france24--2020-08-05--Nations tighten mask rules, lockdowns as Covid-19 deaths approach 700,000

People wearing protective face masks walk at the Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on August 3 , 2020 .
France and the Netherlands are gearing up for stricter mask-wearing rules to fight the coronavirus as the global death toll from the pandemic neared 700,000 .
Paris , Toulouse and other cities announced that the wearing of masks would be compulsory in particularly busy streets and squares .
People already have to wear them inside most private businesses and all public buildings .
A scientific committee advising the French government warned that the country could lose control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In the Netherlands , the same mask-wearing measure will be applied in Rotterdam and the famous red-light district of Amsterdam from Wednesday .
And Ireland postponed the reopening of pubs and other nightspots on the advice of scientists , concerned about rising infections .
In other developments , the Philippines placed millions of people back under lockdown .
And the hunt for an effective treatment continued with the United States launching trials of an antibody treatment for COVID-19 .
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infections , and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals .
More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon , including the capital Manila , went back into a partial lockdown .
People have been told to stay home unless going out to buy essential goods , for exercise or for work , after the number of recorded infections surged past 100,000 .
But with only 24 hours ' notice of the shutdown , many people were stranded in Manila , unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year .
The worst hit country , the United States , had added 1,300 new deaths as of Tuesday evening , bringing its toll to nearly 156,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The caseload grew by 53,847 to nearly 4.8 million , it said .
Far from slowing down , the latest figures show that the rate of infection is accelerating .
Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
South America 's largest country has recorded more than 2.75 million cases , and nearly 95,000 deaths , nearly half the region 's 203,800 deaths .
The world 's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on finding a treatment .
The United States announced Tuesday it had begun late-stage clinical trials into a drug they hope will be an antibody against the coronavirus .
The Phase 3 trial will initially enroll some 300 volunteers around the world who have been hospitalized with mild to moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms .
On Monday , Russia said it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out `` several million '' doses per month by next year .
In response , the World Health Organization on Tuesday urged Russia to follow the established guidelines for producing safe and effective vaccines .
Just a day earlier , the agency 's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to focus on basic suppression measures , such as contact tracing , maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask .
`` There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there might never be , '' he warned .
Despite the grim numbers in America , President Donald Trump adopted a resolutely optimistic tone .
`` We 're seeing indications that our strong mitigation efforts are working very well , actually , especially to protect those who are most at risk , '' he said during a White House press conference addressing the pandemic .
In a morning tweet , he lashed out at his coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx after she warned the virus was `` extraordinarily widespread '' in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees as overly pessimistic media coverage of his much-criticized handling of the epidemic -- accused her of giving in to pressure to sound negative about the new surge .
`` Deborah took the bait & hit us .
Pathetic ! ''
Trump wrote on Twitter Monday .
Despite rising infection numbers in Europe , some countries are pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools and finding ways to keep their battered tourism sectors functioning .
Fears over the virus led defending champion Rafael Nadal to announce on Tuesday that he will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to start in New York on August 31 .
`` The situation is very complicated worldwide , the COVID-19 cases are increasing , it looks like we still do n't have control of it . ''
Nadal said on Twitter .
`` This is a decision I never wanted to take ... for the time being I rather not travel . ''
Women 's world number one Ashleigh Barty withdrew from the tournament last week citing `` significant risks '' from COVID-19 .

France and the Netherlands are gearing up for stricter mask-wearing rules to fight the coronavirus as the global death toll from the pandemic neared 700,000.
People wearing protective face masks walk at the Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on August 3, 2020.
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Paris, Toulouse and other cities announced that the wearing of masks would be compulsory in particularly busy streets and squares. People already have to wear them inside most private businesses and all public buildings.
A scientific committee advising the French government warned that the country could lose control of its spread "at any time."
In the Netherlands, the same mask-wearing measure will be applied in Rotterdam and the famous red-light district of Amsterdam from Wednesday.
And Ireland postponed the reopening of pubs and other nightspots on the advice of scientists, concerned about rising infections.
In other developments, the Philippines placed millions of people back under lockdown. And the hunt for an effective treatment continued with the United States launching trials of an antibody treatment for COVID-19.
Philippines resumes lockdown
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday in a bid to contain the rising rate of infections, and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals.
More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown.
People have been told to stay home unless going out to buy essential goods, for exercise or for work, after the number of recorded infections surged past 100,000.
But with only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many people were stranded in Manila, unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted.
More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year.
The worst hit country, the United States, had added 1,300 new deaths as of Tuesday evening, bringing its toll to nearly 156,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The caseload grew by 53,847 to nearly 4.8 million, it said.
Far from slowing down, the latest figures show that the rate of infection is accelerating.
Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean, where infections passed five million on Monday.
South America's largest country has recorded more than 2.75 million cases, and nearly 95,000 deaths, nearly half the region's 203,800 deaths.
US announces clinical trials
The world's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on finding a treatment.
The United States announced Tuesday it had begun late-stage clinical trials into a drug they hope will be an antibody against the coronavirus.
The Phase 3 trial will initially enroll some 300 volunteers around the world who have been hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19 with fewer than 13 days of symptoms.
On Monday, Russia said it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.
In response, the World Health Organization on Tuesday urged Russia to follow the established guidelines for producing safe and effective vaccines.
Just a day earlier, the agency's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to focus on basic suppression measures, such as contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.
"There's no silver bullet at the moment -- and there might never be," he warned.
'Extraordinarily widespread'
Despite the grim numbers in America, President Donald Trump adopted a resolutely optimistic tone.
"We're seeing indications that our strong mitigation efforts are working very well, actually, especially to protect those who are most at risk," he said during a White House press conference addressing the pandemic.
In a morning tweet, he lashed out at his coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx after she warned the virus was "extraordinarily widespread" in the US.
Trump -- angered by what he sees as overly pessimistic media coverage of his much-criticized handling of the epidemic -- accused her of giving in to pressure to sound negative about the new surge.
"Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!" Trump wrote on Twitter Monday.
So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020
Despite rising infection numbers in Europe, some countries are pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools and finding ways to keep their battered tourism sectors functioning.
Angry Nadal withdraws from US Open
Fears over the virus led defending champion Rafael Nadal to announce on Tuesday that he will not play the US Open, which is due to start in New York on August 31.
"The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it." Nadal said on Twitter.
After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year’s US Open. The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don’t have control of it. — Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 4, 2020
"This is a decision I never wanted to take... for the time being I rather not travel."
Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty withdrew from the tournament last week citing "significant risks" from COVID-19.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-05--Forest fire near Marseille forces hundreds of evacuations

A forest fire on August 4 , 2020 ravaged 800 hectares of vegetation near the southern French city of Marseille .
A forest fire Tuesday ravaged 800 hectares of vegetation near the southern French city of Marseille , forcing the evacuation of over 200 people , officials said .
There were no casualties thus far from the blaze that broke out west of Marseille , as 1,200 firefighters and water bombing planes were deployed to fight the flames .
Some 225 people , mostly tourists and campers , were evacuated by boat to a nearby fishing village and then taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town of Martigues .
`` We are braced for a difficult fight throughout the night , '' said a spokesman for the firefighting service in the Bouches du Rhone department .
The fire broke out in the afternoon , sending out plumes of black smoke .
It crossed eight kilometres in two hours , fanned by strong winds , the firefighting service said .
Seven water-dumping planes and a number of helicopters and other aircraft were deployed to back up 1,200 firefighters , officials said .
`` We were in Martigues for shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in La Couronne .
All the roads have been cut off and the fire 's burning everywhere , '' said Mylene Greffeuille .
`` We 're very worried because my father is old and he is La Couronne , '' near the fire , she said .
Part of a highway from Marseille to Martigues has been closed .

