the world.
It also said the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units fell to 1,253 from Monday’s tally of 1,302.
The latest toll comes as the country entered the second phase of easing the lockdown, imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19.
On Tuesday, restaurants, bars and cafés opened throughout the country for the first time in almost three months.
However, those in the Paris region – designated an “orange zone” where the virus still poses a greater threat – can only seat customers in outdoor terraces, assuming they have one.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-02--UN donor nations pledge $1.35 billion in aid for war-ravaged, Covid-hit Yemen

Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud ( C ) , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia , wears a protective mask during a virtual donor conference in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia on June 2 , 2020. International donors promised $ 1.35 billion in humanitarian aid to Yemen on Tuesday , United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock told a pledging conference to help the war-torn country .
UN chief Antonio Guterres Tuesday sought to raise $ 2.41 billion to support Yemen , ravaged by war and coronavirus , at a donor conference hosted by Saudi Arabia in the sixth year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference comes as aid groups warn the virus could wreak havoc in Yemen after years of conflict and amid crippling funding shortages .
`` We are in a race against time , '' said United Nations Secretary General Guterres .
`` Aid agencies estimate they will need up to $ 2.41 billion to cover essential aid from June until December , including programmes to counter Covid-19 . ''
Without the required funding , more than 30 out of 41 major UN programmes in Yemen could close in the next few weeks , Guterres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the existing humanitarian emergency requires urgent action , '' he added .
Yemen is already gripped by what the UN calls the world 's worst humanitarian crisis , with tens of thousands killed , an estimated four million people displaced by war and tens of thousands afflicted by malnutrition and disease .
Saudi Arabia , a key player in the conflict that counts itself as a top donor to Yemen , pledged an aid package worth $ 500 million at the event .
Britain , a leading arms supplier to Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package for Yemen worth £160 million ( $ 200 million ) .
`` This targeted UK aid package will mean the difference between life and death for thousands of Yemenis , who now also face the threat of coronavirus , '' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement .
Lowcock , UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs , said $ 180 million of the required funding was needed to combat the fast-spreading virus .
Guterres said in the de facto capital Aden , reports indicated the mortality rates from Covid-19 were `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the coronavirus spreads , some 5.5 million people risk losing access to food and clean water in Yemen this year , said a survey by 24 international aid groups , including Save the Children .
`` The largest humanitarian crisis in the world is now compounded by an unprecedented pandemic , '' a statement said .
Saudi Arabia , which leads a military intervention against Iran-backed Houthi rebels , has contributed billions of dollars in aid to Yemen in recent years .
But the Saudi-led coalition is also widely blamed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say have pushed the country deeper into crisis .
A rebel spokesman dismissed the Saudi-led conference as a `` silly attempt to ( gloss over ) their crimes '' , according to Houthi-run Al-Masirah television .
`` Saudi Arabia keeps trying to whitewash its coalition 's role in the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen , but co-hosting the funding event wo n't fool anyone , '' said Afrah Nasser , Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch .
`` The Saudi-led coalition , along with Houthi forces that have brutalized civilians and obstructed aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for which they 're all responsible . ''
The UN 's Jens Laerke has warned that aid agencies are heading towards a `` fiscal cliff '' due to a lack of funding that threatens key UN programmes .
`` Those who have given an indication of pledges ( are urged ) to actually pay early because the operation in Yemen is severely , severely underfunded , '' said Laerke , a spokesman with the UN 's humanitarian agency OCHA .
Top officials from other UN agencies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
`` We are increasingly alarmed about the situation in Yemen , '' officials from UNICEF , the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement .
`` We are running out of time.
” International medical charity Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) has warned that Yemen faces a `` catastrophe '' from the pandemic .
The UN says Covid-19 has likely already spread throughout most of Yemen , while the Yemeni government has officially recorded only a few hundred cases .
`` Covid-19 has created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is just the latest challenge in an already deteriorating situation , '' said Abdullah al-Rabeeah , supervisor general of Saudi Arabia 's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre .
