france24--2020-05-17--Chile's capital goes into strict lockdown after Covid-19 surge

A woman wearing a protective suit talks to a child in a migrant neighbourhood during the start of a general quarantine to force down a surging rate of fresh Covid-19 cases in Santiago , Chile on May 16 , 2020 .
With near-deserted streets and police checks , the seven million people of Chile 's capital , Santiago , began a strict quarantine Saturday after a sharp resurgence of coronavirus cases .
Normal activity in the capital was down 85 percent , the government said , as people were only allowed to leave their homes for essential food and medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Blocks and blocks of the city are completely empty and we can take it that this is a good start , '' Health Minister Jaime Manalich told reporters at Santiago airport after a fly-over of the city .
Long lines of cars caused gridlock Friday evening as people streamed out of the capital for the coast , 100 kilometers ( 60 miles ) away , hours before the lockdown came into force at 10:00 pm ( 0200 GMT ) .
The lockdown order , announced by Manalich on Wednesday and due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blow to earlier hopes the South American country could reopen its economy following evidence it had flattened the curve .
New infections had reduced to between 350 and 500 a day in late May , leading to the government of conservative President Sebastian Pinera relaxing some restrictions , and allowing businesses and stores to reopen .
However , new cases have doubled in the past 10 days .
Most of Chile 's cases in Santiago Having remained below 1,000 a day last month , the daily average has shot up to well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The South American country had 41,428 infections by Saturday , with 421 deaths -- 27 of those fatalities coming in the previous 24 hours .
Santiago has reported 80 percent of the country 's cases , amid concern that the country 's emergency services were already operating near their limit .
`` We have kept the case fatality rate close to 1 percent , but when we see a greater number of people infected , obviously the number of deaths also increase , '' said Arturo Zuniga , a health ministry official with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Concepcion to free up intensive-care beds in the capital ahead of expected increased demand in the coming weeks , authorities said .
'Few on the streets' Santiago 's main avenues were almost entirely deserted on Saturday .
Supermarkets and small neighborhood grocery stores remained open , though the numbers of people entering was being strictly limited .
Some people walked their dogs in the 30 minutes available for them to do so .
Police limited access to the city 's main La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturdays .
Police and military also stepped up checks on drivers to examine travel permits .
`` From my point of view , people have acted responsibly , but in the last week , we have been seeing the number of infections explode and that 's why the authorities had to take this measure , '' said Valentin Vera , a civil engineer who has begun using a bicycle to avoid public transport during the pandemic .
The government responded quickly to the first cases on March 3 , introducing a nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high incidences of the virus .
Schools , universities and businesses were closed as part of social distancing measures and transport restricted .

With near-deserted streets and police checks, the seven million people of Chile's capital, Santiago, began a strict quarantine Saturday after a sharp resurgence of coronavirus cases.
A woman wearing a protective suit talks to a child in a migrant neighbourhood during the start of a general quarantine to force down a surging rate of fresh Covid-19 cases in Santiago, Chile on May 16, 2020.
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Normal activity in the capital was down 85 percent, the government said, as people were only allowed to leave their homes for essential food and medicine and a short period of exercise.
"Blocks and blocks of the city are completely empty and we can take it that this is a good start," Health Minister Jaime Manalich told reporters at Santiago airport after a fly-over of the city.
Long lines of cars caused gridlock Friday evening as people streamed out of the capital for the coast, 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, hours before the lockdown came into force at 10:00 pm (0200 GMT).
The lockdown order, announced by Manalich on Wednesday and due to last at least a week, dealt a blow to earlier hopes the South American country could reopen its economy following evidence it had flattened the curve.
New infections had reduced to between 350 and 500 a day in late May, leading to the government of conservative President Sebastian Pinera relaxing some restrictions, and allowing businesses and stores to reopen.
However, new cases have doubled in the past 10 days.
Most of Chile's cases in Santiago
Having remained below 1,000 a day last month, the daily average has shot up to well over 2,000 new infections a day.
The South American country had 41,428 infections by Saturday, with 421 deaths -- 27 of those fatalities coming in the previous 24 hours.
Santiago has reported 80 percent of the country's cases, amid concern that the country's emergency services were already operating near their limit.
"We have kept the case fatality rate close to 1 percent, but when we see a greater number of people infected, obviously the number of deaths also increase," said Arturo Zuniga, a health ministry official with responsibility for care networks.
Some patients have been transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Concepcion to free up intensive-care beds in the capital ahead of expected increased demand in the coming weeks, authorities said.
'Few on the streets'
Santiago's main avenues were almost entirely deserted on Saturday.
Supermarkets and small neighborhood grocery stores remained open, though the numbers of people entering was being strictly limited.
Some people walked their dogs in the 30 minutes available for them to do so.
Police limited access to the city's main La Vega market which normally draws large crowds on Saturdays.
Police and military also stepped up checks on drivers to examine travel permits.
"From my point of view, people have acted responsibly, but in the last week, we have been seeing the number of infections explode and that's why the authorities had to take this measure," said Valentin Vera, a civil engineer who has begun using a bicycle to avoid public transport during the pandemic.
The government responded quickly to the first cases on March 3, introducing a nationwide curfew and selective quarantines on areas with high incidences of the virus.
Schools, universities and businesses were closed as part of social distancing measures and transport restricted.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--Trump says he is taking unproven drug to prevent Covid-19 infection

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with restaurant executives and industry leaders during a coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) pandemic meeting in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington , U.S. , May 18 , 2020 .
U.S. President Donald Trump , in a surprise announcement , said on Monday he is taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus despite medical warnings about the use of the malaria drug .
`` I 'm taking hydroxychloroquine , '' Trump told reporters .
`` I 've been taking it for the last week and a half .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disclosure during a question-and-answer session with reporters as he met restaurant executives whose businesses are reeling from the impact of the virus .
Weeks ago Trump had promoted the drug as a potential treatment based on a positive report about its use against the virus , but subsequent studies found that it was not helpful .
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about its use .
In an April 24 statement , the FDA said it is “ aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems ” in patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older drug , chloroquine .
Trump , 73 , who is tested daily for the virus , said he had asked the White House physician if it was OK to take the drug , and the doctor told him , `` well , if you 'd like it . ''
The president , a well-known germaphobe , has nonetheless refused to wear a protective mask in the West Wing .
The disclosure came as Moderna Inc reported progress in a potential vaccine for the virus .
The only drug that has emerged so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sciences Inc 's remdesivir .
Fox News Channel , immediately after Trump 's remarks , interviewed Dr. Bob Lahita , chairman of medicine at St. Joseph University Hospital , who cautioned people not to take hydroxychloroquine .
`` There 's no effect that we have seen and we have treated multiple patients with it , '' he said .
Trump said he also took a single dose of azithromycin , an antibiotic which is meant prevent infection .
In conjunction with hydroxychloroquine , Trump said he was taking zinc .
“ All I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to be OK , ” Trump said .

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a surprise announcement, said on Monday he is taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus despite medical warnings about the use of the malaria drug.
US President Donald Trump speaks with restaurant executives and industry leaders during a coronavirus disease pandemic meeting in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, May 18, 2020.
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"I'm taking hydroxychloroquine," Trump told reporters. "I've been taking it for the last week and a half. A pill every day."
Trump volunteered the disclosure during a question-and-answer session with reporters as he met restaurant executives whose businesses are reeling from the impact of the virus.
Weeks ago Trump had promoted the drug as a potential treatment based on a positive report about its use against the virus, but subsequent studies found that it was not helpful. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about its use.
In an April 24 statement, the FDA said it is “aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems” in patients with COVID-19 treated with hydroxychloroquine or an older drug, chloroquine.
Trump, 73, who is tested daily for the virus, said he had asked the White House physician if it was OK to take the drug, and the doctor told him, "well, if you'd like it."
The president, a well-known germaphobe, has nonetheless refused to wear a protective mask in the West Wing.
The disclosure came as Moderna Inc reported progress in a potential vaccine for the virus. The only drug that has emerged so far as a potential treatment is Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir.
Fox News Channel, immediately after Trump's remarks, interviewed Dr. Bob Lahita, chairman of medicine at St. Joseph University Hospital, who cautioned people not to take hydroxychloroquine.
"There's no effect that we have seen and we have treated multiple patients with it," he said.
Trump said he also took a single dose of azithromycin, an antibiotic which is meant prevent infection. In conjunction with hydroxychloroquine, Trump said he was taking zinc.
“All I can tell you is so far I seem to be OK,” Trump said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--As US claims WHO ‘failure’, UN chief scolds countries that ‘ignored’ its warnings

