france24--2020-07-07--Brazil's President Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus

Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with journalists while wearing a protective face mask as he arrives at Alvorada Palace , amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak , in Brasilia , Brazil , May 22 , 2020 .
Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the severity of the virus .
Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in the capital Brasilia .
`` I 'm well , normal .
I even want to take a walk around here , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Bolsonaro said .
The president has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds , often without a mask .
He has said that his history as an athlete would protect him from the virus and that it would be nothing more than a “ little flu ” were he to contract it .
Bolsonaro has also repeatedly said that there is no way to prevent 70 percent of the population falling ill with Covid-19 and that local authorities ' moves to shut down economic activity would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus to run its course .
Many cities and states began lifting restrictions last month that had been imposed to control the spread of the virus as deaths began to decline along with occupancy in intensive-care units .
Brazil , the world ’ s sixth-most-populous nation with more than 210 million people , remains one of the global hotspots of the pandemic .
Bolsonaro told supporters in Brasilia on Monday that he underwent an X-ray of his lungs that showed they were clean and that he would be tested for Covid-19 .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever had subsided .
The Brazilian leader celebrated US Independence Day on July 4 with the US ambassador to Brazil , then shared pictures on social media showing him with his arm around the ambassador alongside several ministers and aides .
None wore masks .
The US embassy said on Twitter on Monday that Ambassador Todd Chapman is not showing any Covid-19 symptoms but would be tested .
Bolsonaro tested negative three times in March after meeting with the US President Donald Trump in Florida .
Multiple members of his delegation to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .
More than 65,000 Brazilians have so far died from Covid-19 and more than 1,500,000 have been infected .
Both numbers are the world 's second-highest totals and are considered to be vast underestimates due to the lack of widespread testing .
Meanwhile , the World Health Organization 's Director-General , Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , said Tuesday he hopes Bolsanaro ’ s symptoms will be `` mild '' and that he would be back in office as soon as possible .

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for Covid-19 after months of downplaying the severity of the virus.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks with journalists while wearing a protective face mask as he arrives at Alvorada Palace, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brasilia, Brazil, May 22, 2020.
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Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in the capital Brasilia.
"I'm well, normal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can't due to medical advice,” Bolsonaro said.
The president has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, often without a mask. He has said that his history as an athlete would protect him from the virus and that it would be nothing more than a “little flu” were he to contract it.
03:48
Bolsonaro has also repeatedly said that there is no way to prevent 70 percent of the population falling ill with Covid-19 and that local authorities' moves to shut down economic activity would ultimately cause more hardship than allowing the virus to run its course.
Global hotspot
Many cities and states began lifting restrictions last month that had been imposed to control the spread of the virus as deaths began to decline along with occupancy in intensive-care units. Brazil, the world’s sixth-most-populous nation with more than 210 million people, remains one of the global hotspots of the pandemic.
00:32
Bolsonaro told supporters in Brasilia on Monday that he underwent an X-ray of his lungs that showed they were clean and that he would be tested for Covid-19. On Tuesday he told CNN Brazil that his fever had subsided.
The Brazilian leader celebrated US Independence Day on July 4 with the US ambassador to Brazil, then shared pictures on social media showing him with his arm around the ambassador alongside several ministers and aides. None wore masks.
The US embassy said on Twitter on Monday that Ambassador Todd Chapman is not showing any Covid-19 symptoms but would be tested.
Bolsonaro tested negative three times in March after meeting with the US President Donald Trump in Florida. Multiple members of his delegation to the US were later reported to be infected with the virus.
More than 65,000 Brazilians have so far died from Covid-19 and more than 1,500,000 have been infected. Both numbers are the world's second-highest totals and are considered to be vast underestimates due to the lack of widespread testing.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization's Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Tuesday he hopes Bolsanaro’s symptoms will be "mild" and that he would be back in office as soon as possible.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-07--Covid-19 pandemic accelerating and global peak still to come, WHO says

World Health Organization ( WHO ) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a press conference organised by the Geneva Association of @ @ @ @ @ ) amid the COVID-19 outbreak , caused by the novel coronavirus at WHO headquarters in @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Some 400,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported over the weekend and the @ @ @ @ @ sign of slowing down , the World Health Organization said Tuesday .
`` The outbreak @ @ @ @ @ clearly not reached the peak of the pandemic , '' WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @ @ @ @ @ .
The World Health Organization also acknowledged Tuesday that there was `` emerging evidence '' @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus , after an international group of scientists said it could spread far beyond @ @ @ @ @ acknowledge that there is emerging evidence in this field ... therefore we believe that we @ @ @ @ @ this evidence and understand its implications , '' the WHO 's Professor Benedetta Allegranzi told @ @ @ @ @

Some 400,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported over the weekend and the new coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a press conference organised by the Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus at WHO headquarters in Geneva on July 3, 2020.
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"The outbreak is accelerating and we've clearly not reached the peak of the pandemic," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
The World Health Organization also acknowledged Tuesday that there was "emerging evidence" on airborne transmission of the new coronavirus, after an international group of scientists said it could spread far beyond two metres.
"We acknowledge that there is emerging evidence in this field... therefore we believe that we have to be open to this evidence and understand its implications," the WHO's Professor Benedetta Allegranzi told a virtual press briefing.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Trump's niece brands him a liar and a cheat in new book, White House cries foul

U.S. President Donald Trump listens during an event on reopening schools amid the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) pandemic in the East Room at the White House in Washington , U.S. , July 7 , 2020 .
Donald Trump 's niece describes the US president as a lying narcissist who was shaped by his domineering father , according to excerpts of her memoir published Tuesday .
The White House immediately hit back , describing Mary Trump 's `` Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World 's Most Dangerous Man '' as `` a book of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on July 14 amid a legal battle to stop its publication and is already a best-seller on Amazon .
Mary , a clinical psychologist , writes that Trump saw `` cheating as a way of life , '' according to The New York Times .
She alleges that the future US leader paid someone else to take the SAT pre-collegiate exam , helping him get into the University of Pennsylvania 's prestigious Wharton business school .
The Times does n't explain how she knew .
`` The absurd SAT allegation is completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary Sarah Matthews .
The 240-page book says Trump is a product of his `` sociopath '' father Fred Trump who created an abusive and traumatic home life , The Washington Post reported .
`` ( The president ) said his father was loving and not at all hard on him as a child , '' Matthews said in response .
The memoir is billed as the first unflattering portrayal of Trump by a family insider .
The president 's younger brother Robert Trump tried to block publication , arguing that Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 after the settlement of her grandfather 's estate .
Last week , a New York appeals judge ruled that Simon & Schuster is allowed to release the memoir , saying it was `` not a party to the agreement . ''
Mary is the son of Fred Trump Jr , Trump 's older brother , who died in 1981 from complications related to alcoholism .
She writes that her uncle meets all the clinical criteria for being a narcissist , according to The New York Times .
`` Mary Trump and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting in the public interest , but this book is clearly in the author 's own financial self-interest , '' Matthews said .
The book is set to be the latest bombshell book to dish dirt on Trump after former aide John Bolton 's tome , which describes the Republican leader as corrupt and incompetent , hit shelves last month .
Trump has described that book as `` fiction . ''

Donald Trump's niece describes the US president as a lying narcissist who was shaped by his domineering father, according to excerpts of her memoir published Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump at an event at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 7, 2020, on reopening schools amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
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The White House immediately hit back, describing Mary Trump's "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" as "a book of falsehoods."
The memoir is due out on July 14 amid a legal battle to stop its publication and is already a best-seller on Amazon.
Mary, a clinical psychologist, writes that Trump saw "cheating as a way of life," according to The New York Times.
She alleges that the future US leader paid someone else to take the SAT pre-collegiate exam, helping him get into the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton business school.
The Times doesn't explain how she knew.
"The absurd SAT allegation is completely false," said deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews.
The 240-page book says Trump is a product of his "sociopath" father Fred Trump who created an abusive and traumatic home life, The Washington Post reported.
"(The president) said his father was loving and not at all hard on him as a child," Matthews said in response.
The memoir is billed as the first unflattering portrayal of Trump by a family insider.
The president's younger brother Robert Trump tried to block publication, arguing that Mary was violating a non-disclosure agreement signed in 2001 after the settlement of her grandfather's estate.
Last week, a New York appeals judge ruled that Simon & Schuster is allowed to release the memoir, saying it was "not a party to the agreement."
Mary is the son of Fred Trump Jr, Trump's older brother, who died in 1981 from complications related to alcoholism.
She writes that her uncle meets all the clinical criteria for being a narcissist, according to The New York Times.
"Mary Trump and her book's publisher may claim to be acting in the public interest, but this book is clearly in the author's own financial self-interest," Matthews said.
The book is set to be the latest bombshell book to dish dirt on Trump after former aide John Bolton's tome, which describes the Republican leader as corrupt and incompetent, hit shelves last month.
Trump has described that book as "fiction."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Revamped French government takes office, tasked with restoring coronavirus-hit economy

