france24--2020-06-01--Once a radical idea, universal basic income is gaining support

As the Covid-19 pandemic sinks economies around the world and leads to record rates of unemployment , some politicians and analysts are revisiting the idea of a universal income .
Spain on Friday introduced a basic income for the poor – a version of a universal basic income that could see the concept gaining ground .
In the face of a global economic crisis induced by the novel coronavirus , the idea of a basic income paid to all citizens is rapidly gaining new traction .
With one of the highest poverty rates in Europe , Spain took the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday after the government approved a minimum income of €1,108 ( $ 1,230 ) per month for about 2.5 million of its poorest citizens .
It became the first country in southern Europe to launch such a scheme during the pandemic .
The issue of a basic income was at the heart of the coalition agreement reached between the Socialists and the left-wing party Podemos .
`` Today , a new social right is born , '' said Pablo Iglesias , Spain ’ s deputy prime minister and leader of Podemos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had `` accelerated the entry into force '' of this first step towards a universal income .
Advocates of a basic income argue that it protects the most vulnerable from economic uncertainty , particularly those outside the usual social safety nets , such as the self-employed , part-time workers and casual workers who make up the so-called gig economy .
`` It could be really trendsetting for southern Europe if , for the first time , we are to maintain a more consistent approach to income assistance , '' said Louise Haagh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University and a basic income advocate , in an interview with Reuters .
An Oxford University study shows that 70 percent of Europeans support the concept of a basic universal income – among them , politicians from across the political divide .
`` The time has come for a basic universal income , '' Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon told a briefing on the coronavirus in Edinburgh , adding that she had engaged in `` constructive discussions '' with the UK government on the issue .
Before coming to power in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard for a substantial basic income for all Italians .
It opted for a more modest “ citizenship income ” , an allowance to help the poorest , after realising the country ’ s coffers were too depleted to support a universal scheme .
In France , the first rumblings in favour of a universal basic income could be heard during the presidential election of 2017 , when Socialist candidate Benoît Hamon made it a key part of his campaign .
Though he suffered a devastating blow at the polls that ended his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gain traction .
The Jean-Jaurès Foundation , a left-wing think tank , has revised Hamon ’ s initiative in the wake of the current health and economic crises and proposed an unconditional basic income of between €725 and €1,000 per month for France ’ s poorest households .
Eighty of the country ’ s political and civic figures signed a petition on May 4 backing the foundation ’ s proposal .
But it is Finland that has gone the furthest in testing the feasibility of a basic universal income .
In 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which 2,000 unemployed people received an unconditional income of €560 per month for two years .
The income could be combined with family allowances and wages if they found a job and returned to the workforce .
Even though 55 percent of beneficiaries reported feeling happier overall as a result of receiving the income , compared to 46 percent in the control group , in the end only 43.7 percent of beneficiaries found a job compared to 42.8 percent in the control group .
The findings were widely panned as the income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It then led to the Finnish government pulling the plug on the initiative altogether , claiming it was too costly to keep going .
Researchers , for their part , argue they were hamstrung by insufficient government funding and a reduced sample size .
Governments may feel they are already under too much financial pressure to fund a basic income plan .
`` In the crisis we ’ re in , I do n't see how a government would embark on a universal income , with the pressure of financial markets , banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budgets , '' said Joan Cortinas-Munoz , a researcher at the Centre for Sociology of Organizations at Sciences Po Paris and a specialist in social policies in Spain , in an interview with FRANCE 24 .
Moreover , governments would need to ensure such a scheme could be fiscally sustainable over the long term .
Supporters of neo-liberalism are not the only ones sceptical of the viability of a universal basic income .
Some on the left warn it could be something of a Trojan horse , leading to less protections in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of the income already provided by governments to pay workers lower wages .
`` In its neo-liberal conception , the universal income is supposed to replace social welfare protections ( health coverage , housing allowance ... ) .
But the latter is essential as a safety net to avoid falling into extreme poverty , '' notes ATD Fourth World , a social justice advocacy group based in France .
Advocates are convinced that a universal basic income can not only offer a lifeline to the most financially vulnerable but also an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of Covid-19 .
This article has been translated from the original in French .

As the Covid-19 pandemic sinks economies around the world and leads to record rates of unemployment, some politicians and analysts are revisiting the idea of a universal income. Spain on Friday introduced a basic income for the poor – a version of a universal basic income that could see the concept gaining ground.
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In the face of a global economic crisis induced by the novel coronavirus, the idea of a basic income paid to all citizens is rapidly gaining new traction.
With one of the highest poverty rates in Europe, Spain took the first tentative steps towards a universal basic income on Friday after the government approved a minimum income of €1,108 ($1,230) per month for about 2.5 million of its poorest citizens. It became the first country in southern Europe to launch such a scheme during the pandemic.
The issue of a basic income was at the heart of the coalition agreement reached between the Socialists and the left-wing party Podemos.
"Today, a new social right is born," said Pablo Iglesias, Spain’s deputy prime minister and leader of Podemos, on Friday, stressing that the crisis had "accelerated the entry into force" of this first step towards a universal income.
Advocates of a basic income argue that it protects the most vulnerable from economic uncertainty, particularly those outside the usual social safety nets, such as the self-employed, part-time workers and casual workers who make up the so-called gig economy.
"It could be really trendsetting for southern Europe if, for the first time, we are to maintain a more consistent approach to income assistance," said Louise Haagh, a politics professor at Britain's York University and a basic income advocate, in an interview with Reuters.
Gaining ground in Europe
An Oxford University study shows that 70 percent of Europeans support the concept of a basic universal income – among them, politicians from across the political divide.
"The time has come for a basic universal income," Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon told a briefing on the coronavirus in Edinburgh, adding that she had engaged in "constructive discussions" with the UK government on the issue.
Before coming to power in 2018, Italy’s Five Star Movement campaigned hard for a substantial basic income for all Italians. It opted for a more modest “citizenship income”, an allowance to help the poorest, after realising the country’s coffers were too depleted to support a universal scheme.
In France, the first rumblings in favour of a universal basic income could be heard during the presidential election of 2017, when Socialist candidate Benoît Hamon made it a key part of his campaign. Though he suffered a devastating blow at the polls that ended his presidential ambitions, his policy has continued to gain traction.
The Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a left-wing think tank, has revised Hamon’s initiative in the wake of the current health and economic crises and proposed an unconditional basic income of between €725 and €1,000 per month for France’s poorest households. Eighty of the country’s political and civic figures signed a petition on May 4 backing the foundation’s proposal.
The Finnish experiment
But it is Finland that has gone the furthest in testing the feasibility of a basic universal income. In 2017, it launched a government-run pilot programme in which 2,000 unemployed people received an unconditional income of €560 per month for two years. The income could be combined with family allowances and wages if they found a job and returned to the workforce.
Even though 55 percent of beneficiaries reported feeling happier overall as a result of receiving the income, compared to 46 percent in the control group, in the end only 43.7 percent of beneficiaries found a job compared to 42.8 percent in the control group. The findings were widely panned as the income did not boost employment as hoped. It then led to the Finnish government pulling the plug on the initiative altogether, claiming it was too costly to keep going.
Researchers, for their part, argue they were hamstrung by insufficient government funding and a reduced sample size.
Undermining labour protections?
Governments may feel they are already under too much financial pressure to fund a basic income plan.
"In the crisis we’re in, I don't see how a government would embark on a universal income, with the pressure of financial markets, banks and international financial organisations on countries' budgets," said Joan Cortinas-Munoz, a researcher at the Centre for Sociology of Organizations at Sciences Po Paris and a specialist in social policies in Spain, in an interview with FRANCE 24.
Moreover, governments would need to ensure such a scheme could be fiscally sustainable over the long term.
Supporters of neo-liberalism are not the only ones sceptical of the viability of a universal basic income. Some on the left warn it could be something of a Trojan horse, leading to less protections in the labour market as employers seek to take advantage of the income already provided by governments to pay workers lower wages.
"In its neo-liberal conception, the universal income is supposed to replace social welfare protections (health coverage, housing allowance...). But the latter is essential as a safety net to avoid falling into extreme poverty," notes ATD Fourth World, a social justice advocacy group based in France.
Advocates are convinced that a universal basic income can not only offer a lifeline to the most financially vulnerable but also an opportunity to rebuild economies now plunging into recession because of Covid-19.
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-06-01--Covid-19: France reports slight drop in hospitalisations on eve of further easing of lockdown

A patient suffering from Covid-19 practises rehabilitation exercises with physiotherapist Christophe Chamaillard in the intensive care unit at the hospital @ @ @ @ @ May 6 , 2020 .
France ’ s health ministry said on Monday that people @ @ @ @ @ against the new coronavirus outbreak even as the number of cases in hospitals and intensive @ @ @ @ @ It said in a statement that as France readies for a second phase of the @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , with bars and restaurants permitted to fully or partially reopen , the `` @ @ @ @ @ us forget the danger of the virus ” .
The health ministry said that 18,506 @ @ @ @ @ in hospital since March 1 , while there were still 14,288 cases in hospital on @ @ @ @ @ from 14,322 on Sunday .

