bbc--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Are Italians losing faith in the EU?

When Covid-19 came to Europe it was Italy that was hit first - and hit hard .
Little help came from its European neighbours in those first weeks in February and March , as hospitals in the north were overwhelmed .
As Italy counts its 31,000 dead , concern is mounting over the economic impact too , and there are signs of a rise in the number of Italians losing faith in the EU .
The Treaty of Rome launched the then European Economic Community in 1957 , with Italy a founding member .
`` I have changed my mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing an absolute emergency , and seeing countries turning their backs on each other is really awkward , '' says Rome real estate agent Marco Tondo , 34 .
He is currently receiving nine weeks ' redundancy pay from the government at 80 % of his normal salary .
According to a survey of 1,000 Italians conducted in April by Tecné , 42 % of respondents said they would leave the EU , up from 26 % in November 2018 .
However , a quarter of that number said they would be prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved concrete measures for Italy .
• Italy battles for both mind and body • Can you compare the UK with Italy ?
Italy went on full lockdown on 8 March and tight restrictions on life were only relaxed on 4 May .
The country 's economic output will fall by 8 % this year , according to the government of Giuseppe Conte .
That scale of downturn will bloat Italy 's public debt this year to the tune of almost 155.7 % of GDP , Italy 's National Institute of Statistics forecasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Conte called for the creation of coronabonds , which would have been underwritten by all eurozone members to share the burden of economic recovery .
But within days Germany and the Netherlands had ruled out any kind of debt mutualisation .
That did n't go down well in Italy .
Critics said the prime minister had been humiliated in the EU .
`` Asking for coronabonds was the perfect way to have the door slammed in his face , '' argues Carlo Altomonte , associate Professor of Economics of European Integration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt is forbidden by EU treaties and Germany 's constitution .
I think Conte used it as a weapon in negotiations . ''
On 18 March , the European Central Bank launched a €750bn ( £660bn ; $ 800bn ) bond purchase programme to help the eurozone 's more indebted countries by pushing down borrowing costs .
Two days later , the European Commission announced the suspension of rules on public deficits , thus allowing countries to inject as much money as they needed into their economies .
Then , on 8 April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed on a €540bn rescue plan .
It was made up of : • €200bn as a new credit line for companies , provided by the European Investment Bank • €240bn as a credit line provided by the European Stability Mechanism ( ESM ) to fund eurozone health systems .
The political debate in Italy has focused mostly on that last part of the package .
The unpopular ESM is an intergovernmental bailout fund that provided loans to Greece and some other EU countries during the financial crisis and dates back to 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have interest rates close to 0.1 % , but the money will be used only `` to support domestic financing of direct and indirect healthcare , cure and prevention-related costs due to the Covid-19 crisis '' .
Italy could borrow up to €37bn from the ESM , but has still to decide whether to ask for the loans .
The two parties that make up the technocrat Mr Conte 's coalition government have often held contrasting positions on European issues , and that is the case too concerning borrowing from the ESM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea .
But the anti-establishment Five Star Movement has warned the government would collapse if Mr Conte were to tap into the bailout fund .
`` The Italian parliament will decide whether or not it is appropriate for Italy to activate it , '' Mr Conte finally said , after repeatedly refusing to make use of the ESM .
The main objection is from the far-right League party , which used to be in government but is now in opposition .
`` The ESM is not a gift , it 's money lent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen in Brussels and not in Italy , '' said its leader Matteo Salvini .
`` We must re-found the EU on new principles and go back to having control over money production .
We need to print money , '' he argued .
How powerful are the Eurosceptics ?
Although the League is still Italy 's biggest party , its popularity has been decreasing over the last two months , according to a survey by Demopolis .
The League rules two key regions in Italy 's north : the industrial powerhouse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were the first regions to record cases of coronavirus .
So the party 's handling of the Covid-19 crisis has come under close scrutiny .
Mr Salvini appears to have lost support , while his challenger inside the party , Veneto governor Luca Zaia , is becoming increasingly popular .
`` They are both Eurosceptic , but Zaia is in charge of managing this crisis in his region , and he is handling it well , '' explains Piero Ignazi , Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Bologna .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition at national level , his criticism of the government is not appealing to the people right now . ''
While Luca Zaia launched large-scale testing of the entire population of the region , Attilio Fontana , governor of Lombardy and one of Mr Salvini 's closest allies , chose not to implement the same strategy .
According to recent research published by The Lancet , Veneto 's fatality rate of infected people is 6.4 % , whereas in Lombardy it is as high as 18.3 % .
Will the EU offer more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the lowest in the eurozone , decreased slightly to 58.8 % in March from 58.9 % in February .
`` I 'm not a fan of the League , but Europe is proving once more to be useless , so we should leave the EU , '' says Valentina Rosi , a 45-year-old former Rome shopkeeper who is now unemployed .
What Italy is looking for now from the EU is a recovery plan that looks beyond loans .
The European Parliament is asking for a €2 trillion recovery fund to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Commission is expected to table proposals shortly .
A major part of the next budget is cohesion , aiming to reduce the big wealth gap between member states .
But there are strong divisions among member states - the biggest is whether countries should receive grants or just loans .
Any recovery plan based mainly on grants would be a victory for Mr Conte , and could make a dramatic difference to Italians still undecided on whether to turn their backs on Brussels or not .
Stefano Vergine is a Milan-based journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the League

"The ESM is not a gift, it's money lent, to be repaid at precise conditions chosen in Brussels and not in Italy," said its leader Matteo Salvini. "We must re-found the EU on new principles and go back to having control over money production. We need to print money," he argued.


bbc--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Why Taiwan won't have a seat at the virus talks

