bbc--2020-08-27--Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton rules out race boycott

World champion Lewis Hamilton `` stands with '' US sports stars boycotting events to fight racism but does not think his missing a race would have an effect .
Hamilton said : `` It 's a shame that is what 's needed over there to get a reaction .
But that is in America and I do n't know really if me doing anything here will particularly have any effect . ''
Hamilton , F1 's only black driver , said in the build-up to this weekend 's Belgian Grand Prix : `` It 's incredible what many out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports , all the way down to the people who are hosting .
`` So many people are standing with the players and really pushing for change .
`` I have n't spoken to anyone about it but I am really proud of so many out there and I do stand unified with them .
`` I do n't really know how us not doing the race is a thing .
But I will try and speak to F1 to see what else we can do to continue to raise awareness and help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we all need to be aligned and supporting one another , even though it is a different sport . ''
Hamilton has been at the forefront of F1 's support for anti-racism and diversity this year , which has led to demonstrations by the drivers and the sport before every race .
Vettel , a director of the Grand Prix Drivers ' Association , said all 20 F1 drivers were united in their desire to keep pressing the message home .
`` We sent a strong message after the first event and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue sending that message , '' he said .
`` It is one of those things that does not go away overnight .
`` How long will we continue ?
There is no answer to that .
It is important to keep sending the message and that 's what we will continue to do . ''
The Ferrari driver added : `` We know it is does not change things overnight and it is only a very small contribution , but hopefully everyone who tunes in and sees it gets the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the next steps he is facing in life .
`` Because one thing is to take action in public but more importantly is how everyone is acting and confronting it once the cameras are off .
That is true for us and it is true for everyone else . ''
Hamilton has won four of the first six races this season and has opened a 37-point championship lead over Red Bull 's Max Verstappen , with the Briton 's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas a further six points adrift .
Hamilton said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the championship .
`` If you take away Max 's DNF ( retirement ) in race one away , we would be very close in points , '' he said .
`` They have had very strong results .
Maybe in qualifying we do have the edge .
But in races we are a lot closer .
`` We are not even halfway through the season .
I absolutely keep my eye on them .
They are absolutely still a title runner and we need to stay on our toes . ''
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the death of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert at last year 's event .
On Thursday , Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly , a childhood friend and rival of Hubert , lay flowers beside the track at the spot where Hubert was killed , the high-speed Raidillon left-hander , which is the final part of the infamous Eau Rouge swerves .
Ferrari 's Charles Leclerc , winner in Belgium last year and another close friend of Hubert , said many drivers would be thinking of him this weekend .
`` Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Leclerc said .
`` We all learned about Anthoine passing away and on the Sunday I spoke with Pierre .
We were all good friends and Pierre said 'You have to win for Anthoine on Sunday ' .
`` I wanted to do that , too .
It was very special but also very difficult .
It was the first time I had experienced driving around the same track when you have lost someone close .
`` Coming back does n't change that but it does n't change my targets for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best I can in the car . ''
Ferrari , however , are expecting a difficult weekend , as a result of the lack of speed they have shown on the straights this year following a series of rule clarifications over the winter .

Hamilton (second from right) and other drivers will continue their protests against racism
World champion Lewis Hamilton "stands with" US sports stars boycotting events to fight racism but does not think his missing a race would have an effect.
Basketball, baseball and football games have been postponed in the US after police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, seven times in the back on Sunday.
Hamilton said: "It's a shame that is what's needed over there to get a reaction. But that is in America and I don't know really if me doing anything here will particularly have any effect."
Sebastian Vettel said drivers' pre-race anti-racism protests would continue.
Hamilton, F1's only black driver, said in the build-up to this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix: "It's incredible what many out there in the States are doing within their sports, all the way down to the people who are hosting.
"So many people are standing with the players and really pushing for change.
"I haven't spoken to anyone about it but I am really proud of so many out there and I do stand unified with them.
"I don't really know how us not doing the race is a thing. But I will try and speak to F1 to see what else we can do to continue to raise awareness and help push.
"And as a sport we all need to be aligned and supporting one another, even though it is a different sport."
Hamilton has been at the forefront of F1's support for anti-racism and diversity this year, which has led to demonstrations by the drivers and the sport before every race.
Vettel, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said all 20 F1 drivers were united in their desire to keep pressing the message home.
"We sent a strong message after the first event and our feeling was very clear that we wanted to continue sending that message," he said.
"It is one of those things that does not go away overnight.
"How long will we continue? There is no answer to that. It is important to keep sending the message and that's what we will continue to do."
The Ferrari driver added: "We know it is does not change things overnight and it is only a very small contribution, but hopefully everyone who tunes in and sees it gets the point and takes a little bit of that for the next steps he is facing in life.
"Because one thing is to take action in public but more importantly is how everyone is acting and confronting it once the cameras are off. That is true for us and it is true for everyone else."
Hamilton sees Verstappen as a threat
Hamilton has won four of the first six races this season and has opened a 37-point championship lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with the Briton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas a further six points adrift.
Hamilton said he saw Verstappen as a genuine threat in the championship.
"If you take away Max's DNF (retirement) in race one away, we would be very close in points," he said. "They have had very strong results. Maybe in qualifying we do have the edge. But in races we are a lot closer.
"We are not even halfway through the season. I absolutely keep my eye on them. They are absolutely still a title runner and we need to stay on our toes."
Memories of Hubert
This weekend's race is a year on from the death of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert at last year's event.
On Thursday, Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly, a childhood friend and rival of Hubert, lay flowers beside the track at the spot where Hubert was killed, the high-speed Raidillon left-hander, which is the final part of the infamous Eau Rouge swerves.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, winner in Belgium last year and another close friend of Hubert, said many drivers would be thinking of him this weekend.
"Last year was very difficult on the Saturday night," Leclerc said. "We all learned about Anthoine passing away and on the Sunday I spoke with Pierre. We were all good friends and Pierre said 'You have to win for Anthoine on Sunday'.
"I wanted to do that, too. It was very special but also very difficult. It was the first time I had experienced driving around the same track when you have lost someone close.
"Coming back doesn't change that but it doesn't change my targets for the weekend, which is to do the best I can in the car."
Ferrari, however, are expecting a difficult weekend, as a result of the lack of speed they have shown on the straights this year following a series of rule clarifications over the winter.