A forest fire Tuesday ravaged 800 hectares of vegetation near the southern French city of Marseille, forcing the evacuation of over 200 people, officials said.
A forest fire on August 4, 2020 ravaged 800 hectares of vegetation near the southern French city of Marseille.
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There were no casualties thus far from the blaze that broke out west of Marseille, as 1,200 firefighters and water bombing planes were deployed to fight the flames.
Some 225 people, mostly tourists and campers, were evacuated by boat to a nearby fishing village and then taken by bus to makeshift shelters in the town of Martigues.
"We are braced for a difficult fight throughout the night," said a spokesman for the firefighting service in the Bouches du Rhone department.
The fire broke out in the afternoon, sending out plumes of black smoke. It crossed eight kilometres in two hours, fanned by strong winds, the firefighting service said.
Seven water-dumping planes and a number of helicopters and other aircraft were deployed to back up 1,200 firefighters, officials said.
"We were in Martigues for shopping but now we cannot enter our home in La Couronne. All the roads have been cut off and the fire's burning everywhere," said Mylene Greffeuille.
"We're very worried because my father is old and he is La Couronne," near the fire, she said.
Part of a highway from Marseille to Martigues has been closed.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-04--Lebanese rescue workers hunt for survivors after deadly Beirut blast

Smoke is seen after an explosion in Beirut , Lebanon August 4 , 2020 , in this picture obtained from social media .
Lebanese rescue workers dug through the rubble looking for survivors of a powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut , killing 78 people and injuring nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise .
Tuesday 's blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut , already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections .
President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombs , had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures , and he said that was `` unacceptable '' .
He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday .
Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast .
A security source and local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse .
`` What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe , '' the head of Lebanon 's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casualties everywhere . ''
Hours after the blast , which struck shortly after 6 p.m. ( 1500 GMT ) , a fire still blazed in the port district , casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital .
The blast revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath , when Lebanese endured heavy shelling , car bombings and Israeli air raids .
Some residents thought an earthquake had struck .
Dazed , weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off metres away .
I was in a daze and was all covered in blood .
It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983 , '' said Huda Baroudi , a Beirut designer .
Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the `` dangerous warehouse '' , adding `` those responsible will pay the price . ''
The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast , urging people to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There are many people missing .
People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity , '' Health Minister Hamad Hasan told Reuters .
Hasan said 78 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured .
Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port , followed by an enormous blast , sending a white cloud and a fireball into the sky .
Those filming the incident from high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the port were thrown backwards by the shock .
Bleeding people were seen running and shouting for help in clouds of smoke and dust in streets littered with damaged buildings , flying debris , and wrecked cars and furniture .
The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others .
Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about one mile ) from the port .
Israeli officials said Israel , which has fought several wars with Lebanon , had nothing to do with Tuesday 's blast and said their country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance .
Shi'ite Iran , the main backer of Hezbollah , also offered support , as did Tehran 's regional rival Saudi Arabia , a leading Sunni power .
At a White House briefing , U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the explosion was a possible attack , but two U.S. officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial information contradicted Trump 's view .

Lebanese rescue workers dug through the rubble looking for survivors of a powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut, killing 78 people and injuring nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise.
Smoke is seen after an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media.
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Tuesday's blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.
President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, and he said that was "unacceptable".
He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
05:23
Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast. A security source and local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse.
"What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe," the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. "There are victims and casualties everywhere."
Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.
00:35
The blast revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck.
Dazed, weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for relatives.
“The blast blew me off metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood. It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983," said Huda Baroudi, a Beirut designer.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the "dangerous warehouse", adding "those responsible will pay the price."
The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.
Many missing
"There are many people missing. People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hasan told Reuters.
Hasan said 78 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured.
Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port, followed by an enormous blast, sending a white cloud and a fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (one mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.
Bleeding people were seen running and shouting for help in clouds of smoke and dust in streets littered with damaged buildings, flying debris, and wrecked cars and furniture.
The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.
Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km (about one mile) from the port.
Israeli officials said Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, had nothing to do with Tuesday's blast and said their country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance. Shi'ite Iran, the main backer of Hezbollah, also offered support, as did Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni power.
At a White House briefing, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the explosion was a possible attack, but two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial information contradicted Trump's view.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blasts as Lebanese vent anger at rulers

Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blasts as Lebanese vent anger at rulers Lebanon 's government announced a two-week state of @ @ @ @ @ day after twin blasts in the capital 's port killed at least 135 people and @ @ @ @ @ leaving scores more missing .
Follow the day 's events as they happened on our @ @

Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blasts as Lebanese vent anger at rulers
Lebanon's government announced a two-week state of emergency on Wednesday, a day after twin blasts in the capital's port killed at least 137 people and injured more than 5,000, leaving scores more missing. Follow the day's events as they happened on our liveblog.
01:57 A member of security forces walks past the damage near the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon August 5, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher REUTERS - AZIZ TAHER
Advertising Read more Two massive explosions at Beirut's port sent shock waves across the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, flattening buildings and leaving up to 250,000 people homeless
Lebanese officials say the likely cause was the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for years in a warehouse
An unspecified number of Beirut port officials have been placed under house arrest pending an investigation into the explosions
World leaders have pledged support, with France sending rescuers, medical equipment and a mobile clinic ahead of a visit by President Emmanuel Macron
The UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 Beirut bombing that killed former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri has delayed its verdict until Aug.18
Lebanon was already on the brink of collapse amid a severe economic crisis that has ignited mass protests in recent months Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-08-05--Fauci expects tens of millions of Covid vaccines ready in early 2021

Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Washington , DC , on June 30 , 2020 .
Drugmakers will likely have tens of millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine in the early part of next year , with production ramping up so that it hits a billion doses by the end of 2021 , Anthony Fauci , the top U.S. government official on infectious diseases , said in a Reuters interview on Wednesday .
Fauci said he has not seen any pressure from the White House to announce a vaccine close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of boosting President Donald Trump 's re-election chances .
He added that regulators have promised `` they are not going to let political considerations interfere '' with the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine and that `` safety and efficacy '' will be primary considerations .
Fauci 's interview with Reuters came on the same day Trump said in an interview with Fox News that the virus is `` going away .
It will go away like things go away . ''
Fauci offered a more mixed assessment , saying some parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus , while others were `` on fire . ''
He characterized the varying responses to the virus as `` disjointed '' - owing to the size and the diversity of the nation .
Fauci said he hoped the pandemic would be under greater control by the end of the year , when he expects a vaccine to be available .
While Fauci stressed that there is a `` middle ground '' in which the country can prudently reopen , he said the politicization of mask-wearing was detrimental to the @ @ @ @ @

Drugmakers will likely have tens of millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine in the early part of next year, with production ramping up so that it hits a billion doses by the end of 2021, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. government official on infectious diseases, said in a Reuters interview on Wednesday.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2020.
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Fauci said he has not seen any pressure from the White House to announce a vaccine close to the Nov. 3 election in the hopes of boosting President Donald Trump's re-election chances.
He added that regulators have promised "they are not going to let political considerations interfere" with the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine and that "safety and efficacy" will be primary considerations.
Fauci's interview with Reuters came on the same day Trump said in an interview with Fox News that the virus is "going away. It will go away like things go away."
Fauci offered a more mixed assessment, saying some parts of the country had done well in containing the spread of the virus, while others were "on fire."
He characterized the varying responses to the virus as "disjointed" - owing to the size and the diversity of the nation.
Fauci said he hoped the pandemic would be under greater control by the end of the year, when he expects a vaccine to be available.
While Fauci stressed that there is a "middle ground" in which the country can prudently reopen, he said the politicization of mask-wearing was detrimental to the fight against the virus.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--Chief Aritana, influential indigenous leader in Brazil, dies of Covid-19

FILE PHOTO : Yawalapiti chief Aritana is seen in the Xingu National Park , Mato Grosso State , May 9 , 2012 .
Chief Aritana Yawalapiti , one of Brazil 's most influential indigenous leaders who led the people of Upper Xingu in central Brazil and helped create an indigenous park there , died on Wednesday from COVID-19 , his family said in a statement .
His death underscores the threat that Brazil 's indigenous people are facing from the novel coronavirus pandemic that has spread to their vulnerable communities , infected thousands and killed hundreds .
Aritana , 71 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ago in a risky 9-hour drive from the western state of Mato Grosso , breathing with the aid of oxygen tanks so that he could get to an intensive care unit .
He died at the hospital from lung complications caused by the disease .
His doctor Celso Correia Batista , who serves the indigenous people in the Xingu region , first drove Aritana 10 hours to the small Mato Grosso town of Canarana , where his lung condition deteriorated .
With no ICU and unable to find a doctor willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to drive on to Goiânia .
One of the most traditional indigenous leaders in Central Brazil , Aritana led the people of the Upper Xingu and was one of the last speakers of the language of his tribe , Yawalapiti .
Aritana worked with the Villas-Bôas brothers to create the Xingu National Park , the first vast protected indigenous area in the Amazon where 16 tribes live .
According to Brazil 's largest indigenous umbrella organization APIB , 631 indigenous people have died from COVID-19 and there have been 22,325 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry of Health reports a smaller number of 294 deaths among indigenous people and 16,509 confirmed cases , because it does not count indigenous people who have left their lands and moved to urban areas .