The World Health Organization received praise from many countries but fierce criticism from the United States at the start of its virtual assembly on Monday , as members worked on a joint response to Covid-19 and sought assurances that a future vaccine would be available to all .
`` Covid-19 must be a wake-up call .
It is time for an end to the hubris , '' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the virtual assembly .
`` Either we get through this pandemic together , or we fail , '' Guterres added .
The annual World Health Assembly ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the usual three weeks to just two days , and is focusing solely on the pandemic , which has killed over 315,000 people globally .
Speaking by video-link , a wide range of country leaders and health ministers hailed the WHO 's efforts to coordinate the response , and urged more funding and stronger support for the UN agency .
But US health secretary Alex Azar blamed the WHO for not obtaining or providing the information needed to stem the pandemic .
`` We must be frank about one of the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : there was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed , and that failure cost many lives , '' he said .
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile reiterated to the assembly that his organisation had `` sounded the alarm early , and we sounded it often '' .
And Guterres noted : `` Many countries have ignored the recommendations of the World Health Organization . ''
The world was `` paying a heavy price '' for the sometimes contradictory strategies , he added .
Washington is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing , where the pandemic began late last year .
But it has also increasingly taken aim at the WHO .
US President Donald Trump announced last month that Washington , the WHO 's largest donor , would suspend its funding to the organisation .
Despite the growing tensions between the world 's two largest economies , member states hope the WHA will adopt a resolution aimed at fashioning a joint response , including commitments on equitable access to potential treatments and vaccines .
Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced support for a joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make any vaccine his country developed available for all .
`` After the research and development of China 's coronavirus vaccine is completed and it is put into use , it will be made a global public good , '' said Xi , whose country currently has five potential vaccines in clinical trials .
French President Emmanuel Macron said any vaccine must `` be a global public good '' .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also insisted it `` should of course be available and affordable to all '' .
A WHA resolution tabled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` impartial , independent and comprehensive evaluation '' of the international response to the coronavirus crisis .
An EU source hailed the draft as `` ambitious '' , pointing out that if it passed by consensus as expected , it would mark the first time a global forum had achieved unanimous support for a text on the Covid-19 response .
Countries had not shied away from thorny topics , said the source — including a call for more WHO reform after determining that its capacities had `` proven insufficient to prevent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for an independent review of `` every aspect '' of the UN health agency 's response to the pandemic .
Xi also said Beijing would support a `` comprehensive evaluation '' of the global response to the pandemic — once the virus had been brought under control .
Member states meanwhile steered clear of a controversial discussion on whether to grant Taiwan observer status , a move vehemently opposed by Beijing , which considers the island part of its territory .
Nearly 15 states , including Belize , Guatemala and Honduras , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be added to the WHA agenda .
> > Despite praise for Covid-19 response , Taiwan barred from WHO assembly Washington has also been increasingly vocal , with demands that Taiwan be allowed in as an observer .
But amid fears the row would overshadow the global health body 's work to address the Covid-19 crisis , members unanimously agreed Monday to postpone the discussion until later in the year .
Although Washington did not object to the postponement during the session , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed `` Taiwan 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damages the WHO 's credibility and effectiveness '' , he said .

The World Health Organization received praise from many countries but fierce criticism from the United States at the start of its virtual assembly on Monday, as members worked on a joint response to Covid-19 and sought assurances that a future vaccine would be available to all.
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"Covid-19 must be a wake-up call. It is time for an end to the hubris," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the virtual assembly.
"Either we get through this pandemic together, or we fail," Guterres added.
The annual World Health Assembly (WHA) has this year been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, and is focusing solely on the pandemic, which has killed over 315,000 people globally.
Speaking by video-link, a wide range of country leaders and health ministers hailed the WHO's efforts to coordinate the response, and urged more funding and stronger support for the UN agency.
But US health secretary Alex Azar blamed the WHO for not obtaining or providing the information needed to stem the pandemic.
'Failure cost many lives'
"We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control: there was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives," he said.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile reiterated to the assembly that his organisation had "sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often".
And Guterres noted: "Many countries have ignored the recommendations of the World Health Organization." The world was "paying a heavy price" for the sometimes contradictory strategies, he added.
Washington is locked in an increasingly bitter spat with Beijing, where the pandemic began late last year. But it has also increasingly taken aim at the WHO.
US President Donald Trump announced last month that Washington, the WHO's largest donor, would suspend its funding to the organisation.
Despite the growing tensions between the world's two largest economies, member states hope the WHA will adopt a resolution aimed at fashioning a joint response, including commitments on equitable access to potential treatments and vaccines.
Vaccine ‘a global public good'
Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced support for a joint approach, vowing in his address to make any vaccine his country developed available for all.
"After the research and development of China's coronavirus vaccine is completed and it is put into use, it will be made a global public good," said Xi, whose country currently has five potential vaccines in clinical trials.
French President Emmanuel Macron said any vaccine must "be a global public good". German Chancellor Angela Merkel also insisted it "should of course be available and affordable to all".
A WHA resolution tabled by the European Union also calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the international response to the coronavirus crisis.
An EU source hailed the draft as "ambitious", pointing out that if it passed by consensus as expected, it would mark the first time a global forum had achieved unanimous support for a text on the Covid-19 response.
Countries had not shied away from thorny topics, said the source — including a call for more WHO reform after determining that its capacities had "proven insufficient to prevent a crisis of this magnitude".
Azar called for an independent review of "every aspect" of the UN health agency's response to the pandemic.
Xi also said Beijing would support a "comprehensive evaluation" of the global response to the pandemic — once the virus had been brought under control.
Taiwan exclusion ‘damages WHO’s credibility’
Member states meanwhile steered clear of a controversial discussion on whether to grant Taiwan observer status, a move vehemently opposed by Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory.
Nearly 15 states, including Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, wanted the question of Taiwan's participation to be added to the WHA agenda.
>> Despite praise for Covid-19 response, Taiwan barred from WHO assembly
Washington has also been increasingly vocal, with demands that Taiwan be allowed in as an observer.
But amid fears the row would overshadow the global health body's work to address the Covid-19 crisis, members unanimously agreed Monday to postpone the discussion until later in the year.
Although Washington did not object to the postponement during the session, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed "Taiwan's exclusion".
The move "further damages the WHO's credibility and effectiveness", he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-19--US Covid-19 vaccine trial shows promising early results

A sign marks the headquarters of Moderna Therapeutics , which is developing a vaccine against the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) , in Cambridge , Massachusetts , U.S. , May 18 , 2020 .
Moderna Inc 's experimental COVID-19 vaccine , the first to be tested in the United States , produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers , according to very early data released by the biotech company on Monday .
The data comes from eight people who took part in a 45-subject safety trial that kicked off in March .
The Moderna vaccine is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect against the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 4.7 million people globally and killed over 317,000 .
Overall , the study showed the vaccine was safe and all study participants produced antibodies against the virus .
An analysis of the response in the eight individuals showed that those who received a 100 microgram dose and people who received a 25 microgram dose had levels of protective antibodies to fend of the virus that exceeded those found in the blood of people who recovered from COVID-19 , the illness caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a release by the U.S. biotechnology company , lifted shares of Moderna by 20 % .
The stock later fell 1.6 % in extended trading after the company said it plans to sell $ 1.25 billion in common stock to raise money for vaccine development and manufacturing .
`` These are significant findings but it is a Phase 1 clinical trial that only included eight people .
It was designed for safety , not for efficacy , '' said Dr. Amesh Adalja , in infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study .
The very early data offers a glimmer of hope for a vaccine among the most advanced in development .
Adalja said many glitches can occur between now and the time this vaccine is tested for efficacy in thousands of people .
`` What we do see is encouraging , '' he said .
Scientists are trying to understand what level of antibodies will ultimately prove protective against the novel coronavirus , and how long that protection will last .
Moderna said the vaccine appeared to show a dose response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mcg dose produced more antibodies than people who got the lower dose .
The vaccine has gotten the green light to start the second stage of human testing .
Last week , U.S. regulators gave the vaccine `` fast-track '' status to speed up the regulatory review .
In the Phase II , or midstage , trial designed to further test effectiveness and find the optimal dose , Moderna said it will drop plans to test a 250 mcg dose and test a 50 mcg dose instead .
Reducing the dose required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vaccine required in each shot , meaning the company could ultimately produce more of the vaccine .
`` In the context of a pandemic , we expect demand to far outstrip supply and the lower the dose the more people we expect to be able to protect , '' said Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks .
The U.S. government in April placed a big bet on Moderna , backing its vaccine with $ 483 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) , a part of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HHS ) .
The company said that grant will enable it to supply millions of doses per month in 2020 and , with further investments , tens of millions a month in 2021 if the vaccine proves successful .
`` We are investing to scale up manufacturing so we can maximize the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2 , '' Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said , using the official name for the new virus .
In May , Moderna struck a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over time will allow the company to make up to 1 billion 50 mcg doses by the end of 2021 , Zaks said in an interview .
The company is working out a plan to provide vaccine to countries outside of the United States , Zaks said .
`` The U.S. is poised to be the first beneficiary of this vaccine , '' Zaks said , adding that the company believes it has an `` ethical obligation to make this vaccine available to whoever needs it globally . ''
Moderna said it expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phase III , trial in July .
There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19 , and experts predict a safe and effective vaccine could take 12 to 18 months from the start of development , which in Moderna 's case was in January .
The most notable side effects reported from the early testing of Moderna 's vaccine were three participants with “ flu-like ” symptoms following a second shot of the highest dose .
The company said it believed the symptoms were an indirect measure of a strong immune @ @