bbc--2020-08-27--Messi contacted Guardiola before Barca transfer request - Friday's gossip

Last updated on .From the section Gossip Argentina forward Lionel Messi , 33 , contacted Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola last week to tell him he wants to leave Barcelona .
( Times - subscription required ) Manchester City are prepared to offer Barcelona £89.5m plus Garcia , Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva , 26 , and Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus , 23 , for Messi .
( Sport - in Spanish ) Real Madrid are set to demand more than 20m euros for 23-year-old Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon , who has attracted interest from Manchester United , Tottenham , Juventus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sevilla .
( Marca ) Chelsea are putting the finishing touches to a £90m move for 21-year-old Germany and Bayer Leverkusen forward Kai Havertz .
( Guardian ) Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , 38 , has agreed a new one-year contract at AC Milan believed to be worth about £6m .
( Sky Sports Italia - in Italian ) Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo , 35 , has settled any speculation about his future by saying he is preparing for a third season with Juventus .
( Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave Barcelona before new coach Ronald Koeman convinced the 29-year-old to make a U-turn .
( RMC Sport via Metro ) The arrival of 28-year-old Republic of Ireland full-back Matt Doherty at Tottenham from Wolves would pave the way for Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier , 27 , to leave .
( Standard ) Tottenham have rejected an opening bid from AC Milan for Serge Aurier , with Bayer Leverkusen also interested .
( Sky Sports ) Manchester United have made an approach to sign Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali , 20 , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young prospects in Italy .
( Corriere dello Sport via Metro ) Leeds are set to make a bid for Lazio 's 23-year-old Brazilian centre-back Luiz Felipe .
( Talksport ) Newcastle have joined the list of Premier League sides interested in a move for 20-year-old Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster .
( Chronicle ) Representatives of Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer , 22 , and French midfielder Olivier Ntcham , 24 , have asked Celtic for valuations , before potential moves away .
( Sky Sports ) Watford captain and striker Troy Deeney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brom .
( Mail )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
Argentina forward Lionel Messi, 33, contacted Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola last week to tell him he wants to leave Barcelona. (Times - subscription required) external-link
Manchester City would be willing to use Spanish defenders Eric Garcia, 19, and Angelino, 23, as makeweights in a deal for Messi, if they cannot sign him on a free transfer. (Manchester Evening News) external-link
Manchester City are prepared to offer Barcelona £89.5m plus Garcia, Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 26, and Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus, 23, for Messi. (Sport - in Spanish) external-link
Real Madrid are set to demand more than 20m euros for 23-year-old Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon, who has attracted interest from Manchester United, Tottenham, Juventus and Inter Milan while on loan at Sevilla. (Marca) external-link
Chelsea are putting the finishing touches to a £90m move for 21-year-old Germany and Bayer Leverkusen forward Kai Havertz. (Guardian) external-link
Arsenal are prepared to sell right-back Hector Bellerin to Juventus with new manager Andrea Pirlo making the Spain 25-year-old his top priority. (Corriere Dello Sport) external-link
Gossip: Can Jose Mourinho lure Callum Wilson and Ivan Rakitic to Spurs?
Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 38, has agreed a new one-year contract at AC Milan believed to be worth about £6m. (Sky Sports Italia - in Italian) external-link
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 35, has settled any speculation about his future by saying he is preparing for a third season with Juventus. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish) external-link
France forward Antoine Griezmann had decided to leave Barcelona before new coach Ronald Koeman convinced the 29-year-old to make a U-turn. (RMC Sport via Metro) external-link
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is keen to swap Griezmann with Atletico Madrid and Portugal forward Joao Felix, 20. (Marca) external-link
The arrival of 28-year-old Republic of Ireland full-back Matt Doherty at Tottenham from Wolves would pave the way for Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier, 27, to leave. (Standard) external-link
Tottenham have rejected an opening bid from AC Milan for Serge Aurier, with Bayer Leverkusen also interested. (Sky Sports) external-link
Where could Messi go next? Andy West looks at the options - and make your choice of where he might play next season
Manchester United have made an approach to sign Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali, 20, who is regarded as one of the best young prospects in Italy. (Corriere dello Sport via Metro) external-link
Leicester are looking at Argentina and Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico, 27, and Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens, 26, as potential replacements for Ben Chillwell, who left for Chelsea.(Sky Sports) external-link
Leeds are set to make a bid for Lazio's 23-year-old Brazilian centre-back Luiz Felipe. (Talksport) external-link
Newcastle have joined the list of Premier League sides interested in a move for 20-year-old Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster. (Chronicle) external-link
Wolves are interested in Athletic Bilbao and Spain centre-back Unai Nunez, 23. (Caught Offside) external-link
Representatives of Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer, 22, and French midfielder Olivier Ntcham, 24, have asked Celtic for valuations, before potential moves away. (Sky Sports) external-link
Watford captain and striker Troy Deeney, 32, has been offered to West Brom. (Mail) external-link


bbc--2020-08-27--Cricket South Africa sack chief executive Moroe

Last updated on .From the section Cricket South African cricket 's governing body has sacked its chief executive Thabang Moroe @ @ @ @ @ `` acts of serious misconduct . ''
Moroe was initially suspended in December over the @ @ @ @ @ , CSA said Moroe had `` sufficient opportunity '' to make representations to the CSA @ @ @ @ @ and/or refused to utilise . ''
Acting chief executive Kugandrie Govender is to continue in @ @ @ @ @ replacement is appointed .
In December , a number of journalists had their media passes @ @ @ @ @ he was unhappy with their reporting on the governing body .
The passes were later @ @ @ @ @ African Cricketers ' Association ( SACA ) called on Moroe and the CSA board to @ @ @ @ @ had put South African cricket in a `` disastrous position '' .
Standard Bank also @ @ @ @ @ its sponsorship deal of the men 's team because of the issues at CSA .

