france24--2020-04-16--More than 20 million Americans out of work due to Covid-19

Americans who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus crisis wait in line to sign up for unemployment benefits at the Arkansas Workforce Centre at Fort Smith , Arkansas , USA , on April 6 , 2020 .
The ranks of Americans thrown out of work by the coronavirus ballooned Thursday to more than 20 million in just four weeks , an unprecedented collapse fueling widening protests and propelling President Donald Trump ’ s push to relax the nation ’ s social distancing guidelines .
Trump planned to announce new recommendations later in the day , despite warnings from business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective gear are needed first .
The government said 5.2 million more people applied for unemployment benefits last week , bringing the running total to about 22 million out of a U.S. work force of roughly 159 million — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record .
Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach 20 % in April , the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
While some leaders and citizens have called on government to reopen stores , factories and schools , health authorities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a distant goal and that easing up on restrictions too soon could allow the virus to come storming back .
The decision of when and how to ease up rests with state and local leaders , who imposed the mandatory lockdowns and other restrictions put in place over the past month .
The outbreak has infected more than 2 million people worldwide and killed more than 137,000 , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University , though the true numbers are believed to be much higher .
The death toll in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 600,000 confirmed infections .
Fallout from the virus spread in ways both predictable and devastating , from police torching an illicit food market in Zimbabwe , to emergency flights carrying foreign farm workers to Britain and Germany , and protests at U.S. state capitols against job losses .
In France , Amazon suspended operations after a court ruled it wasn ’ t doing enough to protect its workers in the country .
The online retailer has six warehouses in France .
In Britain , a government survey found that a quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Europe ’ s massive port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands sank 9.3 % in the first quarter from the same period a year ago , and its CEO warned of worse to come .
The World Health Organization ’ s European chief said optimism that the spread of the virus is declining in Italy , Spain and France has been tempered by the knowledge that it is rising or remaining at a high level in Britain , Russia and Turkey .
“ The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kluge said .
On Wednesday , the U.S. reported that American industrial output shriveled in March , registering its biggest decline since the nation demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II .
Retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7 % , with April expected to be far worse .
The International Monetary Fund said fallout from what it calls the “ Great Lockdown ” will be the most devastating since the Depression .
That has made leaders all the more anxious to send people back to work and school and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing to relaunch manufacturing on May 4 , the day that the national lockdown is set to lift .
Regional officials are considering ordering companies to stagger opening hours to avoid cramming public transportation .
But Italy ’ s deputy economic development minister , Stefan Buffagni , called the plan premature : “ Going in a random order risks fueling confusion among citizens and businesses.
” In the U.S. , thousands came out in Michigan and Oklahoma to protest the lockdowns they say have destroyed livelihoods .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed with rifles , but many unmasked people defied stay-at-home orders and jammed nearly shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Capitol building in Lansing .
In Oklahoma , cars plastered with protest signs drove past the Statehouse in Oklahoma City : “ All jobs are essential , ” read one sign on the back of a pickup truck .
“ This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses , about putting all of these workers out of business , is just a disaster .
It ’ s an economic disaster for Michigan , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s northern Leelanau County , Sheriff Mike Borkovich said enforcing the restrictions is taking a toll .
“ People are frantic to get back to work .
They have been very edgy , ” he said .
Troubling data indicate the worst may still be to come in many parts of the world .
Japan ’ s prime minister announced he would expand a state of emergency to the entire country , rather than just urban areas , as the virus continued to spread .
Japan has the world ’ s oldest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable to the coronavirus .
The British government was set Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks , as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking .
Britain awaited its first flight of Romanian farm workers , and more than 30,000 other workers registered for flights to Germany to help plant and harvest .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged stepped-up efforts to prepare Africa for the virus , warning that the continent “ could end up suffering the greatest impacts.
” In Zimbabwe , where food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police raided a market , torching 3 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables and scattering farmers who had broken travel restrictions to try to sell their crops .

The ranks of Americans thrown out of work by the coronavirus ballooned Thursday to more than 20 million in just four weeks, an unprecedented collapse fueling widening protests and propelling President Donald Trump’s push to relax the nation’s social distancing guidelines.
Americans who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus crisis wait in line to sign up for unemployment benefits at the Arkansas Workforce Centre at Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA, on April 6, 2020.
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Trump planned to announce new recommendations later in the day, despite warnings from business leaders and governors that more testing and protective gear are needed first.
The government said 5.2 million more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the running total to about 22 million out of a U.S. work force of roughly 159 million — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.
Some economists say the unemployment rate could reach 20% in April, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
While some leaders and citizens have called on government to reopen stores, factories and schools, health authorities and many politicians warned that returning to normal is a distant goal and that easing up on restrictions too soon could allow the virus to come storming back.
The decision of when and how to ease up rests with state and local leaders, who imposed the mandatory lockdowns and other restrictions put in place over the past month.
The outbreak has infected more than 2 million people worldwide and killed more than 137,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, though the true numbers are believed to be much higher. The death toll in the U.S. reached about 31,000, with over 600,000 confirmed infections.
Fallout from the virus spread in ways both predictable and devastating, from police torching an illicit food market in Zimbabwe, to emergency flights carrying foreign farm workers to Britain and Germany, and protests at U.S. state capitols against job losses.
In France, Amazon suspended operations after a court ruled it wasn’t doing enough to protect its workers in the country. The online retailer has six warehouses in France.
In Britain, a government survey found that a quarter of companies had suspended business. Cargo traffic at Europe’s massive port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands sank 9.3% in the first quarter from the same period a year ago, and its CEO warned of worse to come.
The World Health Organization’s European chief said optimism that the spread of the virus is declining in Italy, Spain and France has been tempered by the knowledge that it is rising or remaining at a high level in Britain, Russia and Turkey.
“The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region,” Dr. Hans Kluge said.
On Wednesday, the U.S. reported that American industrial output shriveled in March, registering its biggest decline since the nation demobilized in 1946 at the end of World War II. Retail sales fell by an unprecedented 8.7%, with April expected to be far worse.
The International Monetary Fund said fallout from what it calls the “Great Lockdown” will be the most devastating since the Depression.
That has made leaders all the more anxious to send people back to work and school and to rebuild devastated economies.
Italy’s hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing to relaunch manufacturing on May 4, the day that the national lockdown is set to lift. Regional officials are considering ordering companies to stagger opening hours to avoid cramming public transportation.
But Italy’s deputy economic development minister, Stefan Buffagni, called the plan premature: “Going in a random order risks fueling confusion among citizens and businesses.”
In the U.S., thousands came out in Michigan and Oklahoma to protest the lockdowns they say have destroyed livelihoods.
In Michigan, some were masked and armed with rifles, but many unmasked people defied stay-at-home orders and jammed nearly shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Capitol building in Lansing. In Oklahoma, cars plastered with protest signs drove past the Statehouse in Oklahoma City: “All jobs are essential,” read one sign on the back of a pickup truck.
“This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses, about putting all of these workers out of business, is just a disaster. It’s an economic disaster for Michigan,” said protester Meshawn Maddock.
In Michigan’s northern Leelanau County, Sheriff Mike Borkovich said enforcing the restrictions is taking a toll.
“People are frantic to get back to work. They have been very edgy,” he said.
Troubling data indicate the worst may still be to come in many parts of the world.
Japan’s prime minister announced he would expand a state of emergency to the entire country, rather than just urban areas, as the virus continued to spread. Japan has the world’s oldest population, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The British government was set Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials say the coronavirus outbreak in the country is peaking. Britain awaited its first flight of Romanian farm workers, and more than 30,000 other workers registered for flights to Germany to help plant and harvest.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged stepped-up efforts to prepare Africa for the virus, warning that the continent “could end up suffering the greatest impacts.”
In Zimbabwe, where food was scarce even before the outbreak, police raided a market, torching 3 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables and scattering farmers who had broken travel restrictions to try to sell their crops.
(AP)
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france24--2020-04-16--Libya announces 10-day Covid-19 lockdown, France pushes for ceasefire talks

Libya ’ s UN-backed government based in the capital , Tripoli , has announced a lockdown that will last 10 days starting on Friday to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the war-torn country .
Meanwhile , France is pushing for the UN Security Council to discuss the implementation of ceasefires in the world ’ s worst conflict zones to curb the deadly virus from taking further hold .
The besieged Tripoli administration ordered the shutdown of all large markets and non-essential shops in its territory , and banned cars from the roads .
Citizens wearing masks may venture out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement said .
Banks , a main source of crowding in recent weeks , would also close .
The government , which rules a shrinking corner of the country ’ s west , had initially left it to local officials to impose most of the restrictive orders .
But as confirmed infections rose to 35 , including one death , it accepted a proposal from the National Center for Disease Control to take harsher steps .
On Wednesday , French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped the five permanent members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , France , Russia and the United States – would “ in the coming days ” be able to discuss and endorse UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ’ call for a ceasefire to all conflicts in the world , including in Libya , in order to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic .
Guterres has warned that the deadly virus is threatening international peace and security and that it can potentially lead “ to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease ” .
Macron , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station Radio France Internationale ( RFI ) in an interview on Wednesday , said he has pushed for the five permanent members to hold a video conference , and that he is now only waiting for Russia ’ s President Vladimir Putin to accept the invitation .
“ When he does , we can have this video conference and therefore endorse it ( Guterres ’ call ) with great solemnity , strength , and even more efficiency , ” he said .