`` Yemen needs a lot of help , not least because of its weak health system . ''
The conflict between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis escalated in March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened against the rebels after they overran much of the country .
Further muddying the waters are tensions between two anti-Houthi allies – the Yemeni government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern Yemen on April 26 .

International donors promised $1.35 billion in humanitarian aid to Yemen on Tuesday, United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock told a pledging conference to help the war-torn country.
Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud (C), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, wears a protective mask during a virtual donor conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 2, 2020.
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UN chief Antonio Guterres Tuesday sought to raise $2.41 billion to support Yemen, ravaged by war and coronavirus, at a donor conference hosted by Saudi Arabia in the sixth year of its military intervention.
The virtual conference comes as aid groups warn the virus could wreak havoc in Yemen after years of conflict and amid crippling funding shortages.
"We are in a race against time," said United Nations Secretary General Guterres.
"Aid agencies estimate they will need up to $2.41 billion to cover essential aid from June until December, including programmes to counter Covid-19."
Without the required funding, more than 30 out of 41 major UN programmes in Yemen could close in the next few weeks, Guterres warned.
"Tackling Covid-19 on top of the existing humanitarian emergency requires urgent action," he added.
Humanitarian crisis
Yemen is already gripped by what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands killed, an estimated four million people displaced by war and tens of thousands afflicted by malnutrition and disease.
Saudi Arabia, a key player in the conflict that counts itself as a top donor to Yemen, pledged an aid package worth $500 million at the event.
Britain, a leading arms supplier to Saudi Arabia, stepped in with a new aid package for Yemen worth £160 million ($200 million).
"This targeted UK aid package will mean the difference between life and death for thousands of Yemenis, who now also face the threat of coronavirus," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
Germany announced 125 million euros ($139.8 million) in assistance to Yemen.
Lowcock, UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, said $180 million of the required funding was needed to combat the fast-spreading virus.
Guterres said in the de facto capital Aden, reports indicated the mortality rates from Covid-19 were "among the highest in the world".
As the coronavirus spreads, some 5.5 million people risk losing access to food and clean water in Yemen this year, said a survey by 24 international aid groups, including Save the Children.
"The largest humanitarian crisis in the world is now compounded by an unprecedented pandemic," a statement said.
'Running out of time'
Saudi Arabia, which leads a military intervention against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, has contributed billions of dollars in aid to Yemen in recent years.
But the Saudi-led coalition is also widely blamed for civilian casualties in bombing raids that campaigners say have pushed the country deeper into crisis.
A rebel spokesman dismissed the Saudi-led conference as a "silly attempt to (gloss over) their crimes", according to Houthi-run Al-Masirah television.
"Saudi Arabia keeps trying to whitewash its coalition's role in the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, but co-hosting the funding event won't fool anyone," said Afrah Nasser, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch.
"The Saudi-led coalition, along with Houthi forces that have brutalized civilians and obstructed aid, should immediately ... put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for which they're all responsible."
The UN's Jens Laerke has warned that aid agencies are heading towards a "fiscal cliff" due to a lack of funding that threatens key UN programmes.
"Those who have given an indication of pledges (are urged) to actually pay early because the operation in Yemen is severely, severely underfunded," said Laerke, a spokesman with the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA.
Top officials from other UN agencies in Yemen have also appealed for urgent international support.
"We are increasingly alarmed about the situation in Yemen," officials from UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement. "We are running out of time.”
Covid-19 'catastrophe' warning
International medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that Yemen faces a "catastrophe" from the pandemic.
The UN says Covid-19 has likely already spread throughout most of Yemen, while the Yemeni government has officially recorded only a few hundred cases.
"Covid-19 has created new needs there, but (it) is just the latest challenge in an already deteriorating situation," said Abdullah al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
"Yemen needs a lot of help, not least because of its weak health system."
