france24--2020-07-29--Tech giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google grilled by congressional anti-trust panel

Fending off accusations of stifling competition , four Big Tech CEOs – Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , Amazon ’ s Jeff Bezos , Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple – faced a grilling by the US House Judiciary Committee 's anti-trust panel on Wednesday .
The powerful CEOs , whose companies together represent about $ 5 trillion of market value , parried a range of accusations from lawmakers via videoconference at a hearing that marked the first time the four appeared together before lawmakers .
It was also the first-ever appearance of Bezos before Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how competitive their markets are , and the value of their innovation and essential services to consumers .
But they sometimes struggled to answer pointed questions about their business practices .
They also confronted a range of other concerns about alleged political bias , their effect on US democracy and their role in China .
US Rep. David Cicilline , a Democrat and chair of the anti-trust subcommittee , began by accusing Google of theft .
`` Why does Google steal content from honest businesses ? ''
he asked .
Cicilline accused Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inc and said that Google threatened to delist the company from search results if it objected .
Pichai responded mildly that he would want to know the specifics of the accusation .
`` We conduct ourselves to the highest standards , '' he added , disagreeing with the characterisation that Google steals content from other businesses to populate its search engine and keep users on its own services .
Among the toughest questions for Google and Amazon involved accusations that they used their dominant platforms to scoop up data about competitors in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bezos said in his first testimony to Congress that he couldn ’ t guarantee that the company had not accessed seller data to make competing products , an allegation that the company and its executives have previously denied .
Regulators in the US and Europe have scrutinised Amazon ’ s relationship with the businesses that sell on its site and whether the online shopping giant has been using data from the sellers to create its own private-label products .
“ We have a policy against using seller specific data to aid our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a response to a question from US Rep. Pramila Jayapal , a Washington Democrat .
“ But I can ’ t guarantee to you that that policy hasn ’ t been violated.
” Pichai 's opening remarks touted Google 's value to mom-and-pop businesses in Bristol , Rhode Island and Pewaukee , Wisconsin .
As Democrats largely focused on market competition , several Republicans aired longstanding grievances that the tech companies are censoring conservative voices and questioned their business activities in China .
“ Big Tech is out to get conservatives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a tweet before the hearing , President Donald Trump challenged Congress to crack down on the companies , which he has accused , without evidence , of bias against him and conservatives in general .
“ If Congress does n't bring fairness to Big Tech , which they should have done years ago , I will do it myself with Executive Orders , '' Trump tweeted .
Executive orders are more limited in scope than laws passed by Congress , though they too have the force of law .
But presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal statutes .
That takes congressional action .
Trump 's Justice Department has urged Congress to roll back long-held legal protections for online platforms such as Facebook , Google and Twitter .
The proposed changes would strip some of the bedrock protections that have generally shielded the companies from legal responsibility for what people post on their platforms .
The four tech CEOs command corporations with gold-plated brands , millions or even billions of customers , and a combined value greater than the entire German economy .
One of them , Bezos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Zuckerberg is the fourth-ranked billionaire .
Critics have questioned whether the companies stifle competition and innovation , raise prices for consumers and pose a danger to society .
In its bipartisan investigation , the Judiciary subcommittee collected testimony from mid-level executives of the four firms , competitors and legal experts , and pored over more than a million internal documents from the companies .
A key question : whether existing competition policies and century-old anti-trust laws are adequate for overseeing the tech giants , or if new legislation and enforcement funding are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies monopolies , although he says breaking them up should be a last resort .
While forced breakups may appear unlikely , the wide scrutiny of Big Tech points toward possible new restrictions on its power .
Cicilline also said that in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic “ these giants stand to profit ” and become even more powerful as millions shift more of their work and commerce online .
The companies face legal and political offensives on multiplying fronts , from Congress , the Trump administration , federal and state regulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Federal Trade Commission have been investigating the four companies ’ practices .

Fending off accusations of stifling competition, four Big Tech CEOs – Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple – faced a grilling by the US House Judiciary Committee's anti-trust panel on Wednesday.
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The powerful CEOs, whose companies together represent about $5 trillion of market value, parried a range of accusations from lawmakers via videoconference at a hearing that marked the first time the four appeared together before lawmakers. It was also the first-ever appearance of Bezos before Congress.
The executives provided bursts of data showing how competitive their markets are, and the value of their innovation and essential services to consumers. But they sometimes struggled to answer pointed questions about their business practices. They also confronted a range of other concerns about alleged political bias, their effect on US democracy and their role in China.
US Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat and chair of the anti-trust subcommittee, began by accusing Google of theft.
"Why does Google steal content from honest businesses?" he asked.
Cicilline accused Google of stealing reviews from the company Yelp Inc and said that Google threatened to delist the company from search results if it objected.
Pichai responded mildly that he would want to know the specifics of the accusation. "We conduct ourselves to the highest standards," he added, disagreeing with the characterisation that Google steals content from other businesses to populate its search engine and keep users on its own services.
Accusations of scooping up data
Among the toughest questions for Google and Amazon involved accusations that they used their dominant platforms to scoop up data about competitors in a way that gave them an unfair advantage.
Bezos said in his first testimony to Congress that he couldn’t guarantee that the company had not accessed seller data to make competing products, an allegation that the company and its executives have previously denied.
Regulators in the US and Europe have scrutinised Amazon’s relationship with the businesses that sell on its site and whether the online shopping giant has been using data from the sellers to create its own private-label products.
“We have a policy against using seller specific data to aid our private label business,” Bezos said in a response to a question from US Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat. “But I can’t guarantee to you that that policy hasn’t been violated.”
Trump challenges lawmakers
Pichai's opening remarks touted Google's value to mom-and-pop businesses in Bristol, Rhode Island and Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
As Democrats largely focused on market competition, several Republicans aired longstanding grievances that the tech companies are censoring conservative voices and questioned their business activities in China. “Big Tech is out to get conservatives,” said Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
In a tweet before the hearing, President Donald Trump challenged Congress to crack down on the companies, which he has accused, without evidence, of bias against him and conservatives in general.
“If Congress doesn't bring fairness to Big Tech, which they should have done years ago, I will do it myself with Executive Orders," Trump tweeted.
Executive orders are more limited in scope than laws passed by Congress, though they too have the force of law. But presidents can't use executive orders to alter federal statutes. That takes congressional action.
Trump's Justice Department has urged Congress to roll back long-held legal protections for online platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. The proposed changes would strip some of the bedrock protections that have generally shielded the companies from legal responsibility for what people post on their platforms.
The four tech CEOs command corporations with gold-plated brands, millions or even billions of customers, and a combined value greater than the entire German economy. One of them, Bezos, is the world’s richest individual; Zuckerberg is the fourth-ranked billionaire.
Question of anti-trust laws
Critics have questioned whether the companies stifle competition and innovation, raise prices for consumers and pose a danger to society.
In its bipartisan investigation, the Judiciary subcommittee collected testimony from mid-level executives of the four firms, competitors and legal experts, and pored over more than a million internal documents from the companies. A key question: whether existing competition policies and century-old anti-trust laws are adequate for overseeing the tech giants, or if new legislation and enforcement funding are needed.
Cicilline has called the four companies monopolies, although he says breaking them up should be a last resort. While forced breakups may appear unlikely, the wide scrutiny of Big Tech points toward possible new restrictions on its power.
Cicilline also said that in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic “these giants stand to profit” and become even more powerful as millions shift more of their work and commerce online.
The companies face legal and political offensives on multiplying fronts, from Congress, the Trump administration, federal and state regulators and European watchdogs. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have been investigating the four companies’ practices.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-29--After choking incidents, French minister sparks anger by saying claims of police brutality make him

After choking incidents, French minister sparks anger by saying claims of police brutality make him 'choke'

