france24--2020-06-15--US Supreme Court rules Civil Rights Act protects LGBT workers from discrimination

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment , a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court .
The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex , among other reasons , encompasses bias against LGBT workers .
“ An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in the decision , exactly what Title VII forbids , '' Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court .
“ The Court tries to convince readers that it is merely enforcing the terms of the statute , but that is preposterous .
Even as understood today , the concept of discrimination because of ‘ sex ’ is different from discrimination because of ‘ sexual orientation ’ or ‘ gender identity , ’ ” Alito wrote in a dissent that was joined by Thomas .
The outcome is expected to have a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers across the country because most states don ’ t protect them from workplace discrimination .
An estimated 11.3 million LGBT people live in the U.S. , according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA law school .
The cases were the court ’ s first on LGBT rights since Justice Anthony Kennedy ’ s retirement and replacement by Kavanaugh .
Kennedy was a voice for gay rights and the author of the landmark ruling in 2015 that made same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States .
Kavanaugh generally is regarded as more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course from the Obama administration , which supported LGBT workers in their discrimination claims under Title VII .
During the Obama years , the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had changed its longstanding interpretation of civil rights law to include discrimination against LGBT people .
The law prohibits discrimination because of sex , but has no specific protection for sexual orientation or gender identity .
In recent years , some lower courts have held that discrimination against LGBT people is a subset of sex discrimination , and thus prohibited by the federal law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law have so far failed .
The Supreme Court cases involved two gay men and a transgender woman who sued for employment discrimination after they lost their jobs .
The federal appeals court in New York ruled in favor of a gay skydiving instructor who claimed he was fired because of his sexual orientation .
The full 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-3 that it was abandoning its earlier holding that Title VII didn ’ t cover sexual orientation because “ legal doctrine evolves.
” The court held that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least in part , by sex and is thus a subset of sex discrimination.
” That ruling was a victory for the relatives of Donald Zarda , who was fired in 2010 from a skydiving job in Central Islip , New York , that required him to strap himself tightly to clients so they could jump in tandem from an airplane .
He tried to put a woman with whom he was jumping at ease by explaining that he was gay .
The school fired Zarda after the woman ’ s boyfriend called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wingsuit accident in Switzerland in 2014 .
In a case from Georgia , the federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled against Gerald Bostock , a gay employee of Clayton County , in the Atlanta suburbs .
Bostock claimed he was fired in 2013 because he is gay .
The county argues that Bostock was let go because of the results of an audit of funds he managed .
The 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Bostock ’ s claim in a three-page opinion that noted the court was bound by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homosexuality is not prohibited by Title VII.
” Aimee Stephens lost her job as a funeral director in the Detroit area after she revealed to her boss that she had struggled with gender most of her life and had , at long last , “ decided to become the person that my mind already is.
” Stephens told funeral home owner Thomas Rost that following a vacation , she would report to work wearing a conservative skirt suit or dress that Rost required for women who worked at his three funeral homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati , Ohio , ruled that the firing constituted sex discrimination under federal law .

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.
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The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against LGBT workers.
“An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court.
Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas dissented.
“The Court tries to convince readers that it is merely enforcing the terms of the statute, but that is preposterous. Even as understood today, the concept of discrimination because of ‘sex’ is different from discrimination because of ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity,’” Alito wrote in a dissent that was joined by Thomas.
The outcome is expected to have a big impact for the estimated 8.1 million LGBT workers across the country because most states don’t protect them from workplace discrimination. An estimated 11.3 million LGBT people live in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA law school.
The cases were the court’s first on LGBT rights since Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and replacement by Kavanaugh. Kennedy was a voice for gay rights and the author of the landmark ruling in 2015 that made same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States. Kavanaugh generally is regarded as more conservative.
The Trump administration had changed course from the Obama administration, which supported LGBT workers in their discrimination claims under Title VII.
During the Obama years, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had changed its longstanding interpretation of civil rights law to include discrimination against LGBT people. The law prohibits discrimination because of sex, but has no specific protection for sexual orientation or gender identity.
In recent years, some lower courts have held that discrimination against LGBT people is a subset of sex discrimination, and thus prohibited by the federal law.
Efforts by Congress to change the law have so far failed.
The Supreme Court cases involved two gay men and a transgender woman who sued for employment discrimination after they lost their jobs.
The federal appeals court in New York ruled in favor of a gay skydiving instructor who claimed he was fired because of his sexual orientation. The full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-3 that it was abandoning its earlier holding that Title VII didn’t cover sexual orientation because “legal doctrine evolves.” The court held that “sexual orientation discrimination is motivated, at least in part, by sex and is thus a subset of sex discrimination.”
That ruling was a victory for the relatives of Donald Zarda, who was fired in 2010 from a skydiving job in Central Islip, New York, that required him to strap himself tightly to clients so they could jump in tandem from an airplane. He tried to put a woman with whom he was jumping at ease by explaining that he was gay. The school fired Zarda after the woman’s boyfriend called to complain.
Zarda died in a wingsuit accident in Switzerland in 2014.
In a case from Georgia, the federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled against Gerald Bostock, a gay employee of Clayton County, in the Atlanta suburbs. Bostock claimed he was fired in 2013 because he is gay. The county argues that Bostock was let go because of the results of an audit of funds he managed.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Bostock’s claim in a three-page opinion that noted the court was bound by a 1979 decision that held “discharge for homosexuality is not prohibited by Title VII.”
Aimee Stephens lost her job as a funeral director in the Detroit area after she revealed to her boss that she had struggled with gender most of her life and had, at long last, “decided to become the person that my mind already is.” Stephens told funeral home owner Thomas Rost that following a vacation, she would report to work wearing a conservative skirt suit or dress that Rost required for women who worked at his three funeral homes. Rost fired Stephens.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, ruled that the firing constituted sex discrimination under federal law.
Stephens died last month.
(AP)
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france24--2020-06-15--French teachers scramble to adapt after Macron announces surprise restart of classes

The Mayor of Nancy , Laurent Henart , visits the Placieux elementary school in Villers-les-Nancy , two days after France eased lockdown measures on May 11 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic .
French preschools , primary schools and middle schools will reopen next Monday with “ mandatory presence ” for all of the country ’ s pupils , President Emmanuel Macron announced in a shock move on Sunday , meaning the nation ’ s teachers have just one week to prepare their back-to-school programmes .
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening , Macron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school holidays will be postponed until July 4 and that the country ’ s children will be expected to return to their nurseries , primary schools and middle schools for two weeks already on June 22 .
Presence would be “ mandatory ” , he said .
“ Two weeks count , two weeks are not nothing , whether it ’ s out of an educational aspect or a psychological aspect , ” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said following Macron ’ s address .
“ School should never be considered as a day-care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock waves through the teaching community , whose members now have only one week to prepare curriculums and organise their classroom groups .
Since May 11 , when France entered the first phase of its eased lockdown measures , French schoolchildren have been able to return to school on a voluntary basis .
According to the government , only 1.8 million of the country ’ s 6.7 million pre- and primary schoolers have since gone back to class , and just 600,000 of the country ’ s 3.3 million middle schoolers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still remain unanswered : Do we keep with the previous health guidelines or not , do people who are at risk have to come back or not ?
Once again , the abrupt nature of announcements [ like this ] hardly allow for our teaching teams to prepare for the resumption of classes in the best conditions , ” the Sud-Education teachers ’ union said in a statement .
The teacher advocacy group Des Stylos Rouges ( The Red Pens ) , also reacted about the lack of details on how teachers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes .
“ Everyone back to school on June 22 !
For 10 days of classes ?
What about the health guidlines ?
And people who are at risk ?
We have no information .
Not a word about # Profbashing ( teacher bashing ) or # MerciLesProfs ( thank you teachers ) , ” it said on Twitter .
Although the Snes-FSU teachers ’ union struck a lighter tone , saying it welcomed the resumption of classes in order to bring potential dropouts back on track , it said that it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers and schools to fully organise in just one week .
“ It ’ s good news , because we couldn ’ t understand how school had become optional for some , ” its national secretary and spokeswoman Frédérique Rolet told radio station Franceinfo .
“ We have to … catch the dropouts , ” she said .
“ These few days might allow for some teachers to establish what students have , or haven ’ t done , [ in terms of schoolwork ] during the lockdown.
” But , she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We had already drawn up new timetables , and student classroom groups .
And so we have to work together and redo them , ” she said .
“ There are a lot , a lot of questions.
” Since May 11 , French classrooms have been restricted to allow a maximum of 15 pupils at a time , but that is set to change as the government unveils the details of its new health guidelines for schools on Tuesday .
“ The physical distancing will now be less restrictive , ” Blanquer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the required social distancing would be reduced from the previous four square metres to just one square meter , meaning that each classroom will now be able to take in more pupils .
A government decree published on Monday said that : “ In elementary schools and middle schools , the measure of at least one metre of social distancing will only be applied in classrooms and in enclosed spaces , between teachers and students , and between students .
”