For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began , health officials will come together ( virtually ) next week at the World Health Assembly to decide how the world should tackle the crisis .
But one of the places that 's been most successful at protecting its people from the disease will not be invited to this meeting of the decision-making body of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
Taiwan has been applauded internationally for quickly and effectively stemming the spread of the virus , and says it should have a platform to share its experiences with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Taiwan is part of its territory - has blocked Taiwan 's attendance since 2016 .
In recent weeks , the US , EU , Japan and several other nations have backed Taiwan 's bid to attend the meeting on 18 May as an observer .
China - facing international criticism for both being the source of the pandemic and missteps in the early days of the spread - has hit back with zeal .
The Taiwan dispute is long-running , but Shelley Riggers , professor of political science at Davidson College and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be `` diminished patience '' from some countries with an objection from China which `` feels very abstract and ideological in a moment of , you know , global catastrophe '' .
• Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHO • China needs to show us respect - Taiwan president Taiwan has been self-ruled since the mainland government was toppled by the Communist Party in 1949 and fled to the island .
Under its One China policy , Beijing insists it is the legitimate ruler of Taiwan and it will one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the mainland , by force if necessary .
The current government in Taiwan is seen as pro-independence and since Tsai Ing-wen 's Democratic Progressive Party took power , relations with Beijing have soured .
Taiwan has its own army and currency and is treated by some governments as though its a de-facto state .
`` China 's pretty steadfast on this , and it has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with China 's relationship with Taipei , and with President Tsai-Ing-wen who refuses to recognise China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thompson , former US Defence department official responsible for China , Taiwan and Mongolia .
Under Chinese pressure , all but 15 countries have cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan .
But Taiwan has lobbied hard to be recognised by multi-lateral organisations like the WHO and others , as a way to seek legitimacy in the international arena .
And it has n't always been left out .
Under the previous government - which wanted better relations with China - it had observer status at the WHO under the name `` Chinese Taipei '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ing-wen 's election , it has not been invited back .
Every year since then Taiwan has lobbied member countries to be included .
But ahead of this year 's meeting , the voices of support have come loud and clear .
Experts say says while in the past other countries may not have thought it worth it to risk offending China , that calculation has changed with Covid-19 .
`` Now , it 's not just about the health of people in Taiwan .
It 's about the health of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're asking us to trade that away , '' she says .
Taiwan has had astounding success battling the coronavirus .
It has recorded only 440 cases and seven deaths in a population of 23 million , attributed largely to early border controls , a ban on foreign visitors and mandatory quarantine for all Taiwanese people returning home .
This has given it a renewed impetus and justification to be included in decision-making about global health .
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On 8 May leaders of the US Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to nearly 60 countries saying it `` had never been more important to ensure all countries prioritise global health and safety over politics '' .
It said China 's `` bullying tactics '' had `` undermined Taiwan 's ability to contribute to international response efforts '' and put everyone at greater risk , so it must be allowed to attend the WHA meeting .
Several major powers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Canada , Australia and New Zealand , though none is suggesting abandoning the One China policy , which gives Taiwan its ambiguous status .
In stark contrast with China , Taiwan has also won global plaudits for transparency in sharing information about coronavirus cases as well as for helping other nations with supplies like masks , even those that do n't recognise it .
The US has had a long-standing policy of support for Taiwan , as a key ally .
So coronavirus may just be a new way to argue for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for other countries who have been ambivalent about China and Taiwan 's long-running tussle over sovereignty , there are new political considerations , says Alexander Huang a political science professor specialising in China-Taiwan defence and foreign policies .
They 've watched US-China relations turning sour in recent weeks , but also they are worried about the spill over from the global pandemic as well as suspicions over whether China shared information fully in the early days , he says .
Drew Thompson , who is a visiting professor at the Lee Kuan Yew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says global public opinion overall towards China `` has turned to the negative .
And it 's the result of China 's insistence on its policies ; its way or the highway , and its heavy handed diplomacy '' .
China has always bristled at what it calls foreign interference in its internal affairs .
But this time it has really upped the anger and threats , positioning Taiwan 's aim to be present at the WHO as a bid for independence .
State media Xinhua has published article after article lambasting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one China in the world .
The government of the People 's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole China , and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China , '' it said .
It also calls on the US to stop politicising the international response to the pandemic .
Global Times , a strident and often nationalist newspaper , published an editorial saying this could put China in a position to use force - an oft repeated threat .
`` The only consequence that may ensue is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by solving the Taiwan question once and for all via non-peaceful means , '' it said .
Even before the pandemic there had been increased military presence in the South China Sea and the 180km-wide Taiwan Strait that separates the two countries , but shows of strength have turned into warnings .
`` In the past three months , China has sent more sorties both by bombers , reconnaissance flights and fighter jets in the air , their navy flotilla has done more exercises than before in the same time period , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to other countries , China has made economic threats .
When New Zealand backed Taiwan 's bid to attend the WHA , China responded angrily saying this could damage bilateral ties .
But Foreign Minister Winston Peters said at a press conference : `` We have got to stand up for ourselves . ''
`` And true friendship is based on equality .
It 's based on the ability in this friendship to nevertheless disagree . ''
Prof Huang says in recent years China 's foreign relations have become much more nationalistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with zero tolerance of any criticism .
`` Because of the pandemic , China has become more sensitive to criticism from [ the ] outside world , and China has now , on the other hand , enjoyed more capacity to show its strength and show its force . ''
So can the WHO invite Taiwan ?
The WHO has been saying that Taiwan 's membership or attendance is entirely up to the member states .
It also says that it already communicate with Taiwanese health officials and information is being shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said recently that the director-general had the power to invite Taiwan , but the WHO 's principal legal office Steven Solomon said director-generals only extend invitations when its clear member states support doing so , which is this case is not clear .
But as Ms Riggers points out , Taiwan was previously able to attend , and other non-state actors like the Palestinian Authority and the Vatican have observer status .
`` We 're talking about one country that for one very specific reason is excluded , '' she says .
Beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given new relevance to the question of Taiwan 's participation on the global stage .
As long as its status remains ambiguous , it 's likely that the issue of sovereignty will continue to be a proxy battleground in disputes with mainland China , even after the virus has moved on .

"China's pretty steadfast on this, and it has nothing to do with public health and everything to do with China's relationship with Taipei, and with President Tsai-Ing-wen who refuses to recognise China's sovereignty over Taiwan," says Drew Thompson, former US Defence department official responsible for China, Taiwan and Mongolia.


bbc--2020-05-17--Letter from Africa: Spare a thought for stranded migrants

In our series of letters from African journalists , Ismail Einashe writes that migrants are facing a tougher time since the outbreak of coronavirus .
Thousands of African migrants are stuck in transit - unable to reach their destination or to get back home because the coronavirus pandemic has caused the world to come to a standstill .
Take two key exit points : the Horn of Africa route via the Gulf of Aden into the Middle East and the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Europe .
On the Horn of Africa route , the UN agency , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has recorded a sharp fall in the numbers of migrant crossings .
In April just 1,725 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn , compared to 7,223 in March , 9,624 in February and 11,101 in January of this year .
Last year more than 138,000 people - an average of around 11,500 a month - crossed on boats to Yemen , the majority Ethiopians bound for Saudi Arabia in search of work .
In the Somali port of Bosaso , migrants bound for the Middle East have been left stranded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been abandoned by traffickers in a country with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Africa .
The IOM estimates that about 400 migrants are currently been hosted by members of the local Ethiopian community in informal settlements around the city but the agency says they face increased stigma and abuse because travellers are seen as carriers of the virus .
A 19-year-old migrant told IOM : `` I have been here for around three months .
The coronavirus has changed everything .
I can not continue .
I can not go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , across the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deported nearly 3,000 Ethiopian migrants on cargo planes over suspicions that they have coronavirus .
Most of them are domestic workers - including maids - who worked legally for low pay in the oil-rich Arab states .
In Libya - the other key exit point , and the most dangerous sea crossing for migrants in the world - restrictions have prevented humanitarian boats from rescuing migrants stranded at sea - with migrants forced to return to a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely to be a sharp rise in attempts to migrate to Europe once travel restrictions are lifted - not least because lockdowns in African states have worsened poverty and have caused more damage to already struggling economies .
As for European states , they have used the Covid-19 pandemic to once again politicise the issue of migration .
Malta has closed its ports and returned migrants at sea to Libya , while Italy said migrants would be quarantined on rescue boats .
Covid-19 has exposed migrants as the most marginalised people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Refugees ( UNHCR ) says that of the 167 countries that have fully or partially closed their borders to deal with coronavirus , 57 have not made an exception for those seeking asylum .
The right to claim asylum is a basic right , though in recent years many states have sought to curtail it .
In Europe , countries such as Austria , with a long track record of harsh anti-migration policies , have frozen the right to asylum using Covid-19 as justification .
Not only have migrant rights been curtailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with an increase in xenophobia because migrants are framed as carriers of the disease and maligned by politicians and media alike .
In Guangzhou in China , African migrants have been subjugated to evictions , harassment and forced quarantines , because of coronavirus fears , fuelled by a deep well of racism - this has sparked outrage and anger in Africa .
The majority of migration in Africa is intra-continental - Zimbabweans in South Africa , South Sudanese refugees in Uganda to workers from Burkina Faso in Ivory Coast .
South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Africa and it is also a regional magnet for millions of migrants .
It has been the government 's long-standing objective to reduce migration , and it seized the opportunity provided by the pandemic to build a border fence with Zimbabwe .
There is a danger that Covid-19 will do long-term damage to migrant rights , as states continue to adopt inward-looking policies to try and keep out not only people seeking better economic opportunities in Europe , but also those fleeing political persecution .
• Why some Nigerians are gloating about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

The IOM estimates that about 400 migrants are currently been hosted by members of the local Ethiopian community in informal settlements around the city but the agency says they face increased stigma and abuse because travellers are seen as carriers of the virus.