France’s health ministry said on Monday that people should continue applying protective measures against the new coronavirus outbreak even as the number of cases in hospitals and intensive care continues to fall.
A patient suffering from Covid-19 practises rehabilitation exercises with physiotherapist Christophe Chamaillard in the intensive care unit at the hospital in Vannes, France on May 6, 2020.
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It said in a statement that as France readies for a second phase of the easing of lockdown measures on Tuesday, with bars and restaurants permitted to fully or partially reopen, the "good news should not make us forget the danger of the virus”.
The health ministry said that 18,506 coronavirus deaths have been reported in hospital since March 1, while there were still 14,288 cases in hospital on Monday, a slight drop from 14,322 on Sunday.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-01--From Berlin to New Zealand, protests against death of George Floyd spread internationally

Some 4,000 protesters in Auckland , New Zealand , demonstrate on June 1 against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States a week earlier .
As demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd spread across the United States in recent days , protesters in cities around the world also took up the mantle to decry systemic racism and police brutality in the United States and at home .
Many people have watched with growing unease at the civil unrest in the US after the latest in a series of police killings of unarmed black men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on Floyd ’ s neck for almost nine minutes , including several minutes after he became unresponsive .
The officer , Derek Chauvin , has been fired and charged with murder .
The three other officers with him were also fired .
Some 4,000 people marched in New Zealand 's largest city Auckland on Monday to protest the killing of George Floyd as well as to stand up against police violence and racism in their own country .
Demonstrators marched to the US consulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banners with slogans like , “ I can ’ t breathe ” ( words spoken by Floyd just before his death ) , “ The real virus is racism ” and `` Black Lives Matter '' .
Hundreds more joined peaceful protests and vigils elsewhere in New Zealand , where Monday was a public holiday .
In France , family and friends of a French black man who died shortly after he was arrested by police in 2016 have called for a protest on Tuesday that will also pay homage to George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adama Traore , a 24-year-old of Malian origin , are still under investigation by justice authorities .
Calls for the protest in front of a Paris court come after some medical experts last week attributed the death to a cardiac problem , the latest in a series of conflicting medical assessments .
French police claimed Traore died of a heart attack due to pre-existing medical condition .
His family said he died from asphyxiation from police tactics .
In a video message published on social media , Traore ’ s sister Assa Traore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ at a time when the world , when France is outraged by the death of George Floyd ” .
She said “ they used the same words , their last words : ‘ I can ’ t breathe , I can ’ t breathe . '
'' At a gathering in central London on Sunday , thousands offered their support for American demonstrators , chanting `` No justice , no peace ! ''
and waving placards asking , “ How many more ?
” Hundreds of protesters gathered at the US embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , chanting `` Black Lives Matter '' .
Hundreds gathered at The Spire in Dublin and at the US embassy to protest against Floyd 's death .
In Brazil , hundreds of people protested crimes committed by the police against black people in Rio de Janeiro ’ s working-class neighbourhoods , known as favelas .
Police used tear gas to disperse them .
An anti-racism protest degenerated into clashes between Montreal police and demonstrators , with police declared the gathering illegal after they say projectiles were thrown at officers who responded with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows were smashed and fires were set .
> > Watch also : Protesters gather worldwide to show solidarity with George Floyd In some nations the unrest became a chance to undermine past US criticism of their own records on civil rights .
Iranian state television repeatedly aired images of the US unrest , and Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi urged the US government to stop the violence .
“ To American officials and police : Stop violence against your people and let them breathe , ” Mousavi said at a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also told the American people that “ the world is standing with you ” .
Iran has come under harsh criticism internationally for its own violent crackdown on demonstrations following a contested 2009 election and its continuing suppression of dissent .
Russia accused the United States of having systemic human rights problems .
And state-controlled media in China saw the protests through the prism of American views on Hong Kong 's anti-government demonstrations , which China has long said the US has encouraged .
The ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times said Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think twice before commenting again on Hong Kong again , adding that such words `` might backfire ” .
North Korea ’ s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Monday also reported on the demonstrations , saying that protesters “ harshly condemned ” a white policeman ’ s “ lawless and brutal murder ” of a black citizen .

As demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd spread across the United States in recent days, protesters in cities around the world also took up the mantle to decry systemic racism and police brutality in the United States and at home.
Some 4,000 protesters in Auckland, New Zealand, demonstrate on June 1 against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States a week earlier.
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Many people have watched with growing unease at the civil unrest in the US after the latest in a series of police killings of unarmed black men and women. Floyd died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes, including several minutes after he became unresponsive. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with murder. The three other officers with him were also fired.
Some 4,000 people marched in New Zealand's largest city Auckland on Monday to protest the killing of George Floyd as well as to stand up against police violence and racism in their own country. Demonstrators marched to the US consulate, where they kneeled in protest holding banners with slogans like, “I can’t breathe” (words spoken by Floyd just before his death), “The real virus is racism” and "Black Lives Matter". Hundreds more joined peaceful protests and vigils elsewhere in New Zealand, where Monday was a public holiday.
In France, family and friends of a French black man who died shortly after he was arrested by police in 2016 have called for a protest on Tuesday that will also pay homage to George Floyd.
The circumstances of the death of Adama Traore, a 24-year-old of Malian origin, are still under investigation by justice authorities. Calls for the protest in front of a Paris court come after some medical experts last week attributed the death to a cardiac problem, the latest in a series of conflicting medical assessments. French police claimed Traore died of a heart attack due to pre-existing medical condition. His family said he died from asphyxiation from police tactics.
In a video message published on social media, Traore’s sister Assa Traore calls for protesters to express their indignation “at a time when the world, when France is outraged by the death of George Floyd”. She said “they used the same words, their last words: ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.'"
At a gathering in central London on Sunday, thousands offered their support for American demonstrators, chanting "No justice, no peace!" and waving placards asking, “How many more?”
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the US embassy in Berlin for a second day on Sunday, chanting "Black Lives Matter".
Hundreds gathered at The Spire in Dublin and at the US embassy to protest against Floyd's death.
Hundreds gathered at The Spire in Dublin, Ireland, for a #BlackLivesMatter protest in memory of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/3bmLkt2SZT — Richard Chambers (@newschambers) June 1, 2020
In Brazil, hundreds of people protested crimes committed by the police against black people in Rio de Janeiro’s working-class neighbourhoods, known as favelas. Police used tear gas to disperse them.
An anti-racism protest degenerated into clashes between Montreal police and demonstrators, with police declared the gathering illegal after they say projectiles were thrown at officers who responded with pepper spray and tear gas. Some windows were smashed and fires were set.
>> Watch also: Protesters gather worldwide to show solidarity with George Floyd
Diplomatic games
In some nations the unrest became a chance to undermine past US criticism of their own records on civil rights. Iranian state television repeatedly aired images of the US unrest, and Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi urged the US government to stop the violence.
“To American officials and police: Stop violence against your people and let them breathe,” Mousavi said at a news conference in Tehran on Monday. He also told the American people that “the world is standing with you”. Iran has come under harsh criticism internationally for its own violent crackdown on demonstrations following a contested 2009 election and its continuing suppression of dissent.
Russia accused the United States of having systemic human rights problems.
And state-controlled media in China saw the protests through the prism of American views on Hong Kong's anti-government demonstrations, which China has long said the US has encouraged. The ruling Communist Party newspaper Global Times said Chinese experts had noted that US politicians might think twice before commenting again on Hong Kong again, adding that such words "might backfire”.
North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Monday also reported on the demonstrations, saying that protesters “harshly condemned” a white policeman’s “lawless and brutal murder” of a black citizen.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-06-01--DR Congo declares new Ebola outbreak

DR Congo declares new Ebola outbreak

In this June , 2018 file photo , health workers near Mbandaka , Democratic Republic of Congo are seen during an Ebola outbreak .
Democratic Republic of Congo declared a new Ebola epidemic on Monday in the western city of Mbandaka , more than 1,000 km ( 620 miles ) away from an ongoing outbreak of the same deadly virus in the east .
Health Minister Eteni Longondo said four people who died in Mbandaka were confirmed as positive cases following testing at the national biomedical laboratory in the capital Kinshasa .
`` We have a new Ebola epidemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are going to very quickly send them the vaccine and medicine.
” The outbreak was confirmed by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , who tweeted : `` This outbreak is a reminder that # COVID19 is not the only health threat people face.
” Congo has been struggling to put an end to a nearly two-year-old Ebola outbreak near its eastern borders with Rwanda and Uganda , which has killed more than 2,200 people , the world 's second-deadliest outbreak of the disease on record .
It was days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that outbreak , its tenth since the virus was discovered in 1976 , when a new chain of infection was confirmed in the east .
However , no new cases have been detected there in over 30 days .