France 's controversial new Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin prompted fresh anger on Wednesday by saying accusations of police brutality made him `` choke '' , thereby echoing the words of a man who died January 5 after being pinned to the ground by French police while repeatedly pleading : `` I am choking . ''
It was a scandal that shook France before the death of George Floyd in May sparked global protests against police brutality and systemic racial inequality .
Cédric Chouviat , a Frenchman of North African origin , died in hospital two days after a heated exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was still wearing his scooter helmet , for about 20 seconds as he was being detained near the Eiffel Tower .
The 42-year-old delivery man died of asphyxiation and his larynx was fractured .
Video of the incident showed him saying , `` I 'm choking , '' seven times before his body went limp .
The interior minister 's declaration at the National Assembly ( lower house ) on Wednesday came as he was defending police against allegations of brutality , saying they use `` legitimate violence '' .
Darminin used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same verb ( étouffer ) used by Chouviat as he pleaded with police , which can mean to choke or suffocate but can also be used to express shock .
Darmanin 's choice of words has `` deeply scandalised and upset '' the loved ones of the late Cédric Chouviat , lawyers for his family said in a statement .
`` Everyone must consider what these words indicate about the contempt and cynicism the interior minister has for the families left bereaved or wounded by police violence , '' the lawyers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with manslaughter over Chouviat 's death .
Read also : ‘ Black and treated as such ’ : Anti-racism protests expose the myth of a colour-blind France Darmanin 's appointment earlier this month despite an ongoing rape investigation against him sparked widespread anger and protests by women 's rights groups .
Appeals judges in Paris last month ordered a new investigation into claims that Darmanin raped a woman in 2009 after she sought his help to have a criminal record expunged .
At the time , Darmanin was a legal affairs adviser .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ France 's `` top cop '' at a time when the country is reeling from demonstrations against alleged police racism and brutality .
A new round of anti-police protests erupted in France in recent months after a report cleared the officers involved in another high-profile police brutality case .
Adama Traoré , a 24-year-old black man , died in police custody in 2016 after allegedly also being pinned to the ground .
A report released by Human Rights Watch last month said that French police have `` overly broad '' discretion when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discriminatory and abusive checks on black and Arab boys and men ” .
A member of Darmanin 's team told AFP the minister had simply employed `` a commonly used French expression , understood by all '' and that there had been `` no ulterior motive '' in his choice of words .
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the minister 's choice of words was `` clearly not linked '' to Chouviat 's death and said the country should not get bogged down in `` semantic battles '' .
But some derided the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even if unintentional .
Greens politician David Corman accused the minister of seeking to divert attention from his own legal troubles while Senator Laurence Rossignol tweeted simply , `` # WordsKill '' .
`` Those who have suffocated from police violence are unfortunately no longer here to talk about it , '' tweeted leftist European Parliament MP Manon Aubry , adding : `` A terrible choice of words for a terribly guilty denial . ''

France's controversial new Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin prompted fresh anger on Wednesday by saying accusations of police brutality made him "choke", thereby echoing the words of a man who died January 5 after being pinned to the ground by French police while repeatedly pleading: "I am choking."
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It was a scandal that shook France before the death of George Floyd in May sparked global protests against police brutality and systemic racial inequality.
Cédric Chouviat, a Frenchman of North African origin, died in hospital two days after a heated exchange with police. Officers pinned Chouviat, who was still wearing his scooter helmet, for about 20 seconds as he was being detained near the Eiffel Tower. The 42-year-old delivery man died of asphyxiation and his larynx was fractured.
Video of the incident showed him saying, "I'm choking," seven times before his body went limp.
The interior minister's declaration at the National Assembly (lower house) on Wednesday came as he was defending police against allegations of brutality, saying they use "legitimate violence".
"When I hear the term 'police violence', personally I choke," Darmanin told lawmakers.
Darminin used the term "Je m'étouffe", the same verb (étouffer) used by Chouviat as he pleaded with police, which can mean to choke or suffocate but can also be used to express shock.
Darmanin's choice of words has "deeply scandalised and upset" the loved ones of the late Cédric Chouviat, lawyers for his family said in a statement.
"Everyone must consider what these words indicate about the contempt and cynicism the interior minister has for the families left bereaved or wounded by police violence," the lawyers said.
Three police officers have been charged with manslaughter over Chouviat's death.
Read also: ‘Black and treated as such’: Anti-racism protests expose the myth of a colour-blind France
'No ulterior motive'
Darmanin's appointment earlier this month despite an ongoing rape investigation against him sparked widespread anger and protests by women's rights groups. Appeals judges in Paris last month ordered a new investigation into claims that Darmanin raped a woman in 2009 after she sought his help to have a criminal record expunged. At the time, Darmanin was a legal affairs adviser.
He took over from Christophe Castaner as France's "top cop" at a time when the country is reeling from demonstrations against alleged police racism and brutality.
A new round of anti-police protests erupted in France in recent months after a report cleared the officers involved in another high-profile police brutality case. Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man, died in police custody in 2016 after allegedly also being pinned to the ground.
A report released by Human Rights Watch last month said that French police have "overly broad" discretion when it comes to conducting what it called "discriminatory and abusive checks on black and Arab boys and men”.
A member of Darmanin's team told AFP the minister had simply employed "a commonly used French expression, understood by all" and that there had been "no ulterior motive" in his choice of words.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the minister's choice of words was "clearly not linked" to Chouviat's death and said the country should not get bogged down in "semantic battles".
But some derided the lack of sensitivity shown by Darmanin, even if unintentional.
Greens politician David Corman accused the minister of seeking to divert attention from his own legal troubles while Senator Laurence Rossignol tweeted simply, "#WordsKill".
"Those who have suffocated from police violence are unfortunately no longer here to talk about it," tweeted leftist European Parliament MP Manon Aubry, adding: "A terrible choice of words for a terribly guilty denial."
Ceux qui ont étouffé des violences policières ne sont malheureusement plus là pour en parler.
Terrible choix des mots pour un terrible déni coupable. https://t.co/L13duF8OSD — Manon Aubry (@ManonAubryFr) July 28, 2020
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-29--US slaps sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's 18-year-old son Hafez in latest bid to squeeze regime

Hafez al-Assad ( center ) , the son of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who has been slapped with US sanctions , attends the International Maths Olympics in Cluj Napoca , Romania in 2018 The United States on Wednesday slapped sanctions on the 18-year-old son of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , vowing never to let the war-torn nation 's regime enrich itself .
Hafez al-Assad -- named after his grandfather , who ruled Syria with an iron fist for three decades -- will not be allowed to travel or maintain assets in the United States , the State Department said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of sanctions under the Caesar Act , a US law that took effect in June and aims to prevent any normalization of Assad even as he wins back most of Syrian territory after a brutal nine-year war .
`` We will continue to hold Bashar al-Assad and his regime accountable for their atrocities , while keeping the memory of their victims alive , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
`` It is time for Assad 's needless , brutal war to end , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma .
Officials said the sanctions against their only adult child were meant to stop Hafez from becoming a conduit for his family overseas .
`` It has been such a prominent trend among Syrian regime actors to use their adult family members , whether their siblings or children , to try to continue business in their place after being sanctioned , '' said Joel Rayburn , a State Department official who handles Syria .
Rayburn warned that the Assads and other prominent families were increasing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` For us , the point of the sanctions is to try to prevent the Assad regime from consolidating that kind of economic control which is then used to perpetuate the war and to perpetuate the killing machine against the Syrian people , '' Rayburn told reporters .
Hafez al-Assad , the eldest of the Assads ' three children , has made headlines as a teenager mostly for his passion for mathematics .
He has taken part in international math competitions in Romania and Brazil , where in 2017 he finished 528th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also slapped sanctions on Syrian businessman Wassim Anwar al-Qattan , who is involved in major construction projects in Damascus .
According to the Treasury Department , Syrian authorities awarded him a contract to develop a high-end shopping mall , removing the previous investor , after Qattan agreed to pay $ 2.7 million a year in fees .
Also sanctioned was Major General Zuhair Tawfik al-Assad , a member of the extended ruling family , and his adult son .
The officer has led the First Division of the Syrian army which since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been accused of mass killings and arrests in areas near Damascus .
US officials said it was designating the latest sanctions in memory of the victims of a deadly 2011 siege of Hama as well as last year 's bombing , allegedly involving Russia , of a marketplace in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province where more than 40 civilians died .
The United States , however , has not yet targeted business interests from Assad 's key ally Russia .
Fears of action against foreign investors under the Caesar Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy by clouding hopes for reconstruction .
Idlib remains the last bastion of opposition forces including jihadists who have battled Assad in a war that has claimed more than 380,000 lives , displaced millions and fueled the rise of the ultra-violent Islamic State group .

The United States on Wednesday slapped sanctions on the 18-year-old son of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, vowing never to let the war-torn nation's regime enrich itself.
Hafez al-Assad (center), the son of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who has been slapped with US sanctions, attends the International Maths Olympics in Cluj Napoca, Romania in 2018
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Hafez al-Assad -- named after his grandfather, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for three decades -- will not be allowed to travel or maintain assets in the United States, the State Department said.
The designation was part of a second set of sanctions under the Caesar Act, a US law that took effect in June and aims to prevent any normalization of Assad even as he wins back most of Syrian territory after a brutal nine-year war.
"We will continue to hold Bashar al-Assad and his regime accountable for their atrocities, while keeping the memory of their victims alive," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
"It is time for Assad's needless, brutal war to end," he said.
The United States has already imposed sanctions on Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma.
Officials said the sanctions against their only adult child were meant to stop Hafez from becoming a conduit for his family overseas.
"It has been such a prominent trend among Syrian regime actors to use their adult family members, whether their siblings or children, to try to continue business in their place after being sanctioned," said Joel Rayburn, a State Department official who handles Syria.
Rayburn warned that the Assads and other prominent families were increasing their economic leverage as Syria looks to rebuild.
"For us, the point of the sanctions is to try to prevent the Assad regime from consolidating that kind of economic control which is then used to perpetuate the war and to perpetuate the killing machine against the Syrian people," Rayburn told reporters.
Hafez al-Assad, the eldest of the Assads' three children, has made headlines as a teenager mostly for his passion for mathematics.
He has taken part in international math competitions in Romania and Brazil, where in 2017 he finished 528th out of 615.
Targeting businesses, but not Russia
The United States also slapped sanctions on Syrian businessman Wassim Anwar al-Qattan, who is involved in major construction projects in Damascus.
According to the Treasury Department, Syrian authorities awarded him a contract to develop a high-end shopping mall, removing the previous investor, after Qattan agreed to pay $2.7 million a year in fees.
Also sanctioned was Major General Zuhair Tawfik al-Assad, a member of the extended ruling family, and his adult son.
The officer has led the First Division of the Syrian army which since the start of the revolt in 2011 has been accused of mass killings and arrests in areas near Damascus.
US officials said it was designating the latest sanctions in memory of the victims of a deadly 2011 siege of Hama as well as last year's bombing, allegedly involving Russia, of a marketplace in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province where more than 40 civilians died.
The United States, however, has not yet targeted business interests from Assad's key ally Russia.
Fears of action against foreign investors under the Caesar Act have wreaked havoc on Syria's war-ravaged economy by clouding hopes for reconstruction.
Idlib remains the last bastion of opposition forces including jihadists who have battled Assad in a war that has claimed more than 380,000 lives, displaced millions and fueled the rise of the ultra-violent Islamic State group.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-29--Troops to deploy in three more US cities as federal forces begin Portland withdrawal