French preschools, primary schools and middle schools will reopen next Monday with “mandatory presence” for all of the country’s pupils, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a shock move on Sunday, meaning the nation’s teachers have just one week to prepare their back-to-school programmes.
The Mayor of Nancy, Laurent Henart, visits the Placieux elementary school in Villers-les-Nancy, two days after France eased lockdown measures on May 11 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, Macron announced that this year’s summer school holidays will be postponed until July 4 and that the country’s children will be expected to return to their nurseries, primary schools and middle schools for two weeks already on June 22. Presence would be “mandatory”, he said.
“Two weeks count, two weeks are not nothing, whether it’s out of an educational aspect or a psychological aspect,” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said following Macron’s address. “School should never be considered as a day-care centre of sorts.”
The news sent shock waves through the teaching community, whose members now have only one week to prepare curriculums and organise their classroom groups. Since May 11, when France entered the first phase of its eased lockdown measures, French schoolchildren have been able to return to school on a voluntary basis. According to the government, only 1.8 million of the country’s 6.7 million pre- and primary schoolers have since gone back to class, and just 600,000 of the country’s 3.3 million middle schoolers.
“There are a lot of questions that still remain unanswered: Do we keep with the previous health guidelines or not, do people who are at risk have to come back or not? Once again, the abrupt nature of announcements [like this] hardly allow for our teaching teams to prepare for the resumption of classes in the best conditions,” the Sud-Education teachers’ union said in a statement.
The teacher advocacy group Des Stylos Rouges (The Red Pens), also reacted about the lack of details on how teachers were expected to handle the imminent resumption of classes. “Everyone back to school on June 22! For 10 days of classes? What about the health guidlines? And people who are at risk? We have no information. Not a word about #Profbashing (teacher bashing) or #MerciLesProfs (thank you teachers),” it said on Twitter.
Tous en classe le 22 juin! Pour 10 jours de cours? Quid du fameux protocole? Et des personnes fragiles? Nous n’avons aucune information.
Pas un mot sur le #ProfBashing ni un #MerciLesProfs
Salaires. Moyens. Respect. ✊🖍#StylosRouges #stopmepris #macron20h — Les Stylos Rouges (@stylos_les) June 14, 2020
Although the Snes-FSU teachers’ union struck a lighter tone, saying it welcomed the resumption of classes in order to bring potential dropouts back on track, it said that it would be challenging for the country’s teachers and schools to fully organise in just one week.
“It’s good news, because we couldn’t understand how school had become optional for some,” its national secretary and spokeswoman Frédérique Rolet told radio station Franceinfo. “We have to … catch the dropouts,” she said. “These few days might allow for some teachers to establish what students have, or haven’t done, [in terms of schoolwork] during the lockdown.”
But, she added: “We have to reorganise. We had already drawn up new timetables, and student classroom groups. And so we have to work together and redo them,” she said. “There are a lot, a lot of questions.”
New guidelines
Since May 11, French classrooms have been restricted to allow a maximum of 15 pupils at a time, but that is set to change as the government unveils the details of its new health guidelines for schools on Tuesday.
“The physical distancing will now be less restrictive,” Blanquer told national broadcaster Europe 1, saying that the required social distancing would be reduced from the previous four square metres to just one square meter, meaning that each classroom will now be able to take in more pupils.
A government decree published on Monday said that: “In elementary schools and middle schools, the measure of at least one metre of social distancing will only be applied in classrooms and in enclosed spaces, between teachers and students, and between students.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--'We created a safe space for everyone': Seattle protesters set up their own autonomous zone

This map , made by activists , shows the area that they have occupied .
Groups have been holding concerts in the area .
If you search the hashtag # Chaz , which stands for the `` Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone '' , then you ’ ll come across hundreds of photos and videos from Seattle ’ s Capitol Hill neighbourhood , which has been transformed into a space for protesters .
One of the entrances is marked with a sign that says “ you are now entering Free Cap Hill ” .
Inside , people set up a wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police or during protests against police violence and systemic racism.Protests against police violence have been ongoing in Seattle since May 25 .
On June 7 , after a week of particularly tense protests , police abandoned the East Precinct station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in an attempt to lower the heat .
Since then , protesters have occupied Cal Anderson park as well as two neighbouring streets.Activists immediately started organising events within the zone , including concerts , speeches and screenings of films .
Some people even started setting up tents .

UNITED STATES
Protesters in Seattle created an 'autonomous zone' where they broadcast films, hold discussions on race and hold vigils for black people killed by the police. (Photos from social media)
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After a week of protests and tense encounters with security forces, protesters in Seattle set up an area that they are calling an “autonomous zone” with the blessing of city government. Inside CHAZ, they’ve been handing out food, holding vigils for black people killed by the police and organising discussion groups. They say its main aim is to be a “safe space” for protesters.
If you search the hashtag #Chaz, which stands for the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone", then you’ll come across hundreds of photos and videos from Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood, which has been transformed into a space for protesters. One of the entrances is marked with a sign that says “you are now entering Free Cap Hill”. Inside, people set up a wall paying homage to black people killed by police or during protests against police violence and systemic racism.
If you want to know what the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is like, it’s beautiful. #CHAZ pic.twitter.com/v61ECgi7Yv Sarah Johnson (@sarahjohnson572) June 11, 2020
#CHAZ is busier than its first two days. More tables set up. People painting the streets. pic.twitter.com/ZazJfdMqCM Chase Burns in the CHAZ (@chaseburnsy) June 11, 2020
Protests against police violence have been ongoing in Seattle since May 25. On June 7, after a week of particularly tense protests, police abandoned the East Precinct station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in an attempt to lower the heat. Since then, protesters have occupied Cal Anderson park as well as two neighbouring streets.
This map, made by activists, shows the area that they have occupied.
Activists immediately started organising events within the zone, including concerts, speeches and screenings of films. Some people even started setting up tents.
Without police the protest movement in Seattle has gotten completely out of hand.
Last night people watched an educational MOVIE in the #SeattleAutonomousZone. Utter chaos.
pic.twitter.com/04jZrO9gfv Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) June 10, 2020
Exactly what I’m saying. Was just at CHAZ tonight. It’s going beautifully. pic.twitter.com/wWnFbOy11T Matthew Butler | BLM (@_Matthiato) June 11, 2020
Groups have been holding concerts in the area.
In the CHAZ, people are planting gardens to honor Black and Native lives lost to police violence, holding antiracism discussion groups, brainstorming, playing music and making art. They aren't afraid of dying by police. Tell me this isn't the best of Seattle. pic.twitter.com/ssLKap1KK2 Jacob W. (@jacobw125) June 12, 2020
'CHAZ has been a great place for talking and been a support for the other protests happening in the city'
Matthew Butler is a bartender in Seattle. He’s been out protesting with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement since protests began on May 25. He goes to CHAZ almost every day.
Black Lives Matter protesters have created this space as a “safe space” for protestors. We created a list of demands that were given to the city [Editor’s note: one demand is to change the police station into a community centre] and we expect them to start a conversation and change. We provide everyone with food and water thanks to donations and help from local stores. We have a large agreement on masks and social distancing. Everyone is taking precautions there and no one is unnecessarily exposing themselves. CHAZ has been a great place for talking and to support the other protests happening in the city. The general idea of the place was to provide a space that is safe from the police so that the protesters could get care and a chance to be surrounded by others. I would say that about 60 to 70% of people in CHAZ are black and about 30 to 40% are allies. We make sure that black people in the community take the lead. We are here to support them. We want to force the city to stop and listen to us as well as the other six city council members who have been joining the protestors. CHAZ is not only a statement, it’s also a movement that has perpetuated around the world already so that means we are accomplishing something.
This is a list of local stores that support the Black Lives Matter movement. (Photo: Matthew Butler)
Anyone can grab free food in CHAZ. The poster reads: “Help yourself, this is by you, for you!” (Photo: Matthew Butler)
Free food
The Capitol Hill neighborhood has a rich history as a symbolic place of protest in Seattle. In 1999, huge protests took place in Capitol Hill during a summit of the World Trade Organization. Occupy Seattle (a movement inspired by Occupy Wall Street) took over the area in 2011.
“These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY.” https://t.co/5t31fnPD9Z pic.twitter.com/8KE97bLcgh Chase Burns in the CHAZ (@chaseburnsy) June 11, 2020
"Those ugly Anarchists must be stooped [sic] immediately,” wrote one social media user, alongside of photo of colorful sidewalk painting reading “Welcome to CHAZ.” The tweet is a reference to a tweet by President Donald Trump on June 11. He tweeted the mayor of Seattle and Governor of Washington state, saying: "Ugly anarchists must be stopped immediately!".
"It’s a space that states ‘the people, united, will never be divided’, which is especially important in the USA with so many different races and ethnicities"
"The Luminous Pariah" (who prefers to remain anonymous) works in a Seattle cabaret and is African American. He has been documenting the protests on his Instagram account and goes to CHAZ as often as he can.
It is lovely now that the police aren’t instigating violence. Before, I was helping with medical for people who had been tear-gassed and pepper sprayed. When things are quiet, I’ve been helping to make sure that supplies are distributed. I help hand out masks, food, etc. Folks are organising amongst themselves in small groups. They tell their unique stories, they talk about their experiences with the police and they talk about what needs to change. Some people believe that it’s a literal takeover. That we “won” against the police. Others, like me, think that this space is more symbolic and states “the people, United, will never be divided”, which is especially important in the USA with so many different races and ethnicities.
Jenny Durkan, the Democratic mayor of Seattle, responded to President Trump’s directive to get her city back under control by defending Seattle residents’ right to protest. She also told Trump to “Go back to your bunker.”
Protesters in CHAZ say they will stay until their demands are met. They are calling for a drastic reduction in the police budget and for that money to be reallocated to health and other community services.
It’s relatively common to set up autonomous zones during large protest movements. In 2016, several hundred people gathered in Paris’s Place de la République as part of the Nuit Debout movement, which was protesting against proposed labour reforms.
Article by Marie Genries.