President Emmanuel Macron ’ s reshuffled government took office on Tuesday , with conservatives given prominent roles in efforts to rescue France ’ s coronavirus-ravaged economy from the worst depression in decades .
President Emmanuel Macron ’ s reshuffled government took office on Tuesday , with conservatives given prominent roles in efforts to rescue France ’ s coronavirus-ravaged economy from the worst depression in decades .
Reappointed as finance minister , Bruno Le Maire promised a company-focused recovery plan to revive growth , but said he would not lose control over spending .
Le Maire said he faced a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
“ My road map is clear and simple : it will be recovery - morning , noon and night.
” The coronavirus crisis has unravelled the hard-fought gains of a liberal economic reform agenda that provoked waves of protests during Macron ’ s first three years in office .
Before the pandemic hit , French growth was among the highest in the euro zone , unemployment was falling and foreign investors were rewarding Macron for deregulating parts of the economy .
But now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government forecasts the economy will shrink by 11 % and debt is spiralling higher .
“ It is out of the question that economic stimulus gets done at the expense of well-managed public accounts over the long term , ” Le Maire continued .
The reshuffle saw former conservatives , including Le Maire , in control of the most influential ministries - a sign Macron will seek to consolidate support among centre-right voters ahead of a possible re-election bid .
An Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll showed eight in 10 people believed the reshuffle would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direction .
At least two small groups of feminist protesters targeted the new government .
Three topless women protested in front of the Elysee Palace , one of them bearing the slogan “ RIP The Promises ” , as Macron prepared to convene the cabinet for the first time .
In a second action , protesters took aim at new Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin , against whom an investigation into a rape allegation was reopened last month .
Macron redrew the political landscape when he swept to power three years ago , carving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and poaching ministers from the left and right .
On Monday , he let go of several former Socialist ministers , while promoting others from conservative ranks .

President Emmanuel Macron’s reshuffled government took office on Tuesday, with conservatives given prominent roles in efforts to rescue France’s coronavirus-ravaged economy from the worst depression in decades.
President Emmanuel Macron’s reshuffled government took office on Tuesday, with conservatives given prominent roles in efforts to rescue France’s coronavirus-ravaged economy from the worst depression in decades.
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Reappointed as finance minister, Bruno Le Maire promised a company-focused recovery plan to revive growth, but said he would not lose control over spending.
Le Maire said he faced a “crushing task” confronted by the severest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. “My road map is clear and simple: it will be recovery - morning, noon and night.”
The coronavirus crisis has unravelled the hard-fought gains of a liberal economic reform agenda that provoked waves of protests during Macron’s first three years in office.
Before the pandemic hit, French growth was among the highest in the euro zone, unemployment was falling and foreign investors were rewarding Macron for deregulating parts of the economy.
But now the jobless rate is rising, the government forecasts the economy will shrink by 11% and debt is spiralling higher.
“It is out of the question that economic stimulus gets done at the expense of well-managed public accounts over the long term,” Le Maire continued.
The reshuffle saw former conservatives, including Le Maire, in control of the most influential ministries - a sign Macron will seek to consolidate support among centre-right voters ahead of a possible re-election bid.
An Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll showed eight in 10 people believed the reshuffle would not lead to a shift in policy direction.
>> Who's who in Macron's revamped cabinet
At least two small groups of feminist protesters targeted the new government.
Three topless women protested in front of the Elysee Palace, one of them bearing the slogan “RIP The Promises”, as Macron prepared to convene the cabinet for the first time.
In a second action, protesters took aim at new Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, against whom an investigation into a rape allegation was reopened last month.
Darmanin, who was previously Macron’s budget minister, denies rape.
Macron redrew the political landscape when he swept to power three years ago, carving out a niche in the centre ground and poaching ministers from the left and right.
On Monday, he let go of several former Socialist ministers, while promoting others from conservative ranks.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-07--Star lawyer Dupond-Moretti named justice minister in French government reshuffle

French President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister , Jean Castex , named a new government on Monday evening that might not have been long on surprises .
But the appointment of leading criminal defence lawyer Éric Dupond-Moretti , a dreaded figure in French courtrooms , to head the justice ministry was assuredly chief among them .
The 59-year-old Dupond-Moretti is no stranger to the spotlight .
Known for his outspokenness , as well as a certain venomous hostility towards judges , the star counsel is nicknamed the `` Acquittator '' — a portmanteau of Acquittal and Terminator — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He replaces Socialist jurist Nicole Belloubet in the job .
Dupond-Moretti has featured in many of the highest profile trials in recent years .
He defended politicians Patrick Balkany and Jérôme Cahuzac in their tax fraud cases .
In 2017 , he took on the controversial defence of Abdelkader Merah , the brother of Toulouse terrorist Mohamed Merah .
Merah killed three French paratroopers and then three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in the Toulouse region in 2012 before dying in a police raid .
His brother was accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his brother and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison .
`` It is the most difficult trial of my career , '' Dupond-Moretti said at the time .
`` I got a right bollocking , I was insulted .
People said I was a shame to my profession .
People threatened my children . ''
But it was `` an honour for me '' to defend him , he said .
The lawyer explained that his responsibility was not to uphold morality but only the law , adding that he could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' if he had been asked , although `` on the condition of not justifying Nazi ideology '' .
Dupond-Moretti began his career in Douai , northern France , in 1984 .
Over the course of more than 30 years in the courtroom he has won more than 120 acquittals for clients .
Among his clients were Roselyne Godard , one of the accused in the notorious Outreau child sex abuse case ; university professor Jacques Viguier , who was accused of killing his wife ; and Jean Castela , accused of ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest-ranking representative of the French state in Corsica — successfully obtaining acquittals in each case .
Dupond-Moretti is known for not pulling punches in the courtroom .
He makes use of his imposing physical stature at trial to pressure witnesses for the prosecution .
Naming him to head the justice ministry on the Place Vendôme in the heart of Paris comes as a surprise , not least in light of the hardline stances Dupond-Moretti has taken against judges in France .
Politically he had always been considered left-leaning and had backed , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Martine Aubry for the party 's nomination ahead of the 2012 presidential election .
Dupond-Moretti , whose partner is Canadian pop star Isabelle Boulay , had been slated to begin an opinion segment on morning radio for Europe 1 in the fall .
`` This nomination is a gesture aimed at reassuring lawyers , '' Christiane Féral-Schuhl , president of the National Bar Council , told AFP .
`` Lawyers expect strong political measures — a minister who supports them , who knows what it is to be a lawyer .
Éric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose organisation represents 70,000 French lawyers .
`` Ever since Robert Badinter ( the widely respected figure who oversaw the end of capital punishment in France ) , no judicial lawyer had been named as justice minister , '' noted Estellia Araez , president of the left-leaning Lawyer 's Union of France .
`` It is auspicious that a colleague who has always defended liberties , freedom of speech , the place of lawyers at trial , and who took part in the battle against the pension reform , be named minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judges , however , appear less keen .
Lucille Rouet , who heads the left-leaning Magistrature Union , said she `` wonders about this signal '' .
`` We are wondering a little with regard to his most recent remarks about the PNF ( the national prosecutors ' office that specialises in financial crimes ) and about certain judges , '' Rouet said , adding that she hopes Dupond-Moretti will do everything possible to `` reconcile '' lawyers and judges in his new post .
Indeed , the naming of such a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Dupond-Moretti filed a legal complaint over revelations of secret wiretapping by the PNF in June .
Dupond-Moretti accused the financial crimes office of acting like `` spooks '' , spying on him and other lawyers by going through telephone records to identify a so-called mole in a wiretapping scandal .
He also denounced the sweeping power of judges and called for broad consultations on the justice system .