The conflict between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis escalated in March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened against the rebels after they overran much of the country.
Further muddying the waters are tensions between two anti-Houthi allies – the Yemeni government and southern separatists, which declared self-rule in southern Yemen on April 26.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-02--Can Trump 'deploy the military' to quell protests over George Floyd's death?

DC National Guard military police officers look on as demonstrators rally near the White House against the death of George Floyd , in Washington , DC , on June 1 , 2020 .
US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he might use federal troops to end the protests that have erupted nationwide following the death of George Floyd , an unarmed black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody .
But to do so , Trump would need to formally invoke rarely used statutes known as the Insurrection Act .
`` Mayors and governors must establish an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been quelled , '' Trump said during brief remarks at the White House on Monday .
`` If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents , then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them , '' Trump said .
Even as Trump was speaking in the Rose Garden , police were firing tear gas to dispel protesters in a public park across the street from the White House , images of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The demonstrations have been largely peaceful but police in some cities have used force against protesters as well as journalists .
Protesters have clashed with police in several areas and journalists have been targeted with rubber bullets or even briefly detained .
Many US cities have set curfews .
But to deploy US armed forces into states or cities , Trump would need to issue a formal proclamation that he was invoking a rarely used group of statutes known as the Insurrection Act .
What is the Insurrection Act ?
Under the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to maintain order within state borders .
This principle is reflected in a law called the Posse Comitatus Act , which generally bars the federal military from participating in domestic law enforcement .
The Insurrection Act of 1807 creates an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act in permitting the president to send US forces to suppress a domestic insurrection that has hindered the normal enforcement of US law .
Part of the law suggests that states must request help before the federal government can intervene , but other sections do not require approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature , according to Robert Chesney , a professor of national security law at the University of Texas .
But a president may invoke the act if it is determined that circumstances render it impossible to enforce US law properly or that citizens ' rights are being infringed .
How has the Insurrection Act been used ?
The Insurrection Act has been invoked on dozens of occasions through US history .
President Dwight Eisenhower sent the military to Little Rock , Arkansas , in 1957 to enforce the desegregation of schools against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later also used by president John F. Kennedy to ensure the protection of civil rights in the early 1960s .
But since the civil rights movement of the 1960s , the use of the Insurrection Act has become exceedingly rare .
It was last used in 1992 when the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King – filmed and witnessed by millions – led to days of deadly riots .
Trump 's attorney general , William Barr , was serving in the same role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H. W. Bush .
Can a court strike down Trump 's application of the law ?
Chesney said any successful legal challenge to Trump 's use of the law was `` very unlikely '' , noting that courts have historically been reluctant to second-guess a president 's military declarations .
`` The law , for all practical purposes , leaves this to the president with very little judicial review with any teeth , '' he said .
But the court of public opinion is another matter .
Stephen Vladeck , a national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Texas at Austin , said on Twitter that the Insurrection Act had not been used since 1992 `` largely because domestic use of the military is generally unpopular '' .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine courts second-guessing factual determinations by the President that circumstances warrant use of the military to restore order , ” Vladeck wrote .
“ Instead , the real constraint today might be responsibility ; if Trump invokes these statutes , he ’ d own all that follows .
”

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he might use federal troops to end the protests that have erupted nationwide following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed in Minneapolis police custody. But to do so, Trump would need to formally invoke rarely used statutes known as the Insurrection Act.
DC National Guard military police officers look on as demonstrators rally near the White House against the death of George Floyd, in Washington, DC, on June 1, 2020.
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"Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," Trump said during brief remarks at the White House on Monday.
"If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them," Trump said.
Even as Trump was speaking in the Rose Garden, police were firing tear gas to dispel protesters in a public park across the street from the White House, images of which were broadcast live on television.
The demonstrations have been largely peaceful but police in some cities have used force against protesters as well as journalists. Protesters have clashed with police in several areas and journalists have been targeted with rubber bullets or even briefly detained. Many US cities have set curfews.