bbc--2020-05-16--How Covid-19 is threatening Central America's economic lifeline

During the 20 years that Alejandro Carrillo has worked in the United States , he has always sent money home .
Earnings from his time with construction crews in Florida were enough to provide food and an education to each of his seven children and to build his wife a house in which to raise them .
It was also enough to later help his 33-year-old son , José Carrillo , purchase a small , green car to start a taxi business .
Funds sent back to Central America from migrants who work in economically developed countries are a lifeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent a steady cash flow which keeps receivers out of poverty and provides a safety net in times of crisis .
In 2019 alone , $ 10.5bn ( £8.3bn ) in remittances was sent to Guatemala , according to the country 's central bank .
And that number was steadily growing .
Until Covid-19 hit .
Guatemala has reported more than 1,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus .
Measures to slow its spread include nightly curfews and restrictions on movement rather than the all-encompassing lockdowns other Latin American governments have imposed in recent months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns imposed by many states have hit the economy hard and unemployment has shot up .
Read : Coronavirus : Stories of unemployment , fear and hope in the US More than 33 million people in the US filed for unemployment between the beginning of the pandemic and 7 May , making this the worst employment crisis in US history .
In March , Alejandro 's work practically evaporated and the remittances he used to send dried up too , leaving his family without their safety net .
The same is true for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US doing domestic work and manual labour .
And this economic turmoil ripples across the communities they have left behind .
`` Practically everything he earns goes toward surviving in the United States .
He 's not sending anything anymore , '' José Carrillo says of his father .
`` Honestly , it worries me because there are a lot of families who depend on these remittances .
If they do n't send money , people do n't have anything to live off . ''
The World Bank recently projected remittances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall nearly 20 % in 2020 .
Worldwide , they are expected to plummet four times more than during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis .
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This is especially true for migratory countries such as Guatemala , Honduras and El Salvador , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a buffer .
`` Remittances have been a central component of the economy in the region , and now is probably one of the first times when that source of revenue is going to be really threatened , '' said Cecilia Menjivar , a University of California , Los Angeles sociology professor who studies Central America .
`` We still do n't know what many of the effects could be , but it could be outright hunger , '' she says .
And the strain is not just on those receiving the remittances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Migrants may continue to send that capital until they are stretched too thinly , according to Manuel Orozco , director of the Migration , Remittances and Development programme at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank .
He says individuals who migrated to lift their families out of poverty view remittances as `` financial obligations '' , which are as important to them as paying rent or buying food .
Still , those payments dropped nearly 10 % in March from the same period the previous year , data from Guatemala 's central bank shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of US quarantine orders had come into full effect .
Rural Guatemala has been even more acutely affected .
In the town of Cajolá , remittances have already dropped by 50 % since the beginning of the crisis , said community leader Eduardo Jiménez .
Migration to the US has moulded the village of 15,000 people since the 1980s , when the country was locked in civil conflict .
Money from those migrants generated entirely new industries , including construction , carpentry and electric work , and replaced many subsistence agriculture jobs with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has a huge impact , because the remittances coming from North America have been a form of survival , '' Mr Jiménez says .
Mr Jiménez was part of that migration .
For 10 years , he worked as an undocumented migrant in the US and returned to Guatemala in 2006 to start carpentry and weaving workshops to give opportunities to rural Guatemalans who might otherwise migrate .
But that work has tapered off and Mr Jiménez is searching for other strategies to keep the town afloat and feed families cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades .
For Cajolá , he says , that may mean returning to subsistence agriculture .
Migrating to the US would be suicidal , he said .
`` We Guatemalans have been creative , '' Mr Jiménez says .
And that gives him hope .
`` I 've seen that the people of Guatemala have kept pushing forward despite the few resources we have .
We 've had to invent in order to survive . ''
That is the same thing going through Mr Carrillo 's mind as he drives his neon-green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his town .
He is scared because it is not just his father who has lost work in Florida but also one of his brothers .
The brother was sending money to build a home for his wife and kids little by little , just like their father had done for them .
But that construction stalled , and so has the work from Mr Carrillo 's small taxi business , leaving the family with nothing coming in .
He says he will do whatever it takes to keep his family afloat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sustainable for a short time .
`` There are n't many fares .
We 've been struggling , it 's not like it was before , '' Mr Carrillo says .
`` If it continues like this , in one or two months , we 're going to get hit very hard . ''
You may want to watch :

He is scared because it is not just his father who has lost work in Florida but also one of his brothers. The brother was sending money to build a home for his wife and kids little by little, just like their father had done for them.


bbc--2020-05-16--Gedhun Choekyi Niyima: Tibetan Buddhism's 'reincarnated' leader who disappeared aged six

There is only one photograph in circulation of the Tibetan Gedhun Choekyi Niyima , one of the world 's most famous `` disappeared '' persons .
It is little more than a snapshot , taken when he was just six years old .
It shows a boy with rosy cheeks and an impassive look on his face .
That boy is now 31 , and 17 May marks exactly 25 years since he and his family were disappeared by China , three days after he was identified as the reincarnated Panchen Lama , the second most important figure in Tibetan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been no independent news on his fate .
Tibetans outside China are using the anniversary to call for his release .
But only Chinese officials know where he is and , having said little for a quarter of a century , there is little expectation that they will offer new information now .
`` Our mood is gloomy , '' admitted Sonam Tsering Frasi , the Tibetan government-in-exile 's representative in London .
For those who want the Panchen Lama freed , it is an understandable position .
The case shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who can make someone vanish completely with few consequences for either themselves or their country .
The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has been trying to find out what has happened to Gedhun Choekyi Niyima since 1995 , but it has discovered very little .
A few weeks before the 25th anniversary of his disappearance , it gave the BBC this statement about its efforts .
`` The Government of China has responded several times , but the information provided was considered insufficient to clarify the case and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the working group asked the Chinese government to allow it to visit the country .
In its annual report last year - six years after that request - it said it was still waiting for an answer .
`` The working group hopes that a positive reply will be received soon , '' the report noted , perhaps a little optimistically .
Although Beijing is saying little , there are reasons why China might have wanted this particular six-year-old boy to disappear .
In Tibetan Buddhism , the Panchen Lama is outranked only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tibet in 1959 and became an alternative source of power for Tibetans who resented Beijing 's control of the Himalayan region .
It has been suggested , reasonably , that China did not want the Panchen Lama gaining the same authority and becoming a similar obstacle to its governance of Tibet .
After Gedhun Choekyi Niyima vanished , China chose its own Panchen Lama .
Many believe it will also choose its own Dalai Lama when the current one dies .
Down the years , the Chinese government has provided some information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was just to deny anything was wrong .
Immediately after his disappearance , it told the UN working group that `` there has never been a case of disappearance and kidnapping of the family of the reincarnated child '' .
It said the claim was a fabrication dreamt up by the `` Dalai Lama group '' .
The following year , 1996 , the story changed .
China said a few `` unscrupulous souls '' had tried to smuggle the boy abroad and so his parents had asked for protection , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Beijing said the boy and his family were living normal lives and did not want anyone to bother them , something it has repeated often since then .
Occasionally , the Chinese government offered a glimpse that not all was well .
In 1998 , it told the working group that the Panchen Lama 's mother was serving a prison sentence , although it is not clear what for or how long she was incarcerated .
At times there have been other sources of news .
In 2000 , Robin Cook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China had shown UK officials two photographs of a boy it said was the missing Panchen Lama .
One showed a child playing table tennis ; in the other the boy was writing Chinese characters on a blackboard .
The British were allowed to see the pictures , but not keep them .
In another encounter , Tibetan officials told me , on a reporting trip to Tibet in 2007 , that the missing Panchen Lama would like to live in peace and does not want to be disturbed .
The last firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , based in Dharamsala in India , came two years ago when China told the UN that the Panchen Lama was living an ordinary life and had a job .
The Chinese government declined to update that information for this article .
'They took him and his family' Professor Jeremy Sarkin , who served on the UN working group from 2008-20014 , said China had clearly disappeared the Panchen Lama in contravention of UN human rights rules .
`` The words the Chinese use do not refute reality .
They took him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We should be allowed to check he is safe . ''
The fact that China shies away from openly admitting what it has done is not unusual , said the professor , now at the Nova University of Lisbon .
`` No state wants to acknowledge they disappear people . ''
But Mr Sarkin said there was little anyone could do about the disappearance - and little pressure to try .
Robert Barnett , who has long followed Tibetan affairs , said China 's repressive policies in Tibet had the support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has n't succeeded in winning Tibetans over , but that does n't matter if 1.4 billion Chinese people believe you are right , '' said the expert , now at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London .
But he said Chinese leaders would never be able to relax and enjoy their power in Tibet .
`` It 's a fragile construction .
They will spend the entire time living in fear that the whole system might collapse . ''
That might be so , but it is testament to just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tibetan government-in-exile has rarely been able to use its own sources to get news of Gedhun Choekyi Niyima .
Two years ago , the Dalai Lama said he had `` reliable information '' that he was still alive , but there has been nothing since .
Sonam Tsering Frasi , the Tibetan government-in-exile 's representative in London , said they could do little more than hold on to that one photograph of the six-year-old boy .
Mr Frasi said it is hung up by Tibetans in monasteries and homes outside China ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hope that one day they will get to see the man he grew up to be .