French President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister, Jean Castex, named a new government on Monday evening that might not have been long on surprises. But the appointment of leading criminal defence lawyer Éric Dupond-Moretti, a dreaded figure in French courtrooms, to head the justice ministry was assuredly chief among them.
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The 59-year-old Dupond-Moretti is no stranger to the spotlight. Known for his outspokenness, as well as a certain venomous hostility towards judges, the star counsel is nicknamed the "Acquittator" — a portmanteau of Acquittal and Terminator — for his impressive record in defending clients. He replaces Socialist jurist Nicole Belloubet in the job.
Dupond-Moretti has featured in many of the highest profile trials in recent years. He defended politicians Patrick Balkany and Jérôme Cahuzac in their tax fraud cases. In 2017, he took on the controversial defence of Abdelkader Merah, the brother of Toulouse terrorist Mohamed Merah. Merah killed three French paratroopers and then three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in the Toulouse region in 2012 before dying in a police raid. His brother was accused of terrorism-related offences for inspiring and aiding his brother and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"It is the most difficult trial of my career," Dupond-Moretti said at the time. "I got a right bollocking, I was insulted. People said I was a shame to my profession. People threatened my children." But it was "an honour for me" to defend him, he said.
The lawyer explained that his responsibility was not to uphold morality but only the law, adding that he could have even defended "Hitler as a person" if he had been asked, although "on the condition of not justifying Nazi ideology".
Earlier this year, Dupond-Moretti joined WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's international defence team.
Unstoppable force
Dupond-Moretti began his career in Douai, northern France, in 1984. Over the course of more than 30 years in the courtroom he has won more than 120 acquittals for clients. Among his clients were Roselyne Godard, one of the accused in the notorious Outreau child sex abuse case; university professor Jacques Viguier, who was accused of killing his wife; and Jean Castela, accused of ordering the killing of Claude Érignac, the highest-ranking representative of the French state in Corsica — successfully obtaining acquittals in each case.
Dupond-Moretti is known for not pulling punches in the courtroom. He makes use of his imposing physical stature at trial to pressure witnesses for the prosecution.
Naming him to head the justice ministry on the Place Vendôme in the heart of Paris comes as a surprise, not least in light of the hardline stances Dupond-Moretti has taken against judges in France. Politically he had always been considered left-leaning and had backed, at least in private, then Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry for the party's nomination ahead of the 2012 presidential election. Dupond-Moretti, whose partner is Canadian pop star Isabelle Boulay, had been slated to begin an opinion segment on morning radio for Europe 1 in the fall.
Lawyers pleased, judges worried
"This nomination is a gesture aimed at reassuring lawyers," Christiane Féral-Schuhl, president of the National Bar Council, told AFP. "Lawyers expect strong political measures — a minister who supports them, who knows what it is to be a lawyer. Éric Dupond-Moretti embodies that," added Féral-Schuhl, whose organisation represents 70,000 French lawyers.
"Ever since Robert Badinter (the widely respected figure who oversaw the end of capital punishment in France), no judicial lawyer had been named as justice minister," noted Estellia Araez, president of the left-leaning Lawyer's Union of France. "It is auspicious that a colleague who has always defended liberties, freedom of speech, the place of lawyers at trial, and who took part in the battle against the pension reform, be named minister of justice," she added.
Judges, however, appear less keen. Lucille Rouet, who heads the left-leaning Magistrature Union, said she "wonders about this signal". "We are wondering a little with regard to his most recent remarks about the PNF (the national prosecutors' office that specialises in financial crimes) and about certain judges," Rouet said, adding that she hopes Dupond-Moretti will do everything possible to "reconcile" lawyers and judges in his new post.
Indeed, the naming of such a strong personality to head the justice ministry comes after Dupond-Moretti filed a legal complaint over revelations of secret wiretapping by the PNF in June.
Dupond-Moretti accused the financial crimes office of acting like "spooks", spying on him and other lawyers by going through telephone records to identify a so-called mole in a wiretapping scandal.
He also denounced the sweeping power of judges and called for broad consultations on the justice system.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Deutsche Bank fined $150 million for failing to flag Jeffrey Epstein accounts

A protester holds up signs outside the courthouse ahead of a bail hearing in U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein 's sex trafficking case in New York City , U.S. July 15 , 2019 .
Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $ 150 million to settle claims that it broke compliance rules in its dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , New York state announced Tuesday .
The penalty was announced in a release by Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell .
“ Despite knowing Mr. Epstein ’ s terrible criminal history , the Bank inexcusably failed to detect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transactions , ” Lacewell said .
According to the release , the agreement marked the first enforcement action by a regulator against a financial institution for dealings with the financier .
Epstein killed himself last August in a Manhattan federal jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges .
His ex-girlfriend , British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell , was arrested last week and brought to New York City to face charges she recruited girls for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s .
In civil lawsuits , she has denied involvement .
Her Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a statement , the German bank said the settlement with New York state “ reflects our unreserved and transparent cooperation with our regulator . ''
The bank said it had invested almost $ 1 billion to improve its training and controls and had boosted its staff overseeing the work to more than 1,500 employees “ to continue enhancing our anti-financial crime capabilities . ''
In a statement , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , a Democrat , said the bank failed to prevent millions of dollars in suspicious transactions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor Epstein 's account activity despite publicly available information about Epstein 's crimes .
The financier with U.S. residences in Manhattan , Florida and New Mexico , along with homes in Paris and the Virgin Islands , had pleaded guilty to criminal sex abuse charges in Florida over a decade ago and was a registered sex offender before his July 2019 arrest on federal sex crime charges .
Lacewell said the bank processed hundreds of transactions totaling millions of dollars that , “ at the very least , should have prompted additional scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history . ''
She said some payments that should have drawn scrutiny included money paid to people publicly alleged to have been Mr. Epstein ’ s co-conspirators in sexually abusing young women , settlement payments totaling over $ 7 million , and over $ 6 million in legal fees for Epstein and co-conspirators .
Other payments went to Russian models and transactions for women ’ s school tuition , hotel and rent expenses , she said , along with suspicious cash withdrawals totaling over $ 800,000 in a four-year stretch .

Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $150 million to settle claims that it broke compliance rules in its dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, New York state announced Tuesday.
A protester holds up signs outside the courthouse ahead of a bail hearing in U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case in New York City, U.S. July 15, 2019.
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The penalty was announced in a release by Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell.
“Despite knowing Mr. Epstein’s terrible criminal history, the Bank inexcusably failed to detect or prevent millions of dollars of suspicious transactions,” Lacewell said.
According to the release, the agreement marked the first enforcement action by a regulator against a financial institution for dealings with the financier.
Epstein killed himself last August in a Manhattan federal jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
His ex-girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was arrested last week and brought to New York City to face charges she recruited girls for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s. In civil lawsuits, she has denied involvement. Her Manhattan federal court arraignment is likely next week.
In a statement, the German bank said the settlement with New York state “reflects our unreserved and transparent cooperation with our regulator."
The bank said it had invested almost $1 billion to improve its training and controls and had boosted its staff overseeing the work to more than 1,500 employees “to continue enhancing our anti-financial crime capabilities."
In a statement, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the bank failed to prevent millions of dollars in suspicious transactions.
Lacewell said the bank failed to properly monitor Epstein's account activity despite publicly available information about Epstein's crimes.
The financier with U.S. residences in Manhattan, Florida and New Mexico, along with homes in Paris and the Virgin Islands, had pleaded guilty to criminal sex abuse charges in Florida over a decade ago and was a registered sex offender before his July 2019 arrest on federal sex crime charges.
Lacewell said the bank processed hundreds of transactions totaling millions of dollars that, “at the very least, should have prompted additional scrutiny in light of Mr. Epstein’s history."
She said some payments that should have drawn scrutiny included money paid to people publicly alleged to have been Mr. Epstein’s co-conspirators in sexually abusing young women, settlement payments totaling over $7 million, and over $6 million in legal fees for Epstein and co-conspirators.
Other payments went to Russian models and transactions for women’s school tuition, hotel and rent expenses, she said, along with suspicious cash withdrawals totaling over $800,000 in a four-year stretch.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Eurozone economy to plunge 8.7% this year after hit from Covid-19

The eurozone economy will plunge 8.7 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis , the European Commission said Tuesday in more pessimistic forecasts that do not see a complete rebound next year .
The new forecasts see the eurozone economy bouncing back by 6.1 percent in 2021 , still leaving the region worse off than before the countries were forced to implement lockdowns in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
`` The economic impact of the lockdown is more severe than we initially expected , '' said Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement accompanying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Looking forward to this year and next , we can expect a rebound but we will need to be vigilant about the differing pace of the recovery , '' he added .
Germany , the EU 's biggest economy , is expected to see a 6.3 percent contraction this year and 5.3 percent growth in 2021 .
The economies of France , Italy and Spain will each contract by more than 10 percent , and then partially recover .
France , the eurozone 's second-largest economy , is expected to contract by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7.6 percent in 2021 .
Italy , which should suffer a 11.2-percent drop this year , is only forecast to rebound by 6.1 percent in 2021 .
Spain 's economy is seen as contracting by 10.9 percent before bouncing back by 7.1 percent .
`` The policy response across Europe has helped to cushion the blow for our citizens , yet this remains a story of increasing divergence , inequality and insecurity , '' said the EU 's economy commissioner , Paolo Gentiloni .
`` This is why it is so important to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan proposed by the Commission -- to inject both new confidence and new financing into our economies at this critical time , '' he added .

