bbc--2020-05-21--Doctor who raised concerns over PPE shortage admitted to mental hospital

An Indian doctor who was suspended after raising concerns about a shortage of masks is again in the spotlight after officials committed him to a mental hospital .
BBC Telugu 's V Shankar reports .
Dr Sudhakar Rao , an anaesthetist with 20 years of experience , made national headlines over the weekend for the second time in two months .
A series of videos that went viral show him and police facing off on a highway in the southern city of Visakhapatnam , where Dr Rao lives and works .
Authorities say he was sent to a mental hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian doctors facing a backlash after speaking out about shortages of protective gear or lack of preparation in hospitals .
The videos , which have been shared widely on social media and WhatsApp , show a confusing chain of events from Saturday .
Dr Rao is first seen shirtless , sitting inside his car by the side of the road , and screaming at police .
In another video , he is lying on the road with his hands tied behind his back as a constable hits him with a baton .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pending an inquiry .
In what is likely to be the last video , officers bundle the doctor into an auto rickshaw in front of bewildered onlookers .
But before he was taken away , Dr Rao spoke to local journalists , who had gathered by then to find out what was going on .
He said he had been stopped and forced out of the car by the policemen .
`` They snatched my phone and wallet .
They hit me , '' he alleged .
His detention has sparked huge controversy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state government 's handling of the situation .
Opposition parties have weighed in , accusing the police of excessive force .
Dr Rao 's case is especially contentious because he was already under suspension .
Why was he suspended ?
On 3 April , Dr Rao , who works at a government hospital , told media that doctors were n't being given adequate protective gowns and masks .
He said he had just been asked to leave a meeting with officials where he had raised these concerns .
`` We are told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before asking for a fresh mask .
How can we treat patients risking our lives ? ''
he asked local television reporters in a clip that soon went viral .
The government ordered an inquiry , but also suspended Dr Rao .
By going public instead of filing a formal complaint , officials said , he had damaged the morale of other health care workers .
Days later , Dr Rao released a video in which he apologised and asked for his suspension to be cancelled .
The government did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rao and his family allege that he has been harassed ever since speaking out about the lack of protective equipment in hospitals treating Covid-19 patients .
`` People are threatening me over the phone for the past few days , '' Dr Rao said on Saturday .
His mother , Kaveri Rao , told BBC Telugu he had no mental health issues .
`` He is a reputed doctor , '' she said .
`` But he has been facing abuse since the day he raised those concerns .
I feel bad when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has been very stressed for weeks . ''
What is the official account ?
Police say they responded to a report of a drunken man behaving erratically on the highway .
Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner RK Meena told BBC Telugu that officers did n't know it was Dr Rao until they arrived at the scene .
Police say he tried to remove a barricade on the road and flung a liquor bottle onto the street .
They also alleged that it was passers-by who restrained him by tying up his hands with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They registered a case accusing the doctor of obstructing police and causing damage .
However the identity of the complainant has not been released , and no eyewitness has so far backed the official account .
The only video of Dr Rao being restrained shows a policeman tying his hands with help of a civilian .
`` He behaved rudely with the police .
He snatched the mobile phone from a constable and threw it away , '' Mr Meena told reporters .
`` He is apparently suffering from psychological problems . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been taken to a police station , and later admitted to a hospital for a basic examination .
Doctors there advised that he should be moved to a mental institution .
Dr Radha Rani , the hospital superintendent , told BBC Telugu that Dr Rao seemed stable , but would be under observation for two weeks so they can `` ascertain his condition completely '' .

Police say he tried to remove a barricade on the road and flung a liquor bottle onto the street. They also alleged that it was passers-by who restrained him by tying up his hands with rope before the police got there.


bbc--2020-05-21--Africa didn't dither but faces long coronavirus fight

I spent a recent evening following a handful of South African policemen as they patrolled the dark , narrow streets of Alexandra township on the edge of Johannesburg .
It was an unsettling experience .
Every minute or so , the police would stop their van , jump out and - as people around them began to shout and run away - start to chase citizens more or less at random , it seemed to me , before shoving one or two of them into the back of their vehicle .
Another might have been selling contraband cigarettes .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too close together , although it was hard to tell in the dark .
And so on .
Lack of trust in the state The whole process felt arbitrary and alarming - a clear abuse of authority .
But in the days since then I 've begun to think of that night in Alexandra in a different way ; to consider not the police 's behaviour , but rather the hard-learned reactions of the citizens of the township .
To run .
And then , if caught , to submit meekly .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear expression of vulnerability - the behaviour of people who feel , instinctively , powerless to challenge the might of the state .
I 've seen it often , both here in South Africa and - to a far greater extent - in other parts of the continent .
Something similar applies to hospitals too .
I 've heard - first and second hand - too many anecdotes about people whose relatives were admitted to underfunded public hospital with `` a stomach ache '' or `` just a cold '' and who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other words , many people have learned to look towards the police and the medical profession not for salvation , but for something more nuanced .
• Why Africans should take part in Covid-19 vaccine trials • Child beggars at the centre of Nigeria 's virus outbreak It strikes me that an acute sense of vulnerability - not unique to Africa , of course - has characterised this continent 's response to the pandemic too .
Yes , there was some bluster in the early days about Africa perhaps being spared - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President John Magufuli trying to play down the threat .
But most people I 've spoken to , particularly in poorer neighbourhoods , have shown an increasingly intense and proactive determination to do all they can to protect themselves and their families , and - importantly - not to expect , or rely on , the state to do it for them .
In a sense , that same vulnerable mindset applies to most African governments too .
After all , this is a continent where tuberculosis ( TB ) , HIV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressive recent improvements in public health - millions of people each year .
And so , governments across the continent are already hard-wired to respond to new public health challenges like Ebola or Covid-19 .
That is why they did n't dither in the early stages of the outbreak .
As other countries dabbled with herd immunity , kept their airports wide open , or merely encouraged their citizens to avoid the pub , African states were busy implementing strict lockdowns and re-training their vast standing armies of community health workers .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for the rest of the continent - is whether that sense of vulnerability can help to sustain a much longer and effective fight against the virus because the evidence - from Nigeria to South Sudan and beyond - now appears to show that Africa 's early successes may simply ( and usefully ) have delayed , rather than contained , Covid-19 .
The latest expert projections from a team here in Johannesburg indicate that the virus will - despite an impressively lowered infection curve - still kill more than 40,000 South Africans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point in the second half of July .
At the same time , the severe economic damage caused by the early lockdowns is beginning to test the patience and the coping mechanisms of communities and governments which lack the deep pockets of Western nations .
This is not to `` catastrophise '' Africa .
The outside world sometimes seems to have flip-flopped - when it has even taken the time to notice - between seeing this continent as a slow-motion disaster that will eclipse all others with its coronavirus horrors , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a young population , widespread TB vaccines , or other less benign tropes , will somehow produce a miracle .
The truth is surely more mundane .
Africa is busy adapting to yet another deadly disease .
Like other parts of the world , it will struggle , and it will eventually prevail , or at least find some sustainable long-term accommodation with the virus .
The continent 's early response - fuelled by a well-honed sense of vulnerability - has been world-class .
But its healthcare systems have been weakened , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and corruption , but by the systematic luring of African medical staff to Western nations over decades , by the short-termism at the heart of much international aid , and by the power-imbalances at the heart of the global economy and its key institutions .
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

But the question now - for South Africa and for the rest of the continent - is whether that sense of vulnerability can help to sustain a much longer and effective fight against the virus because the evidence - from Nigeria to South Sudan and beyond - now appears to show that Africa's early successes may simply (and usefully) have delayed, rather than contained, Covid-19.


bbc--2020-05-20--Watford's Adrian Mariappa confirms coronavirus; N’Golo Kante misses training