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Thabang Moroe (left, with former Test bowler Morne Morkel) was appointed chief executive in July 2018
South African cricket's governing body has sacked its chief executive Thabang Moroe for what it says were "acts of serious misconduct."
Cricket South Africa (CSA) says the decision was based on legal advice after an independent investigation.
Moroe was initially suspended in December over the allegations.
In a statement, external-link CSA said Moroe had "sufficient opportunity" to make representations to the CSA board which he "failed and/or refused to utilise."
Acting chief executive Kugandrie Govender is to continue in the role until a permanent replacement is appointed.
In December, a number of journalists had their media passes revoked, with Moroe saying he was unhappy with their reporting external-link on the governing body.
The passes were later reinstated, but the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) called on Moroe and the CSA board to resign, saying poor leadership had put South African cricket in a "disastrous position".
Standard Bank also decided not not to renew its sponsorship deal of the men's team because of the issues at CSA.


bbc--2020-08-27--Trump's campaign promises - has he delivered on them?

It 's been four years since Donald Trump made a string of promises during his long 2016 campaign to be the 45th president of the United States .
As his big speech to the RNC looms , how is he doing on keeping them ?
Many of them made headlines - from banning all Muslims entering the US , to building a wall along the border with Mexico .
So how did he do ?
Before election : Trump promised to lower the corporate tax rate and bring in huge tax cuts for working Americans .
After : The Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it largely ticks the box for the president although its merits are hotly disputed .
He has had to compromise on his pledge to bring corporation tax down from 35 % to 15 % ( it will be 21 % instead ) .
And the tax cuts for individuals will expire , although Republicans say future governments will simply renew them .
But wealthy Americans are expected to benefit more than poorer ones .
Not everyone saw their taxes lowered .
For some higher earners in urbanised , mostly Democratic states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on state and local property and income tax deductions .
• What is in Republican tax plan ?
• US economy under Trump : The greatest ever ?
Before : As a candidate , Mr Trump derided climate change as a hoax concocted by China , and the regulations of Paris as stifling to American growth .
After : After three months of hemming and hawing behind the closed doors of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue , the president came down decisively on the side near the exits .
Quitting the Paris deal , signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few years but this is unequivocally a promise kept .
The exit officially takes effect 4 November , the day after the US election .
Before : `` I am looking for judges and have actually picked 20 of them .
They 'll respect the Second Amendment and what it stands for and what it represents . ''
After : He vowed to appoint a conservative justice and he has appointed two - Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
Mr Gorsuch 's appointment required a procedural change to Senate rules , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was particularly controversial .
Mr Kavanaugh faced sexual assault allegations - which he denied - and was eventually voted through by 50-48 - the tightest nomination vote since 1881 .
In addition to making his mark on the top court , Mr Trump has appointed nearly 200 conservative judges to lower federal courts .
Before : During a speech in Iowa in November 2015 , Mr Trump warned that he would , using an expletive , bomb the so-called Islamic State group into obliteration .
After : The president dropped the biggest non-nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IS-stronghold in Afghanistan .
He also takes credit for driving IS out of parts of Iraq and Syria , saying the group has been `` largely defeated '' , although that process was under way under Obama .
Last year , IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during a raid by US commandos .
Before : Mr Trump pledged during his campaign to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , a divided city which both Israelis and Palestinians claim .
After : In 2017 , he said he formally recognised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved moving the US embassy .
It opened in May 2018 to coincide with Israel 's 70th anniversary .
The construction of a permanent US embassy building in Jerusalem has been approved and is expected to begin at some point this year .
Before : Mr Trump has long called for the US to leave the Middle East .
On the 2016 campaign trail , he said the region was a `` total and complete mess '' and wished the government had spent the trillions of dollars in the US instead .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployments overseas predates his presidential run .
In 2013 , he tweeted : `` Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there .
Nonsense !
Rebuild the USA . ''
That same year , he said the US should `` stay the hell out '' of the Syrian war .
After : In September 2017 , the Trump administration announced the deployment of 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan .
Mr Trump said his approach would be based on conditions on the ground .
In Syria , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IS along with Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters , with around 2,000 troops on the ground .
By December 2018 , Mr Trump ordered the withdrawal of all US troops from Syria , though about half the troops , approximately 500 , still remain .
Mr Trump recently said he has plans to further cut troops in Afghanistan - after reducing them to 8,600 from 13,000 over the spring and summer - before the 3 November election .
In February , US and Nato allies agreed to withdraw all troops from the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new peace agreement .
The president 's efforts to pull down troops has at times been met with criticism from his own officials .
Following Mr Trump 's announcement of a Syria withdrawal in part prompted the resignation of US Defence Secretary James Mattis .
• US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year Afghan war Before : Mr Trump called Nafta `` a disaster '' and warned that the TPP `` is going to be worse , so we will stop it '' .
He also pledged to correct the trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump followed through in his first few days on his pledge to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) .
He later said he would consider re-joining the TPP if he got a better deal .
On 30 November , after protracted negotiations , the US , Canada and Mexico signed the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement , which was designed to replace Nafta and recently came into force .
However , the US has reimposed aluminium tariffs on Canada , and Ottawa reciprocated with retaliatory tariffs .
The US and South Korea also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
The US and China , meanwhile , became embroiled in an escalating trade battle - with both sides imposing tariffs on billions of dollars ' worth of goods .
Despite ongoing tensions , in August the US and China held talks over their so-called `` phase-one '' trade deal - signed early this year - that is aimed at easing the trade war .
Before : Mr Trump initially promised to ban all Muslims entering the US - a `` total and complete '' shutdown should remain until the US authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on '' .
But he switched to `` extreme vetting '' after he became the party 's presidential candidate .
After : As president , he introduced two travel bans which became ensnarled in the courts - but the third had more luck .
The US Supreme Court ruled President Trump 's ban on six mainly Muslim countries can go into full effect , pending legal challenges .
The current ban restricts travellers from Iran , Libya , Somalia , Syria , Yemen , Venezuela and North Korea .