Democratic Republic of Congo declared a new Ebola epidemic on Monday in the western city of Mbandaka, more than 1,000 km (620 miles) away from an ongoing outbreak of the same deadly virus in the east.
In this June, 2018 file photo, health workers near Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of Congo are seen during an Ebola outbreak.
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Health Minister Eteni Longondo said four people who died in Mbandaka were confirmed as positive cases following testing at the national biomedical laboratory in the capital Kinshasa.
"We have a new Ebola epidemic in Mbandaka," Longondo told reporters. "We are going to very quickly send them the vaccine and medicine.”
The outbreak was confirmed by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who tweeted: "This outbreak is a reminder that #COVID19 is not the only health threat people face.”
Congo has been struggling to put an end to a nearly two-year-old Ebola outbreak near its eastern borders with Rwanda and Uganda, which has killed more than 2,200 people, the world's second-deadliest outbreak of the disease on record.
It was days away in April from declaring the end of that outbreak, its tenth since the virus was discovered in 1976, when a new chain of infection was confirmed in the east. However, no new cases have been detected there in over 30 days.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-01--Facebook staff attack Zuckerberg over company stance not to act on Trump posts

In this file photo , Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts upon his arrival for a meeting with the European Commission vice-president in charge for Values and Transparency in Brussels on February 17 , 2020 .
Facebook employees critical of CEO Mark Zuckerberg 's decision not to act on President Donald Trump 's inflammatory comments about U.S. protests went public on Twitter , praising the rival social media company for acting , and rebuking their own employer .
Many tech workers at companies - including Facebook Inc , Alphabet Inc 's Google , and Amazon.com Inc - have actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , urging their employers to take action and change policies .
Even so , the weekend criticism marked a rare case of high-level employees publicly taking their chief executive to task , with at least three of the seven critical posts seen by Reuters coming from people who identified themselves as senior managers .
`` Mark is wrong , and I will endeavor in the loudest possible way to change his mind , '' wrote Ryan Freitas , whose Twitter account identifies him as director of product design for Facebook 's News Feed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50+ likeminded folks '' to lobby for internal change .
Jason Toff , identified as director of product management , wrote in a tweet : `` I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we ’ re showing up .
The majority of coworkers I ’ ve spoken to feel the same way .
We are making our voice heard.
” '' We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now , especially our Black community , '' Facebook spokesman Andy Stone wrote in a text , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership .
As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead , we 'll continue seeking their honest feedback.
” Twitter Inc on Friday affixed a warning label to a tweet from Trump in which he had included the phrase `` when the looting starts , the shooting starts . ''
Twitter said the tweet violated its rules against glorifying violence but was being left up as a public service exception .
Nationwide unrest erupted after the death of a black man , George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last Monday .
Video footage showed a white officer kneeling on Floyd 's neck for nearly nine minutes before he died .
Facebook declined to take action on the same message , with Zuckerberg saying in a Facebook post on Friday that while he found the remarks `` deeply offensive , '' they did not violate company policy against incitements to violence and people should know whether the government was planning to deploy force .
In the post , Zuckerberg , who last week took pains to distance his company from the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Facebook had been in touch with the White House on Friday to explain its policies .
Facebook later confirmed reporting by news website Axios that Zuckerberg had a call with Trump .
But some of the dissenting employees directly praised Twitter 's response .
`` Respect to @ Twitter ’ s integrity team for making the enforcement call , '' wrote David Gillis , identified as a director of product design .
In a long Twitter thread he said he understood the logic of Facebook 's decision , but : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to make a 'spirit of the policy ' exception that took more context into account.
” Jason Toff was one of several Facebook employees who were organizing fundraisers for racial justice groups in Minnesota .
Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post on Monday that the company would contribute an additional $ 10 million to social justice causes .
`` Giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable , regardless who you are or if it ’ s newsworthy , '' wrote another Facebook manager , Andrew Crow , head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product .
`` I disagree with Mark ’ s position and will work to make change happen .
”

Facebook employees critical of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision not to act on President Donald Trump's inflammatory comments about U.S. protests went public on Twitter, praising the rival social media company for acting, and rebuking their own employer.
In this file photo, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg reacts upon his arrival for a meeting with the European Commission vice-president in charge for Values and Transparency in Brussels on February 17, 2020.
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Many tech workers at companies - including Facebook Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, and Amazon.com Inc - have actively pursued social justice issues in recent years, urging their employers to take action and change policies.
Even so, the weekend criticism marked a rare case of high-level employees publicly taking their chief executive to task, with at least three of the seven critical posts seen by Reuters coming from people who identified themselves as senior managers.
"Mark is wrong, and I will endeavor in the loudest possible way to change his mind," wrote Ryan Freitas, whose Twitter account identifies him as director of product design for Facebook's News Feed. He added he had mobilized "50+ likeminded folks" to lobby for internal change.
Jason Toff, identified as director of product management, wrote in a tweet: "I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we’re showing up. The majority of coworkers I’ve spoken to feel the same way. We are making our voice heard.”
"We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community," Facebook spokesman Andy Stone wrote in a text, referring to company employees.
"We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we'll continue seeking their honest feedback.”
Warning label
Twitter Inc on Friday affixed a warning label to a tweet from Trump in which he had included the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Twitter said the tweet violated its rules against glorifying violence but was being left up as a public service exception.
Nationwide unrest erupted after the death of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis last Monday. Video footage showed a white officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes before he died.
Facebook declined to take action on the same message, with Zuckerberg saying in a Facebook post on Friday that while he found the remarks "deeply offensive," they did not violate company policy against incitements to violence and people should know whether the government was planning to deploy force.
In the post, Zuckerberg, who last week took pains to distance his company from the fight between the president and Twitter, also said Facebook had been in touch with the White House on Friday to explain its policies. Facebook later confirmed reporting by news website Axios that Zuckerberg had a call with Trump.
But some of the dissenting employees directly praised Twitter's response.
"Respect to @Twitter’s integrity team for making the enforcement call," wrote David Gillis, identified as a director of product design. In a long Twitter thread he said he understood the logic of Facebook's decision, but: "I think it would have been right for us to make a 'spirit of the policy' exception that took more context into account.”
Jason Toff was one of several Facebook employees who were organizing fundraisers for racial justice groups in Minnesota. Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post on Monday that the company would contribute an additional $10 million to social justice causes.
"Giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable, regardless who you are or if it’s newsworthy," wrote another Facebook manager, Andrew Crow, head of design for the company's Portal product. "I disagree with Mark’s position and will work to make change happen.”
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-01--Jihadists launch deadly attack on Niger refugee camp, UN says

Niger soldiers stand guard on October 21 , 2016 at the Tazalit United Nations refugee camp in the Tahoua region , some 300 kilometres northeast of the capital Niamey , where militants had killed 22 soldiers on October 7 , 2016 .
Jihadists carried out a coordinated attack on a camp housing thousands of Malian refugees in western Niger , killing three civilians , abducting a guard and sabotaging the water supply , the United Nations said Monday .
Around 50 jihadists launched a `` well-planned operation '' against the Intikane refugee camp in the Tahoua region on Sunday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Niamey told AFP .
The three victims were the head of a refugee committee , the head of a refugee vigilance group , and a representative of a Tahoua nomadic group , the UNHCR said .
The town of Intikane is home to some 20,000 Malian refugees and 15,000 internally displaced Niger citizens -- all of whom fled their villages due to jihadist violence -- as well as the local population .
`` The jihadists inflicted damage on the camp 's facilities , in particularly emptying the food supplies and destroying the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within a radius of 40 kilometres ( 25 miles ) , '' the UN agency said .
The UNHCR 's representative in Niger Alessandra Morelli condemned the attack .
`` It is very serious , the terrorists have destroyed our space to live , '' Morelli told AFP .
A security source told AFP that before the attack , the jihadists destroyed telephone relay antennas in the area .
Niger is home to nearly 60,000 Malian refugees who fled their country 's north after it fell under the control of Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A French-led military intervention pushed them out , but swathes of the West African country remain out of government control and awash with armed groups .
Niger 's long , porous borders make it vulnerable to the armed violence in neighbouring countries .
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara ( EIGS ) , carries out frequent attacks over Niger 's western borders , while the southeast faces regular assaults from Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram .
According to the UN , jihadist violence , which is often interwoven with ethnic conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year in Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger , three of the world 's poorest countries .