But to deploy US armed forces into states or cities, Trump would need to issue a formal proclamation that he was invoking a rarely used group of statutes known as the Insurrection Act.
What is the Insurrection Act?
Under the US Constitution, governors generally have the authority to maintain order within state borders. This principle is reflected in a law called the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the federal military from participating in domestic law enforcement.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 creates an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act in permitting the president to send US forces to suppress a domestic insurrection that has hindered the normal enforcement of US law.
Part of the law suggests that states must request help before the federal government can intervene, but other sections do not require approval from a state's governor or its legislature, according to Robert Chesney, a professor of national security law at the University of Texas.
But a president may invoke the act if it is determined that circumstances render it impossible to enforce US law properly or that citizens' rights are being infringed.
"Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion." (Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute)
How has the Insurrection Act been used?
The Insurrection Act has been invoked on dozens of occasions through US history. President Dwight Eisenhower sent the military to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 to enforce the desegregation of schools against the will of the governor. It was later also used by president John F. Kennedy to ensure the protection of civil rights in the early 1960s.
But since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the use of the Insurrection Act has become exceedingly rare. It was last used in 1992 when the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King – filmed and witnessed by millions – led to days of deadly riots.
Trump's attorney general, William Barr, was serving in the same role at that time under then president George H. W. Bush.
Can a court strike down Trump's application of the law?
Chesney said any successful legal challenge to Trump's use of the law was "very unlikely", noting that courts have historically been reluctant to second-guess a president's military declarations.
"The law, for all practical purposes, leaves this to the president with very little judicial review with any teeth," he said.
But the court of public opinion is another matter.
Stephen Vladeck, a national security and constitutional law expert at the University of Texas at Austin, said on Twitter that the Insurrection Act had not been used since 1992 "largely because domestic use of the military is generally unpopular".
“It’s hard to imagine courts second-guessing factual determinations by the President that circumstances warrant use of the military to restore order,” Vladeck wrote.
“Instead, the real constraint today might be responsibility; if Trump invokes these statutes, he’d own all that follows.”
To emphasize, the Insurrection Act requires a formal proclamation in order to be invoked. Trump *threatened* to use it if state National Guards aren’t effective, but vague threats and ambiguous speeches don’t cut it. He wants to look tough without actually taking responsibility. https://t.co/u5Jrmwluk0 — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) June 1, 2020
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AP)
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france24--2020-06-02--France rolls out Covid-19 tracing app amid privacy debate

France is rolling out an official coronavirus contact-tracing app aimed at containing fresh outbreaks as lockdown restrictions gradually ease , becoming the first major European country to deploy the smartphone technology amid simmering debate over privacy fears .
The French will be able to download the StopCovid app on their Google Android devices and Apple iPhones starting Tuesday , the same day they 'll once again be allowed to go to restaurants and cafes , parks and beaches and museums and monuments .
Neighbors including the U.K. , Germany , Italy , and Switzerland are developing their own apps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocols , raising questions about compatibility across Europe ’ s borders .
Authorities hope the app can help manage virus flare-ups as they reopen the economy in France , which has been living under some of Europe 's tightest restrictions since it became one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic , with nearly 29,000 deaths .
Some Parisians were keen to adopt the technology to help bring life back to normal .
Cafe waiter Paul Hubert said he was ready to download the app because he sees “ more benefits than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like wearing a mask in a shop , ” said Hubert , 24 .
“ It ’ s easy and it can help protecting others.
” The various European apps use low-energy Bluetooth signals to anonymously log the nearby presence of other users .
Under the French system , data is uploaded to government-run centralized servers .
Users who test positive will be able to notify others who have been in close contact for at least 15 minutes so they can self-isolate and seek treatment .
France , like Britain , rejected a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jointly developed by U.S. tech giants Google and Apple , instead choosing to build its own .
The Google-Apple system uses a “ decentralized ” system backed by privacy experts because it keeps data on phones , but British and French officials say it does n't give them enough information to manage outbreaks .