And in January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its curbs on immigration to include six more countries .
Citizens from Nigeria , Eritrea , Sudan , Tanzania , Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar will now be blocked from obtaining certain types of visas .
• Trump travel ban : What happens next ?
Before : Mr Trump said in September 2016 that he would reverse the deal President Barack Obama had struck to reopen diplomatic relations and improve trade .
After : As president , he told an audience in Miami that he was `` cancelling the Obama administration 's one-sided deal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some trade and travel restrictions lifted by his predecessor .
He kept the embassy open in Havana , although without naming an ambassador to the country .
Last year , the administration announced a ban on travel to Cuba for American group tours as well as cruise ships journeying to the island Until then , US tourism to Cuba was not permitted , but certain forms of organised group travel , known as `` people-to-people '' travel , had been allowed .
This month the US administration announced further restrictions , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and Cuba , to increase economic pressure on Havana .
The suspension comes into force on 13 October .
Before : One of Mr Trump 's trademark rally pledges was to repeal and replace Obamacare - his predecessor 's attempt to extend healthcare to the estimated 15 % of the country who are not covered .
It is widely hated by Republicans , who say the law imposes too many costs on business , with many describing it as a `` job killer '' and decrying the reforms - officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwarranted intrusion into the affairs of private businesses and individuals .
After : While Republicans have been unable to pass a repeal or reform bill , the Trump administration has managed to dismantle parts of the law - enrolment periods have been shortened , some subsidies have been axed , and the fine for people who did not purchase health insurance has been eliminated as part of the 2017 tax plan .
And in December 2018 , a federal judge in Texas ruled that repealing this penalty , an `` essential '' part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Obamacare is therefore unconstitutional .
The law , however , remains in place as an appeal heads to the US Supreme Court , with a ruling expected sometime in 2021 .
Before : His vow to build a wall along the US-Mexican border was one of the most controversial of Mr Trump 's campaign promises .
Mr Trump also insisted that Mexico would pay for it .
After : Mexico poured scorn on the claim that it would pay for such a barrier , and even Mr Trump appears to have dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a wall , whereas some Republicans have baulked at a bill that could reach $ 21.5bn ( £17bn ) , according to a Department of Homeland Security internal report .
In December 2018 the US government went into shutdown after Democrats resisted Mr Trump 's demands for $ 5bn to fund the wall .
He has since redirected defence and some other funds to build or replace sections of the wall , a decision that has faced legal challenges .
As of late May , 194 miles of wall system had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or outdated designs of the barrier already in place - just three miles construction was part of an entirely new system .
Before : Mr Trump repeatedly pledged to label Beijing a `` currency manipulator '' on his first day in office , during an election campaign when he also accused the Asian powerhouse of `` raping '' the US .
China has been accused of suppressing the yuan to make its exports more competitive with US goods .
After : In August 2019 , the administration officially named China as a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department defines currency manipulation as when countries deliberately influence the exchange rate between their currency and the US dollar to gain `` unfair competitive advantage in international trade '' .
But in January , the US reversed its decision when China had agreed to refrain from devaluing its currency to make its own goods cheaper for foreign buyers .
Before : Mr Trump repeatedly told his supporters that every single undocumented immigrant - of which there are estimated to be more than 11.3 million - `` have to go '' .
After : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to soften slightly , then after the election he scaled it back to some two to three million deportations of people who `` are criminal and have criminal records , gang members , drug dealers '' .
In fiscal year 2019 deportations were at 267,000 , a slight rise on the year before , though not as high as the 2012 peak of 410,000 under the Obama administration .
Mr Trump 's plans for immigration reform faced defeat this summer when the Supreme Court ruled against his administration 's bid to rescind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which protects about 650,000 young people who entered the US without documents as children .
Before : The country 's infrastructure `` will become , by the way , second to none , and we will put millions of our people back to work as we rebuild it '' , he said in his victory speech in November .
After : Has repeated his vow to spend big on the country 's roads , rail and airports , but as yet , there is little sign of action .
By March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure spending - far short of the $ 1.5tn Mr Trump has called for .
The money will be spent on a wide range of upgrades and investments , according to a congressional graphic .
In April 2019 , Mr Trump and Democratic leaders agreed to spend $ 2tn on infrastructure , an agreement that later fell apart .
This June there were reports the Trump administration had a $ 1tn plan in the works , but no announcement has been made .
Before : Mr Trump repeatedly questioned the military alliance 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One issue that irked him was whether members were pulling their weight and `` paying their bills '' .
In one New York Times interview in July 2016 , he even hinted that the US would not come to the aid of a member invaded by Russia .
After : But as he hosted Nato 's secretary general at the White House in April 2018 , the US president said the threat of terrorism had underlined the alliance 's importance .
`` I said it [ Nato ] was obsolete , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer obsolete . ''
In July 2018 , Mr Trump reiterated his support at the Nato summit , but suggested the US might still leave if allies did not acquiesce to his budget demands .
Mr Trump has continued to argue that Canada and European members of Nato are not spending enough to support the alliance , and recently said the US will move nearly 12,000 troops out of Germany .
• What does the US do for Nato ?
Before : Mr Trump said he would approve waterboarding `` immediately '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , adding `` torture works '' .
After : But after his inauguration , the president said he would defer to the countervailing belief , espoused by former Defence Secretary James Mattis and then-CIA director Mike Pompeo , who is now secretary of state .
Mr Pompeo said during his CIA confirmation hearing that he would `` absolutely not '' reinstate such methods .
Before : `` Lock her up '' was one of the main rallying cries of Mr Trump 's supporters .
They wanted to see Democratic rival Hillary Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private email server while secretary of state .
And Mr Trump was more than willing to back their calls for , at the very least , a fresh investigation .
During the debates , he told Mrs Clinton : `` If I win , I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation . ''
After : The president-elect 's tone changed almost as soon as he had won , describing the woman he had said was `` such a nasty woman '' as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gratitude '' .
Later , he said he `` had n't given [ the prosecution ] a lot of thought '' and had other priorities .
In November 2016 Mr Trump 's spokeswoman said he would not pursue a further investigation - to help Mrs Clinton `` heal '' .