The eurozone economy will plunge 8.7 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission said Tuesday in more pessimistic forecasts that do not see a complete rebound next year.
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The new forecasts see the eurozone economy bouncing back by 6.1 percent in 2021, still leaving the region worse off than before the countries were forced to implement lockdowns in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.
"The economic impact of the lockdown is more severe than we initially expected," said Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement accompanying the release of the updated forecasts.
"Looking forward to this year and next, we can expect a rebound but we will need to be vigilant about the differing pace of the recovery," he added.
Germany, the EU's biggest economy, is expected to see a 6.3 percent contraction this year and 5.3 percent growth in 2021.
The economies of France, Italy and Spain will each contract by more than 10 percent, and then partially recover.
France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, is expected to contract by 10.6 percent this year and grow by 7.6 percent in 2021.
Italy, which should suffer a 11.2-percent drop this year, is only forecast to rebound by 6.1 percent in 2021.
Spain's economy is seen as contracting by 10.9 percent before bouncing back by 7.1 percent.
"The policy response across Europe has helped to cushion the blow for our citizens, yet this remains a story of increasing divergence, inequality and insecurity," said the EU's economy commissioner, Paolo Gentiloni.
"This is why it is so important to reach a swift agreement on the recovery plan proposed by the Commission -- to inject both new confidence and new financing into our economies at this critical time," he added.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Accident or sabotage? What we know of deadly explosion at Iran's Natanz nuclear site

A handout picture provided by Iran 's Atomic Energy Organisation shows a damaged warehouse at the Natanz nuclear facility on July 2 , 2020 .
Two people died and another three were injured Tuesday when an explosion rocked the factory south of Tehran , Iran 's official IRNA agency reported , blaming human error .
The blast in `` a completely industrial zone '' of Baqershahr , 23 kilometres ( 14 miles ) from the capital , was caused by `` workers being negligent whilst filling oxygen tanks '' , IRNA quoted the town 's governor as saying .
Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` accident '' had damaged warehouses under construction at the Natanz site , some 250 kilometres ( 150 miles ) south of Tehran , in a confusing statement on the morning after the incident .
There were no casualties , `` no nuclear material ( on site ) and no potential of pollution '' , the agency 's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told state television .
The organisation released a photo of a damaged building : a long , one-storey brick structure with few openings , part of an exterior wall blackened by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doors that appeared to have been blown outwards .
State TV showed several images of the building 's exterior , but none of the inside .
On Sunday evening , Kamalvandi acknowledged to the IRNA state news agency that the incident had caused `` significant financial damage '' , without elaborating .
But he said the damaged building had been designed to produce `` advanced centrifuges '' , hinting that their assembly had begun prior to the `` accident '' .
What is the Natanz nuclear complex ?
The complex is central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept under very tight security .
Israel and the United States accuse their arch-foe Iran of trying to build an atomic bomb — a charge the Islamic Republic has always denied .
Under the terms of its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers , Tehran had agreed to cap its enrichment of uranium — measured by the presence of fissile isotope Uranium-235 — to 3.67 percent .
It also limited the number of so called first-generation enrichment centrifuges to 5,060 .
But a year after Washington unilaterally abandoned the pact and reimposed crushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from its commitments .
Since mid-2019 it has enriched uranium to 4.5 percent — reactor-grade but still far from the 90 percent required for military use .
Iran has also announced that it is working on developing more efficient centrifuges , without limits .
The incident came at the end of a week marked by two explosions in Tehran , including one near a military site .
Officials said the blasts were accidents , but many Iranians suspected covert Israeli operations were responsible .
On Friday , Iran 's Supreme National Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident '' at Natanz had been `` accurately determined '' .
But it declined to release details , citing security reasons .
On the evening of July 2 , IRNA published an editorial warning Iran 's arch-foes against hostile actions , saying unnamed Israeli social media accounts had claimed the Jewish state was behind the incident .
The editorial warned Israel and the US against any attack on Iran 's `` security '' and `` interests '' .
A Twitter account linked to an Israeli analyst claimed in Arabic on July 1 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant .
The BBC 's Persian service , which Iranian authorities consider hostile , said it received a statement `` hours before '' the incident from a group called the `` Homeland Cheetahs '' who claimed responsibility .
They claimed to be `` dissidents present in Iran 's security apparatus '' and said the location was targeted as it was not `` underground '' and that therefore the alleged attack could not be denied .
Iran 's civil defence chief , Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali , told state TV on Thursday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elicit `` a response '' .
Israel 's Defence Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz stayed ambiguous on the events .
`` Iran is aiming for nuclear [ weapons ] , we ca n't let it get there , '' he said Sunday , though adding that `` not every event taking place in Iran is necessarily connected to us . ''

Two people died and another three were injured Tuesday when an explosion rocked the factory south of Tehran, Iran's official IRNA agency reported, blaming human error.
A handout picture provided by Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation shows a damaged warehouse at the Natanz nuclear facility on July 2, 2020.
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The blast in "a completely industrial zone" of Baqershahr, 23 kilometres (14 miles) from the capital, was caused by "workers being negligent whilst filling oxygen tanks", IRNA quoted the town's governor as saying.
Iran's atomic energy agency first reported that an "accident" had damaged warehouses under construction at the Natanz site, some 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Tehran, in a confusing statement on the morning after the incident.
There were no casualties, "no nuclear material (on site) and no potential of pollution", the agency's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told state television.
The organisation released a photo of a damaged building: a long, one-storey brick structure with few openings, part of an exterior wall blackened by fire, a collapsed section of roof and doors that appeared to have been blown outwards.
State TV showed several images of the building's exterior, but none of the inside.
On Sunday evening, Kamalvandi acknowledged to the IRNA state news agency that the incident had caused "significant financial damage", without elaborating.
But he said the damaged building had been designed to produce "advanced centrifuges", hinting that their assembly had begun prior to the "accident".
What is the Natanz nuclear complex?
The complex is central to Iran's nuclear programme and is kept under very tight security.
Israel and the United States accuse their arch-foe Iran of trying to build an atomic bomb — a charge the Islamic Republic has always denied.
Under the terms of its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, Tehran had agreed to cap its enrichment of uranium — measured by the presence of fissile isotope Uranium-235 — to 3.67 percent.
It also limited the number of so called first-generation enrichment centrifuges to 5,060.
But a year after Washington unilaterally abandoned the pact and reimposed crushing sanctions, Iran began progressively stepping away from its commitments.
Since mid-2019 it has enriched uranium to 4.5 percent — reactor-grade but still far from the 90 percent required for military use.
Iran has also announced that it is working on developing more efficient centrifuges, without limits.
'Accurately determined'
The incident came at the end of a week marked by two explosions in Tehran, including one near a military site. Officials said the blasts were accidents, but many Iranians suspected covert Israeli operations were responsible.
On Friday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced that the "cause of the accident" at Natanz had been "accurately determined".
But it declined to release details, citing security reasons.
On the evening of July 2, IRNA published an editorial warning Iran's arch-foes against hostile actions, saying unnamed Israeli social media accounts had claimed the Jewish state was behind the incident.
The editorial warned Israel and the US against any attack on Iran's "security" and "interests".
A Twitter account linked to an Israeli analyst claimed in Arabic on July 1 that Israel had attacked an Iranian uranium enrichment plant.
The BBC's Persian service, which Iranian authorities consider hostile, said it received a statement "hours before" the incident from a group called the "Homeland Cheetahs" who claimed responsibility.
They claimed to be "dissidents present in Iran's security apparatus" and said the location was targeted as it was not "underground" and that therefore the alleged attack could not be denied.
Iran's civil defence chief, Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, told state TV on Thursday night that any proven cyberattack against Iran would elicit "a response".
Israel's Defence Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz stayed ambiguous on the events.
"Iran is aiming for nuclear [weapons], we can't let it get there," he said Sunday, though adding that "not every event taking place in Iran is necessarily connected to us."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-07--Africa locust plague: New app launched to battle swarms

Locusts on a tree in the Turkana region of northern Kenya on July 2 , 2O2O .
Vast numbers of locusts have been swarming across East Africa in recent months , devastating crops and threatening food security in the region .
Now , authorities are hoping a new app could help them gain the upper hand in their battle against the pests .
Called E-Locusts , the app allows a team of ‘ locust scouts ’ to track the swarms and provide real-time information on their size and location .
“ I go look for locusts where they are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I upload videos of their movement and also advise them which kind of control can be used , ” Achilo Christopher , a locust scout in the Turkana region of northern Kenya , told Reuters .
The information is logged in a central database and analysed by technical teams who can then decide what action to take including whether to spray pesticides either by plane or with ground teams .
The app was launched by the UN ’ s Food and Agriculture Organisation in response to growing fears the locust infestations are threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current locust infestation is the worst that 's been seen for three generations , with unseasonably wet weather helping them to breed in greater numbers than usual .
Since late 2019 , billions of the insects have ravaged crops in countries including Kenya , Somalia and Ethiopia and spread into India , Pakistan and the Red Sea region .
An average locust swarm of around 40 million insects can travel up to 150 km a day and consume enough food in that time to feed 35,000 people .

