france24--2020-01-17--Ukraine's President Zelensky refuses PM's resignation amid tape scandal

Ukraine ’ s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected an offer by Oleksiy Honcharuk to resign as prime minister after an audio recording suggested the latter had criticised Zelensky 's knowledge of economics .
In a video released by Zelensky ’ s office on Friday evening , the president said he decided to “ give a chance ” to Honcharuk and his cabinet , noting “ now is not the time to shake the country economically and politically.
” Zelensky called the tape situation `` unpleasant '' but said he 'd asked Honcharuk to present a report on the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Honcharuk ’ s future grew this week after a recording of a man discussing Zelensky ’ s purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels , apparently at a meeting of the prime minister , finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine ( NBU ) in December .
Zelensky is a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption .
Honcharuk said on Friday the recording had been doctored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what had been said at government meetings .
“ Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president , who is our political leader , ” Honcharuk said on social media .
He did not say whether it was his voice heard in the recording .
Central bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording .
Zelensky asked law enforcement agencies to determine who was involved in making the recording and how to prevent such incidents from occurring in future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Honcharuk ’ s predecessor as prime minister , Volodymyr Groysman , also made threats to resign but ultimately stayed the course until last July ’ s parliamentary election which Zelensky ’ s party won .
Honcharuk , appointed by lawmakers last August , declined to say whether his resignation letter was a test of the president ’ s confidence in him .
“ It doesn ’ t show the prime minister ’ s desire to resign , but rather it ’ s a way for him to fight to stay in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kiev-based political analyst .
Honcharuk announced his resignation in a message on Facebook where he also praised Zelensky as “ a model of openness and decency ” .
“ However , in order to remove any doubts about our respect and trust in the President , I wrote a letter of resignation and handed it to the President with the right to submit it to Parliament , ” he said .
Honcharuk appeared in parliament on Friday and reaffirmed his respect for the president , adding that Ukraine must remain united in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and manipulations .
He was given a standing ovation by a number of lawmakers , though some shouted “ shame on you ” .
Since taking office , Honcharuk has set out an ambitious reform agenda and secured provisional agreement from the IMF for a three-year-loan programme seen as key to maintaining investor confidence and economic stability .
Honcharuk ’ s government managed to secure a $ 5.5 billion IMF loan programme in December but this is still subject to Ukraine ’ s performance on reforms and tackling vested interests .

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected an offer by Oleksiy Honcharuk to resign as prime minister after an audio recording suggested the latter had criticised Zelensky's knowledge of economics.
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In a video released by Zelensky’s office on Friday evening, the president said he decided to “give a chance” to Honcharuk and his cabinet, noting “now is not the time to shake the country economically and politically.”
Zelensky called the tape situation "unpleasant" but said he'd asked Honcharuk to present a report on the results of his work to parliament.
Speculation over Honcharuk’s future grew this week after a recording of a man discussing Zelensky’s purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels, apparently at a meeting of the prime minister, finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in December.
Zelensky is a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption.
Honcharuk said on Friday the recording had been doctored and was made up of different fragments of what had been said at government meetings.
“Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president, who is our political leader,” Honcharuk said on social media. He did not say whether it was his voice heard in the recording.
Дорогі українці! Останні 4 місяці команда Президента багато працювала над тим, щоб країна змінилась. Вже за цей... Publiée par Олексій Гончарук - Прем'єр-міністр України sur Jeudi 16 janvier 2020
Central bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording.
Zelensky asked law enforcement agencies to determine who was involved in making the recording and how to prevent such incidents from occurring in future.
Under Ukraine’s previous president, Honcharuk’s predecessor as prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, also made threats to resign but ultimately stayed the course until last July’s parliamentary election which Zelensky’s party won.
Honcharuk, appointed by lawmakers last August, declined to say whether his resignation letter was a test of the president’s confidence in him.
“It doesn’t show the prime minister’s desire to resign, but rather it’s a way for him to fight to stay in his position,” Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kiev-based political analyst.
‘Model of openness and decency’
Honcharuk announced his resignation in a message on Facebook where he also praised Zelensky as “a model of openness and decency”.
“However, in order to remove any doubts about our respect and trust in the President, I wrote a letter of resignation and handed it to the President with the right to submit it to Parliament,” he said.
Honcharuk appeared in parliament on Friday and reaffirmed his respect for the president, adding that Ukraine must remain united in the face of what he called information attacks and manipulations.
He was given a standing ovation by a number of lawmakers, though some shouted “shame on you”.
Since taking office, Honcharuk has set out an ambitious reform agenda and secured provisional agreement from the IMF for a three-year-loan programme seen as key to maintaining investor confidence and economic stability.
Honcharuk’s government managed to secure a $5.5 billion IMF loan programme in December but this is still subject to Ukraine’s performance on reforms and tackling vested interests.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-17--Brazil's culture secretary fired after ‘coincidentally’ quoting Goebbels

Brazil ’ s Culture Secretary Roberto Alvim was fired after being accused of echoing Nazi Germany propagandist Joseph Goebbels in a speech published on social media on January 16 , 2020 .
Brazil ’ s Secretary of Culture Roberto Alvim was fired Friday , after being accused of paraphrasing Nazi Germany ’ s propaganda chief , Joseph Goebbels , in a speech on the government ’ s vision of the Brazilian arts .
The video , released on Thursday announcing national prizes to revitalise the arts in Brazil , quickly went viral , attracting outrage after the national daily O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times word-for-word similarity to Goebbels ' rhetoric .
Alvim , a born-again Christian and a theatre director appointed last year by Brazil 's far-right president , Jair Bolsonaro , announced the prize as music played in the background from an opera by Wagner , Hitler ’ s favourite composer .
“ Brazilian art of the next decade will be heroic and it will be national ... and imperative because it will be rooted in the urgent aspirations of our people , or it will be nothing , ” Alvim says in the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideologue , told theatre directors during the Nazi regime that : “ German art of the next decade will be heroic , will be wildly romantic , will be objective and free of sentimentality , will be national with great pathos and equally imperative and binding , or else it will be nothing.
” Critics , including the president of Brazil ’ s lower house , quickly called on Alvim to be sacked , calling the speech – and in particular its similarities with that of Goebbels – “ inacceptable ” .
Alvim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply due to “ rhetorical coincidence ” , saying in a Facebook post that he would never quote Goebbels , but noted “ the phrase itself is perfect : heroism and the aspiration of the people is what we want to see in national art.
” In a statement , Bolsonaro said Alvim ’ s position had become untenable following his “ unfortunate remarks.
” “ I reiterate our rejection of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies , ” Bolsonaro said , adding his government ’ s unconditional support for the Jewish community .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was largely inaccessible , but the national newspaper Fohla de S.Paulo cited Alvim ’ s spokesman as saying the cultural secretary had been removed from office .
Bolsonaro ’ s government has drawn criticism after launching a project with the aim of revamping the country ’ s arts scene , with a focus on nationalism and religion .
The project is part of the far-right administration ’ s answer to what it sees as decades of leftist hegemony in the cultural sphere , from art to education and family .
Alvim has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is expected to cost the cash-strapped country some $ 4.9 million .

Brazil’s Secretary of Culture Roberto Alvim was fired Friday, after being accused of paraphrasing Nazi Germany’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, in a speech on the government’s vision of the Brazilian arts.
Brazil’s Culture Secretary Roberto Alvim was fired after being accused of echoing Nazi Germany propagandist Joseph Goebbels in a speech published on social media on January 16, 2020.
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The video, released on Thursday announcing national prizes to revitalise the arts in Brazil, quickly went viral, attracting outrage after the national daily O Globo pointed to the speech's at times word-for-word similarity to Goebbels' rhetoric.
Alvim, a born-again Christian and a theatre director appointed last year by Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, announced the prize as music played in the background from an opera by Wagner, Hitler’s favourite composer.
“Brazilian art of the next decade will be heroic and it will be national... and imperative because it will be rooted in the urgent aspirations of our people, or it will be nothing,” Alvim says in the video.
Goebbels, Hitler’s notorious ideologue, told theatre directors during the Nazi regime that: “German art of the next decade will be heroic, will be wildly romantic, will be objective and free of sentimentality, will be national with great pathos and equally imperative and binding, or else it will be nothing.”
Critics, including the president of Brazil’s lower house, quickly called on Alvim to be sacked, calling the speech – and in particular its similarities with that of Goebbels – “inacceptable”.
Alvim, meanwhile, said any similarity was simply due to “rhetorical coincidence”, saying in a Facebook post that he would never quote Goebbels, but noted “the phrase itself is perfect: heroism and the aspiration of the people is what we want to see in national art.”
In a statement, Bolsonaro said Alvim’s position had become untenable following his “unfortunate remarks.”
“I reiterate our rejection of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies,” Bolsonaro said, adding his government’s unconditional support for the Jewish community.
UM BREVE ESCLARECIMENTO SOBRE MEU DISCURSO: o que a esquerda está fazendo é uma falácia de associação remota: com uma... Publiée par Roberto Alvim sur Vendredi 17 janvier 2020
On Friday, the government’s website was largely inaccessible, but the national newspaper Fohla de S.Paulo cited Alvim’s spokesman as saying the cultural secretary had been removed from office.
Bolsonaro’s government has drawn criticism after launching a project with the aim of revamping the country’s arts scene, with a focus on nationalism and religion. The project is part of the far-right administration’s answer to what it sees as decades of leftist hegemony in the cultural sphere, from art to education and family. Alvim has been the driving force behind the initiative, which is expected to cost the cash-strapped country some $4.9 million.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-17--India's secularism under attack

