FRENCH LEADER REJECTS RACISM BUT SAYS COLONIAL-ERA STATUES WILL STAY;

REOPENS ECONOMY TO QUICKEN VIRUS RECOVERY

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed on Sunday to stand firm against

racism but also praised police and insisted that France wouldn't take down

statues of controversial, colonial-era figures, as he addressed the issues

for the first time since George Floyd's death in the U.S.

In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, Mr. Macron called

for the nation's "unity" at a key moment when the country is trying to put

the coronavirus crisis behind while being shaken by a series of protests

against racial injustice and police brutality.

Echoing American protesters, demonstrators in France have expressed anger at

discrimination within French society, particularly toward minorities from

the country's former colonies in Africa.

Unusually for a French leader, Mr. Macron acknowledged that someone's

"address, name, colour of skin" can reduce their chances at succeeding in

French society, and called for a fight to ensure that everyone can "find

their place" regardless of ethnic origin or religion. He promised to be

"uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination."

Amid calls for taking down statues tied to France's slave trade or colonial

wrongs, Mr. Macron said "the republic will not erase any trace, or any name,

from its history ... it will not take down any statue."

"We should look at all of our history together with lucidity" including

relations with Africa, with a goal of "truth" instead of "denying who we

are," Mr. Macron said.

Reopening after lockdown

Mr. Macron's speech also sought to "turn the page" of the virus crisis, as

France will reopen nearly everything starting Monday.

"We are going to get back our way of life, our taste for freedom," Mr.

Macron said. "In other words, we are going to rediscover France fully

again."

Mr. Macron vowed to make from saving as many jobs as possible his top

priority.

Restaurants in the Paris region will be allowed to open indoor spaces

starting on Monday - instead of outdoor seating only.

From June 22, all nursery schools, primary schools and junior high schools

will be open and mandatory for all students - instead of classes capped to

small groups and many children staying at home.

Mr. Macron also confirmed that the second round of local elections that have

been interrupted by the virus lockdown will take place on June 28.

France is reopening its borders with other European countries at midnight

and will start allowing visitors from other continents on July 1.

COVID-19: PHARMA GIANT ASTRAZENECA STRIKES DEAL WITH EUROPE'S INCLUSIVE

VACCINES

Pharma giant AstraZeneca has struck a deal with Europe's Inclusive Vaccines

Alliance to supply up to 400 million doses of an experimental Covid-19

vaccine.

The alliance forged by Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands to speed

up production of a coronavirus vaccine is set to take delivery by the end of

2020 of a vaccine being tested by the University of Oxford. The agreement

struck Saturday aims to make the vaccine available to other European

countries that wish to take part.

The cost is expected to be offset by funding from the governments.

AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company, recently completed similar agreements

with Britain, the United States the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness

Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses. A license

also has been agreed with the Serum Institute of India for another 1 billion

doses.

Other companies, including Moderna and Sanofi, are racing to develop and

produce a vaccine against the new coronavirus, a step experts say will be

crucial to easing restrictions on public life and preventing additional

waves of infections.

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA'S HANDLING OF CORONAVIRUS IS SUPERIOR TO US

President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia was emerging from the

novel coronavirus epidemic with minimal losses, having handled it better

than the United States where he said party political interests got in the

way.

With 528,964 confirmed cases, Russia has the third-highest number of

infections after Brazil and the United States.

Its official death toll stands at 6,948, much lower than in many other

countries, including the United States which has had over 115,000 deaths.

The veracity of Russian statistics has sometimes been the focus of fierce

debate however.

"...We are working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation with the

coronavirus confidently and, with minimal losses... But in the (United)

States that is not happening," Putin told state TV.

Russia's political system had handled the crisis better than its US

counterpart, said Putin, because authorities at federal and regional level

had worked as one team without disagreements unlike those in the United

States.

"I can't imagine someone in the (Russian) government or regions saying we

are not going to do what the government or president say," said Putin.

"It seems to me that the problem (in the United States) is that group, in

this case party interests, are put above those of society's as a whole,

above the interests of the people."

Putin used the same interview to deny allegations that constitutional

reforms that could allow him to extend his rule were aimed at "strengthening

a presidential dictatorship", saying parliament would have a bigger role

after the changes.

A nationwide vote on amending the constitution will run from June 25-July 1.