Civil liberties groups worry that tracing apps are a gateway to government surveillance but Cedric O , France 's junior minister for the digital economy , dismissed those concerns .
“ The problem with a centralized protocol is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust your state but we ’ re in a democratic state , we have checks and balances , ” O told the AP .
The government says the app doesn ’ t track location and deletes user data after 14 days .
'Not a revolutionary tool , but a useful one' Some French lawmakers have raised doubts over the app ’ s effectiveness if few people install it amid privacy concerns and because of potential technical issues .
O said the app detects about 80 % of surrounding phones via Bluetooth .
Parisian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because of the privacy concerns .
“ We do n't know what they could do with the data or whether it could be hacked , '' Mounir , 31 , said .
“ Plus , it 's health data , it 's too sensitive.
” Officials and experts say tracing apps aren ’ t a magic bullet against the virus but can aid time-consuming manual contact tracing efforts .
Professor Arnaud Fontanet , epidemiologist at the Paris Pasteur Institute and a member of the scientific committee advising French President Emmanuel Macron , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not a revolutionary one , but a useful tool.
” France and other countries have set up teams to interview people testing positive about their contacts .
But the tracers will likely miss strangers , so the app may prove useful especially “ in circumstances where you 're going to stand next to someone who is infected , without knowing , for quite a long period of time ” like in public transports and restaurants , Fontanet said .
Other countries around Europe have been scrambling to build their apps , often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the tech giants for a more private system is an ironic turn of events after the European Union called them out repeatedly in recent years for not protecting data privacy sufficiently .
Italy ’ s Immuni app , based on the Google-Apple system , was available to download starting Monday , and will undergo testing initially in parts of the country less affected by coronavirus next week before being rolled out nationwide .
Authorities say at least 60 % of Italy ’ s 60 million population will need to use it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pilot test of its SwissCovid app last week , to last until mid-June , when the government is expected to introduce legislation covering the app .
Germany hired software company SAP and wireless carrier Deutsche Telekom to build its decentralized “ Corona-Warn-App.
`` Developers say the app 's “ data will be stored locally on each device preventing access and control over data by authorities or anyone else . ''
Britain launched a massive countrywide “ track and trace ” program on Friday , including 25,000 human contact tracers , but its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , isn ’ t ready and it ’ s unclear when it will be launched .
The European apps are voluntary to encourage people to use them .
If the app is mandatory , “ people will definitely not use it , ” said Ingmars Pukis , a vice president at Latvian wireless carrier LMT , which helped develop the country 's tracing app , released Friday and also based on the Google-Apple standard .
EPFL , the Swiss research institute that helped develop SwissCovid , said that with other European countries building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it should enable different systems to work with each other when users travel .
But that leaves out the British and French systems .
The French government ’ s technology choice means the French app is not compatible with foreign ones .
O suggested that cross-border commuters and travelers will have to work around the problem by downloading their destination country 's app .

France is rolling out an official coronavirus contact-tracing app aimed at containing fresh outbreaks as lockdown restrictions gradually ease, becoming the first major European country to deploy the smartphone technology amid simmering debate over privacy fears.
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The French will be able to download the StopCovid app on their Google Android devices and Apple iPhones starting Tuesday, the same day they'll once again be allowed to go to restaurants and cafes, parks and beaches and museums and monuments.
Neighbors including the U.K., Germany, Italy, and Switzerland are developing their own apps, though they’re using different technical protocols, raising questions about compatibility across Europe’s borders.
Authorities hope the app can help manage virus flare-ups as they reopen the economy in France, which has been living under some of Europe's tightest restrictions since it became one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with nearly 29,000 deaths.
Some Parisians were keen to adopt the technology to help bring life back to normal.
Cafe waiter Paul Hubert said he was ready to download the app because he sees “more benefits than risks.”
“To me it sounds like wearing a mask in a shop,” said Hubert, 24. “It’s easy and it can help protecting others.”
