france24--2020-08-02--US considering measures against TikTok and other Chinese apps

Chinese and American flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration compiled July 16 , 2020 .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is `` looking at '' banning Chinese social media apps , including TikTok , over allegations Beijing is using them to spy on users .
India has already barred the wildly popular TikTok app over national security and privacy concerns while other countries are reportedly mulling similar measures .
Asked on Monday by Fox News 's Laura Ingraham if the US should consider blocking the apps -- `` especially Tik Tok '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration was `` taking this very seriously ; we are certainly looking at it . ''
Pompeo said the US had been working for a `` long time '' on the `` problems '' of Chinese technology in infrastructure and was `` making real progress . ''
`` With respect to Chinese apps on people 's cell phones , I can assure you the United States will get this one right too , '' he said .
`` I do n't want to get out in front of the president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at . ''
Pompeo earlier lashed out at what he called China 's `` Orwellian '' moves to censor activists , schools and libraries in Hong Kong under a sweeping new security law .
Authorities in the financial hub have ordered schools to remove books for review under the law , which has criminalized certain opinions such as calls for independence or more autonomy .
Libraries in Hong Kong said they were pulling titles written by a handful of pro-democracy activists .
`` The Chinese Communist Party 's destruction of free Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharply worded statement .
`` With the ink barely dry on the repressive National Security Law , local authorities -- in an Orwellian move -- have now established a central government national security office , started removing books critical of the CCP from library shelves , banned political slogans , and are now requiring schools to enforce censorship , '' he said .
Pompeo condemned what he called the `` latest assaults on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong . ''
`` Until now , Hong Kong flourished because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under an independent rule of law .
No more , '' he said .
Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism from primarily Western nations over its decision to impose the security law , which outlaws acts of subversion , secession , terrorism and colluding with foreign forces .
US Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC last week that the law was a `` betrayal '' and `` unacceptable to freedom-loving people around the world . ''
Last week the US Congress passed tough new sanctions targeting banks involved in violating Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punish banks -- including by blocking loans from US institutions -- if they conduct `` significant transactions '' with officials who violate the city 's autonomy .
President Donald Trump must sign the legislation for it to take effect .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is "looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, over allegations Beijing is using them to spy on users.
Chinese and American flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration compiled July 16, 2020.
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India has already barred the wildly popular TikTok app over national security and privacy concerns while other countries are reportedly mulling similar measures.
Asked on Monday by Fox News's Laura Ingraham if the US should consider blocking the apps -- "especially Tik Tok" -- the country's top diplomat said the Trump administration was "taking this very seriously; we are certainly looking at it."
Pompeo said the US had been working for a "long time" on the "problems" of Chinese technology in infrastructure and was "making real progress."
"With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too," he said.
"I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we are looking at."
Pompeo earlier lashed out at what he called China's "Orwellian" moves to censor activists, schools and libraries in Hong Kong under a sweeping new security law.
Authorities in the financial hub have ordered schools to remove books for review under the law, which has criminalized certain opinions such as calls for independence or more autonomy.
Libraries in Hong Kong said they were pulling titles written by a handful of pro-democracy activists.
"The Chinese Communist Party's destruction of free Hong Kong continues," Pompeo said in a sharply worded statement.
"With the ink barely dry on the repressive National Security Law, local authorities -- in an Orwellian move -- have now established a central government national security office, started removing books critical of the CCP from library shelves, banned political slogans, and are now requiring schools to enforce censorship," he said.
Pompeo condemned what he called the "latest assaults on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong."
"Until now, Hong Kong flourished because it allowed free thinking and free speech, under an independent rule of law. No more," he said.
Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism from primarily Western nations over its decision to impose the security law, which outlaws acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces.
US Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC last week that the law was a "betrayal" and "unacceptable to freedom-loving people around the world."
Last week the US Congress passed tough new sanctions targeting banks involved in violating Hong Kong's autonomy.
The act would punish banks -- including by blocking loans from US institutions -- if they conduct "significant transactions" with officials who violate the city's autonomy.
President Donald Trump must sign the legislation for it to take effect.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-03--A strange August in Paris: How the city is adapting to keep visitors safe during the pandemic

A picture taken on June 23 , 2020 shows the absence of queues in front of the Louvre pyramid and the Louvre Museum in Paris .
Summer 2020 in Paris will be one for the history books , likely remembered as the summer of masks and hand sanitizers .
It will also be one of the quietest summers in decades , with dramatically reduced numbers of international tourists and many locals also away on holidays around France .
The coronavirus pandemic has not succeeded in stopping summer in the city .
For the past 18 years , Paris Plages has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s summer programme and it is back again this year .
Every summer Paris transforms part of the banks of the Seine and the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement into a beachgoer ’ s paradise with its very own artificial beaches .
Like previous years , there are all kinds of activities spread over both sites .
These include fencing , open-air gyms , concerts , swimming , paddle boats , pétanque ( boules ) , and food and drink stalls that promise respite for Parisians unable to escape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was even a floating open-air cinema to mark the opening on July 18 .
Film buffs were able to hop on one of 38 electric boats , each seating up to six people from the same social circle .
Rigorous coronavirus restrictions are in place , with the sites being systematically cleaned and disinfected at regular intervals .
There is also reduced capacity at both locations .
> > Read also : Beachside Bliss as Paris Plages kicks off in the French capital alongside pop-up Covid testing One element that 's usually typical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be thankfully missing this year , is the queues .
No need to worry about waiting in line for hours in a heatwave to reach the entrance of the Eiffel Tower .
The tower , like most sites , is primarily working through online booking , allocating a specific time slot in advance of all visits .
Also like many key tourists sites , it has introduced a series of strict visitor controls .
These include mandatory masks for all visitors over the age of 11 , a set route up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribution points and significantly reduced visitor numbers .
They were initially only offering access to the first two levels , but on July 15 they changed to allow access to the whole tower , if only by elevator .
Similar measures are in place at the Chateau de Versailles .
Visitors are welcome , but you must book online in advance .
You should also bring your own mask , as none will be available on site .
Most of the chateau and its gardens are open , but guests must follow a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metre apart .
Keeping Paris safe for visitors is a citywide team effort .
For getting around on a daily basis , the RATP network ( bus , tramway , metro , RER… ) has rolled out rigorous safety measures to maintain both a sufficient level of service and to enable users to easily get around the city , while respecting the required physical distancing .
You must wear masks or you risk a €135 fine .
In June , the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau launched ‘ Caring attitude ’ , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It involves a shared set of rules , including implementing health measures , training employees in these measures and adapting services to respect social distancing .
“ Ongoing communication has made it possible to work together to find solutions .
There have been many initiatives to continue to bring Paris to our visitors through virtual tours and so continue to showcase the wealth of the capital 's cultural offering , ” Corinne Menegaux , managing director of the Paris convention and visitors bureau , told FRANCE 24 .
“ It is essential to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here have created the necessary sanitary conditions to ensure that visits can take place in complete safety.
” Paris may be taking precautions , but the good news for visitors and locals is that it has not dramatically reduced the number of cultural events on show .
Instead , it has sought ways to make events this summer safe for the public , even if it means having less attendance than normal .
Nuit aux Invalides ( Night at Invalides ) has been one of the big light shows in Paris for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 had been in question , but they have since reopened nightly in the courtyard of Invalides .
This year ’ s show explores the 350-year history of Invalides , the largest monument in Paris .
Visitors must wear masks , use hand sanitiser and keep moving in a designated direction .
Another popular light attraction this summer is the L ’ Atelier des Lumières .
They currently have two exhibitions on show , where you can immerse yourself in the artistic worlds of Monet , Renoir and Chagall , or explore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are implementing the measures in accordance with the official decree number 2020-548 , published on May 11 , 2020 .
Masks are obligatory for everyone over 11 , groups are banned , and visitors are required to stay at least one metre apart and respect all sanitation measures .
August looks set to be a hot month in the city , with its first heatwave predicted to begin at the end of this week .
One of the joys of Paris is the number of outdoor swimming pools to dive into , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank of the Seine and La Butte aux Cailles in the 13th arrondissement .
They have all introduced strict rules including limited numbers and no changing rooms .
Visitors must thoroughly wash before entering the pool .
The best way to fully escape the heat , though , is to descend into the underground city of the Catacombs at Denfert-Rouchereau .
Normally , you will always experience long queues but now everyone must book a slot online .
Climb down over one hundred steps and you will find yourself in a dark labyrinth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady 14°C .
They have also adopted strict sanctions to monitor crowd numbers and have made it obligatory to wear masks .
One of the key monuments to reopen after lockdown is the Sacré-Coeur Basilica .
In a normal year , this national treasure welcomes over 10 million visitors , but it was forced to close in spring due to the pandemic .
It has finally reopened its last sections , the crypt and the cupola , so you can climb up for the best unobstructed views of Paris in the strange summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 is indeed totally atypical .
All the Parisian tourism operators are suffering significant losses due to the virtual absence of foreign visitors .
However , we can now see that part of the foreign clientele has been replaced by a French , Parisian and provincial clientele , ” Guillaume Duchêne , director of marketing for the Bateaux Mouches company , told FRANCE 24 .
Bateaux Mouches are the iconic riverboats that cruise the Seine , and they are limiting the number of passengers on board and reducing tours - particularly during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to increase our cruising times a little ... and the customers are coming !
” said Duchêne .
“ It has to be said that the conditions are ideal for Parisians to rediscover Paris from a different angle .
”