Jihadists carried out a coordinated attack on a camp housing thousands of Malian refugees in western Niger, killing three civilians, abducting a guard and sabotaging the water supply, the United Nations said Monday.
Niger soldiers stand guard on October 21, 2016 at the Tazalit United Nations refugee camp in the Tahoua region, some 300 kilometres northeast of the capital Niamey, where militants had killed 22 soldiers on October 7, 2016.
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Around 50 jihadists launched a "well-planned operation" against the Intikane refugee camp in the Tahoua region on Sunday afternoon, the UN refugee agency UNHCR in Niamey told AFP.
The three victims were the head of a refugee committee, the head of a refugee vigilance group, and a representative of a Tahoua nomadic group, the UNHCR said.
The town of Intikane is home to some 20,000 Malian refugees and 15,000 internally displaced Niger citizens -- all of whom fled their villages due to jihadist violence -- as well as the local population.
"The jihadists inflicted damage on the camp's facilities, in particularly emptying the food supplies and destroying the system which supplies drinking water to the area within a radius of 40 kilometres (25 miles)," the UN agency said.
The UNHCR's representative in Niger Alessandra Morelli condemned the attack.
"It is very serious, the terrorists have destroyed our space to live," Morelli told AFP.
A security source told AFP that before the attack, the jihadists destroyed telephone relay antennas in the area.
Vulnerable to armed groups in neighboring countries
Niger is home to nearly 60,000 Malian refugees who fled their country's north after it fell under the control of Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups in 2012, according to the UN.
A French-led military intervention pushed them out, but swathes of the West African country remain out of government control and awash with armed groups.
Niger's long, porous borders make it vulnerable to the armed violence in neighbouring countries.
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), carries out frequent attacks over Niger's western borders, while the southeast faces regular assaults from Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram.
According to the UN, jihadist violence, which is often interwoven with ethnic conflict, claimed the lives of 4,000 people last year in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, three of the world's poorest countries.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-01--Russia eases lockdown despite recording more than 9,000 new Covid-19 cases in a day

A child rides a bicycle at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy on the first day of the easing of Covid-19 lockdown measures in Moscow , Russia , June 1 , 2020 .
Moscow residents ventured out to exercise , stroll and shop on Monday as the city eased a strict nine-week lockdown , but millions remained largely confined to their homes as Russia recorded thousands more coronavirus cases .
President Vladimir Putin has ordered officials to begin easing restrictions despite Russia having the world 's third-highest number of confirmed infections , and was due on Monday to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Putin said last week that Russia had passed the peak of its epidemic and is anxious to get the country moving again , especially in Moscow where he announced plans for a huge military parade on June 24 .
Russia continues to record a significant number of coronavirus cases -- with 9,035 new infections on Monday bringing its total to 414,878 , behind only the United States and Brazil in the global tally .
Another 2,297 cases were recorded in Moscow , the epicentre of the crisis in Russia .
Officials say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large-scale testing and that a steady decline in new infections and a low reported death toll of 4,855 mean Russia can ease restrictions .
Critics have accused authorities of under-reporting deaths and of putting people at risk by moving too quickly to lift the most severe lockdown measures .
With more than half of the recorded cases in Moscow and the surrounding region , authorities in the city of more than 12 million have been cautious in lifting restrictions in place since March 30 .
On Monday retail shops and shopping malls were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exercise outdoors before 9:00 am , but with masks required at all times and gloves needed in shops and on public transport .
At her shop selling handbags and jewellery in central Moscow , Olga said she was happy to be serving customers again .
`` We opened two hours ago but we already have a few clients .
I 'm pretty optimistic , I think people will come back little by little . ''
But millions of the city 's residents were still required to spend most of their time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work required to obtain official passes .
As a two-week test measure , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said residents will be allowed to take walks within two kilometres of their homes according to a staggered schedule based on their address .
The convoluted system -- which allows walks between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm no more than three times a week -- has drawn ridicule , with some quipping that life in Moscow was beginning to imitate dystopian fiction such as the novels of Aldous Huxley and Yevgeny Zamyatin .
Popular comedian Maxim Galkin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Instagram , released a sketch in which Putin and Sobyanin discuss a `` breathing schedule '' for Moscow residents .
Restaurants , cafes and cinemas were to remain closed and no mass gatherings would be allowed until at least June 14 .
Russia 's economy has been hit hard by the pandemic , with one study last month saying a third of Russian companies were at risk of bankruptcy , especially in the trade and services sectors .
Unemployment hit 5.8 percent in April , its highest level in four years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff on paid holiday .
Pressure has been building for Russia to tap its $ 150 billion in reserves , after initial economic aid plans were criticised as too modest .
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was due to submit a two-year economic support programme to Putin on Monday .
`` Its main goal is to find a stable path to economic growth ( and ) to increase the real incomes of our citizens , '' Russian news agencies quoted Mishustin as saying on Monday .
Critics have accused the government of not doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the crisis , and Putin 's approval rating fell to a historic low of 59 percent in an April poll .
The Kremlin is also expected to soon announce a new date for a vote on constitutional reforms -- originally planned for April -- that could pave the way for Putin to potentially stay in power until 2036 .

Moscow residents ventured out to exercise, stroll and shop on Monday as the city eased a strict nine-week lockdown, but millions remained largely confined to their homes as Russia recorded thousands more coronavirus cases.
A child rides a bicycle at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy on the first day of the easing of Covid-19 lockdown measures in Moscow, Russia, June 1, 2020.
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President Vladimir Putin has ordered officials to begin easing restrictions despite Russia having the world's third-highest number of confirmed infections, and was due on Monday to be presented with an ambitious economic recovery plan.
Putin said last week that Russia had passed the peak of its epidemic and is anxious to get the country moving again, especially in Moscow where he announced plans for a huge military parade on June 24.
Russia continues to record a significant number of coronavirus cases -- with 9,035 new infections on Monday bringing its total to 414,878, behind only the United States and Brazil in the global tally.
Another 2,297 cases were recorded in Moscow, the epicentre of the crisis in Russia.
Officials say the high numbers are the result of large-scale testing and that a steady decline in new infections and a low reported death toll of 4,855 mean Russia can ease restrictions.
Critics have accused authorities of under-reporting deaths and of putting people at risk by moving too quickly to lift the most severe lockdown measures.
With more than half of the recorded cases in Moscow and the surrounding region, authorities in the city of more than 12 million have been cautious in lifting restrictions in place since March 30.
Convoluted walking regime
On Monday retail shops and shopping malls were allowed to re-open and residents were able to exercise outdoors before 9:00 am, but with masks required at all times and gloves needed in shops and on public transport.
At her shop selling handbags and jewellery in central Moscow, Olga said she was happy to be serving customers again.
"We opened two hours ago but we already have a few clients. I'm pretty optimistic, I think people will come back little by little."
But millions of the city's residents were still required to spend most of their time in their homes, with those allowed to work required to obtain official passes.
As a two-week test measure, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said residents will be allowed to take walks within two kilometres of their homes according to a staggered schedule based on their address.
The convoluted system -- which allows walks between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm no more than three times a week -- has drawn ridicule, with some quipping that life in Moscow was beginning to imitate dystopian fiction such as the novels of Aldous Huxley and Yevgeny Zamyatin.
Popular comedian Maxim Galkin, who has nearly eight million followers on Instagram, released a sketch in which Putin and Sobyanin discuss a "breathing schedule" for Moscow residents.
Restaurants, cafes and cinemas were to remain closed and no mass gatherings would be allowed until at least June 14.
Economic recovery plan
Russia's economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, with one study last month saying a third of Russian companies were at risk of bankruptcy, especially in the trade and services sectors.
Unemployment hit 5.8 percent in April, its highest level in four years, despite companies being ordered to keep locked-down staff on paid holiday.
Pressure has been building for Russia to tap its $150 billion in reserves, after initial economic aid plans were criticised as too modest.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was due to submit a two-year economic support programme to Putin on Monday.
"Its main goal is to find a stable path to economic growth (and) to increase the real incomes of our citizens," Russian news agencies quoted Mishustin as saying on Monday.
Critics have accused the government of not doing enough to support businesses and ordinary Russians during the crisis, and Putin's approval rating fell to a historic low of 59 percent in an April poll.
The Kremlin is also expected to soon announce a new date for a vote on constitutional reforms -- originally planned for April -- that could pave the way for Putin to potentially stay in power until 2036.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-01--How Venezuela is managing the flood of expats returning in the middle of pandemic

This is the San Antonio del Táchira bus station , where Yurkys Rosario spent four days after crossing the border into Venezuela .
Rosario had to spend five days in this centre .
Rosario had to spend five days in this centre in Rubio : Before leaving Rubio , we did another test .
Then we travelled for more than 24 hours by bus .
We didn ’ t have any water and had barely any food .
When we needed to urinate , we had to use 2 litre plastic bottles because the toilets in the bus were closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops .
There were lots of women on the bus and I had my period !
Finally , we got to a hotel in Puerto La Cruz , in Anzoátegui state [ Editor ’ s note : Around 1,100km from Rubio ] , where I spent ten days in quarantine .
Then , a bus brought me to my home , which is in the same town , in early May .
The hotel in Puerto la Cruz where Rosario spent ten days in quarantaine .
Our team spoke to Javier Tarazona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to centres where there is still no running water , electricity , mattresses or toilets or where it isn ’ t possible to respect social distancing measures , ” he said .
In Our team spoke to Javier Tarazona , from Redes , a Venezuelan human rights foundation , who also said that there had been certain failures in the government ’ s efforts to process and assist returnees.
“ Some of them were transferred to centres where there is still no running water , electricity , mattresses or toilets or where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing measures , ” he said .
In a statement published on May 16 , the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said that they had received similar reports .
Yurkys Rosario was living in Cali , Colombia before the pandemic .
In mid-April , she managed to travel on a free bus to Cúcuta , a town on the Venezuelan border .
She entered Venezuela via the border crossing at the Simón Bolívar International Bridge .