Vast numbers of locusts have been swarming across East Africa in recent months, devastating crops and threatening food security in the region. Now, authorities are hoping a new app could help them gain the upper hand in their battle against the pests.
Locusts on a tree in the Turkana region of northern Kenya on July 2, 2O2O.
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Called E-Locusts, the app allows a team of ‘locust scouts’ to track the swarms and provide real-time information on their size and location.
“I go look for locusts where they are, I report, I take pictures, I upload videos of their movement and also advise them which kind of control can be used,” Achilo Christopher, a locust scout in the Turkana region of northern Kenya, told Reuters.
The information is logged in a central database and analysed by technical teams who can then decide what action to take including whether to spray pesticides either by plane or with ground teams.
The app was launched by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in response to growing fears the locust infestations are threatening food security in the region.
The current locust infestation is the worst that's been seen for three generations, with unseasonably wet weather helping them to breed in greater numbers than usual.
Since late 2019, billions of the insects have ravaged crops in countries including Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia and spread into India, Pakistan and the Red Sea region.
An average locust swarm of around 40 million insects can travel up to 150 km a day and consume enough food in that time to feed 35,000 people.
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france24--2020-07-07--Libya’s civil war leaves Sahara community without gas, electricity or water

The concentration of internationally supported military and political forces in the two major provinces of Cyrenaica and Tripoli has left Fezzan , Libya ’ s third province , largely ignored .
Residents say this immense territory , which is roughly the size of France , lacks everything from medical facilities to a proper fire department and faces constant shortages of electricity , gas and fuel .
They blame both sides of the conflict for their worsening situation because the fighting prevents supplies from reaching the region .
In the video below , which was filmed on June 28 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of firefighters in the region meant that he had to fight the fire that started in his home all alone .
Tiwiwi is a rural community located 175 kilometres from Sebha , which is considered the capital of Fezzan .
`` We beseech the two governments , we want a fire truck , an ambulance , medicine .
We want everything .
Look how we have to put out fires .
You have forgotten the people in the south .
We don ’ t have working sewer systems , cash , electricity or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dated June 20 , a resident of Ghat ( located about 1,336 km southwest of Tripoli ) says that it is almost impossible to get gas for cooking .
He says , in the south , you might pay up to 300 dinars ( equivalent to €180 ) for one gas cylinder , while , in the north , it could cost as little as 10 dinars ( equivalent to €6.35 ) .
“ You , in the north and the east , you don ’ t know what is going on for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a canister of gas for 300 dinars , and you are horrified when the price for a canister reaches 10 dinars .
We pay three dinars for a litre of petrol and , where you are , it only costs 0.15 dinars , ” complains this resident in a video that has garnered nearly 40,000 views .

LIBYA
The left and centre photos show people waiting in line to buy gas canisters in Oubari. The image on the right shows volunteers trying to repair cracks in the road between Oubari and Ghat. (Photos sent by our Observers)
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The concentration of internationally supported military and political forces in the two major provinces of Cyrenaica and Tripoli has left Fezzan, Libya’s third province, largely ignored. Residents say this immense territory, which is roughly the size of France, lacks everything from medical facilities to a proper fire department and faces constant shortages of electricity, gas and fuel. They blame both sides of the conflict for their worsening situation because the fighting prevents supplies from reaching the region.
In the video below, which was filmed on June 28, a man from Tiwiwi says that a lack of firefighters in the region meant that he had to fight the fire that started in his home all alone. Tiwiwi is a rural community located 175 kilometres from Sebha, which is considered the capital of Fezzan.
"We beseech the two governments, we want a fire truck, an ambulance, medicine. We want everything. Look how we have to put out fires. You have forgotten the people in the south. We don’t have working sewer systems, cash, electricity or hospitals."
In this post, dated June 20, a resident of Ghat (located about 1,336 km southwest of Tripoli) says that it is almost impossible to get gas for cooking. He says, in the south, you might pay up to 300 dinars (equivalent to €180) for one gas cylinder, while, in the north, it could cost as little as 10 dinars (equivalent to €6.35).
“You, in the north and the east, you don’t know what is going on for us in the south. We buy a canister of gas for 300 dinars, and you are horrified when the price for a canister reaches 10 dinars. We pay three dinars for a litre of petrol and, where you are, it only costs 0.15 dinars,” complains this resident in a video that has garnered nearly 40,000 views.
"There’s been a shortage of gas canisters for the past eight months and there is still no solution"
Abderrahman Sidi is a 25-year-old blogger who lives in Oubari. He says that the central government has not worked to find solutions.
It started to get really difficult to buy a canister of gas back in December and there is still no solution. The normal distribution channels have dried up. Meanwhile, the black market is flourishing and we end up having to pay 300 dinars (€180) for a cylinder, when, usually, it’s no more than three dinars.
Residents wait for gas cylinders to arrive at an official sale point in Oubari.
A long queue to buy gas cylinders in Oubari.
We can’t rely on electric stoves, either, because sometimes we don’t have electricity for a few days. We end up cooking over wood fires. We also have to buy water tanks because the infrastructure for distributing potable water breaks down all the time and also requires electricity to work. You’d think we were living in the Middle Ages.
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With no easy access to drinking water, locals have to buy water tanks. (Our Observer Abderrahmane Sidi sent us this photo).
To deal with the power cuts, we got a hold of generators, but it is hard to find fuel because most of the time, the petrol stations don’t have anything. Smugglers sell a litre of petrol for three dinars, which is 20 times more expensive than its real price, even though the largest oil field in the country is literally nextdoor [Editor’s note: the Echarara oil field is located 75 kilometres to the east of Oubari] .
The image on the left shows a petrol station partially covered with sand in the town of Ghat. The image on the right shows Fezzan’s blossoming black market trade in fuel. (Photos by our Observers)
We’re also suffering from a cash shortage. Long lines form at the banks each time we hear that they’ve received cash. Sometimes fights break out. All this just to withdraw the small sum of 600 dinars (equivalent to 380 euros).’’
A crowd gathers in front of a bank in Oubari, which has suffered from a shortage in cash for months. (Video sent to our team by our Observer Abderrahmane Sidi)
"This long line in front of a petrol station in the south of Libya should be recorded as the longest line in history!” says our Observer Bachir Echeikh.
"The absence of economic activity pushes young people to collaborate with jihadist groups and smugglers”
Bachir Echeikh lives in Ghat and is the president of a local citizens group known as the Anger in Fezzan Movement League. He says that limited infrastructure and a lack of security are the biggest sources of frustration for residents.
The biggest problem is the almost total lack of law enforcement or security forces in a territory as vast as Fezzan. To go from one town to another, you have to travel hundreds of miles on roads that are full of cracks and holes. It is 370 kilometres between Ghat and Oubari, for example. There are no police checkpoints on the road and you may come across criminal gangs that will steal your car or money. They will attack you and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the desert with nothing.
Volunteers attempt to repair cracks in the road between Oubari and Ghat. (Photo sent to us by our Observer Bachir Echeik.)
The economic situation here is catastrophic as well, which is why the black market and all kinds of smuggling thrive in our border region. Young people don’t have any choice but to join these criminal gangs, which sometimes have links to jihadist groups. They join these groups out of necessity, not because they believe in the ideology.
"The nearest emergency doctor is hundreds of kilometres away”
The breakdown of the power grid in our region has affected the already limited medical services. If someone experiences kidney failure and needs dialysis, it turns into a nightmare. Between 2012 and 2017, there wasn’t a single doctor in the Ghat Hospital, except for a few medical caravans that came to help the population for a month at a time.
‘Look at the Ghat Hospital, deserted at the start of the day. There’s no one here, no nurses or doctors, no staff. People in Ghat need to rise up!” cries the person in this video that our Observer Bachr Echeikh shared on his page.
The only two hospitals worthy of their names are in Sebha and Traghen (located 140 kilometres to the south of Sebha) and even those institutions lack medical personnel. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is only one emergency doctor in the entire Fezzan region. He works in Sebha, hundreds of kilometres from Ghat.
Since the start of the conflict between the government and foces led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar in April 2019, both warring parties in Libya have tried to cozy up to the tribes in Fezzan to earn their support and gain access to strategic petrol sites in the south of the country. But the loyalty of the tribal forces in Fezzan has gone back and forth between the two camps depending on the military situation. In June 2020, for example, several tribes announced they were pulling out of the armed forces loyal to Marshal Haftar.
Article by Omar Tiss