Summer 2020 in Paris will be one for the history books, likely remembered as the summer of masks and hand sanitizers. It will also be one of the quietest summers in decades, with dramatically reduced numbers of international tourists and many locals on holiday around France instead of going abroad.
A picture taken on June 23, 2020 shows the absence of queues in front of the Louvre pyramid and the Louvre Museum in Paris.
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The coronavirus pandemic has not succeeded in stopping summer in the city. For the past 18 years, Paris Plages has been the mainstay of the city’s summer programme and it is back again this year. Every summer Paris transforms part of the banks of the Seine and the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement (district) into a beachgoer’s paradise with its very own artificial beaches.
Like previous years, there are all kinds of activities spread over both sites. These include fencing, open-air gyms, concerts, swimming, paddle boats, pétanque (boules), and food and drink stalls that promise respite for Parisians unable to escape the city’s sweltering heat. There was even a floating open-air cinema to mark the opening on July 18. Film buffs were able to hop on one of 38 electric boats, each seating up to six people from the same social circle.
Rigorous coronavirus restrictions are in place, with the sites being systematically cleaned and disinfected at regular intervals. There is also reduced capacity at both locations.
>> Read also: Beachside Bliss as Paris Plages kicks off in the French capital alongside pop-up Covid testing
One element that's usually typical of summer in Paris, and which will be thankfully missing this year, is the queues. No need to worry about waiting in line for hours in a heatwave to reach the entrance of the Eiffel Tower. The tower, like most sites, is primarily selling tickets through online booking, allocating a specific time slot in advance of all visits.
It has also introduced a series of strict controls. These include mandatory masks for all visitors over the age of 11, a set route for going up and down the tower, 30 hand sanitizer distribution points and significantly reduced visitor numbers. Initially only offering access to the first two levels, on July 15 visits were extended to the whole tower, if only by elevator.
Similar measures are in place at the Chateau de Versailles. Visitors are welcome, but you must book online in advance and bring your own mask, as none will be available on-site. Most of the chateau and its gardens are open, but guests must follow a specific route and stay at least a metre apart.
Team effort
Keeping Paris safe for visitors is a citywide effort. For getting around on a daily basis, the RATP transport network (bus, tramway, metro, RER…) has rolled out rigorous safety measures to maintain a sufficient level of service while respecting the required physical distancing measures. Voyagers must wear a mask or risk a €135 fine.
In June, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau launched "Caring attitude", a new commitment charter for tourism professionals. It involves a shared set of rules, including implementing health measures, training employees in these measures and adapting services to respect social distancing.
“Ongoing communication has made it possible to work together to find solutions. There have been many initiatives to continue to bring Paris to our visitors through virtual tours, and so continue to showcase the wealth of the capital's cultural offerings,” Corinne Menegaux, managing director of the Paris convention and visitors bureau, told FRANCE 24.
“It is essential to reassure our visitors: All tourism professionals here have created the necessary sanitary conditions to ensure that visits can take place in complete safety.”
>> Read also: As French tourists discover Paris, local restaurants discover a demanding clientele
Still a cultural paradise
Paris may be taking precautions, but the good news for visitors and locals is that it has not dramatically reduced the number of cultural events on show. Instead, the capital has sought ways to make events this summer safe for the public, even if it means having less attendance than normal.
Nuit aux Invalides (Night at Invalides) has been one of the big light shows in Paris for the past eight years. Its return in 2020 had been in question, but they have since reopened nightly in the courtyard of Invalides. This year’s show explores the 350-year history of Invalides, the largest monument in Paris. Visitors must wear masks, use hand sanitiser and keep moving in a designated direction.
L’atelier des lumières, digital art museum in France pic.twitter.com/nxXmRMhcJJ — art 🎨 (@artmosphxre) July 30, 2020
Another popular light attraction this summer is the L’Atelier des Lumières. Currently with two exhibitions on show, you can immerse yourself in the artistic worlds of Monet, Renoir and Chagall, or explore the colour blue with Yves Klein. The atelier has implemented safety measures making masks obligatory for everyone over 11, groups are banned, and visitors are required to stay at least one metre apart.
August looks set to be a hot month in the city, with a first heatwave set for this week. One of the joys of Paris is the number of outdoor swimming pools to dive into, such as the Josephine Baker on the right bank of the Seine and La Butte aux Cailles in the 13th arrondissement. They have all introduced strict rules, including limiting visitor numbers and eliminating shared changing rooms. Visitors must also thoroughly wash before entering the pool.
The best way to fully escape the heat, though, is to descend into the underground city of the Catacombs at Denfert-Rouchereau. Normally you would experience long queues, but now everyone must book a slot online. Climb down over 100 steps and you will find yourself in a dark labyrinth of the macabre that stays a chilly 14°C. They have also adopted strict practices to monitor crowd numbers and have made it obligatory to wear masks.
One of the key monuments to reopen after lockdown was the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. In a normal year this national treasure welcomes over 10 million visitors but it was forced to close last spring due to the pandemic. It has finally reopened its last sections, the crypt and the cupola, so you can climb up for the best unobstructed views of Paris.
“The summer of 2020 is indeed totally atypical. All the Parisian tourism operators are suffering significant losses due to the virtual absence of foreign visitors. However, we can now see that part of the foreign clientele has been replaced by a French, Parisian and provincial clientele,” Guillaume Duchêne, director of marketing for the Bateaux Mouches company, told FRANCE 24.
Bateaux Mouches are the iconic riverboats that cruise the Seine, and they are limiting the number of passengers on board and reducing tours – particularly during the week.
“However, we have been able to increase our cruising times a little ... and the customers are coming!” said Duchêne. “It has to be said that the conditions are ideal for Parisians to rediscover Paris from a different angle.”
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france24--2020-08-03--Trump says he will only allow TikTok sale if US government gets a cut

In one of many fronts in the increasingly poisonous US-Chinese relationship , President Donald Trump has threatened to ban the wildly popular app TikTok , citing national security concerns U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. government should get a `` substantial portion '' of the sales price of the U.S. operations of TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 without a sale .
The turnaround came after Trump Friday he said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app 's U.S. operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about $ 50 billion , citing people familiar with the matter .
`` I did say that if you buy it , whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it , because I guess it ’ s China essentially … I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we ’ re making it possible for this deal to happen , '' Trump said .
It was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the purchase price .
He added it `` will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal , an appropriate deal so the Treasury … of the United States gets a lot of money .
Daniel Elman , analyst at Nucleus Research , said a sale `` could foreshadow a growing wave of U.S. company acquisition of Chinese internet properties , particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount . ''
Elman said that could impact Tencent 's WeChat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WeChat on Sunday and said Trump `` will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party . ''
U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles .
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he had agreed to give China 's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft .
Trump , a former New York real estate developer , compared TikTok to the landlord tenant relationship , suggesting TikTok is like a tenant .
`` Without a lease , the tenant has nothing - so they pay what 's called key money or they pay something . ''
He said he did not mind `` whether it ’ s Microsoft or somebody else – a big company , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company buy it . ''
Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and `` is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States . ''
Microsoft said Sunday it is `` committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States , including the United States Treasury . ''
Many prominent Republicans , including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy , issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok 's U.S. operations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok , which has 100 million American users .
Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States , Canada , Australia , and New Zealand .
U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale , while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft .
`` A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Schumer said on Twitter , adding : `` This is about privacy .
With TikTok in China , it 's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government . ''
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok .
`` So the question is , is Microsoft going to be compromised ? ''
Navarro said in an interview with CNN .
`` Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and military use Microsoft software “ to do all the things they do .
”