Chief Aritana Yawalapiti, one of Brazil's most influential indigenous leaders who led the people of Upper Xingu in central Brazil and helped create an indigenous park there, died on Wednesday from COVID-19, his family said in a statement.
Yawalapiti chief Aritana is seen in the Xingu National Park, Mato Grosso State, May 9, 2012.
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His death underscores the threat that Brazil's indigenous people are facing from the novel coronavirus pandemic that has spread to their vulnerable communities, infected thousands and killed hundreds.
Aritana, 71, was rushed to a Goiânia hospital two weeks ago in a risky 9-hour drive from the western state of Mato Grosso, breathing with the aid of oxygen tanks so that he could get to an intensive care unit. He died at the hospital from lung complications caused by the disease.
His doctor Celso Correia Batista, who serves the indigenous people in the Xingu region, first drove Aritana 10 hours to the small Mato Grosso town of Canarana, where his lung condition deteriorated.
With no ICU and unable to find a doctor willing to transport Aritana by air, Batista decided to drive on to Goiânia.
One of the most traditional indigenous leaders in Central Brazil, Aritana led the people of the Upper Xingu and was one of the last speakers of the language of his tribe, Yawalapiti.
Aritana worked with the Villas-Bôas brothers to create the Xingu National Park, the first vast protected indigenous area in the Amazon where 16 tribes live.
According to Brazil's largest indigenous umbrella organization APIB, 631 indigenous people have died from COVID-19 and there have been 22,325 confirmed cases in the community so far.
The Ministry of Health reports a smaller number of 294 deaths among indigenous people and 16,509 confirmed cases, because it does not count indigenous people who have left their lands and moved to urban areas.
Half of Brazil's 300 indigenous tribes have confirmed infections.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--Dutch cyclist Jakobsen put in induced coma after collision at Tour of Poland

A rescue helicopter is seen on the site where Dutch cyclists Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen crashed , while at the finish line on stage one of the Tour de Pologne in Katowice , Poland August 5 , 2020 Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen has been put in a medically-induced coma after crashing at the finish line on stage one of the Tour of Poland following a collision with compatriot Dylan Groenewegen , the country 's state controlled news agency PAP reported on Wednesday .
Jakobsen , who rides for the Deceuninck-Quick Step team , was jostling for position with Groenewegen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair came together and Jakobsen crashed into the barriers and collided with a race official .
The sport 's governing body , the UCI , issued a statement strongly condemning what it called the `` dangerous behaviour '' of Groenewegen , accusing him of causing the crash and disqualifying him from the race .
`` The UCI , which considers the behaviour unacceptable , immediately referred the matter to the Disciplinary Commission to request the imposition of sanctions commensurate with the seriousness of the facts , '' the UCI said .
Czeslaw Lang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Groenewegen for the incident .
`` The competitor who caused this accident drove very incorrectly , because while riding in the middle , seeing that someone was coming out on the right , he started to pull down to the right , '' Lang told state-controlled TVP .
The race official 's condition is not life threatening , PAP also reported .
The organisers were not immediately available for a comment .
The 77th Tour of Poland was meant to be held in July but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 196 km first stage taking the riders from the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow , southern Poland to Katowice .
The race was reduced to five stages from the seven originally planned in order to leave room on the calendar for other re-scheduled races .

Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen has been put in a medically-induced coma after crashing at the finish line on stage one of the Tour of Poland following a collision with compatriot Dylan Groenewegen, the country's state controlled news agency PAP reported on Wednesday.
A rescue helicopter is seen on the site where Dutch cyclists Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen crashed, while at the finish line on stage one of the Tour de Pologne in Katowice, Poland August 5, 2020
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Jakobsen, who rides for the Deceuninck-Quick Step team, was jostling for position with Groenewegen in the final metres, but the pair came together and Jakobsen crashed into the barriers and collided with a race official.
The sport's governing body, the UCI, issued a statement strongly condemning what it called the "dangerous behaviour" of Groenewegen, accusing him of causing the crash and disqualifying him from the race.
"The UCI, which considers the behaviour unacceptable, immediately referred the matter to the Disciplinary Commission to request the imposition of sanctions commensurate with the seriousness of the facts," the UCI said.
Czeslaw Lang, the race director, also criticised Groenewegen for the incident.
"The competitor who caused this accident drove very incorrectly, because while riding in the middle, seeing that someone was coming out on the right, he started to pull down to the right," Lang told state-controlled TVP.
The race official's condition is not life threatening, PAP also reported.
The organisers were not immediately available for a comment.
The 77th Tour of Poland was meant to be held in July but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The race began on Wednesday, with the 196 km first stage taking the riders from the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow, southern Poland to Katowice. The race was reduced to five stages from the seven originally planned in order to leave room on the calendar for other re-scheduled races.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--Repression intensifies in Zimbabwe amid economic, healthcare crisis

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to “ flush out ” political opponents on Tuesday , as activist groups said that scores of campaigners and protesters have been arrested in an expansive clampdown over the past week .
Analysts say repression is amplifying in Zimbabwe , nearly three years after Mnangagwa helped oust his former mentor Robert Mugabe .
In an unexpected speech to the nation on August 4 , Mnangagwa declared that his government is facing “ many hurdles and attacks ” and that “ the bad apples who have attempted to divide our people and to weaken our systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will overcome attempts at destabilisation of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors , ” the president continued .
The same day , activist group Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said it was representing at least 20 people arrested since the government thwarted protests planned for the previous Friday – including Fadzayi Mahere , spokesperson for the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change , and Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga , who were accused of inciting public violence .
Mahere took to Facebook Live to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming to arrest her at a restaurant on Monday .
Dangarembga , who is currently on bail , told Reuters on Tuesday that “ it ’ s like the people of Zimbabwe are in a chokehold ” .
On Monday , the hashtag # ZimbabweanLivesMatter trended on Twitter across the globe .
“ Public repression is indeed intensifying , and it is being applied as a first resort , ” Stephen Chan , a Zimbabwe expert at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London , told FRANCE 24 .
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police to shut down the capital Harare , thereby blocking the protests planned by Jacob Ngarivhume , leader of the small opposition party Transform Zimbabwe – citing Covid-19 as the reason for the lockdown .
“ The Zimbabwean government has used the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext to strengthen its grip on power and curtail the freedom of expression of the opposition and civil society movements , ” Virginie Roiron , a Zimbabwe specialist at Sciences Po Strasbourg University , told FRANCE 24 .
The demonstrations were intended to decry corruption and mismanagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – as well as marking two years since the disputed election that cemented Mnangagwa ’ s grip on power .
Ahead of the suppressed protests , Ngarivhume was arrested with inciting violence on July 20 , along with Hopewell Chin ’ ono – a prominent journalist and documentary filmmaker who in June helped uncover the “ Covidgate ” scandal , in which the health minister was sacked and arrested for over alleged corruption in a $ 60 million deal to procure supplies for the fight against the coronavirus .
A further financial scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was revealed that the Zimbabwean public funds were used to buy luxury cars such as Range Rovers for senior civil servants – costing millions of dollars collectively .
Covidgate emerged amid recurrent health workers ’ strikes over low pay and a lack of equipment ; public hospitals are in such a poor condition that “ unborn children and mothers are dying daily ” , the Zimbabwe Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told Reuters .
“ In the time of Covid , the steady meltdown in health services has now become not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stands in stark contrast to the wealth of the oligarchs who , it seems , are prepared to steal even from the embattled health sector , ” Chan said .
The broader economic outlook is similarly worrying .
Inflation is running at 737 percent – the second highest in the world , behind Venezuela – while the UN ’ s World Food Programme projects that 60 percent of Zimbabweans will suffer from food insecurity by the end of the year .
Mnangagwa introduced a reform package with IMF support in May 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn a new page after economic crises racked Zimbabwe during the last two decades under Mugabe .
But in March 2020 – by which point the new Zimbabwean dollar had lost most of its value – the IMF declared that the country was facing an “ economic and humanitarian crisis ” and that Mnangagwa ’ s programme was “ off-track ” because of “ missteps ” in its implementation .
“ The worsening repression is linked to the macroeconomic instability the country is going through , ” said Marisa Lourenço , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Risks .
“ The government keeps changing its monetary policy , which is not good for the economy , as it doesn ’ t address the high inflation rate and limited currency reserves ” she told FRANCE 24 .
“ There is a shortage of goods going on , in part because of a drought affecting food supply , but also because the currency shortages mean the government doesn ’ t have the money to buy what it needs , ” Lourenço continued .
“ So you have people who are starving and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat because of economic stoppages under Covid-19 .
Meanwhile the government is unable to stimulate the economy – it ’ s getting no funding support and limited private sector investment because it now has such a poor relationship with the international community.
” Some of those foreign observers proclaimed their optimism when Mnangagwa allies in the military ended Mugabe ’ s 37-year rule and installed him as boss in the November 2017 coup – such as Britain ’ s then international development secretary Rory Stewart , who rapidly flew to Harare , expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set on a different , more democratic and more prosperous path ” .
This was despite Mnangagwa ’ s longstanding reputation as Mugabe ’ s ruthless enforcer .
“ People chose not to recognise a coup for what it was , even though military coups like that have always been conservative ; they are not about reform , ” Miles Tendi , an associate professor of at Oxford University , told FRANCE 24 .
“ Now we see a very restricted political space for the opposition , and a lot of fear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong enough to overthrow this government , ” added Nic Cheeseman , professor of democracy and international development at Birmingham University , speaking to FRANCE 24 .
“ But making sure that everyone understands this , and getting them to mobilise at the same time , is extremely hard in the face of a brutal government that is showing no respect for the rule of law , ” he concluded .