france24--2020-07-07--Trump moves to formally withdraw US from WHO

US President Donald Trump hosts an event at the White House in Washington , DC , on July 7 , 2020 , on reopening schools amid the coronavirus disease ( Covid-19 ) pandemic .
President Donald Trump on Tuesday formally started the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization , making good on threats to deprive the UN body of its top funding source over its response to the coronavirus .
Public health advocates and Trump 's political opponents voiced outrage at the departure from the Geneva-based body , which leads the global fight on maladies from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as Covid-19 , at a time when cases have again been rising around the world .
After threatening to suspend the $ 400 million in annual US contributions and then announcing a withdrawal , the Trump administration has formally sent a notice to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , a State Department spokesperson said .
The withdrawal of the key WHO founding member is effective in one year – July 6 , 2021 .
Joe Biden , Trump 's presumptive Democratic opponent in November elections , vowed he would immediately end the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health .
On my first day as President , I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage , '' Biden wrote on Twitter .
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to the news with a one-word tweet – `` Together ! ''
– as he linked to a discussion by US health experts on how leaving the global body could impede efforts to prevent future pandemics .
In line with conditions set when the WHO was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States can leave within one year but must meet its remaining assessed financial obligations , UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said .
In late May , Trump said that China exerted `` total control '' over the WHO and accused the UN body led by Tedros , an Ethiopian doctor and diplomat , of failing to implement reforms .
Blaming China for the coronavirus , Trump , a frequent critic of the UN , said the United States would redirect funding `` to other worldwide and deserving , urgent , global public health needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of seeking to deflect criticism from his handling of the pandemic in the United States , which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any nation despite the president 's stated hope that the virus will disappear .
`` To call Trump 's response to COVID chaotic and incoherent does n't do it justice , '' said Senator Robert Menendez , the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee .
`` This wo n't protect American lives or interests – it leaves Americans sick and America alone , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician , said that the US and WHO had worked `` hand in hand '' to eradicate smallpox and nearly defeat polio .
`` Our cases are increasing , '' Bera said of Covid-19 .
`` If the WHO is to blame : why has the US been left behind while many countries from South Korea to New Zealand to Vietnam to Germany return to normal ? ''
Even some of Trump 's Republican allies had voiced hope that he was exerting pressure rather than making a final decision to abandon the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ProPublica reported last month that most of Trump 's aides were blindsided by the WHO withdrawal announcement , which he made during an appearance about China .
The Trump administration has said that the WHO ignored early signs of human-to-human transmission in China , including warnings from Taiwan – which , due to Beijing 's pressure , is not part of the UN body .
While many public health advocates share some criticism of the WHO , they question what other options the world body had other than to work with China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year in the city of Wuhan .
The anti-poverty campaign ONE said the United States should work to reform , not abandon , the WHO .
`` Withdrawing from the World Health Organization amidst an unprecedented global pandemic is an astounding action that puts the safety of all Americans the world at risk , '' it said .

President Donald Trump on Tuesday formally started the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization, making good on threats to deprive the UN body of its top funding source over its response to the coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump hosts an event at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 7, 2020, on reopening schools amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
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Public health advocates and Trump's political opponents voiced outrage at the departure from the Geneva-based body, which leads the global fight on maladies from polio to measles to mental health – as well as Covid-19, at a time when cases have again been rising around the world.
After threatening to suspend the $400 million in annual US contributions and then announcing a withdrawal, the Trump administration has formally sent a notice to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a State Department spokesperson said.
The withdrawal of the key WHO founding member is effective in one year – July 6, 2021. Joe Biden, Trump's presumptive Democratic opponent in November elections, vowed he would immediately end the pullout if he won the White House.
"Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health. On my first day as President, I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage," Biden wrote on Twitter.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to the news with a one-word tweet – "Together!" – as he linked to a discussion by US health experts on how leaving the global body could impede efforts to prevent future pandemics.
In line with conditions set when the WHO was set up in 1948, the United States can leave within one year but must meet its remaining assessed financial obligations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
‘Total control’
In late May, Trump said that China exerted "total control" over the WHO and accused the UN body led by Tedros, an Ethiopian doctor and diplomat, of failing to implement reforms.
Blaming China for the coronavirus, Trump, a frequent critic of the UN, said the United States would redirect funding "to other worldwide and deserving, urgent, global public health needs."
Democratic lawmakers have accused Trump of seeking to deflect criticism from his handling of the pandemic in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any nation despite the president's stated hope that the virus will disappear.
"To call Trump's response to COVID chaotic and incoherent doesn't do it justice," said Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
"This won't protect American lives or interests – it leaves Americans sick and America alone," he said.
Representative Ami Bera, himself a physician, said that the US and WHO had worked "hand in hand" to eradicate smallpox and nearly defeat polio.
"Our cases are increasing," Bera said of Covid-19. "If the WHO is to blame: why has the US been left behind while many countries from South Korea to New Zealand to Vietnam to Germany return to normal?"
Even some of Trump's Republican allies had voiced hope that he was exerting pressure rather than making a final decision to abandon the World Health Organization.
The investigative news outlet ProPublica reported last month that most of Trump's aides were blindsided by the WHO withdrawal announcement, which he made during an appearance about China.
The Trump administration has said that the WHO ignored early signs of human-to-human transmission in China, including warnings from Taiwan – which, due to Beijing's pressure, is not part of the UN body.
While many public health advocates share some criticism of the WHO, they question what other options the world body had other than to work with China, where Covid-19 was first detected late last year in the city of Wuhan.
The anti-poverty campaign ONE said the United States should work to reform, not abandon, the WHO.
"Withdrawing from the World Health Organization amidst an unprecedented global pandemic is an astounding action that puts the safety of all Americans the world at risk," it said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-07-08--Rodin Museum in Paris sells bronzes to make up for crippling shutdown

Rodin 's iconic sculpture `` The Thinker '' pictured in the museum 's garden on the eve of its reopening after an almost four-month shutdown .
Unlike other museums thumped by the coronavirus pandemic , the Rodin Museum in Paris might have an ace up its sleeve to help see it through the crisis : It can sell limited-edition versions of the French sculptor ’ s masterpieces .
The self-financed museum dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin is facing a mountain of challenges .
Tourists were scarce as it reopened Tuesday after four months of virus-enforced closure , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a long way off .
Signs seeking donations now line its walls .
But a measure of relief may come from a century-old system set up by Rodin himself allowing the museum to sell up to 12 replicas of select sculptures every year .
The bronzes are cast in special workshops in a process overseen by the museum and bought by art galleries , private collectors or other museums .
Rodin 's priceless originals are mainly carved out of marble .
The sales have helped his artworks reach a worldwide audience , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced uneven results .
Given an expected lockdown-related budget shortfall of 3 million euros ( $ 3.4 million ) this year , the museum wants to turn the bronze sales into a bigger and more regular source of revenue .
So it is expanding its catalog and reaching out to new markets .
It ’ s already sold out of this year ’ s copies of “ The Thinker ” and “ The Burghers of Calais , ” among the sculptor ’ s most famous works .
Museum director Catherine Chevillot said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales of bronze replicas of Rodin statues so far this year .
In an interview with The Associated Press , she said the museum ’ s goal was to secure a yearly minimum of 3 million euros in statue sales , a quarter of the museum ’ s budget .
Prices for the statues vary from 50,000 euros to millions of euros , meaning a few big sales or many smaller ones are needed to make the target .
“ Our challenge is not to sell more but more regularly , ” Chevillot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell 6 to 9 million euros in statues and others nothing.
” The museum has sold a total of 5,000 such works over the last 100 years .
Many have gone to buyers in Europe and the US , but sales in those traditional markets have diminished in recent years .
So the museum is now turning to Asia , Latin America , and Gulf countries for new clients .
In addition , Chevillot said the museum has now quadrupled the number of works it is allowed to produce , from 30 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnerships , including one with the Gagosian Gallery in the US .
Rodin donated all of his works to the French state , allowing for the creation of the museum that is set amid a tranquil garden filled with Rodin originals in the shadow of Paris ’ gold-domed Invalides monument .
The museum used to draw about 2,500 people per day during the summer months — led by Americans .
This year , with Europe ’ s borders closed to the US and most other countries because of the still-spreading virus , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in visitors by as much as 80 % .
The museum also expects a drop in special event income this summer because weddings and large corporate gatherings remain off-limits because of virus risks .
That means that even with eventual new bronze sales , the museum ’ s future is cloudy after a rough few years for tourist sites across Paris .
“ It ’ s the third year that things are difficult : the first was the yellow vest protests , the second year strikes and this year the ( virus ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each year we ’ re digging into our reserves , so I wouldn ’ t like there to be a fourth and fifth year .
”