After: Has repeated his vow to spend big on the country's roads, rail and airports, but as yet, there is little sign of action. By March 2018 Congress had allocated $21bn for infrastructure spending - far short of the $1.5tn Mr Trump has called for. The money will be spent on a wide range of upgrades and investments, according to a congressional graphic.


bbc--2020-08-27--Trump challenges Biden to drug test before debate

US President Donald Trump has called for himself and Democratic challenger Joe Biden to submit to drug tests before their first debate next month .
Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner he had noticed a sudden improvement in Mr Biden 's performance in the Democratic TV debates .
The president offered no evidence his rival might be on drugs other than to say : `` I 'm pretty good at this stuff . ''
Mr Biden and Mr Trump will have three debates before the 3 November election .
Back in 2016 , Mr Trump suggested his then-Democratic rival , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pumped up '' before their debates and challenged her to take a drug test ahead of their final live TV encounter .
The Clinton camp brushed aside his challenge .
On Wednesday , the president - who is set to deliver his keynote address to the ongoing Republican party convention on Thursday - made a similar claim , arguing that Mr Biden 's debating ability had improved markedly in the final debate .
• Where does Donald Trump stand on key issues ?
Mr Trump said the former US vice-president `` was n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 live TV debates he competed in against a crowded field of contenders during the Democratic primary season .
By the time of the last debate on 15 March , the field had been whittled down to just Mr Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders .
Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner : `` I do n't know how he [ Mr Biden ] could have been so incompetent in his debate performances and then all of a sudden be OK against Bernie . ''
He added : `` It was n't that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't , but it was a normal , boring debate .
`` You know , nothing amazing happened .
And we are going to call for a drug test because there 's no way - you ca n't do that . ''
Mr Trump said of the debates : `` Well , it is a prizefight .
It 's no different from the gladiators , except we have to use our brain and our mouth .
And our body to stand .
I want all standing - they want to sit down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Cleveland , Ohio , on 29 September ; in Miami , Florida , on 15 October ; and Nashville , Tennessee , on 22 October .
• What Biden wants to do Mr Trump asked for extra debates to be scheduled with Mr Biden , but the Commission on Presidential Debates declined .
He then asked for the first debate to be held earlier for the benefit of early voters , again to no avail .
Both Mr Trump , 74 , and Mr Biden , 77 , have each traded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dementia .
The Biden team is yet to respond to Mr Trump 's remarks .
• A simple guide to the US election • How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
• How you can be US president without winning most votes

Mr Trump said of the debates: "Well, it is a prizefight. It's no different from the gladiators, except we have to use our brain and our mouth. And our body to stand. I want all standing - they want to sit down."


bbc--2020-08-27--RNC 2020: Pence warns Americans 'won't be safe' if Biden wins

US Vice-President Mike Pence has warned that violence will spread in American cities if Joe Biden wins the White House in November .
`` The hard truth is you wo n't be safe in Joe Biden 's America , '' said President Donald Trump 's deputy in a keynote speech to the Republican convention .
Mr Pence depicted the vote as a choice between law-and-order and lawlessness .
He spoke amid nightly protests over the police shooting of a black man in Wisconsin on Sunday .
What else did Pence say ?
`` The American people know we do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and standing with African-American neighbours to improve the quality of life in our cities and towns , '' said Mr Pence .
He blasted Mr Biden , the Democratic presidential nominee , for saying there is an `` implicit bias '' against minorities and `` systemic racism '' in the US .
• Where does Donald Trump stand on key issues ?
Mr Pence said : `` Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in America 's cities . ''
The third night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` Land of Heroes '' , and the vice-president spoke from Baltimore 's Fort McHenry , where the city was defended against the British in the War of 1812 , inspiring Francis Scott Key to write the US national anthem , The Star-Spangled Banner .
For three and a half years , Mike Pence has been Donald Trump 's most loyal sidekick - extolling his virtues and executing his directives .
On Wednesday night , Pence 's mission was to pitch for the president 's re-election by touting his accomplishments and trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an asset , not a shortcoming .
Mr Pence , like many of the Republicans this week , had to perform a delicate dance - talking up the president 's record , and then explaining the turmoil that has hit the nation in the past six months .
In a line that some will find patriotic and others will view as a racially tinged dog-whistle , he said : `` The choice in this election is whether America remains America . ''
The Democrats and the Republicans over the past two weeks have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right - and wrong - with America today .
In 69 days , voters will have a chance to register their opinion , as well .
What 's the fallout from the Kenosha shooting ?
Hours before Mr Pence began speaking , the National Basketball Association , Women 's National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer postponed games after some players refused to take part in protest over the Kenosha shooting .
Mr Pence 's remarks came after three people were shot , two fatally , during a third night of unrest on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier of Jacob Blake , 29 , in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
The vice-president did not refer to the incident , which has inflamed protests against police brutality that have erupted across the nation over the past three months .
Earlier on Wednesday , Mr Trump said he would send federal law enforcement to Kenosha by agreement with the state 's governor .
The US Department of Justice said a federal civil rights investigation had been opened into the shooting of Mr Blake .
How has the Biden team reacted to Blake 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate , Senator Kamala Harris , said earlier on Wednesday they had spoken to Mr Blake 's family .
Mr Blake , who was shot multiple times in the back from close range , is currently paralysed from the waist down .
• What Biden wants to do Mr Biden said in a video posted by his campaign : `` Put yourself in the shoes of every black father and black mother in this country , and ask : Is this what we want America to be ?
Is this the country we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Protesting brutality is a right and absolutely necessary , but burning down communities is not protest .
It 's needless violence . ''
What else did Pence say ?
Hammering home a recurring theme of the Republican convention , Mr Pence depicted Mr Biden , known as a political moderate over a decades-long career in Washington , as `` nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left '' .
The vice-president argued that the Democrat would `` set America on a path of socialism and decline '' .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week warned in doom-laden tones what would happen if Mr Trump won another four years in the White House .
Mr Pence has endured recent speculation that he might be dumped by Mr Trump from the Republican ticket in favour of some other running mate .
But his position looked impregnable as he accepted his vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday night with glowing praise of his boss .
In 2016 , Mr Pence - a former Indiana governor and conservative Christian - was Mr Trump 's political bridge to evangelical voters , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Who else spoke on Wednesday ?
Wednesday night 's law-and-order message at the Republican convention was reinforced by other speakers , including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem .
She said : `` From Seattle and Portland to Washington and New York , Democrat-run cities across this country are being overrun by violent mobs .
`` People that can afford to flee have fled .
But the people that ca n't - good , hard-working Americans - are left to fend for themselves . ''
Burgess Owens , an African-American former NFL player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` This November , we stand at a crossroads .
`` Mobs torch our cities while popular members of Congress promote the same socialism that my father fought against in World War II . ''
• A simple guide to the US election • How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
• How you can be US president without winning most votes