france24--2020-06-15--French court jails six over 'Karachigate' arms deal kickbacks

File photo taken on October 07 , 2019 of a court sketch of the `` Karachigate '' trial in Paris .
A Paris court on Monday found three former government officials and three others guilty on charges involving millions of euros in kickbacks from arms sales to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in 1994 .
The Karachigate scandal has cast a shadow over the administrations of several French presidents , from Jacques Chirac to Nicolas Sarkozy .
The so-called Karachigate scandal ( l'affaire Karachi in French ) has embroiled former prime minister Edouard Balladur , who is facing trial in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used arms sales kickbacks to help fund his failed 1995 presidential bid .
Balladur has claimed that the money , including deposits of some 20 million francs ( €3 million ) , came from the sales of campaign T-shirts and other merchandise as well as gifts from party members .
The conservative Balladur lost his election battle to centre-right rival Jacques Chirac .
Those jailed on Monday include Nicolas Bazire , Balladur 's former campaign manager ; Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres , a former adviser to his defence minister , François Léotard ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to then budget minister Nicolas Sarkozy .
Bazire and Donnedieu de Vabres were ordered to spend three years in prison , with the court saying Bazire `` knew perfectly well '' that 10.25 million francs ( nearly €1.6 million ) from dubious sources had landed in Balladur 's campaign accounts .
Gaubert was handed a two-year sentence as was Dominique Castellan , a former head of the international division of French naval defence contractor DCN ( since renamed Naval Group ) .
A murky arms deal case , Karachigate dates back to negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of French Agosta 90B-class submarines .
A contract was eventually signed in 1994 between the administrations of then Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and French president François Mitterrand .
Former French premier Dominique de Villepin , who was chief of staff at the Élysée presidential palace during Chirac ’ s first term , has told the subsequent investigation that the payments were cancelled over suspicions that there had been illegal kickbacks .
In 2002 a bombing in the Pakistani port city of Karachi killed 15 people , including 11 French engineers .
Initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now suspicions that the car bombing was an act of revenge after Chirac ordered the payments to stop .
The scandal would go on to shadow the presidency of Chirac successor Nicolas Sarkozy .
Investigators have been examining allegations of kickbacks since 2008 .
During his presidency , Sarkozy repeatedly denied reports that he was Balladur ’ s 1995 presidential campaign manager , denouncing the allegations as `` slander and petty political manipulation '' .
But the 2011 arrest of Gaubert and Bazire , two former close aides , generated a steady feed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader .

A Paris court on Monday found three former government officials and three others guilty on charges involving millions of euros in kickbacks from arms sales to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in 1994. The Karachigate scandal has cast a shadow over the administrations of several French presidents, from Jacques Chirac to Nicolas Sarkozy.
File photo taken on October 07, 2019 of a court sketch of the "Karachigate" trial in Paris.
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The so-called Karachigate scandal (l'affaire Karachi in French) has embroiled former prime minister Edouard Balladur, who is facing trial in the coming months over charges that he used arms sales kickbacks to help fund his failed 1995 presidential bid.
Balladur has claimed that the money, including deposits of some 20 million francs (€3 million), came from the sales of campaign T-shirts and other merchandise as well as gifts from party members. The conservative Balladur lost his election battle to centre-right rival Jacques Chirac.
Those jailed on Monday include Nicolas Bazire, Balladur's former campaign manager; Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, a former adviser to his defence minister, François Léotard; and Thierry Gaubert, a former aide to then budget minister Nicolas Sarkozy.
Bazire and Donnedieu de Vabres were ordered to spend three years in prison, with the court saying Bazire "knew perfectly well" that 10.25 million francs (nearly €1.6 million) from dubious sources had landed in Balladur's campaign accounts.
Gaubert was handed a two-year sentence as was Dominique Castellan, a former head of the international division of French naval defence contractor DCN (since renamed Naval Group).
A murky arms deal case, Karachigate dates back to negotiations between Pakistan and France for the sale of French Agosta 90B-class submarines. A contract was eventually signed in 1994 between the administrations of then Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and French president François Mitterrand.
Former French premier Dominique de Villepin, who was chief of staff at the Élysée presidential palace during Chirac’s first term, has told the subsequent investigation that the payments were cancelled over suspicions that there had been illegal kickbacks.
In 2002 a bombing in the Pakistani port city of Karachi killed 15 people, including 11 French engineers. Initially blamed on al Qaeda, there are now suspicions that the car bombing was an act of revenge after Chirac ordered the payments to stop.
The scandal would go on to shadow the presidency of Chirac successor Nicolas Sarkozy. Investigators have been examining allegations of kickbacks since 2008.
During his presidency, Sarkozy repeatedly denied reports that he was Balladur’s 1995 presidential campaign manager, denouncing the allegations as "slander and petty political manipulation". But the 2011 arrest of Gaubert and Bazire, two former close aides, generated a steady feed of negative headlines for the centre-right former leader.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--Dozens of Malian troops killed in jihadist ambush on military convoy

File photo taken Feb. 28 , 2020 of Malian soldiers on patrol on the banks of the River Djenne in central Mali .
A weekend ambush on a military convoy in central Mali left 24 soldiers dead and an unspecified number missing , the army said Monday , blaming the assault on jihadists .
In posts on social media , the army did not enumerate the missing but said eight soldiers escaped the attack on around a dozen vehicles Sunday at Bouka Were , around 100 kilometres ( 60 miles ) from the border with Mauritania .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jihadists who unleashed a revolt in northern Mali in 2012 that has spread to Burkina Faso and Niger despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops .
A senior military official said earlier that some of the vehicles were able to extricate themselves from the ambush , but that of the 64 troops who had been in the convoy , only about 20 were present at a roll call , the source said .
`` A search is under way to determine the fate of soldiers who have been listed missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymity .
Another military officer and an official in the nearby town of Diabaly , who also asked not to be named , confirmed his account .
The Islamist insurgency , mainly led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State group , has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes .
Violence in recent months has engulfed central Mali , an ethnic mosaic where the state exercises little control and jihadist atrocities feed tit-for-tat assaults among rival communities .
The al-Qaeda-linked group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fulani ( Peul ) called Amadou Koufa , is recruiting among the Fulani herding community , which has long been at odds with the Bambara and Dogon farming groups .
These groups , in turn , have created their own `` self-defence '' organisations .
On Saturday , two Egyptian soldiers with the UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA were killed when their convoy came under attack in northwestern Mali , the United Nations said .
The violence has weakened the hand of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita , who is facing a rising clamour of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital Bamako on June 5 on the heels of demonstrations in May over the outcome of parliamentary elections , which the president won , as well as over coronavirus restrictions .
More protests have been scheduled for this Friday .
Keita , who has been in power since 2013 in the former French colony , on Sunday reached out to the coalition behind the protests , saying , `` My door is open and my hand always extended . ''
After jihadist attacks surged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that he was seeking to forge a dialogue with certain rebel leaders .
`` The number of deaths in the Sahel is becoming exponential and it 's time that certain paths be explored , '' he said in an interview with French media .
However , Keita said at the time of his announcement that he had not received a response from jihadist leaders , and indications have yet to emerge that any such dialogue has developed .