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. government should get a "substantial portion" of the sales price of the U.S. operations of TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 without a sale.
In one of many fronts in the increasingly poisonous US-Chinese relationship, President Donald Trump has threatened to ban the wildly popular app TikTok, citing national security concerns
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The turnaround came after Trump Friday he said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's U.S. operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.
Reuters reported last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about $50 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.
"I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess it’s China essentially … I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump said.
It was not clear how the U.S. government would receive part of the purchase price.
He added it "will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal so the Treasury … of the United States gets a lot of money.
Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research, said a sale "could foreshadow a growing wave of U.S. company acquisition of Chinese internet properties, particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount."
Elman said that could impact Tencent's WeChat.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referenced WeChat on Sunday and said Trump "will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party."
U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.
Trump's comments confirmed a Reuters report Sunday that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.
Trump, a former New York real estate developer, compared TikTok to the landlord tenant relationship, suggesting TikTok is like a tenant. "Without a lease, the tenant has nothing - so they pay what's called key money or they pay something."
He said he did not mind "whether it’s Microsoft or somebody else – a big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it."
Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and "is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States."
Microsoft said Sunday it is "committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury."
Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations. Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.
Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.
"A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer said on Twitter, adding: "This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government."
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.
"So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?" Navarro said in an interview with CNN. "Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?"
Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software “to do all the things they do.”
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-03--Israeli jets strike targets in Syria after attempted attack in Golan Heights

An Israeli military armoured personnel carrier ( APC ) manoeuvres near a sign in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria frontier August 3 , 2020 .
Israel launched air strikes on Syrian military targets in southern Syria late Monday , after thwarting an attack near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights .
In Damascus , the state-run news agency Sana said Israeli helicopters rocketed Syrian army positions near Quneitra in the south but caused only material damage .
It also said air defences had gone into action near the Syrian capital .
The Israeli army said its fighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck Syrian army positions in retaliation for the attempt to lay explosives in the Golan Heights .
`` The targets struck include observation posts and intelligence collection systems , anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems in SAF ( Syrian Armed Forces ) bases , '' the army said in statement .
`` The IDF holds the Syrian government responsible for all activities on Syrian soil , and will continue operating with determination against any violation of Israeli sovereignty , '' it said .
Tensions are already high between bitter rivals Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ army helicopters struck military targets in southern Syria in retaliation for earlier `` munitions '' fire towards Israel .
Israel did not directly blame Syrian forces for the munitions fire , but said it held the Damascus government responsible .
And earlier Monday , the Israeli army said it had killed four men laying explosives near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights .
`` They were inside Israeli territory but beyond the fence , '' military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told journalists in a telephone briefing .
He said an Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intruders shortly after 11 pm Sunday ( 2000 GMT ) with assault rifles and sniper fire backed by air strikes .
`` Our estimate is that all four were killed , '' Conricus said in English , adding that there were no Israeli casualties .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Monday that `` the army thwarted an attempted attack on the Syrian front '' .
`` We do n't let our guard down , '' he said , recalling an incident at the Lebanese border last week that prompted Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as rocket fire Sunday evening from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip which led to retaliatory Israeli air strikes .
Israel will `` strike anyone who attacks us or tries to attack us '' , he added .
Several Israeli media outlets reported that Monday 's actions were in response to an increased threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah , which has a significant presence in Syria .
Last month , five Iran-backed fighters were killed in an Israeli missile strike south of Damascus , according to Britain-based monitoring group the Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Israel said it had thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by up to five Hezbollah gunmen , a claim denied by the Iran-backed group .
Israel reported an exchange of fire that forced the `` terrorists '' back into Lebanon .
It said it fired artillery across the heavily guarded border for `` defensive '' purposes .
`` We do not know at this stage and we can not confirm a link between this terrorist squad and Hezbollah or Iranians , '' Conricus said .
`` We know that there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The Syrian Observatory said it was likely , but could not be confirmed , that the attackers were from the Syrian Resistance to Liberate the Golan .
The Hezbollah-linked group was formed more than six years ago to launch attacks in the Israeli-occupied zone .
The Syrian Observatory said late Monday there were Israeli air raids on the southern province of Quneitra and on Boukamal city , near the Iraqi border in the northeast .
Conricus said that Israel 's Maglan commando unit had been deployed at the attack site for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night-time activity in this specific location for the past week and we had a commando unit deployed in the area , '' he said .

Israel launched air strikes on Syrian military targets in southern Syria late Monday, after thwarting an attack near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights.
An Israeli military armoured personnel carrier (APC) manoeuvres near a sign in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria border on August 3, 2020.
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In Damascus, the state-run news agency Sana said Israeli helicopters rocketed Syrian army positions near Quneitra in the south but caused only material damage. It also said air defences had gone into action near the Syrian capital.
The Israeli army said its fighter jets, attack helicopters and other warplanes struck Syrian army positions in retaliation for the attempt to lay explosives in the Golan Heights.
"The targets struck include observation posts and intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems in SAF (Syrian Armed Forces) bases," the army said in statement.
"The IDF holds the Syrian government responsible for all activities on Syrian soil, and will continue operating with determination against any violation of Israeli sovereignty," it said.
Tensions are already high between bitter rivals Israel and Syria.
Last month, Israeli army helicopters struck military targets in southern Syria in retaliation for earlier "munitions" fire towards Israel.
Israel did not directly blame Syrian forces for the munitions fire, but said it held the Damascus government responsible.
And earlier Monday, the Israeli army said it had killed four men laying explosives near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights.
'Inside Israeli territory'
"They were inside Israeli territory but beyond the fence," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told journalists in a telephone briefing.
He said an Israeli commando unit lying in wait attacked the intruders shortly after 11 pm Sunday (2000 GMT) with assault rifles and sniper fire backed by air strikes.
"Our estimate is that all four were killed," Conricus said in English, adding that there were no Israeli casualties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Monday that "the army thwarted an attempted attack on the Syrian front".
"We don't let our guard down," he said, recalling an incident at the Lebanese border last week that prompted Israeli artillery fire across the frontier, as well as rocket fire Sunday evening from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip which led to retaliatory Israeli air strikes.
Israel will "strike anyone who attacks us or tries to attack us", he added.
Possible Hezbollah links
Several Israeli media outlets reported that Monday's actions were in response to an increased threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which has a significant presence in Syria.
Last month, five Iran-backed fighters were killed in an Israeli missile strike south of Damascus, according to Britain-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Then last Monday, Israel said it had thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by up to five Hezbollah gunmen, a claim denied by the Iran-backed group.
Israel reported an exchange of fire that forced the "terrorists" back into Lebanon. It said it fired artillery across the heavily guarded border for "defensive" purposes.
"We do not know at this stage and we cannot confirm a link between this terrorist squad and Hezbollah or Iranians," Conricus said.
"We know that there are many different factions operating on Syrian soil."
The Syrian Observatory said it was likely, but could not be confirmed, that the attackers were from the Syrian Resistance to Liberate the Golan.
The Hezbollah-linked group was formed more than six years ago to launch attacks in the Israeli-occupied zone.
The Syrian Observatory said late Monday there were Israeli air raids on the southern province of Quneitra and on Boukamal city, near the Iraqi border in the northeast.
Conricus said that Israel's Maglan commando unit had been deployed at the attack site for several days.
"We spotted irregular night-time activity in this specific location for the past week and we had a commando unit deployed in the area," he said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-03--France halts ratifying extradition treaty with Hong Kong in wake of security law

France on Monday said it was halting ratification of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing introduced a controversial new security law in the former British colony .
`` In light of the latest developments , France will not proceed as it stands with the ratification of the extradition agreement signed on May 4 , 2017 between France and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region , '' the French foreign ministry said in a statement .
The ministry bitterly criticised the new security law , saying it called into question the principle of `` 'one country , two systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result from it '' .
`` This law also directly affects our citizens and our businesses , '' it added .
The introduction of the security law has raised new tensions between China and the West , compounding existing strains over the treatment of the Uighur minority and the behaviour of telecoms giant Huawei .
Britain last month suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong `` immediately and indefinitely '' in response to the new law while Germany suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over the decision to push back local elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New Zealand also have already suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong in the wake of the new security law 's introduction .