Watford defender Adrian Mariappa says he is one of three people who tested positive for coronavirus at the club .
On Tuesday , it was announced there had been six positive tests across three Premier League clubs .
Two staff at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan also tested positive , while the two others at a third club have not yet been revealed .
Chelsea 's N'Golo Kante missed training over coronavirus fears , with the backing of his manager Frank Lampard .
Kante 's decision to train at home follows a similar stance by Watford captain Troy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France midfielder Kante returned to Chelsea 's first day of restricted phase one training on Tuesday after a negative coronavirus test , but was given compassionate leave on Wednesday , reported the Telegraph .
`` It was a big surprise because I have n't really left the house , '' Mariappa , 33 , said , also speaking to the Telegraph '' Apart from some exercise and the odd walk with the kids , I 've mainly just been homeschooling and keeping fit .
`` My lifestyle is very quiet , certainly no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I really do n't know how I got it . ''
The Jamaica international said he has had no symptoms and felt `` as fit as ever '' .
He added : `` It 's quite scary how you can feel absolutely fine and not really have left the house , and yet still get the virus .
`` If it was n't for the fact I had gone back to training and had this test , then I 'd never have found out that I had the virus and I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal .
That 's obviously quite a strange thought . ''
Players and staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for seven days .
The six positive results came as squads started non-contact training on Tuesday , as the Premier League steps up plans for a restart .
A total of 748 players and staff from 19 clubs were tested .
Norwich City did their tests on Tuesday and are yet to announce their results .
Deeney and other Watford players stay away Before the news about Watford 's positive tests emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not return to training because he feared for his family 's health .
A number of other team-mates have joined Deeney 's stance in not training and they will follow individual programmes at home .
They want reassurances to questions they have around the return to training protocols and the specifics around the spread of the virus .
`` We 're due back in this week .
I 've said I 'm not going in , '' Deeney , 31 , told Eddie Hearn and Tony Bellew on the Talk the Talk YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person to get infected within the group and I do n't want to be bringing that home .
`` My son is only five months old .
He had breathing difficulties , so I do n't want to come home to put him in more danger . ''
In an interview with the Sunday Times , manager Nigel Pearson expressed his own concerns about the situation and said he would not insist on players reporting for training .
Speaking to the Manchester United club website , captain Harry Maguire said : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it has been a protocol which the club has followed .
`` It seems such a safe environment .
It 's our first day back today , but it seems so safe and everyone is respecting it so well , so long may that continue and I 'm sure no one will have any problems . ''
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the Covid-19 pandemic , with 92 fixtures remaining .
The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be pushed back .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Some Premier League players return to training
Watford defender Adrian Mariappa says he is one of three people who tested positive for coronavirus at the club.
On Tuesday, it was announced there had been six positive tests across three Premier League clubs.
Two staff at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan also tested positive, while the two others at a third club have not yet been revealed.
Chelsea's N'Golo Kante missed training over coronavirus fears, with the backing of his manager Frank Lampard.
Kante's decision to train at home follows a similar stance by Watford captain Troy Deeney and several of his team-mates.
France midfielder Kante returned to Chelsea's first day of restricted phase one training on Tuesday after a negative coronavirus test, but was given compassionate leave on Wednesday, reported the Telegraph. external-link
'I feel fit as ever' - Mariappa
"It was a big surprise because I haven't really left the house," Mariappa, 33, said, also speaking to the Telegraph external-link
"Apart from some exercise and the odd walk with the kids, I've mainly just been homeschooling and keeping fit.
"My lifestyle is very quiet, certainly no parties or going out or anything, so I really don't know how I got it."
The Jamaica international said he has had no symptoms and felt "as fit as ever".
He added: "It's quite scary how you can feel absolutely fine and not really have left the house, and yet still get the virus.
"If it wasn't for the fact I had gone back to training and had this test, then I'd never have found out that I had the virus and I would just be getting on with things as normal. That's obviously quite a strange thought."
Players and staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for seven days.
The six positive results came as squads started non-contact training on Tuesday, as the Premier League steps up plans for a restart.
A total of 748 players and staff from 19 clubs were tested. Norwich City did their tests on Tuesday and did not return any positives results.
Deeney and other Watford players stay away
Before the news about Watford's positive tests emerged, captain Troy Deeney said he would not return to training because he feared for his family's health.
A number of other team-mates have joined Deeney's stance in not training and they will follow individual programmes at home.
They want reassurances to questions they have around the return to training protocols and the specifics around the spread of the virus.
"We're due back in this week. I've said I'm not going in," Deeney, 31, told Eddie Hearn and Tony Bellew on the Talk the Talk YouTube show.
"It only takes one person to get infected within the group and I don't want to be bringing that home.
"My son is only five months old. He had breathing difficulties, so I don't want to come home to put him in more danger."
In an interview with the Sunday Times, manager Nigel Pearson expressed his own concerns external-link about the situation and said he would not insist on players reporting for training.
Speaking to the Manchester United club website, captain Harry Maguire said: "It's been a strange few months, but it has been a protocol which the club has followed.
"It seems such a safe environment. It's our first day back today, but it seems so safe and everyone is respecting it so well, so long may that continue and I'm sure no one will have any problems."
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 92 fixtures remaining.
The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again, but there is now an expectation this will need to be pushed back.


bbc--2020-05-20--Liverpool return 'felt like first day at school' - Klopp

Liverpool 's return to non-contact training `` felt like the first day at school '' , says manager Jurgen Klopp .
The Premier League leaders worked in small groups at their Melwood training ground on Wednesday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown .
The English top flight hopes to resume in June , with 92 fixtures left to play , having been suspended since 13 March .
`` I woke up even earlier than usual and then I realised it was my first day , '' Klopp told Liverpool 's website .
`` It felt like the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was 46 years ago , but it must have been similar .
`` I dressed myself in my uniform again - and for the right reason , for going to training . ''
The easing of government restrictions have allowed players to train in small groups in staggered sessions , with all 20 clubs unanimously agreeing to stage one of the return-to-training protocols at Monday 's `` Project Restart '' meeting .
As well as training in groups of no more than five , sessions must last no longer than 75 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be adhered to .
Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top of the table , with nine games to play , and need just two more wins to secure their first Premier League title .
The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again , but there is now an expectation this will need to be pushed back .
Klopp said he was `` really happy '' to see his players again and that they were all in `` good spirits '' and `` good shape '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long we have , but we have some time to prepare the rest of this season and already the next season , because I do n't think there will be a massive break between the two , '' he said .
`` It 's a pre-season for us .
We do n't know how long and we will not have test games or friendlies .
`` Maybe we can organise it between us when we are allowed to , but it will not be the same like in other pre-seasons . ''
Klopp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a `` real rest '' during nine weeks off in lockdown , as opposed to two or three weeks of holiday per year .
However , he added : `` Of course , you can not rest when you are worried about the situation in the world , not in the same way like you do on a proper holiday . ''
Defender Adrian Mariappa and two staff members at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan are among six positive Premier League tests for coronavirus revealed on Tuesday .
A total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first round of twice-weekly testing as part of the return-to-training measures .
Official protocols sent to players and managers last week , and obtained by the BBC , revealed corner flags , balls , cones , goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each training session .
Klopp said the the protocols are `` brilliant '' and that he felt his side were able to train in a `` very , very safe place '' .
He added : `` Then hopefully for all of us we will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the development was in the right direction for the whole country and then for the league as well . ''

Players must adhere to social-distancing rules in training
Liverpool's return to non-contact training "felt like the first day at school", says manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Premier League leaders worked in small groups at their Melwood training ground on Wednesday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown.
The English top flight hopes to resume in June, with 92 fixtures left to play, having been suspended since 13 March.
"I woke up even earlier than usual and then I realised it was my first day," Klopp told Liverpool's website.
"It felt like the first day at school - for me, it was 46 years ago, but it must have been similar.
"I dressed myself in my uniform again - and for the right reason, for going to training."
The easing of government restrictions have allowed players to train in small groups in staggered sessions, with all 20 clubs unanimously agreeing to stage one of the return-to-training protocols at Monday's "Project Restart" meeting.
As well as training in groups of no more than five, sessions must last no longer than 75 minutes for each player. Social distancing must be adhered to.
Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top of the table, with nine games to play, and need just two more wins to secure their first Premier League title.
The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again, but there is now an expectation this will need to be pushed back.
Klopp said he was "really happy" to see his players again and that they were all in "good spirits" and "good shape".
"We don't know exactly how long we have, but we have some time to prepare the rest of this season and already the next season, because I don't think there will be a massive break between the two," he said.
"It's a pre-season for us. We don't know how long and we will not have test games or friendlies.
"Maybe we can organise it between us when we are allowed to, but it will not be the same like in other pre-seasons."
Klopp said he was glad his players had had a "real rest" during nine weeks off in lockdown, as opposed to two or three weeks of holiday per year.
However, he added: "Of course, you cannot rest when you are worried about the situation in the world, not in the same way like you do on a proper holiday."
Defender Adrian Mariappa and two staff members at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan are among six positive Premier League tests for coronavirus revealed on Tuesday.
A total of 748 players and staff were tested in the first round of twice-weekly testing as part of the return-to-training measures.
Official protocols sent to players and managers last week, and obtained by the BBC, revealed corner flags, balls, cones, goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each training session.
Klopp said the the protocols are "brilliant" and that he felt his side were able to train in a "very, very safe place".
He added: "Then hopefully for all of us we will get good news because that always would mean the development was in the right direction for the whole country and then for the league as well."