Mr Frasi said it is hung up by Tibetans in monasteries and homes outside China; the focus of prayers and reverence, and of the hope that one day they will get to see the man he grew up to be.


bbc--2020-05-16--Disinfected balls, temperature checks & silence - football's new reality?

The German Bundesliga restarted on Saturday and gave a glimpse into what the Premier League and other top leagues may look like if they return .
South Korea 's K League kicked off last weekend , while some smaller leagues such as Belarus and Nicaragua have never stopped - but this was the first elite football in over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
So what did football in May 2020 - played behind closed doors and with some social distancing - look like ?
• Relive the first day of the return of the Bundesliga Teams arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance on the journey to the game .
Players and staff had all been quarantining in team hotels all week and are being tested for coronavirus regularly .
As they left the buses they wore facemasks on their way into the ground .
Other people attending the games , including the media , had their temperatures checked .
Fans were banned from matches , with police patrolling to make sure no crowds gathered at the venues .
Only 213 people were allowed into the ground - 98 on and around the pitch ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and 115 in the stands ( such as security , medics and media ) .
Another 109 people ( including security and VAR operators ) were allowed just outside the stadium .
Footballs were disinfected by ball boys before the game and again at half-time .
Substitutes and coaches wore masks and socially distanced on individual seats on the bench - or in some cases in the front rows of the empty stands behind the benches .
RB Leipzig , who drew with Freiburg 1-1 , brought in a set of airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their seats in the stands .
Head coaches were allowed to go without a mask so they could shout instructions to their players .
Substitutes took off their masks to warm up , and when players were replaced they were handed a mask before reaching the bench .
The actual play itself was no different to normal with tackles flying in and plenty of goals - 16 - across Saturday 's six games .
But there was some social distancing on show for goals as many strikes were celebrated without the usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hugs .
However , some goals - notably those by Hertha Berlin players in their 3-0 win at Hoffenheim - were celebrated as normal .
Hertha will not be punished as the German league asking players not to embrace is a guideline and not a rule .
With only a few dozen people making noise on the benches , television viewers could hear the players and managers talking , as well as the sound of the ball being kicked - and hitting the back of the net .
Teams were allowed to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other leagues will have the option to do when they return .
So Schalke , in their 4-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund , were able to make two substitutions at half-time - and another three after the break .
After the final whistle Borussia Dortmund 's players went across to their famous South Bank to celebrate in front of the empty stand , which is known as the Yellow Wall and holds 25,000 fans .
Wolfsburg players kicked boots with the referee and his assistants , rather than the usual handshakes , following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fist bumps and elbow bumps were the name of the game .
Players and managers were interviewed by television reporters with microphones on sticks , keeping to a safe distance , while post-match news conferences were done by video conferencing .
Did the fans stay away ?
One of the reasons Premier League games could be played at neutral venues is to avoid fans congregating outside their own ground during a game .
But that did not appear to be an issue in Germany on Saturday .
Dortmund police spokesperson Olivier Peiler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We had expected and calculated various scenarios , but we did n't expect that only a few fans would come to the stadium and the city centre .
`` Apparently the pleas by the city and police to stay and watch the match at home have worked out .
We are very pleased by this in order to avoid infections . ''
Not everyone was happy though .
Augsburg fans put a banner in an empty stand saying `` football gives life - your business is sick '' in protest at football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't celebrate , the whole thing breaks down ' - What did the managers think ?
After a goalless draw with Paderborn , Fortuna Dusseldorf manager Uwe Rosler said : `` The day was a bit odd .
I am an emotional man , I like to take a player in my arms , which I obviously could n't do today . ''
Dortmund coach Lucien Favre , said : `` There is no noise .
You shoot at the goal , you make a great pass , you score , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very weird . ''
Freiburg coach , Christian Streich , told a virtual news conference : `` Obviously , it 's sad the fans can not watch the game , that we ca n't meet up and go to the game and play this game together .
`` This is not something that can go on indefinitely .
But under these conditions I did not expect a drop in quality because of a lack of fans and we did not see that . ''
Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia defended his side celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fact is that this is part of football , '' he said .
`` We 've been tested so many times that we can allow it .
`` If you ca n't celebrate anymore , the whole thing breaks down .
I 'm just glad that the team had reason to cheer today . ''
'Like playing basketball at school ' - How did other people react ?
Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves , who was doing BT Sport punditry from his own house , said : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was so strange , it is going to take some getting used to .
`` Football without the fans is tough to watch . ''
BBC live text reader Jonathan Chilvers said : `` Atmosphere at Dortmund vs Schalke reminds me of playing Year 10 basketball in the school sports hall . ''
Marty Waddell tweeted : `` Nope .
Sorry .
As much as I love and miss football , that just was n't right .
And i still miss it just as much ( if not more ) . ''

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Borussia Dortmund thrashed rivals Schalke 4-0 as players celebrated goals by bumping elbows
The German Bundesliga restarted on Saturday and gave a glimpse into what the Premier League and other top leagues may look like if they return.
South Korea's K League kicked off last weekend, while some smaller leagues such as Belarus and Nicaragua have never stopped - but this was the first elite football in over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
So what did football in May 2020 - played behind closed doors and with some social distancing - look like?
Temperature checks, several buses and disinfected balls
This screen at RB Leipzig told people to wash their hands
Teams arrived in several buses so players could socially distance on the journey to the game.
Players and staff had all been quarantining in team hotels all week and are being tested for coronavirus regularly.
As they left the buses they wore facemasks on their way into the ground.
Other people attending the games, including the media, had their temperatures checked.
Fans were banned from matches, with police patrolling to make sure no crowds gathered at the venues. Only 213 people were allowed into the ground - 98 on and around the pitch (like players, coaches and ball boys) and 115 in the stands (such as security, medics and media).
Another 109 people (including security and VAR operators) were allowed just outside the stadium.
Footballs were disinfected by ball boys before the game and again at half-time.
There were 30 match balls, each of them disinfected by ball boys and left on special spots rather than handing them to players
Socially-distanced substitutes
Substitutes all sat apart and wore masks
Substitutes and coaches wore masks and socially distanced on individual seats on the bench - or in some cases in the front rows of the empty stands behind the benches.
RB Leipzig, who drew with Freiburg 1-1, brought in a set of airport stairs so players could get to and from their seats in the stands.
Head coaches were allowed to go without a mask so they could shout instructions to their players.
Substitutes took off their masks to warm up, and when players were replaced they were handed a mask before reaching the bench.
Elbow bumps instead of hugs
Some goals were met by social-distancing celebrations...
... and some were not
The actual play itself was no different to normal with tackles flying in and plenty of goals - 16 - across Saturday's six games.
But there was some social distancing on show for goals as many strikes were celebrated without the usual embraces - think elbow bumps instead of hugs.
However, some goals - notably those by Hertha Berlin players in their 3-0 win at Hoffenheim - were celebrated as normal. Hertha will not be punished as the German league asking players not to embrace is a guideline and not a rule.
With only a few dozen people making noise on the benches, television viewers could hear the players and managers talking, as well as the sound of the ball being kicked - and hitting the back of the net.
Teams were allowed to use five substitutes in a game - which other leagues will have the option to do when they return. So Schalke, in their 4-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund, were able to make two substitutions at half-time - and another three after the break.
Applauding empty stands
Borussia Dortmund players ran over to celebrate in front of the empty South Bank
After the final whistle Borussia Dortmund's players went across to their famous South Bank to celebrate in front of the empty stand, which is known as the Yellow Wall and holds 25,000 fans.
Wolfsburg players kicked boots with the officials afterwards
Wolfsburg players kicked boots with the referee and his assistants, rather than the usual handshakes, following their 2-1 victory at Augsburg.
Elsewhere, fist bumps and elbow bumps were the name of the game.
Players and managers were interviewed by television reporters with microphones on sticks, keeping to a safe distance, while post-match news conferences were done by video conferencing.
RB Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen was interviewed from a safe distance
Did the fans stay away?
Police made sure fans could not congregate outside
One of the reasons Premier League games could be played at neutral venues is to avoid fans congregating outside their own ground during a game.
But that did not appear to be an issue in Germany on Saturday.
Dortmund police spokesperson Olivier Peiler said: "It's surprisingly quiet. We had expected and calculated various scenarios, but we didn't expect that only a few fans would come to the stadium and the city centre.
"Apparently the pleas by the city and police to stay and watch the match at home have worked out. We are very pleased by this in order to avoid infections."
Not everyone was happy though. Augsburg fans put a banner in an empty stand saying "football gives life - your business is sick" in protest at football continuing during the pandemic.
'If you can't celebrate, the whole thing breaks down' - What did the managers think?
After a goalless draw with Paderborn, Fortuna Dusseldorf manager Uwe Rosler said: "The day was a bit odd. I am an emotional man, I like to take a player in my arms, which I obviously couldn't do today."
Dortmund coach Lucien Favre, said: "There is no noise. You shoot at the goal, you make a great pass, you score, and nothing happens. It's very, very weird."
Freiburg coach, Christian Streich, told a virtual news conference: "Obviously, it's sad the fans cannot watch the game, that we can't meet up and go to the game and play this game together.
"This is not something that can go on indefinitely. But under these conditions I did not expect a drop in quality because of a lack of fans and we did not see that."
Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia defended his side celebrating their goals without social distancing.
"The fact is that this is part of football," he said. "We've been tested so many times that we can allow it.
"If you can't celebrate anymore, the whole thing breaks down. I'm just glad that the team had reason to cheer today."
'Like playing basketball at school' - How did other people react?
Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who was doing BT Sport punditry from his own house, said: "I am missing the fans already. It was so strange, it is going to take some getting used to.
"Football without the fans is tough to watch."
BBC live text reader Jonathan Chilvers said: "Atmosphere at Dortmund vs Schalke reminds me of playing Year 10 basketball in the school sports hall."
Marty Waddell tweeted: "Nope. Sorry. As much as I love and miss football, that just wasn't right. And i still miss it just as much (if not more)."