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to “flush out” political opponents on Tuesday, as activist groups said that scores of campaigners and protesters have been arrested in an expansive clampdown over the past week. Analysts say repression is amplifying in Zimbabwe, nearly three years after Mnangagwa helped oust his former mentor Robert Mugabe.
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In an unexpected speech to the nation on August 4, Mnangagwa declared that his government is facing “many hurdles and attacks” and that “the bad apples who have attempted to divide our people and to weaken our systems will be flushed out”.
“We will overcome attempts at destabilisation of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors,” the president continued.
The same day, activist group Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said it was representing at least 20 people arrested since the government thwarted protests planned for the previous Friday – including Fadzayi Mahere, spokesperson for the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change, and Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, who were accused of inciting public violence.
Covid-19 ‘used as a pretext’
Mahere took to Facebook Live to film police wearing helmets and bearing truncheons coming to arrest her at a restaurant on August 3. Dangarembga, who is currently on bail, told Reuters on Tuesday that “it’s like the people of Zimbabwe are in a chokehold”. On Monday, the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter trended on Twitter across the globe.
“Public repression is indeed intensifying, and it is being applied as a first resort,” Stephen Chan, a Zimbabwe expert at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, told FRANCE 24.
Last week Mnangagwa’s government sent soldiers and police to shut down the capital Harare, thereby blocking the protests planned by Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the small opposition party Transform Zimbabwe – citing Covid-19 as the reason for the lockdown.
“The Zimbabwean government has used the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext to strengthen its grip on power and curtail the freedom of expression of the opposition and civil society movements,” Virginie Roiron, a Zimbabwe specialist at Sciences Po Strasbourg University, told FRANCE 24.
The demonstrations were intended to decry corruption and mismanagement of the country’s imploding economy – as well as marking two years since the disputed election that cemented Mnangagwa’s rule.
Ahead of the suppressed protests, Ngarivhume was arrested with inciting violence on July 20, along with Hopewell Chin’ono – a prominent journalist and documentary filmmaker who in June helped uncover the “Covidgate” scandal, in which the health minister was sacked and arrested over alleged corruption in a $60 million deal to procure supplies for the fight against the coronavirus.
A further financial scandal was uncovered in early July, when it was revealed that the Zimbabwean public funds were used to buy luxury cars such as Range Rovers for senior civil servants – costing millions of dollars collectively.
‘Meltdown in health services’
Covidgate emerged amid recurrent health workers’ strikes over low pay and a lack of equipment. Public hospitals are in such a poor condition that “unborn children and mothers are dying daily”, the Zimbabwe Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told Reuters.
“In the time of Covid, the steady meltdown in health services has now become not just a bad dream but a nightmare, and stands in stark contrast to the wealth of the oligarchs who, it seems, are prepared to steal even from the embattled health sector,” Chan said.
The broader economic outlook is similarly worrying. Inflation is running at 737 percent – the second highest in the world, behind Venezuela – while the UN’s World Food Programme projects that 60 percent of Zimbabweans will suffer from food insecurity by the end of the year.
Mnangagwa introduced a reform package with IMF support in May 2019, including a new currency – seeking to turn a new page after economic crises racked Zimbabwe during the last two decades under Mugabe. But in March 2020 – by which point the new Zimbabwean dollar had lost most of its value – the IMF declared that the country was facing an “economic and humanitarian crisis” and that Mnangagwa’s programme was “off-track” because of “missteps” in its implementation.
“The worsening repression is linked to the macroeconomic instability the country is going through,” said Marisa Lourenço, a southern Africa analyst at consultancy firm Control Risks. “The government keeps changing its monetary policy, which is not good for the economy, as it doesn’t address the high inflation rate and limited currency reserves” she told FRANCE 24.
“There is a shortage of goods going on, in part because of a drought affecting food supply, but also because the currency shortages mean the government doesn’t have the money to buy what it needs,” Lourenço continued. “So you have people who are starving and people whose livelihoods are now under further threat because of economic stoppages under Covid-19. Meanwhile the government is unable to stimulate the economy – it’s getting no funding support and limited private sector investment because it now has such a poor relationship with the international community.”
‘A lot of fear’
Some of those foreign observers proclaimed their optimism when Mnangagwa allies in the military ended Mugabe’s 37-year rule and installed him as boss in the November 2017 coup – such as Britain’s then international development secretary Rory Stewart, who rapidly flew to Harare, expressing “real hope that Zimbabwe can be set on a different, more democratic and more prosperous path”. This was despite Mnangagwa’s longstanding reputation as Mugabe’s ruthless enforcer.
“People chose not to recognise a coup for what it was, even though military coups like that have always been about preserving the status quo; they are not about reform,” Miles Tendi, an associate professor of African politics at Oxford University, told FRANCE 24. “Now we see a very restricted political space for the opposition, and a lot of fear,” he continued.
“Zimbabweans are strong enough to overthrow this government,” added Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy and international development at Birmingham University, speaking to FRANCE 24.
“But making sure that everyone understands this, and getting them to mobilise at the same time, is extremely hard in the face of a brutal government that is showing no respect for the rule of law,” he concluded.
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france24--2020-08-05--'An earthquake': Beirut blasts heap further misery on crisis-wracked Lebanon