Mr Biden said in a video posted by his campaign: "Put yourself in the shoes of every black father and black mother in this country, and ask: Is this what we want America to be? Is this the country we should be?"


bbc--2020-08-26--RNC 2020: What young Republicans think of Trump

With less than two months until the 2020 presidential election , the BBC asked young Republicans what they thought was @ @ @ @ @ while many are fervent supporters of the president , some no longer feel that he @ @ @ @ @ the party .

With less than two months until the 2020 presidential election, the BBC asked young Republicans what they thought was his biggest achievement.
But while many are fervent supporters of the president, some no longer feel that he represents the best interests of the party.
Video by Shrai Popat
Additional reporting by Sam Cabral


bbc--2020-08-26--US election 2020 polls: Who is ahead - Trump or Biden?

Voters in America will decide on 3 November whether Donald Trump remains in the White House for another four years .
The Republican president is being challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden , who is best known as Barack Obama 's vice-president but has been in US politics since the 1970s .
As election day approaches , polling companies will be trying to gauge the mood of the nation by asking voters which candidate they prefer .
We 'll be keeping track of those polls here and trying to work out what they can and ca n't tell us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How are the presidential candidates doing nationally ?
National polls are a good guide as to how popular a candidate is across the country as a whole , but they 're not necessarily a good way to predict the result of the election .
In 2016 , for example , Hillary Clinton led in the polls and won nearly three million more votes than Donald Trump , but she still lost - that 's because the US uses an electoral college system , so winning the most votes does n't always win you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden has been ahead of Donald Trump in national polls for most of the year .
He has hovered around 50 % in recent weeks and has had a 10-point lead on occasions .
By contrast , in 2016 the polls were far less clear and just a couple of percentage points separated Mr Trump and his then-rival Hillary Clinton at several points as election day neared .
• A really simple guide to the US election Which states will decide this election ?
As Mrs Clinton discovered in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less important than where you win them .
Most states nearly always vote the same way , meaning that in reality there are just a handful of states where both candidates stand a chance of winning .
These are the places where the election will be won and lost and are known as battleground states .
In the electoral college system the US uses to elect its president , each state is given a number of votes based on its population .
A total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 270 to win .
As the map above shows , some battleground states have a lot more electoral college votes on offer than others so candidates often spend a lot more time campaigning in them .
• What is the electoral college ?
At the moment , polls in the battleground states look good for Joe Biden , but there 's a long way to go and things can change very quickly , especially when Donald Trump 's involved .
The polls suggest Mr Biden has leads in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won by margins of less than 1 % to clinch victory in 2016 .
But it 's the battleground states where Mr Trump won big in 2016 that his campaign team will be most worried about .
His winning margin in Iowa , Ohio and Texas was between 8-10 % back then but it 's looking much closer in all three at the moment .
Those poll numbers may help explain his decision to replace his re-election campaign manager in July and his regular references to `` fake polls '' .
Betting markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump off just yet .
The latest odds still give him about a one in three chance of winning on 3 November .
• Does Trump have the power to delay the election ?
The coronavirus pandemic has dominated headlines in the US since the start of the year and the response to President Trump 's actions has been split predictably along party lines .
Support for his approach peaked in mid-March after he declared a national emergency and made $ 50 billion available to states to stop the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Americans approved of his actions , according to data from Ipsos , a leading polling company .
But any support he had from Democrats disappeared after that , while Republicans continued to back their president .
By last month , however , data suggested even his own supporters had begun to question his response as states in the south and the west of the country dealt with renewed outbreaks of the virus .
That may explain why he has been less optimistic about coronavirus in recent weeks , warning that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets better '' He also donned a face mask for the first time and called on Americans to wear them , saying `` they 'll have an effect '' and show `` patriotism '' .
One leading model produced by experts at the University of Washington predicts the death toll will have passed 250,000 by election day .
• Why are Americans so angry about masks ?
Can we trust the polls ?
It 's easy to dismiss the polls by saying they got it wrong in 2016 and President Trump frequently does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely true .
Most national polls did have Hillary Clinton ahead by a few percentage points , but that does n't mean they were wrong , since she won three million more votes than her rival .
Pollsters did have some problems in 2016 - notably a failure to properly represent voters without a college degree - meaning Mr Trump 's advantage in some key battleground states was n't spotted until late in the race , if at all .
Most polling companies have corrected this now .
But this year there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic and the effect it 's having on both the economy and how people will vote in November , so all polls should be read with some scepticism , especially this far out from election day .
• Americast : The latest news and gossip from the campaign trail

On his own health, 72% of respondents said that Mr Trump did not take the "risk of contracting the virus seriously enough," while the same number said he failed to take "the appropriate precautions when it came to his personal health".