Demonstrators at a protest against racial inequality and police violence in Portland , USA on July 27 , 2020 .
The US Justice Department said on Wednesday it would send dozens of law enforcement officials to Cleveland , Milwaukee and Detroit to combat violent crime , expanding the deployment of federal agents to major cities under a programme promoted by President Donald Trump .
The move follows similar deployments to Chicago , Kansas City , Missouri and Albuquerque , New Mexico under what is known as Operation Legend , an initiative launched to address rising crime in some cities as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 .
Federal forces deployed in the US city of Portland , rocked by weeks of clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement , will start pulling out of the city on Thursday , Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf indicated , meanwhile , that an agreement had been reached for federal forces in downtown Portland to give way to local law enforcement – but warned a full pullout depended on the security situation `` significantly '' improving .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin a “ phased withdrawal ” from the state ’ s largest city .
`` After my discussions with ( Vice President Mike ) Pence and others , the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland , '' she tweeted .
`` They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence .
Starting tomorrow , all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland . ''
In his statement , Wolf said he and Brown had `` agreed to a joint plan to end the violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and law enforcement officers '' .
The Trump administration sent armed officers , many wearing combat-like gear , to intervene in Portland after weeks of anti-racism and anti-police protests left a federal courthouse and other buildings marred with graffiti and broken windows .
But the protests have only intensified since federal officers arrived , with Democrats assailing the deployment as a ploy to boost Trump 's law-and-order credentials as he seeks reelection .
Distinct from the operation in Portland to secure the federal courthouse , the deployments to Chicago , Kansas City , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being made under Operation Legend , an initiative launched to address spikes in violent crimes like murders , which have risen by nearly 31 percent in Detroit compared to 2019 .
Matthew Schneider , the chief federal prosecutor in the part of Michigan that includes Detroit , told a briefing on Wednesday that there would be `` no federal troops '' deployed to his state to interfere with peaceful protests .
`` Operation Legend is n't about protests or politics , '' Schneider said of the programme , which adds resources to existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local authorities to prosecute criminals .
The surge in crime has come amid an unprecedented economic recession due to the coronavirus pandemic and widespread anti-racism protests ignited by Floyd 's death , although the precise cause of higher crime rates was not clear .
Schneider and ATF Special Agent James Deir said that their agents were , in many cases , seeking `` fugitives '' in connection to the rising violence .
`` Part of it is ... people are getting on streets , part of it is unsupervised probation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes sending 42 federal agents to Detroit and more than 25 to both Milwaukee and Cleveland , according to the Department of Justice .
The agents will come from the FBI , the Drug Enforcement Administration , the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , and the US Marshals Service .
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and police chief James Craig on Wednesday released a statement approving Schneider 's expansion of the operation on certain conditions .
`` So long as those staff are used in the continuing effort to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gang violence , DPD will continue its strong partnership with those agencies , '' the statement said .

The US Justice Department said on Wednesday it would send dozens of law enforcement officials to Cleveland, Milwaukee and Detroit to combat violent crime, expanding the deployment of federal agents to major cities under a programme promoted by President Donald Trump.
Demonstrators at a protest against racial inequality and police violence in Portland, USA on July 27, 2020.
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The move follows similar deployments to Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri and Albuquerque, New Mexico under what is known as Operation Legend, an initiative launched to address rising crime in some cities as unrest swept the nation after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody on May 25.
Federal forces deployed in the US city of Portland, rocked by weeks of clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, will start pulling out of the city on Thursday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf indicated, meanwhile, that an agreement had been reached for federal forces in downtown Portland to give way to local law enforcement – but warned a full pullout depended on the security situation "significantly" improving.
Brown on Wednesday said federal agents would begin a “phased withdrawal” from the state’s largest city.
"After my discussions with (Vice President Mike) Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland," she tweeted.
"They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence. Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland."
After my discussions with VP Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland. They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence. Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland. — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 29, 2020
In his statement, Wolf said he and Brown had "agreed to a joint plan to end the violent activity in Portland directed at federal properties and law enforcement officers".
The Trump administration sent armed officers, many wearing combat-like gear, to intervene in Portland after weeks of anti-racism and anti-police protests left a federal courthouse and other buildings marred with graffiti and broken windows.
But the protests have only intensified since federal officers arrived, with Democrats assailing the deployment as a ploy to boost Trump's law-and-order credentials as he seeks reelection.
‘Operation Legend isn't about protests or politics’
Distinct from the operation in Portland to secure the federal courthouse, the deployments to Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri and Albuquerque, New Mexico are being made under Operation Legend, an initiative launched to address spikes in violent crimes like murders, which have risen by nearly 31 percent in Detroit compared to 2019.
Matthew Schneider, the chief federal prosecutor in the part of Michigan that includes Detroit, told a briefing on Wednesday that there would be "no federal troops" deployed to his state to interfere with peaceful protests.
"Operation Legend isn't about protests or politics," Schneider said of the programme, which adds resources to existing arrangements between between federal officials and state and local authorities to prosecute criminals.
The surge in crime has come amid an unprecedented economic recession due to the coronavirus pandemic and widespread anti-racism protests ignited by Floyd's death, although the precise cause of higher crime rates was not clear.
Schneider and ATF Special Agent James Deir said that their agents were, in many cases, seeking "fugitives" in connection to the rising violence. "Part of it is ... people are getting on streets, part of it is unsupervised probation," Deir said.
The operation's expansion includes sending 42 federal agents to Detroit and more than 25 to both Milwaukee and Cleveland, according to the Department of Justice. The agents will come from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the US Marshals Service.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and police chief James Craig on Wednesday released a statement approving Schneider's expansion of the operation on certain conditions. "So long as those staff are used in the continuing effort to enforce federal laws on illegal gun trafficking and gang violence, DPD will continue its strong partnership with those agencies," the statement said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-29--Belarus detains dozens of Russian mercenaries before election, says state media

Belarusian authorities said Wednesday they have detained dozens of Russian private military contractors days before Belarus ' presidential vote , a sign of escalating tensions between the two neighbors .
Belarus ' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko , who is seeking a sixth term in office in the Aug. 9 vote , has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to force Belarus to abandon its post-Soviet independence .
Throughout his 26-year rule , the 65-year-old Lukashenko has relied on Russian subsidies and political support but has fiercely resisted Moscow 's efforts to gain control over Belarus ' economic assets .
The arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to destabilise Belarus amid the election campaign pushes political tensions between the countries to a new high .
Belarus ' state news agency BelTA said that 32 members of Russia 's Wagner private military company were detained overnight at a sanitarium outside Minsk by a SWAT team from the Belarusian State Security Committee , still known by its Soviet-era name KGB .
Another person was detained in the country 's south , said the BelTA , which published a list of the detained Russians .
Yulia Goncharova , the spokeswoman for Belarus ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , confirmed the detentions but refrained from further comment .
The Russian Embassy in Belarus had no immediate comment on the report , saying it had n't received official information about the detentions from the Belarusian authorities .
BelTA said that Belarusian law enforcement agencies were acting on a tip that over 200 militants had arrived in Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country during the election campaign .
Lukashenko , the former state farm director , has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron hand , cracking down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending his rule through votes the West has criticized as rigged .
The Belarusian leader is expected to easily win reelection on Aug. 9 despite a wave of opposition protests fueled by public fatigue with his rule and a painful economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic .
The World Bank has forecast that the Belarusian economy will shrink by at least 4 % this year , the largest decline in a quarter-century .
Belarus election officials barred the president ’ s two main challengers from appearing on the ballot .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of a major Russia-controlled bank , has been jailed on money laundering and tax evasion charges .
Another , Valery Tsepkalo , a former ambassador to the United States and the founder of a thriving high-tech development park , was denied registration after authorities invalidated some of the signatures he had collected to qualify .
Tsepkalo fled to Russia with his children after receiving a warning that his arrest was imminent and the authorities were planning to strip him of his parental rights and take his children away .
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tikhanovsky , is the only opposition candidate to have been allowed on the ballot .