A woman , who was injured in Tuesday 's blasts , sits next to her husband outside their damaged grocery in the Lebanese capital .
For the Lebanese people , who have watched helplessly as their economy has collapsed in recent months , the devastation wrought by Tuesday 's blasts in Beirut is one disaster too many .
The deadly blasts struck at a time when Lebanon 's currency has plummeted against the dollar , businesses have closed en masse and poverty has soared at the same alarming rate as unemployment .
`` It 's an earthquake , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association International charity founded during the 1975-1990 civil war .
`` I 've been working in humanitarian aid in Lebanon for 47 years , and I 've never seen anything like this , '' he said as hospitals were overflowing with wounded and the capital was reeling in shock .
Lebanon 's government has declared a two-week state of emergency following Tuesday 's devastating blasts , which killed more than 100 people and injured thousands more .
For months already , many Lebanese struggling in the country 's worst economic crisis in decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the nearly two million Syrian and Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon .
Amid the economic turmoil , cash shortages , pandemic and street protests , Lebanon 's middle class — teachers , civil servants , nurses — have already seen their lives turned upside down .
> > Lebanon ’ s neo-liberal wheels sped to a dream future , but the past applies the brakes Now , after the massive explosions that ravaged Beirut 's port , officials estimate that an additional 300,000 residents will be left homeless .
And the disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already asking for help from international donors is expected to range between $ 3 billion and $ 5 billion dollars .
Maya Terro , founder of Food Blessed , a local charity that distributes food aid , now expects a huge additional demand .
Beirut 's port , which was flattened by the explosions , is the main gateway for imports .
`` Lebanon imports 80 percent of its food , '' Terro said .
`` Immediately I thought : empty supermarket shelves , increased prices due to shortages . ''
Inflation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 109 percent between September and May , according to the UN 's World Food Programme ( WFP ) .
The UN 's Food and Agriculture Organization warned Tuesday that , after huge wheat stockpiles at the port were destroyed , `` we fear that we will soon have a problem with the availability of flour for the country '' .
Even before the explosions , life was a daily struggle against poverty and hopelessness , Gaby , a former civil servant in his fifties living in a suburb of Beirut , told AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who used to fire up the grill twice a month for a family barbecue , said he now has no choice but to go to a charity to get rice and pasta .
`` I feel like I am asking for alms , '' he said .
With hyperinflation , neither his pension — worth $ 1,600 at official rates , but just $ 300 on the black market — nor his work as a taxi driver or his wife 's salary as a nurse are enough to support family needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said the father of four .
`` We used to have meat four times a week .
Today , nothing at all , not even chicken . ''
Nearly half of Lebanese now live below the poverty line , according to official statistics .
Economic difficulties were a key driver of mass protests that began last year against a political system widely seen as corrupt and inept .
The economic crisis has been compounded by the loss of income caused by restrictions to stem the Covid-19 pandemic .
Two-thirds of Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a WFP survey in June , while two-fifths of those questioned had gone into debt to buy food or pay rent .
WFP , working with the government , was planning to boost aid to help 697,000 people this year , up from just under 140,000 in 2019 , spokesperson Malak Jaafar told AFP before the explosions .
Amel Association International said that , even before the blasts , it was already seeing a rise in numbers of Lebanese citizens seeking aid in its more than 20 centres , especially for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months of 2020 saw a 30 percent increase in the number of Lebanese beneficiaries , '' said health programme coordinator Mohammed Al-Zayed .
`` In Lebanon the healthcare is based on the private sector .
As a result , services are expensive , and people have reached a point where they can no longer pay . ''
Doctors Without Borders in June received 81 Lebanese patients , about three times the normal number , said Axelle Franchomme , medical director of the Bar Elias hospital in the eastern Bekaa region .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in her thirties , who had turned to the medical charity for their free gynaecological surgery due to a lack of funds .
`` My husband has been out of work for a while , '' said Ihsane , explaining how they had already sold one of their two cars to raise cash .
`` Everything has become difficult , everything is expensive , '' she said .
`` We can not have the same life as before '' .

For the Lebanese people, who have watched helplessly as their economy has collapsed in recent months, the devastation wrought by Tuesday's blasts in Beirut is one disaster too many.
A woman, who was injured in Tuesday's blasts, sits next to her husband outside their damaged grocery in the Lebanese capital.
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The deadly blasts struck at a time when Lebanon's currency has plummeted against the dollar, businesses have closed en masse and poverty has soared at the same alarming rate as unemployment.
"It's an earthquake," said Kamel Mohanna, founder of the Amel Association International charity founded during the 1975-1990 civil war.
"I've been working in humanitarian aid in Lebanon for 47 years, and I've never seen anything like this," he said as hospitals were overflowing with wounded and the capital was reeling in shock.
Lebanon's government has declared a two-week state of emergency following Tuesday's devastating blasts, which killed more than 100 people and injured thousands more.
For months already, many Lebanese struggling in the country's worst economic crisis in decades have turned to charities once largely dedicated to the nearly two million Syrian and Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.
Amid the economic turmoil, cash shortages, pandemic and street protests, Lebanon's middle class — teachers, civil servants, nurses — have already seen their lives turned upside down.
>> Lebanon’s neo-liberal wheels sped to a dream future, but the past applies the brakes
Now, after the massive explosions that ravaged Beirut's port, officials estimate that an additional 300,000 residents will be left homeless.
And the disaster damage bill for an indebted country that was already asking for help from international donors is expected to range between $3 billion and $5 billion dollars.
'Asking for alms'
Maya Terro, founder of Food Blessed, a local charity that distributes food aid, now expects a huge additional demand. Beirut's port, which was flattened by the explosions, is the main gateway for imports.
"Lebanon imports 80 percent of its food," Terro said. "Immediately I thought: empty supermarket shelves, increased prices due to shortages."
Inflation of basic food goods already soared by 109 percent between September and May, according to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned Tuesday that, after huge wheat stockpiles at the port were destroyed, "we fear that we will soon have a problem with the availability of flour for the country".
Even before the explosions, life was a daily struggle against poverty and hopelessness, Gaby, a former civil servant in his fifties living in a suburb of Beirut, told AFP several days before the disaster.
Gaby, who used to fire up the grill twice a month for a family barbecue, said he now has no choice but to go to a charity to get rice and pasta.
"I feel like I am asking for alms," he said.
With hyperinflation, neither his pension — worth $1,600 at official rates, but just $300 on the black market — nor his work as a taxi driver or his wife's salary as a nurse are enough to support family needs.
"We deprive ourselves of a lot," said the father of four. "We used to have meat four times a week. Today, nothing at all, not even chicken."
'Everything is difficult'
Nearly half of Lebanese now live below the poverty line, according to official statistics.
Economic difficulties were a key driver of mass protests that began last year against a political system widely seen as corrupt and inept.
The economic crisis has been compounded by the loss of income caused by restrictions to stem the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two-thirds of Lebanese households have seen their income drop, according to a WFP survey in June, while two-fifths of those questioned had gone into debt to buy food or pay rent.
WFP, working with the government, was planning to boost aid to help 697,000 people this year, up from just under 140,000 in 2019, spokesperson Malak Jaafar told AFP before the explosions.
Amel Association International said that, even before the blasts, it was already seeing a rise in numbers of Lebanese citizens seeking aid in its more than 20 centres, especially for its medical services.
"The first three months of 2020 saw a 30 percent increase in the number of Lebanese beneficiaries," said health programme coordinator Mohammed Al-Zayed.
"In Lebanon the healthcare is based on the private sector. As a result, services are expensive, and people have reached a point where they can no longer pay."
Doctors Without Borders in June received 81 Lebanese patients, about three times the normal number, said Axelle Franchomme, medical director of the Bar Elias hospital in the eastern Bekaa region.
One of those patients was Ihsane, a woman in her thirties, who had turned to the medical charity for their free gynaecological surgery due to a lack of funds.
"My husband has been out of work for a while," said Ihsane, explaining how they had already sold one of their two cars to raise cash.
"Everything has become difficult, everything is expensive," she said. "We cannot have the same life as before".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-05--Biden rules out in-person appearance at Democratic convention

In this file photo taken on July 28 , 2020 US Presidential candidate and former Vice President , Joe Biden , puts on a mask after a campaign event at the William `` Hicks '' Anderson Community Center in Wilmington , Delaware .
Joe Biden will not attend the Democratic convention to accept the party 's nomination to be its presidential election candidate after the event was further scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic , officials said August 5 , 2020 .
Joe Biden will not attend the Democratic convention to accept the party 's nomination to be its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic , officials said Wednesday .
Biden `` will no longer travel to Milwaukee and will instead address the nation and accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware , '' the party said in a statement , announcing that no speakers would physically attend the August 17-20 convention , which will be entirely virtual .
`` We followed the science , listened to doctors and public health experts , and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Biden , 77 , who leads President Donald Trump in the polls , is due to shortly unveil his long-awaited choice of running mate .
The former vice president to Barack Obama has promised that he would choose a woman to join his ticket challenging Trump and the Republican Party in the November 3 election .
Trump , 74 , has questioned Biden 's mental sharpness , and Biden pushed back strongly in an interview aired on Wednesday when asked if he 's taken a cognitive test .
`` No , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Biden told the CBS News correspondent .
`` Why the hell would I take a test ? ''