Libya’s UN-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli, has announced a lockdown that will last 10 days starting on Friday to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, France is pushing for the UN Security Council to discuss the implementation of ceasefires in the world’s worst conflict zones to curb the deadly virus from taking further hold.
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The besieged Tripoli administration ordered the shutdown of all large markets and non-essential shops in its territory, and banned cars from the roads.
Citizens wearing masks may venture out by foot from 8am to 2pm, the statement said. Banks, a main source of crowding in recent weeks, would also close.
The government, which rules a shrinking corner of the country’s west, had initially left it to local officials to impose most of the restrictive orders. But as confirmed infections rose to 35, including one death, it accepted a proposal from the National Center for Disease Control to take harsher steps.
UN call for ceasefire
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – would “in the coming days” be able to discuss and endorse UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for a ceasefire to all conflicts in the world, including in Libya, in order to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Guterres has warned that the deadly virus is threatening international peace and security and that it can potentially lead “to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease”.
Macron, who spoke to FRANCE 24’s sister station Radio France Internationale (RFI) in an interview on Wednesday, said he has pushed for the five permanent members to hold a video conference, and that he is now only waiting for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to accept the invitation.
“When he does, we can have this video conference and therefore endorse it (Guterres’ call) with great solemnity, strength, and even more efficiency,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-04-16--North Korea: Is the country really free of coronavirus?

North Korea has said it has not recorded a single case of the Covid-19 coronavirus .
More than 2 million coronavirus cases have been reported across the world , affecting 185 countries .
But North Korea says it is completely free of the virus , a claim that has been met with scepticism in some quarters .
France 24 spoke to Daniel Wertz , program manager at the US-based National Committee on North Korea to find out more .
Pak Myong Su , the director of North Korea ’ s anti-epidemic headquarters , told AFP earlier this month that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the novel coronavirus in our country so far ” .
The claim was disputed by General Robert Abrams , commander of United States Forces Korea , who said it was “ impossible ” that the secretive authoritarian state did not have a single case of the virus .
“ In all likelihood there have been a number of unconfirmed cases , ” agreed Wertz , but added that a lack of testing may mean that any outbreak may have gone undetected .
Nevertheless , North Korea ’ s prompt action in sealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on in the coronavirus outbreak could mean that a large outbreak has been avoided , at least for now .
“ Back in January , North Korea sealed its borders and began imposing internal quarantines even before the city of Wuhan in China was fully sealed off , which in hindsight looks like it was actually smart for the most part , ” said Wertz .
But , he added : “ Even if North Korea ’ s avoided a worst-case scenario , that could change rapidly in the future.
” With poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare infrastructure , a full-scale coronavirus outbreak in the country could prove devastating , said Wertz .
“ Even in the capital a lot of hospitals have to reuse basic medical supplies such as syringes and scalpels .
If there was a large coronavirus outbreak in North Korea , I think the country ’ s public health system would be badly unprepared to deal with it , ” he said .

More than 2 million coronavirus cases have been reported across the world, affecting 185 countries. But North Korea says it is completely free of the virus, a claim that has been met with scepticism in some quarters. France 24 spoke to Daniel Wertz, program manager at the US-based National Committee on North Korea to find out more.
North Korea has said it has not recorded a single case of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
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Pak Myong Su, the director of North Korea’s anti-epidemic headquarters, told AFP earlier this month that "not one single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far”.
The claim was disputed by General Robert Abrams, commander of United States Forces Korea, who said it was “impossible” that the secretive authoritarian state did not have a single case of the virus.
“In all likelihood there have been a number of unconfirmed cases,” agreed Wertz, but added that a lack of testing may mean that any outbreak may have gone undetected.
Nevertheless, North Korea’s prompt action in sealing its borders and imposing quarantine measures early on in the coronavirus outbreak could mean that a large outbreak has been avoided, at least for now.
“Back in January, North Korea sealed its borders and began imposing internal quarantines even before the city of Wuhan in China was fully sealed off, which in hindsight looks like it was actually smart for the most part,” said Wertz.
But, he added: “Even if North Korea’s avoided a worst-case scenario, that could change rapidly in the future.”
With poverty and malnutrition rife, coupled with poor healthcare infrastructure, a full-scale coronavirus outbreak in the country could prove devastating, said Wertz.
“Even in the capital a lot of hospitals have to reuse basic medical supplies such as syringes and scalpels. If there was a large coronavirus outbreak in North Korea, I think the country’s public health system would be badly unprepared to deal with it,” he said.
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france24--2020-04-17--Food vouchers and overdrafts: Covid-19 puts France’s poorest students in a tight spot

A French student follows a university course online in her room on March 27 , 2020 , during the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak .
A week before the end of term in French universities , France ’ s poorest students tell FRANCE 24 how their daily struggles have been exacerbated by the lockdown .
If there was one thing Imane took away from French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s televised address on April 13 , it was his promise to provide immediate help for “ the most vulnerable students ” .
For the past several weeks , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to the €50 Carrefour supermarket vouchers sent to by her social worker when her cupboards are empty .
“ At the beginning of the lockdown it was very tricky , because the most basic foods ( pasta , flour , etc . )
were missing from the shelves .
I had to buy expensive brand name products , but I ended up finding ways to get what I needed .
I can buy vegetables , but for meat , it depends , ” she said .
Imane , a student at Paris-Nanterre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her student housing facility .
Her window overlooks the courtyard of the opposite building .
But she prefers the calm of her student lodgings to the busy streets of Choisy , in Paris ’ s 13th arrondissement ( district ) , where her parents live .
Having fallen out with her family over a year ago , Imane was unable to go and stay with her parents when the lockdown began on March 17 .
Only three of the eight students usually living on her university housing floor have remained there under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked to continue paying their rent .
“ It ’ s absurd , ” said Mélanie Luce , president of the National Union of Students of France ( UNEF ) .
“ The students who stayed are in a more precarious situation , while those who left their student housing temporarily are exempt .
We ’ ve launched a petition demanding that the state also exempt students who are forced to remain in their university dorms.
” At the end of March , the Ministry of Higher Education released €10 million in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Requests can be made by calling the toll-free number : 0806 000 278 . )
UNEF described the investment as “ necessary , but falling well short ” of what was needed .
“ Only 20,000 students will be able to benefit from the extra money .
It ’ s a positive step , but unfortunately it ’ s also ridiculous , given the number of students in urgent need : Remember that nearly one in two students work in normal times , ” the students ’ union said .
Imane submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her social worker but is still awaiting a response .
“ I was supposed to start a new babysitting job three days before the lockdown .
I had finally found a stable job .
I was fed up with temping , working as a cashier , or at McDonalds .
I was tired of it .
But I ’ m worried about what happens afterwards , too .
Will my contract continue ?
In the meantime , I ’ m going through job ads and applying for positions for this summer , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real name ) , recently quit her job .
She had been working as a cashier at the Auchan supermarket in Val d ’ Europe , in Seine-et-Marne , since the beginning of the school year .
For her , it was a student job “ for a line on her CV ” and to help pay for her vacations .
An undergraduate management student , Julia , 20 , could not find a job in her field .
“ I figured that a job in sales , even if was at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me work experience , ” she said .
“ In my third year , I have to produce a dissertation about my work experience.
” But since the beginning of the lockdown , her student job has become a nightmare .
“ I ’ m exhausted , we have customers non-stop , and between each customer we have to clean the conveyor belt , the Plexiglas , the cash register terminals and the handles of the shopping baskets .
I ’ ve had back surgery and the pain has come back .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pace , ” she said .
Julia lives with her parents and worries about her mother ’ s fragile health .
“ That ’ s really what made me quit : I ’ m afraid of infecting my mother , since , who knows , I might have the virus but be asymptomatic .
At work we only get one mask a day ; the protection measures at Auchan are insufficient , ” she said .
For Léa ( not her real name ) , a 23-year-old student who works as a receptionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Issy-les-Moulineaux in Hauts-de-Seine , and a babysitter by night for families in Paris , partial unemployment benefits from her day job barely cover her monthly €650 rent for a shared flat , plus her €525 monthly student loan installment .
“ At the moment my overdraft is only at €150 , so I think I 'm doing pretty well , ” she said .
One of the families that employed her as a babysitter offered to continue paying her “ out of solidarity ” , even though she could no longer work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The young sophrology student reckons she lost €400 in income this month .
“ It ’ s money I used to use to go out and to eat better , ” she said , adding that she would have to watch her meat consumption this month and buy cheaper products .
On top of the stress caused by the loss of income , there is also the anxiety ahead of the upcoming end-of-year exams .
“ The worst part is the uncertainty , ” said Imane , a week before her finals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what form they will take.
” She already had trouble submitting an assignment online last week because of congestion on her university ’ s online platform .
“ The professors said that we can submit the assignments at different times , to stagger the connections to the site .
But how will we manage to take the exams if we all need to log on at the same time ?
” she asked .
“ In 2018 , my university was blockaded and we took our exams online .
The site crashed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning with only 10 minutes to go .
So I ’ m really stressed about next week , ” she said .
For Julia , who lives with her parents , the wifi at home doesn ’ t work very well , so she uses her phone ’ s 4G hotspot connection .
“ I already took one exam online and wasn ’ t able to submit my assignment on the platform .
I was really scared and wrote to the professor , who agreed to receive my assignment by email , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 percent of students have problems accessing digital tools , based on surveys conducted among students from the Paris 2-Panthéon-Assas , Rennes 2 and Lorraine universities .
“ We would prefer students to be assessed on their homework , with recommended submission dates , which is not ideal either .
But your classic final exams don ’ t necessarily guarantee equality , ” warned Luce of the students ’ union .
“ Students who have only one computer for the whole family , or those who might be forced to study from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students in the most precarious situations will once again find themselves at a disadvantage , ” she said .
This article has been translated from the original in French .