Belarusian authorities said Wednesday they have detained dozens of Russian private military contractors days before Belarus' presidential vote, a sign of escalating tensions between the two neighbors.
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Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is seeking a sixth term in office in the Aug. 9 vote, has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to force Belarus to abandon its post-Soviet independence. Throughout his 26-year rule, the 65-year-old Lukashenko has relied on Russian subsidies and political support but has fiercely resisted Moscow's efforts to gain control over Belarus' economic assets.
The arrest of dozens of Russians accused of planning to destabilise Belarus amid the election campaign pushes political tensions between the countries to a new high.
Belarus' state news agency BelTA said that 32 members of Russia's Wagner private military company were detained overnight at a sanitarium outside Minsk by a SWAT team from the Belarusian State Security Committee, still known by its Soviet-era name KGB. Another person was detained in the country's south, said the BelTA, which published a list of the detained Russians.
Yulia Goncharova, the spokeswoman for Belarus' top investigative agency, the Investigative Committee, confirmed the detentions but refrained from further comment.
The Russian Embassy in Belarus had no immediate comment on the report, saying it hadn't received official information about the detentions from the Belarusian authorities.
BelTA said that Belarusian law enforcement agencies were acting on a tip that over 200 militants had arrived in Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country during the election campaign.
Lukashenko, the former state farm director, has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron hand, cracking down on dissent and free media, and extending his rule through votes the West has criticized as rigged.
The Belarusian leader is expected to easily win reelection on Aug. 9 despite a wave of opposition protests fueled by public fatigue with his rule and a painful economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Bank has forecast that the Belarusian economy will shrink by at least 4% this year, the largest decline in a quarter-century.
Belarus election officials barred the president’s two main challengers from appearing on the ballot.
One of the challengers, Viktor Babariko, the former head of a major Russia-controlled bank, has been jailed on money laundering and tax evasion charges.
Another, Valery Tsepkalo, a former ambassador to the United States and the founder of a thriving high-tech development park, was denied registration after authorities invalidated some of the signatures he had collected to qualify.
Tsepkalo fled to Russia with his children after receiving a warning that his arrest was imminent and the authorities were planning to strip him of his parental rights and take his children away.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of jailed opposition blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, is the only opposition candidate to have been allowed on the ballot.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-29--‘The birds have landed': French-made Rafale jets arrive in India amid China tensions

An Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft taking off from Merignac air base , southern France on July 27 , 2020 .
The first batch of five French-made Rafale fighter jets arrived at an Indian air force base on Wednesday , Indian officials said , as the country seeks to modernize its military amid security challenges with Pakistan and China .
The planes landed at the airbase in Ambala in Haryana state amid tight security .
Police and soldiers closed roads leading to the base , banned photography and enforced restrictions on gatherings of more than four people , police officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have landed safely in Ambala , ” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted .
`` If anyone should be worried about or critical about this new capability ... it should be those who want to threaten our territorial integrity.
” Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in a tense stand-off along their disputed border in Ladakh region , while Indian troops regularly clash with Pakistani soldiers along their de facto frontier in disputed Kashmir , which is also claimed by Pakistan .
In 2016 , five attackers and three Indian troops were killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attack on an Indian air force base in Pathankot in neighboring Punjab state .
India blamed Pakistani militants for the attack .
Pakistan condemned the attack , calling it a terrorist incident .
The fighter jets are part of a $ 8.78 billion deal signed with France in 2016 .
They are to be formally inducted in the Indian air force by mid-August .
India has become the world ’ s biggest arms importer as it modernizes its military .
India ’ s defense ministry on July 2 approved the purchase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Su-30MKI fighter aircraft costing $ 2.43 billion to replace obsolete Soviet-era weapons .
The defense deals come amid heightened tensions along the disputed frontier with China in Ladakh , where New Delhi has sent reinforcements of fighter jets and military equipment after hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15 left 20 Indians dead .
Indian and Chinese military officials and diplomats have held several rounds of talks aimed at reaching a solution , but the standoff has continued .
India ’ s ties with neighboring Pakistan hit a low since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statehood and semi-autonomy of the portion of Kashmir it controls .
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region since Britain gave them independence from colonial rule in 1947 .

The first batch of five French-made Rafale fighter jets arrived at an Indian air force base on Wednesday, Indian officials said, as the country seeks to modernize its military amid security challenges with Pakistan and China.
An Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft taking off from Merignac air base, southern France on July 27, 2020.
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The planes landed at the airbase in Ambala in Haryana state amid tight security. Police and soldiers closed roads leading to the base, banned photography and enforced restrictions on gatherings of more than four people, police officer Abhishek Jorwal said.
“The birds have landed safely in Ambala,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. "If anyone should be worried about or critical about this new capability ... it should be those who want to threaten our territorial integrity.”
The Touchdown of Rafale at Ambala. pic.twitter.com/e3OFQa1bZY — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020
Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in a tense stand-off along their disputed border in Ladakh region, while Indian troops regularly clash with Pakistani soldiers along their de facto frontier in disputed Kashmir, which is also claimed by Pakistan.
In 2016, five attackers and three Indian troops were killed in more than 14 hours of fighting in an attack on an Indian air force base in Pathankot in neighboring Punjab state. India blamed Pakistani militants for the attack. Pakistan condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist incident.
The fighter jets are part of a $8.78 billion deal signed with France in 2016. They are to be formally inducted in the Indian air force by mid-August.
India has become the world’s biggest arms importer as it modernizes its military. India’s defense ministry on July 2 approved the purchase of 21 Russian MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft costing $2.43 billion to replace obsolete Soviet-era weapons.
The defense deals come amid heightened tensions along the disputed frontier with China in Ladakh, where New Delhi has sent reinforcements of fighter jets and military equipment after hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15 left 20 Indians dead.
Indian and Chinese military officials and diplomats have held several rounds of talks aimed at reaching a solution, but the standoff has continued.
India’s ties with neighboring Pakistan hit a low since last August, when India revoked the statehood and semi-autonomy of the portion of Kashmir it controls. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region since Britain gave them independence from colonial rule in 1947.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-29--Covid-19: Downsized Hajj begins for lucky few pilgrims

Muslim pilgrims began arriving at the Grand Mosque in Mecca , Saudi Arabia , for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday .
But amid the coronavirus pandemic , this year ’ s Hajj has been dramatically downsized .
Normally attracting more than two million people each year , this year ’ s Hajj has been limited to just 10,000 pilgrims , with only those resident in Saudi Arabia invited to attend .
Some 70 percent of the pilgrims are foreigners living in the kingdom , while the rest are Saudi citizens , according to the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide which lucky few would be allowed to take part in the Hajj , leading to jubilation for the lucky few and bitter disappointment for many others .
`` The moment I saw my name accepted I prostrated to God to thank him .
I can ’ t forget this moment at all , to be among the people who will go to the Hajj .
I have never been to the Hajj before .
Thanks to God this year I will , ” Nasser Younes Solebarmo a Nigerian expatriate in Riyadh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a really sad and painful feeling , ” said Farah Abu Shanab , a Palestinian expatriate in Saudi Arabia , who was not selected .
“ The only thing which gives me patience is that , thank God , the government is holding the pilgrimage , even with a limited number.
” Those who are able to take part in the five-day pilgrimage must follow strict hygiene measures including wearing masks and practising social distancing .
All worshippers arriving in Mecca must also undergo coronavirus testing and go into quarantine after the pilgrimage @

Muslim pilgrims began arriving at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Hajj has been dramatically downsized.
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Normally attracting more than two million people each year, this year’s Hajj has been limited to just 10,000 pilgrims, with only those resident in Saudi Arabia invited to attend.
Some 70 percent of the pilgrims are foreigners living in the kingdom, while the rest are Saudi citizens, according to the government.
The Saudi government held an online lottery to decide which lucky few would be allowed to take part in the Hajj, leading to jubilation for the lucky few and bitter disappointment for many others.
"The moment I saw my name accepted I prostrated to God to thank him. I can’t forget this moment at all, to be among the people who will go to the Hajj. I have never been to the Hajj before. Thanks to God this year I will,” Nasser Younes Solebarmo a Nigerian expatriate in Riyadh told AFP.
"It’s a really sad and painful feeling,” said Farah Abu Shanab, a Palestinian expatriate in Saudi Arabia, who was not selected. “The only thing which gives me patience is that, thank God, the government is holding the pilgrimage, even with a limited number.”
Those who are able to take part in the five-day pilgrimage must follow strict hygiene measures including wearing masks and practising social distancing.
All worshippers arriving in Mecca must also undergo coronavirus testing and go into quarantine after the pilgrimage.
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france24--2020-07-29--French woman pardoned for killing her husband after years of domestic abuse dies at 72