India's secularism under attack

At the end of December 2019 , India 's government introduced a controversial new law that grants a fast track to Indian citizenship for migrants fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan , Bangladesh and Afghanistan – as long as they are not Muslim .
In a country built on the secular principle of granting equal rights to members of all faiths , many see the new law as a threat .
As thousands took to the streets in protest , the police began cracking down on dissent .
In less than two weeks , over 30 people were killed .
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our team reports .
Even before India 's citizenship law cleared both houses of parliament in early December , violent protests broke out in Assam , a north-eastern state on the border with Bangladesh .
Six protesters were killed as the police fired live rounds to control the crowd , and soon afterwards the authorities switched off the internet in the state capital – a move that they would replicate many times over as the protest movement grew .
Foreign journalists were prohibited from travelling to Assam without a special permit , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several years the government had been conducting a controversial exercise in the state , called the National Register of Citizenship , to identify who is an Indian citizen and who is an illegal migrant .
Some 1.9 million people were on the verge of statelessness , including many Hindus , because they had failed to produce the required identity documents .
When the citizenship law was announced , it was clear that Hindus , Christians , Sikhs , Parsis and Buddhists amongst the 1.9 million would be saved from an uncertain future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
> > Turning point for India ?
Modi 's citizenship act excludes Muslims Even as we were working out the logistics of getting to Assam , something shocking happened on the evening of December 15 .
Armed police stormed into a historically Muslim university campus in New Delhi and attacked students , who were demonstrating peacefully , with sticks and tear gas shells .
At least two students were hospitalised with bullet injuries .
By the next morning , the protests had spread nationwide , and we soon lost track of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies .
Something in the national psyche reacted to the images on social media of students being beaten brutally by the police , and for many Indians that was the breaking point .
As the protests grew , and the authorities shut down the internet in many states , including briefly in Central Delhi , the heart of the nation , it became clear to us that we needed to get to Uttar Pradesh as soon as possible .
Some 24 protesters and bystanders had lost their lives there , although the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far .
The state ’ s Hindu hardline leader , Yogi Adityanath , vowed `` revenge '' against the protesters who were being portrayed as violent .
When we got to Uttar Pradesh , it was clear that several Muslim neighbourhoods had been targeted by the authorities , where reports suggested that the police had come in at night , looted houses and broken property .
Eventually , we managed to get to Assam , thanks to the fact that one of our reporters is an Indian citizen , and could bypass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
There , we learned that over 1,000 people whose citizenship had been declared doubtful were in six detention camps and the government was building a brand new one , which we were able to film .
Weaving together stories of students protesting in New Delhi , those targeted by the authorities in Uttar Pradesh , and those facing an uncertain future in Assam , our report attempts to provide a glimpse of how the new citizenship law has led to a determined resistance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu @ @ @

At the end of December 2019, India's government introduced a controversial new law that grants a fast track to Indian citizenship for migrants fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan – as long as they are not Muslim. In a country built on the secular principle of granting equal rights to members of all faiths, many see the new law as a threat. As thousands took to the streets in protest, the police began cracking down on dissent. In less than two weeks, over 30 people were killed. Is India poised on a dangerous precipice? Our team reports.
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Even before India's citizenship law cleared both houses of parliament in early December, violent protests broke out in Assam, a north-eastern state on the border with Bangladesh. Six protesters were killed as the police fired live rounds to control the crowd, and soon afterwards the authorities switched off the internet in the state capital – a move that they would replicate many times over as the protest movement grew. Foreign journalists were prohibited from travelling to Assam without a special permit, which was nearly impossible to obtain.
For several years the government had been conducting a controversial exercise in the state, called the National Register of Citizenship, to identify who is an Indian citizen and who is an illegal migrant. Some 1.9 million people were on the verge of statelessness, including many Hindus, because they had failed to produce the required identity documents. When the citizenship law was announced, it was clear that Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and Buddhists amongst the 1.9 million would be saved from an uncertain future. But what about the Muslims among them?
>> Turning point for India? Modi's citizenship act excludes Muslims
Even as we were working out the logistics of getting to Assam, something shocking happened on the evening of December 15. Armed police stormed into a historically Muslim university campus in New Delhi and attacked students, who were demonstrating peacefully, with sticks and tear gas shells. At least two students were hospitalised with bullet injuries. By the next morning, the protests had spread nationwide, and we soon lost track of how many cities and states were reporting large-scale rallies. Something in the national psyche reacted to the images on social media of students being beaten brutally by the police, and for many Indians that was the breaking point.
As the protests grew, and the authorities shut down the internet in many states, including briefly in Central Delhi, the heart of the nation, it became clear to us that we needed to get to Uttar Pradesh as soon as possible. Some 24 protesters and bystanders had lost their lives there, although the police has claimed only one of those deaths so far. The state’s Hindu hardline leader, Yogi Adityanath, vowed "revenge" against the protesters who were being portrayed as violent. When we got to Uttar Pradesh, it was clear that several Muslim neighbourhoods had been targeted by the authorities, where reports suggested that the police had come in at night, looted houses and broken property.
Eventually, we managed to get to Assam, thanks to the fact that one of our reporters is an Indian citizen, and could bypass the government's special permit for foreign reporters. There, we learned that over 1,000 people whose citizenship had been declared doubtful were in six detention camps and the government was building a brand new one, which we were able to film.
Weaving together stories of students protesting in New Delhi, those targeted by the authorities in Uttar Pradesh, and those facing an uncertain future in Assam, our report attempts to provide a glimpse of how the new citizenship law has led to a determined resistance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
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france24--2020-01-17--Recipe for success: France's pastry culture

This week , we ’ re in the gourmet aisles of one of Paris ’ s best loved department stores @ @ @ @ @ art of pastry making !
While the country faces some stiff competition in the wider @ @ @ @ @ a French preserve , and with good reason .
With a combination of technical skill @ @ @ @ @ generations of young French pastry chefs have elevated dessert-making to a veritable art form .
@ @ @ @ @ of TV bake-off shows and a sprinkling of social networking and what you 're serving @ @ @ @ @ .
We take a closer look .

Recipe for success: France's pastry culture
12:04 FRANCE IN FOCUS © FRANCE 24
This week, we’re in the gourmet aisles of one of Paris’s best loved department stores to talk about the French art of pastry making! While the country faces some stiff competition in the wider culinary world, pastry remains a French preserve, and with good reason. With a combination of technical skill and creativity, the latest generations of young French pastry chefs have elevated dessert-making to a veritable art form. Add to that a pinch of TV bake-off shows and a sprinkling of social networking and what you're serving up is a French addiction. We take a closer look.


france24--2020-01-18--Europe will face terror threat if Tripoli govt falls, warns Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech as he stands in front of a huge screen during the Annual Evaluation Meeting for 2019 at the Bestepe National Congress and Culture Center in Ankara on January 16 , 2020 .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Europe it could face new threats from terrorist organisations if Libya 's UN-recognised government in Tripoli were to fall .
In the article , published on Saturday on the eve of a Libya peace conference in Berlin , Erdogan said the EU 's failure to adequately support the Government of National Accord ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its own core values , including democracy and human rights '' .
The GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj has been under attack since April from strongman Khalifa Haftar 's forces based in the east of the country , with fighting killing over 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters .
`` Europe will encounter a fresh set of problems and threats if Libya 's legitimate government were to fall , '' Erdogan wrote .
`` Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda , which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their feet . ''
In a joint initiative , Turkey and Russia have brokered a ceasefire but Haftar walked away from talks in Moscow this week aimed at finalising the truce agreement .
A furious Erdogan has accused Haftar of fleeing Moscow and said he would `` teach ( him ) a lesson '' if he resumed fighting .
Erdogan 's government backs Sarraj and the Turkish parliament earlier this month approved the deployment of troops to Libya after the signing of controversial security and maritime deals between Tripoli and Ankara .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a warlord would be a mistake of historic proportions , '' he said , in a veiled reference to Haftar .
World powers are trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire at the international conference in Berlin on Sunday which the warring parties are expected to attend .
`` We hope what comes out of Berlin is renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra ?
Libyan political process , ending foreign interference , leading to full respect of the UN arms embargo , '' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will aim to agree six points -- including a permanent ceasefire , implementation of a much-violated UN arms embargo and a return to political efforts for peace .
Erdogan , who is also due to attend the Berlin talks , wrote in Politico that the Libyan civil war served as a `` litmus test '' for the EU to show whether its leaders would abdicate their responsibilities and watch the crisis uphold from the sidelines .
`` The EU needs to show the world that it is a relevant actor in the international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The upcoming peace conference in Berlin is a very significant step toward that goal .
European leaders , however , ought to talk a little less and focus on taking concrete steps . ''
An interim truce that came into force in Libya last Sunday has mostly held , despite accusations of violations from Haftar 's forces and the rival GNA .
The fighting has spurred a growing exodus of migrants and refugees , many embarking on rickety boats from Libya towards Europe .