A week before the end of term in French universities, France’s poorest students tell FRANCE 24 how their daily struggles have been exacerbated by the lockdown.
A French student follows a university course online in her room on March 27, 2020, during the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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If there was one thing Imane took away from French President Emmanuel Macron’s televised address on April 13, it was his promise to provide immediate help for “the most vulnerable students”.
For the past several weeks, the 21-year-old has only been able to eat thanks to the €50 Carrefour supermarket vouchers sent to by her social worker when her cupboards are empty.
“At the beginning of the lockdown it was very tricky, because the most basic foods (pasta, flour, etc.) were missing from the shelves. I had to buy expensive brand name products, but I ended up finding ways to get what I needed. I can buy vegetables, but for meat, it depends,” she said.
Imane, a student at Paris-Nanterre University, rarely leaves her 28-square-metre studio in her student housing facility. Her window overlooks the courtyard of the opposite building. But she prefers the calm of her student lodgings to the busy streets of Choisy, in Paris’s 13th arrondissement (district), where her parents live.
Students can’t afford rent
Having fallen out with her family over a year ago, Imane was unable to go and stay with her parents when the lockdown began on March 17.
Only three of the eight students usually living on her university housing floor have remained there under lockdown, and they’ve been asked to continue paying their rent.
But Imane can’t afford the €525 monthly fee.
“It’s absurd,” said Mélanie Luce, president of the National Union of Students of France (UNEF). “The students who stayed are in a more precarious situation, while those who left their student housing temporarily are exempt. We’ve launched a petition demanding that the state also exempt students who are forced to remain in their university dorms.”
At the end of March, the Ministry of Higher Education released €10 million in “specific emergency aid” for students. (Requests can be made by calling the toll-free number: 0806 000 278.)
UNEF described the investment as “necessary, but falling well short” of what was needed.
“Only 20,000 students will be able to benefit from the extra money. It’s a positive step, but unfortunately it’s also ridiculous, given the number of students in urgent need: Remember that nearly one in two students work in normal times,” the students’ union said.
Income lost
Imane submitted an aid application with the help of her social worker but is still awaiting a response.
“I was supposed to start a new babysitting job three days before the lockdown. I had finally found a stable job. I was fed up with temping, working as a cashier, or at McDonalds. I was tired of it. But I’m worried about what happens afterwards, too. Will my contract continue? In the meantime, I’m going through job ads and applying for positions for this summer,” she said.
Julia (not her real name), recently quit her job. She had been working as a cashier at the Auchan supermarket in Val d’Europe, in Seine-et-Marne, since the beginning of the school year. For her, it was a student job “for a line on her CV” and to help pay for her vacations.
An undergraduate management student, Julia, 20, could not find a job in her field. “I figured that a job in sales, even if was at the bottom of the ladder, would give me work experience,” she said. “In my third year, I have to produce a dissertation about my work experience.”
But since the beginning of the lockdown, her student job has become a nightmare.
“I’m exhausted, we have customers non-stop, and between each customer we have to clean the conveyor belt, the Plexiglas, the cash register terminals and the handles of the shopping baskets. I’ve had back surgery and the pain has come back. I can’t keep up with the pace,” she said.
Julia lives with her parents and worries about her mother’s fragile health. “That’s really what made me quit: I’m afraid of infecting my mother, since, who knows, I might have the virus but be asymptomatic. At work we only get one mask a day; the protection measures at Auchan are insufficient,” she said.
For Léa (not her real name), a 23-year-old student who works as a receptionist by day at a large company in Issy-les-Moulineaux in Hauts-de-Seine, and a babysitter by night for families in Paris, partial unemployment benefits from her day job barely cover her monthly €650 rent for a shared flat, plus her €525 monthly student loan installment.
“At the moment my overdraft is only at €150, so I think I'm doing pretty well,” she said.
One of the families that employed her as a babysitter offered to continue paying her “out of solidarity”, even though she could no longer work. The other family terminated her contract. The young sophrology student reckons she lost €400 in income this month. “It’s money I used to use to go out and to eat better,” she said, adding that she would have to watch her meat consumption this month and buy cheaper products.
The stress of final exams
On top of the stress caused by the loss of income, there is also the anxiety ahead of the upcoming end-of-year exams. “The worst part is the uncertainty,” said Imane, a week before her finals. “We don’t yet know what form they will take.” She already had trouble submitting an assignment online last week because of congestion on her university’s online platform.
“The professors said that we can submit the assignments at different times, to stagger the connections to the site. But how will we manage to take the exams if we all need to log on at the same time?” she asked. “In 2018, my university was blockaded and we took our exams online. The site crashed and I had to restart my test from the beginning with only 10 minutes to go. So I’m really stressed about next week,” she said.
For Julia, who lives with her parents, the wifi at home doesn’t work very well, so she uses her phone’s 4G hotspot connection. “I already took one exam online and wasn’t able to submit my assignment on the platform. I was really scared and wrote to the professor, who agreed to receive my assignment by email,” she said.
UNEF estimates that 10 percent of students have problems accessing digital tools, based on surveys conducted among students from the Paris 2-Panthéon-Assas, Rennes 2 and Lorraine universities.
“We would prefer students to be assessed on their homework, with recommended submission dates, which is not ideal either. But your classic final exams don’t necessarily guarantee equality,” warned Luce of the students’ union.
“Students who have only one computer for the whole family, or those who might be forced to study from home, while facing domestic violence – the students in the most precarious situations will once again find themselves at a disadvantage,” she said.
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-04-17--China revises Wuhan’s Covid-19 death toll with 50% rise, but denies cover-up

File photo of a woman cycling past an image of the Chinese flag after the lockdown was lifted in Wuhan April 10 , 2020 .
Wuhan , the central Chinese city at the epicentre of the global pandemic , raised its number of Covid-19 fatalities by 1,290 to 3,869 deaths , state media said Friday .
The revision was due to insufficient admission and treatment capabilities at the virus 's peak , according to authorities .
Wuhan 's revised death toll of 3,869 is the highest in China , representing a 50 percent rise from its previous count .
Numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 million were also raised by 325 to 50,333 , accounting for about two-thirds of China ’ s total 82,367 announced cases .
The official Xinhua News Agency quoted an unidentified official with Wuhan ’ s epidemic and prevention and control headquarters as saying that during the early stages of the outbreak , “ due to the insufficiency in admission and treatment capability , a few medical institutions failed to connect with the disease prevention and control system in time , while hospitals were overloaded and medics were overwhelmed with patients .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mistaken reporting occurred , ” the official was quoted as saying .
The revision came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron voiced scepticism over the accuracy of China 's reporting of the outbreak .
`` There are clearly things that have happened that we don ’ t know about , '' said Macron in an interview with British daily , the Financial Times .
The US and UK have also questioned the accuracy of China 's case figures amid accusations that Beijing sought to minimise the impact of the outbreak and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
China has , however , denied reports that it did not reveal the true extent of coronavirus fatalities .
Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing Friday , Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said there has never been a cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in China and the government does not allow any cover-ups .
`` There has never been any concealment , and we 'll never allow any concealment , '' he said .
The new figures revealed Friday were compiled through a comparison of data from Wuhan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , the city funeral service system , the municipal hospital authority ’ s information system , and the nucleic acid test system to “ remove double-counted cases and fill in missed cases , ” the Xinhua News Agency quoted the unnamed official as saying .
New death cases were added because non-hospitalised deaths had not been registered at the disease control information system and some confirmed cases had been reported late or not been reported at all by some medical institutions , the official said .
Questions have long swirled around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths .
China has said the virus emerged from a Wuhan food market whose merchandise reportedly included exotic wild animals sold for human consumption .

Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicentre of the global pandemic, raised its number of Covid-19 fatalities by 1,290 to 3,869 deaths, state media said Friday. The revision was due to insufficient admission and treatment capabilities at the virus's peak, according to authorities.
File photo of a woman cycling past an image of the Chinese flag after the lockdown was lifted in Wuhan April 10, 2020.
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Wuhan's revised death toll of 3,869 is the highest in China, representing a 50 percent rise from its previous count. Numbers of total cases in the city of 11 million were also raised by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of China’s total 82,367 announced cases.
The official Xinhua News Agency quoted an unidentified official with Wuhan’s epidemic and prevention and control headquarters as saying that during the early stages of the outbreak, “due to the insufficiency in admission and treatment capability, a few medical institutions failed to connect with the disease prevention and control system in time, while hospitals were overloaded and medics were overwhelmed with patients.
"As a result, belated, missed and mistaken reporting occurred,” the official was quoted as saying.
China denies cover-up
The revision came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron voiced scepticism over the accuracy of China's reporting of the outbreak. "There are clearly things that have happened that we don’t know about," said Macron in an interview with British daily, the Financial Times.
The US and UK have also questioned the accuracy of China's case figures amid accusations that Beijing sought to minimise the impact of the outbreak and initial delays in its response to the disease.
China has, however, denied reports that it did not reveal the true extent of coronavirus fatalities. Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said there has never been a cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in China and the government does not allow any cover-ups.
"There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," he said.
Filling in 'missed cases'
The new figures revealed Friday were compiled through a comparison of data from Wuhan’s epidemic prevention and control big data system, the city funeral service system, the municipal hospital authority’s information system, and the nucleic acid test system to “remove double-counted cases and fill in missed cases,” the Xinhua News Agency quoted the unnamed official as saying.
New death cases were added because non-hospitalised deaths had not been registered at the disease control information system and some confirmed cases had been reported late or not been reported at all by some medical institutions, the official said.
Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of China’s case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths.
China has said the virus emerged from a Wuhan food market whose merchandise reportedly included exotic wild animals sold for human consumption.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
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france24--2020-04-17--Iconic French singer Christophe, known for ballads 'Aline' and 'Les Mots bleus', dies at 74

Christophe pictured on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13 , 2015 .
The legendary French crooner known for his distinctive voice and dandy look died overnight Thursday of a respiratory illness , his wife Véronique Bevilacqua told AFP .
Born Daniel Bevilacqua , the beloved French singer and songwriter was hospitalised and admitted to intensive care on March 26 in a Parisian hospital , before being transferred to the city of Brest in Brittany .
His wife and daughter wrote in a press release , `` Christophe is gone .
Despite the unfailing devotion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength . ''
`` Words fail us today ... and long speeches are futile , '' they wrote .
When Christophe was hospitalised , The French daily newspaper Le Parisien reported on March 29 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus , which the singer 's agent did not confirm one way or another .
The family ’ s press release made no mention of the virus .
In a telephone call with AFP , Christophe 's widow stated that the cause of death was “ emphysema ” , a respiratory illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he shot into the spotlight with the 1965 release of the melancholy ballad `` Aline ” .
His star power would remain undiminished for decades , with the release of such hits as “ Les Mots bleus ” ( 1974 ) , `` La Dolce vita '' ( 1977 ) and “ Succès fou ” ( 1983 ) .
News of his death has led to an outpouring of grief and tributes on social media .
French Cultural Minister Franck Riester tweeted , `` His words , his melodies and his voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christophe , the French chanson has lost part of its soul , but the blue bittersweetness of his songs is indelible .
My thoughts are with his wife and daughter . ''
Jean-Michel Jarre , who had written the lyrics for two of Christophe 's major albums — `` Les Paradis Perdus '' in 1973 and `` Les Mots bleus ” in 1974 — tweeted his homage by borrowing lyrics from `` Les Paradis Perdus '' : `` Christophe , you left us tonight… and tonight , paradise is lost .
Some say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are , and so are you.
” Jarre added : `` He was much more than a singer .
He was a couturier of song . ''

The legendary French crooner known for his distinctive voice and dandy look died overnight Thursday of a respiratory illness, his wife Véronique Bevilacqua told AFP.
Christophe pictured on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2015.
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Born Daniel Bevilacqua, the beloved French singer and songwriter was hospitalised and admitted to intensive care on March 26 in a Parisian hospital, before being transferred to the city of Brest in Brittany.
His wife and daughter wrote in a press release, "Christophe is gone. Despite the unfailing devotion of his medical team, he lost his strength."
"Words fail us today ... and long speeches are futile," they wrote.
When Christophe was hospitalised, The French daily newspaper Le Parisien reported on March 29 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, which the singer's agent did not confirm one way or another. The family’s press release made no mention of the virus. In a telephone call with AFP, Christophe's widow stated that the cause of death was “emphysema”, a respiratory illness.
The mustachioed singer was barely 20 when he shot into the spotlight with the 1965 release of the melancholy ballad "Aline”. His star power would remain undiminished for decades, with the release of such hits as “Les Mots bleus” (1974), "La Dolce vita" (1977) and “Succès fou” (1983).
News of his death has led to an outpouring of grief and tributes on social media.
French Cultural Minister Franck Riester tweeted, "His words, his melodies and his voice transported us and moved us. Without Christophe, the French chanson has lost part of its soul, but the blue bittersweetness of his songs is indelible. My thoughts are with his wife and daughter."
Ses mots, ses mélodies et sa voix nous ont transportés, nous ont émus. Avec la disparition de Christophe, la chanson française perd une part de son âme, mais le bleu doux-amer de ses chansons est indélébile.
Je pense à sa femme et à sa fille. pic.twitter.com/AJUIr4peSk — Franck Riester (@franckriester) April 17, 2020
Jean-Michel Jarre, who had written the lyrics for two of Christophe's major albums — "Les Paradis Perdus" in 1973 and "Les Mots bleus” in 1974 — tweeted his homage by borrowing lyrics from "Les Paradis Perdus": "Christophe, you left us tonight… and tonight, paradise is lost. Some say that those we love are eternal and they are, and so are you.”
Jarre added: "He was much more than a singer. He was a couturier of song."
Christophe tu es parti ce soir .. et ce soir ce sont les Paradis perdus.. on pense que les gens qu’on aime sont éternels et ils le sont, et tu l’es.. #christophe #le dernier des Bevilacqua — Jean-Michel Jarre (@jeanmicheljarre) April 16, 2020
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-04-16--Trump unveils three-phase plan to lift US lockdown, leaves timeline up to governors

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions about his administration 's plans for `` Opening Up America Again '' during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington , U.S. , April 16 , 2020 .
U.S. President Donald Trump proposed guidelines on Thursday under which U.S. state governors could act to revive the U.S. economy from its coronavirus shutdown in a staggered , three-stage process .
Speaking at his daily briefing on the coronavirus , which has killed more than 32,600 Americans in a matter of weeks , Trump argued that a prolonged shutdown could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society .
`` We are not opening all at once , but one careful step at a time , '' Trump told reporters , without himself providing details on his guidelines .
`` A prolonged lockdown combined with a forced economic depression would inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll on public health , '' Trump said , adding it could lead to a sharp rise in drug abuse , alcohol abuse , suicide , heart disease . ''
The new federal guidelines recommend that states record a 14-day `` downward trajectory '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of re-opening .
The document lays out Trump 's plan for opening businesses in states across the country that have been ravaged by the pandemic and its economic impact even though the responsibility for such decisions lies with state , not federal , authorities .
Before states re-open , hospitals should have a `` robust testing program '' that includes antibody testing in place for healthcare workers , the guidelines say .
States should have the ability to set up screening and testing sites for people with symptoms and as well as contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to supply personal protective gear independently and handle surges if COVID-19 cases increase again .
The document says the recommendations are `` implementable on a statewide or county-by-county basis at governors ' discretion . ''
Trump has tussled with governors over who has the ultimate authority to mandate a re-opening of states ' economies .
In the first phase of re-opening , the guidelines say groups of more than 10 people should be avoided if appropriate distancing measures are not practical .
Non-essential travel should be minimized , telework should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed .
Schools remain closed in phase 1 , but large venues such as movies theaters , restaurants , stadiums , and places of worship can open with `` strict physical distancing protocols . ''
Hospitals , which have been hit hard by the health crisis , may resume elective surgeries , which are critical to their income , and gyms can re-open with new protocols .
Bars should remain closed , it said .
In the second phase , applicable to states and regions with `` no evidence of a rebound '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 50 be avoided where social distancing is not practical .
Non-essential travel can resume , while schools and youth camps can reconvene and bars with `` diminished standing-room occupancy '' may re-open .
A White House official described the guidelines as conservative and noted that they had been agreed to by the top doctors on the president 's coronavirus task force .
Trump is pushing to get the U.S. economy going again after the coronavirus shutdown left millions of Americans jobless .
More than 20 million people have filed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month and over 90 % of the country have been under stay-at-home orders .
Trump said on Wednesday some states with low numbers of infections will be ready to resume economic activity sooner than those hard hit by the highly contagious virus .
The White House official said that each governor will be able to look to the recommendations as a guide .
`` They are layered , '' the official said , adding they were approved by medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force : infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