Jacqueline Sauvage was interviewed on the `` Sept à Huit '' show on TF1 in February 2020 .
A Frenchwoman who became a cause célèbre for those fighting domestic violence has died at the age of 72 .
Jacqueline Sauvage was convicted in 2012 for killing her husband after she and her family endured decades of abuse but was subsequently pardoned by then president François Hollande .
Sauvage was sentenced to 10 years for murder in 2012 after being convicted of firing three bullets into her husband Norbert Marot 's back , a day after their son hanged himself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her family had endured 47 years of physical violence , including sexual assault , at her husband 's hands .
Her three daughters also testified against their father , saying they , too , were beaten and raped .
Sauvage 's case soon became a rallying cause for feminists and activists battling domestic abuse .
Feminist groups , celebrities and politicians rallied behind Sauvage , and petitions calling for her immediate release garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures .
Her murder conviction was upheld on appeal in 2015 .
But she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual pardon from then president François Hollande , who said he believed that `` Sauvage 's [ rightful ] place is not in prison but with her family '' , according to a statement from his office at the time .
The move caused controversy among some in the legal profession , who feared the president had overstepped his authority and undermined the independence of France 's judiciary .
Sauvage 's death was confirmed by one of her daughters , who told AFP the funeral was held on Tuesday .
Both current French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
`` The death of Jacqueline Sauvage is a painful reminder of a marital tragedy that shook public opinion , '' wrote Hollande , adding : `` Many battered women recognised themselves in her .
`` Jacqueline Sauvage died a free woman , '' Macron tweeted .
`` She became a symbol of the struggle against violence inflicted on women . ''
`` Jacqueline Sauvage , through her story and case , helped to raise awareness of the existence of women who were battered for years behind closed doors within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Nathalie Tomasini , Sauvage 's lawyer .
According to the local daily La République du Centre , which first broke the news , she died on July 23 at her home in La Selle-sur-le-Bied in the Loiret department south of Paris .
French actress Muriel Robin , who played Sauvage in a hugely successful TV movie in 2018 , commented after her death that France did not do enough for battered women .
`` We give billions to save the economy of our country but how can we not find a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told Europe 1 Radio .
One woman is killed in France every three days by their partner or ex-partner while marital violence affects 220,000 Frenchwomen every year , according to government figures released in 2019 .

Obituary
A Frenchwoman who became a cause célèbre for those fighting domestic violence has died at the age of 72. Jacqueline Sauvage was convicted in 2012 for killing her husband after she and her family endured decades of abuse but was subsequently pardoned by then president François Hollande.
Jacqueline Sauvage was interviewed on the "Sept à Huit" show on TF1 in February 2020.
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Sauvage was sentenced to 10 years for murder in 2012 after being convicted of firing three bullets into her husband Norbert Marot's back, a day after their son hanged himself.
Sauvage testified at her trial that she and her family had endured 47 years of physical violence, including sexual assault, at her husband's hands.
Her three daughters also testified against their father, saying they, too, were beaten and raped.
Sauvage's case soon became a rallying cause for feminists and activists battling domestic abuse. Feminist groups, celebrities and politicians rallied behind Sauvage, and petitions calling for her immediate release garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures.
Her murder conviction was upheld on appeal in 2015. But she was freed in December 2016 following a highly unusual pardon from then president François Hollande, who said he believed that "Sauvage's [rightful] place is not in prison but with her family", according to a statement from his office at the time.
The move caused controversy among some in the legal profession, who feared the president had overstepped his authority and undermined the independence of France's judiciary.
'She died a free woman'
Sauvage's death was confirmed by one of her daughters, who told AFP the funeral was held on Tuesday.
Both current French President Emmanuel Macron and Hollande honoured her on Twitter.
"The death of Jacqueline Sauvage is a painful reminder of a marital tragedy that shook public opinion," wrote Hollande, adding: "Many battered women recognised themselves in her.
"Jacqueline Sauvage died a free woman," Macron tweeted. "She became a symbol of the struggle against violence inflicted on women."
Jacqueline Sauvage s’en est allée libre. Elle était devenue le symbole de la lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes. Ce combat, grande cause du quinquennat, nous continuerons sans relâche à le mener. Mes pensées vont à ses proches. — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 29, 2020
"Jacqueline Sauvage, through her story and case, helped to raise awareness of the existence of women who were battered for years behind closed doors within the family amid the silence of society," said Nathalie Tomasini, Sauvage's lawyer.
According to the local daily La République du Centre, which first broke the news, she died on July 23 at her home in La Selle-sur-le-Bied in the Loiret department south of Paris.
French actress Muriel Robin, who played Sauvage in a hugely successful TV movie in 2018, commented after her death that France did not do enough for battered women.
"We give billions to save the economy of our country but how can we not find a billion to fight domestic violence?" she told Europe 1 Radio.
One woman is killed in France every three days by their partner or ex-partner while marital violence affects 220,000 Frenchwomen every year, according to government figures released in 2019.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-29--Former FRANCE 24 correspondent Moncef Aït Kaci, technician Ramdane Rahmouni released in Algeria

Moncef Aït Kaci , who was until recently FRANCE 24 ’ s correspondent in Algeria , was arrested in Algiers along with his colleague , Ramdane Rahmouni .
Moncef Aït Kaci , who was until recently FRANCE 24 ’ s correspondent in Algeria , and technician Ramdane Rahmouni were released on Wednesday after having been detained the previous evening .
Aït Kaci ’ s lawyer said earlier that he was unable to provide details on the charges or the reasons for the arrest .
He added that Aït Kaci did have a problem with his press accreditation from the Algerian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together on FRANCE 24 ’ s July 4 interview with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune .
Their detention sparked swift calls for their release from FRANCE 24 management as well as from press freedom groups and Algerian journalists on social media .
In a Twitter post in French , Paris-based NGO Reporters Without Borders said it was “ deeply concerned about the increased suppression of press freedom in Algeria ” , warning that the Algerian authorities “ are sinking into a spiral of repression , where new arbitrary measures serve to mask earlier ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday , the management of France Médias Monde – the parent company of FRANCE 24 and Radio France Internationale – said they had been “ working tirelessly '' throughout the night to obtain the release of the two journalists .
“ We obviously extend our full support to our colleagues who have been unjustly arrested , ” said the statement , adding that the French foreign ministry had been alerted .
This article is a translation of the original in French .

Moncef Aït Kaci, who was until recently FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Algeria, and technician Ramdane Rahmouni were released on Wednesday after having been detained the previous evening.
Moncef Aït Kaci, who was until recently FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Algeria, was arrested in Algiers along with his colleague, Ramdane Rahmouni.
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Aït Kaci’s lawyer said earlier that he was unable to provide details on the charges or the reasons for the arrest. He added that Aït Kaci did have a problem with his press accreditation from the Algerian authorities.
Aït Kaci and Rahmouni worked together on FRANCE 24’s July 4 interview with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Their detention sparked swift calls for their release from FRANCE 24 management as well as from press freedom groups and Algerian journalists on social media.
In a Twitter post in French, Paris-based NGO Reporters Without Borders said it was “deeply concerned about the increased suppression of press freedom in Algeria”, warning that the Algerian authorities “are sinking into a spiral of repression, where new arbitrary measures serve to mask earlier ones".
#Algérie @Rsf_inter dénonce la mise en détention provisoire de @Moncefaitkaci collaborateur de @FRANCE24. Poursuivi depuis novembre 2019, il est accusé de nuire à l'intérêt national, de financements étrangers et de collaboration sans accréditation avec une chaîne de télévision — RSF_Afrique-du-Nord (@RSF_NordAfrique) July 28, 2020
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, the management of France Médias Monde – the parent company of FRANCE 24 and Radio France Internationale – said they had been “working tirelessly" throughout the night to obtain the release of the two journalists.
“We obviously extend our full support to our colleagues who have been unjustly arrested,” said the statement, adding that the French foreign ministry had been alerted.
This article is a translation of the original in French.
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france24--2020-07-29--Police clear vast migrant camp outside Paris