Moderna Inc's experimental COVID-19 vaccine, the first to be tested in the United States, produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, according to very early data released by the biotech company on Monday.
The headquarters of Moderna Therapeutics, which is developing a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, May 18, 2020.
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The data comes from eight people who took part in a 45-subject safety trial that kicked off in March. The Moderna vaccine is one of more than 100 under development intended to protect against the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 4.7 million people globally and killed over 317,000.
Overall, the study showed the vaccine was safe and all study participants produced antibodies against the virus.
An analysis of the response in the eight individuals showed that those who received a 100 microgram dose and people who received a 25 microgram dose had levels of protective antibodies to fend of the virus that exceeded those found in the blood of people who recovered from Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The news, issued in a release by the U.S. biotechnology company, lifted shares of Moderna by 20%. The stock later fell 1.6% in extended trading after the company said it plans to sell $1.25 billion in common stock to raise money for vaccine development and manufacturing.
"These are significant findings but it is a Phase 1 clinical trial that only included eight people. It was designed for safety, not for efficacy," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, in infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who was not involved in the study.
The very early data offers a glimmer of hope for a vaccine among the most advanced in development.
Adalja said many glitches can occur between now and the time this vaccine is tested for efficacy in thousands of people. "What we do see is encouraging," he said.
Scientists are trying to understand what level of antibodies will ultimately prove protective against the novel coronavirus, and how long that protection will last.
Moderna said the vaccine appeared to show a dose response, meaning that people who received the 100 mcg dose produced more antibodies than people who got the lower dose.
The vaccine has gotten the green light to start the second stage of human testing. Last week, U.S. regulators gave the vaccine "fast-track" status to speed up the regulatory review.
In the Phase II, or midstage, trial designed to further test effectiveness and find the optimal dose, Moderna said it will drop plans to test a 250 mcg dose and test a 50 mcg dose instead.
Reducing the dose required to produce immunity could help spare the amount of vaccine required in each shot, meaning the company could ultimately produce more of the vaccine.
Maximising number of doses
"In the context of a pandemic, we expect demand to far outstrip supply and the lower the dose the more people we expect to be able to protect," said Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks.
The U.S. government in April placed a big bet on Moderna, backing its vaccine with $483 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The company said that grant will enable it to supply millions of doses per month in 2020 and, with further investments, tens of millions a month in 2021 if the vaccine proves successful.
"We are investing to scale up manufacturing so we can maximize the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2," Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said, using the official name for the new virus.
In May, Moderna struck a 10-year strategic collaboration with Lonza Group that over time will allow the company to make up to 1 billion 50 mcg doses by the end of 2021, Zaks said in an interview.
The company is working out a plan to provide the vaccine to countries outside of the United States, Zaks said.
"The U.S. is poised to be the first beneficiary of this vaccine," Zaks said, adding that the company believes it has an "ethical obligation to make this vaccine available to whoever needs it globally."
Moderna said it expects to start a larger late-stage, or Phase III, trial in July.
There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for Covid-19, and experts predict a safe and effective vaccine could take 12 to 18 months from the start of development, which in Moderna's case was in January.
The most notable side effects reported from the early testing of Moderna's vaccine were three participants with “flu-like” symptoms following a second shot of the highest dose. The company said it believed the symptoms were an indirect measure of a strong immune response.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--Despite praise for Covid-19 response, Taiwan barred from WHO assembly

Taiwan 's Health Minister Chen Shih-chung holds a news conference about the country 's efforts to get into the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in Taipei on May 15 , 2020 .
Despite winning global praise for its efficient response to the coronavirus pandemic , Taiwan did not get invited to this week 's meeting of a key World Health Organization ( WHO ) body , an omission Taiwanese and US authorities have blamed on pressure from China .
Non-WHO member Taiwan had been lobbying to take part in the WHO 's decision-making body the World Health Assembly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lock it out was to create a gap in fighting the coronavirus pandemic .
Instead , WHO member states agreed at the start the assembly to delay a controversial discussion on granting Taiwan observer status , despite the United States and others stepping up pressure in recent days .
Taiwan had said it wanted to share with the world its successful experience at fighting the coronavirus , having only reported 440 cases and seven deaths thanks to early detection and prevention work .
But China , which considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a sovereign state , strongly objected to Taiwan taking part in the assembly unless it accepted it was part of China , something the Taipei government refused to do .
`` Despite all our efforts and an unprecedented level of international support , Taiwan has not received an invitation to take part , '' Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told reporters .
`` The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses deep regret and strong dissatisfaction that the World Health Organization Secretariat has yielded to pressure from the Chinese government and continues to disregard the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people of Taiwan , '' Wu added .
Taiwan 's Presidential Office also expressed anger , saying the Taiwanese people have `` the absolute right '' to participate in the international community and that the island would not bow to Chinese pressure .
`` We solemnly urge the World Health Organization Secretariat to reject Beijing 's inappropriate interference , '' Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a news conference .
Both the WHO and China say Taiwan has been provided with the help and information it needs during the pandemic , which Taiwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly clashed with China over its refusal to allow Taiwan full access to the body , helping to further fuel tension between Washington and Beijing .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday condemned the WHO 's delay on whether to include Taiwan , saying it proved US charges that the UN body was beholden to China .
Pompeo said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , who has been harshly criticized by President Donald Trump 's administration , `` had every legal power and precedent '' to include Taiwan in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to invite Taiwan under pressure from the People 's Republic of China , '' Pompeo said in a statement .
`` The Director-General 's lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwan 's renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease , and further damages the WHO 's credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most , '' Pompeo said in a statement .
Taiwan attended the assembly as an observer from 2009-2016 but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen , who China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she rejects .
Wu said that Taiwan had agreed the issue of its participation would be put off until later in the year so the shorted assembly can focus on the coronavirus '' Understandably , countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic , '' he said .
`` For this reason , like-minded nations and diplomatic allies have suggested that the proposal be taken up later this year when meetings will be conducted normally , to make sure there will be full and open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After careful deliberation , we have accepted the suggestion from our allies and like-minded nations to wait until the resumed session before further promoting our bid . ''

Despite winning global praise for its efficient response to the coronavirus pandemic, Taiwan did not get invited to this week's meeting of a key World Health Organization (WHO) body, an omission Taiwanese and US authorities have blamed on pressure from China.
Taiwan's Health Minister Chen Shih-chung holds a news conference about the country's efforts to get into the World Health Organization (WHO) in Taipei on May 15, 2020.
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Non-WHO member Taiwan had been lobbying to take part in the WHO's decision-making body the World Health Assembly, which opened on Monday, saying that to lock it out was to create a gap in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, WHO member states agreed at the start the assembly to delay a controversial discussion on granting Taiwan observer status, despite the United States and others stepping up pressure in recent days.
Taiwan had said it wanted to share with the world its successful experience at fighting the coronavirus, having only reported 440 cases and seven deaths thanks to early detection and prevention work.
But China, which considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its own with no right to attend international bodies as a sovereign state, strongly objected to Taiwan taking part in the assembly unless it accepted it was part of China, something the Taipei government refused to do.
"Despite all our efforts and an unprecedented level of international support, Taiwan has not received an invitation to take part," Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told reporters.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses deep regret and strong dissatisfaction that the World Health Organization Secretariat has yielded to pressure from the Chinese government and continues to disregard the right to health of the 23 million people of Taiwan," Wu added.
Taiwan's Presidential Office also expressed anger, saying the Taiwanese people have "the absolute right" to participate in the international community and that the island would not bow to Chinese pressure.
"We solemnly urge the World Health Organization Secretariat to reject Beijing's inappropriate interference," Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang told a news conference.
Both the WHO and China say Taiwan has been provided with the help and information it needs during the pandemic, which Taiwan has strongly disputed.
US slams 'pressure from China'
The United States has repeatedly clashed with China over its refusal to allow Taiwan full access to the body, helping to further fuel tension between Washington and Beijing.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday condemned the WHO's delay on whether to include Taiwan, saying it proved US charges that the UN body was beholden to China.
Pompeo said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has been harshly criticized by President Donald Trump's administration, "had every legal power and precedent" to include Taiwan in the meeting.
"Yet he instead chose not to invite Taiwan under pressure from the People's Republic of China," Pompeo said in a statement.
"The Director-General's lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwan's renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease, and further damages the WHO's credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most," Pompeo said in a statement.
Taiwan attended the assembly as an observer from 2009-2016 but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who China views as a separatist, an accusation she rejects.
Wu said that Taiwan had agreed the issue of its participation would be put off until later in the year so the shorted assembly can focus on the coronavirus
"Understandably, countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic," he said.
"For this reason, like-minded nations and diplomatic allies have suggested that the proposal be taken up later this year when meetings will be conducted normally, to make sure there will be full and open discussion," Wu added.
"After careful deliberation, we have accepted the suggestion from our allies and like-minded nations to wait until the resumed session before further promoting our bid."
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--Covid-19: France and Germany propose €500 billion EU recovery fund