U.S. President Donald Trump proposed guidelines on Thursday under which U.S. state governors could act to revive the U.S. economy from its coronavirus shutdown in a staggered, three-stage process.
U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions about his administration's plans for "Opening Up America Again" during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 16, 2020.
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Speaking at his daily briefing on the coronavirus, which has killed more than 32,600 Americans in a matter of weeks, Trump argued that a prolonged shutdown could be deeply harmful to the U.S. economy and society.
"We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," Trump told reporters, without himself providing details on his guidelines.
00:23
"A prolonged lockdown combined with a forced economic depression would inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll on public health," Trump said, adding it could lead to a sharp rise in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide, heart disease."
The new federal guidelines recommend that states record a 14-day "downward trajectory" in coronavirus cases before beginning a three-phase process of re-opening.
The document lays out Trump's plan for opening businesses in states across the country that have been ravaged by the pandemic and its economic impact even though the responsibility for such decisions lies with state, not federal, authorities.
Before states re-open, hospitals should have a "robust testing program" that includes antibody testing in place for healthcare workers, the guidelines say.
States should have the ability to set up screening and testing sites for people with symptoms and as well as contact tracing capabilities, and healthcare facilities should be able to supply personal protective gear independently and handle surges if COVID-19 cases increase again.
The document says the recommendations are "implementable on a statewide or county-by-county basis at governors' discretion." Trump has tussled with governors over who has the ultimate authority to mandate a re-opening of states' economies.
In the first phase of re-opening, the guidelines say groups of more than 10 people should be avoided if appropriate distancing measures are not practical. Non-essential travel should be minimized, telework should be encouraged, and common areas in offices closed.
Schools remain closed in phase 1, but large venues such as movies theaters, restaurants, stadiums, and places of worship can open with "strict physical distancing protocols."
Hospitals, which have been hit hard by the health crisis, may resume elective surgeries, which are critical to their income, and gyms can re-open with new protocols. Bars should remain closed, it said.
In the second phase, applicable to states and regions with "no evidence of a rebound" in cases, the guidelines recommend groups of more than 50 be avoided where social distancing is not practical. Non-essential travel can resume, while schools and youth camps can reconvene and bars with "diminished standing-room occupancy" may re-open.
Phase three includes unrestricted staffing of workplaces.
A White House official described the guidelines as conservative and noted that they had been agreed to by the top doctors on the president's coronavirus task force.
Trump is pushing to get the U.S. economy going again after the coronavirus shutdown left millions of Americans jobless. More than 20 million people have filed for unemployment in the U.S. in the past month and over 90% of the country have been under stay-at-home orders.
Trump said on Wednesday some states with low numbers of infections will be ready to resume economic activity sooner than those hard hit by the highly contagious virus.
The White House official said that each governor will be able to look to the recommendations as a guide.
"They are layered," the official said, adding they were approved by medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force: infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, task force coordinator Deborah Birx and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-17--Pandemic leaves one in three French workers on temporary unemployment

A Michelin employee at the French tyre manufacturer 's plant of Combaude in Clermont-Ferrand , pictured on April 10 , 2020 .
Almost nine million workers in France are currently on a temporary unemployment scheme designed to avoid mass redundancies , the French finance minister told lawmakers on Friday as companies struggle to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic .
As Covid-19 hit France , the government quickly introduced a system whereby companies can temporarily put staff on reduced or no hours while the state picks up all or most of their net wages for unworked time .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow mass redundancies , ” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told French lawmakers on Friday , describing the costly scheme as an “ investment ” .
The mechanism , designed to avoid a flood of layoffs and swamping unemployment offices for benefits , is one of the most expensive parts of the government ’ s €110 billion coronavirus rescue package , accounting for a fifth of the total .
On Thursday , Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said 732,000 firms had made use of the mechanism for 8.7 million workers .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climbed , but the increase is now in the single digits .
Penicaud has asked the country ’ s biggest companies not to take advantage of the already costly scheme , which is mainly designed to help smaller firms stave off bankruptcy .
The government currently expects its public sector deficit to rise to 9 % of gross domestic product this year , up from 3 % in 2019 .
The closure of non-essential retail businesses has hit that sector hard , while many manufacturers have halted or reduced production to take into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 .
On Thursday , Amazon became the latest company to say it will tap the temporary unemployment scheme to pay its employees at its six French warehouses , claiming a court ruling had left it with no choice but to suspend all activity there .
Earlier in the week , a court near Paris ruled that the US e-commerce giant had to carry out a more thorough assessment of the risk of coronavirus contagion at its warehouses and should restrict its deliveries to essential goods in the meantime , or face @ @ @

Almost nine million workers in France are currently on a temporary unemployment scheme designed to avoid mass redundancies, the French finance minister told lawmakers on Friday as companies struggle to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
A Michelin employee at the French tyre manufacturer's plant of Combaude in Clermont-Ferrand, pictured on April 10, 2020.
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As Covid-19 hit France, the government quickly introduced a system whereby companies can temporarily put staff on reduced or no hours while the state picks up all or most of their net wages for unworked time.
“We refused, both politically and economically, to allow mass redundancies,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told French lawmakers on Friday, describing the costly scheme as an “investment”.
The mechanism, designed to avoid a flood of layoffs and swamping unemployment offices for benefits, is one of the most expensive parts of the government’s €110 billion coronavirus rescue package, accounting for a fifth of the total.
On Thursday, Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said 732,000 firms had made use of the mechanism for 8.7 million workers. Meanwhile, requests for traditional unemployment benefits have also climbed, but the increase is now in the single digits.
Penicaud has asked the country’s biggest companies not to take advantage of the already costly scheme, which is mainly designed to help smaller firms stave off bankruptcy.
Amazon taps scheme
The government currently expects its public sector deficit to rise to 9% of gross domestic product this year, up from 3% in 2019.
The closure of non-essential retail businesses has hit that sector hard, while many manufacturers have halted or reduced production to take into account health measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.
On Thursday, Amazon became the latest company to say it will tap the temporary unemployment scheme to pay its employees at its six French warehouses, claiming a court ruling had left it with no choice but to suspend all activity there.
Earlier in the week, a court near Paris ruled that the US e-commerce giant had to carry out a more thorough assessment of the risk of coronavirus contagion at its warehouses and should restrict its deliveries to essential goods in the meantime, or face a fine.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-17--Poetry power scene in Sudan wins prestigious press photo award

An emotion-charged photo of a young man illuminated by cellphone lights as he recites poetry during the 2019 protests calling for civilian rule in Sudan won this year ’ s prestigious World Press Photo award .
Titled “ Straight Voice , ” the image was captured by Japanese photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba , in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in June last year .
The photograph , shot during a power blackout in the “ protest camp ” near Khartoum ’ s sprawling military complex , features the young man , his hand on his heart , reciting a protest poem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to civilian rule after the military toppled long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 .
Chiba is Chief Photographer for East Africa and Indian Ocean for French news agency Agence France-Presse .
The photo also won first prize in the General News Singles category .
“ This moment was the only peaceful group protest I encountered during my stay , ” Chiba said in a statement released by the Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation as it announced this year ’ s winners .
“ I felt their undefeated solidarity like burning embers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGrath , a photographer for Getty Images and member of the 2020 jury , called the winning photo “ just a really beautiful , quiet photograph that summed up all the unrest across the globe of people wanting change.
” Jury chair Lekgetho Makola said that despite being taken during a time of conflict , the photo `` inspires people '' .
`` We see this young person , who is not shooting , who is not throwing a stone , but reciting a poem , '' he said .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hope . ''
The World Press Photo Story of the Year also came from Africa , with French photographer Romain Laurendeau winning for a series titled “ Kho , the Genesis of a Revolt , ” focusing on the roots of protests that erupted last year in Algeria .
The series also won the Long-Term Projects category .
The first prize in the Spot News category went to Farouk Batiche of German news agency dpa for a photo of students scuffling with police during a demonstration in Algiers .
Protests and grief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winners , with a series of images by Associated Press photographer Mulugeta Ayene of grieving families and other people at the site of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 near Addis Ababa winning the Spot News Stories category .
The series also was one of three nominations for Story of the Year and one of the images was among six nominations for the World Press Photo award .
The Boeing 737 MAX crashed into a field shortly after take-off , killing all 157 passengers and crew .
The closing date for entries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak gripped the globe and began dominating news coverage .
In all , 4,282 photographers submitted just under 74,000 photos .
The 44 winners came from 24 different countries , organizers said .
Esther Horvath of Hungary won the Environment Singles category with a photo for The New York Times of a polar bear and her cub near equipment placed by scientists investigating the consequences of Arctic climate change .
AP photographer Noah Berger won second prize with an aerial image of firefighters battling the Marsh Complex Fire , near the town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ramon Espinosa , won third prize in the Spot News Singles category for an image of people wading along a flooded road in Freeport , Grand Bahama , after Hurricane Dorian pummeled the island .