Police in Paris have evacuated more than 1,250 people from a migrant camp on the bank of a canal in the suburb of Aubervilliers .
Migrant support groups condemned the move and said permanent solutions needed to be found .
Migrants in the tent camp on the Saint-Denis canal northeast of Paris began boarding buses at dawn .
They were taken to temporary shelters in gymnasiums in the Paris region where they were to be tested for COVID-19 as a precaution , the newspaper Le Parisien reported .
Many of the migrants were from Afghanistan , Ethiopia , Sudan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprung up around northern Paris in recent years , especially since a large informal camp known as “ the jungle ” in the port town of Calais was dismantled in 2016 .
Police have carried out dozens of evacuations , and since November have said they are determined to stop the Paris camps being re-established .
The camps have included asylum seekers , migrants refused asylum in other European countries , and people who have been granted asylum in France but have been unable to find housing .
Ismael Fatah , a 29-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the bus after abandoning his tent .
`` It 's the fourth time that I find myself in a camp , life is hard in France .
I did not expect this welcome .
My country is at war , it is not my choice to be here , '' he told the news agency AFP .
Several migrant and refugee advocates were critical of the evacuation .
`` It is always useful to bring people to shelter .
But this repetition since 2015 is absurd and unworthy , '' Pierre Henry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terre d'Asile , tweeted .
`` The people are exhausted ; for some it is their tenth evacuation , '' said Silvana Gaeta of the NGO Solidarite Migrants Wilson , which provides meals at the camp .
`` Half of them will meet again on the street as soon as this evening , '' she said .
She accused the authorities of trying to place migrants `` out of sight , well-hidden , so that people will think everything is in order and that the migrants are well cared for .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32-year-old migrant from Somalia , the evacuation was `` incomprehensible '' .
`` I do n't understand , they come to get us they put us in hotels for three months , and then we go back on the street , '' he told AFP .
France has converted a number of low-cost hotels into migrant reception centers .
Louis Barda , from the nongovernment organization Doctors of the World , said the situation had lasted for almost five years .
`` We have already seen this movie .
The state is incapable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dignified manner . ''
The camp , with hundreds of tents on either side of the canal , is served by only two water access points .
`` Measures to fight against the coronavirus epidemic , especially physical distancing , are impossible to enforce in the camps , and precarious populations are the ones most exposed to COVID , '' said Barda .
Two people from the camp have also drowned in the canal , according to local authorities .

Police in Paris have evacuated more than 1,250 people from a migrant camp on the bank of a canal in the suburb of Aubervilliers. Migrant support groups condemned the move and said permanent solutions needed to be found.
Migrants in the tent camp on the Saint-Denis canal northeast of Paris began boarding buses at dawn. They were taken to temporary shelters in gymnasiums in the Paris region where they were to be tested for COVID-19 as a precaution, the newspaper Le Parisien reported.
Many of the migrants were from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad.
Migrant tent camps have repeatedly sprung up around northern Paris in recent years, especially since a large informal camp known as “the jungle” in the port town of Calais was dismantled in 2016. Police have carried out dozens of evacuations, and since November have said they are determined to stop the Paris camps being re-established.
The camps have included asylum seekers, migrants refused asylum in other European countries, and people who have been granted asylum in France but have been unable to find housing.
Ismael Fatah, a 29-year-old from Somalia, got into the queue for the bus after abandoning his tent.
"It's the fourth time that I find myself in a camp, life is hard in France. I did not expect this welcome. My country is at war, it is not my choice to be here," he told the news agency AFP.
Rights groups critical
Several migrant and refugee advocates were critical of the evacuation.
"It is always useful to bring people to shelter. But this repetition since 2015 is absurd and unworthy," Pierre Henry, director general of the charity France Terre d'Asile, tweeted.
"The people are exhausted; for some it is their tenth evacuation," said Silvana Gaeta of the NGO Solidarite Migrants Wilson, which provides meals at the camp.
"Half of them will meet again on the street as soon as this evening," she said.
She accused the authorities of trying to place migrants "out of sight, well-hidden, so that people will think everything is in order and that the migrants are well cared for. This is false."
For Alalisad, a 32-year-old migrant from Somalia, the evacuation was "incomprehensible".
"I don't understand, they come to get us they put us in hotels for three months, and then we go back on the street," he told AFP. France has converted a number of low-cost hotels into migrant reception centers.
Louis Barda, from the nongovernment organization Doctors of the World, said the situation had lasted for almost five years. "We have already seen this movie. The state is incapable of receiving (the migrants) in a dignified manner."
The camp, with hundreds of tents on either side of the canal, is served by only two water access points.
"Measures to fight against the coronavirus epidemic, especially physical distancing, are impossible to enforce in the camps, and precarious populations are the ones most exposed to COVID," said Barda.
Two people from the camp have also drowned in the canal, according to local authorities.
With dpa, AFP


france24--2020-07-29--Trump retweets viral video of doctor saying US government is run by 'reptilians'

In this July 27 , 2020 , file photo President Donald Trump waves as he walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington .
A Houston physician who praised hydroxychloroquine as a miracle coronavirus cure in a viral video retweeted by President Donald Trump blames gynecological problems on sex with evil spirits and believes the US government is run by `` reptilians '' .
Stella Immanuel 's viral speech has drawn attention to a little-known group calling themselves `` America 's Frontline Doctors '' who appear to exist to promote the common antimalarial drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody needs to get sick .
This virus has a cure -- it is called hydroxychloroquine , '' Immanuel exclaimed Monday as she stood on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington at a so-called `` White Coat Summit '' of likeminded physicians .
Early on in the pandemic , scientists were eager to find out whether hydroxychloroquine 's antiviral properties would make it effective in real-world patients with SARS-CoV-2 .
So far , though , all the major clinical trials that have reported their findings on this question have found no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have moved to restrict its use because of potential cardiac harm .
Nonetheless the family doctor said all 350 patients she had treated with the medicine -- including those with serious pre-existing conditions -- had survived , and that hydroxychloroquine was so potent it made mask-wearing and lockdowns unnecessary .
The clip was shared by Trump and described as a `` must watch '' by his son Donald Trump Jr , but has since been deleted by Facebook , Twitter and YouTube for promoting misinformation .
Asked later by a reporter about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought her voice was an important voice , but I know nothing about her . ''
The debate over hydroxychloroquine has become supercharged politically with leaders like Trump and some fellow US conservatives cheerleading heavily in its favor .
And the curious case of Immanuel and colleagues -- first reported in depth by The Daily Beast -- underscores just how far the drug 's advocates are willing to go .
The website for `` America 's Frontline Doctors '' was registered just 11 days ago , a web domain age checker revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Tuesday afternoon .
`` Tea Party Patriots , '' a right-wing political group backed by wealthy Republicans , said on its website it was responsible for organizing the Washington summit .
Further research on Immanuel 's web page , now accessible only via an archived website viewer , as well as her YouTube account , reveal a long list of bizarre and unscientific beliefs .
These include that `` tormenting spirits '' routinely have `` astral sex '' with women , which in turn causes `` gynecological problems , marital distress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 video , Immanuel , who leads a religious group called Fire Power Ministries , said : `` There are people ruling this nation that are not even human , '' describing them as `` reptilian spirits '' who are `` half human , half ET . ''
In the same video she rails against the use of `` alien DNA '' to treat sick people , which she said had resulted in human beings mixing with demons .
Other targets of her anger include gay marriage , which she said would result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in 1965 , received her medical degree at the University of Calabar in Nigeria , and has a valid physician 's license , according to the website of the Texas Medical Board .
After Facebook took down the clip , Immanuel warned that the company 's servers would start crashing until it was restored .
`` If my page is not back up facebook will be down in Jesus name , '' she tweeted .

A Houston physician who praised hydroxychloroquine as a miracle coronavirus cure in a viral video retweeted by President Donald Trump blames gynecological problems on sex with evil spirits and believes the US government is run by "reptilians".
In this July 27, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump waves as he walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.
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Stella Immanuel's viral speech has drawn attention to a little-known group calling themselves "America's Frontline Doctors" who appear to exist to promote the common antimalarial drug in the fight against COVID-19.
"Nobody needs to get sick. This virus has a cure -- it is called hydroxychloroquine," Immanuel exclaimed Monday as she stood on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington at a so-called "White Coat Summit" of likeminded physicians.
Big Tech is censoring Experts and suppressing the CURE.
I will not be silenced. #HCQWorks pic.twitter.com/fenaM9FDHV — Stella Immanuel MD (@stella_immanuel) July 28, 2020
Early on in the pandemic, scientists were eager to find out whether hydroxychloroquine's antiviral properties would make it effective in real-world patients with SARS-CoV-2.
So far, though, all the major clinical trials that have reported their findings on this question have found no benefit, and leading national health authorities have moved to restrict its use because of potential cardiac harm.
Nonetheless the family doctor said all 350 patients she had treated with the medicine -- including those with serious pre-existing conditions -- had survived, and that hydroxychloroquine was so potent it made mask-wearing and lockdowns unnecessary.
The clip was shared by Trump and described as a "must watch" by his son Donald Trump Jr, but has since been deleted by Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for promoting misinformation.
Asked later by a reporter about his retweet, the president said: "I thought her voice was an important voice, but I know nothing about her."
The debate over hydroxychloroquine has become supercharged politically with leaders like Trump and some fellow US conservatives cheerleading heavily in its favor.
And the curious case of Immanuel and colleagues -- first reported in depth by The Daily Beast -- underscores just how far the drug's advocates are willing to go.
Right-wing political group
The website for "America's Frontline Doctors" was registered just 11 days ago, a web domain age checker revealed -- and the site was taken down by Tuesday afternoon.
"Tea Party Patriots," a right-wing political group backed by wealthy Republicans, said on its website it was responsible for organizing the Washington summit.
Further research on Immanuel's web page, now accessible only via an archived website viewer, as well as her YouTube account, reveal a long list of bizarre and unscientific beliefs.
These include that "tormenting spirits" routinely have "astral sex" with women, which in turn causes "gynecological problems, marital distress, miscarriages" and more.
In a 2015 video, Immanuel, who leads a religious group called Fire Power Ministries, said: "There are people ruling this nation that are not even human," describing them as "reptilian spirits" who are "half human, half ET."
In the same video she rails against the use of "alien DNA" to treat sick people, which she said had resulted in human beings mixing with demons.
Other targets of her anger include gay marriage, which she said would result in adults marrying children.
Immanuel was born in 1965, received her medical degree at the University of Calabar in Nigeria, and has a valid physician's license, according to the website of the Texas Medical Board.
After Facebook took down the clip, Immanuel warned that the company's servers would start crashing until it was restored.
"If my page is not back up facebook will be down in Jesus name," she tweeted.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Coronavirus cluster in western France pits youth against authorities preaching caution