VENEZUELA
Left: The bus station in San Antonio del Táchira (photo by Yurkys Rosario). Right: The "Los Caracas" holiday resort. (photo by Neo Mendoza). These sites are both being used to house Venezuelans who have returned to their country during the pandemic.
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Tens of thousands of Venezuelans who were living and working in other countries in Latin America, including Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, have been making the long journey home after the lockdowns imposed to control the spread of Covid-19 left them out of work and out of money. Venezuelan authorities have been both criticised and applauded for how they are managing the flood of returnees. Two of these returnees, who had vastly different experiences, told the FRANCE 24 Observers about what happened to them when they returned.
Most Venezuelans who have headed home in the past months did so because they lost their means of income during lockdown. Many found themselves unable to pay bills or rent and some were even evicted.
Some people walked or hitchhiked all the way to the Venezuelan border, while others managed to get places on the free buses to the border organized by certain municipalities in Colombia. A few also managed to fly home, thanks to a programme called “Vuelta a la Patria” run by the Venezuelan government.
We published an article on May 22, featuring the stories of three Venezuelans who told us why they decided to return and described their harrowing journeys back.
>> READ ON THE OBSERVERS: By bus or on foot: the long road home for Venezuelans stuck abroad during the pandemic
Currently, Venezuela is only allowing 300 to 400 people a day to cross into the country by land. That’s why Colombian officials are only allowing a limited number of buses to go to the border each day. Once they cross the border back into their country, Venezuelans are supposed to be tested for Covid-19 and then required to undergo a two-week quarantine.
According to the country’s vice president, 220 returnees have tested positive in the past two months. The government has also chartered planes and buses to get the returnees back to their homes, once they do enter the country.
The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to Jozef Merkx, the representative for the UN’s refugee agency the UNHCR in Colombia. He said he was “worried” about the health consequences of the movement of so many people in the midst of a pandemic.
Eduardo Azuaje, one of the three Venezuelans who spoke to our team, is still stuck in Medellín, Colombia. The two others, Yurkys Rosario and Neo Mendoza, managed to get back to Venezuela and told us what it was like to return.
"I had to sleep on the ground in the San Antonio del Táchira bus station"
Yurkys Rosario was living in Cali, Colombia before the pandemic. In mid-April, she managed to travel on a free bus to Cúcuta, a town on the Venezuelan border. She entered Venezuela via the border crossing at the Simón Bolívar International Bridge.
Once I got to the Venezuelan side, we had to go through a police checkpoint. They took our temperature and did a rapid coronavirus test using a drop of our blood. Around 10pm, a bus took us to the San Antonio del Táchira bus station [Editor’s note: 2km from Simón Bolívar Bridge], where we were supposed to wait before going to a centre where we would be quarantined. I ended up spending four days there. It was horrible. I had to sleep on the ground and I only got a mattress after three days. To go to the bathroom or take a shower, you had to wait in line for an hour, or sometimes up to three hours, because there were so many of us, around 2,000 in total. So lots of people went to relieve themselves around the bus station. The food was really bad and there wasn’t enough of it. And there were absolutely no measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
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This is the San Antonio del Táchira bus station, where Yurkys Rosario spent four days after crossing the border into Venezuela.
Then a bus brought us to a school where there were lots of soldiers in Rubio [Editor’s note: 30km from San Antonio del Táchira]. There were 20 to 30 people per room. The food was bad. The toilets often got clogged. There were thefts, so we complained. After five days, buses came to pick us up because it was absolutely impossible to quarantine there.
Rosario had to spend five days in this centre.
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Rosario had to spend five days in this centre in Rubio:
Before leaving Rubio, we did another test. Then we travelled for more than 24 hours by bus. We didn’t have any water and had barely any food. When we needed to urinate, we had to use 2 litre plastic bottles because the toilets in the bus were closed and they didn’t make any stops. There were lots of women on the bus and I had my period! Finally, we got to a hotel in Puerto La Cruz, in Anzoátegui state [Editor’s note: Around 1,100km from Rubio], where I spent ten days in quarantine. Then, a bus brought me to my home, which is in the same town, in early May.
The hotel in Puerto la Cruz where Rosario spent ten days in quarantaine.
Our team spoke to Javier Tarazona, from Redes, a Venezuelan human rights foundation, who also said that there had been certain failures in the government’s efforts to process and assist returnees.
“Some of them were transferred to centres where there is still no running water, electricity, mattresses or toilets or where it isn’t possible to respect social distancing measures,” he said. In a statement published on May 16, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said that they had received similar reports.
"They drove us to a holiday resort where we underwent quarantine”
However, some Venezuelans who spoke to the FRANCE 24 Observers team said that their arrival back in the country went well. Neo Mendoza was living in Lima, Peru before the pandemic. He got to northern Ecuador by walking and hitchhiking. Then he was able to get a flight back to Ecuador through the “Vuelta a la Patria” programme on May 9.
We flew from Quito [Editor’s note: the capital of Ecuador] to the Maiquetía Airport in La Guaira state. Three buses picked us up to take us to the “Los Caracas” resort in Vargas state [Editor’s note: Located about 80km from Maiquetía Airport]. Another group, who had arrived there five days earlier, were already quarantining on site. There were 86 of us. We were tested again, just to make sure that we didn’t have Covid-19. Everything went well and, after about a week, in mid-May, a bus brought me back to Caracas. It dropped me off 2km from my house.
Children in quarantine at the “Los Caracas” resort take part in organised activities.
Mendoza took this photo on his last day in the “Los Caracas” holiday resort.
This map shows the journeys taken by our Observers, Yurkys Rosario, Eduardo Azuaje and Neo Mendoza. Red indicates ground covered by walking or hitchhiking. Green represents travel by bus. Blue represents travel by plane.
It’s impossible to know if the tens of thousands of Venezuelans who have returned home will stay there once the situation has returned to normal. While Mendoza says he doesn’t plan to return to Peru, both Azuaje and Rosario say that they are planning to go back to Colombia.
“Here in Venezuela, the economic situation is catastrophic,” Rosario said. “I didn’t think it would be so bad.” The situation in Venezuela remains extremely difficult.
As the UN recently reported, Venezuela has been seriously impacted by US sanctions, spiralling hyperinflation and soaring unemployment. There have also been shortages in food, medicine and medical equipment and frequent power and water cuts.
Article by Chloé Lauvergnier (@clauvergnier).


france24--2020-06-02--France begins 'Phase II' of easing lockdown measures as coronavirus abates

A waiter wearing a face mask serves customers at Café de Flore , as restaurants and cafés reopen following the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , in Paris , France , on June 2 , 2020 .
France began a second phase of easing lockdown rules on Tuesday as official figures show the novel coronavirus outbreak continuing to diminish in the country following an initial loosening of restrictions that began on May 11 .
The new measures include the reopening of cafés and restaurants in so-called green zones , where the virus is least actively circulating .
Parks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is considered an orange zone , and restrictions will be lifted on travel beyond the current 100km-radius restriction .
`` Freedom will finally become the rule and constraint the exception , '' Prime Minister Édouard Philippe told reporters last Thursday during a press conference presenting the new rules for `` Phase II '' of easing the lockdown ( a process known as `` déconfinement '' in France ) .
More than 28,000 people have died in France as a result of Covid-19 , although the toll 's climb has slowed markedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus rose by 31 on Monday to 18,506 , a 12th consecutive day of increases below 100 .
The number of coronavirus-infected patients in intensive care ( 1,302 on Monday ) has returned nearly to levels last seen on March 20 .
Overall , more than 14,000 coronavirus patients remain in hospital .
There is no more red to be found on France 's coronavirus colour map .
A previous map used to illustrate the easing of initial lockdown measures on May 11 showed a wide swath of the country 's northeast including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus was actively circulating , as opposed to green areas where it was not .
Today , only three territories – Île-de-France , which represents the greater Paris area , as well as overseas territories Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and French Guiana neighbouring Brazil – are highlighted in orange , signifying the lockdown easing there over the next three weeks will be `` a little more prudent '' .
After a highly publicised , weeks-long dispute between Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the French government , parks and gardens in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hidalgo had called their continued closure a `` public health '' issue , underlining the paradox of allowing Parisians to use the métro and lounge on Seine quaysides while barring access to public green spaces .
Cafés , bars and restaurants , which were shuttered across the country at midnight on March 14 amid the outbreak , are authorised to reopen to customers from Tuesday with tables spaced at least one metre apart .
Conditions will be more strict , however , in orange zones , where only outdoor terraces will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledged to allow businesses to encroach on sidewalks , streets and parking spaces accordingly .
Middle schools , which remained closed in red zones after the initial lockdown easing , are permitted to reopen across the country from Tuesday .
High schools , which had so far remained closed nationwide , will also begin reopening their doors .
A strict health protocol remains in place for schools as children return amid the continuing epidemic , meaning numbers returning per class on any given day remain considerably limited .
The national rail service SNCF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available for sale as of mid-June , France 's minister of Transport announced Sunday .
TGV trains had seen every other seat made unavailable in order to maintain social distancing but those seating restrictions will now be dropped , Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told BFMTV .
Public transportation in the dense and still orange greater Paris area remains restricted during the rush hour , until `` at least June 22 '' , to passengers with a certificate from their employers justifying travel .
Gatherings of more than 10 people remain off-limits in public spaces .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting Tuesday .
The bluetooth-based app will allow users to be informed if they have been in close and sustained contact ( less than one metre for more than 15 minutes ) with someone infected by coronavirus .
Swimming pools , gyms , amusement parks , theatres and concert halls are allowed to reopen starting Tuesday in green zones and from June 22 in orange zones .
Cinemas will be permitted to reopen across the country on June 22 .
Border restrictions remain in place until June 15 , but France is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should the health situation permit doing so , without a quarantine period for travellers arriving from European countries '' .