A weekend ambush on a military convoy in central Mali left 24 soldiers dead and an unspecified number missing, the army said Monday, blaming the assault on jihadists.
File photo taken Feb. 28, 2020 of Malian soldiers on patrol on the banks of the River Djenne in central Mali.
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In posts on social media, the army did not enumerate the missing but said eight soldiers escaped the attack on around a dozen vehicles Sunday at Bouka Were, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the border with Mauritania.
It was the latest in a string of assaults by jihadists who unleashed a revolt in northern Mali in 2012 that has spread to Burkina Faso and Niger despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops.
A senior military official said earlier that some of the vehicles were able to extricate themselves from the ambush, but that of the 64 troops who had been in the convoy, only about 20 were present at a roll call, the source said.
"A search is under way to determine the fate of soldiers who have been listed missing," he said on condition of anonymity.
Another military officer and an official in the nearby town of Diabaly, who also asked not to be named, confirmed his account.
The Islamist insurgency, mainly led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State group, has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Violence in recent months has engulfed central Mali, an ethnic mosaic where the state exercises little control and jihadist atrocities feed tit-for-tat assaults among rival communities.
The al-Qaeda-linked group Katiba Macina, led by an ethnic Fulani (Peul) called Amadou Koufa, is recruiting among the Fulani herding community, which has long been at odds with the Bambara and Dogon farming groups. These groups, in turn, have created their own "self-defence" organisations.
On Saturday, two Egyptian soldiers with the UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA were killed when their convoy came under attack in northwestern Mali, the United Nations said.
Keita under pressure
The violence has weakened the hand of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is facing a rising clamour of protest and demands for political renewal.
Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital Bamako on June 5 on the heels of demonstrations in May over the outcome of parliamentary elections, which the president won, as well as over coronavirus restrictions.
More protests have been scheduled for this Friday.
Keita, who has been in power since 2013 in the former French colony, on Sunday reached out to the coalition behind the protests, saying, "My door is open and my hand always extended."
After jihadist attacks surged in February, Keita broke with precedent to say that he was seeking to forge a dialogue with certain rebel leaders.
"The number of deaths in the Sahel is becoming exponential and it's time that certain paths be explored," he said in an interview with French media.
However, Keita said at the time of his announcement that he had not received a response from jihadist leaders, and indications have yet to emerge that any such dialogue has developed.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-15--‘Symbolic’ moment: Freedom of movement returns to Europe as borders re-open

Germany and France were among several European countries to re-open their borders Monday as the continent begins lifting travel restrictions triggered by the Covid-19 crisis , giving Europeans the chance to rediscover the freedom of movement they enjoyed before the pandemic .
In Paris , passengers waited early Monday morning to board a train to Dortmund , the first to leave the French capital for Germany in three months .
” We ’ re going with our children to see their grandmother and to spend some family time together for the holidays .
It feels good , finally !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his partner and children ; '' It is symbolic because we have been used not to have any borders between the countries in Europe and it has been changed for a few months so it is such a symbol , ” added fellow passenger Natalia .
The Schengen area of 22 EU countries normally operates without border controls , but for the past three months most have been closed to all but essential traffic , disrupting daily life for many Europeans used to being able to cross borders for work , leisure or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases across the continent falling , however , the EU had urged member states to begin opening borders from this week , though some countries , such as Italy , had already done so , while others , including Spain , have decided to wait longer to welcome back foreign visitors .

Germany and France were among several European countries to re-open their borders Monday as the continent begins lifting travel restrictions triggered by the Covid-19 crisis, giving Europeans the chance to rediscover the freedom of movement they enjoyed before the pandemic.
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In Paris, passengers waited early Monday morning to board a train to Dortmund, the first to leave the French capital for Germany in three months.
”We’re going with our children to see their grandmother and to spend some family time together for the holidays. It feels good, finally!” said Alexis, as he waited with his partner and children;
"It is symbolic because we have been used not to have any borders between the countries in Europe and it has been changed for a few months so it is such a symbol,” added fellow passenger Natalia.
The Schengen area of 22 EU countries normally operates without border controls, but for the past three months most have been closed to all but essential traffic, disrupting daily life for many Europeans used to being able to cross borders for work, leisure or visit friends and family.
With Covid-19 cases across the continent falling, however, the EU had urged member states to begin opening borders from this week, though some countries, such as Italy, had already done so, while others, including Spain, have decided to wait longer to welcome back foreign visitors.
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france24--2020-06-15--Iran warns it may reimpose restrictions as Covid-19 deaths rise again

Iran on June 15 , 2020 warned it may have to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions amid fears of a second outbreak wave .
Iran warned Monday it may have to reimpose tough measures against the novel coronavirus to ensure social distancing , as it reported more than 100 deaths for a second straight day Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 113 new fatalities took to 8,950 the total number of COVID-19 deaths since the country 's outbreak began in February .
She also said another 2,449 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours , taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 189,876 .
Iran 's government shut schools , postponed major public events and barred inter-city travel to stop the virus 's spread in March before gradually easing restrictions from April .
Official figures have shown a rising trajectory in new confirmed cases since early May , when Iran hit a near two-month low in daily recorded infections .
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on Monday bemoaned the lack of social distancing among people at holy sites and on public transport .
`` In the ( Tehran ) subway , although 90 percent of passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being observed , '' he told a news conference .
`` In some provinces , we have reached the peak of the disease , but that does not mean a new peak .
`` The gradient of the death toll is still not sharp '' , with a slight decline in Tehran , but increase in some other provinces , Rabiei said .
`` If we find that the spread of the virus is out of control ... then we will definitely apply strict decisions again . ''
Iran had on Sunday reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time the tally has surpassed 100 since April 13 .
According to Lari , five of Iran 's 31 provinces are currently classified as `` red '' -- the highest level on Iran 's colour-coded risk scale .
There has been scepticism at home and abroad about Iran 's official COVID-19 figures , with concerns the real toll could be much higher .

Iran warned Monday it may have to reimpose tough measures against the novel coronavirus to ensure social distancing, as it reported more than 100 deaths for a second straight day
Iran on June 15, 2020 warned it may have to reimpose Covid-19 restrictions amid fears of a second outbreak wave.
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Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 113 new fatalities took to 8,950 the total number of COVID-19 deaths since the country's outbreak began in February.
She also said another 2,449 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, taking the Islamic republic's overall caseload to 189,876.
Iran's government shut schools, postponed major public events and barred inter-city travel to stop the virus's spread in March before gradually easing restrictions from April.
Official figures have shown a rising trajectory in new confirmed cases since early May, when Iran hit a near two-month low in daily recorded infections.
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on Monday bemoaned the lack of social distancing among people at holy sites and on public transport.
"In the (Tehran) subway, although 90 percent of passengers use masks, social distancing is not being observed," he told a news conference.
"In some provinces, we have reached the peak of the disease, but that does not mean a new peak.
"The gradient of the death toll is still not sharp", with a slight decline in Tehran, but increase in some other provinces, Rabiei said.
"If we find that the spread of the virus is out of control... then we will definitely apply strict decisions again."
Iran had on Sunday reported 107 deaths from the COVID-19 illness -- the first time the tally has surpassed 100 since April 13.
According to Lari, five of Iran's 31 provinces are currently classified as "red" -- the highest level on Iran's colour-coded risk scale.
There has been scepticism at home and abroad about Iran's official COVID-19 figures, with concerns the real toll could be much higher.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-14--France won’t ‘erase’ history by removing colonial-era statues, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron speaking in a live address from the Elysée Palace on Sunday , June 14 , 2020 .
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Sunday to stand firm against racism but also praised police and insisted that France wouldn ’ t take down statues of controversial , colonial-era figures .
It was the first time Macron has spoken on the issues since George Floyd ’ s death in the United States unleashed protests around the world , including several in France , where demonstrators have expressed anger at racial injustice and police brutality , particularly toward minorities from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unusually for a French leader , Macron acknowledged that someone ’ s “ address , name , color of skin ” can reduce their chances at succeeding in French society , and called for a fight to ensure that everyone can “ find their place ” regardless of ethnic origin or religion .
He promised to be “ uncompromising in the face of racism , anti-Semitism and discrimination ” .
However , he insisted that France will not take down statues of controversial , colonial-era figures as has happened in some other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for taking down statues tied to France ’ s slave trade or colonial wrongs , Macron said “ the republic will not erase any trace , or any name , from its history ... it will not take down any statue ” .
“ We should look at all of our history together ” including relations with Africa , with a goal of “ truth ” instead of “ denying who we are ” , Macron said .
Macron also said that the fight against racism became distorted when it became exploited by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is necessary to unite around Republican patriotism .
We are a nation where everyone—whatever their origin and religion—can find their place , ” he said .
> > As George Floyd outrage spreads , France confronts its own demons Like many governments around the world , Macron ’ s is facing growing pressure to confront racism and police violence .
At least 15,000 people demonstrated in Paris on Saturday , the latest in a string of French protests galvanized by George Floyd ’ s death in the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly focused on France ’ s own tensions between police and minorities .
In response , the government banned police chokeholds and vowed to stamp out racism among police — but that has now angered police unions , who say they ’ re being unfairly painted as white supremacists and staged protests of their own .
During his address on Sunday night , Macron did n't address accusations of police violence but he defended France 's under-fire police force , saying they `` deserve public support and the recognition of the nation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , there can not be security or freedom , '' he said .
Police have protested against what they perceive as a lack of backing from the government and in particular Interior Minister Christophe Castaner .
Several hundred police staged a second night of demonstrations in Paris after the president 's address .
`` We are not at all reassured by the speech tonight , on the contrary , '' an officer demonstrating near the Eiffel Tower told AFP on Sunday .
The previous night , several dozen police officers parked their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and flashed their lights .
Gone With the Wind Calls are mounting in France to reassess the country 's colonial legacy , causing division within Macron ’ s own camp .
Over the past two days , the culture minister denounced the decision to cancel a Paris showing of “ Gone With the Wind ” — a film long criticized as romanticizing slavery — as contrary to freedom of expression .
And he firmly condemned activists who tried to take a piece of African art from a Paris museum dedicated to artwork from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ndiaye — a close Macron ally and the most prominent black figure in current French politics — wrote an unusually personal essay Saturday in Le Monde calling for France to rethink its colour-blind doctrine , which aims at encouraging equality by ignoring race altogether .
“ We must not hesitate to name things , to say that a skin color is not neutral , ” she wrote .
She called on the French to “ confront our memories ” about their history and find a “ shared narrative ” with former colonies .