bbc--2020-05-20--I won't step aside so Joshua can fight Fury - Pulev

Last updated on .From the section Boxing Kubrat Pulev says he will not step away from his shot at the world heavyweight belts and warned Anthony Joshua `` you either fight or vacate the title '' .
It led to talk of Pulev being paid to step aside so Joshua could face Tyson Fury for all four heavyweight belts .
`` I ca n't understand why we are still postponing instead of fixing a date and venue and getting to work ? ''
said Pulev .
`` Enough is enough .
I ca n't wait to win this fight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of me and are trying to face someone else before me .
That 's not how a real world champion should act . ''
Pulev was due to face Briton Joshua in 2017 but withdrew because of injury and was also in mandatory position when Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019 .
Joshua holds the IBF , WBA and WBO belts and has talked of his desire to face WBC champion Fury , who is due to face Deontay Wilder for a third time when boxing returns following its shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would appear the two British heavyweights will need to wait and win their respective fights with neither Wilder nor Pulev appearing likely to accept 'step-aside ' money .
`` I did it once when I did n't have to do it for Joshua to have his second match against Ruiz Jr. Everything was against IBF 's rules , but I compromised , '' said Pulev .
`` A year has passed and they always have a reason to postpone , not to fight against me .
There are two options .
You either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When and where a contest between Joshua and Pulev can take place is unknown because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak .
Pulev 's manager has said venues - including a Roman amphitheatre in Croatia - were being discussed .
Pulev , one of Bulgaria 's most popular sportsmen , suffered his only career defeat when he challenged for the IBF heavyweight title in 2014 , losing to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on a fifth-round knockout .
His record stands at 28 wins from 29 bouts , while Joshua has 23 @ @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Joshua was due to fight Pulev in 2017 before the Bulgarian withdrew with injury
Kubrat Pulev says he will not step away from his shot at the world heavyweight belts and warned Anthony Joshua "you either fight or vacate the title".
The Bulgarian is mandatory challenger for Joshua's IBF title but their planned bout on 20 June was postponed.
It led to talk of Pulev being paid to step aside so Joshua could face Tyson Fury for all four heavyweight belts.
"I can't understand why we are still postponing instead of fixing a date and venue and getting to work?" said Pulev.
"Enough is enough. I can't wait to win this fight.
"I see how people are afraid of me and are trying to face someone else before me. That's not how a real world champion should act."
Pulev was due to face Briton Joshua in 2017 but withdrew because of injury and was also in mandatory position when Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.
Joshua holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts and has talked of his desire to face WBC champion Fury, who is due to face Deontay Wilder for a third time when boxing returns following its shutdown because of the coronavrius pandemic.
It would appear the two British heavyweights will need to wait and win their respective fights with neither Wilder nor Pulev appearing likely to accept 'step-aside' money.
"I did it once when I didn't have to do it for Joshua to have his second match against Ruiz Jr. Everything was against IBF's rules, but I compromised," said Pulev.
"A year has passed and they always have a reason to postpone, not to fight against me. There are two options. You either fight or vacate the title."
When and where a contest between Joshua and Pulev can take place is unknown because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Pulev's manager has said venues - including a Roman amphitheatre in Croatia - were being discussed.
Pulev, one of Bulgaria's most popular sportsmen, suffered his only career defeat when he challenged for the IBF heavyweight title in 2014, losing to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on a fifth-round knockout.
His record stands at 28 wins from 29 bouts, while Joshua has 23 wins from 24.


bbc--2020-05-20--Thursday's gossip column: Bayern reserve number 10 shirt for Sane

Manchester City and Germany forward Leroy Sane , 24 , has the number 10 shirt reserved for him at Bayern Munich next season .
( Mirror ) Chelsea are struggling to offload Victor Moses as Inter Milan refuse to pay the £10.75m asking price for the 29-year-old Nigerian winger .
( Sun ) Jorginho 's agent insists the Italian midfielder is happy at Chelsea and claims Juventus have not made an approach for the 28-year-old .
( Metro ) Trabzonspor 's Turkish goalkeeper and Leicester City target Ugurcan Cakir , 24 , has been the subject of a 20m euros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leicestershire Live ) Liverpool are ready to sell three players this summer in order to fund a £52m move for 24-year-old RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner .
( Athletic - subscription required ) Manchester United would like to keep 30-year-old striker Odion Ighalo , on loan from Shanghai Shenhua , but they are `` relaxed '' over the Nigerian 's future after Marcus Rashford 's return to fitness .
( Sky Sports ) Arsenal are considering a swap deal with Atletico Madrid that would see 28-year-old French striker Alexandre Lacazette moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 24 , coming the other way .
( AS - in Spanish ) Neymar , 28 , will not leave Paris St-Germain to rejoin Barcelona this summer because of the impact of coronavirus on football finances , says the Brazil forward 's agent .
( Star ) The EFL 's leaders are confident that support for the Championship to restart , even from relegation-threatened clubs such as Middlesbrough , will mean the season resumes next month .
( Times - subscription required ) Early rounds of the Carabao Cup are under threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way before the beginning of September .
( Telegraph - subscription required )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
Manchester City and Germany forward Leroy Sane, 24, has the number 10 shirt reserved for him at Bayern Munich next season. (Mirror) external-link
But the German club have told Sane he must take a 30% pay cut to complete the transfer this summer. (Bild, via Star) external-link
Chelsea are struggling to offload Victor Moses as Inter Milan refuse to pay the £10.75m asking price for the 29-year-old Nigerian winger. (Sun) external-link
Jorginho's agent says the Italy midfielder is happy at Chelsea and that Juventus have not made an approach for the 28-year-old. (Metro) external-link
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to keep Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot, 21, despite interest from Barcelona and Paris St-Germain. (ESPN) external-link
Liverpool are ready to sell three players this summer to fund a £52m move for 24-year-old RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner. (Athletic - subscription required) external-link
Premier League clubs back in training Liverpool return 'felt like first day at school' - Klopp
Trabzonspor's Turkish goalkeeper and Leicester City target Ugurcan Cakir, 24, has been the subject of a 20m euros (£18m) bid from Spanish side Sevilla. (Leicester Mercury) external-link
Manchester United would like to keep 30-year-old striker Odion Ighalo, on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, but they are "relaxed" over the Nigerian's future after Marcus Rashford's return to fitness. (Sky Sports) external-link
Arsenal are considering a swap deal with Atletico Madrid that would see 28-year-old France striker Alexandre Lacazette moving to Spain, and compatriot Thomas Lemar, 24, coming the other way. (AS - in Spanish) external-link
PSG have ended their interest in Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, 28, because of his 70m euro (£63m) asking price, leaving Manchester United favourites to sign the Senegal international this summer. (Le Parisien - in French) external-link
Gareth Bale's agent has denied reports that the Real Madrid and Wales forward, 30, has been offered to an MLS club, believed to David Beckham's Inter Miami. (ESPN Deportes - in Spanish) external-link
Barcelona and Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal, 32, will not be part of any deal the Spanish club make with Inter Milan to sign Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, 22. (Marca) external-link
Spain midfielder Dani Ceballos, 23, has suggested he will end his loan spell at Arsenal at the end of the season after saying he wants to see out the final three years of his contract at Real Madrid. (TVE, via Mirror) external-link
The EFL's leaders are confident that support for the Championship to restart, even from relegation-threatened clubs such as Middlesbrough, will mean the season resumes next month. (Times - subscription required) external-link
Early rounds of the Carabao Cup are under threat if next season does not get under way before the beginning of September. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link