An emotion-charged photo of a young man illuminated by cellphone lights as he recites poetry during the 2019 protests calling for civilian rule in Sudan won this year’s prestigious World Press Photo award.
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Titled “Straight Voice,” the image was captured by Japanese photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba, in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in June last year. The photograph, shot during a power blackout in the “protest camp” near Khartoum’s sprawling military complex, features the young man, his hand on his heart, reciting a protest poem.
The protesters were calling for a return to civilian rule after the military toppled long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
Chiba is Chief Photographer for East Africa and Indian Ocean for French news agency Agence France-Presse. The photo also won first prize in the General News Singles category.
“This moment was the only peaceful group protest I encountered during my stay,” Chiba said in a statement released by the Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation as it announced this year’s winners. “I felt their undefeated solidarity like burning embers that remain to flare up again.”
A 'sense of hope'
Chris McGrath, a photographer for Getty Images and member of the 2020 jury, called the winning photo “just a really beautiful, quiet photograph that summed up all the unrest across the globe of people wanting change.”
Jury chair Lekgetho Makola said that despite being taken during a time of conflict, the photo "inspires people".
"We see this young person, who is not shooting, who is not throwing a stone, but reciting a poem," he said. "It's acknowledging, but also voicing a sense of hope."
Algeria protest series highlights theme on African continent
The World Press Photo Story of the Year also came from Africa, with French photographer Romain Laurendeau winning for a series titled “Kho, the Genesis of a Revolt,” focusing on the roots of protests that erupted last year in Algeria. The series also won the Long-Term Projects category.
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The first prize in the Spot News category went to Farouk Batiche of German news agency dpa for a photo of students scuffling with police during a demonstration in Algiers.
Protests and grief in Africa were strongly represented among news winners, with a series of images by Associated Press photographer Mulugeta Ayene of grieving families and other people at the site of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 near Addis Ababa winning the Spot News Stories category. The series also was one of three nominations for Story of the Year and one of the images was among six nominations for the World Press Photo award.
The Boeing 737 MAX crashed into a field shortly after take-off, killing all 157 passengers and crew.
The closing date for entries was January 14, before the coronavirus outbreak gripped the globe and began dominating news coverage. In all, 4,282 photographers submitted just under 74,000 photos. The 44 winners came from 24 different countries, organizers said.
Environmental disasters
Esther Horvath of Hungary won the Environment Singles category with a photo for The New York Times of a polar bear and her cub near equipment placed by scientists investigating the consequences of Arctic climate change.
AP photographer Noah Berger won second prize with an aerial image of firefighters battling the Marsh Complex Fire, near the town of Brentwood, California.
Another AP photographer, Ramon Espinosa, won third prize in the Spot News Singles category for an image of people wading along a flooded road in Freeport, Grand Bahama, after Hurricane Dorian pummeled the island.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-04-17--'Absolute legend': British veteran raises €20 million walking for health service

Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore , 99 , walks to raise money for health workers , by attempting to walk the length of his garden one hundred times before his 100th birthday this month as the spread of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) continues , Marston Moretaine , Britain , April 15 , 2020 A 99-year-old British war veteran who has raised more than 17.9 million pounds ( €20.5 million ) for the health service by walking laps of his garden was praised by Queen Elizabeth 's grandson as an `` absolute legend '' .
Tom Moore , retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burma and Sumatra during World War Two , became a symbol of British endurance in the face of adversity after completing 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising effort for the health service .
Moore , who has used a walking frame with wheels since breaking his hip , had aimed to raise 1,000 pounds by completing his challenge before his 100th birthday on April 30 .
But his endeavour — and enduring optimism — struck a chord with people across the United Kingdom and the wider world , bringing a ray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 143,000 people worldwide .
Prince William , the queen 's grandson , said Moore was an `` absolute legend '' .
`` What I love also is he 's a 99-year war vet , he 's been around a long time , knows everything and it 's wonderful that everyone has been inspired by his story and his determination , '' William said in an interview broadcast on Friday .
Moore said that the current doom would clear and that one day `` the sun will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go away '' .
Such is his renown , that some have called for Moore to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth — a ritual recognition that dates back thousands of years through England 's medieval past .
`` It makes me laugh , '' Moore said on Thursday when asked about being recognised formally , quipping a reference to the Tudor statesman Sir Thomas More .
British honours , such as knighthoods , are awarded by the queen , usually on the recommendation of a committee comprising government officials and citizens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody is supportive of the idea '' of Moore being recognised .
`` I would n't want to preempt Her Majesty 's honours list but it is quite clear that this gentleman has just been almost the salvation of the nation in these difficult times , '' he said .
`` I think everybody is supportive of the idea of him being recognised . ''
Moore said the walk was inspired by the care he received from Britain 's state-run National Health Service when he broke his hip and when he was treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his supporters had donated an `` absolutely fantastic sum of money '' .
`` It 's unbelievable that people would be so kind to give that sort of money to the National Health Service , '' he said .

A 99-year-old British war veteran who has raised more than 17.9 million pounds (€20.5 million) for the health service by walking laps of his garden was praised by Queen Elizabeth's grandson as an "absolute legend".
Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore, 99, walks to raise money for health workers, by attempting to walk the length of his garden one hundred times before his 100th birthday this month as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Marston Moretaine, Britain, April 15, 2020
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Tom Moore, retired army captain who served in India, Burma and Sumatra during World War Two, became a symbol of British endurance in the face of adversity after completing 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising effort for the health service.
Moore, who has used a walking frame with wheels since breaking his hip, had aimed to raise 1,000 pounds by completing his challenge before his 100th birthday on April 30.
But his endeavour — and enduring optimism — struck a chord with people across the United Kingdom and the wider world, bringing a ray of hope amid the doom of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 143,000 people worldwide.
Prince William, the queen's grandson, said Moore was an "absolute legend".
"What I love also is he's a 99-year war vet, he's been around a long time, knows everything and it's wonderful that everyone has been inspired by his story and his determination," William said in an interview broadcast on Friday.
Moore said that the current doom would clear and that one day "the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away".
Such is his renown, that some have called for Moore to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth — a ritual recognition that dates back thousands of years through England's medieval past.
"It makes me laugh," Moore said on Thursday when asked about being recognised formally, quipping a reference to the Tudor statesman Sir Thomas More.
"Sir Thomas Moore sounds quite good," he chuckled.
British honours, such as knighthoods, are awarded by the queen, usually on the recommendation of a committee comprising government officials and citizens.
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said "everybody is supportive of the idea" of Moore being recognised.
"I wouldn't want to preempt Her Majesty's honours list but it is quite clear that this gentleman has just been almost the salvation of the nation in these difficult times," he said.
"I think everybody is supportive of the idea of him being recognised."
I’m Captain Tom Moore, war veteran, 99 years of age (soon to be 100) and I’m walking for the NHS to raise money for our heroes.https://t.co/M1dkvoV3kE — Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) April 10, 2020
Moore said the walk was inspired by the care he received from Britain's state-run National Health Service when he broke his hip and when he was treated for cancer.
Moore said on Thursday his supporters had donated an "absolutely fantastic sum of money".
"It's unbelievable that people would be so kind to give that sort of money to the National Health Service," he said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-17--Covid-19: Postponing the Olympics, Japan's costly conundrum

For weeks after the start of the coronavirus outbreak , Japan insisted the Olympics would be held as planned this @ @ @ @ @ agreed .
The decision to postpone them for a year came as a relief , @ @ @ @ @ : Japan is looking at an additional bill of between €3 to 5 billion , @ @ @ @ @ billion already spent .
Some Japanese citizens say this money would be better spent elsewhere @ @ @ @ @

Covid-19: Postponing the Olympics, Japan's costly conundrum
05:09 FOCUS © FRANCE 24
By: Florent DABADIE | Jérémie CHANTERAUD | Caroline GARDIN | Aruna POPURI | Justin McCURRY
For weeks after the start of the coronavirus outbreak, Japan insisted the Olympics would be held as planned this summer. But few people agreed. The decision to postpone them for a year came as a relief, though it brings huge costs: Japan is looking at an additional bill of between €3 to 5 billion, on top of the €12 billion already spent. Some Japanese citizens say this money would be better spent elsewhere. Our correspondents report.


france24--2020-04-17--China's economy suffers historic slump due to Covid-19

Workers leave a construction site at the end of their shift in the Central Business District in Beijing , China , April 16 , 2020 .
China 's economy shrank for the first time since at least 1992 in the first quarter , as the coronavirus outbreak paralysed production and spending , raising pressure on authorities to do more to stop mounting job losses .
Gross domestic product ( GDP ) fell 6.8 % in January-March year-on-year , official data showed on Friday , larger than the 6.5 % decline forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll and reversing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last year .
The contraction is also the first in the world 's second-largest economy since at least 1992 when official quarterly GDP records started .
While China has managed to get large parts of its economy up and running from a standstill in February , analysts say policymakers face an uphill battle to revive growth as the coronavirus pandemic ravages global demand .
Nomura expects Beijing to deliver a stimulus package in the near-term , which could be financed by the central bank through various channels .
`` However , unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new credit went to finance spending on infrastructure , property and consumer durable goods , this time we expect most of the new credit to be used on financial relief to help enterprises , banks and households survive the COVID-19 crisis , '' they said in a note .
On a quarter-on-quarter basis , GDP fell 9.8 % in the first three months of the year , the National Bureau of Statistics said , just off expectations for a 9.9 % contraction , and compared with 1.5 % growth in the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial output falling by a less-than-expected 1.1 % in March from a year earlier .
Retail sales fell 15.8 % in the same period .
Fixed asset investment shrank 16.1 % in January-March .
China 's urban jobless rate was at 5.9 % in March , down from 6.2 % in February .
The pandemic has infected more than 2 million globally and killed more than 130,000 .
China , where the virus first emerged , has reported more than 3,000 deaths although new infections have dropped significantly from their peak .
Analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year due to stuttering work resumptions and plunging global demand , outpacing the 20-plus million layoffs during the 2008-09 financial crisis .
Beijing has pledged to take more steps to combat the impact of the pandemic , as mounting job losses threaten social stability .
The central bank has already loosened monetary policy to help free up the flow of credit to the economy , but its easing so far has been more measured than during the global financial crisis .
The government will also lean on fiscal stimulus to spur infrastructure investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 budget deficit to a record high .
For 2020 , China 's economic growth is set to stumble to its slowest annual pace in nearly half a century , a Reuters poll showed this week .