bbc--2020-05-16--Sunday's gossip: Mbappe will stay one more season at PSG

France striker Kylian Mbappe will not push to leave Paris St-Germain this summer because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic , and the 21-year-old will stay with the Ligue 1 champions for one more season .
( L'Equipe , via AS ) Juventus are close to a deal to re-sign France midfielder Paul Pogba , 27 , from Manchester United and will try to use fellow French midfielder Adrien Rabiot , 25 , as a makeweight to bring the price down .
( L'Equipe , via Sunday Express ) But Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane remains determined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Mundo Deportivo , via Star on Sunday ) Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho but Manchester United have been the most proactive in trying to sign the 20-year-old England international .
( Athletic , via Star on Sunday ) Meanwhile Chelsea are set to receive £48.5m from Atletico Madrid for 27-year-old Spain striker Alvaro Morata this summer - and could use those funds to make a move for Sancho .
( Sun on Sunday ) Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has praised the qualities of Inter Milan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 , who has been mentioned as a target for the Spanish club .
( Sport , via Metro ) Club Bruges manager Philippe Clement says he expects 22-year-old Nigeria striker Emmanuel Dennis , who has been linked with Arsenal , Newcastle United and Wolves , to leave the club .
( La Derniere Heure , via Birmingham Mail ) Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi doubts whether Liverpool 's Senegal forward Sadio Mane , 28 , and 30-year-old Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang , who plays for Arsenal , could fit in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Metro ) Veteran Juventus and Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has said Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos 's challenge on Liverpool 's Mohamed Salah that forced the Reds striker off injured in the 2018 Champions League final was a `` masterstroke '' .
( Marca ) Chelsea believe they have moved ahead of Tottenham in their attempts to sign 16-year-old Dutch midfielder Lamare Bogarde , who plays for Feyenoord .
( Football Insider )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
France striker Kylian Mbappe will not push to leave Paris St-Germain this summer because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and the 21-year-old will stay with the Ligue 1 champions for one more season. (L'Equipe, via AS) external-link
Juventus are close to a deal to re-sign France midfielder Paul Pogba, 27, from Manchester United and will try to use fellow French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 25, as a makeweight to bring the price down. (L'Equipe, via Sunday Express) external-link
But Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane remains determined to sign compatriot Pogba from Manchester United. (Mundo Deportivo, via Daily Star Sunday) external-link
Newcastle could bid for Crystal Palace and Ivory Coast winger Wilfried Zaha, 27 if their proposed takeover goes through. (Sun on Sunday) external-link
Meanwhile Chelsea are set to receive £48.5m from Atletico Madrid for 27-year-old Spain striker Alvaro Morata this summer - and could use those funds to make a move for Sancho. (Sun on Sunday) external-link
Manchester City are aiming to win the race with rivals Manchester United for Velez Sarsfield's 19-year-old Argentine playmaker Thiago Almada. (Sun on Sunday) external-link
Arsenal want to sign Barcelona's Brazilian goalkeeper Neto, 30. (Sunday Express) external-link
Leicester City and Watford have both registered their interest in 19-year-old Sporting Lisbon and Ecuador winger Gonzalo Plata. (Record, via Sport Witness) external-link
Inter Milan are close to signing Napoli and Belgium playmaker Dries Mertens, 33. (La Repubblica - in Italian) external-link
Club Bruges manager Philippe Clement says he expects 22-year-old Nigeria striker Emmanuel Dennis, who has been linked with Arsenal, Newcastle United and Wolves, to leave the club. (La Derniere Heure, via Birmingham Mail) external-link
Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi doubts whether Liverpool's Senegal forward Sadio Mane, 28, and 30-year-old Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who plays for Arsenal, could fit in with the football the Nou Camp club play. (Metro) external-link
Veteran Juventus and Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has said Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos' challenge on Liverpool's Mohamed Salah that forced the Reds striker off injured in the 2018 Champions League final was a "masterstroke". (Marca) external-link
Salah rejected an offer from Real Madrid in order to remain at Liverpool in 2018, according to former Egypt assistant Hany Ramzy. (On Time Sports - in Egyptian) external-link


bbc--2020-05-16--Olympic champion Stefanidi wins women's garden pole vault

Last updated on .From the section Athletics Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi won the women 's edition of the 'garden pole @ @ @ @ @ bar was set at four metres for the trio , who were competing over two @ @ @ @ @ tracks .
`` My arms were so tired at the end , `` said Stefanidi @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio .
In the men 's version two weeks ago @ @ @ @ @ who conceived the clash , and Swede Armand Duplantis both cleared a five-metre bar 36 @ @ @ @ @ would take on Lavillenie and Duplantis , Stefanidi said : `` I would do it @ @ @ @ @ three weeks to recover .
`` The men were competing 1.2m below their personal bests @ @ @ @ @ below ours , so we 'd have to adjust the heights .
But yes , @ @ @ @ @ I 'll do it . ''

Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Stefanidi has a personal best of 4.91m
Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi won the women's edition of the 'garden pole vault challenge'.
The Greek completed 34 successful jumps compared with 30 by American Katie Nageotte and 21 by Canada's Alysha Newman.
The bar was set at four metres for the trio, who were competing over two 15-minute stints at their local tracks.
"My arms were so tired at the end, " said Stefanidi, who won gold at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio.
In the men's version two weeks ago, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie, who conceived the clash, and Swede Armand Duplantis both cleared a five-metre bar 36 times.
Asked whether she would take on Lavillenie and Duplantis, Stefanidi said: "I would do it, but I'll need three weeks to recover.
"The men were competing 1.2m below their personal bests while we were competing 90cm below ours, so we'd have to adjust the heights. But yes, give me three weeks and I'll do it."


bbc--2020-05-15--'It's just not the way a leader should act' - McIlroy criticises President Trump