Unlike other museums thumped by the coronavirus pandemic, the Rodin Museum in Paris might have an ace up its sleeve to help see it through the crisis: It can sell limited-edition versions of the French sculptor’s masterpieces.
Rodin's iconic sculpture "The Thinker" pictured in the museum's garden on the eve of its reopening after an almost four-month shutdown.
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The self-financed museum dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin is facing a mountain of challenges. Tourists were scarce as it reopened Tuesday after four months of virus-enforced closure, and a return to the good old days is a long way off. Signs seeking donations now line its walls.
But a measure of relief may come from a century-old system set up by Rodin himself allowing the museum to sell up to 12 replicas of select sculptures every year. The bronzes are cast in special workshops in a process overseen by the museum and bought by art galleries, private collectors or other museums. Rodin's priceless originals are mainly carved out of marble.
The sales have helped his artworks reach a worldwide audience, but up to now, they've produced uneven results. Given an expected lockdown-related budget shortfall of 3 million euros ($3.4 million) this year, the museum wants to turn the bronze sales into a bigger and more regular source of revenue.
So it is expanding its catalog and reaching out to new markets. It’s already sold out of this year’s copies of “The Thinker” and “The Burghers of Calais,” among the sculptor’s most famous works.
Museum director Catherine Chevillot said Tuesday it has completed 1.4 million euros in sales of bronze replicas of Rodin statues so far this year. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said the museum’s goal was to secure a yearly minimum of 3 million euros in statue sales, a quarter of the museum’s budget.
Prices for the statues vary from 50,000 euros to millions of euros, meaning a few big sales or many smaller ones are needed to make the target.
“Our challenge is not to sell more but more regularly,” Chevillot said. Because “some years we sell 6 to 9 million euros in statues and others nothing.”
The museum has sold a total of 5,000 such works over the last 100 years. Many have gone to buyers in Europe and the US, but sales in those traditional markets have diminished in recent years. So the museum is now turning to Asia, Latin America, and Gulf countries for new clients.
In addition, Chevillot said the museum has now quadrupled the number of works it is allowed to produce, from 30 to 120. It is also pursuing new partnerships, including one with the Gagosian Gallery in the US.
Rodin donated all of his works to the French state, allowing for the creation of the museum that is set amid a tranquil garden filled with Rodin originals in the shadow of Paris’ gold-domed Invalides monument.
The museum used to draw about 2,500 people per day during the summer months — led by Americans. This year, with Europe’s borders closed to the US and most other countries because of the still-spreading virus, it’s preparing to see a drop in visitors by as much as 80%.
The museum also expects a drop in special event income this summer because weddings and large corporate gatherings remain off-limits because of virus risks.
That means that even with eventual new bronze sales, the museum’s future is cloudy after a rough few years for tourist sites across Paris.
“It’s the third year that things are difficult: the first was the yellow vest protests, the second year strikes and this year the (virus) crisis,” Chevillot said. “Each year we’re digging into our reserves, so I wouldn’t like there to be a fourth and fifth year.”
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-08--New French PM Castex pledges €7.5 billion for hospital staff in wake of pandemic

French Prime Minister Jean Castex arrives for first weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysée Palace in Paris on July 7 , 2020 .
France 's new prime minister , Jean Castex , said on Tuesday his government would commit an envelope of €7.5 billion to raise the wages of staff at hospitals badly strained by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` I have insisted for jobs to be at the heart of the discussions , '' Castex said on Twitter of negotiations between unions , hospital officials and the government , which started before a government reshuffle on Monday .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available for comment .
Although France enjoys a reputation for having one of the world 's best healthcare systems , hospital staff have been asking for more money , jobs and equipment in the last decade to better address the needs of an ageing population and a shortage of city doctors .
The coronavirus pandemic has strained the system even more with hospitals in the worst-hit areas facing desperate shortages of beds and protective gear .
> > ‘ Victory ’ at what cost ?
How Covid-19 exposed cracks in French healthcare Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister Edouard Philippe wrapped up weeks of talks with health workers on hospital overhauls in response to the crisis .
Employees have long complained about insufficient staff and low pay that prompts doctors and nurses to take jobs at private clinics instead .
That issue led to a series of strikes over the past year .
Health workers are now determined to turn the broad public sympathy enjoyed during the pandemic into tangible advances for hospital and nursing home employees – those President Emmanuel Macron has lauded as `` heroes in white coats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Castex marks an increase from the €6.3 billion ( $ 7 billion ) put on the table by government negotiators at the start of the consultations .
However , the increased figure includes pay rises for non-medical staff , who were not part of the initial proposal .
The initial amount had been rejected by unions , who point out that French healthcare workers are already among the lowest paid among the OECD group of developed economies , due to years of budget cuts .

France's new prime minister, Jean Castex, said on Tuesday his government would commit an envelope of €7.5 billion to raise the wages of staff at hospitals badly strained by the coronavirus pandemic.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex arrives for first weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysée Palace in Paris on July 7, 2020.
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"I have insisted for jobs to be at the heart of the discussions," Castex said on Twitter of negotiations between unions, hospital officials and the government, which started before a government reshuffle on Monday.
Officials at the health ministry were not immediately available for comment.
Although France enjoys a reputation for having one of the world's best healthcare systems, hospital staff have been asking for more money, jobs and equipment in the last decade to better address the needs of an ageing population and a shortage of city doctors.
The coronavirus pandemic has strained the system even more with hospitals in the worst-hit areas facing desperate shortages of beds and protective gear.
>> ‘Victory’ at what cost? How Covid-19 exposed cracks in French healthcare
Last week, the government of outgoing prime minister Edouard Philippe wrapped up weeks of talks with health workers on hospital overhauls in response to the crisis.
Employees have long complained about insufficient staff and low pay that prompts doctors and nurses to take jobs at private clinics instead. That issue led to a series of strikes over the past year.
Health workers are now determined to turn the broad public sympathy enjoyed during the pandemic into tangible advances for hospital and nursing home employees – those President Emmanuel Macron has lauded as "heroes in white coats".
The amount put forward by Castex marks an increase from the €6.3 billion ($7 billion) put on the table by government negotiators at the start of the consultations. However, the increased figure includes pay rises for non-medical staff, who were not part of the initial proposal.
The initial amount had been rejected by unions, who point out that French healthcare workers are already among the lowest paid among the OECD group of developed economies, due to years of budget cuts.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-08--Trump sees Kanye West White House bid as ‘trial run’ for 2024

A Trump supporter holds a pillow of him and Kanye West at the US president 's campaign rally in Las Vegas , Nevada , on February 21 , 2020 .
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Kanye West 's declaration that he is running for president was `` very interesting '' , though he warned that the rapper should consider this as a trial run for 2024 .
Responding to West 's claim that he would run against him , Trump told reporters at the White House , `` He may . ''
The declaration by West , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunning for the highest office in the land was retweeted half a million times and `` liked '' a million .
`` If he did it , he would have to view this as a trial run for what 's going to happen in four years , '' said Trump , noting that it may be too late for West to register in some states , and that he lacks the infrastructure for a presidential bid .
West , who visited Trump in the Oval Office in 2018 and donned a trademark `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cap , announced his proposed run on Saturday , as the country celebrated Independence Day .
`` We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God , unifying our vision and building our future , '' the music and fashion mogul said .
`` I am running for president of the United States , '' he said , with an icon of a US flag and the hashtag `` 2020Vision . ''
He has not provided any details about his alleged campaign .
West , who previously said he would run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Forbes magazine that he no longer backed the US president .
`` I am taking the red hat off , with this interview , '' West told Forbes , referring to the trademark baseball cap .
`` Like anything I 've ever done in my life , I 'm doing to win '' , he added .

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Kanye West's declaration that he is running for president was "very interesting", though he warned that the rapper should consider this as a trial run for 2024.
A Trump supporter holds a pillow of him and Kanye West at the US president's campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 21, 2020.
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Responding to West's claim that he would run against him, Trump told reporters at the White House, "He may."
The declaration by West, a one-time Trump supporter, that he was gunning for the highest office in the land was retweeted half a million times and "liked" a million.
"If he did it, he would have to view this as a trial run for what's going to happen in four years," said Trump, noting that it may be too late for West to register in some states, and that he lacks the infrastructure for a presidential bid.
West, who visited Trump in the Oval Office in 2018 and donned a trademark "Make America Great Again" red baseball cap, announced his proposed run on Saturday, as the country celebrated Independence Day.
"We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future," the music and fashion mogul said.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION — ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
"I am running for president of the United States," he said, with an icon of a US flag and the hashtag "2020Vision."
He has not provided any details about his alleged campaign.
West, who previously said he would run in 2024, suggested in an interview with Forbes magazine that he no longer backed the US president.
"I am taking the red hat off, with this interview," West told Forbes, referring to the trademark baseball cap.
"Like anything I've ever done in my life, I'm doing to win", he added.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AP)
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france24--2020-07-08--China transforms Hong Kong hotel into new security agency headquarters