China's economy shrank for the first time since at least 1992 in the first quarter, as the coronavirus outbreak paralysed production and spending, raising pressure on authorities to do more to stop mounting job losses.
Workers leave a construction site at the end of their shift in the Central Business District in Beijing, China, April 16, 2020.
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Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 6.8% in January-March year-on-year, official data showed on Friday, larger than the 6.5% decline forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll and reversing a 6% expansion in the fourth quarter of last year.
The contraction is also the first in the world's second-largest economy since at least 1992 when official quarterly GDP records started.
While China has managed to get large parts of its economy up and running from a standstill in February, analysts say policymakers face an uphill battle to revive growth as the coronavirus pandemic ravages global demand.
Nomura expects Beijing to deliver a stimulus package in the near-term, which could be financed by the central bank through various channels.
"However, unlike previous easing cycles, when most of the new credit went to finance spending on infrastructure, property and consumer durable goods, this time we expect most of the new credit to be used on financial relief to help enterprises, banks and households survive the COVID-19 crisis," they said in a note.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP fell 9.8% in the first three months of the year, the National Bureau of Statistics said, just off expectations for a 9.9% contraction, and compared with 1.5% growth in the previous quarter.
Separate data showed China's industrial output falling by a less-than-expected 1.1% in March from a year earlier. Retail sales fell 15.8% in the same period. Fixed asset investment shrank 16.1% in January-March.
China's urban jobless rate was at 5.9% in March, down from 6.2% in February.
The pandemic has infected more than 2 million globally and killed more than 130,000. China, where the virus first emerged, has reported more than 3,000 deaths although new infections have dropped significantly from their peak.
Analysts expect nearly 30 million job losses this year due to stuttering work resumptions and plunging global demand, outpacing the 20-plus million layoffs during the 2008-09 financial crisis.
Beijing has pledged to take more steps to combat the impact of the pandemic, as mounting job losses threaten social stability.
The central bank has already loosened monetary policy to help free up the flow of credit to the economy, but its easing so far has been more measured than during the global financial crisis.
The government will also lean on fiscal stimulus to spur infrastructure investment and consumption, which could push the 2020 budget deficit to a record high.
For 2020, China's economic growth is set to stumble to its slowest annual pace in nearly half a century, a Reuters poll showed this week.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-17--Macron voices scepticism over China's handling of Covid-19 outbreak

French President Emmanuel Macron said there were grey areas in China 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and that things `` happened that we do n't know about '' , speaking in an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday .
`` Let 's not be so naive as to say it 's been much better at handling this , '' he said of China 's management of the outbreak .
`` We do n't know .
There are clearly things that have happened that we do n't know about . ''
The United States and Britain took a tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak emerged in December .
`` We 'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could n't have been stopped earlier , '' British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at a press conference Friday when asked about future relations with Beijing .
Raab is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from COVID-19 .
US President Donald Trump 's administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic , saying it does not rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said the virus , which has killed more than 140,000 people worldwide , was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan `` wet market '' that slaughtered exotic animals -- a longtime focus of concern for public health experts .
But The Washington Post and Fox News both quoted anonymous sources who voiced concern that the virus may have come -- accidentally -- from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the city .
Trump , asked about the laboratory theory at a news conference on Wednesday , said that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story '' and that the United States was `` doing a very thorough investigation . ''

French President Emmanuel Macron said there were grey areas in China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and that things "happened that we don't know about", speaking in an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday.
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"Let's not be so naive as to say it's been much better at handling this," he said of China's management of the outbreak.
"We don't know. There are clearly things that have happened that we don't know about."
The United States and Britain took a tougher line on China, where the coronavirus outbreak emerged in December.
"We'll have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it couldn't have been stopped earlier," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at a press conference Friday when asked about future relations with Beijing.
Raab is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering from COVID-19.
US President Donald Trump's administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it does not rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan, China.
Chinese scientists have said the virus, which has killed more than 140,000 people worldwide, was likely transmitted to humans late last year at a Wuhan "wet market" that slaughtered exotic animals -- a longtime focus of concern for public health experts.
But The Washington Post and Fox News both quoted anonymous sources who voiced concern that the virus may have come -- accidentally -- from a sensitive bioresearch centre in the city.
Trump, asked about the laboratory theory at a news conference on Wednesday, said that "more and more, we're hearing the story" and that the United States was "doing a very thorough investigation."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-04-17--IMF's Kristalina Georgieva tells FRANCE 24 some eventual debt forgiveness is not off the table

IMF 's Kristalina Georgieva tells FRANCE 24 some eventual debt forgiveness is not off the table There 's been a @ @ @ @ @ up Africa ’ s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic .
The continent is @ @ @ @ @ economic toll in the fightback .
Lenders have come up with US $ 57 billion @ @ @ @ @ help with the immediate impact of the crisis .
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva @ @ @ @ @ eventual debt forgiveness is not off the table .

IMF's Kristalina Georgieva tells FRANCE 24 some eventual debt forgiveness is not off the table
12:29 IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks to FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith. © FRANCE 24
There's been a massive international effort to shore up Africa's ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The continent is expected to pay a devastating economic toll in the fightback. Lenders have come up with US$57 billion in loans and grants to help with the immediate impact of the crisis. International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva tells Georja Calvin-Smith that some eventual debt forgiveness is not off the table.


france24--2020-04-17--France records 761 more Covid-19 deaths, but number of hospitalisations declines

Doctor Jean-Noël Lépront , wearing a protective suit and face mask , makes a phone call outside an emergency Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ , as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France , March 31 , @ @ @ @ @ more deaths from coronavirus infections on Friday , bringing the total to 18,681 , the @ @ @ @ @ , but the number of people in hospital has declined for a third day running @ @ @ @ @ sign that the lockdown put in place a month ago is working , Jerome Salomon @ @ @ @ @ health authority , said the total of people in intensive care units ( ICU ) @ @ @ @ @ ninth day in a row , at 6,027 , a low point since April 1 @ @ @ @ @ of fatalities from coronavirus is up 4,2 % over 24 hours , with the rate @ @ @ @ @ second day running .

France registered 761 more deaths from coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the total to 18,681, the fourth-highest tally in the world, but the number of people in hospital has declined for a third day running.
Doctor Jean-Noël Lépront, wearing a protective suit and face mask, makes a phone call outside an emergency Covid-19 centre in Champigny-sur-Marne near Paris, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France, March 31, 2020.
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And, in another sign that the lockdown put in place a month ago is working, Jerome Salomon, head of the public health authority, said the total of people in intensive care units (ICU) in France fell for the ninth day in a row, at 6,027, a low point since April 1.
At 18,681 the number of fatalities from coronavirus is up 4,2% over 24 hours, with the rate of increase decelerating for the second day running.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-04-17--On FRANCE 24 and RFI, Senegal's Macky Sall continues to demand cancellation of Africa's debt

On FRANCE 24 and RFI , Senegal 's Macky Sall continues to demand cancellation of Africa 's debt In an @ @ @ @ @ RFI from Dakar , Senegalese President Macky Sall discussed the Covid-19 pandemic , which has @ @ @ @ @ of Africa .
Sall defended the use of the drug chloroquine as a treatment , @ @ @ @ @ in his country .
He also welcomed the moratorium on African debt agreed by the @ @ @ @ @ said it can only be a first step and that more must be done .

On FRANCE 24 and RFI, Senegal's Macky Sall continues to demand cancellation of Africa's debt
17:47 Senegalese President Macky Sall, on April 17, 2020 in Dakar. © FRANCE 24
In an interview with FRANCE 24 and RFI from Dakar, Senegalese President Macky Sall discussed the Covid-19 pandemic, which has reached Senegal and the rest of Africa. Sall defended the use of the drug chloroquine as a treatment, claiming it has proven effective in his country. He also welcomed the moratorium on African debt agreed by the G20 this week, but said it can only be a first step and that more must be done.


france24--2020-04-17--In this Covid-19 era, families live-stream funerals on Facebook