As the sun went down , their partying got into full flow , with an unwanted guest : the coronavirus .
An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast is crystallizing fears that the virus is flaring again in France , on the back of vacationers throwing COVID-19 caution to the summer winds .
With 72 infections by Wednesday — mostly among that age group — uncovered in a week of furious contact tracing , the cluster on the Quiberon peninsula was thought to have originated with a supermarket summer worker who partied with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming a textbook case of the virus pitting generations against each other .
The government 's top regional official , a former soldier and intelligence officer in his 50s , has n't minced his words in decrying the “ irresponsibility of young people who are vacationing or living here , gathering in large numbers for festivities at night , ignoring the danger.
” The official , Patrice Faure , prefect of Brittany 's Morbihan region , personally served a two-month closure order on a Quiberon discotheque , the Hacienda Cafe .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skirted a national coronavirus ban on nightclubbing by converting itself into a late-night watering hole , blocking off its dance floor with tables and bar stools .
The owners told the regional newspaper Ouest-France that they urged patrons to wear masks but also noted : “ They 're young , on holiday or doing summer jobs , and they 'd been drinking .
They did n't listen.
” Although authorities insist the outbreak is under control , the peninsula that used to be a sardine-fishing hub has become a flashpoint for fears that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has infected more than 185,000 and killed at least 30,200 in the country .
Infection rates are creeping up and authorities warn that people are disregarding pleas to use common sense as millions revel in the country 's July-August break .
In Paris , nurse Damien Vaillant-Foulquier worries that a second wave of infections will derail the plans that he and his wife , also a nurse , have made to join the exodus in mid-August .
His hospital , which managed to empty its ICU wards after weathering the initial wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asking trainee nurses if they 'll be around later in the summer to work , he said .
“ At the hospital , we sense the arrival of the second wave , '' he said .
“ I ’ m depressed because it ’ s my impression that people don ’ t see the danger and have forgotten why we were locked-down at home.
” Cycling recently through the French capital , “ I saw that the bars on the big boulevards had been turned into nightspots , full inside and outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nothing , absolutely no respect for social distancing , ” Vaillant-Foulquier said .
“ The young are accused a lot of not being responsible , but it 's not just the young , ” he said .
Romain Arnal , a 20-year-old student , is among those who have been letting their hair — and their guard — down in Quiberon .
He vacations there every year , hooking up with a holiday sweetheart whom he first met in the resort three summers ago .
'No masks on , obviously' “ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with friends , we don ’ t really pay attention , even if it ’ s people we ’ ve just met .
We invite each other over , with no masks on , obviously , '' he said .
Worried by the infection spike , Arnal says he has gone to a makeshift testing station set up in Quiberon to contain the outbreak , but has been foiled by the long lines .
Authorities have urged that everyone get tested , especially the Hacienda 's partygoers .
That 's a mammoth task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swells from 5,000 to 60,000 in the summer .
Quiberon has made mask-wearing mandatory on some of its busiest streets , joining other vacation towns in going further than the national requirement for masks in all indoor public spaces .
And it slapped nighttime curfews on beaches and public parks , concerned that young people without symptoms could spread the coronavirus to the less-healthy .
“ I hope , or at least I imagine , that they have no desire to spread the virus to their parents , their grandparents , their neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faure , the prefect .
“ It 's extremely inopportune to party today like in 2019.
” Fishing guide Alexandre Lesage , 39 , says he feels for the generation he sees trying to enjoy itself at the same spots and beaches where he spent his youth , free of the uncertain future now facing young people confronting a job market in coronavirus turmoil .
“ They ’ re being treated like pest-carriers , as if they 're totally irresponsible , when in fact they are just young at heart , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in their shoes .
”

As the sun went down, their partying got into full flow, with an unwanted guest: the coronavirus.
Advertising Read more
An outbreak among 18- to 25-year-olds at a seaside resort on the Brittany coast is crystallizing fears that the virus is flaring again in France, on the back of vacationers throwing COVID-19 caution to the summer winds.
With 72 infections by Wednesday — mostly among that age group — uncovered in a week of furious contact tracing, the cluster on the Quiberon peninsula was thought to have originated with a supermarket summer worker who partied with others at a nightspot.
It is becoming a textbook case of the virus pitting generations against each other.
The government's top regional official, a former soldier and intelligence officer in his 50s, hasn't minced his words in decrying the “irresponsibility of young people who are vacationing or living here, gathering in large numbers for festivities at night, ignoring the danger.”
The official, Patrice Faure, prefect of Brittany's Morbihan region, personally served a two-month closure order on a Quiberon discotheque, the Hacienda Cafe. Among the nightspots where now-infected people congregated, it skirted a national coronavirus ban on nightclubbing by converting itself into a late-night watering hole, blocking off its dance floor with tables and bar stools.
'They didn't listen'
The owners told the regional newspaper Ouest-France that they urged patrons to wear masks but also noted: “They're young, on holiday or doing summer jobs, and they'd been drinking. They didn't listen.”
Although authorities insist the outbreak is under control, the peninsula that used to be a sardine-fishing hub has become a flashpoint for fears that France is going backward in the epidemic that has infected more than 185,000 and killed at least 30,200 in the country. Infection rates are creeping up and authorities warn that people are disregarding pleas to use common sense as millions revel in the country's July-August break.
In Paris, nurse Damien Vaillant-Foulquier worries that a second wave of infections will derail the plans that he and his wife, also a nurse, have made to join the exodus in mid-August. His hospital, which managed to empty its ICU wards after weathering the initial wave, already is seeing new COVID-19 patients and asking trainee nurses if they'll be around later in the summer to work, he said.
“At the hospital, we sense the arrival of the second wave," he said. “I’m depressed because it’s my impression that people don’t see the danger and have forgotten why we were locked-down at home.”
Cycling recently through the French capital, “I saw that the bars on the big boulevards had been turned into nightspots, full inside and outside, everyone was dancing, no masks, nothing, absolutely no respect for social distancing,” Vaillant-Foulquier said.
“The young are accused a lot of not being responsible, but it's not just the young,” he said.
Romain Arnal, a 20-year-old student, is among those who have been letting their hair — and their guard — down in Quiberon. He vacations there every year, hooking up with a holiday sweetheart whom he first met in the resort three summers ago.
'No masks on, obviously'
“When we’re in smaller groups, with friends, we don’t really pay attention, even if it’s people we’ve just met. We invite each other over, with no masks on, obviously," he said.
Worried by the infection spike, Arnal says he has gone to a makeshift testing station set up in Quiberon to contain the outbreak, but has been foiled by the long lines. Authorities have urged that everyone get tested, especially the Hacienda's partygoers. That's a mammoth task on the peninsula, where the population swells from 5,000 to 60,000 in the summer.
Quiberon has made mask-wearing mandatory on some of its busiest streets, joining other vacation towns in going further than the national requirement for masks in all indoor public spaces. And it slapped nighttime curfews on beaches and public parks, concerned that young people without symptoms could spread the coronavirus to the less-healthy.
“I hope, or at least I imagine, that they have no desire to spread the virus to their parents, their grandparents, their neighbors, uncles and aunts," said Faure, the prefect. “It's extremely inopportune to party today like in 2019.”
Fishing guide Alexandre Lesage, 39, says he feels for the generation he sees trying to enjoy itself at the same spots and beaches where he spent his youth, free of the uncertain future now facing young people confronting a job market in coronavirus turmoil.
“They’re being treated like pest-carriers, as if they're totally irresponsible, when in fact they are just young at heart,” he said. “I would not like to be in their shoes.”
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-30--Trump backpedals on delaying election but persists in objecting to mail-in votes