bbc--2020-08-26--RNC 2020: Melania Trump makes plea for racial harmony

US First Lady Melania Trump has made a plea for racial unity , in a live speech from the White House to the Republican party convention .
`` Stop the violence and looting , '' she also said as protests continued over a police shooting in Wisconsin .
Mrs Trump urged Americans to stop making assumptions based on race and reflected candidly on US history .
President Donald Trump currently trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden in opinion polls for November 's election .
• Where does Donald Trump stand on key issues ?
• How is Donald Trump doing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the convention 's final night on Thursday .
What did Melania Trump say ?
The normally limelight-shunning US first lady delivered Tuesday evening 's keynote address before a small audience , including her husband , in the Rose Garden of the White House .
`` Like all of you , I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country , '' she said .
`` It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history .
I encourage you to focus on the future while still learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals .
`` I also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice , and never make assumptions based on the colour of a person 's skin . ''
Tuesday 's convention schedule began with a prayer for Jacob Blake , the 29-year-old black man shot multiple times in the back by police in Wisconsin on Sunday .
• Shot US black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted a call for the Midwestern state 's governor to bring in the National Guard as unrest continued following the shooting .
The president has often been accused by opponents of stoking racial tension , though black speakers at the opening night of the Republican convention emphatically denied he was racist .
In her speech , Mrs Trump also expressed compassion for Americans worried about the coronavirus outbreak , which has killed more than 178,000 Americans .
`` I know many people are anxious , '' she said .
`` Some feel helpless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're not alone . ''
She praised her husband as a someone who `` makes no secrets about how he feels about things '' .
`` Total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president .
Whether you like it or not you always know what he 's thinking . ''
Her decision to speak from the seat of presidential power has angered Democrats , who said the venue was an inappropriate use of government resources for political purposes .
If the first night of the Republican National Convention was about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American voters - on the coronavirus pandemic , racial issues and overall empathy - Tuesday focused on motivating his base , from anti-abortion activists to Christian conservatives .
Meanwhile , the president flexed his executive powers from the White House in two extraordinary norm-stretching bits of political theatre - issuing a pardon and taking part in a naturalisation ceremony .
First Lady Melania Trump wrapped up the evening from the newly renovated Rose Garden .
She was one of the few to directly express sympathy for those who have suffered from Covid-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ House economist Larry Kudlow , who talked about the pandemic in the past tense earlier in the night .
Unless something changes in the coming months , coronavirus will be at the top of voters ' minds when they cast their ballots .
And while red meat for the base is useful , public perception of the president 's handling of the virus - and its economic fallout - will factor heavily in deciding his political fate .
Who else spoke on Tuesday ?
The second night - which was designed around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - also heard from the president 's children , Eric and Tiffany Trump .
Eric railed against `` radical Democrats '' - a recurring message of the convention so far .
`` They want to disrespect our National Anthem by taking a knee , '' he said , `` while our armed forces lay down their lives every day to protect our freedom . ''
Tiffany , Mr Trump 's daughter with his second wife Marla Maples , accused the media and tech companies of keeping Americans `` mentally enslaved '' .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Mike Pompeo delivered a pre-recorded speech from Jerusalem , praising the president 's `` America First vision '' .
Mr Trump has sought to portray himself as the most pro-Israeli president ever .
Normally , the nation 's top diplomat does not attend political conventions , with some making a deliberate point of being out of the country and unavailable during their political parties ' presidential nominating events , the Associated Press reports .
`` It is unprecedented and highly unethical for a sitting secretary of state to address a political convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Halie Soifer , the head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America .
The state department stressed that no taxpayer money was used to produce Mr Pompeo 's video , which was made during an official tour of the Middle East .
Though he is not scheduled to deliver his keynote address to the convention until its final night , Mr Trump played a major role in Tuesday 's schedule , just as he did on the opening day .
The conference featured emotional footage of the president earlier on Tuesday pardoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a black man who founded a charity that helps convicts reintegrate into society .
In another surprise moment of the night , Mr Trump appeared live from the White House to preside over a naturalisation ceremony for immigrants .
Critics said the segment was hypocritical , as Mr Trump has taken steps during his presidency to restrict legal immigration , as well as crack down on illegal immigration .
Mr Biden 's campaign accused the president of using the newly coined American citizens as `` props '' .
`` Immigrants and Latinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gestures wo n't make us forget Donald Trump 's failures , '' the Democrat 's Latino media director , Jennifer Molina , told AP news agency .
• What Biden wants to do • A simple guide to the US election • How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
• How you can be US president without winning most votes

First Lady Melania Trump wrapped up the evening from the newly renovated Rose Garden. She was one of the few to directly express sympathy for those who have suffered from Covid-19. It was a stark contrast with White House economist Larry Kudlow, who talked about the pandemic in the past tense earlier in the night.


bbc--2020-08-26--Melania Trump: The unusual, traditional First Lady

Melania Trump addressed the second night of the 2020 Republican National Convention on Tuesday , calling on the US to think to reflect on `` racial unrest in our country '' .
It was a rare - and possibly reluctant - step into the spotlight for the First Lady .
In 1998 , Donald Trump , already fabulously wealthy and charismatic but possessed of a still ordinary-looking head of hair , was probably used to getting a phone number when he asked .
But when the property mogul tried it on that year with a young model , at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't quite close the deal .
`` I am not giving you my number , '' countered 28-year-old Melania Knavs .
`` You give me yours , and I will call you . ''
Fast-forward seven years and the pair tied the knot in a star-studded bash at his Florida estate .
Fast-forward again and Mrs Trump is now the First Lady of the United States .
But who is she ?
Glamorous and entirely devoted to her husband and his success , Mrs Trump , 50 , has been cast as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern-day Jackie Kennedy .
When Mr Trump first hinted at tilting for the top office , in 1999 , she told reporters : `` I would be very traditional , like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy . ''
But there are ways in which she has been a less-than-traditional First Lady : she is the first to have previously posed nude for a magazine .
During the last presidential race , supporters of Ted Cruz - Mr Trump 's rival for the Republican nomination in 2016 - seized on her work as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posing naked with the warning : `` Meet Melania Trump , your next First Lady .
Or you could vote for Ted Cruz '' .
Early in 2016 , a lewd phone interview with Mr and Mrs Trump by shock-jock radio presenter Howard Stern resurfaced , in which Mr Stern quizzed Mrs Trump about what she was wearing ( `` almost nothing '' ) and how often she had sex with Mr Trump ( `` every night , sometimes more '' ) , and described her to Mr Trump as `` that broad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted accusations of misogyny .
Mrs Trump has also sued the Daily Mail over an article she claims implies that she was a sex worker in the 1990s .
The newspaper agreed to pay damages and apologised to the First Lady in April 2017 .
Her treatment has been compared by some commentators to `` slut-shaming '' - the practice of attacking women over certain ways of dressing or acting .
From Slovenia to New York Mrs Trump was born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica , a small town about an hour 's drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a relatively well-off family .
Her father Viktor worked for the mayor of nearby Hrastnik before becoming a successful car salesman .
Her mother , Amalija , designed prints for a fashion brand .
Melania studied design and architecture in Ljubljana .
It was claimed on her professional website that she held a degree , but it later emerged that she dropped out during her first year .
The website was eventually scrubbed entirely and redirected to Mr Trump 's business site .
At 18 , she signed with a modelling agency in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , appearing in high-profile ad campaigns .
It was at a party at New York Fashion week that she met Mr Trump .
Like her husband , she never drinks , according to reports , and shies away from late-night parties .
She had her own branded jewellery business and was reportedly involved in the design process .
The pair married in 2005 and had a son , Barron , in 2006 .
She did not initially move in to the White House with her husband after his election victory , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Barron 's school term before joining the president in Washington in 2017 .
Since moving in she has helped out with the annual White House Christmas decorations .
Mrs Trump has apparently squared her background with her husband 's attacks on immigration - declaring that she did everything by the book .
`` It never crossed my mind to stay here without papers , '' she told Harpers Bazaar .
`` You follow the rules .
You follow the law .
Every few months you need to fly back to Europe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , a statue of the First Lady in her native Slovenia - which some compared to a character from The Smurfs - was set alight , prompting a police investigation .
Mrs Trump has largely steered clear of the political fray , confining her appearances to standing by her husband 's side .
`` I chose not to go into politics and policy , '' she said in a 2016 interview with GQ .
`` Those policies are my husband 's job . ''
Her one big moment of the 2016 campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first day of the Republican National Convention in July for the traditional spousal speech , and it did not go well .
Commentators quickly noticed remarkable similarities with Michelle Obama 's convention speech in 2008 , and the ensuing plagiarism scandal overshadowed what she had to say .
In 2018 she generated huge controversy after wearing a jacket with the words `` I really do n't care , do you ? ''
written on the back on a trip to a migrant child detention centre .
`` It was for the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticising me , '' she later told ABC news .
`` I want to show them I do n't care . ''
Despite these incidents she remains something of an unknown quantity compared with her predecessors .
According to GQ , she does advise her husband , but is tight-lipped about what that consists in .
`` Nobody knows and nobody will ever know , '' she said .
`` Because that 's between me and my husband . ''