Rory McIlroy has criticised US president Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis .
The Northern Ireland golfer said the president was trying to `` politicise '' the pandemic , which has led to more than 86,000 deaths in America .
McIlroy was criticised for playing golf with Trump at his International Golf Club in Florida in 2017 .
`` We 're in the midst of something that 's pretty serious right now , '' McIlroy told the McKellar Golf Podcast .
`` He 's trying to politicise it and make it a campaign rally , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests in the world like it 's a contest .
`` It 's just not the way a leader should act and there is a bit of diplomacy that you need to show , and I just do n't think he 's shown that , especially in these times . ''
While admitting he enjoyed his 18 holes with the President three years ago , the world number one said it was not something he would do again .
`` I do n't know if he 'd want to play with me again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he continued .
`` I know it 's very self-serving of me to say 'no ' and , if I do n't , then it means then I 'm not putting myself in position to be put under scrutiny and that I 'm avoiding that .
But I probably would n't , no .
`` The day that I did spend with him and others was very enjoyable .
He is very charismatic and was nice to everyone .
He obviously has something , or he would n't be in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with everything - or , in fact , anything - that he says . ''
McIlroy will lead golf 's return after a two-month hiatus in a televised charity match in Florida on Sunday , when he will play with Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Woolfe in a $ 4m skins game in aid of Covid-19 charities .
With the backing of the PGA Tour , this will be seen as a first tentative step since the coronavirus lockdown , with no professional golf having been played since the Players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 March .
`` For us to go out and play a golf match , it 's awesome that we can do that , bring some entertainment to quite a few people but also to help in some way , '' McIlroy told the PGA Tour website .
`` What we 're doing is a great thing , it 's a very small piece of all this but I 'm just happy to be able to help in some way and bring some joy to people , I guess , when they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to for a couple of months . ''
McIlroy also said he would play in all three PGA Tour events in June when the season resumes .
Competition is set to return behind closed doors at the Charles Schwab Colonial event in Texas on 11 June .

McIlroy returned to the world number one position for the first time in five years in February
Rory McIlroy has criticised US president Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
The Northern Ireland golfer said the president was trying to "politicise" the pandemic, which has led to more than 86,000 deaths in America.
McIlroy was criticised for playing golf with Trump at his International Golf Club in Florida in 2017.
"We're in the midst of something that's pretty serious right now," McIlroy told the McKellar Golf Podcast external-link .
"He's trying to politicise it and make it a campaign rally, saying that [the US] administers the most tests in the world like it's a contest.
"It's just not the way a leader should act and there is a bit of diplomacy that you need to show, and I just don't think he's shown that, especially in these times."
While admitting he enjoyed his 18 holes with the President three years ago, the world number one said it was not something he would do again.
Donald Trump became President in 2017
"I don't know if he'd want to play with me again after what I just said," he continued.
"I know it's very self-serving of me to say 'no' and, if I don't, then it means then I'm not putting myself in position to be put under scrutiny and that I'm avoiding that. But I probably wouldn't, no.
"The day that I did spend with him and others was very enjoyable. He is very charismatic and was nice to everyone. He obviously has something, or he wouldn't be in the White House.
"That doesn't mean I agree with everything - or, in fact, anything - that he says."
McIlroy will lead golf's return after a two-month hiatus in a televised charity match in Florida on Sunday, when he will play with Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Woolfe in a $4m skins game in aid of Covid-19 charities.
With the backing of the PGA Tour, this will be seen as a first tentative step since the coronavirus lockdown, with no professional golf having been played since the Players Championship was abandoned after one round on 12 March.
"For us to go out and play a golf match, it's awesome that we can do that, bring some entertainment to quite a few people but also to help in some way," McIlroy told the PGA Tour website.
"What we're doing is a great thing, it's a very small piece of all this but I'm just happy to be able to help in some way and bring some joy to people, I guess, when they haven't had anything to really look forward to for a couple of months."
McIlroy also said he would play in all three PGA Tour events in June when the season resumes.
Competition is set to return behind closed doors at the Charles Schwab Colonial event in Texas on 11 June.


bbc--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: South Africa's alcohol and cigarette lockdown

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic , the world has seen lockdowns in many countries .
In South Africa @ @ @ @ @ been told to stay at home , but exercise outside was banned for some time @ @ @ @ @ still ca n't be purchased .
What is the impact of such a ban and @ @ @ @ @ it ?
Produced by Becky Lipscombe , filmed by Stuart Phillips , and edited by @ @ @

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has seen lockdowns in many countries.
In South Africa, not only have people been told to stay at home, but exercise outside was banned for some time - and cigarettes and alcohol still can't be purchased.
What is the impact of such a ban and how do people feel about it?
The BBC's Andrew Harding reports.
Produced by Becky Lipscombe, filmed by Stuart Phillips, and edited by Christian Parkinson.


bbc--2020-05-17--Steve Linick: Democrats probe Trump's firing of inspector general

US Democrats have launched an investigation into President Donald Trump 's firing of the state department 's internal watchdog .
Inspector General Steve Linick was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for suspected abuse of office , reports say .
But he was sacked late on Friday after Mr Trump said he no longer commanded his full confidence .
The move prompted angry criticism from senior Democrats in Congress .
They accused Mr Trump of retaliating against public servants who want to hold his administration to account .
Mr Linick was the third official responsible for monitoring government misconduct to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former prosecutor was appointed by Mr Trump 's predecessor , Barack Obama , to oversee spending and detect mismanagement at the state department .
On Saturday , top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees questioned the timing of Mr Linick 's removal and announced an immediate investigation .
`` We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the president 's gutting of these critical positions , '' Congressman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez said in a statement .
They said Mr Linick had `` opened an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that his firing was `` transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability '' .
Mr Linick had begun investigating allegations that Mr Pompeo had improperly used staff to run personal errands , US media report .
Mr Engel and Mr Menendez have requested that the White House and State Department hand over all records related to his dismissal by next Friday .
Meanwhile , on Saturday , the White House said the decision to oust Mr Linick was prompted by Mr Pompeo himself .
`` Secretary Pompeo recommended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' an official said .
Mr Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which he declared his intention to fire Mr Linick .
Under federal law , the Trump administration must give Congress 30 days ' notice of its plans to fire an inspector general .
It is expected that Mr Linick will leave his post after this time , with some reports suggesting a political ally of Mr Trump is being lined up to replace him .
`` It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general , '' Mr Trump said in the letter .
Not long after Mr Linick 's dismissal was announced , Mr Engel , the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , said Mr Linick had opened an investigation into Mr Pompeo .
`` Mr Linick 's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation , '' he said in a statement .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Mr Linick was `` punished for honourably performing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our national security '' .
It was the latest in a series of dismissals of independent government watchdogs .
Last month , Mr Trump dismissed Michael Atkinson , the inspector general of the intelligence community .
Mr Atkinson first alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint that led to Mr Trump 's impeachment trial .

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bbc--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Obama criticises Trump administration's virus response

Former US President Barack Obama has criticised his successor Donald Trump 's handling of the coronavirus crisis .
In an online address to graduating college students , he said the pandemic had shown that many officials `` are n't even pretending to be in charge '' .
It is the second time in recent days that Mr Obama has hit out at the Trump administration 's coronavirus response .
He said it had been `` an absolute chaotic disaster '' during a leaked conference call last week .
The former president also gave an address to high school students that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was part of a special programme that featured numerous celebrities including the Jonas Brothers , Megan Rapinoe , Pharrell Williams and education activist Malala Yousafzai .
In his speech to graduates from several dozen historically black colleges and universities , Mr Obama said the Covid-19 outbreak had exposed failings in the country 's leadership .
`` More than anything this pandemic has fully , finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they 're doing , '' he said .
`` A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in charge , '' he added .
• Why are Trump and Obama in a new spat ?
• Why has the virus hit African Americans so hard ?
• Trump says US reopening 'vaccine or no vaccine' More than 1,200 people have died with coronavirus in the US over the past 24 hours , according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University .
The total death toll now stands at almost 89,000 , which is the highest anywhere in the world .
Mr Obama also spoke at length about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black communities in the US .
`` A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country , '' he said .
African Americans make up a disproportionate number of coronavirus deaths and hospitalisations in the US .
The former president also referenced the killing of Ahmaud Arbery - an unarmed black jogger who was shot and killed by two white men in February - during his address .
He said racial inequalities in the US were made apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him , if he does n't submit to their question '' .
`` If the world 's going to get better , it 's going to be up to you , '' he told the graduates .
• 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 ?
Mr Obama has kept a relatively low profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has rarely spoken out about the actions of his successor .
But the pair have been engaged in several back-and-forths in recent days , leading Mr Trump to accuse Mr Obama and his aides of engaging in a criminal effort to undermine his presidency .
`` The biggest political crime in American history , by far ! ''
the president wrote on Twitter last week .