bbc--2020-05-20--Coronavirus: All 50 US states move toward reopening

As the country 's death toll surpasses 92,000 , all 50 US states have partially reopened after a two-month shutdown .
On Wednesday , Connecticut became the final state to lift restrictions when it gave the green light to shops and restaurants under certain conditions .
But wide discrepancies remain between states in terms of infection rates and the pace of their economic restart .
Many have not met the federal guidance on how to reopen , including a 14-day `` downward trajectory '' of cases .
The District of Columbia is expected to announce its reopening next week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an 'honour' • Coronavirus : Where are cases still rising ?
Countrywide , the US is seeing an overall downward trend in new cases and deaths over time .
Some of the hardest-hit areas , including New York , New Jersey and Washington state are now showing the sharpest declines , while majority of states have reached plateaus .
Still , states like Arizona and North Carolina continue to report increases .
What are different states doing ?
Many like Connecticut have started with a state-wide approach , with varying degrees of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , residents must stick to outdoor recreation , including golf courses , beaches and campgrounds , while states like Oklahoma now allow residents to attend religious services , get a tattoo , and even spend an evening at a nightclub .
Slower moving states - mostly concentrated in the country 's North East and West Coast - have begun regional openings .
In California , for example , some restaurants and retail locations will be allowed to open , but only in counties that meet standards for testing and declining infection rates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muriel Bowser extended the city 's social distancing restrictions until at least 8 June .
The guidelines may be loosened , however , if DC meets a series of reopening metrics set out by Ms Bowser , including a two-week decline in community spread of the virus .
What does the new guidance say ?
In 60 pages of guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control this past weekend , the centre provides detailed guidance to particular sectors .
In schools , for example , desks must be placed six feet apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperature checks for all staff and students .
In restaurants , the CDC advises establishments open first with limited seating to allow for social distancing , and place higher-risk workers in roles that limit their interaction with customers .
And states are advised to ensure a decline in reports of `` covid-like symptoms '' , documented cases and positive tests over a 14-day period .
But even as confirmed cases in the US pass 1.5 million , not all states are following the guidelines as they forge ahead .
Texas , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnest , reported its highest single-day jump in cases on Saturday , with 1,801 new infections .
What else is happening in the US ?
Just one day after employees returned to work at a Ford assembly plant in Chicago , thousands were forced to leave after someone tested positive , according to BBC 's US partner , CBS News .
In Florida , which has taken aggressive steps to reopen , a developer who created the state 's Covid-19 web portal says she was fired for refusing to manipulate data `` to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokeswoman for the governor said the employee , Rebekah Jones , was dismissed because she was `` disruptive '' .
As of Thursday , Florida had at least 47,471 confirmed cases .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

Some of the hardest-hit areas, including New York, New Jersey and Washington state are now showing the sharpest declines, while majority of states have reached plateaus. Still, states like Arizona and North Carolina continue to report increases.


bbc--2020-05-20--Brazil coronavirus: 'Our biggest problem is fake news'

On Nurses Day last week , Elaine Oliveira posted a picture of herself in full protective gear on Instagram and begged people to stay home .
The 33 year old was too exhausted to get out of bed after working through the night at a hospital in Fortaleza , in north-eastern Ceará state .
She had not seen her parents in two months .
“ I miss them deeply and it hurts , ” Ms Oliveira wrote .
“ As I write this , my fellow colleagues are working hard at someone ’ s bedside , trying to save their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t want applause or congratulations , I want you to stay home to protect you , me and your family.
” Ms Oliveira had wanted to get those words off her chest for some time , she told the BBC .
She had been watching while so many fellow Brazilians ignored or pointedly flouted measures intended to protect the population from Covid-19 .
Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro , in particular , have tried to play down the seriousness of the disease .
They have organised protests against , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules .
“ Today is Nurses Day and the president of my country rides a jet ski and says , ‘ So what ?
’ ” Ms Oliveira wrote on Instagram .
“ These are not just numbers , they are people who have children , parents , partners .
They 're loved and they want to live.
” Brazil now has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world - around a quarter of a million , , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
But experts suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
“ I can categorically say that Brazil has become the most important epicentre for the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the world , ” Domingos Alves , a professor at the Ribeirao Preto Medical School told BBC News Brasil .
Almost 18,000 people have died according to official figures , but Prof Alves warns that the death toll has been massively underreported .
• Coronavirus : Where are cases still rising ?
And yet President Bolsonaro insists that Covid-19 is “ only a mild flu ” .
The far-right leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands with supporters , and even promising to hold a barbecue “ for about 30 guests ” in the middle of the pandemic .
Questioned by journalists last month after Brazil ’ s death toll exceeded 5,000 , he said : “ So what ?
I am sorry , but I can ’ t work miracles . ''
Italo Lennon , an epidemiologist tracking the pandemic at Ceará 's public health department , says the situation is making him feel “ very deflated ” .
“ When this all started , I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important skills to use .
I thought we were going to face a difficult pandemic but that I would be able to help the population , ” Mr Lennon told the BBC .
“ I feel we are trying to roll a boulder up a hill.
” 'We are having to choose who lives and who dies' Ceará state has recorded the second-highest number of cases , after São Paulo .
Intensive care units are at near-full capacity , despite the number of beds having doubled since the pandemic began .
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 patients .
“ We are having to decide who is going to be ventilated and who isn ’ t , ” she says .
Many patients have died waiting and all staff can do is give palliative care “ to let them go in peace ” , she adds .
The city has installed large refrigerated containers to store the bodies of coronavirus victims but the gravity of the situation is not appreciated by all Brazilians , argues Italo Lennon .
`` Many people are choosing not to believe reality , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing rules , they are refusing to wear masks , they are taking part in gatherings .
“ We hear about parties that happened at the house of so and so , ” Mr Lennon says .
“ We are trying to convince people of the problem that is right in front of them .
Our biggest problem is fake news.
” Earlier this month , Instagram removed a post shared by a state legislator in which he claimed the death toll was being exaggerated by officials to instil fear in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be false and removed – but only after being shared by Mr Bolsonaro .
In March , Twitter and Facebook deleted presidential posts after identifying them as fake news .
Last month , rumours - which have since been disproved - that authorities in the Amazonian city of Manaus were filling graves with empty coffins to inflate the death toll went viral on social media .
Divisions run deep and are even splitting families apart .
Ms Oliveira says she has stopped talking to her four brothers because they have all been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She says she got “ very upset ” because they will not take any precautions or stop visiting her elderly parents .
Frontline staff like her are making sacrifices during the pandemic - such as being separated from their children and partners for weeks - sacrifices she feels are not being respected by those ignoring restrictions .
For Ms Oliveira , denial only worsens the situation - and increases her anguish .
“ If it weren ’ t for all this political polarisation , we could save more lives .
”

“When this all started, I thought I would be able to put my most important skills to use. I thought we were going to face a difficult pandemic but that I would be able to help the population,” Mr Lennon told the BBC.


bbc--2020-05-21--Mika Brzezinski: TV host blasts 'sick' Trump's conspiracy theory

