12 | Friday, June 19, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY WORLD Damascus hits out at new Briefly GERMANY sanctions by Washington 657 abattoir cases in fresh outbreak By CHINA DAILY people and displaced millions. Regional officials in western Ger­ The United Nations lists Syria’s many said on Wednesday that the The Syrian government has con­ population at about 17 million. number of new COVID­19 cases demned new unilateral sanctions On Thursday, Iran condemned linked to a large meatpacking imposed by the United States on the toughest sanctions on Syria, plant has risen to 657, a significant the Middle East country on saying they were “cruel” and would regional spike for a country that Wednesday, calling them a form of exacerbate suffering in the country. has recorded nationwide infec­ “terrorism” perpetrated by Wash­ Iran “does not respect such cruel tions in the low hundreds lately. ington on the war­scarred country. and unilateral sanctions seen as Health officials in Guetersloh said The measures are the first to bullying and considers them to be they have received 983 test results take effect under the so­called economic terrorism against the from workers at the Toennies Ceasar Act, which punishes any people of Syria,” Iranian Foreign slaughterhouse in Rheda­Wieden­ companies that work with Damas­ Ministry spokesman Abbas Mous­ brueck. Of those, 326 tests were cus and seeks to prevent this nor­ avi said, adding that Teheran negative. Since the start of the malization without accountability would maintain its economic ties outbreak, Germany has recorded for human rights abuses. with Damascus. 188,474 confirmed cases of COV­ It also blocks US reconstruction Russia and China have criticized ID­19 and 8,844 deaths. News of assistance. the US plan to impose further uni­ the outbreak in Guetersloh came The first designations target 39 lateral sanctions. as Chancellor Angela Merkel was people or entities, including Syrian A crime­scene image is displayed as Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announces charges meeting with Germany’s 16 state President Bashar al­Assad and his ‘Real purpose’ against former police officer Garrett Rolfe on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia. JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP governors to discuss progress in wife Asma — the first time she has In a statement, the Russian For­ tackling the pandemic. been slapped with US sanctions. eign Ministry said Moscow opposes “The first batch of US sanctions the sanctions. “The Caesar Act that NEPAL against Syria under the so­called is on paper aimed at protecting civil­ Revised map shows Ceasar Act reveals US violations of ians only affects ordinary Syrians.” India­controlled land international laws and norms,” Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador, said on Tuesday at a UN session sees rare The upper house of Nepal’s parlia­ said a Syrian Foreign Ministry statement, likening the behavior virtual meeting of the Security ment approved a new map of the of the US administration to that of Council that the US had confirmed country on Thursday including “gangs” and “robbers”. “that the purpose of these meas­ land controlled by India, in a row It accused Washington of ures is to overthrow the legitimate that has strained ties between the “hypocrisy” for justifying sanc­ authorities of Syria”. South Asian neighbors. India, focus on racism in US which controls the region — a slice tions in the name of human rights. China’s Permanent Representa­ US support for “terrorism” in tive to the UN Zhang Jun said: “As of land including the Limpiyadhu­ Syria went against such principles, vulnerable countries like Syria are Top human rights body in Geneva across every state in the United ra, Lipulkeh and Kalapani areas to it added, referring to opponents of struggling with the (coronavirus) States but also in dozens of countries the west of Nepal — has rejected Assad’s government. pandemic, imposing more sanc­ holds urgent debate on police brutality in Europe and all around the world,” the map, saying it was not based “The tightening of sanctions tions is simply inhumane and may Bachelet said during the debate. on historical facts or evidence. against the Syrian people is a new cause additional catastrophes.” GENEVA — A brother of George “I am my brother’s keeper. You in The council has regularly Members of the 59­seat National dimension and form of this terror­ Also at the UN, humanitarian Floyd made a heartfelt plea on the United Nations are your broth­ addressed police brutality and racial Assembly, or upper house, voted ism,” said the statement released colleagues are increasingly con­ Wednesday to the United Nations’ ers and sisters’ keepers in America profiling in the US, and they were 57­0 in favor of a constitutional on the official SANA news agency. cerned about the effect of rapidly top human rights body, urging it to — and you have the power to help us major themes during its last turn amendment bill seeking to replace Damascus warned earlier this rising food prices on more than 11 launch intense international scruti­ get justice for my brother George five years ago for a regular review of the old map, Chairman of the month the sanctions would cause million Syrians needing aid, a UN ny of systemic racism, the killing of Floyd,” Philonese Floyd said. “I am its human rights record that all House Ganesh Prasad Timilsina more suffering in a country spokesman said on Wednesday. black people by police and violence asking you to help him. I am asking countries go through at the council. said. The bill was passed by the already deep in economic crisis. against peaceful protesters in the you to help me. I am asking you to But never before has the US’ lower house over the weekend. The civil conflict in Syria since Xinhua, agencies and Ren Qi United States. help us — black people in America.” record in those areas led to an The new map requires President 2011 has killed more than 380,000 in Moscow contributed to this story. Philonese Floyd, in a video mes­ Amina Mohammed, UN deputy “urgent debate” on its record in those Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s approval. sage to the UN Human Rights Coun­ secretary­general, said via video areas — and some rivals pounced. cil, backed a call by dozens of African teleconference that the debate is a Russia’s envoy said the US had IRAN countries hoping to create a Commis­ “historic” event, given that Afro­de­ ignored racism for decades, and Teheran tests new sion of Inquiry — the council’s most scendants still faced poverty and called it a “calamitous state of naval cruise missiles powerful tool of scrutiny — to report structural racism. human rights” in the US. China’s on racism and violence against pro­ “I too, like Martin Luther King Jr, representative said his country was Iran said on Thursday its navy had testers by police in the US. have a dream that my granddaugh­ “saddened and shocked” by Floyd’s successfully fired a new locally The unprecedented effort to train a ter Maya will grow up in a world death, saying it wasn’t an isolated made cruise missile during war potentially uncomfortable spotlight where she will not be judged by the case and one that exposed “chronic games in the northern Indian on the US, which calls itself the color of her skin but by the strength and deep­rooted racial discrimina­ Ocean. The test­firing came as the world’s “leading advocate” for human of her character,” she said. tion” in the US. United States seeks an extension of rights, came as it has no voice in the The US ambassador in Geneva, a United Nations­imposed arms room: The administration of US Pres­ Symbol of excessive force Andrew Bremberg — in a statement embargo against Iran, which is due ident Donald Trump pulled out of the UN High Commissioner for ahead of the debate — acknowl­ to expire in October under Teher­ 47­member body two years ago. Human Rights Michelle Bachelet edged “shortcomings” in the US an’s 2015 nuclear deal with world Philonese Floyd joined the UN said George Floyd’s killing has including racial discrimination and powers. Washington withdrew human rights chief, the council’s become emblematic of the excessive insisted the government was “trans­ from that pact. The new genera­ independent rapporteur on racism, use of disproportionate force by law parent” about dealing with it. tion cruise missiles, with a range of and many diplomats at an “urgent enforcement against people of Afri­ The US has not participated in 280 kilometers, were tested in the Syrians gather to have a meal during Ramadan with food provided debate” championed by the Africa can descent, against people of color, any of the thrice­yearly council ses­ Gulf of Oman, which lies next to by volunteers in Aleppo on May 7. KHALIL ASHAWI / REUTERS Group in the wake of his brother’s against indigenous people and sions since the Trump administra­ the Strait of Hormuz waterway at death. George Floyd, a 46­year­old racial and ethnic minorities in coun­ tion pulled out in June 2018, citing the mouth of the Gulf, and the African American, died after a white tries across the globe. an alleged anti­Israel bias and northern Indian Ocean, the Tas­ Minneapolis police officer pressed a “Since the killing of George Floyd acceptance of rights­abusing auto­ nim news agency reported. knee into his neck for several min­ at the hands of police in Minneapolis cratic states as members. . Macron marks de Gaulle utes as he pleaded for air and even­ last month, a wave of massive pro­ EGYPT tually stopped moving tests has surged forward, not only AGENCIES—XINHUA No progress made in speech with visit to UK tripartite dam talks Ex-officer charged with murder for shooting black man There has been no progress made By EARLE GALE in London outside France since the nation’s in the recent tripartite talks [email protected] lockdown to stem the spread of the among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt novel coronavirus began in March. Garrett Rolfe, the former Atlanta said in a news conference. as the black man fled during a night­ over the giant $4.6 billion hydroe­ The United Kingdom honored The BBC reported that Johnson police officer who fatally shot African The death of Brooks, 27 — the lat­ time encounter outside a fast­food lectric dam built on the Nile River four French Resistance fighters on wanted to pay tribute to the “cour­ American Rayshard Brooks last week, est in a long line of unarmed African restaurant in Atlanta on June. in Ethiopia, Egyptian Water Min­ Thursday for battling fascism dur­ age and sacrifice” of the four and was charged on Wednesday with 11 Americans whose fatal encounters Arrest warrants have been issued ister Mohamed Abdel­Aaty said on ing World War II while the country of thousands like them. offenses including felony murder. with law enforcement have been doc­ for Rolfe and Devin Brosnan, the other Wednesday. Over the past few also came to terms with the death of While the honors were officially The charges were announced by umented on video — further height­ officer on the scene. years, talks on the rules of filling a legendary British wartime figure. bestowed on Thursday, the medals Paul Howard, the district attorney for ened US social tensions at a time of Brosnan has been placed on admin­ and operating the dam have been Vera Lynn, a morale­boosting will be physically handed to the Fulton County in the US state of national soul­searching over police istrative duty and charged with three