France began a second phase of easing lockdown rules on Tuesday as official figures show the novel coronavirus outbreak continuing to diminish in the country following an initial loosening of restrictions that began on May 11.
A waiter wearing a face mask serves customers at Café de Flore, as restaurants and cafés reopen following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Paris, France, on June 2, 2020.
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The new measures include the reopening of cafés and restaurants in so-called green zones, where the virus is least actively circulating. Parks and restaurant terraces alone will reopen in Paris, which is considered an orange zone, and restrictions will be lifted on travel beyond the current 100km-radius restriction.
"Freedom will finally become the rule and constraint the exception," Prime Minister Édouard Philippe told reporters last Thursday during a press conference presenting the new rules for "Phase II" of easing the lockdown (a process known as "déconfinement" in France).
More than 28,000 people have died in France as a result of Covid-19, although the toll's climb has slowed markedly. The hospital death toll from the virus rose by 31 on Monday to 18,506, a 12th consecutive day of increases below 100. The number of coronavirus-infected patients in intensive care (1,302 on Monday) has returned nearly to levels last seen on March 20. Overall, more than 14,000 coronavirus patients remain in hospital.
02:39
No more 'red zones'
There is no more red to be found on France's coronavirus colour map. A previous map used to illustrate the easing of initial lockdown measures on May 11 showed a wide swath of the country's northeast including Pairs in red, denoting areas where the novel coronavirus was actively circulating, as opposed to green areas where it was not.
Today, only three territories – Île-de-France, which represents the greater Paris area, as well as overseas territories Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and French Guiana neighbouring Brazil – are highlighted in orange, signifying the lockdown easing there over the next three weeks will be "a little more prudent".
Parks and gardens reopening
After a highly publicised, weeks-long dispute between Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the French government, parks and gardens in the capital began reopening over the weekend. Hidalgo had called their continued closure a "public health" issue, underlining the paradox of allowing Parisians to use the métro and lounge on Seine quaysides while barring access to public green spaces.
Eating and drinking out
Cafés, bars and restaurants, which were shuttered across the country at midnight on March 14 amid the outbreak, are authorised to reopen to customers from Tuesday with tables spaced at least one metre apart.
Conditions will be more strict, however, in orange zones, where only outdoor terraces will be available to seat customers. Paris has pledged to allow businesses to encroach on sidewalks, streets and parking spaces accordingly.
More schools reopening
Middle schools, which remained closed in red zones after the initial lockdown easing, are permitted to reopen across the country from Tuesday. High schools, which had so far remained closed nationwide, will also begin reopening their doors. A strict health protocol remains in place for schools as children return amid the continuing epidemic, meaning numbers returning per class on any given day remain considerably limited.
Transportation
The national rail service SNCF will have its full slate of tickets available for sale as of mid-June, France's minister of Transport announced Sunday. TGV trains had seen every other seat made unavailable in order to maintain social distancing but those seating restrictions will now be dropped, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told BFMTV.
Public transportation in the dense and still orange greater Paris area remains restricted during the rush hour, until "at least June 22", to passengers with a certificate from their employers justifying travel.
Public gatherings
Gatherings of more than 10 people remain off-limits in public spaces.
Coronavirus app
The StopCovid smartphone application will be available starting Tuesday. The bluetooth-based app will allow users to be informed if they have been in close and sustained contact (less than one metre for more than 15 minutes) with someone infected by coronavirus.
Culture and sport
Swimming pools, gyms, amusement parks, theatres and concert halls are allowed to reopen starting Tuesday in green zones and from June 22 in orange zones.
Cinemas will be permitted to reopen across the country on June 22.
Borders
Border restrictions remain in place until June 15, but France is in favour of reopening them from then "should the health situation permit doing so, without a quarantine period for travellers arriving from European countries".
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-01--Trump threatens to send US military into cities to quell protests

US President Donald Trump holds up a Bible as he stands by St. John 's Episcopal Church across from the White House after walking there for a photo opportunity during ongoing protests over racial inequality in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody , Washington , USA , June 1 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump said on Monday he was deploying thousands of heavily armed soldiers and law enforcement to stop violence in the US capital and vowed to do the same in other cities if mayors and governors failed to regain control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Rose Garden of the White House , live television images showed police firing tear gas to dispel demonstrators in Lafayette Park , across the street .
`` Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled , '' Trump said .
`` If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents , then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them . ''
The demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turning violent after dark , have erupted over the death of George Floyd , a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis police custody after being pinned beneath a white officer 's knee for nearly nine minutes .
A second autopsy ordered by Floyd 's family and released on Monday found that his death was a homicide by `` mechanical asphyxiation '' , meaning some physical force interfered with his oxygen supply .
The report says three officers contributed to Floyd 's death .
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Monday released details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd 's death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation .
The county report added that Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by police and that he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease , fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use .
The new findings emerged after Trump spoke to the governors earlier in the day .
`` You have to dominate , '' he told them in a private call obtained by Reuters .
`` If you don ’ t dominate , you ’ re wasting your time – they ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to look like a bunch of jerks . ''
Trump said the federal government was going to clamp down `` very strong '' on the violence .
National Guard troops were deployed near the White House early Monday evening .
Dozens of cities across the United States remain under curfews at levels not seen since riots that broke out following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr .
The National Guard were deployed in 23 states and Washington , D.C.. One person was killed in Louisville , Kentucky , overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire while trying to disperse a crowd .
And two people were killed during protests in the Chicago suburb of Cicero , authorities said , but provided no details .
The unrest , which erupted as the country was easing sweeping lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus , began with peaceful protests over Floyd 's death .
Derek Chauvin , a since-fired 44-year-old officer , has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
On Monday , dozens of people paid their respects to Floyd outside Cup Foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Visitors left flowers and signs honouring Floyd .
A little girl wrote , “ I ’ ll fight with you ” , in aqua blue chalk on the road .
`` This is therapeutic .
My heart was real heavy this morning , so I came down extra early and when I got here , the heaviness lifted , ” said Diana Jones , 40 , the mother of four children .
“ This right here lets me know that things are going to be OK. ” Terrence Floyd , the victim 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to get educated , vote and not destroy their own communities .
`` Let 's do this another way , '' he said .
'Using the American military against the American people ’ Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , who had met with anti-racism protesters on Sunday , took to Twitter to express his fury at Trump ’ s response to the protests .
“ He ’ s using the American military against the American people , ” Biden tweeted .
“ He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to Trump ’ s decision to use law enforcement – including military police — to clear protesters from outside the White House so he could pose for photographs at a riot-damaged church nearby .
Floyd 's death was the latest to prompt an outcry over racism in law enforcement .
It reignited outrage across a politically and racially divided country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic , with African Americans accounting for a disproportionately high number of cases .
The US Justice Department has directed the Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington , D.C. , to help manage the protests , a department official told reporters .
Department investigators are interviewing people arrested during protests who might face federal charges for such offences as crossing state lines to incite violence , the official said .
Many cities affected by the unrest are allowing some businesses to reopen after more than two months of stay-at-home orders to stem a pandemic that has killed more than 104,000 people and left 40 million others jobless .
Trump has condemned the killing of Floyd and promised justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Critics accuse the Republican president , who is seeking re-election in November , of stoking conflict and racial tension when he should be uniting the nation and addressing underlying issues .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden met with black community leaders in a church and said he would create a police oversight board within his first 100 days in the White House if elected .