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Sunday to stand firm against racism but also praised police and insisted that France wouldn’t take down statues of controversial, colonial-era figures.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaking in a live address from the Elysée Palace on Sunday, June 14, 2020.
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It was the first time Macron has spoken on the issues since George Floyd’s death in the United States unleashed protests around the world, including several in France, where demonstrators have expressed anger at racial injustice and police brutality, particularly toward minorities from France’s former colonies in Africa.
Unusually for a French leader, Macron acknowledged that someone’s “address, name, color of skin” can reduce their chances at succeeding in French society, and called for a fight to ensure that everyone can “find their place” regardless of ethnic origin or religion. He promised to be “uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination”.
However, he insisted that France will not take down statues of controversial, colonial-era figures as has happened in some other countries in recent weeks.
Amid calls for taking down statues tied to France’s slave trade or colonial wrongs, Macron said “the republic will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history ... it will not take down any statue”.
“We should look at all of our history together” including relations with Africa, with a goal of “truth” instead of “denying who we are”, Macron said.
Macron also said that the fight against racism became distorted when it became exploited by what he described as “separatists”.
“It is necessary to unite around Republican patriotism. We are a nation where everyone—whatever their origin and religion—can find their place,” he said.
>> As George Floyd outrage spreads, France confronts its own demons
Like many governments around the world, Macron’s is facing growing pressure to confront racism and police violence.
At least 15,000 people demonstrated in Paris on Saturday, the latest in a string of French protests galvanized by George Floyd’s death in the United States and the Black Lives Matter movement, but increasingly focused on France’s own tensions between police and minorities.
In response, the government banned police chokeholds and vowed to stamp out racism among police — but that has now angered police unions, who say they’re being unfairly painted as white supremacists and staged protests of their own.
During his address on Sunday night, Macron didn't address accusations of police violence but he defended France's under-fire police force, saying they "deserve public support and the recognition of the nation for their work".
"Without Republican order, there cannot be security or freedom," he said.
Police have protested against what they perceive as a lack of backing from the government and in particular Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
Several hundred police staged a second night of demonstrations in Paris after the president's address.
"We are not at all reassured by the speech tonight, on the contrary," an officer demonstrating near the Eiffel Tower told AFP on Sunday.
The previous night, several dozen police officers parked their police cars by the Arc de Triomphe and flashed their lights.
Gone With the Wind
Calls are mounting in France to reassess the country's colonial legacy, causing division within Macron’s own camp.
Over the past two days, the culture minister denounced the decision to cancel a Paris showing of “Gone With the Wind” — a film long criticized as romanticizing slavery — as contrary to freedom of expression. And he firmly condemned activists who tried to take a piece of African art from a Paris museum dedicated to artwork from former colonies.
But government minister Sibeth Ndiaye — a close Macron ally and the most prominent black figure in current French politics — wrote an unusually personal essay Saturday in Le Monde calling for France to rethink its colour-blind doctrine, which aims at encouraging equality by ignoring race altogether.
“We must not hesitate to name things, to say that a skin color is not neutral,” she wrote. She called on the French to “confront our memories” about their history and find a “shared narrative” with former colonies.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Enough applause: French health workers rally anew for post-coronavirus reforms

After logging three months through a public health crisis , doctors , nurses , and healthcare aides will hit the streets again across France on Tuesday to make sure the government 's recent pledges for hospitals stay close to mind .
Health workers are poised once again to put pressure on the French government as it conducts sweeping consultations , dubbed the `` Ségur de la santé '' , meant to set the stage for systemic healthcare reform .
In Paris , Metz , Montpellier and beyond , more than 220 rallies are slated to go ahead Tuesday during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several healthcare worker collectives and unions .
The objective is to parlay the public support on show during the worst of the novel coronavirus outbreak into tangible advances for hospital and nursing home employees , the cohort lauded as `` heroes in white coats '' by French President Emmanuel Macron at the start of the pandemic .
`` The government 's soothing speeches , chocolate medals and promises of random and hypothetical bonuses will not suffice .
What is needed going forward are real human and budgetary resources for public health , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Paris , a demonstration is scheduled for 1pm on Tuesday afternoon in front of the health ministry and is set to bring together multiple union leaders , including the CGT 's Philippe Martinez and Yves Veyrier of Force Ouvrière .
A march towards the lower-house National Assembly and the Invalides Monument will follow that rally .
> > The Debate : Doctor , is it serious ?
French healthcare pushed to the brink by Covid-19 Elsewhere , most protests will take place in front of hospitals and healthcare centres , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice for strike action .
Home care workers and retiree associations have also said they would join the protests .
Healthcare workers , who have been on the frontline of France 's so-called war on Covid-19 , are demanding a hiring scheme and a general salary review on the order of €300 to €400 , according to unions .
They are calling for `` halting all facility , department and bed closures '' .
`` After 14 months of mobilisation and a healthcare crisis , going back to 'abnormal ' is unthinkable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no longer the time to applaud healthcare workers , but to support our demands , '' insists the Inter-Hospital Collective spearheading the year-old movement for better pay and working conditions .
Tuesday 's day of protest is the climax of a series of demonstrations in favour of hospitals in recent weeks , including the so-called `` Tuesdays of anger '' .
The protests coincide with the `` Ségur de la santé '' healthcare consultations that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe launched on May 25 .
Those healthcare reform talks are supposed to result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But no figures , including specifics on any salary increases , have been laid on the table so far .
The process has been frustrating for unions , they say .
`` Union organisations can not work amid constant improvisation and without allocated means , '' lamented a number of medical groups , including the France 's Federation of Doctors ( FMF ) , decrying a `` sham '' .
`` The methodology of the Ségur de la santé poses problems , '' said the Inter-Hospital Collective , expressing regret over a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insists that , `` Concrete answers need to be brought now . ''
One union , Sud Santé , has already walked out on the discussions , denouncing a `` vast public relations operation '' .
Others have not followed suit for the moment , but some organisations have floated the threat of doing so .
`` We 're working , we 're moving forward , '' Health Minister Olivier Véran told the LCI news channel on Monday , saying `` more than 100 talks have taken place nationally '' since the consultations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government issued decrees enacting the exceptional bonuses it had promised of €1,000 to €1,500 for nursing home employees and a 50 percent increase in pay for hospital overtime hours , slated to be paid out before September .
As for the salary increases pledged within the framework of the Ségur talks , the time will come soon , the health minister said .
`` Between now and early July , healthcare workers will have all of the answers to the questions they are asking and the demands they are legitimately making , '' @ @ @ @