fruitless, including those hosted by singer who was known as the For­ men during upcoming ceremonies Georgia. brutality and racism in the criminal criminal counts, including aggravated Washington, amid Egyptian con­ ces’ Sweetheart, died aged 103. in France. Rolfe, if found guilty of felony mur­ justice system. assault. cerns that the dam would affect She was known for singing We’ll der, could face life in prison without Rolfe was fired after footage showed Egypt’s annual share of Nile water. Meet Again and The White Cliffs of ‘Different struggles’ parole or the death penalty, Howard him shooting at Brooks multiple times XINHUA—AGENCIES Dover. Johnson and Macron marked AGENCIES—XINHUA The BBC reported that British the milestone day by looking at Prime Minister Boris Johnson had letters and memorabilia from de said her “charm and magical voice Gaulle’s exile in London, during entranced and uplifted our coun­ which he worked closely with try in some of our darkest hours”. Winston Churchill. Top two economies urged to collaborate amid pandemic The four Resistance fighters — “The struggles we face today are 100­year­old Edgard Tupet­ different to those we confronted By ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington lem through a narrow interest­based cases of COVID­19, with 440,290 In his article, Hass said the crisis Thome, 99­year­olds Daniel Bouy­ together 80 years ago,” Johnson [email protected] lens, there would be a clear rationale deaths, according to the World had occurred amid a period of deteri­ jou­Cordier and Hubert Germain, said. “But I have no doubt that, for both countries to collaborate to Health Organization. orating relations between the world’s and Pierre Simonet, who is 98, working side by side, the UK and Progress toward shortening the save lives, stop the spread of the The US has surged past 2 million top two economies, and COVID­19 were awarded honorary members France will continue to rise to period of suffering induced by the virus, and hasten a global economic confirmed coronavirus cases, the has served to intensify their frictions. of the British Empire, or MBEs, for every new challenge and seize coronavirus could be made if China recovery,” Hass, a foreign policy fel­ most infections in the world, with a Leaders of both countries could contributing to the allies’ defeat of every opportunity that lies ahead.” and the United States were to col­ low at the Brookings Institution, said death toll nearing 116,000, also the convene a virtual summit to affirm Nazi Germany. The day featured a fly­past by the laborate in ramping up pandemic in a report published on Tuesday. highest. that the two countries support coor­ The award, properly known as Red Arrows and their French coun­ control efforts and creating more The reason, Hass said, derives dination at subnational level and The Most Excellent Order of the terparts, La Patrouille de France. favorable conditions for the reopen­ from the reality that neither country Risk remains plan to render full support for devel­ British Empire, was made on the Reuters said Johnson and ing of economies, a former senior will be able to stamp out the virus in In China, after a 57­day period oping and accelerating clinical test­ 80th anniversary of a broadcast by Macron also discussed the corona­ US diplomat said. every corner of the world on its own. with no new domestically transmit­ ing for any vaccine, he suggested. exiled French general Charles de virus pandemic, and the UK’s Washington and Beijing should “There are no multilateral insti­ ted cases, its capital Beijing has been There are signs that the two coun­ Gaulle to his countrymen in future relationship with the Euro­ start with expediting visas for health tutions with the capacity and the reporting a daily double­digit growth tries are seeking to ease their France after their nation was occu­ pean Union, which the UK’s for­ experts, removing tariff barriers on credibility to do so without the in domestically transmitted COVID­ strained tensions. pied by the Nazis. eign secretary, Dominic Raab, said lifesaving medical equipment as strong backing of the United States 19 cases since June 11. On Tuesday, On Wednesday, US Secretary of De Gaulle said: “Whatever hap­ should soon be formalized with a well as refraining from export bans and China,” he wrote in an article the city upgraded its emergency State Mike Pompeo met in Hawaii pens, the flame of the French resist­ trade deal. on the equipment, said Ryan Hass, titled The fastest route to ending this response to the coronavirus from the with a veteran Chinese diplomat, ance must not be extinguished and “We’ve agreed, on both sides, to who was director for the Chinese crisis involves China, which is part third­ to the second­highest level of Yang Jiechi, who is a member of the will not be extinguished.” energize and intensify the talks,” mainland, Taiwan and Mongolia of a Brookings report, “Reopening its four­tier system. Political Bureau of the Communist Emmanuel Macron, the presi­ Raab said on LBC Radio. “We don’t affairs at the National Security the World: How to Save Lives and Hass noted that unless the virus is Party of China Central Committee, dent of France, remembered the want to hang around. We’re not Council between 2013 and 2017. Livelihoods”. eradicated everywhere, people in the first high­level meeting between day with a visit to London as the going to wait for this to be dragged “If it was possible to set aside poli­ As of Wednesday, the world had China and the US will remain at risk officials of the two powers since the guest of Johnson in his first trip out into the autumn and the winter.” tics and look at the COVID­19 prob­ recorded more than 8.06 million and both economies will suffer. coronavirus pandemic.