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he participates in a roundtable on donating plasma during a visit to the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington , U.S. , July 30 , 2020 .
Hours after suggesting a possible delay in the 2020 U.S. presidential election , U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he did not want to postpone the vote , but remained concerned that millions of mail-in ballots would cause problems .
`` I want an election and a result , much , much more than you , '' Trump told reporters at the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I want to have the election .
But I also do n't want to have to wait three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing , and the election does n't mean anything . ''
Trump cited recent media reports about potential problems with mail-in ballots arriving late and said it could take weeks , months or even years to sort it out .
`` Do I want to see a date change ?
No , but I do n't want to see a crooked election , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's allies dismissed the notion as an unserious attempt to distract from devastating economic news , but some legal experts warned that his repeated attacks could undermine his supporters ' faith in the election process .
Trump 's statement on Twitter comes as the United States is enduring the greatest crises of a generation : a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 150,000 lives , a crippling recession sparked by the outbreak , and nationwide protests against police violence and racism .
On Thursday morning , the government reported the worst U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32.9 % in the second quarter .
Trump , who opinion polls show trailing Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden , said he would not trust the results of an election that included widespread mail voting - a measure that many observers see as critical given the coronavirus pandemic .
Without evidence , he claimed that mail voting would be rife with fraud .
`` With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee Voting , which is good ) , 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USA , '' Trump wrote on Twitter .
`` Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
? ''
The United States has held elections for more than 200 years , including during the Civil War , the Great Depression and two world wars .
Article II of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to set the timing of elections , and the 20th Amendment ends a president and vice president 's term in office on the Jan. 20 following a general election .
Multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell and top House of Representatives Republican Kevin McCarthy - rejected the idea .
`` Never in the history of the federal elections have we ever not held an election and we should go forward with our election , '' said McCarthy .
Democratic U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren , who chairs the House committee overseeing election security , rejected any delay .
`` Under no circumstances will we consider doing so to accommodate the President 's inept and haphazard response to the coronavirus pandemic , or give credence to the lies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an email to Reuters .
Trump wrote on Twitter later on Thursday that Americans needed to know the election results on the night of the voting , not days or months later .
Mail-in ballots can sometimes take longer to count .
`` Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting , '' he tweeted .
Trump 's tweets will deepen Democrats ' fears that he will try to interfere with the election or refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden has called that his biggest fear and has gone so far as to suggest sending in the military to force Trump out if he refused to leave .
Democrats are preparing for fights over absentee ballots , potential voting recounts and the possibility that Trump ’ s Republican supporters will seek to intimidate voters at the polls .
The truly dangerous part of Trump ’ s tweet on Thursday was not his suggestion of delaying the election – which is a `` fantasy '' – but his latest claim that voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Justin Levitt , a professor at Loyola Marymount University and a constitutional law expert .
“ This is yet another example of the president seeking to delegitimize the election process before it happens , ” Levitt said .
“ That is deeply destabilizing.
” 'Just ca n't help himself' Trump 's tweet surprised some White House staffers .
The White House referred questions about the Tweet to Trump 's re-election campaign .
`` The President is just raising a question about the chaos Democrats have created with their insistence on all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the campaign 's press secretary .
`` Universal mail-in voting invites chaos and severe delays in results . ''
A Republican close to the White House was stunned at the tweet , noting that it followed a period of stability in which Trump has stayed on message in response to advice from new campaign manager Bill Stepien and senior campaign manager Jason Miller .
`` Obviously he just ca n't help himself .
This is starting to look like a real campaign , and then he does this , '' the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's starting to look like he does n't even want to win . ''
Ari Fleischer , who was White House press secretary under Republican President George W. Bush , said Trump should delete the tweet .
Instead , Trump had pinned it to the top of his list of tweets .
`` This is not an idea anyone , especially POTUS , should float .
Our democracy is based on elections in which everyone knows the rules and they apply to all , '' Fleischer said .
`` Mr. President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mess with this .
It ’ s a harmful idea . ''
Polls have shown that U.S. registered voters oppose an election delay .
When Reuters/Ipsos in April asked voters if they thought the election should be rescheduled due to the coronavirus , 59 % opposed the idea , including a majority in each party .
A Biden campaign official called Trump 's tweet an obvious ploy to distract from the awful GDP numbers .
`` We 're going to keep our eye on the ball , '' the Biden campaign official said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lies and suggesting delaying the election to keep himself in power , '' Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Kildee wrote on Twitter .
`` Do n't let it happen .
Every American — Republican , Independent and Democrat — should be speaking out against this President 's lawlessness and complete disregard of the Constitution . ''
Dale Ho , director of the American Civil Liberties Union 's voting rights project , likewise said Trump lacked the authority to reschedule an election .
`` This is America , '' Ho said .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Constitution sets the date for the election in November .
Nothing President Trump says , does , or tweets can change that fact . ''

President Donald Trump on Thursday raised the idea of delaying the Nov. 3 U.S. elections, an idea immediately rejected by both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress - the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change.
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Critics and even Trump's allies dismissed the notion as an unserious attempt to distract from devastating economic news, but some legal experts warned that his repeated attacks could undermine his supporters' faith in the election process.
Trump's statement on Twitter comes as the United States is enduring the greatest crises of a generation: a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 150,000 lives, a crippling recession sparked by the outbreak, and nationwide protests against police violence and racism. On Thursday morning, the government reported the worst U.S. economic contraction since the Great Depression: 32.9% in the second quarter.
Trump, who opinion polls show trailing Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden, said he would not trust the results of an election that included widespread mail voting - a measure that many observers see as critical given the coronavirus pandemic. Without evidence, he claimed that mail voting would be rife with fraud.
"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
The United States has held elections for more than 200 years, including during the Civil War, the Great Depression and two world wars. Article II of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to set the timing of elections, and the 20th Amendment ends a president and vice president's term in office on the Jan. 20 following a general election.
Multiple congressional Republicans - including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and top House of Representatives Republican Kevin McCarthy - rejected the idea.
05:11
"Never in the history of the federal elections have we ever not held an election and we should go forward with our election," said McCarthy.
Democratic U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren, who chairs the House committee overseeing election security, rejected any delay.
"Under no circumstances will we consider doing so to accommodate the President's inept and haphazard response to the coronavirus pandemic, or give credence to the lies and misinformation he spreads," Lofgren said in an email to Reuters.
Trump wrote on Twitter later on Thursday that Americans needed to know the election results on the night of the voting, not days or months later. Mail-in ballots can sometimes take longer to count.
"Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting," he tweeted.
Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting (not Absentee Voting, which I totally support!). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
'Destabilising'
Trump's tweets will deepen Democrats' fears that he will try to interfere with the election or refuse to accept its outcome should he lose. Biden has called that his biggest fear and has gone so far as to suggest sending in the military to force Trump out if he refused to leave.
Democrats are preparing for fights over absentee ballots, potential voting recounts and the possibility that Trump’s Republican supporters will seek to intimidate voters at the polls.
The truly dangerous part of Trump’s tweet on Thursday was not his suggestion of delaying the election – which is a "fantasy" – but his latest claim that voting by mail is rife with fraud, according to Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Marymount University and a constitutional law expert.
“This is yet another example of the president seeking to delegitimize the election process before it happens,” Levitt said. “That is deeply destabilizing.”
'Just can't help himself'
Trump's tweet surprised some White House staffers. The White House referred questions about the Tweet to Trump's re-election campaign.
"The President is just raising a question about the chaos Democrats have created with their insistence on all mail-in voting," said Hogan Gidley, the campaign's press secretary. "Universal mail-in voting invites chaos and severe delays in results."
A Republican close to the White House was stunned at the tweet, noting that it followed a period of stability in which Trump has stayed on message in response to advice from new campaign manager Bill Stepien and senior campaign manager Jason Miller.
"Obviously he just can't help himself. This is starting to look like a real campaign, and then he does this," the Republican source said. "It's awful. It's starting to look like he doesn't even want to win."
Ari Fleischer, who was White House press secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, said Trump should delete the tweet. Instead, Trump had pinned it to the top of his list of tweets.
"This is not an idea anyone, especially POTUS, should float. Our democracy is based on elections in which everyone knows the rules and they apply to all," Fleischer said. "Mr. President - please don't even pretend to mess with this. It’s a harmful idea."
'Don't let it happen'
Polls have shown that U.S. registered voters oppose an election delay. When Reuters/Ipsos in April asked voters if they thought the election should be rescheduled due to the coronavirus, 59% opposed the idea, including a majority in each party.
A Biden campaign official called Trump's tweet an obvious ploy to distract from the awful GDP numbers.
"We're going to keep our eye on the ball," the Biden campaign official said.
"A sitting president is peddling lies and suggesting delaying the election to keep himself in power," Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Kildee wrote on Twitter. "Don't let it happen. Every American — Republican, Independent and Democrat — should be speaking out against this President's lawlessness and complete disregard of the Constitution."
A sitting President is peddling lies and suggesting delaying the election to keep himself in power.
Don’t let it happen. Every American—Republican, Independent and Democrat—should be speaking out against this President's lawlessness and complete disregard of the Constitution. — Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) July 30, 2020
Dale Ho, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's voting rights project, likewise said Trump lacked the authority to reschedule an election.
"This is America," Ho said. "We are a democracy, not a dictatorship. The Constitution sets the date for the election in November. Nothing President Trump says, does, or tweets can change that fact."
(REUTERS)
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