After more than three months of a public health crisis, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses and healthcare aides hit the streets across France again on Tuesday to demand the government keep its promises for overhauling the hospital system in response to the coronavirus crisis.
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Although French hospitals are considered to be among the world’s best, they struggled to handle a rush of Covid-19 patients after years of cost cuts. France has reported nearly 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths, the fifth-highest pandemic death toll worldwide, and the country's hospitals have treated more than 100,000 people with the virus.
As the Paris crowd reached the gold-domed Invalides monument, a few protesters threw paving stones. Police responded by firing tear gas and more than a dozen people were arrested.
Une personne à terre, en pls sur la pelouse de l’esplanade des Invalides alors que des fumées noires s’élèvent #manif16Juin #BlousesBlanches #paris pic.twitter.com/17FKb7I1eB — Assiya Hamza (@Missiya) June 16, 2020
The hospital labour unions that led the protest later denounced the aggressive behaviour.
According to police, some 18,000 people demonstrated in Paris, many wearing white medical coats. Some 7,500 rallied in Toulouse and at least 4,000 demonstrated in Bordeaux. Peaceful protests were held in Marseille and other cities around France.
Even before the coronavirus crisis, the protest organisers criticised the government’s “austerity” policies that they say reduced medical resources to the bare bones. They are calling for increased wages and a freeze on hospital closures and service reductions.
During the height of the crisis in France, people took to their windows every night at 8pm to applaud healthcare workers for several minutes. But some have said that while such appreciation is nice, substantive change is needed.
Their objective now is to parlay the public support on show during the novel coronavirus outbreak into tangible advances for hospital and nursing home employees – those lauded as "heroes in white coats" by President Emmanuel Macron at the start of the pandemic.
Healthcare workers are demanding a hiring scheme and a general salary review on the order of €300 to €400, according to unions. They are calling for "halting all facility, department and bed closures".
"After 14 months of mobilisation and a healthcare crisis, going back to 'abnormal' is unthinkable. For the system's users, it is no longer the time to applaud healthcare workers, but to support our demands," insists the Inter-Hospital Collective spearheading the year-old movement for better pay and working conditions.
"The government's soothing speeches, chocolate medals and promises of random and hypothetical bonuses will not suffice. What is needed going forward are real human and budgetary resources for public health," the CGT union said in a communiqué.
>> The Debate: Doctor, is it serious? French healthcare pushed to the brink by Covid-19
02:20
'Concrete answers now'
Tuesday's protest is the climax of a series of demonstrations in favour of hospitals in recent weeks, including rallies known as the "Tuesdays of anger". The protests coincide with the "Ségur de la santé" (health safety) consultations that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe launched on May 25.
Those reform talks are supposed to result in concrete proposals by early July. But no figures, including specifics on any salary increases, have been laid on the table so far.
The process has been frustrating for unions, they say. "Union organisations cannot work amid constant improvisation and without allocated means," lamented a number of medical groups, including France's Federation of Doctors, decrying a "sham".
"The methodology of the Ségur de la santé poses problems," said the Inter-Hospital Collective, expressing regret over a "lack of transparency". The collective insists that "concrete answers need to be brought now".
"We're working, we're moving forward," Health Minister Olivier Véran told the LCI news channel on Monday, noting that "more than 100 talks have taken place nationally" since the consultations began.
Over the weekend, the government issued decrees enacting the exceptional bonuses it had promised of €1,000 to €1,500 for nursing home employees and a 50 percent increase in pay for hospital overtime hours, slated to be paid out before September.
As for the salary increases pledged within the framework of the Ségur talks, Véran said their time will come. "Between now and early July, healthcare workers will have all of the answers to the questions they are asking and the demands they are legitimately making," Véran said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Troops killed in violent clash on India-China border

Tensions have been rising on the border between India and China in recent weeks .
Three Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off on the Chinese border , the Indian army said Tuesday , following weeks of rising tensions and the deployment of thousands of extra troops from both sides .
Brawls erupt regularly between the two nuclear-armed giants across their disputed 3,500-kilometre ( 2,200-mile ) frontier , but no one has been killed in decades .
But the Indian army said there were `` casualties on both sides '' in Monday 's incident on the Himalayan frontier between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ladakh , although Beijing made no mention of any -- while laying the blame squarely on Delhi .
`` A violent face-off took place yesterday ( Monday ) night with casualties on both sides .
The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers , '' an Indian army spokesman said in a statement .
`` Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation . ''
An Indian army officer in the region told AFP that there had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precipitous , rocky terrain in the strategically important Galwan Valley .
`` It was violent hand-to-hand scuffles , '' the officer said on condition of anonymity .
Beijing on Tuesday confirmed a clash took place , but made no mention of casualties .
It accused Indian soldiers of crossing into Chinese territory and `` attacking Chinese personnel '' .
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Indian troops `` crossed the border line twice ... provoking and attacking Chinese personnel , resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India follows the relevant attitude and restrains its frontline troops , '' he said .
On May 9 , several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in a clash involving fists and stone-throwing at Naku La in India 's Sikkim state , which borders Bhutan , Nepal and China .
But the Chinese foreign ministry said only last week that a `` positive consensus '' had been reached following `` effective communication '' through diplomatic and military channels .
In a later statement , India 's foreign ministry said the two sides would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve the situation and to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas . ''
However , Indian sources and news reports suggested that Chinese troops remained in parts of the Galwan Valley and of the northern shore of the Pangong Tso lake that it occupied in recent weeks .
India and China have never even agreed on how long their `` Line of Actual Control '' frontier is , and each side uses different frontier proposals made by Britain to China in the 19th century to back their claims .
India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,175 miles ) .
China does not give a number , but state media says the border should be just 2,000 km ( 1,250 miles ) when China 's claims in Jammu , Kashmir , Ladakh and other regions are taken into account .
Relations between China and India have long been prickly .
They fought a brief war in 1962 in which China took territory from India .
Further deadly clashes followed in 1967 , but the last shot fired in anger was in 1975 .
In 2017 there was a 72-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputed Doklam plateau on the China-India-Bhutan border .
After that India 's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to ease tensions at summits .
Alice Wells , the top US State Department official for South Asia , said last month that China was seeking to upset the regional balance and had to be `` resisted '' .
US President Donald Trump also offered to mediate , but both countries sidestepped the offer .

The Indian Army late Tuesday night raised the death toll in a clash with Chinese troops on a disputed Himalayan border from three to 20 Indian soldiers.
Tensions have been rising on the border between India and China in recent weeks.
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The army also said in a statement that the two sides “have disengaged” from the disputed Galwan area where they clashed overnight on Monday.
The Indian army originally reported that three Indian soldiers had died, but later said 17 additional soldiers succumbed to injuries they suffered in the sub-zero temperatures of the high-altitude terrain.
China has accused Indian forces of carrying out “provocative attacks” on its troops and has not said if any of its soldiers have died.
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have been facing off for over a month.
The clash – during which neither side fired any shots, according to Indian officials – is the first deadly confrontation between the two nuclear-powered Asian giants since 1975.
Prickly relations
India and China have never even agreed on how long their "Line of Actual Control" frontier is, and each side uses different frontier proposals made by Britain to China in the 19th century to back their claims.
India gives a figure of 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles). China does not give a number, but state media says the border should be just 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) when China's claims in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and other regions are taken into account.
Relations between China and India have long been prickly.
They fought a brief war in 1962 in which China took territory from India. Further deadly clashes followed in 1967, but the last shot fired in anger was in 1975.
In 2017 there was a 72-day showdown after Chinese forces moved into the disputed Doklam plateau on the China-India-Bhutan border.
After that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to ease tensions.
Alice Wells, the top US State Department official for South Asia, said last month that China was seeking to upset the regional balance and had to be "resisted".
US President Donald Trump also offered to mediate but both countries declined the offer.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
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france24--2020-06-16--North Korea blows up inter-Korean liaison office, South Korea says

This picture taken on February 16 , 2019 shows North Korea 's Kaesong joint industrial complex area as seen from a South Korean observatory post in the southern boundary of the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas in Paju .
North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border on Tuesday , the South 's Unification ministry said , after days of increasingly virulent rhetoric from Pyongyang .
`` North Korea blows up Kaesong Liaison Office at 14:49 , '' the ministry , which handles inter-Korean relations , said in a one-line alert sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an explosion was heard and smoke seen rising from the long-shuttered joint industrial zone in Kaesong where the liaison office was located , Yonhap news agency reported , citing unspecified sources .
Its destruction came after Kim Yo Jong , the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , said at the weekend : `` Before long , a tragic scene of the useless north-south joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen . ''
Since early June , North Korea has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border -- something defectors do on a regular basis .
Last week it announced it was severing all official communication links with South Korea .
The leaflets -- usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles -- criticise North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses and his nuclear ambitions .
Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking to manufacture a crisis to increase pressure on Seoul while nuclear negotiations with Washington are at a standstill .
Earlier Tuesday , North Korea 's army said it was `` fully ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including re-entering areas that had been demilitarised under an inter-Korean agreement .
`` North Korea is frustrated that the South has failed to offer an alternative plan to revive the US-North talks , let alone create a right atmosphere for the revival , '' said Cheong Seong-chang , a director of the Sejong Institute 's Center for North Korean Studies .
`` It has concluded the South has failed as a mediator in the process . ''