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Europe it could face new threats from terrorist organisations if Libya's UN-recognised government in Tripoli were to fall.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech as he stands in front of a huge screen during the Annual Evaluation Meeting for 2019 at the Bestepe National Congress and Culture Center in Ankara on January 16, 2020.
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In the article, published on Saturday on the eve of a Libya peace conference in Berlin, Erdogan said the EU's failure to adequately support the Government of National Accord (GNA) would be "a betrayal of its own core values, including democracy and human rights".
The GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj has been under attack since April from strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces based in the east of the country, with fighting killing over 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters.
"Europe will encounter a fresh set of problems and threats if Libya's legitimate government were to fall," Erdogan wrote.
"Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq, will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet."
In a joint initiative, Turkey and Russia have brokered a ceasefire but Haftar walked away from talks in Moscow this week aimed at finalising the truce agreement.
A furious Erdogan has accused Haftar of fleeing Moscow and said he would "teach (him) a lesson" if he resumed fighting.
Erdogan's government backs Sarraj and the Turkish parliament earlier this month approved the deployment of troops to Libya after the signing of controversial security and maritime deals between Tripoli and Ankara.
"To leave Libya at the mercy of a warlord would be a mistake of historic proportions," he said, in a veiled reference to Haftar.
'Litmus test'
World powers are trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire at the international conference in Berlin on Sunday which the warring parties are expected to attend.
"We hope what comes out of Berlin is renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra?Libyan political process, ending foreign interference, leading to full respect of the UN arms embargo," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a press briefing on Friday.
The conference will aim to agree six points -- including a permanent ceasefire, implementation of a much-violated UN arms embargo and a return to political efforts for peace.
Erdogan, who is also due to attend the Berlin talks, wrote in Politico that the Libyan civil war served as a "litmus test" for the EU to show whether its leaders would abdicate their responsibilities and watch the crisis uphold from the sidelines.
"The EU needs to show the world that it is a relevant actor in the international arena," he said.
"The upcoming peace conference in Berlin is a very significant step toward that goal. European leaders, however, ought to talk a little less and focus on taking concrete steps."
An interim truce that came into force in Libya last Sunday has mostly held, despite accusations of violations from Haftar's forces and the rival GNA.
The fighting has spurred a growing exodus of migrants and refugees, many embarking on rickety boats from Libya towards Europe.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-18--China reports new cases of Wuhan virus ahead of key holiday

Chinese health authorities said on Saturday they had discovered four more cases of pneumonia following an outbreak of what is believed to be a new coronavirus strain in the central city of Wuhan , raising concerns that the disease could spread further .
The four individuals were diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday and are in stable condition , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement published shortly after midnight , a day after it confirmed the death of a second patient .
Nearly 50 people are known to have been infected and so far involve only individuals who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has warned that a wider outbreak is possible .
Many of China 's 1.4 billion people will be travelling abroad during the Lunar New Year holidays next week , raising concerns about the disease spreading to other countries .
A report published by the London Imperial College 's MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis asserted there are likely `` substantially more cases '' of the new coronavirus than the 45 currently announced by Wuhan authorities .
A summary of the report on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates that there would be 1,723 cases showing onset of related symptoms by Jan 12 .
The full report was not available , however .
The Wuhan commission referred queries on the report to China 's National Health Commission and the Hubei provincial government .
The National Health Commission and the Hubei government did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Thailand reported two cases of the coronavirus from Chinese travellers from Wuhan this week , while Japan confirmed one case involving a Japanese national who travelled to Wuhan .
Memories remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) , which emerged in China and killed nearly 800 people worldwide .
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to SARS .
Health officials say the new virus discovered in Wuhan does not appear to be as lethal as SARS but admit they still know little about it , including its origins or how easily it can be transmitted from person to person .
A seafood market in Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified deny having any exposure to this market .
U.S. authorities have said they would start screening at three airports to detect travellers arriving via direct or connecting flights from Wuhan who may have symptoms of the new virus .
In Asia , authorities in Singapore , South Korea , Taiwan and Thailand have stepped up monitoring of passengers from Wuhan at airports .
Indonesia , Malaysia and the Philippines say they have strengthened screening at all points of entry in response to the outbreak , as well .
Japan screens all incoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notices at airports around the country asking passengers to come forward if they have travelled to Wuhan and have become sick .
Australia , which saw about 1.4 million short-term arrivals from China last year , is not planning any special screenings for now .
The WHO has said it advises against any travel or trade restrictions on China .

Chinese health authorities said on Saturday they had discovered four more cases of pneumonia following an outbreak of what is believed to be a new coronavirus strain in the central city of Wuhan, raising concerns that the disease could spread further.
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The four individuals were diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday and are in stable condition, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement published shortly after midnight, a day after it confirmed the death of a second patient.
Nearly 50 people are known to have been infected and so far involve only individuals who have travelled to or live in Wuhan, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a wider outbreak is possible. Many of China's 1.4 billion people will be travelling abroad during the Lunar New Year holidays next week, raising concerns about the disease spreading to other countries.
A report published by the London Imperial College's MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis asserted there are likely "substantially more cases" of the new coronavirus than the 45 currently announced by Wuhan authorities.
A summary of the report on the centre's website says its baseline scenario estimates that there would be 1,723 cases showing onset of related symptoms by Jan 12. The full report was not available, however.
The Wuhan commission referred queries on the report to China's National Health Commission and the Hubei provincial government. The National Health Commission and the Hubei government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thailand reported two cases of the coronavirus from Chinese travellers from Wuhan this week, while Japan confirmed one case involving a Japanese national who travelled to Wuhan. Memories remain fresh in Asia of a 2002/03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which emerged in China and killed nearly 800 people worldwide.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to SARS.
Health officials say the new virus discovered in Wuhan does not appear to be as lethal as SARS but admit they still know little about it, including its origins or how easily it can be transmitted from person to person.
A seafood market in Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre, but authorities say some patients they have identified deny having any exposure to this market.
U.S. authorities have said they would start screening at three airports to detect travellers arriving via direct or
connecting flights from Wuhan who may have symptoms of the new virus.
In Asia, authorities in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have stepped up monitoring of passengers from Wuhan at airports. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines say they have strengthened screening at all points of entry in response to the outbreak, as well.
Japan screens all incoming travellers for high temperatures and started displaying notices at airports around the country asking passengers to come forward if they have travelled to Wuhan and have become sick.
Australia, which saw about 1.4 million short-term arrivals from China last year, is not planning any special screenings for now.
The WHO has said it advises against any travel or trade restrictions on China.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-18--Lebanese block roads as revived protests enter fourth month