A US TV host has furiously rebuked President Donald Trump for falsely suggesting her husband and co-presenter may have got away with murder .
In tweets , Mr Trump has appeared to link MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough to the death of an aide two decades ago , a conspiracy theory debunked by police .
`` Donald , you 're a sick person , '' anchor Mika Brzezinski said on air as she defended her husband .
She also demanded Twitter take down the president 's incendiary tweets .
What else did Brzezinski say ?
`` He 's once again tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him of murder , '' Ms Brzezinski said on her MSNBC show Morning Joe on Wednesday , before addressing the president directly .
She questioned how the president could subject the family of a congressional aide - who authorities said died of natural causes in Mr Scarborough 's office in 2001 - to such `` BS '' .
• Trump accepts Obama was born in US She said the president 's tweets were merely a ploy to deflect from the Covid-19 pandemic because her husband `` speaks the truth '' about Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this massive human catastrophe '' .
MSNBC , Ms Brzezinski and Mr Scarborough have been highly critical of the president 's handling of the US coronavirus outbreak .
Countrywide , cases have surpassed 1.5 million .
Ms Brzezinski then turned to Twitter , saying the company should remove Mr Trump 's tweets .
`` You should be ashamed of yourself , '' she scolded the social media giant .
It is by no means the president 's first clash with the couple .
In 2017 , he referred to Ms Brzezinski on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claimed she had been `` bleeding badly from a face-lift '' when he saw her once near his Florida home .
What did Trump say and what are the facts ?
On Wednesday , Mr Trump complained that his convicted former adviser Roger Stone had been treated unfairly , `` while guys like Low Ratings Psycho Joe Scarborough are allowed to walk the streets ?
Open Cold Case ! ''
Last week he tweeted : `` When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people think so .
Why did he leave Congress so quietly and quickly ?
Is n't it obvious ?
What 's happening now ?
A total nut job ! ''
The president first directed the baseless charge at Mr Scarborough in November 2017 , suggesting he should be fired `` based on the 'unsolved mystery ' that took place in Florida years ago '' .
However , the case the president is apparently referring to is not a cold case .
Mr Scarborough is a former Republican congressman who represented a Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 2001 , a member of his staff , 28-year-old Lori Klausutis , was found dead in the lawmaker 's office in Fort Walton Beach .
Mr Scarborough was in Washington DC at the time .
Despite the president 's suggestion of something untoward in his exit from Congress , Mr Scarborough had stepped down before Klausutis ' death .
Authorities determined Klausutis died after losing consciousness from an abnormal heart rhythm , before collapsing and striking her head .
She had told a colleague a day earlier that she felt unwell .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical examiner established Klausutis had suffered an acute subdural hematoma , or blood clot , ruling her death accidental .
After Mr Trump 's tweet about the matter on 12 May , Mr Scarborough said live on air : `` Why do n't you turn off the television , and why do n't you start working , OK ? ''
What other conspiracy theories has Trump promoted ?
Mr Trump was the most high-profile supporter of the bogus `` birther '' theory that former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump suggested the father of his then-Republican presidential rival Ted Cruz had been seen with John F Kennedy 's assassin , Lee Harvey Oswald , before the president 's death .
His source for the claim was an unverified tabloid report .
Last April , Mr Trump suggested that the noise from windmills causes cancer .
Scientists have found no such health risks .
The president has also shared a baseless theory that former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton were connected to last year 's prison suicide of disgraced financier Jeffrey @ @

Mika Brzezinski: TV host blasts 'sick' Trump's conspiracy theory Published 21 May 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mr Trump repeated a debunked conspiracy theory accusing a TV host of murder
A US TV host has furiously rebuked President Donald Trump for falsely suggesting her husband and co-presenter may have got away with murder.
In tweets, Mr Trump has appeared to link MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough to the death of an aide two decades ago, a conspiracy theory debunked by police.
"Donald, you're a sick person," anchor Mika Brzezinski said on air as she defended her husband.
She also demanded Twitter take down the president's incendiary tweets.
What else did Brzezinski say?
"He's once again tweeting conspiracy theories about Joe, falsely accusing him of murder," Ms Brzezinski said on her MSNBC show Morning Joe on Wednesday, before addressing the president directly.
She questioned how the president could subject the family of a congressional aide - who authorities said died of natural causes in Mr Scarborough's office in 2001 - to such "BS".
"Donald, you're a sick person," Ms Brzezinski said. "You're really a cruel, sick, disgusting person."
She said the president's tweets were merely a ploy to deflect from the Covid-19 pandemic because her husband "speaks the truth" about Mr Trump's "lack of ability to handle this massive human catastrophe".
MSNBC, Ms Brzezinski and Mr Scarborough have been highly critical of the president's handling of the US coronavirus outbreak. Countrywide, cases have surpassed 1.5 million.
Ms Brzezinski then turned to Twitter, saying the company should remove Mr Trump's tweets.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," she scolded the social media giant.
It is by no means the president's first clash with the couple. In 2017, he referred to Ms Brzezinski on Twitter as "low IQ Crazy Mika" and claimed she had been "bleeding badly from a face-lift" when he saw her once near his Florida home.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mika Brzezinski Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Mika Brzezinski
What did Trump say and what are the facts?
On Wednesday, Mr Trump complained that his convicted former adviser Roger Stone had been treated unfairly, "while guys like Low Ratings Psycho Joe Scarborough are allowed to walk the streets? Open Cold Case!"
Last week he tweeted: "When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida. Did he get away with murder? Some people think so. Why did he leave Congress so quietly and quickly? Isn't it obvious? What's happening now? A total nut job!"
The president first directed the baseless charge at Mr Scarborough in November 2017, suggesting he should be fired "based on the 'unsolved mystery' that took place in Florida years ago".
However, the case the president is apparently referring to is not a cold case.
Mr Scarborough is a former Republican congressman who represented a Florida district from 1995 to 2001. In July 2001, a member of his staff, 28-year-old Lori Klausutis, was found dead in the lawmaker's office in Fort Walton Beach.
Mr Scarborough was in Washington DC at the time. Despite the president's suggestion of something untoward in his exit from Congress, Mr Scarborough had stepped down before Klausutis' death.
Authorities determined Klausutis died after losing consciousness from an abnormal heart rhythm, before collapsing and striking her head. She had told a colleague a day earlier that she felt unwell.
Police found no foul play and a medical examiner established Klausutis had suffered an acute subdural hematoma, or blood clot, ruling her death accidental.
After Mr Trump's tweet about the matter on 12 May, Mr Scarborough said live on air: "Why don't you turn off the television, and why don't you start working, OK?"
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough are co-presenters of the Morning Joe show on MSNBC
What other conspiracy theories has Trump promoted?
Mr Trump was the most high-profile supporter of the bogus "birther" theory that former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible for the presidency.
In 2016, Mr Trump suggested the father of his then-Republican presidential rival Ted Cruz had been seen with John F Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, before the president's death. His source for the claim was an unverified tabloid report.
Last April, Mr Trump suggested that the noise from windmills causes cancer. Scientists have found no such health risks.


bbc--2020-05-21--Amphan: Kolkata devastated as cyclone leaves scores dead

The eastern Indian city of Kolkata has been devastated by a powerful cyclone which has killed at least 84 people across India and Bangladesh .
Storm Amphan struck land on Wednesday , lashing coastal areas with ferocious wind and rain .
It is now weakening as it moves north into Bhutan .
Thousands of trees were uprooted in the gales , electricity and telephone lines brought down and houses flattened .
Many of Kolkata 's roads are flooded and its 14 million people without power .
The storm is the first super cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakened by the time it struck , it was still classified as a very severe cyclone .
Coronavirus restrictions have been hindering emergency and relief efforts .
Covid-19 and social-distancing measures made mass evacuations more difficult , with shelters unable to be used to full capacity .
Amphan began hitting the Sundarbans , a mangrove area around the India-Bangladesh border home to four million people on Wednesday afternoon , before carving north and north-eastwards towards Kolkata , a historic city that was the capital of the British Raj .
Parts of West Bengal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India , and areas in south-west Bangladesh , bore the brunt , with winds gusting up to 185km/h ( 115mph ) .
At least 72 people have died in India 's West Bengal state while 12 deaths have been confirmed in Bangladesh .
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the devastation in Kolkata , the state capital , was `` a bigger disaster than Covid-19 '' .
`` Area after area has been ruined , '' Ms Banerjee was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
• How cyclones get their names Three districts in West Bengal - South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore - were very badly hit .
In Bangladesh , the worst-affected district was Satkhira , where large areas have been flooded as embankments collapsed in several places .
Initial assessments of the damage are being hampered by blocked roads and flooding in all these areas .
BBC Bengali 's Amitabha Bhattasali in Kolkata says much of the city and its neighbouring districts have been without electricity for a day .
Mobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the worst-hit areas .
Dramatic images shared on social media showed electricity transformers exploding in busy neighbourhoods as the storm swept the city .
`` Thank God , we are safe , '' said a resident , who shared footage of tiled roofs being peeled off by the force of the wind and blown away .
Local news networks showed uprooted traffic lights in flooded streets , as well as broken river jetties and vehicles crushed under fallen trees .
`` Trees uprooted , power supply snapped , lamp posts unhinged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internet connections flickered .
Children screamed , '' resident Shamik Bag told the BBC .
`` Even with all doors and windows tightly shut , my house groaned under the pressure of the howling wind outside .
Within 45 minutes , the streets outside got flooded , even as flood waters rushed into the ground floor of homes .
`` When the power lines were restored after the storm , neighbourhood children , much like our own childhood when power-cuts were rampant , burst out in a spontaneous , cheerful chorus . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12th floor of a high-rise building in the city , wrote on Facebook after the storm began : `` It is like the vault of hell outside . ''
The building seemed to be `` swaying from side to side , mimicking an earthquake '' , he said .
`` Sounds of tortured metal , glass breaking .
Palm trees uprooted .
Power lines came crackling and spitting at three places nearby . ''
Kolkata 's waterlogged roads `` looked like a dark and slithering reptile on Wednesday night as howling winds continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amphan-ravaged corridors '' , the Telegraph newspaper reported .
Most people were at home when the storm struck .
Kolkata and the rest of India is in lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Officials in Bangladesh fear Amphan will be the most powerful storm since Cyclone Sidr which killed about 3,500 people in 2007 .
Most died as a result of sea water surging in .
India 's weather department had predicted storm surges as high as 10-16 feet ( 3-5 metres ) .
The rising of sea levels in this way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far inland , devastating communities .
Meteorologists have also warned of flooding and deadly mudslides .