North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border on Tuesday, after days of increasingly virulent rhetoric from Pyongyang.
This picture taken on February 16, 2019 shows North Korea's Kaesong joint industrial complex area as seen from a South Korean observatory post in the southern boundary of the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas in Paju.
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The demolition came after Kim Yo Jong—the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—said at the weekend the ”useless north-south joint liaison office” would soon be seen ”completely collapsed”.
Footage of the explosion released by Seoul’s presidential Blue House showed a blast rolling across several buildings just across the border in Kaesong, with a nearby tower partially collapsing as clouds of smoke rose into the sky.
Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking to manufacture a crisis to increase pressure on Seoul while nuclear negotiations with Washington are at a standstill.
After an emergency meeting, the National Security Council said it would ”react strongly” if Pyongyang ”continues to take steps that aggravate the situation”.
”All responsibility for repercussions stemming from this action falls squarely on the North,” it added.
The liaison office—in a dormant industrial zone where Southern companies once employed Northern workers—was opened in September 2018, days before the South’s President Moon Jae-in flew to Pyongyang for his third summit with Kim.
Around 20 officials from each side were stationed at the office during subsequent months.
But inter-Korean relations soured following the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in February last year over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.
Operations at the office were suspended in January because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is how South Korea knew #NorthKorea was destroying the liaison office. The taller building, a residential complex for Seoul officials and businesspeople, didn’t go down completely. #연락사무소 pic.twitter.com/W4z8Smnf1L — Hyonhee Shin (@HeeShin) June 16, 2020
And since early June, North Korea has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of the South over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border—something defectors do on a regular basis.
Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday the liaison office’s destruction was in line with ”the mindset of the enraged people to surely force human scum and those who have sheltered the scum to pay dearly for their crimes”.
Last week Pyongyang announced it was severing all official communication links with Seoul.
”North Korea has started a provocation cycle with stages of escalation,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, calling the destruction of the office ”a symbolic blow to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation”.
”The Kim regime is also signalling the United States won’t have the luxury of keeping North Korea on the back-burner for the remainder of the year,” he added.
Relations soured
Since Pyongyang condemned the leaflet launches—usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles—the Unification ministry has filed a police complaint against two defector groups and warned of a ”thorough crackdown” against activists.
On Monday, the left-leaning Moon urged the North not to ”close the window of dialogue”.
The two Koreas remain technically at war after Korean War hostilities ended with an armistice in 1953 that was never replaced with a peace treaty.
Last week the North criticised Trump in a stinging denunciation of the US on the second anniversary of the Singapore summit, with its foreign minister Ri Son Gwon accusing Washington of seeking regime change.
US diplomats insist that they believe Kim promised in Singapore to give up his nuclear arsenal, something Pyongyang has taken no steps to do.
The North is under multiple international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes.
It believes it deserves to be rewarded for its moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and the disabling of its atomic test site, along with the return of jailed US citizens and remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War.
”Nothing is more hypocritical than an empty promise,” Ri said in his statement, carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Sejong Institute’s Center for North Korean Studies, said: ”North Korea is frustrated that the South has failed to offer an alternative plan to revive the US-North talks, let alone create a right atmosphere for the revival.
”It has concluded the South has failed as a mediator in the process.”
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Beijing reports more new Covid-19 cases as WHO warns of cause for 'concern'

Security guards wearing face masks stand outside the Jingshen seafood market which has been closed for business after new coronavirus infections were detected , in Beijing , China June 12 , 2020 .
China on Tuesday reported another 27 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in Beijing , where a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market has sparked WHO concerns and prompted a huge trace and test programme .
The new cases bring the number of infections confirmed in the capital over the last five days to 106 , as city officials locked down more than 20 communities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
All indoor sports and entertainment venues in the city were shut down on Monday , and some other cities across China warned they would quarantine those arriving from Beijing .
The National Health Commission also reported four new domestic infections in Hebei province , which surrounds Beijing , plus another in southwestern Sichuan province .
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) said the new cluster was a cause for concern , given Beijing 's size and connectivity .
`` A cluster like this is a concern and it needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is exactly what the Chinese authorities are doing , '' WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said .
Chinese officials said had said Sunday that all cases of infection so far had been linked to the Xinfadi market , which 200,000 people had visited since May 30 .
More than 8,000 workers from the market have been tested and sent to centralised quarantine facilities .
Until this recent outbreak , most of the cases in recent months in China have been imported cases brought into the country by Chinese nationals returning home as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , there were another eight imported cases reported .

Beijing urged residents on Tuesday to avoid "non-essential" travel and closed down schools following a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital believed to have started in the Xinfadi food market.
Security guards wearing face masks stand outside the Jingshen seafood market which has been closed for business after new coronavirus infections were detected, in Beijing, China June 12, 2020.
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China on Tuesday reported another 27 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in Beijing, where a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market has sparked WHO concerns and prompted a huge trace and test programme.
The new cases bring the number of infections confirmed in the capital over the last five days to 106, as city officials locked down more than 20 communities in the city and tested tens of thousands of people.
All indoor sports and entertainment venues in the city were shut down on Monday, and some other cities across China warned they would quarantine those arriving from Beijing.
The National Health Commission also reported four new domestic infections in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, plus another in southwestern Sichuan province.
01:09
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the new cluster was a cause for concern, given Beijing's size and connectivity.
"A cluster like this is a concern and it needs to be investigated and controlled -- and that is exactly what the Chinese authorities are doing," WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said.
Chinese officials said had said Sunday that all cases of infection so far had been linked to the Xinfadi market, which 200,000 people had visited since May 30.
More than 8,000 workers from the market have been tested and sent to centralised quarantine facilities.
Until this recent outbreak, most of the cases in recent months in China have been imported cases brought into the country by Chinese nationals returning home as the pandemic spread to other countries.
On Tuesday, there were another eight imported cases reported.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Diasporas in the coronavirus era, Part 2: Senegalese fashion designer Adama Paris

This week , FRANCE 24 looks at how those who have come to live here from elsewhere have coped during France 's stringent coronavirus lockdown .
In the second episode of this five-part daily series , meet the Senegalese fashion designer in Paris who kept a runway running despite it all .
With borders now reopening , expatriates in the country will have the potential to gradually travel and see loved ones abroad once again .
But what has it been like being separated amid the global pandemic .
FRANCE 24 sat down with Adama Paris , an African fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showroom boutique in the east of the French capital .
The dynamic businesswoman had to use her imagination to work around the constraints Covid-19 created .
`` It boosted my creativity , '' she says , having hatched the concept of lockdown runway shows .
And yet while she is organising an online version of Dakar fashion week this year , Paris concedes that nothing replaces face-to-face contact .
To watch the report from FRANCE 24 's Karim Yahiaoui , Natalia Ruiz Giraldo and Catherine Norris-Trent , click on the video player above @

Part 2 of 5
This week, FRANCE 24 looks at how those who have come to live here from elsewhere have coped during France's stringent coronavirus lockdown. In the second episode of this five-part daily series, meet the Senegalese fashion designer in Paris who kept a runway running despite it all.
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With borders now reopening, expatriates in the country will have the potential to gradually travel and see loved ones abroad once again. But what has it been like being separated amid the global pandemic.
FRANCE 24 sat down with Adama Paris, an African fashion icon originally from Senegal, in her showroom boutique in the east of the French capital. The dynamic businesswoman had to use her imagination to work around the constraints Covid-19 created. "It boosted my creativity," she says, having hatched the concept of lockdown runway shows. And yet while she is organising an online version of Dakar fashion week this year, Paris concedes that nothing replaces face-to-face contact.
To watch the report from FRANCE 24's Karim Yahiaoui, Natalia Ruiz Giraldo and Catherine Norris-Trent, click on the video player above.
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france24--2020-06-16--North Korea threatens to send soldiers into demilitarised zone

North Korea 's army is ready to take action if defector groups push ahead with their campaign to send propaganda leaflets into North Korea , state media said on Tuesday , in the latest warning of retaliatory measures .
The General Staff of the Korean People 's Army ( KPA ) said it has been studying an `` action plan '' to reenter zones that had been demilitarised under a 2018 inter-Korean pact and `` turn the front line into a fortress . ''
`` Our army will rapidly and thoroughly implement any decisions and orders of the Party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency .
Tensions have risen as Pyongyang threatened to sever inter-Korean ties and take retaliatory measures over the leaflets , which carry messages critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un including human rights abuses .
Seoul 's defence ministry called for Pyongyang to abide by the 2018 agreement , in which both sides ' militaries vowed to cease `` all hostile acts '' and dismantled a number of structures along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone between the two countries .
`` We 're taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Choi Hyun-soo told a briefing .
`` Our military is maintaining readiness posture to be able to respond to any situation . ''
Several defector-led groups have regularly sent back flyers , together with food , $ 1 bills , mini radios and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news , usually by balloon over the border or in bottles by river .
On Saturday , Kim Yo Jong , the sister of Kim who serves as a senior official of the ruling Workers ' Party , said she ordered the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
South Korea plans legal action against two of the defector groups , saying their actions fuel cross-border tensions , pose risks to residents living near the border and cause environmental damage .
But the groups say they intend to push ahead with their planned campaign this week .
South Korea 's President Moon Jae-in urged Pyongyang on Monday to keep peace agreements reached by the two leaders and return to dialogue .