Lebanese demonstrators block the main bridge linking the western and eastern sides of the capital Beirut , to protest against a political elite accused of corruption and incompetence , on Janury 17 , 2020 .
Protesters blocked several main roads across Lebanon on Friday as unprecedented demonstrations against a political elite accused of corruption and incompetence entered their fourth month .
The protest movement rocking Lebanon since October 17 has resurged this week , over delays in forming a new cabinet to address the country 's growing economic crisis .
No progress seemed to have been made on a final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up solely of independent experts and exclude traditional political parties .
In central Beirut , dozens of protesters Friday stood between parked cars blocking a key thoroughfare linking the city 's east and west .
`` We blocked the road with cars because it 's something they ca n't move , '' Marwan Karam said .
The protester condemned what he regarded as efforts to form yet another government in which power is divided among the traditional parties .
`` We do n't want a government of masked political figures , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government will fall .
We wo n't give it any chance in the street . ''
But fixing the country 's spiralling economic crisis is now protesters ' most pressing need , explained FRANCE 24 's Leila Molana-Allen , reporting from Beirut .
Ca n't pay for their daily necessities '' People are losing their jobs , they ’ re losing the hours they work , the currency is also in a sharp downward tilt .
Prices have gone up .
We ’ ve seen thirty-five to forty percent inflation in just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a shopping basket has gone up that much , '' said Molana-Allen .
`` People can ’ t pay for their daily necessities .
Their rent , their heating , their food .
And so although the protesters do want a wholesale change in the government , what they want right now is the election of a new government , they want a cabinet of specialists who can come in and fix this economic crisis .
That ’ s now the urgent need , '' Molana-Allen added .
Forming a new cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where a complex system seeks to maintain balance between the various political parties and a multitude of religious confessions .
Carlos Yammine , 32 , said he did not want yet another `` cake-sharing government '' .
`` What we have asked for from the start of the movement is a reduced , transitional , emergency government of independents , '' he said , leaning against his car .
Demonstrators also blocked roads in second city Tripoli Friday morning , although they were cleared later in the day , local media reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern port city of Tyre later in the day .
On Friday evening , hundreds of protesters gathered near the parliament and outside the central bank , the target of renewed anger amid the worst economic crisis that Lebanon has experienced since its 1975-1990 civil war .
Protests this week saw angry demonstrators attack banks following the imposition of sharp curbs on cash withdrawals to stem a liquidity crisis .
On Thursday night , protesters vandalised three more banks in the capital 's Hamra district , smashing windows and defacing ATMs , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's security services released most of the 100-plus protesters detained over the previous 48 hours , lawyers said .
Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned the arrests and the response of security forces to protests outside a police station on Wednesday night demanding detainees be released .
`` The unacceptable level of violence against overwhelmingly peaceful protesters on January 15 calls for a swift independent and transparent investigation , '' said Joe Stork , deputy Middle East director at the rights watchdog .
Over the past few months , the Lebanese pound -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,507 -- has fallen in value on the unofficial market to around 2,500 .
The World Bank has warned that the poverty rate in Lebanon could rise from a third to a half if the political crisis is not remedied fast .

Protesters blocked several main roads across Lebanon on Friday as unprecedented demonstrations against a political elite accused of corruption and incompetence entered their fourth month.
Lebanese demonstrators block the main bridge linking the western and eastern sides of the capital Beirut, to protest against a political elite accused of corruption and incompetence, on Janury 17, 2020.
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The protest movement rocking Lebanon since October 17 has resurged this week, over delays in forming a new cabinet to address the country's growing economic crisis.
No progress seemed to have been made on a final lineup, which protesters demand be made up solely of independent experts and exclude traditional political parties.
In central Beirut, dozens of protesters Friday stood between parked cars blocking a key thoroughfare linking the city's east and west.
"We blocked the road with cars because it's something they can't move," Marwan Karam said.
The protester condemned what he regarded as efforts to form yet another government in which power is divided among the traditional parties.
"We don't want a government of masked political figures," the 30-year-old told AFP. "Any such government will fall. We won't give it any chance in the street."
But fixing the country's spiralling economic crisis is now protesters' most pressing need, explained FRANCE 24's Leila Molana-Allen, reporting from Beirut.
Can't pay for their daily necessities
"People are losing their jobs, they’re losing the hours they work, the currency is also in a sharp downward tilt. Prices have gone up. We’ve seen thirty-five to forty percent inflation in just the last three months. The average price of a shopping basket has gone up that much," said Molana-Allen.
"People can’t pay for their daily necessities. Their rent, their heating, their food. And so although the protesters do want a wholesale change in the government, what they want right now is the election of a new government, they want a cabinet of specialists who can come in and fix this economic crisis. That’s now the urgent need," Molana-Allen added.
Forming a new cabinet is often a drawn-out process in Lebanon, where a complex system seeks to maintain balance between the various political parties and a multitude of religious confessions.
Carlos Yammine, 32, said he did not want yet another "cake-sharing government".
"What we have asked for from the start of the movement is a reduced, transitional, emergency government of independents," he said, leaning against his car.
Demonstrators also blocked roads in second city Tripoli Friday morning, although they were cleared later in the day, local media reported. Protests also took place in the southern port city of Tyre later in the day.
'Unacceptable' violence
On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered near the parliament and outside the central bank, the target of renewed anger amid the worst economic crisis that Lebanon has experienced since its 1975-1990 civil war.
Protests this week saw angry demonstrators attack banks following the imposition of sharp curbs on cash withdrawals to stem a liquidity crisis.
On Thursday night, protesters vandalised three more banks in the capital's Hamra district, smashing windows and defacing ATMs, an AFP photographer said.
Earlier, Lebanon's security services released most of the 100-plus protesters detained over the previous 48 hours, lawyers said.
Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned the arrests and the response of security forces to protests outside a police station on Wednesday night demanding detainees be released.
"The unacceptable level of violence against overwhelmingly peaceful protesters on January 15 calls for a swift independent and transparent investigation," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at the rights watchdog.
Over the past few months, the Lebanese pound -- long pegged to the US dollar at 1,507 -- has fallen in value on the unofficial market to around 2,500.
The World Bank has warned that the poverty rate in Lebanon could rise from a third to a half if the political crisis is not remedied fast.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-01-18--Paris protesters try to enter theatre attended by Macron

Dozens of protesters tried to break into the Bouffes du Nord theatre where French President Emmanuel Macron was attending a play on 18 January 2020 .
Dozens of protesters tried to enter a Paris theatre on Friday where French President Emmanuel Macron was spending the evening with his wife Brigitte .
Around thirty opponents of Macron ’ s pension reform gathered in front of Paris ’ s Bouffes du Nord theatre early Friday evening , according to the presidential couple 's entourage .
After trying to enter the theatre , the demonstrators were moved back by police .
The head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance at the time , was `` secured '' for a few minutes before being able to return to see the play until the end .
The Paris Police headquarters confirmed that the demonstrators had not managed to enter .
The Macrons were attending a performance of `` La Mouche '' when activist journalist Taha Bouhafs , sitting three rows behind , tweeted photos that prompted activists to come and disrupt the show , according to a relative of the president .
`` We were at Paris 7 University for a people 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macron was there , so we came to show that we 're here , that there 's a protest against pension reform , but not only that , '' said Arthur Knight , one of the protesters .
Bouhafs then asked his tens of thousands of followers whether he should throw his shoes at the president , following the famous gesture of an Iraqi journalist against US President George W. Bush in 2008 .
`` I 'm kidding ( ... ) the security is looking at me weirdly right now , '' Bouhafs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to a police station , although it was not clear if he had been taken into custody .
The president `` will continue to go to theatrical performances as usual ” , said his entourage .
“ He will be careful to defend creative freedom so that it is not disrupted by violent political actions.
” The French president has not been seen in public since his appearance in Amiens on 21 and 22 November , before protests against his controversial pension reform kicked off on December 5 .
Friday marked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where protesters also targeted the headquarters of the CFDT union , which supports the universal points-based retirement system , and blocked the entrance to the Louvre .

Dozens of protesters tried to enter a Paris theatre on Friday where French President Emmanuel Macron was spending the evening with his wife Brigitte.
Dozens of protesters tried to break into the Bouffes du Nord theatre where French President Emmanuel Macron was attending a play on 18 January 2020.
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Around thirty opponents of Macron’s pension reform gathered in front of Paris’s Bouffes du Nord theatre early Friday evening, according to the presidential couple's entourage. After trying to enter the theatre, the demonstrators were moved back by police.
The head of state, who was attending a performance at the time, was "secured" for a few minutes before being able to return to see the play until the end.
The Paris Police headquarters confirmed that the demonstrators had not managed to enter.
The Macrons were attending a performance of "La Mouche" when the activist journalist Taha Bouhafs, sitting three rows behind, tweeted photos that prompted activists to come and disrupt the show, according to a relative of the president.
"We were at Paris 7 University for a people's university, someone got a message that Macron was there, so we came to show that we're here, that there's a protest against pension reform, but not only that," said Arthur Knight, one of the protesters.
Bouhafs then asked his tens of thousands of followers whether he should throw his shoes at the president, following the famous gesture of an Iraqi journalist against US President George W. Bush in 2008.
"I'm kidding (...) the security is looking at me weirdly right now," Bouhafs said.
Bouhafs was later arrested and taken into police custody overnight on the grounds he had acted to incite both damage to property and violence.
Je suis actuellement au théâtre des bouffes du Nord (Métro La Chapelle)
3 rangées derrière le président de la république.
Des militants sont quelque part dans le coin et appelle tout le monde à rappliquer.
Quelque chose se prépare... la soirée risque d’être mouvementée. pic.twitter.com/0mfwQPwdzr — Taha Bouhafs (@T_Bouhafs) January 17, 2020
The president "will continue to go to theatrical performances as usual”, said his entourage. “He will be careful to defend creative freedom so that it is not disrupted by violent political actions.”
The French president has not been seen in public since his appearance in Amiens on 21 and 22 November, before protests against his controversial pension reform kicked off on December 5.
Friday marked the 44th day of a record-breaking transport strike where protesters also targeted the headquarters of the CFDT union, which supports the universal points-based retirement system, and blocked the entrance to the Louvre.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-18--Mexico escalates border security to block migrant caravan

Honduran migrants walk in a caravan heading to the US , near Quezaltepeque , Chiquimula departament , Guatemala , on January 17 , 2020 .
Hundreds of people in the vanguard of a new migrant caravan from Honduras forced their way across the border with Guatemala on Wednesday , intent on reaching the United States .
Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States .
A group of more than 3,000 people , mainly from Honduras and El Salvador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Guatemala 's new President Alejandro Giammattei , Mexico has vowed to use `` everything at its disposal '' to stop the convoy from entering its territory .
The Mexican troops were stationed at the town of Ciudad Hidalgo , one of the main crossing points into the country from its southern neighbor .
Earlier on Friday , Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs to members of the caravan in an attempt to dissuade them from traveling on to the United States .
Mexico has come under pressure from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US-Mexican border last year .
Trump threatened in May to impose tariffs on Mexico if the government did not do more to stop them .
He has also allowed the United States to send more than 40,000 asylum-seekers back to Mexico while their cases are processed , under the so-called `` Remain in Mexico '' policy .
Human Rights Watch accused Mexico Tuesday of violating migrants ' rights by failing to guarantee the security of those returned by the United States and detaining others in `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Central American migrants crossed Mexico toward the US last year in large caravans , fleeing chronic poverty and brutal gang violence and seeking safety in numbers from the dangers of the journey .
That prompted Trump to warn of an `` invasion '' and deploy nearly 6,000 US troops to the border .

Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States.
Honduran migrants walk in a caravan heading to the US, near Quezaltepeque, Chiquimula departament, Guatemala, on January 17, 2020. Hundreds of people in the vanguard of a new migrant caravan from Honduras forced their way across the border with Guatemala on Wednesday, intent on reaching the United States.
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A group of more than 3,000 people, mainly from Honduras and El Salvador, crossed into Guatemala on Wednesday.
According to Guatemala's new President Alejandro Giammattei, Mexico has vowed to use "everything at its disposal" to stop the convoy from entering its territory.
The Mexican troops were stationed at the town of Ciudad Hidalgo, one of the main crossing points into the country from its southern neighbor.
Earlier on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs to members of the caravan in an attempt to dissuade them from traveling on to the United States.
Mexico has come under pressure from President Donald Trump to slow a surge of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US-Mexican border last year.
Trump threatened in May to impose tariffs on Mexico if the government did not do more to stop them.
Cornered, Lopez Obrador's administration deployed 27,000 National Guardsmen to tighten its borders.
He has also allowed the United States to send more than 40,000 asylum-seekers back to Mexico while their cases are processed, under the so-called "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Human Rights Watch accused Mexico Tuesday of violating migrants' rights by failing to guarantee the security of those returned by the United States and detaining others in "inhumane conditions."
Tens of thousands of Central American migrants crossed Mexico toward the US last year in large caravans, fleeing chronic poverty and brutal gang violence and seeking safety in numbers from the dangers of the journey.
That prompted Trump to warn of an "invasion" and deploy nearly 6,000 US troops to the border.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-18--Paris's Louvre reopens after museum blocked by strikers

Statues adorning the south wing of the Palais du Louvre are seen behind the Louvre museum pyramid at dawn in Paris on March 22 , 2019 .
- Chinese born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei 's pyramid celebrates its 30th anniversary this month .
( Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP ) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARCHITECT UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION The Louvre in Paris , the world 's most visited museum , reopened on Saturday after being shut down by workers striking over government plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Friday , hundreds of disappointed visitors had massed outside the Louvre , some hurling insults at strikers who had blocked the entrance .
It was the first time since the strike began on December 5 that the museum had shut completely although it was forced to close some galleries last month .
Union leaders are seeking to widen opposition to the pension reforms proposed by President Emmanuel Macron 's government , which have triggered the longest transport strike in France in decades .
The unions are looking for a second wind as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proportion of striking workers at national railway operator SNCF falling to less than five percent on on Friday .
The overhaul aims to forge a single pensions system from the country 's 42 separate regimes , which offer early retirement and other benefits to public-sector workers as well as lawyers , physical therapists and even Paris Opera employees .
Critics say it will effectively force millions of people to work longer for a smaller pension .
The Louvre , which lies near the banks of the Seine , received 9.6 million visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Americans , Chinese and Europeans .

The Louvre in Paris, the world's most visited museum, reopened on Saturday after being shut down by workers striking over government plans to overhaul France's pension system.
Statues adorning the south wing of the Palais du Louvre are seen behind the Louvre museum pyramid at dawn in Paris on March 22, 2019. - Chinese born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei's pyramid celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARCHITECT UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION
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On Friday, hundreds of disappointed visitors had massed outside the Louvre, some hurling insults at strikers who had blocked the entrance.
It was the first time since the strike began on December 5 that the museum had shut completely although it was forced to close some galleries last month.
Union leaders are seeking to widen opposition to the pension reforms proposed by President Emmanuel Macron's government, which have triggered the longest transport strike in France in decades.
The unions are looking for a second wind as the movement starts to flag, with the proportion of striking workers at national railway operator SNCF falling to less than five percent on on Friday.
The overhaul aims to forge a single pensions system from the country's 42 separate regimes, which offer early retirement and other benefits to public-sector workers as well as lawyers, physical therapists and even Paris Opera employees.
Critics say it will effectively force millions of people to work longer for a smaller pension.
The Louvre, which lies near the banks of the Seine, received 9.6 million visitors last year, most of them foreigners including Americans, Chinese and Europeans.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-18--French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier announces retirement

French designer Jean Paul Gaultier acknowledges the audience at the end of his Spring/Summer 2008 Haute Couture collection show in Paris on January 23 , 2008 .
French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier said Friday that his next Paris haute couture fashion show will be his last .
The flamboyant creator said he would be bowing out Wednesday with a big party to mark his 50 years in the business after his latest collection hits the catwalk .
His brand told AFP that his high-end fashion and perfume business would live on , but that Gaultier was stepping back from designing clothes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue with a new concept , '' said the designer , who famously invented the `` man skirt '' and put Madonna in a conical bra .
The eternal enfant terrible dropped the bombshell in a typically jokey video message , shot as if he was giving an exclusive interview to a reporter over the phone .
Reclining on a chaise longue , he whispered , `` Now I am going to give you a scoop .
It will be my last couture show .
You have to come , you ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but , I assure you , Gaultier Paris will go on , the haute couture will continue .
`` I have a new concept .
I will tell you about it later , all the little secrets .
To be continued !
Kisses , kisses . ''
Gaultier , 67 , stopped designing ready-to-wear clothes in 2015 to concentrate on haute couture -- extravagant handmade clothes which only the world 's richest women can afford .
But as late as last year the maverick insisted that he had no intention of hanging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of animal rights activists pressuring him to stop using furs .
`` I really like the feel of fur , '' he told AFP , as he confessed that he was wavering about dropping furs from his shows .
`` We are in an age when there is too much of everything , so we should n't be killing animals .
I have a charming little pussy , and I love animals , though I draw the line at crocodiles , '' he said .
While his couture business owned by the Catalan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money maker , his perfumes -- often featuring his impossibly handsome sailors -- continue to be bestsellers .
A child fashion prodigy , Gaultier said he starting by making showgirl outfits for his teddy bear .
He was personal assistant to French fashion magnate Pierre Cardin at 18 , and rose to fame in the 1980s alongside designers like Thierry Mugler when the Paris fashion scene was at its most decadent .
Gaultier then carved out a parallel television career as the co-presenter of a cheeky series , `` Eurotrash '' .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief .
In a world riddled with snobbery and pretension , he had the common touch -- poking fun at himself and fashion 's myriad follies .
In 2018 , he staged his own hit cabaret show based loosely on his life story called `` Fashion Freak Show '' , at the Folies Bergere theatre in Paris .
The Guardian hailed it as `` a fabulous fiesta of fabric and flesh '' when it transferred to London last year .
It included a key moment that was to change his life -- the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corset in his grandmother 's wardrobe .
He traced his fascination to corsetry and bondage to that moment -- and both would be recurring motifs in a career also replete with leather togas and tutus , feathers and all sorts of outsiders and freaks .
Hugely-loved within the fashion world , Gaultier pioneered using plus-sized models and welcomed `` all shapes , sizes and sexualities '' on his catwalk .
A spokeswoman for his brand told AFP the designer would be back , but like the veteran Japanese creator Kenzo -- who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in other areas .