French system uses government-run servers
The various European apps use low-energy Bluetooth signals to anonymously log the nearby presence of other users. Under the French system, data is uploaded to government-run centralized servers. Users who test positive will be able to notify others who have been in close contact for at least 15 minutes so they can self-isolate and seek treatment.
France, like Britain, rejected a new mobile software interface for tracing apps jointly developed by U.S. tech giants Google and Apple, instead choosing to build its own. The Google-Apple system uses a “decentralized” system backed by privacy experts because it keeps data on phones, but British and French officials say it doesn't give them enough information to manage outbreaks.
Civil liberties groups worry that tracing apps are a gateway to government surveillance but Cedric O, France's junior minister for the digital economy, dismissed those concerns.
“The problem with a centralized protocol is that you have to be confident and to trust your state but we’re in a democratic state, we have checks and balances,” O told the AP.
The government says the app doesn’t track location and deletes user data after 14 days.
'Not a revolutionary tool, but a useful one'
Some French lawmakers have raised doubts over the app’s effectiveness if few people install it amid privacy concerns and because of potential technical issues. O said the app detects about 80% of surrounding phones via Bluetooth.
Parisian Sami Mounir said he won't download it because of the privacy concerns.
“We don't know what they could do with the data or whether it could be hacked," Mounir, 31, said. “Plus, it's health data, it's too sensitive.”
Officials and experts say tracing apps aren’t a magic bullet against the virus but can aid time-consuming manual contact tracing efforts.
Professor Arnaud Fontanet, epidemiologist at the Paris Pasteur Institute and a member of the scientific committee advising French President Emmanuel Macron, said the app is “a tool, not a revolutionary one, but a useful tool.”
France and other countries have set up teams to interview people testing positive about their contacts. But the tracers will likely miss strangers, so the app may prove useful especially “in circumstances where you're going to stand next to someone who is infected, without knowing, for quite a long period of time” like in public transports and restaurants, Fontanet said.
France's neighbours developing own apps
Other countries around Europe have been scrambling to build their apps, often using the Google-Apple system. The reliance on the tech giants for a more private system is an ironic turn of events after the European Union called them out repeatedly in recent years for not protecting data privacy sufficiently.
Italy’s Immuni app, based on the Google-Apple system, was available to download starting Monday, and will undergo testing initially in parts of the country less affected by coronavirus next week before being rolled out nationwide. Authorities say at least 60% of Italy’s 60 million population will need to use it for it to be effective.
Switzerland started a pilot test of its SwissCovid app last week, to last until mid-June, when the government is expected to introduce legislation covering the app.
Germany hired software company SAP and wireless carrier Deutsche Telekom to build its decentralized “Corona-Warn-App. " Developers say the app's “data will be stored locally on each device preventing access and control over data by authorities or anyone else."
Britain launched a massive countrywide “track and trace” program on Friday, including 25,000 human contact tracers, but its tracing app, which is being tested, isn’t ready and it’s unclear when it will be launched.
The European apps are voluntary to encourage people to use them. If the app is mandatory, “people will definitely not use it,” said Ingmars Pukis, a vice president at Latvian wireless carrier LMT, which helped develop the country's tracing app, released Friday and also based on the Google-Apple standard.
EPFL, the Swiss research institute that helped develop SwissCovid, said that with other European countries building apps based on the same decentralized protocol, it should enable different systems to work with each other when users travel.
But that leaves out the British and French systems.
The French government’s technology choice means the French app is not compatible with foreign ones. O suggested that cross-border commuters and travelers will have to work around the problem by downloading their destination country's app.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-02--France denounces Ryanair 'blackmail' in employee pay-cut-or-redundancy ultimatum

A Ryanair passenger plane is pictured at Dublin Airport in Ireland on March 23 , 2020 .
France on Tuesday denounced as `` blackmail '' an ultimatum from low-cost carrier Ryanair for its French employees to choose between a five-year pay cut or a number of redundancies in an escalating labour dispute .