Joe Biden will not attend the Democratic convention to accept the party's nomination to be its presidential election candidate after the event was further scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday.
In this file photo taken on July 28, 2020 US Presidential candidate and former Vice President, Joe Biden, puts on a mask after a campaign event at the William "Hicks" Anderson Community Center in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Biden will not attend the Democratic convention to accept the party's nomination to be its presidential election candidate after the event was further scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said August 5, 2020.
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Biden "will no longer travel to Milwaukee and will instead address the nation and accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware," the party said in a statement, announcing that no speakers would physically attend the August 17-20 convention, which will be entirely virtual.
"We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives," Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said.
Biden, 77, who leads President Donald Trump in the polls, is due to shortly unveil his long-awaited choice of running mate.
The former vice president to Barack Obama has promised that he would choose a woman to join his ticket challenging Trump and the Republican Party in the November 3 election.
Trump, 74, has questioned Biden's mental sharpness, and Biden pushed back strongly in an interview aired on Wednesday when asked if he's taken a cognitive test.
"No, I haven't taken a test," Biden told the CBS News correspondent. "Why the hell would I take a test?"
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-05--France’s Macron to visit Beirut as world pledges help for stricken Lebanese capital

An aerial shot of the damage to the port of Beirut , August 5 , 2020 .
France is sending planes to Beirut on Wednesday with rescuers , medical equipment and a mobile clinic , followed by a visit Thursday by President Emmanuel Macron , as world leaders offer support to the Lebanese capital devastated by a massive explosion .
Macron will meet his counterpart Michel Aoun , whom he called late Tuesday , as well as Prime Minister Hassan Diab , the Élysée Palace announced as France prepared to send three planes with search and rescue personnel and medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Jean Castex is holding a meeting later Wedneday to organise France 's aid for Lebanon in the wake of Tuesday 's twin explosions at the port of Beirut – the second one a blast that mushroomed out with the force of an earthquake .
Lebanon 's government has announced a two-week state of emergency following the blast that killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000 , according to the Lebanese Red Cross .
Beirut 's governor said 300,000 people have been left homeless and damage is estimated at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a former French protectorate and the countries retain close political and economic ties .
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France stood `` alongside Lebanon '' and was ready to help it after the powerful explosions that rocked Beirut .
`` France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese .
It is ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities , '' he said in a tweet .
On Wednesday he vowed that France would mobilise the international community to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments came as emergency medical aid and pop-up field hospitals were dispatched to Lebanon on Wednesday as the world offered assistance and paid tribute to the victims of the huge explosion that devastated Beirut .
Emergency medical aid from Kuwait arrived in the Lebanese capital on Wednesday morning as the Lebanese government called on `` friendly countries '' to support a nation already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as the coronavirus pandemic .
Gulf states were among the first to respond , with Qatar announcing it would send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's strained medical system .
Crews at Doha 's Al-Udeid airbase loaded hundreds of collapsible beds , generators and burn sheets onto an air force cargo plane , one of four due to fly from the Gulf to the Mediterranean on Wednesday .
Iran 's President Hassan Rouhani said in a message to his Lebanese counterpart that Tehran was `` ready to offer medical and medicinal aid and help treat the injured '' .
Jordan 's King Abdullah II also promised to dispatch a field hospital .
`` The field hospital will include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in offering medical services and treatment to support our brothers in Lebanon , '' Jordanian state television said in a report .
The European Union said it would rush rescuers , search dogs and equipment to Beirut to look for any survivors trapped in rubble after the massive blast that struck the city .
`` The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is now coordinating the urgent deployment of over a 100 highly trained firefighters , with vehicles , dogs and equipment , specialised in search and rescue in urban contexts , '' the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement .
`` They will work with the Lebanese authorities to save lives on the ground . ''
Dutch authorities announced that 67 aid workers were headed for Beirut , including doctors , police officers and firefighters .
Close allies and traditional adversaries of Lebanon alike sent their condolences , with Iran and Saudi Arabia – long rivals for influence over the country – both sending messages of support .
`` Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon , '' Iranian Foreign Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong Lebanon . ''
Saudi Arabia said it was following the situation with `` great concern '' .
Unusually , neighbouring Israel offered humanitarian aid – to a country with which it is still technically at war .
`` Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi , on behalf of the State of Israel , have offered the Lebanese government – via international intermediaries – medical and humanitarian aid , as well as immediate emergency assistance , '' a statement said .
UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed his `` deepest condolences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' which he said had also injured some United Nations personnel .
US President Donald Trump said `` it looks like a terrible attack '' and that US generals had told him that the powerful explosions appeared to have been caused by a `` bomb of some kind '' , without offering evidence .
Qatar 's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani wished `` a speedy recovery for the injured , '' while the United Arab Emirates ' vice president and ruler of Dubai , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum , tweeted `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon '' .
Egypt expressed `` deep concern '' at the destruction , and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit offered condolences , stressing `` the importance of finding the truth about the explosions '' .
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad wrote to his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun that `` on behalf of the Syrian Arab people , we extend our sincere condolences to you and the Lebanese people '' .
Outside the region , President Vladimir Putin said that `` Russia shares the grief of the Lebanese people '' , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims , as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected . ''
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the pictures and videos from Beirut `` shocking '' .

France is sending planes to Beirut on Wednesday with rescuers, medical equipment and a mobile clinic, followed by a visit Thursday by President Emmanuel Macron, as world leaders offer support to the Lebanese capital devastated by a massive explosion.
An aerial shot of the damage to the port of Beirut, August 5, 2020.
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Macron will meet his counterpart Michel Aoun, whom he called late Tuesday, as well as Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the Élysée Palace announced as France prepared to send three planes with search and rescue personnel and medical equipment to the ravaged city.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex is holding a meeting later Wedneday to organise France's aid for Lebanon in the wake of Tuesday's twin explosions at the port of Beirut – the second one a blast that mushroomed out with the force of an earthquake.
Lebanon's government has announced a two-week state of emergency following the blast that killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. Beirut's governor said 300,000 people have been left homeless and damage is estimated at up to $5 billion.
Lebanon is a former French protectorate and the countries retain close political and economic ties.
France stands with Lebanon
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France stood "alongside Lebanon" and was ready to help it after the powerful explosions that rocked Beirut.
"France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese. It is ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities," he said in a tweet. On Wednesday he vowed that France would mobilise the international community to provide humanitarian aid for Lebanon.
His comments came as emergency medical aid and pop-up field hospitals were dispatched to Lebanon on Wednesday as the world offered assistance and paid tribute to the victims of the huge explosion that devastated Beirut.
Emergency medical aid from Kuwait arrived in the Lebanese capital on Wednesday morning as the Lebanese government called on "friendly countries" to support a nation already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
Gulf states were among the first to respond, with Qatar announcing it would send field hospitals to ease pressure on Lebanon's strained medical system.
Crews at Doha's Al-Udeid airbase loaded hundreds of collapsible beds, generators and burn sheets onto an air force cargo plane, one of four due to fly from the Gulf to the Mediterranean on Wednesday.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said in a message to his Lebanese counterpart that Tehran was "ready to offer medical and medicinal aid and help treat the injured". Jordan's King Abdullah II also promised to dispatch a field hospital.
"The field hospital will include specialists and medical staff, to contribute in offering medical services and treatment to support our brothers in Lebanon," Jordanian state television said in a report.
The European Union said it would rush rescuers, search dogs and equipment to Beirut to look for any survivors trapped in rubble after the massive blast that struck the city.
"The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is now coordinating the urgent deployment of over a 100 highly trained firefighters, with vehicles, dogs and equipment, specialised in search and rescue in urban contexts," the European commission for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said in a statement.
"They will work with the Lebanese authorities to save lives on the ground."
Dutch authorities announced that 67 aid workers were headed for Beirut, including doctors, police officers and firefighters.
'Stay strong, Lebanon'
Close allies and traditional adversaries of Lebanon alike sent their condolences, with Iran and Saudi Arabia – long rivals for influence over the country – both sending messages of support.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Stay strong Lebanon."
Saudi Arabia said it was following the situation with "great concern".
Unusually, neighbouring Israel offered humanitarian aid – to a country with which it is still technically at war.
"Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government – via international intermediaries – medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance," a statement said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed his "deepest condolences ... following the horrific explosions in Beirut" which he said had also injured some United Nations personnel.
US President Donald Trump said "it looks like a terrible attack" and that US generals had told him that the powerful explosions appeared to have been caused by a "bomb of some kind", without offering evidence.
Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani wished "a speedy recovery for the injured," while the United Arab Emirates' vice president and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, tweeted "our condolences to our beloved people in Lebanon".
Egypt expressed "deep concern" at the destruction, and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit offered condolences, stressing "the importance of finding the truth about the explosions".
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad wrote to his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun that "on behalf of the Syrian Arab people, we extend our sincere condolences to you and the Lebanese people".
Outside the region, President Vladimir Putin said that "Russia shares the grief of the Lebanese people", according to a Kremlin statement.
"I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the pictures and videos from Beirut "shocking".
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--France to splash out €250 million on struggling wine sector