French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier said Friday that his next Paris haute couture fashion show will be his last.
French designer Jean Paul Gaultier acknowledges the audience at the end of his Spring/Summer 2008 Haute Couture collection show in Paris on January 23, 2008.
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The flamboyant creator said he would be bowing out Wednesday with a big party to mark his 50 years in the business after his latest collection hits the catwalk.
His brand told AFP that his high-end fashion and perfume business would live on, but that Gaultier was stepping back from designing clothes himself.
"Rest assured haute couture will continue with a new concept," said the designer, who famously invented the "man skirt" and put Madonna in a conical bra.
The eternal enfant terrible dropped the bombshell in a typically jokey video message, shot as if he was giving an exclusive interview to a reporter over the phone.
Reclining on a chaise longue, he whispered, "Now I am going to give you a scoop. It will be my last couture show. You have to come, you can't miss that... but, but, but, I assure you, Gaultier Paris will go on, the haute couture will continue.
"I have a new concept. I will tell you about it later, all the little secrets. To be continued! Kisses, kisses."
'Fiesta of fabric and flesh'
Gaultier, 67, stopped designing ready-to-wear clothes in 2015 to concentrate on haute couture -- extravagant handmade clothes which only the world's richest women can afford.
But as late as last year the maverick insisted that he had no intention of hanging up his scissors -- although he despaired of animal rights activists pressuring him to stop using furs.
"I really like the feel of fur," he told AFP, as he confessed that he was wavering about dropping furs from his shows.
"We are in an age when there is too much of everything, so we shouldn't be killing animals. I have a charming little pussy, and I love animals, though I draw the line at crocodiles," he said.
While his couture business owned by the Catalan luxury conglomerate Puig was never a huge money maker, his perfumes -- often featuring his impossibly handsome sailors -- continue to be bestsellers.
A child fashion prodigy, Gaultier said he starting by making showgirl outfits for his teddy bear.
Corsets and leather tutus
He was personal assistant to French fashion magnate Pierre Cardin at 18, and rose to fame in the 1980s alongside designers like Thierry Mugler when the Paris fashion scene was at its most decadent.
Gaultier then carved out a parallel television career as the co-presenter of a cheeky series, "Eurotrash".
He was also the industry's jester in chief. In a world riddled with snobbery and pretension, he had the common touch -- poking fun at himself and fashion's myriad follies.
In 2018, he staged his own hit cabaret show based loosely on his life story called "Fashion Freak Show", at the Folies Bergere theatre in Paris.
The Guardian hailed it as "a fabulous fiesta of fabric and flesh" when it transferred to London last year.
It included a key moment that was to change his life -- the first time he laid eyes on a corset in his grandmother's wardrobe.
He traced his fascination to corsetry and bondage to that moment -- and both would be recurring motifs in a career also replete with leather togas and tutus, feathers and all sorts of outsiders and freaks.
Hugely-loved within the fashion world, Gaultier pioneered using plus-sized models and welcomed "all shapes, sizes and sexualities" on his catwalk.
A spokeswoman for his brand told AFP the designer would be back, but like the veteran Japanese creator Kenzo -- who has moved into interior design -- it would be in other areas.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-18--Can Europe, caught scrapping or napping, mend its credibility at Berlin talks on Libya?

A flurry of recent geostrategic gains by Turkey and Russia in Libya have underscored Europe ’ s failure to tackle a deadly crisis at its doorstep .
Sunday ’ s conference on Libya in Berlin gives the European Union the chance to seize a diplomatic opportunity .
But for that , Europe must overcome its divisions and crippling competitions .
Libyans , over the past few years , have grown accustomed to the hypocrisy gap between statements emerging from international conferences on their war-torn country and the deadly reality on the ground .
But Sunday ’ s Berlin Conference on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drama of gathering players and proxies , most of them flouting UN embargoes and summit statements – beats all previously held discouraging records .
The conference brings together world powers , regional and national players , as well as major multilateral organisations to the German capital under the Berlin Process that “ aims to support the efforts of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his Special Representative Ghassan Salamé to end the conflict , ” according to the official conference website .
But the hurdles preventing participants from inching towards that goal are explicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference mission statement .
Since he took up the UN special representative for Libya post two years ago , Salamé has repeatedly called on foreign powers to stop interfering in the conflict in the North African nation .
He repeated his call on the eve of the Berlin conference , but the sheer size of the participant list – which includes the five permanent UN Security Council members as well as regional players – belies the fact that no one is really listening to Salamé .
His boss , UN chief Guterres , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Libya last year .
Guterres was in the Libyan capital on April 4 , 2019 , when Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar launched his military assault to seize control of Tripoli from the internationally recognised GNA ( Government of National Accord ) headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj .
The chutzpah of Haftar ’ s timing – while the UN chief was in Libya to help organise national reconciliation talks – caught everyone by surprise .
But it did not stop regional and world powers from overtly or surreptitiously continuing to back Haftar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than nine months later , the battle for Tripoli continues , with more than 2,280 people killed , including 280 civilians , and nearly 150,000 displacements , according to the UN .
International human rights groups have unearthed “ potential war crimes ” during the war , but they barely make the international nightly news .
Headlines on Libya over the past few weeks have been dominated by an extraordinary jousting for power , resources and influence in a hydrocarbon-rich zone that bridges Africa , the Arab world and Europe .
EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The diplomatic shuttle peaked with Turkey and Russia emerging this year as power centres in the contest for Libyan geostrategic gains , exposing Europe ’ s failure to address a major crisis on its doorstep .
While the EU supports the internationally recognised , Tripoli-based GNA , its member states have not , in deeds if not in words , been on the same page .
The lack of unity has been particularly acute between France , a major EU military power , and Italy , Libya ’ s former colonial power that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African nation .
“ The problem is that the bloc [ EU ] doesn ’ t agree .
France has a very strong position in its support for Khalifa Haftar , it ’ s provided significant diplomatic support [ for Haftar ] behind-the-scenes .
France ’ s position is largely aligned with that of the United Arab Emirates [ UAE ] , ” explained Tim Eaton from the London-based Chatham House in an interview with FRANCE 24 .
“ Italy is searching around , trying to be heard .
I think we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministers in recent days about potential Italian engagement in Libya .
Other European powers such as the UK just haven ’ t really been willing to put in the amounts of engagement and leverage that would be required to really shift the dial.
” The European disarray sparked a pre-conference call for unity by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
In a column published on the Politico website Saturday , Erdogan said European leaders “ ought to talk a little less and focus on taking concrete steps ” .
Failure to do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Terrorist organizations such as ISIS [ Islamic State group ] and Al Qaeda , which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq , will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet.
” Turkey wades into contested waters Libya ’ s complicated proxy war pitches Sarraj ’ s government supported by Turkey , Qatar and Italy against the eastern Libyan-based Haftar backed by Egypt , the UAE , Saudi Arabia and France .
Russian military contractors have been fighting alongside Haftar ’ s forces , although Moscow retains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey meanwhile has responded to a GNA request for military intervention , sending Turkish troops as well as Syrian fighters to help the Tripoli administration ’ s fight against Haftar .
Ankara ’ s formal military entry into the Libyan fray – in exchange for prospecting rights in the hydrocarbon-rich eastern Mediterranean waters – sparked a flurry of diplomacy and discontent .
The deal between Sarraj and Erdogan for resources in contested waters incensed Greece , Israel and Cyprus , which have a trilateral undersea gas pipeline deal in the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the eastern Mediterranean is simmering with tensions ” Russia and Turkey expose Europe ’ s weakness Meanwhile Russia emerged as a major player this week when it got Sarraj and Haftar to travel to Moscow to hammer out a ceasefire .
While Sarraj signed the ceasefire deal , Haftar refused .
Although Ankara and Moscow have been on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict , the two powers have displayed an ability to work together , which was underscored by Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s recent visit to Istanbul amid alarming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO ’ s only Muslim majority member .
The confluence was a stark display of the diminished geopolitical influence of the West in Libya since a 2011 NATO bombing campaign ultimately led to longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi ’ s ouster .
“ The Western powers are aware of a sort of sketching out of a condominium between Turkey and Russia to share Libya to a certain extent , ” explained FRANCE 24 ’ s Nick Spicer reporting from Berlin .
“ The two countries aren ’ t in agreement on the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GNA ] , but they agree that they want to have a place at the table when peace talks do occur and that ’ s because of the oil reserves in that country and because they want to extend their influence in the Mediterranean.
” Over the past nine months , Western powers have declined to put their money and military power where their mouths are , by responding to Sarraj ’ s frequent calls for help with reiterations of commitments to “ a political solution ” despite the military subterfuge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Karim Mezran from the Atlantic Council ’ s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East , jolted Western powers .
“ All of a sudden US leadership has realized that the void it created by withdrawing from the area could be filled by others .
The Europeans in general have woken up to their loss of prestige and relevance in an area literally at its borders , ” wrote Mezran in an excoriating column published Friday .
France prevents ‘ Europe from taking any strong position ’ France ’ s role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong criticism from analysts across Europe and the US .
On the diplomatic front , France backs the UN-sponsored peace process between Sarraj and Haftar .
But France has been accused of providing military backing for Haftar , raising eyebrows in international circles and condemnation from the GNA .
In July 2016 , a French military helicopter crash near the eastern city of Benghazi killed three French soldiers and forced Paris to confirm , for the first time , that its special forces were operating in Libya .
“ France has long provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embarrassing discovery of French-owned American weaponry in one of Haftar ’ s bases .
France ’ s stance has prevented Europe from taking any strong position , launching initiatives that could introduce accountability mechanisms , or using any tool of leverage to constrain forces on the ground or their foreign backers , ” noted Tarek Megerisi from the Brussels-based European Council for Foreign Relations in a commentary published Friday .
Paris , like Moscow , has been hedging its bets in the Libyan conflict , persuaded by Haftar ’ s portrayal of himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stability to Libya and crush the Islamists in the North African nation .
But despite nine months of deadly fighting , Tripoli has not fallen to Haftar ’ s control nor has he won many admirers in western Libya .
On Saturday , for instance , protesters gathered in Tripoli ’ s Martyr ’ s Square to denounce Haftar ’ s inclusion in the Berlin talks .
`` After nine months they say that there will be a meeting in Berlin .
We now have the power and became able to return him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came , and I myself will not agree with any meeting nor will I be accepting any dictators .
We are a free people , a decent people , and a people that have suffered , and we have the men and the capacity to return him from where he came , '' Salah Belhaj , a Tripoli resident , told the Associated Press .
Despite the EU lack of policy unity , Megerisi maintains that it ’ s not too late for Europe to seize the latest diplomatic opportunity .
“ Regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe retains an authority over the diplomatic space that it can confer on any future settlement .
It should not under-appreciate this power to legitimise during the Berlin conference and what comes afterwards , ” he noted.While a resolution to the current hostilities is critical for a short-term fix , analysts warn that a peace will not hold unless non-military players , including Libyan civil society members , are engaged in a long term peace and reconciliation process.Germany , the host of the latest international attempt to bring peace at Europe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to some observers.Reporting from Berlin , Spicer noted that the Germans are “ seen by all sides as politically neutral .
They ’ re not present militarily , they don ’ t go off on military adventures , they ’ re not deeply involved in the oil , ” he explained.For Angela Merkel , who has announced she will step down as Germany ’ s chancellor in 2021 after 14 years in office , it could be a diplomatic win .
“ She ’ s a woman who ’ s said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my place in history.
’ But this may be a nice way to end her tenure , ” said Spicer .
“ Above all , Angela Merkel is a trusted interlocutor -- with [ French President Emmanuel ] Macron , she ’ s talked lots to him , with Erdogan , she ’ s also talked lots to Putin over the years about various crises and I think she might be the person who can really get the people at the table to agree on something .
”