The offer from the Dublin-based no-frills carrier , long accused by critics of abrasive labour tactics , comes as the aviation industry grapples with an unprecedented crisis after the collapse in global demand for air travel due to the coronavirus .
`` Blackmail is never an option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told RTL radio .
`` Jobs will be protected by imaginative solutions , but definitely not through blackmail , '' he said .
The aviation industry is facing drastic losses due to the coronavirus pandemic , which has closed borders across the world and paralysed air transport .
Ryanair has already announced plans to axe 3,000 pilot and cabin crew jobs , or 15 percent of staff across its European network .
In France , Ryanair operates from hubs including the Marseille , Toulouse and Bordeaux airports .
The Irish company has told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages by 20 percent for pilots and 10 percent for stewards and air hostesses from July 2020 , or face the redundancy of 23 pilots and 27 cabin crew staff .
Under current plans , staffers who are earning minimum wage would see their work time cut by 20 percent .
Employees would progressively regain their salary up until 2025 .
Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said she was `` shocked '' by Ryanair 's proposal and said the company must go back to the drawing board and `` really talk ( with employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since 2017 companies can open up talks with their employees on contract hours and salaries in exchange for a company 's commitment to suspend dismissals , Penicaud said on TV station BFM Business .
But the spirit of this possibility is `` not at all the one being used by Ryanair , '' she said .
Ryanair benefited from the state scheme to help companies through the two-month lockdown period by placing staffers on partial unemployment , Penicaud said .
`` We helped them and they 're not playing the game , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's biggest trade union CFDT , Laurent Berger , said Ryanair was n't showing respect to `` its employees , nor workers , nor anyone . ''
Berger called for a boycott of the airline .
`` Let 's stop taking Ryanair to travel , '' he said , accusing the company of `` pressuring its employees for years .
”

France on Tuesday denounced as "blackmail" an ultimatum from low-cost carrier Ryanair for its French employees to choose between a five-year pay cut or a number of redundancies in an escalating labour dispute.
A Ryanair passenger plane is pictured at Dublin Airport in Ireland on March 23, 2020.
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The offer from the Dublin-based no-frills carrier, long accused by critics of abrasive labour tactics, comes as the aviation industry grapples with an unprecedented crisis after the collapse in global demand for air travel due to the coronavirus.
"Blackmail is never an option," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told RTL radio. "Jobs will be protected by imaginative solutions, but definitely not through blackmail," he said.
The aviation industry is facing drastic losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed borders across the world and paralysed air transport.
Ryanair has already announced plans to axe 3,000 pilot and cabin crew jobs, or 15 percent of staff across its European network.
In France, Ryanair operates from hubs including the Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux airports.
The Irish company has told French unions to accept plans to cut wages by 20 percent for pilots and 10 percent for stewards and air hostesses from July 2020, or face the redundancy of 23 pilots and 27 cabin crew staff.
Under current plans, staffers who are earning minimum wage would see their work time cut by 20 percent. Employees would progressively regain their salary up until 2025.
'They're not playing the game'
Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said she was "shocked" by Ryanair's proposal and said the company must go back to the drawing board and "really talk (with employees), but not blackmail."
Since 2017 companies can open up talks with their employees on contract hours and salaries in exchange for a company's commitment to suspend dismissals, Penicaud said on TV station BFM Business.
But the spirit of this possibility is "not at all the one being used by Ryanair," she said.
Ryanair benefited from the state scheme to help companies through the two-month lockdown period by placing staffers on partial unemployment, Penicaud said.
"We helped them and they're not playing the game," she added.
The head of France's biggest trade union CFDT, Laurent Berger, said Ryanair wasn't showing respect to "its employees, nor workers, nor anyone."
Berger called for a boycott of the airline. "Let's stop taking Ryanair to travel," he said, accusing the company of "pressuring its employees for years.”
(AFP)
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