President Donald Trump said on Monday he was deploying thousands of heavily armed soldiers and law enforcement to stop violence in the US capital and vowed to do the same in other cities if mayors and governors failed to regain control of the streets.
US President Donald Trump holds up a Bible as he stands by St. John's Episcopal Church across from the White House after walking there for a photo opportunity during ongoing protests over racial inequality in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, Washington, USA, June 1, 2020.
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As Trump spoke in the Rose Garden of the White House, live television images showed police firing tear gas to dispel demonstrators in Lafayette Park, across the street.
"Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," Trump said. "If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."
The demonstrations, largely peaceful during the day but turning violent after dark, have erupted over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis police custody after being pinned beneath a white officer's knee for nearly nine minutes.
A second autopsy ordered by Floyd's family and released on Monday found that his death was a homicide by "mechanical asphyxiation", meaning some physical force interfered with his oxygen supply. The report says three officers contributed to Floyd's death.
‘You have to dominate’
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Monday released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd's death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation. The county report added that Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by police and that he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.
The new findings emerged after Trump spoke to the governors earlier in the day.
"You have to dominate," he told them in a private call obtained by Reuters. "If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time – they’re going to run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks."
Trump said the federal government was going to clamp down "very strong" on the violence. National Guard troops were deployed near the White House early Monday evening.
Dozens of cities across the United States remain under curfews at levels not seen since riots that broke out following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The National Guard were deployed in 23 states and Washington, D.C..
One person was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, overnight where police and National Guard troops returned fire while trying to disperse a crowd. And two people were killed during protests in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, authorities said, but provided no details.
Officer charged with third-degree murder
The unrest, which erupted as the country was easing sweeping lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus, began with peaceful protests over Floyd's death.
Derek Chauvin, a since-fired 44-year-old officer, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
01:45
On Monday, dozens of people paid their respects to Floyd outside Cup Foods, the scene of his death. Visitors left flowers and signs honouring Floyd. A little girl wrote, “I’ll fight with you”, in aqua blue chalk on the road.
"This is therapeutic. My heart was real heavy this morning, so I came down extra early and when I got here, the heaviness lifted,” said Diana Jones, 40, the mother of four children. “This right here lets me know that things are going to be OK.”
Terrence Floyd, the victim's brother, told the gathering he wanted people to get educated, vote and not destroy their own communities. "Let's do this another way," he said.
He's using the American military against the American people.
He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets.
For a photo.
For our children, for the very soul of our country, we must defeat him. But I mean it when I say this: we can only do it together. https://t.co/G1yE67q9Nz — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 2, 2020
'Using the American military against the American people’
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who had met with anti-racism protesters on Sunday, took to Twitter to express his fury at Trump’s response to the protests.
“He’s using the American military against the American people,” Biden tweeted.
“He tear-gassed peaceful protesters and fired rubber bullets. For a photo,” Biden wrote, referring to Trump’s decision to use law enforcement – including military police — to clear protesters from outside the White House so he could pose for photographs at a riot-damaged church nearby.
Floyd's death was the latest to prompt an outcry over racism in law enforcement. It reignited outrage across a politically and racially divided country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with African Americans accounting for a disproportionately high number of cases.
The US Justice Department has directed the Bureau of Prisons to send riot-control teams to Miami and Washington, D.C., to help manage the protests, a department official told reporters.
Department investigators are interviewing people arrested during protests who might face federal charges for such offences as crossing state lines to incite violence, the official said.
Many cities affected by the unrest are allowing some businesses to reopen after more than two months of stay-at-home orders to stem a pandemic that has killed more than 104,000 people and left 40 million others jobless.
Trump has condemned the killing of Floyd and promised justice but has described protesters as "thugs".
Critics accuse the Republican president, who is seeking re-election in November, of stoking conflict and racial tension when he should be uniting the nation and addressing underlying issues.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden met with black community leaders in a church and said he would create a police oversight board within his first 100 days in the White House if elected.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-02--WHO warns Latin American hospitals risk being overwhelmed by Covid-19 crisis

A healthcare worker at a field hospital set up to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus disease in Guarulhos , Sao Paulo state , Brazil , on May 12 , 2020 .
Healthcare systems across Latin America risk being overwhelmed by the coronavirus , the World Health Organization has said , as the death toll from the disease in hard-hit Brazil nears 30,000 .
The warning from the global health body came as a sister UN agency issued new guidelines for pandemic-hit airlines that reveal what flying might look like when passenger planes take to the skies again in earnest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Americas comes as other parts of the world return to relative normality after weeks of restrictions on daily life that have wrecked economies and left millions jobless .
Schools , swimming pools , pubs and tourist sites have begun to throw open their doors again in Europe as the continent continues easing lockdowns despite the threat of a second wave of infections .
The pandemic has now killed more than 377,000 people and infected at least 6.3 million since erupting in China in late 2019 .
Four of the 10 countries across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new COVID-19 cases on Monday were in Latin America , WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said .
Brazil , Peru , Chile and Mexico are suffering the highest daily increases but numbers are also on the rise in Argentina , Bolivia , Colombia and Haiti .
“ Countries are having to work very , very hard to both understand the scale of infection but also health systems are beginning to come under pressure , ” said Ryan .
The region has logged one million cases and recorded more than 50,000 deaths , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those cases and close to 60 percent of the fatalities .
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro said Monday however that the popular tourist city would start gradually easing lockdown measures from Tuesday , beginning with the reopening of places of worship and water sports .
Mexico also began reopening on Monday , reactivating the automotive industry , mining and construction even as the country recorded more than virus 10,000 deaths .
Ryan warned that the region faces a tough battle in the weeks ahead .
“ I don ’ t believe we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , at this point , I can not predict when we will , ” he said .
In Europe however , from Russia to France , Italy and Britain , countries have started to emerge from lockdowns , cautiously adopting a post-pandemic version of normal .
Bars began to serve again in Finland and Norway—with social distancing restrictions or shortened hours in place—while some schools in Britain and Greece opened their doors .
Britain reported 111 more virus deaths on Monday , the lowest daily toll since its lockdown started on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautiously opened for the first time in 10 weeks , with stallholders excited to welcome customers .
“ We are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel , ” said Mario Warner , owner of a nearby clothing store that has been given the green light to open in two weeks .
Greece opened some hotels , schools , pools and tattoo parlors , while Italy reopened the Colosseum , although only to Italians .
There was also good news from Spain , which on Monday recorded its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 3 .
France registered 31 deaths over the last 24 hours , and on Tuesday is set to reopen cafes , restaurants and bistros , closed since its lockdown began in mid-March .
Much of East Asia meanwhile has seen infection numbers slow to a trickle in recent weeks but mass gatherings continued to fall victim to virus restrictions .
Hong Kong ’ s annual candlelight vigil for those killed in China ’ s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown has been banned for the first time due to COVID-19 concerns .
And in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter protesters for flouting social distancing rules when the country is on the verge of eliminating the virus .
With businesses and citizens growing tired of confinement , pressure is building on national leaders to end the lockdowns—especially in countries where outbreaks appear to be slowing .
Businesses have been under immense pressure as lockdowns keep consumers and employees at home , with the global airline industry among the hardest hit after tourism dried up .
As the sector seeks to forge a future amid the continued threat from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday released a “ framework ” for assuring the safety of passengers and workers .
Travellers should be forced to present health certificates at airports and undergo temperature checks , the ICAO said .
There were also snippets of inspiration however among the reams of bad news .
Hundreds of bands took their music to the streets of Lithuania to lift people ’ s spirits as the Baltic nation allowed public gatherings again .
About 400 bands performed 15-minute sets in cities and towns across the country in a government-sponsored initiative .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make music again , ” said Modestas Barkauskas , chief conductor of the Vilnius St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra in the capital Vilnius .
“ We want to share our joy with you because music is medicine for the soul .
”

Healthcare systems across Latin America risk being overwhelmed by the coronavirus, the World Health Organization has said, as the death toll from the disease in hard-hit Brazil nears 30,000.
A healthcare worker at a field hospital set up to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus disease in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, on May 12, 2020.
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The warning from the global health body came as a sister UN agency issued new guidelines for pandemic-hit airlines that reveal what flying might look like when passenger planes take to the skies again in earnest.
The march of the illness across the Americas comes as other parts of the world return to relative normality after weeks of restrictions on daily life that have wrecked economies and left millions jobless.
Schools, swimming pools, pubs and tourist sites have begun to throw open their doors again in Europe as the continent continues easing lockdowns despite the threat of a second wave of infections.
The pandemic has now killed more than 377,000 people and infected at least 6.3 million since erupting in China in late 2019.
Four of the 10 countries across the globe with the greatest number of new COVID-19 cases on Monday were in Latin America, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said.
Brazil, Peru, Chile and Mexico are suffering the highest daily increases but numbers are also on the rise in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Haiti.
“Countries are having to work very, very hard to both understand the scale of infection but also health systems are beginning to come under pressure,” said Ryan.
The region has logged one million cases and recorded more than 50,000 deaths, with Brazil accounting for more than half of those cases and close to 60 percent of the fatalities.
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro said Monday however that the popular tourist city would start gradually easing lockdown measures from Tuesday, beginning with the reopening of places of worship and water sports.
Mexico also began reopening on Monday, reactivating the automotive industry, mining and construction even as the country recorded more than virus 10,000 deaths.
Ryan warned that the region faces a tough battle in the weeks ahead.
“I don’t believe we have reached the peak in that transmission and, at this point, I cannot predict when we will,” he said.
‘Light at the end’
In Europe however, from Russia to France, Italy and Britain, countries have started to emerge from lockdowns, cautiously adopting a post-pandemic version of normal.
Bars began to serve again in Finland and Norway—with social distancing restrictions or shortened hours in place—while some schools in Britain and Greece opened their doors.
Britain reported 111 more virus deaths on Monday, the lowest daily toll since its lockdown started on March 23.
London’s Camden Market cautiously opened for the first time in 10 weeks, with stallholders excited to welcome customers.
“We are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mario Warner, owner of a nearby clothing store that has been given the green light to open in two weeks.
Greece opened some hotels, schools, pools and tattoo parlors, while Italy reopened the Colosseum, although only to Italians.
There was also good news from Spain, which on Monday recorded its first 24-hour period without a COVID-19 death since March 3.
France registered 31 deaths over the last 24 hours, and on Tuesday is set to reopen cafes, restaurants and bistros, closed since its lockdown began in mid-March.
Gatherings hit
Much of East Asia meanwhile has seen infection numbers slow to a trickle in recent weeks but mass gatherings continued to fall victim to virus restrictions.
Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil for those killed in China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown has been banned for the first time due to COVID-19 concerns.
And in New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern criticised Black Lives Matter protesters for flouting social distancing rules when the country is on the verge of eliminating the virus.
With businesses and citizens growing tired of confinement, pressure is building on national leaders to end the lockdowns—especially in countries where outbreaks appear to be slowing.
Businesses have been under immense pressure as lockdowns keep consumers and employees at home, with the global airline industry among the hardest hit after tourism dried up.
As the sector seeks to forge a future amid the continued threat from the virus, the International Civil Aviation Organization on Monday released a “framework” for assuring the safety of passengers and workers.
Travellers should be forced to present health certificates at airports and undergo temperature checks, the ICAO said.
There were also snippets of inspiration however among the reams of bad news.
Hundreds of bands took their music to the streets of Lithuania to lift people’s spirits as the Baltic nation allowed public gatherings again.
About 400 bands performed 15-minute sets in cities and towns across the country in a government-sponsored initiative.
“Our orchestra is extremely happy to meet and make music again,” said Modestas Barkauskas, chief conductor of the Vilnius St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra in the capital Vilnius.
“We want to share our joy with you because music is medicine for the soul.”
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-02--George Floyd’s death a painful reminder of African-American community’s struggle against racism