France on Monday said it was halting ratification of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing introduced a controversial new security law in the former British colony.
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"In light of the latest developments, France will not proceed as it stands with the ratification of the extradition agreement signed on May 4, 2017 between France and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry bitterly criticised the new security law, saying it called into question the principle of "'one country, two systems'... and the fundamental freedoms that result from it".
"This law also directly affects our citizens and our businesses," it added.
The introduction of the security law has raised new tensions between China and the West, compounding existing strains over the treatment of the Uighur minority and the behaviour of telecoms giant Huawei.
Britain last month suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" in response to the new law while Germany suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over the decision to push back local elections by a year.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand also have already suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong in the wake of the new security law's introduction.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-03--Former king Juan Carlos to leave Spain amid probe over financial scandal

Spain 's former king Juan Carlos attends commemorative acts marking the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the parliament in Madrid on December 6 , 2018 .
Spain 's former king Juan Carlos has told his son , King Felipe , that he has decided to leave the country , the Royal House said on Monday , after corruption allegations about him surfaced in recent weeks .
In June , the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation into Juan Carlos ' involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia , after Switzerland 's La Tribune de Geneve newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the late Saudi King .
Through his lawyer , Juan Carlos , 82 , has declined to comment on the allegations .
`` Guided by my desire to do what is best to serve the Spanish people , its institutions and you as king , I am informing you of my ... decision to leave Spain at this time , '' the palace statement quoted Juan Carlos ' letter to the king as saying .
King Felipe thanked Juan Carlos for his decision , underlining `` the historic importance that his father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain .
He also reaffirmed `` the principles and values on which it ( democracy ) is based according to our Constitution and legal framework '' .
Spanish monarchs have immunity during their reign but Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 , potentially leaving himself vulnerable to prosecution .
King Felipe put an end to his father 's palace allowance and renounced his own inheritance in March , following allegations of secret offshore accounts .
Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco and was widely respected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from dictatorship to democracy .
But his popularity sank in later years due to a series of scandals , prompting him to step down .

Spain's former king Juan Carlos has told his son, King Felipe, that he has decided to leave the country, the Royal House said on Monday, after corruption allegations about him surfaced in recent weeks.
Spain's former king Juan Carlos attends commemorative acts marking the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the parliament in Madrid on December 6, 2018.
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In June, the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation into Juan Carlos' involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, after Switzerland's La Tribune de Geneve newspaper reported he had received $100 million from the late Saudi King.
Through his lawyer, Juan Carlos, 82, has declined to comment on the allegations.
"Guided by my desire to do what is best to serve the Spanish people, its institutions and you as king, I am informing you of my ... decision to leave Spain at this time," the palace statement quoted Juan Carlos' letter to the king as saying.
King Felipe thanked Juan Carlos for his decision, underlining "the historic importance that his father's reign represents" for democracy in Spain.
He also reaffirmed "the principles and values on which it (democracy) is based according to our Constitution and legal framework".
Spanish monarchs have immunity during their reign but Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, potentially leaving himself vulnerable to prosecution.
King Felipe put an end to his father's palace allowance and renounced his own inheritance in March, following allegations of secret offshore accounts.
Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco and was widely respected for his role in helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy.
But his popularity sank in later years due to a series of scandals, prompting him to step down.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-03--Rules on outdoor mask-wearing go into effect for parts of France hardest hit by Covid-19

Rules on wearing masks outdoors in the hardest-hit parts of France take effect on Monday , the latest move to tighten coronavirus restrictions after a nationwide decree last month required people to wear masks in all indoor public places .
Pressure is growing on the government to mandate the use of masks outdoors nationwide .
Beach resorts along France ’ s Atlantic coast , picturesque promenades along the Loire River and farmers ' markets in the Alps are among the areas of France where people are now required to wear masks outdoors .
People must also wear masks along many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nice , Mayor Christian Estrosi said Monday , including the tourist boulevard , the Promenade des Anglais .
France has been seeing an uptick in coronavirus infections and hundreds of new clusters in recent weeks , notably as young people gather at cafés or parties and families meet up for summer vacation .
Starting on Monday , 69 towns in the Mayenne region of western France have imposed outdoor mask rules .
France has reported 7,000 new cases in the last week , after bringing the virus nearly under control with a strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 to May 11 .
New Prime Minister Jean Castex arrived in Lille on Monday morning for a quick visit intended to take stock of the resurgence of the virus there .
Wearing a mask is now mandatory in many open public spaces in the northern city .
In the Lille metro area , with 1.2 million inhabitants , authorities have reported a `` worrying '' progression of the epidemic , with the incidence rate almost doubling in one week to 31 infected people per 100,000 inhabitants .
France has confirmed 30,265 virus-related @ @ @ @ @ @

Rules on wearing masks outdoors in the hardest-hit parts of France take effect on Monday, the latest move to tighten coronavirus restrictions after a nationwide decree last month required people to wear masks in all indoor public places. Pressure is growing on the government to mandate the use of masks outdoors nationwide.
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Beach resorts along France’s Atlantic coast, picturesque promenades along the Loire River and farmers' markets in the Alps are among the areas of France where people are now required to wear masks outdoors.
People must also wear masks along many parts of the southern French city of Nice, Mayor Christian Estrosi said Monday, including the tourist boulevard, the Promenade des Anglais.
France has been seeing an uptick in coronavirus infections and hundreds of new clusters in recent weeks, notably as young people gather at cafés or parties and families meet up for summer vacation.
Starting on Monday, 69 towns in the Mayenne region of western France have imposed outdoor mask rules.
France has reported 7,000 new cases in the last week, after bringing the virus nearly under control with a strict two-month nationwide lockdown that ran from March 17 to May 11.
New Prime Minister Jean Castex arrived in Lille on Monday morning for a quick visit intended to take stock of the resurgence of the virus there. Wearing a mask is now mandatory in many open public spaces in the northern city.
In the Lille metro area, with 1.2 million inhabitants, authorities have reported a "worrying" progression of the epidemic, with the incidence rate almost doubling in one week to 31 infected people per 100,000 inhabitants.
France has confirmed 30,265 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
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france24--2020-08-03--Dozens killed in IS group raid on prison in Afghanistan

Afghan soldiers arrive in a Humvee vehicle outside a prison raid in Jalalabad on August 3 , 2020 .
At least 29 people were killed in a raid on an Afghan prison claimed by the Islamic State ( IS ) group , officials said Monday , as the country waited to see if a government ceasefire with the Taliban would rupture after its formal expiration .
Fighting finally ended mid-afternoon Monday at the jail in the eastern city of Jalalabad , where about 1,700 IS group and Taliban inmates were being held .
IS group 's propaganda outlet Amaq said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had started with a suicide car bomb attack , and saw more than 1,000 inmates escape before most of them were recaptured .
The attack was the most violent incident since the Taliban and Afghan security forces held a three-day ceasefire over the Eid al-Adha festival which ended Sunday .
IS group was not part of that truce which Afghan authorities hoped would pave the way for peace talks with the Taliban as soon as this week .
An AFP correspondent who toured the prison after the attack ended saw bodies of some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compound .
The entrance to the jail was blown up by the initial car bomb attack .
Several cells were burnt and damaged , while some had prisoners inside .
The Nangarhar governor 's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told AFP 29 people had died in the fighting .
Officials said a total of 10 attackers were also killed .
Security officials continued to search a market plaza near the prison from where the attackers had engaged troops .
Meanwhile , the government accused the Taliban of violating the ceasefire 38 times over the three-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the insurgents had killed 20 civilians and wounded 40 by `` carrying out terrorist and offensive attacks as well as using landmines '' .
The Taliban rejected his charges .
Under a deal signed by the Taliban and the United States in February , the `` intra-Afghan '' talks were slated to start in March , but were delayed amid political infighting in Kabul and as an agreed prisoner swap dragged on .
Both Kabul and the Taliban have signalled they could be ready to start talks after Eid , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ceasefire .
The insurgents have not formally responded .
The biggest hurdle to talks starting is a contentious prisoner swap stipulated under the US-Taliban deal .
Under the exchange , Kabul is meant to free around 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for 1,000 Afghan security personnel held captive by the insurgents .
The National Security Council said Sunday that more than 4,900 inmates have been freed , and the Taliban last week said they had already met their side of the commitment .
Afghan authorities , however , have refused to free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes such as murder and even attacks against foreign countries .
A gathering of Afghan elders will decide their fate on August 7 in Kabul , President Ashraf Ghani 's spokesman said .
Sediq Sediqqi said Washington had told Kabul that if it freed 4,600 Taliban prisoners the peace talks could begin .
`` We do n't see any honesty and commitment from the Taliban for peace , '' Sediqqi told reporters .
The rare respite from violence over Eid gave some Afghans the opportunity to safely visit relatives after long periods apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village for the first time in two years , '' said Khalil Ahmad from volatile Uruzgan province .
`` There were many Taliban checkposts on the way , but they did not bother anyone . ''
But in the northern province of Kunduz on Monday , any sense of calm felt short-lived .
One resident , Atiqullah , who only uses one name , said that rumours were circulating that the Taliban were regrouping around Kunduz city .
`` Today , you see that familiar fear in people 's faces again and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today unless it 's absolutely necessary , '' he told AFP .
Sunday 's raid on the prison came a day after Afghanistan 's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top IS group commander near Jalalabad .
Jalalabad , the capital of Nangarhar province some 130 km ( 80 miles ) east of Kabul , lies on the highway leading to the Khyber Pass and the Pakistani city of Peshawar .
Nangarhar province has seen deadly IS group 's attacks , including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue despite officials claiming last year that the group had been defeated in Nangarhar .
A United Nations report last month estimated there are around 2,200 IS group members in Afghanistan , and that while the group has lost territory and its leadership has been depleted , it remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks .

Afghan security forces retook control of a prison from Islamic State group militants in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Monday, ending a siege in which hundreds of prisoners escaped.
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At least 29 people were killed in the assault on the prison that began on Sunday evening and in subsequent clashes with security forces, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province said.
“The attack is now over,” Sohrab Qaderi, a member of the provincial council, told Reuters after security forces clashed overnight and into the day with militants who had taken over the prison watchtowers.
More than 300 prisoners were still at large, according to Attaullah Khugyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province. Of the 1,793 prisoners more than 1,025 had tried to escape and been recaptured while 430 had remained inside.
“The rest are missing,” he said.
Khugyani said civilians, prisoners and members of the security forces were among the 29 dead and more than 50 wounded before the final assault.
A defence ministry statement said all 10 attackers had been killed by Afghan security forces, though a provincial council member and a witness inside the prison told Reuters the number was likely around 30.
The attackers were Islamic State group militants trying to free their comrades from the prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, said Ajmal Omar, a provincial council member.
“The aim of this attack was to rescue all Daesh members inside the prison, and unfortunately that included five or six senior Daesh people,” Omar said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Among the prisoners who escaped was the group's shadow governor for neighboring Kunar Province, he said.
The Islamic State (IS) group affiliate in Afghanistan, known as IS in Khorasan Province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The militants have established a base in Nangarhar Province.
The renewed violence comes at a sensitive time as Afghanistan as the United States attempts to launch new peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, who say they oppose the Islamic State group.
03:23
After detonating a car bomb at the entrance on Sunday evening, IS group militants overran the prison, where many of the group's fighters who were captured during a campaign in the past month were being held along with Taliban fighters and common criminals.
As the siege dragged through the day, the normally bustling city was placed under a curfew.
“Jalalabad is completely empty,” Qaderi said.
Some 130km (80 miles) east of Kabul, Jalalabad lies on the highway leading to the Khyber Pass and the Pakistani city of Peshawar.
The United States is drawing down troops after almost 19 years of war but security has remained volatile as the Taliban continue attacks on Afghan forces and other targets.
A UN report last month estimated there were around 2,200 Islamic State group fighters in Afghanistan. While the group has lost territory and its leadership has been depleted, it remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks, the report said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-03--Drugmaker Sanofi charged with manslaughter over birth defects

The Sanofi logo displayed at the company 's research and production centre in Vitry-sur-Seine , France , on August 6 , 2019 .
French prosecutors have indicted pharma giant Sanofi for manslaughter over birth defects linked to an epilepsy drug , the company said Monday , in a long-running case that has also seen it charged with fraud .
The charges relate to the drug valproate , marketed as Depakine among other trade names , which studies say has caused disabilities in about 15,000-30,000 children whose mothers took the medicine while pregnant .
On the market since 1967 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migraines and bipolar disorder .
But research found that when pregnant women took the drug , their children had an elevated risk -- between 10 to 40 percent -- of congenital malformations , autism and learning difficulties .
Sanofi is facing separate charges of aggravated fraud and unintentionally causing injury in 42 cases filed by families , but insists it had warned health authorities of the drug 's risks already in the 1980s .
On Monday , the company confirmed a report in Le Monde newspaper that prosecutors have now also charged it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to AFP it insisted it had `` fulfilled its obligation '' of providing information on the drug and its side-effects , and said it `` contests the validity of these proceedings . ''
Sanofi said it has filed a legal challenge to the indictment .
Under the French legal system , charges do not automatically result in a trial as prosecutors can decide not to proceed based on a lack of evidence .
Last month , a French court ordered the state to pay thousands of euros in damages over the scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug was not taken by pregnant women .
The court found that health officials knew about the risk of birth defects from Depakine already in 1983 , and of learning disabilities and autism from 2004 .
Another 500 complaints have been lodged with France 's national compensation agency for medical accidents , which has already proposed a 6.5-million-euro ( $ 7.6-million ) package for Depakine victims .
Sanofi , a France-based multinational , is working on a candidate vaccine against the novel coronavirus with Britain 's GSK , for which it will receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US government .

French prosecutors have indicted pharma giant Sanofi for manslaughter over birth defects linked to an epilepsy drug, the company said Monday, in a long-running case that has also seen it charged with fraud.
The Sanofi logo displayed at the company's research and production centre in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, on August 6, 2019.
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The charges relate to the drug valproate, marketed as Depakine among other trade names, which studies say has caused disabilities in about 15,000-30,000 children whose mothers took the medicine while pregnant.
On the market since 1967, the drug is used to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder.
But research found that when pregnant women took the drug, their children had an elevated risk -- between 10 to 40 percent -- of congenital malformations, autism and learning difficulties.
Sanofi is facing separate charges of aggravated fraud and unintentionally causing injury in 42 cases filed by families, but insists it had warned health authorities of the drug's risks already in the 1980s.
On Monday, the company confirmed a report in Le Monde newspaper that prosecutors have now also charged it with manslaughter.
But in a statement sent to AFP it insisted it had "fulfilled its obligation" of providing information on the drug and its side-effects, and said it "contests the validity of these proceedings."
Sanofi said it has filed a legal challenge to the indictment.
Under the French legal system, charges do not automatically result in a trial as prosecutors can decide not to proceed based on a lack of evidence.
Last month, a French court ordered the state to pay thousands of euros in damages over the scandal, saying officials should have ensured the drug was not taken by pregnant women.
The court found that health officials knew about the risk of birth defects from Depakine already in 1983, and of learning disabilities and autism from 2004.
Another 500 complaints have been lodged with France's national compensation agency for medical accidents, which has already proposed a 6.5-million-euro ($7.6-million) package for Depakine victims.
Sanofi, a France-based multinational, is working on a candidate vaccine against the novel coronavirus with Britain's GSK, for which it will receive up to $2.1 billion from the US government.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-03--Italy inaugurates new Genoa bridge two years after deadly collapse