Near the gates of the esteemed Presidency College, I spy the unique sight of a small catfish being preyed upon by a street dog. The catfish must have come with the floods but couldn't make it back home when the waters receded. The fish still has life and its sharp flailing about manages to keep the dog curious and a little intimidated too.


bbc--2020-05-21--Anti-malarial pills in UK coronavirus trial

A trial to see whether two anti-malarial drugs could prevent Covid-19 has begun in Brighton and Oxford .
Chloroquine , hydroxychloroquine or a placebo will be given to more than 40,000 healthcare workers from Europe , Africa , Asia and South America .
All the participants are staff who are in contact with Covid-19 patients .
US President Donald Trump was criticised this week after he said he had been taking hydroxychloroquine , despite warnings it might be unsafe .
The first UK participants in the global trial are being enrolled on Thursday at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They will be given either hydroxychloroquine or a placebo for three months .
At sites in Asia , participants will be given chloroquine or a placebo .
These are the first of a planned 25 UK sites , with results expected by the end of the year .
The trial is open to anyone delivering direct care to coronavirus patients in the UK , as long as they have not been diagnosed with Covid-19 .
It will test whether the drugs can prevent healthcare workers exposed to the virus from contracting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Prof Nicholas White at the University of Oxford said : `` We really do not know if chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are beneficial or harmful against Covid-19 . ''
But , he said , a randomised controlled trial such as this one , where neither the participant nor the researchers know who has been given the drug or a placebo , was the best way to find out .
`` A widely available , safe and effective vaccine may be a long way off , '' said Prof Martin Llewelyn from Brighton and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading the study .
`` If drugs as well-tolerated as chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine could reduce the chances of catching Covid-19 , this would be incredibly valuable . ''
The drugs can reduce fever and inflammation and are used as both a prevention and a treatment for malaria .
Hydroxychloroquine regulates the body 's immune response and is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus - an inflammatory disease caused by an overactive immune system .
Lupus charities in the UK and US have raised concerns that demand for the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for patients who already rely on it .
The drug gained attention after US President Donald Trump suggested it may be beneficial , and this week said he was taking hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus .
The US Food and Drug Administration warned against use of the medication outside hospitals , where the agency has granted temporary authorisation for its use in some cases , or clinical trials .
While the University of Oxford trial is taking place in a controlled clinical environment , the World Health Organization has warned that some individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm .
It has not yet been shown to be safe and effective in the prevention or treatment of coronavirus and can cause dangerous heart arrhythmias .
The trial also involves researchers from the UK , Thailand , Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia and Italy .

But, he said, a randomised controlled trial such as this one, where neither the participant nor the researchers know who has been given the drug or a placebo, was the best way to find out.


bbc--2020-05-21--Coronavirus in South Africa: Two-day-old baby dies

A two-day-old baby has died with coronavirus in South Africa - one of the world 's youngest victims of the virus .
The mother had tested positive for Covid-19 and the child subsequently tested positive , the health minister said .
The baby was born prematurely and needed help with breathing , he added .
The country 's death toll now stands at 339 , and the number of confirmed cases has climbed to 18,003 .
The latest modelling predicts that up to 40,000 people might die in South Africa over the next few months .
• Get the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should take part in Covid-19 vaccine trials '' Sadly we have recorded the first neonatal mortality related to Covid-19 .
The baby was two days old and was born prematurely , '' South Africa 's Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said .
`` The baby had lung difficulties which required ventilation support immediately after birth .
`` We extend a special word of comfort to the mother of this child and salute the neonatologists , nurses and all allied and technical personnel who had the difficult task of caring for the neonate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asked by the BBC whether this was the youngest victim of coronavirus in Africa , the director of the Africa Centre for Disease Control ( CDC ) Dr John Nkengasong said : `` To the best of our knowledge that is the first case that the Africa CDC is aware of . ''
Other young victims of coronavirus , include a three-day-old who died on 5 May in the UK .
In that case the mother and baby tested positive for coronavirus after she gave birth .
The baby was born with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary cause of death as severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy , meaning the brain was starved of blood and oxygen , while maternal Covid-19 was listed as a secondary cause .
Mr Mkhize also said that the two-year-old baby was one of 27 new deaths recorded in South Africa in the last 24 hours .
The country has the highest number of cases of Covid-19 in Africa .
However , Egypt and Algeria have had more fatalities , with 680 and 568 respectively .
South Africa has had some of the strictest lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on cigarettes and alcohol , but is now easing some restrictions .
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

Asked by the BBC whether this was the youngest victim of coronavirus in Africa, the director of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Dr John Nkengasong said: "To the best of our knowledge that is the first case that the Africa CDC is aware of."


bbc--2020-05-21--Zuckerberg: Facebook to 'take down' coronavirus misinformation

Coronavirus : 'Having no school is boring' Evie explains what it 's like not being able to go to school @ @ @ @ @ the new rules brought in by the Italian government .

Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg tells the BBC's Simon Jack how his social network is responding to the challenge posed by the coronavirus crisis.


bbc--2020-05-21--Emptier US roads more lethal in coronavirus pandemic, report says

US roads have become more lethal even though Americans are driving less due to coronavirus quarantine and stay-at-home orders , a new report has found .
Early data indicate a year-on-year 14 % jump in fatality rates per distance driven in March , the document by the National Safety Council ( NSC ) says .
The number of miles driven during the month dropped by more than 18 % .
However , the overall number of roadway deaths across the US in March fell by 8 % to 2,690 .
Deaths for the current year have so far totalled 8,460 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world • All 50 US states now on path to reopening • Trump says US topping virus cases is an 'honour' • Coronavirus : Where are cases still rising ?
The mileage death rate per 100 million vehicle miles driven was 1.22 in March compared with 1.07 in March 2019 , the NSC report said .
`` Disturbingly , we have open lanes of traffic and an apparent open season on reckless driving , '' said NSC President Lorraine M Martin .
`` Right now , in the midst of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take it as our civic duty to drive safely .
`` If we wo n't do it for ourselves , we should do it for our first responders , our law enforcement and our healthcare workers , who are rightly focused on coronavirus patients and should not be overwhelmed by preventable car crashes , '' Ms Martin said .
Data suggested that the increase in speeding was one of the key factors explaining the alarming rise in the death rate , the NSC said .
It also said relaxing driving licence requirements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contributing factor .
The NSC - a non-profit organisation chartered by US Congress - counts a fatality as anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident : drivers , passengers , pedestrians and cyclists .
The estimated cost of motor-vehicle deaths , injuries , and property damage through March was $ 95.4bn ( £78bn ) , the report said .