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented a joint plan to spur EU recovery from the coronavirus crisis on Monday , after weeks of debate over how to deploy billions of euros needed to end a painful recession .
In a joint video conference , Macron and Merkel called for the creation of a 500-billion-euro ( $ 543 billion ) recovery fund able to offer grants to the countries and regions hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis .
The leaders of France and Germany also said they were proposing to authorise the European Commission to borrow money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's name , while at the same time respecting EU treaties .
The two biggest EU countries , whose agreements usually pave the way for broader EU deals , proposed that the European Commission borrow the money on behalf of the whole EU and spend it as an additional top-up to the 2021-2027 EU budget that is already close to 1 trillion euros over that period .
Macron said this was the first time France and Germany agreed to let the EU raise debt jointly , calling this a `` major step foward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recovery fund would be made available in the form of grants and not loans .
`` That 's a real change in philosophy , '' the French president said .
`` I believe this is a very deep transformation and that 's what the European Union and the single market needed to remain coherent .
It 's what the euro zone needs to remain united . ''
Still , grants from the proposed recovery fund will have strings attached — they are to be `` based on a clear commitment from Member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ambitious reform agenda , '' according to the Franco-German proposal .
Merkel said that in all , EU member states and the bloc 's executive would mobilise a combined sum of three trillion euros to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
Europe is just beginning to emerge from lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus , which has taken a huge bite out of national economies .
But divisions among EU members on how to craft an overall response have hampered comprehensive action so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Franco-German initiative was the fruit of extensive talks with other EU member states , including Italy and the Netherlands , which have been at loggerheads in recent weeks .
The recovery debate has again exposed the bloc 's divide between northern countries leery of exploding budget deficits , and hard-hit southern countries like Italy and Spain that are desperate for more spending .
`` We will consider proposals and ideas like the French and Germans have done .
Eventually there must be a proposal from the European Commission and that will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Stephan Schrover , a spokesman for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte .
The eurozone economy overall is forecast to contract by a whopping 7.7 percent this year , but the damage could be worse in Italy and Greece , which could see their economies shrink by nearly 10 percent , prompting a cascade of bankruptcies and job losses .
The European Commission is to present its own proposal for a Recovery Fund linked to the EU 's next long-term budget on May 27 and said it welcomed the initiative from Paris and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces , and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core , '' Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said , commenting on th Franco-German proposal .
`` This goes in the direction of the proposal the Commission is working on which will also take into account the views of all member States and the European Parliament , '' she said .
The European Parliament has called in a resolution for governments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU budget so that it can pay back the money the Commission would borrow to pay for the grants .
Among possible new revenue sources for the EU budget , the parliament has listed a plastics tax , a digital tax , a financial transactions tax and a levy on goods imported into the EU from countries that have lower CO2 emissions standards than the EU .
The European Central Bank has also promised to do `` whatever is necessary '' to help weather the crisis , including a 750-billion-euro scheme to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bank 's head Christine Lagarde welcomed the plan unveiled by Macron and Merkel on Monday , saying it would bring much-needed relief to the worst-hit EU countries .
`` The Franco-German proposals are ambitious , targeted and welcome , '' Lagarde said in a joint interview with four European newspapers .
The proposals `` open the way for long-term borrowing by the European Commission and above all allow significant direct budgetary aid to the member states worst affected by the crisis , '' Lagarde told newspapers Les Echos , Handelsblatt , Corriere @ @ @ @ @ @

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented a joint plan to spur EU recovery from the coronavirus crisis on Monday, after weeks of debate over how to deploy billions of euros needed to end a painful recession.
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In a joint video conference, Macron and Merkel called for the creation of a 500-billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund able to offer grants to the countries and regions hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.
The leaders of France and Germany also said they were proposing to authorise the European Commission to borrow money on financial markets in the European Union's name, while at the same time respecting EU treaties.
20:25
The two biggest EU countries, whose agreements usually pave the way for broader EU deals, proposed that the European Commission borrow the money on behalf of the whole EU and spend it as an additional top-up to the 2021-2027 EU budget that is already close to 1 trillion euros over that period.
Macron said this was the first time France and Germany agreed to let the EU raise debt jointly, calling this a "major step foward". He insisted that money from the recovery fund would be made available in the form of grants and not loans.
02:31
"That's a real change in philosophy," the French president said. "I believe this is a very deep transformation and that's what the European Union and the single market needed to remain coherent. It's what the euro zone needs to remain united."
Still, grants from the proposed recovery fund will have strings attached — they are to be "based on a clear commitment from Member States to follow sound economic policies and an ambitious reform agenda," according to the Franco-German proposal.
Merkel said that in all, EU member states and the bloc's executive would mobilise a combined sum of three trillion euros to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
RT @StefanLeifert Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron announce a € 500 billion Recovery Fund for the EU's economic recovery after the crisis. The fund will be part of the EU budget and to support the hardest hit regions and branches. And: It should promote Europe's cohesion. 🇪🇺 — Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) May 18, 2020
Europe is just beginning to emerge from lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has taken a huge bite out of national economies. But divisions among EU members on how to craft an overall response have hampered comprehensive action so far.
Macron said on Monday that the Franco-German initiative was the fruit of extensive talks with other EU member states, including Italy and the Netherlands, which have been at loggerheads in recent weeks.
The recovery debate has again exposed the bloc's divide between northern countries leery of exploding budget deficits, and hard-hit southern countries like Italy and Spain that are desperate for more spending.
"We will consider proposals and ideas like the French and Germans have done. Eventually there must be a proposal from the European Commission and that will be the starting point for the discussions," said Stephan Schrover, a spokesman for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The eurozone economy overall is forecast to contract by a whopping 7.7 percent this year, but the damage could be worse in Italy and Greece, which could see their economies shrink by nearly 10 percent, prompting a cascade of bankruptcies and job losses.
"There is no agreement at 27 if there is no agreement between France and Germany".
While the European Commission still takes time before presenting its own plan, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel unveil their joint proposal for a 500 billion euros for the #Recovery Initiative. pic.twitter.com/HcTcn2f3lW — Gabriele Rosana🇮🇹🇪🇺 (@GabRosana) May 18, 2020
The European Commission is to present its own proposal for a Recovery Fund linked to the EU's next long-term budget on May 27 and said it welcomed the initiative from Paris and Berlin.
"It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core," Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said, commenting on th Franco-German proposal.
"This goes in the direction of the proposal the Commission is working on which will also take into account the views of all member States and the European Parliament," she said.
The European Parliament has called in a resolution for governments to assign new, dedicated revenue streams to the EU budget so that it can pay back the money the Commission would borrow to pay for the grants.
Among possible new revenue sources for the EU budget, the parliament has listed a plastics tax, a digital tax, a financial transactions tax and a levy on goods imported into the EU from countries that have lower CO2 emissions standards than the EU.
The European Central Bank has also promised to do "whatever is necessary" to help weather the crisis, including a 750-billion-euro scheme to buy government bonds for cash-strapped nations.
The bank's head Christine Lagarde welcomed the plan unveiled by Macron and Merkel on Monday, saying it would bring much-needed relief to the worst-hit EU countries.
"The Franco-German proposals are ambitious, targeted and welcome," Lagarde said in a joint interview with four European newspapers.
The proposals "open the way for long-term borrowing by the European Commission and above all allow significant direct budgetary aid to the member states worst affected by the crisis," Lagarde told newspapers Les Echos, Handelsblatt, Corriere della Sera and El Mundo.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--French hospitals see number of critical Covid-19 cases drop below 2,000

A patient suffering from Covid-19 is treated in the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) at the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris on May 6 , 2020 .
France reported 131 new coronavirus deaths on Monday , bringing the total to 28,239 , as the number of patients in intensive care units dropped below 2,000 for the first time since March .
Monday ’ s death toll marks a significant drop from the 483 fatalities reported on Sunday , though the latter figure took into account “ additional data ” provided by local health agencies .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday from 142,481 a day earlier .
The health ministry said the number of people in hospitals fell to 19,015 from 19,361 on Sunday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 1,998 from 2,087 .
Both numbers — key indicators for the French health system ’ s ability to cope with the epidemic — have been on a downtrend for five weeks and peaked at more than 32,000 and more than 7,000 respectively in early to mid-April .
`` The Covid-19 pandemic is still active , '' the ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of infections linger in France , where junior high schools are now reopening their doors in some regions .
France began easing nationwide lockdown measures last Monday in an effort to revive its flagging economy , but the government has warned it could reverse that decision in the event of a sharp upturn in infections .