A flurry of recent geostrategic gains by Turkey and Russia in Libya have underscored Europe’s failure to tackle a deadly crisis at its doorstep. Sunday’s conference on Libya in Berlin gives the European Union the chance to seize a diplomatic opportunity. But for that, Europe must overcome its divisions and crippling competitions.
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Libyans, over the past few years, have grown accustomed to the hypocrisy gap between statements emerging from international conferences on their war-torn country and the deadly reality on the ground.
But Sunday’s Berlin Conference on Libya – with the sheer volume and drama of gathering players and proxies, most of them flouting UN embargoes and summit statements – beats all previously held discouraging records.
The conference brings together world powers, regional and national players, as well as major multilateral organisations to the German capital under the Berlin Process that “aims to support the efforts of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his Special Representative Ghassan Salamé to end the conflict", according to the official conference website.
But the hurdles preventing participants from inching towards that goal are explicit in the opening line of the Berlin conference mission statement.
Since he took up the UN special representative for Libya post two years ago, Salamé has repeatedly called on foreign powers to stop interfering in the conflict in the North African nation. He repeated his call on the eve of the Berlin conference, but the sheer size of the participant list – which includes the five permanent UN Security Council members as well as regional players – belies the fact that no one is really listening to Salamé.
His boss, UN chief Guterres, suffered a similar fate during a visit to Libya last year. Guterres was in the Libyan capital on April 4, 2019, when Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar launched his military assault to seize control of Tripoli from the internationally recognised GNA (Government of National Accord) headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. The chutzpah of Haftar’s timing – while the UN chief was in Libya to help organise national reconciliation talks – caught everyone by surprise.
But it did not stop regional and world powers from overtly or surreptitiously continuing to back Haftar, breaching a UN arms embargo.
More than nine months later, the battle for Tripoli continues, with more than 2,280 people killed, including 280 civilians, and nearly 150,000 displacements, according to the UN. International human rights groups have unearthed “potential war crimes” during the war, but they barely make the international nightly news.
Headlines on Libya over the past few weeks have been dominated by an extraordinary jousting for power, resources and influence in a hydrocarbon-rich zone that bridges Africa, the Arab world and Europe.
EU should ‘talk a little less’
The diplomatic shuttle peaked with Turkey and Russia emerging this year as power centres in the contest for Libyan geostrategic gains, exposing Europe’s failure to address a major crisis on its doorstep.
While the EU supports the internationally recognised, Tripoli-based GNA, its member states have not, in deeds if not in words, been on the same page. The lack of unity has been particularly acute between France, a major EU military power, and Italy, Libya’s former colonial power that has historic oil interests in the North African nation.
“The problem is that the bloc [EU] doesn’t agree. France has a very strong position in its support for Khalifa Haftar, it’s provided significant diplomatic support [for Haftar] behind-the-scenes. France’s position is largely aligned with that of the United Arab Emirates [UAE],” explained Tim Eaton from the London-based Chatham House in an interview with FRANCE 24. “Italy is searching around, trying to be heard. I think we’ve heard quite extensive comments from Italian ministers in recent days about potential Italian engagement in Libya. Other European powers such as the UK just haven’t really been willing to put in the amounts of engagement and leverage that would be required to really shift the dial.”
The European disarray sparked a pre-conference call for unity by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a column published on the Politico website Saturday, Erdogan said European leaders “ought to talk a little less and focus on taking concrete steps”. Failure to do so, Erdogan warned, would ensure that, “Terrorist organisations such as ISIS [Islamic State group] and al Qaeda, which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq, will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet.”
Turkey wades into contested waters
Libya’s complicated proxy war pitches Sarraj’s government supported by Turkey, Qatar and Italy against the eastern Libyan-based Haftar backed by Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and France.
Russian military contractors have been fighting alongside Haftar’s forces, although Moscow retains links to both sides in the conflict. Turkey meanwhile has responded to a GNA request for military intervention, sending Turkish troops as well as Syrian fighters to help the Tripoli administration’s fight against Haftar.
Ankara’s formal military entry into the Libyan fray – in exchange for prospecting rights in the hydrocarbon-rich eastern Mediterranean waters – sparked a flurry of diplomacy and discontent. The deal between Sarraj and Erdogan for resources in contested waters incensed Greece, Israel and Cyprus, which have a trilateral undersea gas pipeline deal in the area.
>> “Between Ankara and Athens, the eastern Mediterranean is simmering with tensions”
Russia and Turkey expose Europe’s weakness
Meanwhile Russia emerged as a major player this week when it got Sarraj and Haftar to travel to Moscow to hammer out a ceasefire. While Sarraj signed the ceasefire deal, Haftar refused.
Although Ankara and Moscow have been on opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, the two powers have displayed an ability to work together, which was underscored by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Istanbul amid alarming signs of a partnership between Moscow and NATO’s only Muslim majority member.
The confluence was a stark display of the diminished geopolitical influence of the West in Libya since a 2011 NATO bombing campaign ultimately led to longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster.
“The Western powers are aware of a sort of sketching out of a condominium between Turkey and Russia to share Libya to a certain extent,” explained FRANCE 24’s Nick Spicer reporting from Berlin. “The two countries aren’t in agreement on the future of it [the fight between Haftar and the GNA], but they agree that they want to have a place at the table when peace talks do occur and that’s because of the oil reserves in that country and because they want to extend their influence in the Mediterranean.”
Over the past nine months, Western powers have declined to put their money and military power where their mouths are, by responding to Sarraj’s frequent calls for help with reiterations of commitments to “a political solution” despite the military subterfuge on the ground.
The Turkish response, according to Karim Mezran from the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, jolted Western powers. “All of a sudden US leadership has realized that the void it created by withdrawing from the area could be filled by others. The Europeans in general have woken up to their loss of prestige and relevance in an area literally at its borders,” wrote Mezran in an excoriating column published Friday.
France prevents ‘Europe from taking any strong position’
France’s role in Libya has come in for particularly strong criticism from analysts across Europe and the US.
On the diplomatic front, France backs the UN-sponsored peace process between Sarraj and Haftar. But France has been accused of providing military backing for Haftar, raising eyebrows in international circles and condemnation from the GNA.
In July 2016, a French military helicopter crash near the eastern city of Benghazi killed three French soldiers and forced Paris to confirm, for the first time, that its special forces were operating in Libya.
“France has long provided diplomatic support for Haftar, despite the embarrassing discovery of French-owned American weaponry in one of Haftar’s bases. France’s stance has prevented Europe from taking any strong position, launching initiatives that could introduce accountability mechanisms, or using any tool of leverage to constrain forces on the ground or their foreign backers,” noted Tarek Megerisi from the Brussels-based European Council for Foreign Relations in a commentary published Friday.
Paris, like Moscow, has been hedging its bets in the Libyan conflict, persuaded by Haftar’s portrayal of himself as the only man who can bring stability to Libya and crush the Islamists in the North African nation.
Haftar however turned out to be none of the above. His anti-Islamist sales pitch has been undermined by the use of Salafist fighters to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, which pleases his Arab backers whose zero-sum game form of diplomacy pleases Haftar. On the military front, despite nine months of deadly fighting, Tripoli has not fallen to Haftar’s control nor has he won many admirers in western Libya.
On Saturday, for instance, protesters gathered in Tripoli’s Martyr’s Square to denounce Haftar’s inclusion in the Berlin talks. "After nine months they say that there will be a meeting in Berlin. We now have the power and became able to return him (Haftar) back from where he came, and I myself will not agree with any meeting nor will I be accepting any dictators. We are a free people, a decent people, and a people that have suffered, and we have the men and the capacity to return him from where he came," Salah Belhaj, a Tripoli resident, told the Associated Press.
01:47
Merkel the trusted interlocutor
Despite the EU lack of policy unity, Megerisi maintains that it’s not too late for Europe to seize the latest diplomatic opportunity. “Regardless of its ineffectiveness on the ground, Europe retains an authority over the diplomatic space that it can confer on any future settlement. It should not under-appreciate this power to legitimise during the Berlin conference and what comes afterwards,” he noted.
While a resolution to the current hostilities is critical for a short-term fix, analysts warn that a peace will not hold unless non-military players, including Libyan civil society members, are engaged in a long-term peace and reconciliation process.
Germany, the host of the latest international attempt to bring peace at Europe’s doorstep, could play an important role, according to some observers.
Reporting from Berlin, Spicer noted that the Germans are “seen by all sides as politically neutral. They’re not present militarily, they don’t go off on military adventures, they’re not deeply involved in the oil,” he explained.
For Angela Merkel, who has announced she will step down as Germany’s chancellor in 2021 after 14 years in office, it could be a diplomatic win. “She’s a woman who’s said ‘I don’t think about my place in history.’ But this may be a nice way to end her tenure,” said Spicer. “Above all, Angela Merkel is a trusted interlocutor -- with [French President Emmanuel] Macron, she’s talked lots to him, with Erdogan, she’s also talked lots to Putin over the years about various crises and I think she might be the person who can really get the people at the table to agree on something.”
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france24--2020-01-18--Hundreds wounded as Lebanese protesters clash with security forces