Serge Deruette broadcasts his mother 's funeral on Facebook .
She died as a result of Covid-19 on March 11 , 2020 .
The idea of live-streaming a loved one 's funeral on Facebook or Instagram may seem strange or even shocking , but in these times of lockdown , more and more families are turning to social media to allow people to attend funerals .
For them , it is a way to honour the lives of their loved ones .
When Serge Deruette was preparing the funeral of his mother Mariette , who died on March 11 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did n't want this `` damn virus '' to decide how he should organise her funeral .
`` I wanted to give her the funeral that she deserved , '' the Belgian told FRANCE 24 .
Even before the start of lockdown in Belgium – the Belgian government issued emergency measures to limit the spread of the virus on March 18 – funeral companies had already been forced to introduce new rules to protect staff .
These changed regularly and depended on the region .
While some funeral homes and crematoriums chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit the number of people allowed to attend ceremonies ( between 10 and 20 ) and to prohibit any viewing of the deceased 's body .
In France , a similar measure was introduced by decree on February 18 , but it has since changed .
Belgium ’ s stipulations made things complicated for Deruette .
Between family , friends , colleagues and students , the political science professor from the University of Mons had been expecting around a hundred people to attend his mother ’ s funeral .
Not to mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day to sit at the bedside of his ‘ Mam ’ during his last days was also suspected of having been infected with the virus .
He quickly realised it was impossible for people to gather .
`` What 's the point of everyone gathering together if it spreads the virus ? ''
he admitted .
He compromised by inviting only his closest family members .
He refused , however , to let the virus win a second time against his mother by depriving her completely of her loved ones .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
Four days before the funeral , he decided to film the funeral and post it on Facebook .
`` I spoke with a friend who told me that using a smartphone would be fine , '' he said .
`` But , as I 'm not a computer expert , my friend agreed to come and organise the Facebook live . ''
The ceremony , which took place on March 14 in the crematorium of Uccle , near Brussels , was broadcast on Deruette 's Facebook account and open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mariette 's cousins and her childhood friends , who were unable to make the trip , were able to watch Deruette pay tribute to his mother .
A slide show , featuring songs by Yvette Horner and Jacques Brel , also retraced the life of this woman who had a passion for cats and an accordion .
Approximately 400 people were able to attend the virtual funeral live , which lasted 15 minutes .
`` I received about 500 comments , '' he said .
`` It 's heartwarming . ''
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video .
Deruette did not regret his decision to go public .
He believed this moment of collective contemplation – even if it is in the virtual realm – matters .
On the day of his mother 's funeral , he did admit on Facebook that he was `` sad not to be able to hug everyone ” .
He intends to remedy this as soon as the lockdown ends .
“ I promise , we 'll have a party around August 31 for her birthday .
She would have turned 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all be invited , ” he posted on Facebook .
Deruette is not the only one turning to unconventional methods at this unconventional time .
On the same day as his mother ’ s funeral , March 14 , another coronavirus funeral was going out live on social networks .
This one was from Italy , for the funeral of 17-year-old Priscilla .
The actual ceremony was attended in person by only a few relatives , who wore masks .
But it was watched by more than 9,000 people on the Evangelical church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La Stampa newspaper .
In France , the video of the funeral of Cyril Boulanger , the 38-year-old RATP agent , judo champion and father of two children who died from Covid-19 , was viewed more than 16,000 times .
`` It produced many emotional comments , people wanted to reach out to show solidarity with the family , '' reported local news site Courrier Picard on April 16 .
However , these online funeral ceremonies are not simply a new by-product of the coronavirus lockdown .
`` Many bereaved people already use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bourdeloie , a lecturer in information and communication sciences at the Sorbonne University in Paris Nord , told FRANCE 24 .
Bourdeloie cites students and people living abroad who ca n't make it back to the funeral as examples .
`` In some cases , for want of any better solution , these online funerals can actually help the mourning process , '' she said .
'It 's incredibly brutal to bury your loved ones via Skype' But , in this time of lockdown , more and more families are being forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim undertaker El Imded has seen this practice double since the start of lockdown .
`` We had never experienced this before , '' its manager , Lotfi Benabid , told FRANCE 24 .
“ Today , one out of every two families asks us if they can film the ceremonies on WhatsApp or Viber for relatives stuck abroad in Algeria . ''
El Imded can not afford to offer this service to their clients due to lack of staff , so they let the families do it themselves .
But some other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
According to Happy End , a blog dedicated to sharing information about death and funerals , more than a third of them offer to film or take photos of the ceremony for relatives who do not attend .
`` Forty-two percent of them share it live on Instagram , 30 percent on Facebook and 5 percent via Skype , '' the site reported .
To some , broadcasting this very intimate family moment on social networks may seem intrusive or impersonal .
There can be no handshakes , no hugs or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In France , people are still very attached to traditional funeral rites , ” said Bourdeloie .
`` It 's incredibly brutal to bury your loved ones by Skype or other social platforms without being able to say goodbye to them physically , without the possibility of touching their hand , their forehead , without being able to give them a last kiss . ''
This article has been translated from the original in French .

The idea of live-streaming a loved one's funeral on Facebook or Instagram may seem strange or even shocking, but in these times of lockdown, more and more families are turning to social media to allow people to attend funerals. For them, it is a way to honour the lives of their loved ones.
Serge Deruette broadcasts his mother's funeral on Facebook. She died as a result of Covid-19 on March 11, 2020.
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When Serge Deruette was preparing the funeral of his mother Mariette, who died on March 11 at the age of 89 from Covid-19, he didn't want this "damn virus" to decide how he should organise her funeral. "I wanted to give her the funeral that she deserved," the Belgian told FRANCE 24.
Even before the start of lockdown in Belgium – the Belgian government issued emergency measures to limit the spread of the virus on March 18 – funeral companies had already been forced to introduce new rules to protect staff. These changed regularly and depended on the region.
While some funeral homes and crematoriums chose to close their doors, others decided to limit the number of people allowed to attend ceremonies (between 10 and 20) and to prohibit any viewing of the deceased's body. In France, a similar measure was introduced by decree on February 18, but it has since changed.
Belgium’s stipulations made things complicated for Deruette. Between family, friends, colleagues and students, the political science professor from the University of Mons had been expecting around a hundred people to attend his mother’s funeral. Not to mention the fact that the person who went every day to sit at the bedside of his ‘Mam’ during his last days was also suspected of having been infected with the virus.
He quickly realised it was impossible for people to gather. "What's the point of everyone gathering together if it spreads the virus?" he admitted. He compromised by inviting only his closest family members.
‘Another injustice’
He refused, however, to let the virus win a second time against his mother by depriving her completely of her loved ones. "That would have been another injustice," he said. Four days before the funeral, he decided to film the funeral and post it on Facebook.
"I spoke with a friend who told me that using a smartphone would be fine," he said. "But, as I'm not a computer expert, my friend agreed to come and organise the Facebook live."
The ceremony, which took place on March 14 in the crematorium of Uccle, near Brussels, was broadcast on Deruette's Facebook account and open to the public.
From their screens, Mariette's cousins and her childhood friends, who were unable to make the trip, were able to watch Deruette pay tribute to his mother. A slide show, featuring songs by Yvette Horner and Jacques Brel, also retraced the life of this woman who had a passion for cats and an accordion.
Approximately 400 people were able to attend the virtual funeral live, which lasted 15 minutes. "I received about 500 comments," he said. "It's heartwarming." Two days later, 1,200 people had watched the video.
Voici la vidéo de la cérémonie d’adieu à ma maman en ces temps de lockdown... PROMIS, on lui fera une fête autour du 31 août, son anniversaire où elle aurait eu 90 ans, avec de l'Orval, et tout et tout. 🍻🍾🥂🎉 Vous y serez TOUS conviés !!! Publiée par Serge Deruette sur Jeudi 19 mars 2020
Deruette did not regret his decision to go public. He believed this moment of collective contemplation – even if it is in the virtual realm – matters. On the day of his mother's funeral, he did admit on Facebook that he was "sad not to be able to hug everyone”.
He intends to remedy this as soon as the lockdown ends. “I promise, we'll have a party around August 31 for her birthday. She would have turned 90. And this time, you'll all be invited,” he posted on Facebook.
Facebook funerals existed before lockdown
Deruette is not the only one turning to unconventional methods at this unconventional time. On the same day as his mother’s funeral, March 14, another coronavirus funeral was going out live on social networks.
This one was from Italy, for the funeral of 17-year-old Priscilla. The actual ceremony was attended in person by only a few relatives, who wore masks. But it was watched by more than 9,000 people on the Evangelical church’s Facebook page, according to La Stampa newspaper.
In France, the video of the funeral of Cyril Boulanger, the 38-year-old RATP agent, judo champion and father of two children who died from Covid-19, was viewed more than 16,000 times. "It produced many emotional comments, people wanted to reach out to show solidarity with the family," reported local news site Courrier Picard on April 16.
However, these online funeral ceremonies are not simply a new by-product of the coronavirus lockdown. "Many bereaved people already use them for various reasons," Hélène Bourdeloie, a lecturer in information and communication sciences at the Sorbonne University in Paris Nord, told FRANCE 24.
Bourdeloie cites students and people living abroad who can't make it back to the funeral as examples. "In some cases, for want of any better solution, these online funerals can actually help the mourning process," she said.
'It's incredibly brutal to bury your loved ones via Skype'
But, in this time of lockdown, more and more families are being forced to turn to online funerals. The Nanterre-based Muslim undertaker El Imded has seen this practice double since the start of lockdown.
"We had never experienced this before," its manager, Lotfi Benabid, told FRANCE 24. “Today, one out of every two families asks us if they can film the ceremonies on WhatsApp or Viber for relatives stuck abroad in Algeria."
El Imded cannot afford to offer this service to their clients due to lack of staff, so they let the families do it themselves. But some other funeral companies already include it in their services.
According to Happy End, a blog dedicated to sharing information about death and funerals, more than a third of them offer to film or take photos of the ceremony for relatives who do not attend. "Forty-two percent of them share it live on Instagram, 30 percent on Facebook and 5 percent via Skype," the site reported.
To some, broadcasting this very intimate family moment on social networks may seem intrusive or impersonal. There can be no handshakes, no hugs or kisses that accompany traditional ceremonies.
“In France, people are still very attached to traditional funeral rites,” said Bourdeloie. "It's incredibly brutal to bury your loved ones by Skype or other social platforms without being able to say goodbye to them physically, without the possibility of touching their hand, their forehead, without being able to give them a last kiss."
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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