France reported 131 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 28,239, as the number of patients in intensive care units dropped below 2,000 for the first time since March.
A patient suffering from Covid-19 is treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris on May 6, 2020.
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Monday’s death toll marks a significant drop from the 483 fatalities reported on Sunday, though the latter figure took into account “additional data” provided by local health agencies.
The number of confirmed cases rose to 142,903 on Monday from 142,481 a day earlier.
The health ministry said the number of people in hospitals fell to 19,015 from 19,361 on Sunday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 1,998 from 2,087.
Both numbers — key indicators for the French health system’s ability to cope with the epidemic — have been on a downtrend for five weeks and peaked at more than 32,000 and more than 7,000 respectively in early to mid-April.
"The Covid-19 pandemic is still active," the ministry said, as fears of a second wave of infections linger in France, where junior high schools are now reopening their doors in some regions.
France began easing nationwide lockdown measures last Monday in an effort to revive its flagging economy, but the government has warned it could reverse that decision in the event of a sharp upturn in infections.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--Training dogs to sniff out Covid-19

Training dogs to sniff out Covid-19

Researchers in the UK are testing whether dogs can be trained to detect people with coronavirus .
Using dogs ’ powerful sense of smell to detect people with Covid-19 could revolutionise how the disease is identified and tracked , according to scientists in the UK who on Saturday were awarded government funding to research the theory .
The study is being carried out by Durham University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , along with the charity Medical Detection Dogs , and will use facemasks and clothing worn by Coivd-19 patients to test if canines can identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown to be able to detect a number of diseases using smell , including certain cancers and malaria .
“ It builds up on years of research that we ’ ve already done as a team to demonstrate that people who have a malaria infection have a distinctive body odour and we ’ ve shown that dogs can be trained to detect that with very high accuracy , ” lead researcher Professor James Logan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Reuters .
“ So , if this is successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this could completely revolutionise the way that we are tackling this disease.
” Other countries are carrying out similar research , including in France where trials began in Corsica last month to re-train rescue and fire brigade sniffer dogs to detect the virus by teaching them to associate the smell of swabs taken from Covid-19 patients with their favourite toys .

Using dogs’ powerful sense of smell to detect people with Covid-19 could revolutionise how the disease is identified and tracked, according to scientists in the UK who on Saturday were awarded government funding to research the theory.
Researchers in the UK are testing whether dogs can be trained to detect people with coronavirus.
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The study is being carried out by Durham University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, along with the charity Medical Detection Dogs, and will use facemasks and clothing worn by Coivd-19 patients to test if canines can identify the virus.
Dogs have already been shown to be able to detect a number of diseases using smell, including certain cancers and malaria.
“It builds up on years of research that we’ve already done as a team to demonstrate that people who have a malaria infection have a distinctive body odour and we’ve shown that dogs can be trained to detect that with very high accuracy,” lead researcher Professor James Logan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Reuters.
“So, if this is successful and we show the same for Covid-19, this could completely revolutionise the way that we are tackling this disease.”
Other countries are carrying out similar research, including in France where trials began in Corsica last month to re-train rescue and fire brigade sniffer dogs to detect the virus by teaching them to associate the smell of swabs taken from Covid-19 patients with their favourite toys.
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france24--2020-05-18--French screen legend Michel Piccoli, who starred in ‘Le Mépris’, dies at 94

French actor Michel Piccoli at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in France , on May 17 , 2014 .
Michel Piccoli , one of the most original and versatile French actors of the last half century , who starred in classics by Luis Buñuel , Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle , has died aged 94 , his family said Monday .
He died “ in the arms of his wife Ludivine and his children Inord and Missia after a stroke ” , the family told AFP .
Piccoli starred in a string of classics that redefined world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Belle de Jour ” and “ The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie ” to a typically memorable turn opposite Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard ’ s “ Le Mépris ” ( `` Contempt '' ) in 1963 .
A masterful performer with a wickedly malicious edge , he managed to carve out a hugely prolific career as both an art house icon and a kind of French Cary Grant .
Like Grant and other Hollywood all-rounders Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper , Piccoli was able to adapt himself to virtually any kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen persona .
With his bald forehead , vast eyebrows and sly grin , he hopped easily from seducer to cop to gangster to pope ( 2011 's `` Habemus Papam '' by Nanni Moretti ) , with a predilection in the 1970s and 1980s for ambiguous and cynical roles .
Yet despite his omnipresence , with Buñuel alone casting him in six of his films , Piccoli never won a French Oscar – the César – despite being nominated four times including for Louis Malle ’ s “ Milou in May ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belle Noiseuse ” in 1991 .
He did , however , win best actor at the Cannes film festival in 1980 for playing a tortured Italian judge in Marco Bellocchio ’ s “ A Leap in the Dark ” and the following year shared best actor at Berlin for “ Une étrange affaire ” .
Piccoli was a life-long left-winger who counted the philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre among his friends , but that did not stop him raging against repression in the old Eastern Bloc and supporting the Polish trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best known films outside France was Marco Ferreri ’ s 1973 “ La Grande Bouffe ” ( Blow-Out ) , in which a group of male friends shut themselves up in a house with prostitutes and try to eat themselves to death .
“ I do not put on an act ...
I slip away behind my characters .
To be an actor , you have to be flexible , ” Piccoli said .

Michel Piccoli, one of the most original and versatile French actors of the last half century, who starred in classics by Luis Buñuel, Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle, has died aged 94, his family said Monday.
French actor Michel Piccoli at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in France, on May 17, 2014.
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He died “in the arms of his wife Ludivine and his children Inord and Missia after a stroke”, the family told AFP.
Piccoli starred in a string of classics that redefined world cinema, from Luis Buñuel’s “Belle de Jour” and “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” to a typically memorable turn opposite Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard’s “Le Mépris” ("Contempt") in 1963.
I’m sad to report that French film legend Michel Piccoli has died at the age of 94. In a career spanning more than 60 years he was in everything from Melville’s Le Doulos to Hitchcock’s Topaz from Bunuel’s Diary of a Chambermaid and Belle du Jour to Louis Malle’s Atlantic ... pic.twitter.com/JxShkI6e8t — TonyWendice (@tonywendice1954) May 18, 2020
A masterful performer with a wickedly malicious edge, he managed to carve out a hugely prolific career as both an art house icon and a kind of French Cary Grant.
Like Grant and other Hollywood all-rounders Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper, Piccoli was able to adapt himself to virtually any kind of material without altering his essential everyman screen persona.
With his bald forehead, vast eyebrows and sly grin, he hopped easily from seducer to cop to gangster to pope (2011's "Habemus Papam" by Nanni Moretti), with a predilection in the 1970s and 1980s for ambiguous and cynical roles.
Actor and activist
Yet despite his omnipresence, with Buñuel alone casting him in six of his films, Piccoli never won a French Oscar – the César – despite being nominated four times including for Louis Malle’s “Milou in May” and Jacques Rivette’s “La Belle Noiseuse” in 1991.
He did, however, win best actor at the Cannes film festival in 1980 for playing a tortured Italian judge in Marco Bellocchio’s “A Leap in the Dark” and the following year shared best actor at Berlin for “Une étrange affaire”.
Michel Piccoli (1925-2020). One of cinema’s great icons. pic.twitter.com/uE0elgSs3g — Klaas Demortier (@klaasdemortier) May 18, 2020
Piccoli was a life-long left-winger who counted the philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre among his friends, but that did not stop him raging against repression in the old Eastern Bloc and supporting the Polish trade union, Solidarity.
One of his best known films outside France was Marco Ferreri’s 1973 “La Grande Bouffe” (Blow-Out), in which a group of male friends shut themselves up in a house with prostitutes and try to eat themselves to death.
“I do not put on an act... I slip away behind my characters. To be an actor, you have to be flexible,” Piccoli said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--Uber announces further layoffs in shift away from 'non-core projects'

Uber Technologies Inc will concentrate on its core businesses in ride-hailing and food delivery , Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in an email to employees on Monday , announcing the company 's second round of job cuts during the coronavirus pandemic .
Uber will cut about 3,000 jobs , in addition to the 3,700 it had announced earlier this month , Khosrowshahi said , adding that the company plans to reduce investments in several `` non-core projects . ''
Shares in Uber rose 8 % to $ 35.27 on the news .
In a separate regulatory filing , Uber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures are expected to generate $ 1 billion in annual cost savings compared to pre-pandemic estimates .
Uber has been working on various other businesses , including the development of self-driving cars and a freight logistics network .
Khosrowshahi did not directly mention these businesses in his email and a spokesman declined to comment beyond the email .
Khosrowshahi said Uber must establish itself as a self-sustaining enterprise no longer in need of outside capital , calling the company 's food delivery business Uber Eats the `` next enormous growth opportunity . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inc to reinforce its food delivery business .
The ride-hailing business has suffered a near-total collapse as large parts of the United States and the rest of the world shut to combat the spread of the virus .
Nearly two-thirds of Uber 's revenue is generated in the United States and Canada , where stay-at-home orders were issued in the middle of March .
The company said that trip requests had plummeted 80 % globally in April , but were slowly recovering .
Khosrowshahi also said the company would wind down its office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and move to a new `` hub '' in the Asia-Pacific region .
Uber would also close down about 45 of its offices , including the one at Pier 70 in San Francisco .