"If we won't do it for ourselves, we should do it for our first responders, our law enforcement and our healthcare workers, who are rightly focused on coronavirus patients and should not be overwhelmed by preventable car crashes," Ms Martin said.


bbc--2020-05-21--Spandau Ballet, a radio quiz, one syllable - and a $10,000 riddle

When a Singaporean quizzer lost a huge cash prize - because a radio station said he mispronounced singer Tony Hadley 's name - he asked an unlikely source for help ...
Ten thousand dollars would n't change Muhammad Shalehan 's life , but it would make things much easier .
Muhammad , 32 , works on Singapore 's underground railway , and lives in public housing in the north of the island .
He is married with three children - aged 12 , three and two - and has another one , a boy , due in August .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repay .
So when a Singapore radio station offered a $ 10,000 prize ( £5,760 ; US $ 7,060 ) , he listened carefully .
`` 10k is a lot to a normal person like me , '' he tells the BBC .
`` That is why I put in enormous effort . ''
The Celebrity Name Drop on Gold 905 is hard , and it 's supposed to be .
The `` name drop '' is 14 celebrities , each saying one word of this phrase : `` Gold 9-0-5 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes you feel good . ''
To identify all 14 , first time round , is impossible .
You would need a terrifying knowledge of celebrity voices to get even three or four .
But if you 're an avid Gold 905 listener - and clearly , the station wants you to be - it 's possible , over many weeks , to piece the puzzle together .
By listening to other people 's answers , and noting their score , you can work out the sequence .
Essentially , it is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latest Name Drop began on 16 March , and Muhammad 's father-in-law encouraged him and his wife to follow it .
Before long , Muhammad was hooked , listening from 7am until 6pm on some days .
He would even tune in at work , when possible .
At certain points in the day , the station took an answer on air .
No-one got it right , but with every wrong answer , Muhammad got closer to the magic 14 .
He called the station hundreds of times - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each time ( there were only local charges if the call connected ) .
By 21 April , he knew every answer , except number 11 .
`` My wife was so adamant it was Stevie Wonder , we decided to give it a try , '' he says .
`` It was a leap of faith , but I was confident .
As the saying goes , the wife is always correct . ''
So Muhammad called again , and , against the odds , was put on air .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time round , '' he told Chris Ho , the DJ .
After hearing the clip a final time - as if he needed to - Muhammad read out his answer .
And then he waited .
`` Let 's check with the judge now , '' said DJ Chris , as Muhammad 's heart beat faster .
`` Hey Shalehan , you got 13 correct names .
Not bad .
Keep working on it . ''
`` Thank you so much , '' said Muhammad , and he put the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong , he thought .
It ca n't have been Stevie Wonder .
In the next two weeks , number 11 remained elusive .
If it was n't Stevie Wonder , then who was it ?
The contestants , says Muhammad , were `` going around headlessly , guessing any name '' .
And then , on 6 May - after heavy clues from the DJs - a man called Jerome Tan gave his answer .
`` Congratulations ! ''
said the DJ .
Finally - after almost two months - someone had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won .
Or had he ?
On Facebook , listeners pointed out that Muhammad gave the same answer on 21 April .
`` The rules of the game requires callers to pronounce the celebrities ' name accurately , '' the station replied .
`` In the case of Shalehan , he mispronounced Tony Hadley .
We hope this clarifies ! ''
Muhammad was astonished .
Mispronounced ?
His `` Hadley '' was - possibly - more like `` Hedley '' ( see clip below ) .
But he has an accent .
Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he emailed the station .
Two days later , they replied .
`` We have reviewed the relevant audio clip of your call and our decision remains final , '' they said .
`` The name 'Tony Hadley ' had been mispronounced by you . ''
Muhammad was sure they were wrong and so - prompted by his wife - he decided to ask the only man who really knew .
The email - actually to Matt Glover , Hadley 's manager , who Muhammad found on Google - was entitled : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your dear help Mr Tony Hadley '' .
`` I was n't expecting at all for him to reply , '' says Muhammad .
`` I would have thought Tony Hadley had better things to do than reply to me . ''
But then , on the evening of 10 May , he checked his email .
To Muhammad 's amazement , Hadley had not only replied , he had sent a video .
`` Hi Muhammad , '' said Hadley .
`` I 've listened back to the tape , and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronounced my name absolutely correctly .
`` You might have had a slight accent , but as far as I 'm concerned , you said my name correctly , so you should be entitled to whatever the prize was . ''
Tony Hadley has spent the lockdown at his home in Buckinghamshire , England .
He still tours , but the virus means his summer diary is empty .
When he got Muhammad 's email , he tells the BBC , he thought it might be a hoax .
But then he listened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to it several times , just to be really , really sure , '' he says .
`` And I thought - hold on , this guy is really genuine , it 's a lot of money , he 's done incredibly well to get to that point . ''
After deciding Muhammad had won `` fair and square '' , he decided to send the video .
`` To penalise him on a ... well it was n't even a mispronunciation .
So that 's why I said in my video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy . ''
You may also be interested in • The sound that is disappearing from airports Gold 905 is not some small , start-up station .
It is part of Mediacorp - Singapore 's mighty media empire - and is heard across the country .
After Jerome won the prize , the controversy was covered by local site Hype and Stuff .
When Hadley got involved , other Singaporean media picked it up .
But the station did not budge .
On 13 May , after seeing the Hadley video , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your disappointment , '' they said .
`` But please be assured that all entries are reviewed fairly and objectively . ''
On the day the BBC contacted Mediacorp , their position shifted - slightly .
They were adamant that Muhammad 's pronunciation was wrong , but they offered a `` goodwill gesture '' .
`` We have reached out to Mr Shalehan with a token of appreciation for his exceptional commitment to the contest and loyal support for Gold 905 , '' they said .
Neither side has confirmed the amount publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5,000 .
When Mediacorp announced the `` goodwill gesture '' on Facebook , they included a video of Muhammad 's pronunciation , alongside Jerome 's , and Tony Hadley 's ( see above ) .
Most commenters were not persuaded .
`` Give me a break , '' said one .
`` It is clear that both people who called into the contest said the same name , but with different accents . ''
For now , Muhammad is unsure whether to accept Mediacorp 's offer .
He needs the money - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger issues at stake .
`` I do n't want myself to be 'oh he gets a bit of money , he shuts up ' .
I do n't want that .
I 'm not after the money .
I 'm after the fairness , the equality , the justice of the game .
`` You are not going to fool a Singaporean man .
We are all human .
We all play the game fairly . ''

"I don't want myself to be 'oh he gets a bit of money, he shuts up'. I don't want that. I'm not after the money. I'm after the fairness, the equality, the justice of the game.


bbc--2020-05-21--Pakistan girls: Man arrested for 'murdering cousins over video'

Police have arrested a man suspected of killing two young women in Pakistan , after a video in which a man is seen kissing them went viral on social media .
Muhammad Aslam is suspected of shooting the pair , aged 18 and 16 , who were his cousins .
The man in the video , the owner of the phone it was filmed on , and relatives of the women are also in custody .
Rights group say violence against women remains a serious problem in Pakistan .
They were murdered last week in the village of Shamplan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North and South Waziristan tribal districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province .
The area is a socially conservative remote region , where tribal law is often upheld over federal law .
Activists believe about 1,000 such so-called `` honour killing '' murders - for perceived transgressions of social codes - are carried out across the country every year .
• Why do families kill their daughters ?
• Tracing the life of a woman 'killed for honour' The 52-second long video was reportedly shot nearly a year ago , but went viral a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen by the BBC , Umer Ayaz , 28 , is seen in a secluded area outdoors with three veiled women , two of whom he then kisses .
He has been arrested and charged with making the `` vulgar '' video clip .
He is believed to be married with two children .
The third girl , who is not kissed in the video , is the wife of the suspected killer according to police .
She is believed to be in hiding .
Fida Wazir , whose phone was used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested - suspected of spreading the video on social media .
The father of one victim and the brother of the other are also in police custody for failing to report the killings and concealing evidence .
The tribal codes of the Waziristan region mean that the mixing of the sexes is unheard of .
As such , the video came as a shock .
The region 's relatively new police force - only brought in two years ago , after Waziristan and the wider tribal region were brought into the mainstream rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs - decided it had to act .
Since so-called `` honour killings '' are treated as an internal family matter and no complaints are lodged with the police , North Waziristan 's officers acted on their own initiative to lodge a complaint when reports of the killings surfaced .
Officers initially booked the suspects for murder , but have since added clauses related to causing mischief , hiding evidence and electronic crime .
The mischief clause prevents the heirs of a murdered individual from pardoning the killer , which is otherwise allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1980s .
But they are still some way from making a fool-proof case against the suspect .
An immediate challenge would be to find the dead bodies and conduct autopsies on them .
Investigators believe the bodies were whisked away by the family to the neighbouring South Waziristan region , where they were buried .
They say they are coordinating with the police in South Waziristan to discover the graves .
They will require a judicial magistrate 's permission to exhume the bodies .
It is the killing of a member of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dishonour upon relatives .
Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim : • refused to enter into an arranged marriage • was the victim of a sexual assault or rape • had sexual relations outside marriage , even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons , like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient .

In the video, seen by the BBC, Umer Ayaz, 28, is seen in a secluded area outdoors with three veiled women, two of whom he then kisses. He has been arrested and charged with making the "vulgar" video clip.


bbc--2020-05-21--'Time running out' for UK track and trace system

Time is running out to finalise a test , track and trace strategy to avoid a possible second surge in coronavirus cases , NHS bosses have said .
The NHS Confederation warned of `` severe '' consequences to staff and patients if the right system was not established quickly .
It said lockdown measures should not be eased until a clear plan was in place .
It follows the PM 's pledge to introduce a `` world-beating '' contact tracing system in England from June .
Contact tracing identifies those who may have come into contact with an infected person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone and email - so they can avoid potentially passing the disease on .
Niall Dickson , chief executive of the confederation , which represents health and care leaders , welcomed Boris Johnson 's pledge made at Prime Minister 's Questions on Wednesday .
But in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock , Mr Dickson said without a clear strategy the UK was at greater risk of a second peak of the virus .
He said a test , track and trace strategy should have been in place sooner and if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramifications for the NHS `` could be severe '' .
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 's Today programme , Mr Dickson said : `` We are absolutely clear that contact tracing is the right thing to do , it is absolutely critical , it has got to be in place to prevent any notion of a second surge if the lockdown is being further released . ''
He added the government was acting `` quite late in the day [ and ] we have n't yet seen the detail '' .
• Track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - PM Chris Hopson , chief executive of NHS Providers - a membership group for England 's NHS trusts - told BBC Breakfast his members have `` not had clear information and instructions about what their role will be '' in the system .
Security minister James Brokenshire said Mr Hopson 's comments `` will not be lost on anyone '' at the Department of Health - and will be followed up on `` at pace '' .
The Department of Health said it would set out details about test , track and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruited 21,000 contact tracers with `` thousands more to follow '' .
On Wednesday , Mr Johnson said 25,000 contact tracers , able to track 10,000 new cases a day , would be in place by 1 June .
It coincides with the earliest possible date for the gradual reopening of schools and non-essential shops in England .
Northern Ireland already has a telephone contact tracing system in place , while the Scottish government is currently trialling one .
The Welsh government wants its programme operational by the end of May .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisers previously said an effective tracing system needed to be in place before lockdown restrictions could be changed .
What this letter indicates is that , for all the rhetoric , the NHS Confederation does not yet believe that the government has a robust plan for virus testing and tracking of contacts of those who are infected .
And that comes even after the prime minister 's statement that such a programme will be in place by 1 June with 25,000 contact tracers appointed .
A widespread testing and tracing system is seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be further eased , including the reopening of schools .
The confederation , which represents health leaders and organisations in England , Wales and Northern Ireland , does welcome Mr Johnson 's commitment to a testing and tracing programme .
But tellingly it notes that its members are not yet reassured , and that if there is not rapid action there could be a second wave of infections and serious consequences for NHS patients and staff .
Mr Brokenshire said the contact tracing system will be in place on 1 June - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will be rolled out `` in the coming weeks '' .
The University of Nottingham 's Prof Keith Neal said the app would be most useful if people were out in public at places such as supermarkets .
`` That 's where the app comes in because it will allow later on to identify who you 've been in contact with but do n't know their name or phone number , '' he said .
`` We can do contact tracing even without the app because that is a matter of finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolonged contact , and you tend to only have close and prolonged contact with people you actually know . ''
Contact tracing for coronavirus began when the UK identified its first two cases at the end of January .
But it was stopped in mid-March after England 's chief medical officer , Prof Chris Whitty , said it was `` no longer necessary for us to identify every case '' .
On Wednesday , Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer challenged Mr Johnson over that decision , describing it as a `` huge hole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the prime minister said he was `` confident '' that England would have a track and trace operation which would allow the country to make `` progress '' .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• HOW FAST IS THE VIRUS GROWING ?
The UK spread compared to other countries The government 's surveillance programme shows the number of coronavirus cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 400 people in England infected .
The Office for National Statistics surveyed nearly 15,000 people between 4 and 17 May , finding 0.25 % of the participants tested positive for Covid-19 - down from the 0.27 % figure last week .
It suggests about 137,000 people in England could currently be infected .
Latest figures show the total number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK has reached 35,704 .
Contact tracing is already being used in Hong Kong , Singapore and Germany .
• MINDFUL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relax • LOUIS THEROUX : The 15 songs getting him through lockdown Content available only in the UK • Benefit officials say they fear as much as £1.5bn may have been lost in fraudulent claims for Universal Credit in recent weeks • The Welsh government has been reported to the Equality and Human Rights Commission over testing in care homes being `` too slow '' • Later , Scotland 's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will unveil details of a four-phase `` route map '' towards easing the country 's lockdown restrictions • A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see whether anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine could prevent Covid-19 • The prime minister is facing a potential rebellion from some Conservative MPs after he rejected calls to scrap the fees overseas health workers have to pay to use the NHS • EasyJet will resume a small number of mainly domestic flights from 22 European airports from 15 June , but will require crew and customers to wear masks • And the head of the World Health Organization warned the pandemic was a long way from being over amid the largest daily rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs ?
Do you live on the Isle of Wight and use the NHS contact tracing app ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Dickson said: "We are absolutely clear that contact tracing is the right thing to do, it is absolutely critical, it has got to be in place to prevent any notion of a second surge if the lockdown is being further released."


bbc--2020-05-21--Zack Snyder's Justice League re-cut headed for HBO Max

HBO Max has announced it will air a re-versioned edition of the superhero film Justice League .
The new cut will be done by the film 's original director Zack Snyder , who left the production of the film before it was finished due to a family tragedy .
Joss Whedon , the director of The Avengers , was brought in to complete the film , but fans complained he made the film too light-hearted .
HBO 's announcement comes a week before the release its new streaming service .
Warner Media , which produced Justice League , is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among streaming services has heated up over the last year as more companies have entered the field .
Announcing content with Hollywood A-listers has been one way that services have tried to attract subscribers .
Many fans have been calling for a `` Snyder-cut '' of Justice League since the film was released in 2017 .
Synder completed most the filming for the movie based on the DC Comic Book .
But he stepped away from the project before post-production and editing work following the suicide of his daughter .
Whedon , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Slayer , did several reshoots and fans suggested he gave the film a lighter tone than Synder 's original intent .
On social media , the hashtag # ReleasetheSnyderCut has been used by fans calling for a new version of the film .
It is not yet known whether the new version , set to be released in 2021 will be a six-part series or a nearly four-hour long directors-cut film .
HBO Max is not the only service looking to big names or familiar franchise to attract subscribers .
Earlier this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tom Hanks ' film Greyhound , developed by Sony Pictures .
The film was set to have a theatrical release in June , but executives changed course because of concern the coronavirus pandemic would keep viewers away from cinemas .
When Disney Plus launched in November , it promoted its new Star Wars series The Mandalorian .
Short-form streaming app Quibi spent billions on new programming featuring stars ranging from actress Sophie Turner to Chance the Rapper and celebrity chef Evan Funke .
More competition is entering the streaming market as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make its debut in July .
HBO Max begins service in the US on 27 May .

Earlier this week Apple TV Plus announced it would premier the Tom Hanks' film Greyhound, developed by Sony Pictures. The film was set to have a theatrical release in June, but executives changed course because of concern the coronavirus pandemic would keep viewers away from cinemas.