North Korea's army is ready to take action if defector groups push ahead with their campaign to send propaganda leaflets into North Korea, state media said on Tuesday, in the latest warning of retaliatory measures.
North Korea on June 16, 2020, threatened to send soldiers into the demilitarised zone
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The General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) said it has been studying an "action plan" to reenter zones that had been demilitarised under a 2018 inter-Korean pact and "turn the front line into a fortress."
"Our army will rapidly and thoroughly implement any decisions and orders of the Party and government," the KPA said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Tensions have risen as Pyongyang threatened to sever inter-Korean ties and take retaliatory measures over the leaflets, which carry messages critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un including human rights abuses.
Seoul's defence ministry called for Pyongyang to abide by the 2018 agreement, in which both sides' militaries vowed to cease "all hostile acts" and dismantled a number of structures along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone between the two countries.
"We're taking the situation seriously," ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo told a briefing. "Our military is maintaining readiness posture to be able to respond to any situation."
Several defector-led groups have regularly sent back flyers, together with food, $1 bills, mini radios and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news, usually by balloon over the border or in bottles by river.
On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim who serves as a senior official of the ruling Workers' Party, said she ordered the military to prepare for unspecified "next action".
South Korea plans legal action against two of the defector groups, saying their actions fuel cross-border tensions, pose risks to residents living near the border and cause environmental damage.
But the groups say they intend to push ahead with their planned campaign this week.
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in urged Pyongyang on Monday to keep peace agreements reached by the two leaders and return to dialogue.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-06-16--French city of Dijon rocked by unrest blamed on Chechens seeking revenge

A picture shows gendarmes can on a road near a burnt car in the Gresilles area of Dijon , eastern France , on June 15 , 2020 .
New tensions on Monday flared in France 's eastern city of Dijon after it was rocked by a weekend of unrest blamed on Chechens seeking vengeance for an assault on a teenager .
Police sources said the unrest was sparked by an attack on a 16-year-old member of the Chechen community on June 10 .
Members of the Chechen diaspora then set out on so-called punishment raids seeking to avenge the assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nights of violence , early Monday evening some 150 people , some hooded and armed , again assembled in Dijon , setting rubbish bins and a car on fire .
Some also shot into the air , according to police sources .
`` What happened is unprecedented and unacceptable , '' the city 's mayor , Francois Rebsamen , told AFP .
Attacks had already taken place on three successive nights starting Friday , with many people wielding baseball bats .
The local prefect Bernard Schmeltz -- the top state official in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violence `` appeared to be part of a settling of scores between members of the Chechen community in France and residents '' of Dijon .
Police said that in one incident some 50 Chechens entered the restive district of Gresilles overnight Saturday , and a man who owns a pizzeria was badly wounded by apparent gunfire .
Even more people , around 200 , also entered Gresilles late on Sunday with violent intent .
In an interview with local daily Le Bien Public , a man claiming to be a Chechen said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by local drug dealers on the 16-year-old .
`` There were about a hundred of us from all over France but also from Belgium and Germany .
We never intended to ransack the city or take it out on the people , '' said the man , who was not identified by name .
Dijon prosecutor Eric Mathais said a total of six people had been injured in the three incidents on the successive nights , but no one has yet been arrested .
A probe has been opened into attempted murder by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rebsamen said the police reinforcements were arriving after he spoke by telephone with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner .
Thirty-seven anti-riot police members came on Sunday , while 110 additional gendarmes will be deployed from Monday , he said .
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim Russian republic in the North Caucasus .
Two wars in the 1990s triggered a wave of emigration , with many Chechens heading for western Europe .

New tensions on Monday flared in France's eastern city of Dijon after it was rocked by a weekend of unrest blamed on Chechens seeking vengeance for an assault on a teenager.
A picture shows gendarmes can on a road near a burnt car in the Gresilles area of Dijon, eastern France, on June 15, 2020.
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Police sources said the unrest was sparked by an attack on a 16-year-old member of the Chechen community on June 10.
Members of the Chechen diaspora then set out on so-called punishment raids seeking to avenge the assault, they said.
After three successive nights of violence, early Monday evening some 150 people, some hooded and armed, again assembled in Dijon, setting rubbish bins and a car on fire.
Some also shot into the air, according to police sources.
"What happened is unprecedented and unacceptable," the city's mayor, Francois Rebsamen, told AFP.
Attacks had already taken place on three successive nights starting Friday, with many people wielding baseball bats.
The local prefect Bernard Schmeltz -- the top state official in the region -- said in a statement that the violence "appeared to be part of a settling of scores between members of the Chechen community in France and residents" of Dijon.
Police said that in one incident some 50 Chechens entered the restive district of Gresilles overnight Saturday, and a man who owns a pizzeria was badly wounded by apparent gunfire.
Even more people, around 200, also entered Gresilles late on Sunday with violent intent.
In an interview with local daily Le Bien Public, a man claiming to be a Chechen said the raids aimed to avenge an assault by local drug dealers on the 16-year-old.
"There were about a hundred of us from all over France but also from Belgium and Germany. We never intended to ransack the city or take it out on the people," said the man, who was not identified by name.
Dijon prosecutor Eric Mathais said a total of six people had been injured in the three incidents on the successive nights, but no one has yet been arrested.
A probe has been opened into attempted murder by a criminal gang, he added.
Rebsamen said the police reinforcements were arriving after he spoke by telephone with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
Thirty-seven anti-riot police members came on Sunday, while 110 additional gendarmes will be deployed from Monday, he said.
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim Russian republic in the North Caucasus. Two wars in the 1990s triggered a wave of emigration, with many Chechens heading for western Europe.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-06-16--Saudi-led Yemen coalition pulled from UN blacklist of groups killing children

Children in a displaced persons camp in Yemen 's western province of Hodeida on May 6 2020 : UN chief Antonio Guterres is warning that hundreds of millions of people face extreme hunger in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic Campaigners reacted angrily on Monday to removal of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen from a list of groups violating children 's rights , in a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres .
`` The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen will be delisted for the violation of killing and maiming , following a sustained significant decrease ... due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's newly-published annual report on children in conflict zones .
It said the toll had fallen since an agreement signed in March 2019 .
The coalition intervened in 2015 in Yemen to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels .
It has been widely blamed for civilian casualties in bombing raids that campaigners say have pushed the country deeper into crisis .
Human Rights Watch denounced Guterres for dropping the coalition from the `` list of shame , '' saying he was `` ignoring the UN 's own evidence of continued grave violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Children and Armed Conflict said that `` by absolving the Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition of any responsibility for killing and maiming children in Yemen , the UN Secretary-General has left children vulnerable to further attacks . ''
It said the coalition was responsible for the death or injury of 222 children in Yemen last year .
Inger Ashing of Save the Children called it a `` shocking decision '' by Guterres .
But the secretary general 's envoy for children and armed conflict , Virginia Gamba , said the UN had come `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the removal from the list was based on data .
In 2016 the coalition was briefly included on the annual list before a threat by Saudi Arabia to cut off funding to UN programs forced a reversal .
The following year , after Guterres assumed the UN leadership , the coalition was placed in a sub-section of the report created for those making efforts to avoid deaths of children .
It remained there in 2018 and 2019 .
The report , which reviews several conflicts worldwide each year , said 4,019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 6,000 maimed in 2019 .
The numbers were similar to 2018 , according to the UN .

Campaigners reacted angrily on Monday to removal of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen from a list of groups violating children's rights, in a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Children in a displaced persons camp in Yemen's western province of Hodeida on May 6 2020: UN chief Antonio Guterres is warning that hundreds of millions of people face extreme hunger in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic
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"The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen will be delisted for the violation of killing and maiming, following a sustained significant decrease... due to air strikes," said the UN's newly-published annual report on children in conflict zones.
It said the toll had fallen since an agreement signed in March 2019.
The coalition intervened in 2015 in Yemen to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. It has been widely blamed for civilian casualties in bombing raids that campaigners say have pushed the country deeper into crisis.
Human Rights Watch denounced Guterres for dropping the coalition from the "list of shame," saying he was "ignoring the UN's own evidence of continued grave violations against children."
The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict said that "by absolving the Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition of any responsibility for killing and maiming children in Yemen, the UN Secretary-General has left children vulnerable to further attacks."
It said the coalition was responsible for the death or injury of 222 children in Yemen last year.
Inger Ashing of Save the Children called it a "shocking decision" by Guterres.
But the secretary general's envoy for children and armed conflict, Virginia Gamba, said the UN had come "under no pressure" from Saudi Arabia and that the removal from the list was based on data.
In 2016 the coalition was briefly included on the annual list before a threat by Saudi Arabia to cut off funding to UN programs forced a reversal.
The following year, after Guterres assumed the UN leadership, the coalition was placed in a sub-section of the report created for those making efforts to avoid deaths of children. It remained there in 2018 and 2019.
The report, which reviews several conflicts worldwide each year, said 4,019 children were verified as having been killed and more than 6,000 maimed in 2019.
The numbers were similar to 2018, according to the UN.
(AFP)
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