Uber Technologies Inc will concentrate on its core businesses in ride-hailing and food delivery, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in an email to employees on Monday, announcing the company's second round of job cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Uber will cut about 3,000 jobs, in addition to the 3,700 it had announced earlier this month, Khosrowshahi said, adding that the company plans to reduce investments in several "non-core projects."
Shares in Uber rose 8% to $35.27 on the news.
In a separate regulatory filing, Uber on Monday said the layoffs and restructuring measures are expected to generate $1 billion in annual cost savings compared to pre-pandemic estimates.
Uber has been working on various other businesses, including the development of self-driving cars and a freight logistics network. Khosrowshahi did not directly mention these businesses in his email and a spokesman declined to comment beyond the email.
Khosrowshahi said Uber must establish itself as a self-sustaining enterprise no longer in need of outside capital, calling the company's food delivery business Uber Eats the "next enormous growth opportunity."
Uber is currently in talks with GrubHub Inc to reinforce its food delivery business.
The ride-hailing business has suffered a near-total collapse as large parts of the United States and the rest of the world shut to combat the spread of the virus.
Nearly two-thirds of Uber's revenue is generated in the United States and Canada, where stay-at-home orders were issued in the middle of March. The company said that trip requests had plummeted 80% globally in April, but were slowly recovering.
Khosrowshahi also said the company would wind down its office in Singapore over the next 12 months, and move to a new "hub" in the Asia-Pacific region.
Uber would also close down about 45 of its offices, including the one at Pier 70 in San Francisco.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--FBI says al Qaeda linked to Saudi shooter at Florida naval base

Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida , where the deadly shooting took place last December .
The FBI cracked the iPhone encryption of the Royal Saudi Air Force trainee who killed three American sailors in a December attack at a US naval base in Florida and found evidence linking him to al Qaeda , Attorney General William Barr said on Monday .
The shooter , Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani , 21 , was killed by law enforcement during the Dec. 6 , 2019 attack .
He was on the base as part of a US Navy training program designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Justice Department succeeded in unlocking the encryption on the shooter 's iPhone after Apple Inc declined to do so , Barr told reporters on a conference call .
`` The information from the phone has already proved invaluable , '' Barr said .
Barr called on Congress to take action forcing Apple and other tech companies to help law enforcement agencies get through encryption during criminal investigations .
`` Apple 's decision has dangerous consequences , '' Barr said .
`` Many of the technology companies that advocate most loudly for warrant-proof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to accommodate authoritarian regimes . ''
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
In January , it said that it was working with the FBI on the investigation .
`` We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation , '' it said at the time .
`` Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely , thorough and are ongoing . ''
In February , an audio recording purporting to be from the Islamist militant group al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) claimed responsibility for the fatal attack , but it provided no evidence .
Prior to the shooting spree , which also wounded eight people , the shooter posted criticism of U.S. wars and quoted slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on social media .
`` The evidence we have been able to develop ... shows that the Pensacola attack was actually the brutal culmination of years of planning , '' FBI Director Christopher Wray said on the same call , adding that evidence showed Alshamrani had been radicalized by 2015 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have any advanced warnings of the shooting .
However , in January , Saudi Arabia withdrew its remaining 21 cadets from the US military training program and brought them back to Saudi Arabia , after the Justice Department 's investigation revealed that some of them had accessed child pornography or had social media accounts containing Islamic extremist or anti-American content .

The FBI cracked the iPhone encryption of the Royal Saudi Air Force trainee who killed three American sailors in a December attack at a US naval base in Florida and found evidence linking him to al Qaeda, Attorney General William Barr said on Monday.
Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, where the deadly shooting took place last December.
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The shooter, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, was killed by law enforcement during the Dec. 6, 2019 attack.
He was on the base as part of a US Navy training program designed to foster links with foreign allies.
The Justice Department succeeded in unlocking the encryption on the shooter's iPhone after Apple Inc declined to do so, Barr told reporters on a conference call.
"The information from the phone has already proved invaluable," Barr said.
Barr called on Congress to take action forcing Apple and other tech companies to help law enforcement agencies get through encryption during criminal investigations.
"Apple's decision has dangerous consequences," Barr said. "Many of the technology companies that advocate most loudly for warrant-proof encryption ... are at the same time willing to accommodate authoritarian regimes."
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, it said that it was working with the FBI on the investigation.
"We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation," it said at the time. "Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing."
In February, an audio recording purporting to be from the Islamist militant group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the fatal attack, but it provided no evidence.
Prior to the shooting spree, which also wounded eight people, the shooter posted criticism of U.S. wars and quoted slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on social media.
"The evidence we have been able to develop ... shows that the Pensacola attack was actually the brutal culmination of years of planning," FBI Director Christopher Wray said on the same call, adding that evidence showed Alshamrani had been radicalized by 2015.
Barr has said the Saudi government did not have any advanced warnings of the shooting.
However, in January, Saudi Arabia withdrew its remaining 21 cadets from the US military training program and brought them back to Saudi Arabia, after the Justice Department's investigation revealed that some of them had accessed child pornography or had social media accounts containing Islamic extremist or anti-American content.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--Premier League clubs to resume training from Tuesday

Premier League clubs will return to training on Tuesday after agreeing to allow `` small group '' sessions to begin .
It is the first step in the league 's 'Project Restart ' plans to restart play in the league which has not held a game since March 9 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic .
`` Premier League Shareholders today voted unanimously to return to small group training from tomorrow ( Tuesday ) afternoon -- the first step towards restarting the Premier League , when safe to do so , '' the league said in a statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protocol enables squads to train while maintaining social distancing .
Contact training is not yet permitted , '' it added .
The league said the decision had been taken in consultation with players , managers , Premier League club doctors , independent experts and the government .
`` Strict medical protocols of the highest standard will ensure everyone returns to training in the safest environment possible , '' it added .
`` The health and wellbeing of all participants is the Premier League ’ s priority , and the safe return to training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultation will now continue with players , managers , clubs , the PFA ( Professional Footballers ' Association ) and LMA ( League Managers Association ) as protocols for full-contact training are developed , '' the statement concluded .

Premier League clubs will return to training on Tuesday after agreeing to allow "small group" sessions to begin.
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It is the first step in the league's 'Project Restart' plans to restart play in the league which has not held a game since March 9 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"Premier League Shareholders today voted unanimously to return to small group training from tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon -- the first step towards restarting the Premier League, when safe to do so," the league said in a statement.
"Step One of the Return to Training Protocol enables squads to train while maintaining social distancing. Contact training is not yet permitted," it added.
The league said the decision had been taken in consultation with players, managers, Premier League club doctors, independent experts and the government.
"Strict medical protocols of the highest standard will ensure everyone returns to training in the safest environment possible," it added.
"The health and wellbeing of all participants is the Premier League’s priority, and the safe return to training is a step-by-step process.
"Full consultation will now continue with players, managers, clubs, the PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) and LMA (League Managers Association) as protocols for full-contact training are developed," the statement concluded.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-18--Covid-19: OECD chief says it's a ‘false dilemma to say choice between lives and livelihoods’

The global economy has been turned on its head by the coronavirus pandemic , with predictions of the worst recession in 90 years .
The head of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ( OECD ) , Angel Gurria , has told FRANCE 24 that it is a “ false dilemma to say to have to choose between lives and livelihoods ” , and that dealing with both the virus and the economic consequences are interlinked .
He said that he expects the economic downturn to be more severe in the period from April through June , after several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first three months of 2020 .
`` The sooner you deal with the question of lives , the better you will deal with the question of livelihoods going forward .
But also you have to keep an eye on how you 're going to deal with the recovery period later .
In the meantime , however , we 're not out of the woods yet : we 're still dealing with the first and second stage , which is this re-opening . ''
Gurria warned that the issue of the cost of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be addressed , but not in the immediate future .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ re in for a debt crisis like we had in the past , ” he said .
“ There is going to be a price to pay , and we also have to be aware of that ” .
Despite the pandemic , the OECD chief said work is continuing on efforts to overhaul the international tax rules for the digital economy : “ It ’ s good for everybody , including for the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal certainty , so we might as well strike a deal now .
”

The global economy has been turned on its head by the coronavirus pandemic, with predictions of the worst recession in 90 years. The head of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), Angel Gurria, has told FRANCE 24 that it is a “false dilemma to say to have to choose between lives and livelihoods”, and that dealing with both the virus and the economic consequences are interlinked.
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He said that he expects the economic downturn to be more severe in the period from April through June, after several major economies fell into recession in the first three months of 2020.
"The sooner you deal with the question of lives, the better you will deal with the question of livelihoods going forward. But also you have to keep an eye on how you're going to deal with the recovery period later. In the meantime, however, we're not out of the woods yet: we're still dealing with the first and second stage, which is this re-opening."
Gurria warned that the issue of the cost of government programmes like short-term unemployment will have to be addressed, but not in the immediate future. “I don’t think we’re in for a debt crisis like we had in the past,” he said. “There is going to be a price to pay, and we also have to be aware of that”.
Despite the pandemic, the OECD chief said work is continuing on efforts to overhaul the international tax rules for the digital economy: “It’s good for everybody, including for the companies that are involved here, to have legal certainty, so we might as well strike a deal now.”
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france24--2020-05-18--Mali singer Traoré flouts French court ban and returns home