bbc--2020-05-17--Du Wei: Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead at home

China ’ s Ambassador to Israel , Du Wei , has been found dead in his apartment north of Tel Aviv , an Israeli official told BBC News .
The official said Israeli police had launched an investigation but initial findings suggested no foul play .
Mr Du , 57 , was only appointed ambassador in February having previously served as envoy to Ukraine .
The ambassador was married and had a son but his family had still to join him in Israel .
He was living in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya .
An Israeli police spokesman told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the regular procedure , police units are at the scene . ''
Israel 's Channel 12 TV , quoting unnamed medical sources , said initial indications were that Mr Du had died in his sleep of natural causes .
There was no immediate comment on Mr Du 's death from Chinese officials .
In a message published on the embassy 's website just after his appointment as ambassador , Mr Du praised the relations between `` the second largest economy in the world and Israel the start-up nation '' .
When he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Du had immediately to self-isolate for two weeks because of coronavirus restrictions .
In an interview with Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon last month , Mr Du said China was being made the world 's scapegoat .
`` In history , more than once , a certain group of people was accused of spreading pandemics , '' he said .
`` That is despicable and should be condemned .
The disease is an enemy of the entire humankind and the world should fight it together . ''
On Friday , his embassy made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo who had criticised China 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic on a visit to Israel .
In a response published in the Jerusalem Post , the embassy condemned Mr Pompeo 's `` absurd comments '' , denying that China had ever covered up the crisis .

In a message published on the embassy's website just after his appointment as ambassador, Mr Du praised the relations between "the second largest economy in the world and Israel the start-up nation".


bbc--2020-05-17--Pakistan girls shot dead over mobile video

Two teenage girls have been murdered in a so-called `` honour killing '' in north-west Pakistan following a video circulated on the internet .
They are said to have been shot dead by a family member earlier this week in a village on the border of the North and South Waziristan tribal districts .
The killing occurred after a short mobile video of them with a young man surfaced on social media , police said .
Police have been sent to the remote area to investigate the case .
The incident is said to have taken place on Thursday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village of North and South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , according to a police report quoted by Pakistani daily Dawn .
• Why is a Pakistani bill to protect women unpopular ?
It said the reason behind the killings of the two girls , aged 16 and 18 , was believed to be a video , provided to Dawn , which shows a young man recording himself with three young girls in a secluded area outdoors .
It appeared the video was shot nearly a year ago and most probably went viral on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior police official told the newspaper .
`` At the moment , our topmost priority is to secure the life of the third girl and the man before taking any action , '' the officer said .
Human Rights Watch says that violence against women and girls remains a serious problem in Pakistan .
Activists believe about 1,000 such `` honour killing '' murders are carried out across the country every year .

The reason behind the killings of the two girls, aged 16 and 18, is believed to be a video, provided to the BBC, which shows a young man recording himself with three young girls in a secluded area outdoors.


bbc--2020-05-17--UK PM accepts 'frustration' over lockdown rules

Boris Johnson has acknowledged frustration over the `` complex '' easing of England 's coronavirus lockdown .
The PM wrote in the Mail on Sunday that more complicated messages were needed during the next phase of the response and as restrictions changed .
His comments come amid mounting criticism of the way restrictions have been lifted in England .
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham warned the PM risked a `` fracturing of national unity '' if he ignores regions .
And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has blamed Mr Johnson for the way Wales and England have diverged on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Johnson said that the government was attempting something that has `` never had to be done before '' .
He also cautioned that , while the UK is `` leading the global effort '' to find a vaccine , it `` might not come to fruition '' .
Mr Johnson said he trusted the `` good sense of the British people '' to observe the new rules and thanked the public for `` sticking with us '' so far .
• Who am I allowed to meet now ?
• How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• The last 'normal ' photo on your phone The PM said he understood people `` will feel frustrated with some of the new rules '' , adding : `` We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown , in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work . ''
But Mr Burnham said England 's regional mayors had been given no notice that lockdown restrictions were being eased .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that without additional support for the regions , there was a danger of a `` second spike '' of the disease .
He told BBC Breakfast that `` the voice of the English regions is n't being heard at the moment '' , adding that the government has `` lost some goodwill '' with local authorities in its handling and communication of the lifting of lockdown measures .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
Mr Burnham said that , despite having taken part in a call two weeks ago with Mr Johnson and eight other regional mayors , he was given no real notice of the measures announced last Sunday .
`` On the eve of a new working week , the PM was on TV 'actively encouraging ' a return to work , '' he wrote in the article .
`` Even though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people on trams , no-one in government thought it important to tell the cities that would have to cope with that .
`` The surprisingly permissive package might well be right for the South East , given the fall in cases there .
But my gut feeling told me it was too soon for the North . ''
Mr Burnham called for the government to publish the infection rate - the R-number - per region in England .
If the R-number - currently between 0.5 and 0.9 in the UK - is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases increases exponentially .
Meanwhile , the devolved nations , which have their own powers over restrictions , have ignored the move in England to a `` stay alert '' recommendation , and have kept their `` stay at home '' advice .
Scotland 's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not know what `` stay alert '' meant .
Labour 's Sir Keir said different approaches across the four UK nations to tackling coronavirus are not going to `` help us out of this crisis '' .
The PM 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start reopening primary schools in England from 1 June have been challenged by local authorities in the north of England and teaching unions .
Liverpool and Hartlepool councils issued statements saying schools will not reopen at the start of next month as coronavirus cases continue to rise locally .
Schools in Wales will not reopen on 1 June , while those in Scotland and Northern Ireland may not restart before the summer holidays .
Meanwhile , Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky News that more than 17,000 people have been recruited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isle of Wight and that the government was on track to hit its 18,000 target by next week .
It comes as No 10 announced up to £93m to speed-up a new vaccine research lab .
The new fund will accelerate construction of the not-for-profit Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire so it can open a year earlier than planned , the government said .
Ministers hope the centre will be a `` key component '' of the UK 's coronavirus vaccine programme .
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said : `` Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be ready to manufacture a vaccine by the millions . ''
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK across all settings increased by 468 on Saturday .
It takes the total number of UK deaths , in all settings following a positive coronavirus test , to 34,466 .
There were 136,486 tests processed or sent out in the UK on Friday - the highest daily figure so far in the UK .
The figure is not the same as the total number of people tested , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has set a target of 200,000 tests a day by the end of May .
• People returned to beauty spots on Saturday in a `` manageable '' way after the public was urged to `` think twice '' before heading out • Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said `` we owe it to the children '' to reopen schools • CORONAVIRUS NEWSCAST : How many people have had coronavirus ?
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The PM said he understood people "will feel frustrated with some of the new rules", adding: "We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work."


bbc--2020-05-17--Hash oil factory blast injures 11 firefighters in Los Angeles

A blast at a hash oil factory in Los Angeles has injured 11 firefighters who were caught by a ball @ @ @ @ @ to put out a blaze .
The fireball shot out of the building and scorched @ @ @ @ @ street when the explosion happened at 18:30 on Saturday ( 02:30 GMT Sunday ) .
@ @ @ @ @ to run through a wall of flames 30ft ( 9m ) high and wide to @ @ @ @ @ .
Three are in a critical condition but all are expected to survive .
All @ @ @ @ @ from minor to serious , and two have been placed on ventilators .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ they ran out of the building and they ripped off their protective equipment , leaving @ @ @ @ @ melted helmets , Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott was quoted as saying by @ @ @ @ @ .
It appears that butane gas was being used in the process to extract a @ @ @ @ @ hash oil , a powerful concentrate .