A demonstrator throws a stone during a protest against a ruling elite accused of steering Lebanon towards economic crisis in Beirut , Lebanon January 18 , 2020 .
Clashes between police and protesters in Lebanon angered by delays in forming a government wounded more than 220 people on both sides Saturday as anti-establishment demonstrations enter a fourth month .
The sound of ambulance sirens rang out across Beirut as the Red Cross reported 80 wounded had been taken to hospital and 140 more were treated on site .
The protest movement rocking Lebanon since October 17 revived this week as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form a new government .
No progress appears to have been made towards finalising the cabinet , which protesters demand be comprised of independent experts and exclude all established political parties .
After several hours of clashes , the violence died down as demonstrators dispersed .
Several were arrested , local media said .
The violence began after dozens of protesters - some concealing their faces in scarves - threw rocks and large plant pots at police guarding the road leading up to parliament , while chanting `` We wo n't pay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with traffic signs and metal barriers .
Security forces behind the barricades responded with water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds .
Lebanon 's Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan said it was unacceptable for protesters to attack security forces .
`` I always asserted the right to protest , but for the protests to turn into a blatant assault on the security forces , on public and private property , is condemned and not acceptable at all , '' she said in a tweet .
The Internal Security Forces also took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and violent confrontation is taking place with anti-riot police at one of the entrances to parliament '' , they tweeted .
`` We ask peaceful protesters to keep away from the site of the rioting for their safety . ''
They published photos of several wounded policemen and a video showing pillars stripped of their tiles , reportedly to be thrown at security forces .
An AFP photographer saw young men uproot parking metres .
He also saw around 10 people faint from tear gas inhalation .
A 23-year-old woman named Maya said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ignoring demands for an overhaul of the old political class .
`` I 'm here because after more than 90 days in the streets , they 're still squabbling over their shares in government ...
It 's as if they did n't see our movement , '' she told AFP .
`` Popular anger is the solution , '' she said .
Forming a cabinet is an often convoluted process in Lebanon , where a complex system seeks to maintain balance between the country 's many political parties and religious confessions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old system , and demand a new government of impartial technocrats to address mounting economic woes , including a severe liquidity crisis .
This week public anger has been directed at banks , with branches in the capital 's Hamra district vandalised following widely unpopular limits on withdrawals and transfers .
Dozens were detained for several nights after clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday , before being released .
Human rights groups denounced the arrests and what they described as unacceptable violence against largely peaceful protesters .
The last government stepped down under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but has remained in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed .
Political factions that agreed on December 19 to appoint former education minister and Professor Hassan Diab as the new premier are now disagreeing over proposed ministers .
The World Bank has warned that the poverty rate in Lebanon could rise from a third to half of the population if the political crisis is not solved quickly .

Clashes between police and protesters in Lebanon angered by delays in forming a government wounded more than 220 people on both sides Saturday as anti-establishment demonstrations enter a fourth month.
A demonstrator throws a stone during a protest against a ruling elite accused of steering Lebanon towards economic crisis in Beirut, Lebanon January 18, 2020.
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The sound of ambulance sirens rang out across Beirut as the Red Cross reported 80 wounded had been taken to hospital and 140 more were treated on site.
The protest movement rocking Lebanon since October 17 revived this week as a deepening economic crisis increases pressure to form a new government.
No progress appears to have been made towards finalising the cabinet, which protesters demand be comprised of independent experts and exclude all established political parties.
FINAL UPDATE: 18 ambulances, 80 EMTs and 6 dispatchers from the LRC responded to the protests in downtown Beirut. Over 80 victims have been transported to nearby hospitals and over 140 injured were treated at the scene. LRC teams are still on standby and ready to respond. pic.twitter.com/p1OG7WFqwl — Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) January 18, 2020
‘We won’t pay the price’
After several hours of clashes, the violence died down as demonstrators dispersed. Several were arrested, local media said.
The violence began after dozens of protesters - some concealing their faces in scarves - threw rocks and large plant pots at police guarding the road leading up to parliament, while chanting "We won't pay the price". Others charged police lines with traffic signs and metal barriers.
Security forces behind the barricades responded with water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Lebanon's Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan said it was unacceptable for protesters to attack security forces. "I always asserted the right to protest, but for the protests to turn into a blatant assault on the security forces, on public and private property, is condemned and not acceptable at all," she said in a tweet.
اكتر من مرة تعهدت انو احمي التظاهرات السلمية، وكنت دايمن اكد ع أحقية التظاهر. بس انو تتحول ه التظاهرات لاعتداء سافر على عناصر #قوى_الامن والممتلكات العامة والخاصة، فهو امر مدان وغير مقبول ابدا. @LebISF — Raya Haffar El Hassan (@rayaelhassan) January 18, 2020
The Internal Security Forces also took to the social media: "A direct and violent confrontation is taking place with anti-riot police at one of the entrances to parliament", they tweeted. "We ask peaceful protesters to keep away from the site of the rioting for their safety."
They published photos of several wounded policemen and a video showing pillars stripped of their tiles, reportedly to be thrown at security forces.
An AFP photographer saw young men uproot parking metres. He also saw around 10 people faint from tear gas inhalation.
'Popular anger is the solution'
A 23-year-old woman named Maya said she was protesting because politicians seemed to be ignoring demands for an overhaul of the old political class.
"I'm here because after more than 90 days in the streets, they're still squabbling over their shares in government... It's as if they didn't see our movement," she told AFP. "Popular anger is the solution," she said.
Forming a cabinet is an often convoluted process in Lebanon, where a complex system seeks to maintain balance between the country's many political parties and religious confessions.
But protesters say they want to scrap the old system, and demand a new government of impartial technocrats to address mounting economic woes, including a severe liquidity crisis.
This week public anger has been directed at banks, with branches in the capital's Hamra district vandalised following widely unpopular limits on withdrawals and transfers.
Dozens were detained for several nights after clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, before being released.
Human rights groups denounced the arrests and what they described as unacceptable violence against largely peaceful protesters.
The last government stepped down under pressure from the street on October 29, but has remained in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.
Political factions that agreed on December 19 to appoint former education minister and Professor Hassan Diab as the new premier are now disagreeing over proposed ministers.
The World Bank has warned that the poverty rate in Lebanon could rise from a third to half of the population if the political crisis is not solved quickly.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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