Winegrowers at work in the vineyards of Chambord castle in the Loire Valley .
France 's government on Wednesday stepped up financial support for wine growers faced with a steep drop in demand after coronavirus lockdowns closed restaurants and bars and crippling US tariffs curbed exports .
`` The state will increase to €250 million its support plan to wine growing and we will request this aid to be distributed as quickly as possible because cash needs are pressing , '' French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday .
Castex made the announcement during a visit to the Menetou-Salon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley .
`` The international situation , the health crisis , a drop in exports : our wine sector faces major difficulties .
State support must continue and intensify , '' Castex said on Twitter earlier .
France has already provided some support , but the wine industry has called for more action .
In May , France cleared a €140-million crisis mechanism to distil surplus wine into industrial alcohol to be used to produce hand sanitisers .
Then in June , the government unveiled an additional €30 million of support for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the launch of a private storage scheme for two million hectolitres of surplus wine .
In addition to the impact of Covid-19 , France 's wine industry has suffered from US tariffs on imports imposed as part of the trade dispute between the European Union and the United States over aircraft subsidies .
In April , the European Commission decided to support crisis management measures in wine and other agriculture sectors affected by the coronavirus crisis .

France's government on Wednesday stepped up financial support for wine growers faced with a steep drop in demand after coronavirus lockdowns closed restaurants and bars and crippling US tariffs curbed exports.
Winegrowers at work in the vineyards of Chambord castle in the Loire Valley.
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"The state will increase to €250 million its support plan to wine growing and we will request this aid to be distributed as quickly as possible because cash needs are pressing," French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday.
Castex made the announcement during a visit to the Menetou-Salon and Sancerre vineyards in the famed Loire Valley.
"The international situation, the health crisis, a drop in exports: our wine sector faces major difficulties. State support must continue and intensify," Castex said on Twitter earlier.
France has already provided some support, but the wine industry has called for more action.
In May, France cleared a €140-million crisis mechanism to distil surplus wine into industrial alcohol to be used to produce hand sanitisers.
Then in June, the government unveiled an additional €30 million of support for the wine industry, half of that to support the launch of a private storage scheme for two million hectolitres of surplus wine.
In addition to the impact of Covid-19, France's wine industry has suffered from US tariffs on imports imposed as part of the trade dispute between the European Union and the United States over aircraft subsidies.
In April, the European Commission decided to support crisis management measures in wine and other agriculture sectors affected by the coronavirus crisis.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-05--Accused killer of pro-refugee German politician admits guilt in court

Walter Luebcke 's widow Irmgard Braun-Luebcke ( L ) and her sons Jan-Hendrick and Christoph Luebcke arrive for the trial of Stephan Ernst ( not in picture ) , who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke , at the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt courthouse in Frankfurt am Main , Germany on August 5 , 2020 .
A German neo-Nazi on trial over the murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Luebcke admitted Wednesday to the killing that has shocked the nation and highlighted the growing threat of right-wing extremism .
`` I fired the shot , '' Stephan Ernst , 46 , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement read out by his defence .
Federal prosecutors have said Ernst was motivated by `` racism and xenophobia '' when he allegedly shot Luebcke in the head on June 1 , 2019 .
Luebcke 's killing is believed to be Germany 's first far-right political assassination since World War II .
Apologising to the victim 's family , Ernst said he had carried out a `` cowardly and cruel '' act .
He insisted that he did not act alone but along with co-defendant Markus Hartmann , who stands accused of helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder weapon .
`` I know that what I and Hartmann did to you will always be inexcusable .
What we did was wrong , '' he told the family in the statement .
`` No one should die because he has another view , '' said Ernst , adding that he had been `` misled by wrong ideas '' .
Luebcke belonged to Chancellor Angela Merkel 's conservative CDU party and headed the Kassel regional council in the western state of Hesse .
He supported Merkel 's 2015 decision to open the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than one million arriving since then , and spoke in favour of hosting asylum seekers in a local town .
Prosecutors say Ernst and his accomplice attended a speech by Luebcke in October 2015 when the politician defended helping refugees , adding that anyone who did not agree with those values was `` free to leave the country '' .
The remark was widely shared online and turned Luebcke into a hate figure for the far right .
After the speech , Ernst `` increasingly projected his hatred of foreigners '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Angered by mass sexual assaults by migrants against women in Cologne on New Year 's Eve 2015 and the 2016 terror attack in the French city of Nice , Ernst `` began planning the murder in earnest '' and started tracking Luebcke 's movements , the indictment said .
Between 2016 and 2018 , prosecutors say Ernst worked with Hartmann to improve his skill with firearms , and the two attended right-wing demonstrations together .
In the course of their investigations , prosecutors separately charged Ernst with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
Ernst has a long criminal history and was known to police as a neo-Nazi sympathiser .
He was convicted of an attempted bomb attack on an asylum home in 1993 .
In 2009 , German media say he took part in clashes between neo-Nazis and union members at a demonstration .
But Ernst then slipped off the security services ' radar , leading to criticism that the authorities were not taking the far-right threat seriously enough .
German law enforcers have been under fire for overlooking racist crimes after it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Socialist Underground , had killed 10 people , mostly immigrants , between 2000 and 2007 .
The country has also been hit by a string of far-right attacks over the last year .
In October 2019 , just months after Luebcke 's death , Germany was rocked by a shooting at a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle that left two dead .
The suspect later admitted to anti-Semitic and far-right motives .
In February this year , another gunman shot dead nine people of migrant origin in the central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tougher security measures , including a crackdown on online hate speech .