The new Genoa bridge is illuminated in the colours of the Italian flag during its official inauguration on August 3 , 2020 .
Italy inaugurated a sleek new bridge in Genoa on Monday , though relatives of the 43 people killed when the old viaduct collapsed said the pomp and ceremony risked overshadowing the tragedy .
Jets trailing the colours of the Italian flag roared overhead and ship sirens sounded in the coastal city 's port , almost two years to the day the Morandi highway gave way during heavy rain , hurling dozens of cars and several trucks onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared in the sky , Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte cut the ribbon on the new bridge , designed by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano , who gave it a curved , gleaming underbelly evoking the hull of a ship in tribute to Genoa 's maritime history .
`` Forty-three stars will shine every night on high , '' he said , as lamps along the bridge , numbered for the victims , lit up .
The names of the victims were read aloud -- though many of their loved ones were not present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inauguration , we do n't want the tragedy to be transformed into a carnival , '' Egle Possetti , whose sister died in the August 14 , 2018 disaster along with her husband and their two children , said ahead of the ceremony .
`` You can have this sort of big party if you knock down the bridge because it 's old , you build a new one , and no one 's died . ''
The Morandi bridge had been riddled with structural problems for decades , leading to expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotlight on Italy 's creaking infrastructure .
The tragedy also ended the longstanding concession of highway maintenance by a company majority-owned by the powerful Benetton family .
The new high-tech structure will have four maintenance robots running along its length to spot weathering or erosion , as well as a special dehumidification system to limit corrosion .
It is expected to open to traffic on Tuesday or Wednesday .
Architect Piano , a Genoa native whose building designs include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London , described his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tragedy , of mourning '' .
`` We are suspended between grief and pride , '' he said .
Conte has hailed the new viaduct `` a sign of rebirth '' .
But Possetti , who is a spokeswoman for a victims ' relatives group , said she would `` never cross that bridge '' .
`` How could you be there and not think of everything that happened , and that destroyed your family , '' she told AFP .
The Morandi was hailed a marvel of engineering when it opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disaster found it was neglected .
Autostrade , which runs almost half of Italy 's motorway network , has been accused of failing to maintain it properly , amid allegations of falsified safety reports and in-house pressure to slash maintenance costs .
Atlantia , the parent group of Autostrade , is controlled by the wealthy Benetton family , which finally bowed to pressure last month to relinquish control of its besmirched toll-road operator , which will be nationalised .
Roberto Battiloro , father of a young videomaker who died along with three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still waiting for justice '' .
`` That bridge should not have collapsed , and someone has to pay , '' he said on Facebook on Monday .
Autostrade is under investigation , along with several transport ministry officials , for culpable homicide .
The preliminary probe is due to wind up in October , before a trial begins early next year , Possetti said .

Italy inaugurated a sleek new bridge in Genoa on Monday, though relatives of the 43 people killed when the old viaduct collapsed said the pomp and ceremony risked overshadowing the tragedy.
The new Genoa bridge is illuminated in the colours of the Italian flag during its official inauguration on August 3, 2020.
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Jets trailing the colours of the Italian flag roared overhead and ship sirens sounded in the coastal city's port, almost two years to the day the Morandi highway gave way during heavy rain, hurling dozens of cars and several trucks onto railway tracks below.
As a rainbow appeared in the sky, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte cut the ribbon on the new bridge, designed by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano, who gave it a curved, gleaming underbelly evoking the hull of a ship in tribute to Genoa's maritime history.
"Forty-three stars will shine every night on high," he said, as lamps along the bridge, numbered for the victims, lit up.
01:29
The names of the victims were read aloud -- though many of their loved ones were not present.
"We won't be at the inauguration, we don't want the tragedy to be transformed into a carnival," Egle Possetti, whose sister died in the August 14, 2018 disaster along with her husband and their two children, said ahead of the ceremony.
"You can have this sort of big party if you knock down the bridge because it's old, you build a new one, and no one's died."
The Morandi bridge had been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance, and its collapse threw the spotlight on Italy's creaking infrastructure.
The tragedy also ended the longstanding concession of highway maintenance by a company majority-owned by the powerful Benetton family.
The new high-tech structure will have four maintenance robots running along its length to spot weathering or erosion, as well as a special dehumidification system to limit corrosion.
It is expected to open to traffic on Tuesday or Wednesday.
'Born of tragedy'
Architect Piano, a Genoa native whose building designs include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London, described his new creation as a "child born of tragedy, of mourning".
"We are suspended between grief and pride," he said.
Conte has hailed the new viaduct "a sign of rebirth".
But Possetti, who is a spokeswoman for a victims' relatives group, said she would "never cross that bridge".
"How could you be there and not think of everything that happened, and that destroyed your family," she told AFP.
The Morandi was hailed a marvel of engineering when it opened in 1967, but an investigation into the disaster found it was neglected.
Autostrade, which runs almost half of Italy's motorway network, has been accused of failing to maintain it properly, amid allegations of falsified safety reports and in-house pressure to slash maintenance costs.
Atlantia, the parent group of Autostrade, is controlled by the wealthy Benetton family, which finally bowed to pressure last month to relinquish control of its besmirched toll-road operator, which will be nationalised.
Roberto Battiloro, father of a young videomaker who died along with three friends, said the families were "still waiting for justice".
"That bridge should not have collapsed, and someone has to pay," he said on Facebook on Monday.
Autostrade is under investigation, along with several transport ministry officials, for culpable homicide.
The preliminary probe is due to wind up in October, before a trial begins early next year, Possetti said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-03--Videos of Nigerian wedding massacre, mass burials go viral amid calls for end to ethnic violence

Violence in the northwest Nigerian state of Kaduna escalated in July as reports of massacres and arson attacks emerged from villages in the region .
The attacks , characterised by the government as “ politically-motivated banditry ” , have increased tensions between the Fulani and Atyap ethnic groups .
Photos and videos of mass burials went viral on Nigerian social media networks as people called for an end to the violence in their communities .
Photos and videos posted online show the aftermath of massacres in villages across the southern part of Kaduna .
Some describe the latest attacks as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ethnic diversity .
The Fulani , a primarily Muslim ethnic group concentrated in Nigeria , are one of the largest nomadic herding communities in the world .
The Atyap people , predominantly farmers , are a majority Christian ethnic group residing in southern Kaduna .
Both claim to have settled in the region first , and Photos and videos posted online show the aftermath of massacres in villages across the southern part of Kaduna .
Some describe the latest attacks as a campaign of violence perpetrated by Muslim Fulani herdsmen against Atyap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed Atyap people for 99 deaths , alongside theft and arson , in June.Kaduna State is characterised by religious and ethnic diversity .
The Fulani , a primarily Muslim ethnic group concentrated in Nigeria , are one of the largest nomadic herding communities in the world .
The Atyap people , predominantly farmers , are a majority Christian ethnic group residing in southern Kaduna .
Both claim to have settled in the region first , and conflicts have arisen over land , resources and political control for decades .
The northern part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fulani people , while the south is primarily Atyap .
Pictures show the victims of a July 19 attack in Kukum Daji village being transported and buried in a mass grave .
Photos posted on Twitter show the funeral service of the victims of a July 20 attack on Gora Gan village .
A July 19 attack on a wedding party in Kukum Daji village left at least 23 Atyap people dead , according to local news reports.Joseph Liberty , a youth community leader in Kukum Daji who lost two of his cousins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The next day , on July 20 around 7pm , the Atyap village of Gora Gan was attacked by about 50 gunmen who entered the village and began setting fires , which a local reverend said caused 500 people to flee to an internally displaced persons ( IDP ) camp .
Eight people were found dead at the scene , according to local news reports .