Workers put up a board outside Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay , Hong Kong , believed to be used as the temporary national security agency in the city in Hong Kong , on July 7 , 2020 .
China on Wednesday opened a new office for its intelligence agents to operate openly in Hong Kong for the first time under a tough new security law , transforming a hotel into the force 's headquarters .
The new base is a hotel overlooking the city 's Victoria Park , a location that has hosted pro-democracy protests for years , including an annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiananmen crackdown .
A plaque bearing the security agency 's name was unveiled early Wednesday in front of Hong Kong government and police officials , an AFP reporter on the scene said .
Police blocked roads around the hotel and surrounded it with water-filled barriers .
A Chinese flag was unfurled on a pole erected outside the building while a plaque bearing the emblem of the People 's Republic of China went up overnight .
`` The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People 's Government in the Hong Kong Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , '' China 's official Xinhua news agency said .
Beijing imposed a new security law on Hong Kong last week targeting acts of subversion , secession , terrorism and foreign collusion .
The law is the most radical change in Hong Kong 's freedoms and autonomy since Britain handed the city back to China in 1997 .
Similar national security laws are used to crush dissent on the mainland and police in Hong Kong have already made arrests for people voicing certain political views now deemed illegal , such as advocating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the security law was kept secret until it was enacted last Tuesday , bypassing Hong Kong 's legislature .
China has said it will have jurisdiction over the most serious cases , toppling the legal firewall that has existed between its party-controlled courts and Hong Kong 's independent judiciary since the handover from Britain in 1997 .
Among the many precedent-breaking provisions the law contains is authorisation for China 's security apparatus to work openly inside Hong Kong , with powers to investigate and prosecute national security crimes .
Until then Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdiction over the semi-autonomous finance hub .
But China argues national security is the responsibility of the central government and says the laws are needed to restore stability after huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year .
Not much is known about the new security office China has opened in Hong Kong beyond its top leadership .
On the authoritarian mainland , China 's secret police are the speartip of a highly efficient and ruthless security apparatus that tolerates no dissent .
Last week Beijing appointed Zheng Yanxiong to head up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker of Hong Kong 's Cantonese dialect , Zheng is best known for his involvement in a clampdown against protests across the border in neighbouring Guangdong province .
His two deputies have been named .
The first is Li Jiangzhou , a veteran public security officer who has worked in the Liaison Office , the body that represents Beijing in Hong Kong .
Little is publicly known about the second deputy , Sun Qingye .
Last week the South China Morning Post described Sun as a senior official from China 's intelligence agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's new security law says agents working for the office are exempt from Hong Kong 's laws while carrying out their duties .
The opening of the new office comes little more than a day after Hong Kong announced expanded search and surveillance powers for police investigating national security crimes .
The new rules also empower Hong Kong police to order internet takedown notices if posts and comments are deemed to breach national security .
A host of US tech giants , including Facebook , Google and Microsoft have said they have stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for information on users because of the new law .

China on Wednesday opened a new office for its intelligence agents to operate openly in Hong Kong for the first time under a tough new security law, transforming a hotel into the force's headquarters.
Workers put up a board outside Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, believed to be used as the temporary national security agency in the city in Hong Kong, on July 7, 2020.
Advertising Read more
The new base is a hotel overlooking the city's Victoria Park, a location that has hosted pro-democracy protests for years, including an annual vigil each June marking Beijing's deadly Tiananmen crackdown.
A plaque bearing the security agency's name was unveiled early Wednesday in front of Hong Kong government and police officials, an AFP reporter on the scene said.
04:52
Police blocked roads around the hotel and surrounded it with water-filled barriers.
A Chinese flag was unfurled on a pole erected outside the building while a plaque bearing the emblem of the People's Republic of China went up overnight.
"The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was inaugurated here on Wednesday morning," China's official Xinhua news agency said.
Beijing imposed a new security law on Hong Kong last week targeting acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion.
The law is the most radical change in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy since Britain handed the city back to China in 1997.
Similar national security laws are used to crush dissent on the mainland and police in Hong Kong have already made arrests for people voicing certain political views now deemed illegal, such as advocating independence or autonomy.
Hardliner boss
The content of the security law was kept secret until it was enacted last Tuesday, bypassing Hong Kong's legislature.
China has said it will have jurisdiction over the most serious cases, toppling the legal firewall that has existed between its party-controlled courts and Hong Kong's independent judiciary since the handover from Britain in 1997.
Among the many precedent-breaking provisions the law contains is authorisation for China's security apparatus to work openly inside Hong Kong, with powers to investigate and prosecute national security crimes.
Until then Hong Kong's own police and judiciary had complete jurisdiction over the semi-autonomous finance hub.
But China argues national security is the responsibility of the central government and says the laws are needed to restore stability after huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year.
Not much is known about the new security office China has opened in Hong Kong beyond its top leadership.
On the authoritarian mainland, China's secret police are the speartip of a highly efficient and ruthless security apparatus that tolerates no dissent.
Last week Beijing appointed Zheng Yanxiong to head up the agency.
A party hardliner and a speaker of Hong Kong's Cantonese dialect, Zheng is best known for his involvement in a clampdown against protests across the border in neighbouring Guangdong province.
His two deputies have been named. The first is Li Jiangzhou, a veteran public security officer who has worked in the Liaison Office, the body that represents Beijing in Hong Kong.
Little is publicly known about the second deputy, Sun Qingye. Last week the South China Morning Post described Sun as a senior official from China's intelligence agency, according to government sources.
Beijing's new security law says agents working for the office are exempt from Hong Kong's laws while carrying out their duties.
The opening of the new office comes little more than a day after Hong Kong announced expanded search and surveillance powers for police investigating national security crimes.
The new rules also empower Hong Kong police to order internet takedown notices if posts and comments are deemed to breach national security.
A host of US tech giants, including Facebook, Google and Microsoft have said they have stopped considering requests by Hong Kong's government for information on users because of the new law.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-08--Thousands protest in Belgrade as Serbia reimposes Covid-19 curfew

Demonstrators are seen amid tear gas during a protest at the Serbian parliament building against a lockdown planned for the capital this weekend to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) in Belgrade , Serbia July 8 , 2020 .
Serbian police fired tear gas as thousands of protesters flooded into Belgrade on Tuesday night , angry at the return of a weekend coronavirus curfew .
The crowds protested in the city centre over the government 's handling of the crisis , with infections now spiking after Serbia shed its initial lockdown measures two months ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of protesters who stormed into the parliament building and police unleashed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd .
The demonstrators , who also lit flares and were seen throwing stones at police on local TV , chanted for President Aleksandar Vucic to `` Resign ! ''
.
Vucic announced the return of a round-the-clock weekend curfew earlier in the evening after the Balkan state recorded its deadliest day yet , with 13 fatalities .
Critics accuse the president of racing to lift restrictions ahead of a national election on June 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the weeks before the poll , there were virtually no anti-virus restrictions and sporting events were held with thousands of spectators .
The new curfew will run from Friday to Monday , Vucic said , adding that a government crisis team would decide whether it applied nationwide or only to Belgrade .
In the past two weeks , daily infections have shot up and now regularly top 300 .
`` Nobody can endure these numbers .
We do n't want to kill our doctors , '' said the president .
Speaking after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemned `` the violent attack on the parliament building , in a moment when our country and health system is facing the strongest blow from the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic , '' according to public broadcaster RTS .
Last week , the government imposed some new restrictions in several hotspot cities and towns , including Belgrade , where wearing masks in indoor spaces was made obligatory .
Several hospitals in the capital were also redesignated virus treatment hubs , and a field hospital has been reopened in a sports arena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation was particularly serious in the southwestern city of Novi Pazar , where hospitals have reported an overflow of patients and a lack of equipment .
A total of 330 deaths and more than 16,700 infections and have been reported since the virus was first detected in Serbia on March 6 .
The local Balkan Investigative Reporting Network has accused authorities of suppressing the true toll -- claims denied by the government .
Countries across the Balkans are now seeing an uptick in cases after initial success in reining in their Covid-19 outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curfews in the capital Pristina and three other towns .

Serbian police fired tear gas as thousands of protesters flooded into Belgrade on Tuesday night, angry at the return of a weekend coronavirus curfew.
Demonstrators are seen amid tear gas during a protest at the Serbian parliament building against a lockdown planned for the capital this weekend to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Belgrade, Serbia July 8, 2020.
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The crowds protested in the city centre over the government's handling of the crisis, with infections now spiking after Serbia shed its initial lockdown measures two months ago.
Scuffles broke out between police and a group of protesters who stormed into the parliament building and police unleashed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
The demonstrators, who also lit flares and were seen throwing stones at police on local TV, chanted for President Aleksandar Vucic to "Resign!".
Vucic announced the return of a round-the-clock weekend curfew earlier in the evening after the Balkan state recorded its deadliest day yet, with 13 fatalities.
Critics accuse the president of racing to lift restrictions ahead of a national election on June 21, which his party won resoundingly.
In the weeks before the poll, there were virtually no anti-virus restrictions and sporting events were held with thousands of spectators.
Hospitals overwhelmed
The new curfew will run from Friday to Monday, Vucic said, adding that a government crisis team would decide whether it applied nationwide or only to Belgrade.
In the past two weeks, daily infections have shot up and now regularly top 300.
"Nobody can endure these numbers. We don't want to kill our doctors," said the president.
Speaking after the protests, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic condemned "the violent attack on the parliament building, in a moment when our country and health system is facing the strongest blow from the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic," according to public broadcaster RTS.
Last week, the government imposed some new restrictions in several hotspot cities and towns, including Belgrade, where wearing masks in indoor spaces was made obligatory.
Several hospitals in the capital were also redesignated virus treatment hubs, and a field hospital has been reopened in a sports arena.
According to local media, the situation was particularly serious in the southwestern city of Novi Pazar, where hospitals have reported an overflow of patients and a lack of equipment.
A total of 330 deaths and more than 16,700 infections and have been reported since the virus was first detected in Serbia on March 6.
The local Balkan Investigative Reporting Network has accused authorities of suppressing the true toll -- claims denied by the government.
Countries across the Balkans are now seeing an uptick in cases after initial success in reining in their Covid-19 outbreaks.
On Monday neighbouring Kosovo reinstated nightly curfews in the capital Pristina and three other towns.
(AFP)
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