If approved, the reforms would allow 67-year-old Putin, in power since 1999,

to serve two more six-year terms in the Kremlin after 2024, when he would

under current laws be obliged to step down.

KIM JONG UN'S SISTER WARNS OF RETALIATORY ACTIONS OVER DEFECTORS IN SOUTH

The sister of North Korea's leader has warned of retaliatory measures

against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest

escalation of tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending

back propaganda and food.

Kim Yo-jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong-un's top aides,

issued the warning in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA on

Saturday. "By exercising my power authorised by the Supreme Leader, our

Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the ... department in charge

of the affairs with (the) enemy to decisively carry out the next action,"

Ms. Kim said. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could

be, came days after South Korea took legal action against defectors who have

been sending material such as rice and anti-North leaflets.

North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and in the past week

severed inter-Korean hotlines and threatened to close a liaison office

between the two governments.

As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President

Moon Jae-in's administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice

campaigns, and defectors have complained of pressure to avoid criticism of

North Korea.

On Sunday, South Korea's National Security Council meeting was held with

security and diplomatic chiefs in attendance, "to examine the current

situation of the (Korean) peninsula," the presidential Blue House said,

without elaborating.

40,000 CRUISE SHIP WORKERS STILL TRAPPED AT SEA AMID COVID-19 CONCERNS:

REPORT

More than 40,000 cruise ship workers are still stuck at sea because of

concerns about the coronavirus.

The Miami Herald reports that at least 42,000 workers remain trapped on

cruise ships without paychecks, and some still are suffering from Covid-19,

three months after the industry shut down.

Cruise lines stopped sailing in mid-March after several high-profile

outbreaks at sea. More than 600 people fell ill aboard Carnival Corp.'s

Diamond Princess while it was quarantined off Japan, for example. Fourteen

passengers died.

The US Centers for Disease Control has prohibited cruises in US waters

through July 24.

Some cruise ship workers have started being repatriated to their home

countries.

About 3,000 Carnival Cruise Line workers got off in Croatia earlier this

month to catch rides and flights home across Europe. MSC Cruises has flown

more than 1,000 Indian crew members home on charter flights from Europe and

South America.

Royal Caribbean also flew more than 1,200 Filipino crew members home last

week from Greece, Dubai, the United States and Barbados, according to the

Herald.

Several Caribbean countries haven't allowed cruise ships to dock in their

ports out of concerns that they would cause spikes in the number of virus

cases. Only Barbados has allowed for crew repatriation flights from its

airports.

IMRAN KHAN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ARMY ON THE ROCKS AMID COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Prime Minister Imran Khan's poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic fallout

has placed it in a confrontation path with the Army whose top brass is

unhappy at the failure of the Government to deal with the Pandemic.

Wajid Shamsul Hasan, a former Pakistan diplomat, and journalist said that

the total failure of Imran Khan government's anti-Covid-19 policies has

justified the Generals to be back in the front seat in control in Pakistan

-- though there is no official declaration of martial law.

"Until last induction of officers up to the rank of Lt. Generals in the

civilian cadre, there are now more than a dozen former and current military

officials in prominent government posts such as running the state-owned PIA,

the power regulator and the National Institute of Health, which is leading

the country's pandemic response. Three of those appointments happened in the

last two months."

Hasan believes that Imran Khan has failed to make up its mind to decide its

best options for combating the pandemic Covid-19.

"Having opposed lockdown since the day Sindh government decide to use it to

minimise the surge, the latest decision from Khan is so-called 'smart

lockdown' in places where the surge is more severe. By the time of writing

this piece, the death toll has nearly 3000 and the spread of infection has

hit more than 130,000".

Since the situation has become more threatening, the World Health

Organization has warned Pakistan of dire consequences.

In its latest directive WHO has asked Pakistan to implement "intermittent"

lockdowns to counter the surge in coronavirus infections that has come as

the country's Prime Minister opted for loosening restrictions pertaining to

lockdown.

WHO officials said last week they had recorded a total of 108,317 cases and

2,172 deaths - though with testing still limited, real rates are thought to

be much higher.

"As of today, Pakistan does not meet any of the pre-requisite conditions for

opening the lockdown", the WHO said in a letter to Punjab's provincial

health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid recommending an intermittent lockdown cycle

of two weeks on, two weeks off.