Malian singer Rokia Traoré has quit France in the midst of a child custody dispute .
Malian singer Rokia Traoré has flown home , flouting a ban issued by a French court which was to hand her over to Belgium over a child custody dispute , her lawyer said on Sunday .
The singer and guitarist was arrested in March on a European arrest warrant when she arrived from Bamako at Paris ’ Charles de Gaulle airport .
This followed a Belgian court ruling last year ordering her to return her five-year-old daughter to the child ’ s Belgian father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Paris court subsequently ruled that she could be extradited but allowed her conditional release .
“ Back in Bamako .
The quest for justice continues , ” Traoré said on her Facebook page on Tuesday in a post that was only spotted on Sunday by the French daily Le Parisien .
In a post dated Friday , Traoré , who flew back to Mali on a private flight , claimed not to be “ a terrorist ” .
“ This is a mother in a desperate plight who is afraid that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” her lawyer Kenneth Feliho told AFP .
“ That is why she left for Mali where she lives.
” Traoré is appealing the decision of the Belgian court granting full custody to her former partner .
According to her lawyer , a decision in the Mali courts had accorded custody to the singer .
An award-winning musician , Traoré is also known for her advocacy work for refugees , and was made a UN ambassador for refugees in 2016 .

Malian singer Rokia Traoré has flown home, flouting a ban issued by a French court which was to hand her over to Belgium over a child custody dispute, her lawyer said on Sunday.
Malian singer Rokia Traoré has quit France in the midst of a child custody dispute.
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The singer and guitarist was arrested in March on a European arrest warrant when she arrived from Bamako at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport.
This followed a Belgian court ruling last year ordering her to return her five-year-old daughter to the child’s Belgian father, from whom Traoré is separated.
A Paris court subsequently ruled that she could be extradited but allowed her conditional release.
“Back in Bamako. The quest for justice continues,” Traoré said on her Facebook page on Tuesday in a post that was only spotted on Sunday by the French daily Le Parisien.
In a post dated Friday, Traoré, who flew back to Mali on a private flight, claimed not to be “a terrorist”.
“This is a mother in a desperate plight who is afraid that her child will be torn from her,” her lawyer Kenneth Feliho told AFP. “That is why she left for Mali where she lives.”
Traoré is appealing the decision of the Belgian court granting full custody to her former partner. According to her lawyer, a decision in the Mali courts had accorded custody to the singer.
An award-winning musician, Traoré is also known for her advocacy work for refugees, and was made a UN ambassador for refugees in 2016.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--Europeans savour lockdown easing, but elsewhere virus cases surge

Women react as they stand in the sea during the re-opening of some Mediterranean beaches along the French Riviera city of Nice , southern France , on May 16 , 2020 , as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic .
© Valery Hache , AFP German football champions Bayern Munich played and won their first match in more than two months on Sunday as Spain and Britain recorded their lowest daily coronavirus death tolls since March , but the pandemic continued its devastation elsewhere .
With a worldwide virus death toll above 314,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast damage caused by lockdowns , numerous European countries are lifting restrictions to provide much-needed respite for their beleaguered and impatient populations .
But the virus is still surging in Brazil , which saw its number of deaths soar past 15,000 with more than 230,000 infections , making it the country with the fourth-highest number of cases .
Germany 's Bundesliga at the weekend became the first top football league to return after lockdown , bringing relief not only to European football fans but to a sports-starved world .
Defending champions Bayern Munich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadium in the capital on Sunday evening .
Already attracting a record TV audience , the restart is under intense scrutiny as a test case .
Top sports competitions are trying to find ways to resume play without increasing the risk of spreading the virus , which has infected more than 4.6 million people globally .
However , there were calls for the Bundesliga to tighten its hygiene protocol after several players celebrated goals by hugging -- two even kissing on the cheek -- during Saturday 's games .
A day before Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , the country recorded 87 new virus-related deaths -- the first time the number has fallen below 100 in two months .
Britain also registered its lowest daily increase since late March , with 170 fatalities .
However , that number did not include Northern Ireland due to a technical issue -- and these figures are often lower on weekends due to lags in reporting .
Despite the optimism in some European countries , rising infection and fatality numbers in other parts of the world offered grim reminders of the threat COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin America passed half a million as Chile locked down its capital Santiago following a sharp rise in infections .
Despite Brazil 's surging numbers , President Jair Bolsonaro is keen to end lockdowns , which he claims have unnecessarily damaged the economy .
`` Unemployment , hunger and misery will be the future of those who support the tyranny of total isolation , '' he tweeted .
India reported its biggest single-day jump in infections , prompting an extension of a nationwide lockdown for its 1.3 billion people until the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world 's second highest number of infections , claimed Sunday that steadying case rates showed the growth of the virus had been halted , after reporting its deadliest day yet on Saturday .
In Algeria , the death from COVID-19 of an eight-month pregnant doctor sparked an uproar after her request for early maternity leave was rejected .
Madagascar and Nepal reported their first coronavirus-linked deaths , while Qatar began enforcing the world 's toughest penalties of up to three years ' prison for failing to wear a mask in public .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's highest infection rates .
A team of Hong Kong experts said Sunday that research on hamsters found that mask use could reduce non-contact transmission of the virus by more than 60 percent .
The weekend brought welcome relief for people in European countries which relaxed restrictions earlier in the week , with leisure-seekers enjoying reopened beaches in France , Greece and Italy , and Britons basking in the sun in parks .
Catholics attended mass in eastern France on Sunday for the first time in two months , but the faithful were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , taking communion from mask-wearing priests .
`` Clean hands give the communion , clean hands receive it , '' said Bishop Francois Touvet in Chalons-en-Champagne .
`` An exceptional measure for an exceptional situation . ''
Italy , once the world 's worst-hit country , will allow EU tourists to visit from June 3 , and has scrapped quarantine requirements .
Restaurants , cafes and most other commercial activities will reopen there on Monday , but authorities have warned of the danger of social gatherings .
Eighteen of 50 new cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were traced to people attending a single funeral , a health official said .
But with the threat of a second wave of infections , authorities in many countries have asked people not to throng public spaces as they are made accessible again .
In China , where the virus emerged late last year but has largely been brought under control , the government 's senior medical advisor warned of just such a second wave due to a lack of widespread immunity .
`` We are facing ( a ) big challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign countries , I think , at the moment , '' Zhong Nanshan told CNN .
But with people growing weary of confinement and suffering immense economic pain , governments face growing pressure to ease lockdowns .
President Donald Trump has been keen to restart the world 's biggest economy despite the US recording a world-worst 89,000 deaths and nearly 1.48 million cases .
A top Trump economic advisor , Peter Navarro , took a swipe Sunday at the long-respected Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , saying that by initially providing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency `` let the country down . ''
And Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell offered a somber outlook for the US economy , saying it would improve steadily late this year but might not fully recover until `` the end of next year . ''
But New York , long a virus hotspot , has seen steady improvement , and Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday took a virus test on live television in a bid to encourage more widespread testing and pave the way for a safer reopening of the populous state .