NIGERIA
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Violence in the northwest Nigerian state of Kaduna escalated in July as reports of massacres and arson attacks emerged from villages in the region. The attacks, characterised by the government as “politically-motivated banditry”, have increased tensions between the Fulani and Atyap ethnic groups. Photos and videos of mass burials went viral on Nigerian social media networks as people called for an end to the violence in their communities.
Photos and videos posted online show the aftermath of massacres in villages across the southern part of Kaduna. Some describe the latest attacks as a campaign of violence perpetrated by Muslim Fulani herdsmen against Atyap Christian farmers. Meanwhile, Fulani people blamed Atyap people for 99 deaths, alongside theft and arson, in June.
Kaduna State is characterised by religious and ethnic diversity. The Fulani, a primarily Muslim ethnic group concentrated in Nigeria, are one of the largest nomadic herding communities in the world. The Atyap people, predominantly farmers, are a majority Christian ethnic group residing in southern Kaduna. Both claim to have settled in the region first, and conflicts have arisen over land, resources and political control for decades. The northern part of the state is made up of mostly Fulani people, while the south is primarily Atyap.
Mass burials
A July 19 attack on a wedding party in Kukum Daji village left at least 23 Atyap people dead, according to local news reports.
Pictures show the victims of a July 19 attack in Kukum Daji village being transported and buried in a mass grave.
Joseph Liberty, a youth community leader in Kukum Daji who lost two of his cousins in the attack, witnessed the violence:
Most of the people who were at the wedding venue were actually young people, teenagers. They were having a party, celebrating the groom and the bride. Suddenly the gunmen came and surrounded the place and started shooting sporadically. Because there were many people at the venue;that is why the casualties were so many. Nineteen people died on the spot, then 33 or thereabouts were severely injured. We were taken to the hospital in Kaduna and another person died later, then another person and another person. In all, four people died later due to excess loss of blood. The ones in the hospital are still recuperating.
The next day, on July 20 around 7pm, the Atyap village of Gora Gan was attacked by about 50 gunmen who entered the village and began setting fires, which a local reverend said caused 500 people to flee to an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Eight people were found dead at the scene, according to local news reports.
Earlier today We buried victims of the Gora Gan terrorist Herdsmen attack.
May their souls rest in peace.#SouthernKadunaMassacre pic.twitter.com/MmLJrTFfS7 Steven Kefason🇳🇬 (@SKefason) July 26, 2020
Photos posted on Twitter show the funeral service of the victims of a July 20 attack on Gora Gan village.
“Burials unbefitting of any human being”
Activist and native of Atyap in Southern Kaduna, Steven Kefason explained that in villages like these, survivors must conduct mass burials:
These communities are in remote areas where there's no electricity, there's no standard hospital, there's no mortuary where corpses can be deposited for a long time. Most times, after such attacks, the villagers conduct mass burials for the victims, except on rare occasions where they get a casket and the bodies are buried properly. The victims in these killings are Christians. They call the priest or pastor and they bury them in a very despicable manner, unbefitting of any human being. But that is the situation. They still live in fear so they don't have the time to prepare a proper funeral for the victims. Sometimes, even during such burials, the attackers return to attack again. Some youths were mounting surveillance to provide security while the funerals were taking place.
Ongoing violence
While religious and ethnic differences divide Atyaps and Fulanis, conflict often originates from land disputes between farmers and herders. Attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen have been blamed for more than 1,000 deaths in the last five years, including 178 in the last seven months.
The Nigerian presidency said July 21 that the conflict is “mutual violence by criminal gangs acting on ethnic and religious grounds. We note that revenge and counter-revenge only creates a circle of violence, thereby making everyone else unsafe, especially innocent people”.
According to numbers published in local news reports, at least 53 Atyap people were killed in five attacks July 19 to 24 in Southern Kaduna. The Muslim Youth Foundation of Southern Kaduna also reported attacks targetting Muslims in the region. A Fulani association, alleging increased attacks against Fulani herdsmen, set up a vigilante security group on July 29 to curb crime and “rural banditry”.
Since June 11, some Kaduna districts have been periodically placed under a 24-hour curfew. However, violence continued despite the curfew and what authorities call a strong security presence in the region.
Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai said that he does not believe the recent massacres have any religious or ethnic basis. Both Muslim and Christian leaders in Kaduna decried the killings and implored the government to help.
Scorched earth
In an attack on the Atyap village of Zikpak on July 24, villagers reported that after opening fire, gunmen stayed in the village burning homes and cars for two hours. They said three homes were destroyed in the attack, and at least nine villagers killed.
Villagers mourn after an attack on July 24 in Zikpak village killed at least 9 people and wounded many others.
Many people from villages in Southern Kaduna have had to take refuge in churches or camps. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 15 shelters were destroyed in the district of Kajuru between July 13 and 19, leaving 312 people displaced. Another 20 houses were destroyed during a July 19 attack by Fulani militias in Chibwob village, leaving 86 more people displaced.
More than 1,000 people are currently residing at the Mercy IDP camp, run by local church members in the town of Zonkwa.
These rural dwellers have abandoned their homes, enterprise and are now in Zonkwa town following the attacks on their communities. Yesterday @Sema_kaduna were at the IDP camp to assess the situation.@ZangonLg, despite the curfew imposed by @GovKaduna have suffered attacks. pic.twitter.com/wqVG8DIWIp Active Citizen🇳🇬🛠📊 (@Martins_63) July 29, 2020
“These rural dwellers have abandoned their homes, enterprise and are now in Zonkwa town following the attacks on their communities.”
“They may never return to their ancestral land again”
Kefason spoke to survivors of the attacks at IDP camps:
The victims, those that have been displaced, say they are on their own. The government is not doing anything: no medical assistance, no food, no shelter. The victims are in the thousands. They rely on donations. Neither the state nor the federal government has done anything to alleviate their suffering. Indigenous people have been displaced, they're taking refuge in makeshift camps. They've left their ancestral land. If nothing is done, they may never return to their communities again.
On July 23, hundreds of Atyap women demonstrated at Atak Njei Agwam Atyap palace in the Zango-Kataf district. Dressed in black, they condemned the killings and the failure of state and local governments to prevent the ongoing violence. Human Rights Watch released a statement on July 31, which said that an insufficient police response to these violent attacks has resulted in “cycles of impunity” which perpetuate attacks and reprisals. They added that Kaduna security forces have the capacity to end the violence by launching thorough criminal investigations into the killings and getting justice for survivors and their families.
CORRECTION (4/8/2020) - The original version of this article published July 30 incorrectly referred to a curfew that was statewide. The curfews have been imposed on affected districts only.
Article written by Pariesa Young


france24--2020-08-04--Covid-19: ‘Highly likely’ France will see a second wave in autumn or winter

France is under pressure to make outdoor face masks mandatory across the country amid a spike in coronavirus infections .
France 's top scientific body on Tuesday said a second wave of the coronavirus was `` highly likely '' this autumn or winter as the country grapples with a marked increase of new cases of the disease over the past two weeks .
`` France has the situation under control but it is precarious with a surge of virus circulation this summer .
The short term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement published by the Health Ministry 's website .
`` It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter , '' the statement added .
France has been seeing an uptick in coronavirus infections and hundreds of new clusters in recent weeks , notably as young people gather at cafés or parties and families meet up for summer vacation .
The country has reported 7,000 new cases in the last week , after bringing the virus nearly under control with a strict two-month nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 11 .
On Monday , rules on wearing masks outdoors took effect in the hardest-hit areas , the latest move to tighten coronavirus restrictions after a nationwide decree last month required people to wear masks in all indoor public places .
Beach resorts along France ’ s Atlantic coast , picturesque promenades along the Loire River and farmers ' markets in the Alps are among the areas of France where people are now required to wear masks outdoors .
Masks are also required in large parts of the southern French city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Promenade des Anglais .
Prime Minister Jean Castex visited Lille on Monday to take stock of the resurgence of the virus in the northern city , where wearing a mask is mandatory in many open public spaces .
Pressure is now growing on Castex 's government to mandate the use of masks outdoors nationwide .
French officials have confirmed 30,265 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began , one of Europe 's highest death tolls .

France's top scientific body on Tuesday said a second wave of the coronavirus was "highly likely" this autumn or winter as the country grapples with a marked increase of new cases of the disease over the past two weeks.
France is under pressure to make outdoor face masks mandatory across the country amid a spike in coronavirus infections.
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"France has the situation under control but it is precarious with a surge of virus circulation this summer. The short term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population," the scientific committee on the disease said in a statement published by the Health Ministry's website.
"It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter," the statement added.
France could "at any moment" lose control over the spread of the coronavirus, the council warned.
The virus “has recently been circulating more actively, with an increased loss of distancing and barrier measures" since France emerged from a strict two-month lockdown in May.
"The balance is fragile and we can change course at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain for example," it said.
France has been seeing an uptick in coronavirus infections and hundreds of new clusters in recent weeks, notably as young people gather at cafés or parties and families meet up for summer vacation.
The country has reported 7,000 new cases in the last week, after bringing the virus nearly under control with a strict two-month nationwide lockdown that ran from March 17 to May 11.
Data released by the health department on Monday showed the number of people in intensive care had risen by 13 since Friday, reversing a downward trend observed since April when French people were still under strict stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the virus.
At the height of the outbreak in April, more than 7,100 people were at one point receiving intensive care in French hospitals, which had 5,000 intensive care beds available when the crisis hit.
The country registered thousands of confirmed new infections last week, prompting some cities or regions to impose local restrictions amid reports of people ignoring social distancing and public mask-wearing guidelines.
Rules on wearing masks outdoors took effect in the hardest-hit areas on Monday, the latest move to tighten coronavirus restrictions after a nationwide decree last month required people to wear masks in all indoor public places.
Beach resorts along France’s Atlantic coast, picturesque promenades along the Loire River and farmers' markets in the Alps are among the areas of France where people are now required to wear masks outdoors. Masks are also required in large parts of the southern French city of Nice, including the tourist boulevard, the Promenade des Anglais.
Prime Minister Jean Castex visited Lille on Monday to take stock of the resurgence of the virus in the northern city, where wearing a mask is mandatory in many open public spaces. Pressure is now growing on Castex's government to mandate the use of masks outdoors nationwide.
French officials have confirmed 30,265 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began, one of Europe's highest death tolls.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced that the country's 320,000 homecare workers would each receive a coronavirus bonus of €500.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-04--Millions back under lockdown in Philippines amid surge in coronavirus cases