A German neo-Nazi on trial over the murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Luebcke admitted Wednesday to the killing that has shocked the nation and highlighted the growing threat of right-wing extremism.
Walter Luebcke's widow Irmgard Braun-Luebcke (L) and her sons Jan-Hendrick and Christoph Luebcke arrive for the trial of Stephan Ernst (not in picture), who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke, at the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt courthouse in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on August 5, 2020.
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"I fired the shot," Stephan Ernst, 46, told the court of the killing in a statement read out by his defence.
Federal prosecutors have said Ernst was motivated by "racism and xenophobia" when he allegedly shot Luebcke in the head on June 1, 2019.
Luebcke's killing is believed to be Germany's first far-right political assassination since World War II.
Apologising to the victim's family, Ernst said he had carried out a "cowardly and cruel" act.
He insisted that he did not act alone but along with co-defendant Markus Hartmann, who stands accused of helping him train with firearms -- including the murder weapon.
"I know that what I and Hartmann did to you will always be inexcusable. What we did was wrong," he told the family in the statement.
"No one should die because he has another view," said Ernst, adding that he had been "misled by wrong ideas".
'Hatred of foreigners'
Luebcke belonged to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party and headed the Kassel regional council in the western state of Hesse.
He supported Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders to refugees, with more than one million arriving since then, and spoke in favour of hosting asylum seekers in a local town.
Prosecutors say Ernst and his accomplice attended a speech by Luebcke in October 2015 when the politician defended helping refugees, adding that anyone who did not agree with those values was "free to leave the country".
The remark was widely shared online and turned Luebcke into a hate figure for the far right.
After the speech, Ernst "increasingly projected his hatred of foreigners" on to Luebcke, according to the indictment.
Angered by mass sexual assaults by migrants against women in Cologne on New Year's Eve 2015 and the 2016 terror attack in the French city of Nice, Ernst "began planning the murder in earnest" and started tracking Luebcke's movements, the indictment said.
Between 2016 and 2018, prosecutors say Ernst worked with Hartmann to improve his skill with firearms, and the two attended right-wing demonstrations together.
In the course of their investigations, prosecutors separately charged Ernst with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing an Iraqi asylum seeker in the back in 2016.
Long criminal history
Ernst has a long criminal history and was known to police as a neo-Nazi sympathiser.
He was convicted of an attempted bomb attack on an asylum home in 1993. In 2009, German media say he took part in clashes between neo-Nazis and union members at a demonstration.
But Ernst then slipped off the security services' radar, leading to criticism that the authorities were not taking the far-right threat seriously enough.
German law enforcers have been under fire for overlooking racist crimes after it emerged that a neo-Nazi terror cell, the National Socialist Underground, had killed 10 people, mostly immigrants, between 2000 and 2007.
The country has also been hit by a string of far-right attacks over the last year.
In October 2019, just months after Luebcke's death, Germany was rocked by a shooting at a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle that left two dead. The suspect later admitted to anti-Semitic and far-right motives.
In February this year, another gunman shot dead nine people of migrant origin in the central town of Hanau.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer recently declared far-right extremism the "biggest security threat facing Germany".
He has promised tougher security measures, including a crackdown on online hate speech.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-06--‘If reforms are not made, Lebanon will continue to suffer,’ says Macron in Beirut

French President Emmanuel Macron visited shell-shocked Beirut Thursday , pledging support and urging change after a massive explosion devastated the Lebanese capital in a disaster that has has sparked grief and fury .
`` Lebanon is not alone , '' he tweeted on arrival before pledging Paris would coordinate international relief efforts after the colossal blast killed at least 137 people , wounded thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage .
But Macron also warned that Lebanon – already mired in a deep economic crisis , in desperate need of a bailout and torn by political turmoil – would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implements urgent reforms .
Macron visited Beirut 's harbourside blast zone , now a wasteland of blackened ruins , rubble and charred debris where a 140 metre ( 460 feet ) wide crater has filled with sea water .
Later , as he toured one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods , an angry crowd vented its fury at Lebanon 's political leaders , chanting “ Revolution ” and “ The people want to bring down the regime , '' slogans used during mass protests last year .
Macron said he was not there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that French aid would not fall into the “ hands of corruption '' .
First visit by foreign head of state since blast Macron 's visit to the small Mediterranean country , France 's Middle East protege and former colonial-era protectorate , was the first by a foreign head of state since Tuesday 's unprecedented tragedy .
Two days on , Lebanon was still reeling from a blast so huge it was felt in neighbouring countries , its mushroom-shaped cloud drawing comparisons with the Hiroshima atom bomb .
`` Apocalypse '' , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words to describe the impact of the blast , which dwarfed anything the country had experienced in its violence-plagued history .
The provisional death toll stood at 137 but , with dozens missing and 5,000 wounded , the number of victims was expected to rise as rescue workers continued to comb through the rubble .
Offering a glimmer of hope amid the carnage , a French rescuer said there was a `` good chance of finding ... people alive '' , especially a group believed to be trapped in a room under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven or eight missing people , who could be stuck in a control room buried by the explosion , '' the colonel leading a rescue team told Macron as he surveyed the site .
France 'very popular ' here in Lebanon Macron will head to the presidential palace later on Thursday for meetings with “ all political actors ” , including Prime Minister Hassan Diab .
He will also meet with members of different political factions and civil society before giving a press conference .
Both sides are hoping Macron ’ s visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month by France 's top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian , who scolded Lebanon 's political elite for being too `` passive '' in the face of an economic crisis compounded by the coronavirus pandemic .
In the aftermath of that visit , Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned in protest at his government 's lack of crisis management .
“ France is very popular here in Lebanon .
There ’ s a longrunning history of a relationship between the two , ” said FRANCE 24 ’ s Leila Molana-Allen , reporting from Beirut .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the fact that of course the French government is not coordinating with the Lebanese government in the way that politicians here want them to but the Lebanese people , many of them , are happy about that .
They feel that international money should not be going to this government .
`` Many people who have been protesting for the last nine months , they say that this government will not spend it on the things that people actually need , ” Molana-Allen added .
Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz said Wednesday at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blast and prosecutors had opened a probe into `` negligent injury '' using their jurisdiction to investigate acts committed abroad .
Two French planes also arrived on Thursday with specialist rescue personnel and equipment

French President Emmanuel Macron visited shell-shocked Beirut Thursday, pledging support and urging change after a massive explosion devastated the Lebanese capital in a disaster that has has sparked grief and fury.
A Lebanese youth hugs French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to the Gemmayzeh neighborhood of Beirut, which has suffered extensive damage due to Tuesday’s massive explosion in the Lebanese capital, on August 6, 2020.
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"Lebanon is not alone," he tweeted on arrival before pledging Paris would coordinate international relief efforts after the colossal blast killed at least 137 people, wounded thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage.
But Macron also warned that Lebanon – already mired in a deep economic crisis, in desperate need of a bailout and torn by political turmoil – would "continue to sink" unless it implements urgent reforms.
Macron visited Beirut's harbourside blast zone, now a wasteland of blackened ruins, rubble and charred debris where a 140 metre (460 feet) wide crater has filled with sea water.
Later, as he toured one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, an angry crowd vented its fury at Lebanon's political leaders, chanting “Revolution” and “The people want to bring down the regime," slogans used during mass protests last year.
Macron said he was not there to endorse the “regime” and vowed that French aid would not fall into the “hands of corruption".
"I will talk to all political forces to ask them for a new pact. I am here today to propose a new political pact to them," he said, after being greeted by crowds.
"Help us. Please help us. What are you doing to help us?" pic.twitter.com/44upgNq54o — Quentin Sommerville (@sommervilletv) August 6, 2020
First visit by foreign head of state since blast
Macron's visit to the small Mediterranean country, France's Middle East protege and former colonial-era protectorate, was the first by a foreign head of state since Tuesday's unprecedented tragedy.
Two days on, Lebanon was still reeling from a blast so huge it was felt in neighbouring countries, its mushroom-shaped cloud drawing comparisons with the Hiroshima atom bomb.
"Apocalypse", "Armageddon" – Lebanese were lost for words to describe the impact of the blast, which dwarfed anything the country had experienced in its violence-plagued history.
The provisional death toll stood at 137 but, with dozens missing and 5,000 wounded, the number of victims was expected to rise as rescue workers continued to comb through the rubble.
Offering a glimmer of hope amid the carnage, a French rescuer said there was a "good chance of finding... people alive", especially a group believed to be trapped in a room under the rubble.
"We are looking for seven or eight missing people, who could be stuck in a control room buried by the explosion," the colonel leading a rescue team told Macron as he surveyed the site.
France 'very popular' here in Lebanon
Macron will head to the presidential palace later on Thursday for meetings with “all political actors”, including Prime Minister Hassan Diab. He will also meet with members of different political factions and civil society before giving a press conference.
Both sides are hoping Macron’s visit goes more smoothly than a trip last month by France's top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian, who scolded Lebanon's political elite for being too "passive" in the face of an economic crisis compounded by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the aftermath of that visit, Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned in protest at his government's lack of crisis management.
“France is very popular here in Lebanon. There’s a longrunning history of a relationship between the two,” said FRANCE 24’s Leila Molana-Allen, reporting from Beirut.
"Recently, the tensions have been over the fact that of course the French government is not coordinating with the Lebanese government in the way that politicians here want them to but the Lebanese people, many of them, are happy about that. They feel that international money should not be going to this government.
"Many people who have been protesting for the last nine months, they say that this government will not spend it on the things that people actually need,” Molana-Allen added.
Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz said Wednesday at least 21 French citizens were injured in the blast and prosecutors had opened a probe into "negligent injury" using their jurisdiction to investigate acts committed abroad.
Two French planes also arrived on Thursday with specialist rescue personnel and equipment .
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
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