German football champions Bayern Munich played and won their first match in more than two months on Sunday as Spain and Britain recorded their lowest daily coronavirus death tolls since March, but the pandemic continued its devastation elsewhere.
Women react as they stand in the sea during the re-opening of some Mediterranean beaches along the French Riviera city of Nice, southern France, on May 16, 2020, as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. © Valery Hache, AFP
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With a worldwide virus death toll above 314,000 and the global economy reeling from the vast damage caused by lockdowns, numerous European countries are lifting restrictions to provide much-needed respite for their beleaguered and impatient populations.
But the virus is still surging in Brazil, which saw its number of deaths soar past 15,000 with more than 230,000 infections, making it the country with the fourth-highest number of cases.
Germany's Bundesliga at the weekend became the first top football league to return after lockdown, bringing relief not only to European football fans but to a sports-starved world. Defending champions Bayern Munich defeated Union Berlin 2-0 inside an empty stadium in the capital on Sunday evening.
From a distance...
How to re-start & cheer the right way. pic.twitter.com/LJz9fcajGF — David Alaba (@David_Alaba) May 17, 2020
Already attracting a record TV audience, the restart is under intense scrutiny as a test case. Top sports competitions are trying to find ways to resume play without increasing the risk of spreading the virus, which has infected more than 4.6 million people globally.
However, there were calls for the Bundesliga to tighten its hygiene protocol after several players celebrated goals by hugging -- two even kissing on the cheek -- during Saturday's games.
Latin America cases surge
A day before Spain is set to further ease its lockdown measures, the country recorded 87 new virus-related deaths -- the first time the number has fallen below 100 in two months.
Britain also registered its lowest daily increase since late March, with 170 fatalities. However, that number did not include Northern Ireland due to a technical issue -- and these figures are often lower on weekends due to lags in reporting.
Despite the optimism in some European countries, rising infection and fatality numbers in other parts of the world offered grim reminders of the threat COVID-19 poses.
The number of cases in Latin America passed half a million as Chile locked down its capital Santiago following a sharp rise in infections.
Despite Brazil's surging numbers, President Jair Bolsonaro is keen to end lockdowns, which he claims have unnecessarily damaged the economy.
"Unemployment, hunger and misery will be the future of those who support the tyranny of total isolation," he tweeted.
India reported its biggest single-day jump in infections, prompting an extension of a nationwide lockdown for its 1.3 billion people until the end of May.
Russia, which has the world's second highest number of infections, claimed Sunday that steadying case rates showed the growth of the virus had been halted, after reporting its deadliest day yet on Saturday.
In Algeria, the death from COVID-19 of an eight-month pregnant doctor sparked an uproar after her request for early maternity leave was rejected.
Madagascar and Nepal reported their first coronavirus-linked deaths, while Qatar began enforcing the world's toughest penalties of up to three years' prison for failing to wear a mask in public. The Gulf emirate has one of the world's highest infection rates.
A team of Hong Kong experts said Sunday that research on hamsters found that mask use could reduce non-contact transmission of the virus by more than 60 percent.
Europe relaxes
The weekend brought welcome relief for people in European countries which relaxed restrictions earlier in the week, with leisure-seekers enjoying reopened beaches in France, Greece and Italy, and Britons basking in the sun in parks.
Catholics attended mass in eastern France on Sunday for the first time in two months, but the faithful were inside their cars in a car park, taking communion from mask-wearing priests.
"Clean hands give the communion, clean hands receive it," said Bishop Francois Touvet in Chalons-en-Champagne. "An exceptional measure for an exceptional situation."
Italy, once the world's worst-hit country, will allow EU tourists to visit from June 3, and has scrapped quarantine requirements.
Restaurants, cafes and most other commercial activities will reopen there on Monday, but authorities have warned of the danger of social gatherings.
Eighteen of 50 new cases in the Lazio region, which includes Rome, were traced to people attending a single funeral, a health official said.
But with the threat of a second wave of infections, authorities in many countries have asked people not to throng public spaces as they are made accessible again.
Tested on live TV
In China, where the virus emerged late last year but has largely been brought under control, the government's senior medical advisor warned of just such a second wave due to a lack of widespread immunity.
"We are facing (a) big challenge; it's not better than the foreign countries, I think, at the moment," Zhong Nanshan told CNN.
But with people growing weary of confinement and suffering immense economic pain, governments face growing pressure to ease lockdowns.
President Donald Trump has been keen to restart the world's biggest economy despite the US recording a world-worst 89,000 deaths and nearly 1.48 million cases.
A top Trump economic advisor, Peter Navarro, took a swipe Sunday at the long-respected Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying that by initially providing a flawed test for COVID-19, the federal agency "let the country down."
And Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell offered a somber outlook for the US economy, saying it would improve steadily late this year but might not fully recover until "the end of next year."
But New York, long a virus hotspot, has seen steady improvement, and Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday took a virus test on live television in a bid to encourage more widespread testing and pave the way for a safer reopening of the populous state.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-18--Greek tourism industry gears up for tough post-Covid-19 summer

Greece is hoping that the country 's low coronavirus statistics and strict precautionary measures will help lure the tourists back .
Tourism is the second pillar of the Greek economy , but with Covid-19 having hit the industry particularly hard , Greek tourist operators are doing everything they can to convince holidaymakers that their country will be safe to visit this summer .
FRANCE 24 reports .
At Akis Papaioanou ’ s hotel just north of Athens , staff are currently in full swing to make the premises as Covid-19 safe as possible ahead of the summer season .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our air conditioning units every week , and for every client we change the filters , ” Papaioanou explains .
“ We also must leave the windows open so the air can be recycled.
” “ Social distancing is everywhere .
For example , we need to leave four metres between every umbrella.
” Although Greece appears to have managed the coronavirus crisis exceptionally well so far – with just 3,000 confirmed infections and 162 deaths – the fear of the virus is expected to hit the already ailing Greek economy hard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge financial crisis .
And as we were getting out of it , this ordeal struck .
We live off tourism and now there ’ s nothing , ” a worried local says .
To try to remedy the problem , many tourism-focused companies are making sure to inform travel agents of their precautionary measures so that they can help convey the message to potential holidaymakers .
To watch the full report , please click on the player above .

ON THE GROUND
Tourism is the second pillar of the Greek economy, but with Covid-19 having hit the industry particularly hard, Greek tourist operators are doing everything they can to convince holidaymakers that their country will be safe to visit this summer. FRANCE 24 reports.
Greece is hoping that the country's low coronavirus statistics and strict precautionary measures will help lure the tourists back.
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At Akis Papaioanou’s hotel just north of Athens, staff are currently in full swing to make the premises as Covid-19 safe as possible ahead of the summer season.
“The law stipulates that we must clean our air conditioning units every week, and for every client we change the filters,” Papaioanou explains. “We also must leave the windows open so the air can be recycled.”
“Social distancing is everywhere. For example, we need to leave four metres between every umbrella.”
Although Greece appears to have managed the coronavirus crisis exceptionally well so far – with just 3,000 confirmed infections and 162 deaths – the fear of the virus is expected to hit the already ailing Greek economy hard.
“We’ve just undergone a huge financial crisis. And as we were getting out of it, this ordeal struck. We live off tourism and now there’s nothing,” a worried local says.
To try to remedy the problem, many tourism-focused companies are making sure to inform travel agents of their precautionary measures so that they can help convey the message to potential holidaymakers.
To watch the full report, please click on the player above.
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-05-18--France hit by new Covid-19 outbreaks in two abattoirs

Officials say that in at least one of the slaughterhouses , the security protocol is said to have been followed .
Around a hundred people are believed to have been infected by the coronavirus in newly discovered outbreaks in two French abattoirs .
One abattoir is in the central Val de Loire region near the city of Orléans .
The other is in the northwestern region of Brittany .
Regional health officials said 63 of the 209 workers at the Breton slaughterhouse had so far tested positive for the virus .
At the slaughterhouse in Fleury-les-Aubrais , near Orléans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ cluster ” of 34 cases among the 400 workers .
Another 40 were tested on Sunday with others following on Tuesday .
“ According to the company ’ s human resources department , there were masks , gels , temperature readings at the entrance to the slaughterhouse and it seems that the protocol was followed , ” said regional prefect Pierre Pouessël .
But staff at the plant said that despite the protective gear , social distancing rules have been difficult to follow .
“ It ’ s above all [ been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s not a lot of space , ” one unidentified worker said .
At the local market , residents say they are worried about the outbreak taking place at a food production plant .
“ It makes you not want to buy meat because you wonder if the meat is contaminated .
It ’ s scary , ” a Fleury-les-Aubrais resident said .
All of the abattoir ’ s staff will be tested for the coronavirus within the next few days , and the plant will stay closed until May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture in France , however , with a continuing fall in both hospital deaths and admissions for the virus , was better news .
Four regions , in the north and the east of the country – including the Paris region – account for 74 percent of the number of people being treated in hospital .
Since the virus arrived in France , 98,569 people have been hospitalised , of whom 17,500 had to be treated in intensive care , and 28,000 have died .
More than 61,000 have recovered and been allowed @ @

Around a hundred people are believed to have been infected by the coronavirus in newly discovered outbreaks in two French abattoirs.
Officials say that in at least one of the slaughterhouses, the security protocol is said to have been followed.
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One abattoir is in the central Val de Loire region near the city of Orléans. The other is in the northwestern region of Brittany.
Regional health officials said 63 of the 209 workers at the Breton slaughterhouse had so far tested positive for the virus.
At the slaughterhouse in Fleury-les-Aubrais, near Orléans, officials there said they had detected a “cluster” of 34 cases among the 400 workers. Another 40 were tested on Sunday with others following on Tuesday.
“According to the company’s human resources department, there were masks, gels, temperature readings at the entrance to the slaughterhouse and it seems that the protocol was followed,” said regional prefect Pierre Pouessël.
But staff at the plant said that despite the protective gear, social distancing rules have been difficult to follow. “It’s above all [been a problem] in the changing rooms. There’s not a lot of space,” one unidentified worker said.
At the local market, residents say they are worried about the outbreak taking place at a food production plant. “It makes you not want to buy meat because you wonder if the meat is contaminated. It’s scary,” a Fleury-les-Aubrais resident said.
All of the abattoir’s staff will be tested for the coronavirus within the next few days, and the plant will stay closed until May 25, at least.
The overall picture in France, however, with a continuing fall in both hospital deaths and admissions for the virus, was better news.
Four regions, in the north and the east of the country – including the Paris region – account for 74 percent of the number of people being treated in hospital.
Since the virus arrived in France, 98,569 people have been hospitalised, of whom 17,500 had to be treated in intensive care, and 28,000 have died. More than 61,000 have recovered and been allowed home.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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