After ordering one of the world 's harshest lockdowns in mid-March , keeping people at home except to buy food or seek health treatment , the Phillippines is imposing a second lockdown period in an attempt to relieve a stressed health system .
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday as global coronavirus infections kept soaring , with the World Health Organization warning against relying on a vaccine `` silver bullet '' to end the pandemic .
More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign of slowing down .
Desperate to contain the spread and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals , some countries such as the Philippines have resorted to reimposing economically painful restrictions on travel and businesses .
Commuter trains , buses and other public vehicles stayed off the main roads of the capital Manila on Tuesday and police were again staffing checkpoints to restrict public travel as surging virus cases forced another lockdown .
Officials deployed dozens of shuttle buses , along with army trucks , to ferry stranded medical personnel and workers of authorised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the capital were cancelled , and night curfews will return in places .
President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to reinstate the lockdown after medical groups warned the health care system was being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients .
More than 106,000 people have been infected , including more than 2,100 who have died .
More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon , which includes Manila , are expected to remain under lockdown for weeks .
With only 24 hours ' notice of the shutdown , many found themselves stranded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their hometowns .
`` We 've run out of money .
We ca n't leave the airport because we do n't have any relatives here , '' said Ruel Damaso , a 36-year-old construction worker trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga .
`` We will have to stay here for two weeks until we get our flights back . ''
The lockdown is milder than the one imposed earlier this year , which largely confined most people to their homes for weeks , but is more severe than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently .
Businesses previously allowed to partly reopen , including barbershops , gyms , dine-in restaurants and tourist destinations , have been ordered shut .
Authorised companies including banks , health and food processing firms must shuttle their employees between home and work .
Despite months of crippling restrictions , the pandemic is gathering pace in regions across the globe , with the worldwide death toll nearing 700,000 .
Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean where infections have topped five million .
South America 's largest country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to half the region 's more than 202,000 deaths .
Only the United States has been worse affected , with the number of fatalities surpassing 155,000 .
Hopes of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rest largely on a vaccine , with research labs around the world locked in a race against time .
Russia said Monday it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out `` several million '' doses per month by next year .
But Vitaly Zverev , laboratory chief at the Mechnikov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was `` impossible to ensure a vaccine 's safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic '' .
The WHO warned that governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work : testing , contact tracing , maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask .
`` We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection , '' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference .
`` However , there 's no silver bullet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never be . ''
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 .
Germany watched anxiously Monday as 150,000 children returned to school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , the country 's first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays .
In France , Prime Minister Jean Castex urged the nation `` not to let down its guard '' as surging cases led the Riviera resort city of Nice to become the latest to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not gone on holiday and neither have we , '' Castex said .

Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday as global coronavirus infections kept soaring, with the World Health Organization warning against relying on a vaccine "silver bullet" to end the pandemic.
After ordering one of the world's harshest lockdowns in mid-March, keeping people at home except to buy food or seek health treatment, the Phillippines is imposing a second lockdown period in an attempt to relieve a stressed health system.
Advertising Read more
More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Desperate to contain the spread and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals, some countries such as the Philippines have resorted to reimposing economically painful restrictions on travel and businesses.
Commuter trains, buses and other public vehicles stayed off the main roads of the capital Manila on Tuesday and police were again staffing checkpoints to restrict public travel as surging virus cases forced another lockdown.
Officials deployed dozens of shuttle buses, along with army trucks, to ferry stranded medical personnel and workers of authorised businesses. Most domestic flights to and from the capital were cancelled, and night curfews will return in places.
Some health workers use bicycles as an alternative mode of transport following the suspension of public transportation due to the implementation of MECQ in Metro Manila. pic.twitter.com/xW2MRHVIpP — The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) August 4, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to reinstate the lockdown after medical groups warned the health care system was being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients. More than 106,000 people have been infected, including more than 2,100 who have died.
More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, which includes Manila, are expected to remain under lockdown for weeks. With only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in the capital and unable to get back to their hometowns.
"We've run out of money. We can't leave the airport because we don't have any relatives here," said Ruel Damaso, a 36-year-old construction worker trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga.
"We will have to stay here for two weeks until we get our flights back."
The lockdown is milder than the one imposed earlier this year, which largely confined most people to their homes for weeks, but is more severe than the quarantine restrictions the capital had been under recently.
Businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, gyms, dine-in restaurants and tourist destinations, have been ordered shut. Authorised companies including banks, health and food processing firms must shuttle their employees between home and work.
Vaccine 'silver bullet'
Despite months of crippling restrictions, the pandemic is gathering pace in regions across the globe, with the worldwide death toll nearing 700,000.
Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean where infections have topped five million. South America's largest country has recorded 2.75 million cases, and close to half the region's more than 202,000 deaths.
Only the United States has been worse affected, with the number of fatalities surpassing 155,000.
Hopes of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rest largely on a vaccine, with research labs around the world locked in a race against time.
Russia said Monday it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.
But Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, said it was "impossible to ensure a vaccine's safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic".
The WHO warned that governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work: testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.
"We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
"However, there's no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be."
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.
Germany watched anxiously Monday as 150,000 children returned to school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the country's first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays.
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex urged the nation "not to let down its guard" as surging cases led the Riviera resort city of Nice to become the latest to mandate outside mask-wearing.
"The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we," Castex said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
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france24--2020-08-03--Israeli jets strike targets in Syria in retaliation for Golan Heights attack

An Israeli military armoured personnel carrier ( APC ) manoeuvres near a sign in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria border on August 3 , 2020 .
Israel launched air strikes on Syrian military targets in southern Syria late Monday , after thwarting an attack near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights .
In Damascus , the state-run news agency Sana said Israeli helicopters rocketed Syrian army positions near Quneitra in the south but caused only material damage .
It also said air defences had gone into action near the Syrian capital .
The Israeli army said its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warplanes struck Syrian army positions in retaliation for the attempt to lay explosives in the Golan Heights .
`` The targets struck include observation posts and intelligence collection systems , anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems in SAF ( Syrian Armed Forces ) bases , '' the army said in statement .
`` The IDF holds the Syrian government responsible for all activities on Syrian soil , and will continue operating with determination against any violation of Israeli sovereignty , '' it said .
Tensions are already high between bitter rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli army helicopters struck military targets in southern Syria in retaliation for earlier `` munitions '' fire towards Israel .
Israel did not directly blame Syrian forces for the munitions fire , but said it held the Damascus government responsible .
And earlier Monday , the Israeli army said it had killed four men laying explosives near the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights .
`` They were inside Israeli territory but beyond the fence , '' military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told journalists in a telephone briefing .
He said an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intruders shortly after 11 pm Sunday ( 2000 GMT ) with assault rifles and sniper fire backed by air strikes .
`` Our estimate is that all four were killed , '' Conricus said in English , adding that there were no Israeli casualties .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Monday that `` the army thwarted an attempted attack on the Syrian front '' .
`` We do n't let our guard down , '' he said , recalling an incident at the Lebanese border last week that prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as rocket fire Sunday evening from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip which led to retaliatory Israeli air strikes .
Israel will `` strike anyone who attacks us or tries to attack us '' , he added .
Several Israeli media outlets reported that Monday 's actions were in response to an increased threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah , which has a significant presence in Syria .
Last month , five Iran-backed fighters were killed in an Israeli missile strike south of Damascus , according to Britain-based monitoring group the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last Monday , Israel said it had thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by up to five Hezbollah gunmen , a claim denied by the Iran-backed group .
Israel reported an exchange of fire that forced the `` terrorists '' back into Lebanon .
It said it fired artillery across the heavily guarded border for `` defensive '' purposes .
`` We do not know at this stage and we can not confirm a link between this terrorist squad and Hezbollah or Iranians , '' Conricus said .
`` We know that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soil . ''
The Syrian Observatory said it was likely , but could not be confirmed , that the attackers were from the Syrian Resistance to Liberate the Golan .
The Hezbollah-linked group was formed more than six years ago to launch attacks in the Israeli-occupied zone .
The Syrian Observatory said late Monday there were Israeli air raids on the southern province of Quneitra and on Boukamal city , near the Iraqi border in the northeast .
Conricus said that Israel 's Maglan commando unit had been deployed at the attack site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregular night-time activity in this specific location for the past week and we had a commando unit deployed in the area , '' he said .