Some of them were on fire as they ran out of the building and they ripped off their protective equipment, leaving it on pavement along with melted helmets, Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.


bbc--2020-05-17--Félicien Kabuga: Rwanda genocide survivors happy with arrest

Rwandan genocide survivor groups have welcomed the arrest in France of one of the most wanted men accused of being behind the mass killings .
Félicien Kabuga , 84 , was detained near Paris , where he had been living under a false identity .
He is alleged to have been the main financier of the ethnic Hutu extremists who slaughtered 800,000 people in 1994 .
`` Every genocide survivor is happy he is arrested , '' the leader of widows ' group Avega told the BBC .
`` Everyone has been waiting for this news because he was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a good thing that he is going to face justice , '' Valerie Mukabayire added in an interview with the BBC Great Lakes service .
Ahishakiye Naphtal , secretary general of Ibuka , an umbrella organisation of genocide survivors , described the arrest as `` big news '' .
• The 'witch ' who protected a village from genocide The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ( ICTR ) charged Mr Kabuga with seven counts of genocide and crimes against humanity in 1997 .
Those behind the slaughter were targeting members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their political opponents .
Mr Naphtal said his members wanted Mr Kabuga to stand trial in Rwanda , which would `` give a strong message to all Rwandans and genocide perpetrators in particular '' .
But that is unlikely to happen as the case will be dealt with by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals ( IRMCT ) at The Hague , which is handling outstanding cases after the ICTR closed in 2015 .
Following completion of appropriate procedures under French law , Mr Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet , Rwanda 's National Public Prosecution Authority welcomed the arrest adding that `` Rwanda will continue to collaborate with the IRMCT to ensure that justice is delivered '' .
The suspect , a wealthy businessman from the Hutu ethnic group , is accused of being one of the main funders of the Rwandan genocide , paying for the militias that carried out the massacres , BBC Africa editor Will Ross reports .
He also founded and funded the notorious Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines ( RTLM ) , a Rwandan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and kill anyone who was from the Tutsi ethnic group .
Commenting on the arrest on Saturday , Serge Brammertz , the chief prosecutor at the IRMCT , said it was `` a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account , even 26 years after their crimes '' .
`` For international justice , Kabuga 's arrest demonstrates that we can succeed when we have the international community 's support , '' he added .
There are now two people earmarked for trial by the International Criminal Tribunal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protais Mpiranya and Augustin Bizimana .
How did the genocide unfold ?
On 6 April 1994 , a plane carrying then-President Juvenal Habyarimana - a Hutu - was shot down , with all on board killed .
Hutu extremists blamed a Tutsi rebel group , the Rwandan Patriotic Front ( RPF ) - an accusation it denied .
In a well-organised campaign of slaughter , militias were given hit lists of Tutsi victims .
Many were killed with machetes in acts of appalling brutality .
One of the militias was the ruling party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which set up road blocks to find Tutsis , incited hatred via radio broadcasts and carried out house-to-house searches .
Little was done internationally to stop the killings .
The UN had forces in Rwanda but the mission was not given a mandate to act , and so most peacekeepers pulled out .
The RPF , backed by Uganda , started gaining ground and marched on Kigali .
Some two million Hutus fled , mainly to the Democratic Republic of Congo .
The RPF was accused of killing thousands of Hutus as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dozens of Hutus were convicted for their role in the killings by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , and hundreds of thousands more faced trial in community courts in Rwanda .

"Everyone has been waiting for this news because he was at the top of suspects list. It is a good thing that he is going to face justice," Valerie Mukabayire added in an interview with the BBC Great Lakes service.


bbc--2020-05-17--Jorge Armenta: Mexican journalist killed in 'armed attack'

A journalist has been killed in an armed attack in northern Mexico , local authorities say - the third reporter to be killed in the country this year .
Jorge Armenta , the director of media outlet Medios Obson in Ciudad Obregon , was under government protection after receiving death threats .
A police officer was also killed in the attack and another officer was wounded , the local prosecutor 's office said .
More than 140 journalists have been killed in Mexico since the year 2000 .
Mexico has been described as the deadliest country for reporters outside a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) .
RSF said that Mr Armenta was under protection , adding that it was investigating the type of protection he had .
Local authorities are also investigating the killing .
Sonora state governor Claudia Pavlovich Arellano said she had ordered the prosecutor to `` immediately begin an investigation to establish and find those responsible for the reprehensible attack '' .
Mr Armenta is the third journalist to be killed in Mexico this year .
The body of Victor Fernando Alvarez was found on April 11 in Acapulco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maria Elena Ferral was shot dead by two people on motorbikes when getting into her car in the eastern state of Veracruz in March .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , who took office in December 2018 , vowed to put an end to the murders .
But activists say the measures taken by his government have so far been merely symbolic .
Mexico ranked 143 out of 180 countries in the 2020 world press freedom index .

Mr Armenta is the third journalist to be killed in Mexico this year. The body of Victor Fernando Alvarez was found on April 11 in Acapulco, after he disappeared on 2 April. Maria Elena Ferral was shot dead by two people on motorbikes when getting into her car in the eastern state of Veracruz in March.


bbc--2020-05-16--German Bundesliga returns: What did football's new reality look like?


bbc--2020-05-17--Meet the baby orangutans learning to climb trees

While much of the world is in lockdown , youngsters in one very unusual classroom are still having lessons .
At a forest school in Borneo , baby orangutans learn tree-climbing skills from their human surrogate parents .
The orphans spend 12 hours a day in the forest , preparing for a new life in the wild .
The orangutans were filmed and photographed before coronavirus struck , for the TV series Primates , on BBC One .
With human contact routinely kept to a minimum , life goes on much as before for the animals , says Dr Signe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charity Four Paws , which runs the rehabilitation centre in East Kalimantan .
As a precaution , the staff now have temperature checks , wear facemasks and change into uniforms on site .
The pandemic has disrupted many conservation programmes around the world but Dr Preuschoft says it also offers an opportunity to bring positive change .
`` There are great opportunities here to protect wildlife better from illegal wildlife trade and from ( consumption of ) bushmeat , '' she says .
`` It 's very much about education . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the treetops with their caregivers to help them acquire the skills they would have learned from their mothers in the wild .
They would otherwise spend more time on the ground than is natural for a species that feeds , lives and sleeps in the canopies of trees .
Baby orangutans have a huge advantage when it comes to climbing , as they can hold on `` like an octopus '' , says Dr Preuschoft .
`` I think the orangutans were really completely thrilled when they realised that they could actually be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their moms , '' she adds .
As soon as the rescued orangutans have moved out of quarantine , they spend long hours in the forest in as natural an environment as possible .
They are taught essential forest survival skills in a large forested area between the cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda .
The aim is to provide sanctuary to illegally captured or directly threatened orangutans , as well as to rehabilitate orphaned orangutans , with the goal of releasing them back into the wild .
Only about 50,000 Bornean orangutans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plummeting over the last 70 years .
Loss of rainforest to oil palm plantations or coal mining leads orangutans into conflict with humans .
Orphans are snatched from their dead mothers and are sold or held illegally as pets .
The third and last episode of Primates airs this Sunday at 20.15 BST on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer .

As soon as the rescued orangutans have moved out of quarantine, they spend long hours in the forest in as natural an environment as possible. They are taught essential forest survival skills in a large forested area between the cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda.


bbc--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Can gaming help stop lockdown loneliness?

Loneliness can be an issue for many people at the best of times , but especially while the ongoing coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ socially distant .
In many cases technology is key to staying connected .
Gamers like @ @ @ @ @ online activities have helped them during the crisis .
To find out more about loneliness @ @ @ @ @ Next Episode podcast on BBC Sounds .

Loneliness can be an issue for many people at the best of times, but especially while the ongoing coronavirus pandemic requires people to stay socially distant.
In many cases technology is key to staying connected. Gamers like 22-year-old Millicent Thomas say their online activities have helped them during the crisis.
To find out more about loneliness during lockdown listen to The Next Episode podcast on BBC Sounds.