A week after George Floyd died at the hands of the police in Minneapolis , protests across the US are still going strong .
But at the very scene where he died , members of the African-American community on Monday peacefully gathered to pay their tributes , and to be reminded of their constant struggle against systematic racism .
FRANCE 24 ’ s Kethevane Gorjestani reports .
Hundreds of people on Monday gathered at the scene where Floyd , an unarmed African American , was killed at the hands of a white police officer a week earlier .
Although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with flowers , prayers and chants , it also served as a painful reminder of the daily struggles of African-Americans against systematic racism .
“ It ’ s sad for the African Americans around here because we already question where our place is in America .
And with things like this , if we don ’ t stand up , we ’ re showing them that we ’ re allowing this stuff [ to happen ] .
We ’ ve been allowing it for too long now , ” Tommy Macbrayer , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since 2014 , at least 100 African-Americans , including Trayyon Martin , Michael Brown , Sandra Bland and Eric Garner , have died at the hands of the police .
And their deaths have stoked very real fears in the African-American community .
“ Every single night I worry about my sons .
I track their locations .
And I have predominantly good children , do you know what I mean ?
, ” said an African-American mother who did not want to give her name .
“ The fear of just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t raise your hands or if you get pulled over , this could be your very last day living here .
It ’ s overwhelming.
” To watch the full report , click on the player above .

ON THE GROUND
A week after George Floyd died at the hands of the police in Minneapolis, protests across the US are still going strong. But at the very scene where he died, members of the African-American community on Monday peacefully gathered to pay their tributes, and to be reminded of their constant struggle against systematic racism. FRANCE 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani reports.
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Hundreds of people on Monday gathered at the scene where Floyd, an unarmed African American, was killed at the hands of a white police officer a week earlier. Although the gathering was largely about paying tribute, with flowers, prayers and chants, it also served as a painful reminder of the daily struggles of African-Americans against systematic racism.
“It’s sad for the African Americans around here because we already question where our place is in America. And with things like this, if we don’t stand up, we’re showing them that we’re allowing this stuff [to happen]. We’ve been allowing it for too long now,” Tommy Macbrayer, who organised the gathering, told FRANCE 24.
Since 2014, at least 100 African-Americans, including Trayyon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland and Eric Garner, have died at the hands of the police. And their deaths have stoked very real fears in the African-American community.
“Every single night I worry about my sons. I track their locations. And I have predominantly good children, do you know what I mean?,” said an African-American mother who did not want to give her name.
“The fear of just not knowing. That if you don’t raise your hands or if you get pulled over, this could be your very last day living here. It’s overwhelming.”
To watch the full report, click on the player above.
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france24--2020-06-01--Boiling point in America? Rage over racism, police brutality

As the United States faces its biggest protests since the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. , François Picard @ @ @ @ @ of local police departments amid what demonstrators denounce as unaccountable brute force and outsized powers @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter has now spawned a new hashtag , # DefundThe Police .
Why @ @ @ @ @ the riots of 2014 in Ferguson , Missouri ?
Can communities come together to reform @ @ @ @ @ law and order ?

Boiling point in America? Rage over racism, police brutality
43:02 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
As the United States faces its biggest protests since the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., François Picard's panel discusses the role of local police departments amid what demonstrators denounce as unaccountable brute force and outsized powers with minorities unfairly targeted. Black Lives Matter has now spawned a new hashtag, #DefundThe Police. Why has so little changed since the riots of 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri? Can communities come together to reform the way the US practices law and order?


france24--2020-06-02--French economy to shrink record 11% this year after 'brutal' coronavirus shock

Staff members , wearing face masks , stand in front of a Gucci shop inside the department store Le Printemps Haussmann before its reopening in Paris on May 28 , 2020 .
The French economy is expected to shrink a record 11 percent this year because of the coronavirus crisis , which is worse than the government 's previous forecast of an 8 percent contraction , Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Tuesday .
`` The shock is very brutal , '' Le Maire told RTL radio , although he also said : `` I am absolutely certain that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
France imposed one of the Europe 's strictest lockdowns in the face of Covid-19 in mid-March and only began removing restrictions on May 11 .
Cafés , bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen for regular business on Tuesday .
but in Paris they remain limited to outside seating only .
`` We were hard hit by the virus , we took effective measures to protect French people 's health , but the economy practically ground to a halt for three months , '' Le Maire said .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
With some 300,000 cafés and eateries reopening on Tuesday , Le Maire said that they would continue to benefit from handouts from a government solidarity fund until the end of the year to help cover fixed costs .
`` Even if it is hard to hear on a day when the sun is shining and the cafés are reopening , the hardest part is still ahead of us in social and economic terms , '' Le Maire said .
The government has progressively revised upwards the damage caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be included in a recovery budget that will be submitted to ministers on June 10 .
Last week , the official statistics agency INSEE warned that the economic contraction would be much larger than the government 's previous estimate of eight percent , because the pickup as the virus lockdown was eased would only be gradual across the second half of the year .
The government is trying to avert a string of retail bankruptcies by seeking buyers for big clothing chains Camaieu , Conforama and La Halle , which employ thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The minister has already announced sector-specific support plans for the tourism and car industries this month .
He said measures for the aerospace industry were being prepared for next week and the start-up and building sectors would follow afterwards .
Le Maire also announced that traditional mid-year sales by retailers would be pushed back to July 15 instead of June 24 .
He said the delay had been requested by small-business owners who needed more time to prepare after being closed for more than two months .

The French economy is expected to shrink a record 11 percent this year because of the coronavirus crisis, which is worse than the government's previous forecast of an 8 percent contraction, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Tuesday.
Staff members, wearing face masks, stand in front of a Gucci shop inside the department store Le Printemps Haussmann before its reopening in Paris on May 28, 2020.
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"The shock is very brutal," Le Maire told RTL radio, although he also said: "I am absolutely certain that we are going to bounce back in 2021."
France imposed one of the Europe's strictest lockdowns in the face of Covid-19 in mid-March and only began removing restrictions on May 11. Cafés, bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen for regular business on Tuesday. but in Paris they remain limited to outside seating only.
La réouverture des 308 000 cafés et restaurants de France ce 2 juin, avec ses 509 000 emplois, est un signal très positif pour notre économie et répond à une attente profonde des Français. C'est un moment de bonheur collectif. pic.twitter.com/zmLOh4jwru — Bruno Le Maire (@BrunoLeMaire) June 2, 2020
"We were hard hit by the virus, we took effective measures to protect French people's health, but the economy practically ground to a halt for three months," Le Maire said.
"We're going to pay for it with growth," he said.
With some 300,000 cafés and eateries reopening on Tuesday, Le Maire said that they would continue to benefit from handouts from a government solidarity fund until the end of the year to help cover fixed costs.
>> France begins 'Phase II' of easing lockdown measures as coronavirus abates
"Even if it is hard to hear on a day when the sun is shining and the cafés are reopening, the hardest part is still ahead of us in social and economic terms," Le Maire said.
The government has progressively revised upwards the damage caused by the pandemic and the latest estimate will be included in a recovery budget that will be submitted to ministers on June 10.
Last week, the official statistics agency INSEE warned that the economic contraction would be much larger than the government's previous estimate of eight percent, because the pickup as the virus lockdown was eased would only be gradual across the second half of the year.
The government is trying to avert a string of retail bankruptcies by seeking buyers for big clothing chains Camaieu, Conforama and La Halle, which employ thousands of people, Le Maire said Tuesday.
The minister has already announced sector-specific support plans for the tourism and car industries this month. He said measures for the aerospace industry were being prepared for next week and the start-up and building sectors would follow afterwards.
Le Maire also announced that traditional mid-year sales by retailers would be pushed back to July 15 instead of June 24.
He said the delay had been requested by small-business owners who needed more time to prepare after being closed for more than two months.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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