Early in 2016, a lewd phone interview with Mr and Mrs Trump by shock-jock radio presenter Howard Stern resurfaced, in which Mr Stern quizzed Mrs Trump about what she was wearing ("almost nothing") and how often she had sex with Mr Trump ("every night, sometimes more"), and described her to Mr Trump as "that broad in your bed". The interview prompted accusations of misogyny.


bbc--2020-08-28--RNC 2020: Trump warns Biden will 'demolish' American dream

US President Donald Trump has warned his Democratic challenger Joe Biden will `` demolish '' the American dream if he wins the White House in November .
Speaking on the final night of the Republican convention , the president depicted his opponent as `` the destroyer of American greatness '' .
He said the Democrats would unleash `` violent anarchists '' upon US cities .
Mr Biden has a steady single-digit lead in opinion polls over Mr Trump with 68 days until voters return their verdict .
The end of the Republican convention heralds a 10-week sprint to election day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be one of the ugliest in living memory .
• Has Trump delivered on his promises ?
On Thursday night , the president asked voters for another four years in office , vowing to dispel the coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the US economy and quell civil strife ignited by police killings of African Americans .
What did President Trump say ?
Mr Trump accepted his party 's renomination from the South Lawn of the White House .
`` This election will decide whether we save the American dream , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny . ''
He added : `` Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans , or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists , agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens . ''
Mr Trump 's reference to the sometimes violent racial justice protests that have swept the nation in recent months came as hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators gathered outside the White House gates .
Some of their shouts and car horns could be heard on the South Lawn despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House perimeter to keep protesters at a distance .
The president said the Democrats at their party convention last week had disparaged America as a place of racial , social and economic injustice .
`` So tonight , '' he added , `` I ask you a very simple question - how can the Democrat party ask to lead our country when it spends so much time tearing down our country ?
`` In the left 's backward view , they do not see America as the most free , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins . ''
In a blistering attack on his opponent 's decades-long political life , he continued : `` Joe Biden spent his entire career outsourcing the dreams of American workers , offshoring their jobs , opening their borders and sending their sons and daughters to fight in endless foreign wars . ''
While Mr Trump portrayed his challenger as `` a Trojan horse for socialism '' , Mr Biden 's lengthy record as a political moderate was a hindrance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party 's nomination .
Mr Trump mentioned Mr Biden more than 40 times ; the Democrat did not once name Mr Trump in his speech last week , though criticism of the president permeated Mr Biden 's remarks .
In a ponderous , hour-long speech more akin to a State of the Union address than a nomination acceptance , Donald Trump alternated between ticking through his record as president and circling around , like a prize fighter , to launch strikes on his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden .
It was a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validity , in the hope that some will draw blood - on trade , immigration , education , energy and foreign policy .
But most of all , Mr Trump sought to paint Mr Biden as in league with the protesters on the streets and the more left-wing members of the Democratic party .
The setting of the speech was majestic - on the grounds of the White House and in view of the Washington Monument .
The delivery from a president who thrives more on rousing rallies than rhetorical set-pieces , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How is the Biden camp responding ?
Mr Biden - who was vice-president under Barack Obama - struck back on Twitter , posting : `` When Donald Trump says tonight you wo n't be safe in Joe Biden 's America , look around and ask yourself : How safe do you feel in Donald Trump 's America ? ''
Speaking by video link on Thursday night , Mr Biden said he was planning to hit the campaign trail again .
The Trump campaign has mocked him for running his White House bid during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his home in Wilmington , Delaware , citing coronavirus prevention measures .
• What Biden wants to do Mr Biden 's running mate , Kamala Harris , delivered a speech half a mile from the White House earlier on Thursday , declaring : `` Donald Trump does n't understand the presidency . ''
She added : `` Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a president of the United States : he failed to protect the American people , plain and simple . ''
The California senator did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly to win endorsements on Friday from more than 160 people who worked for former President George W Bush or for past Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain .
Who else spoke at the convention 's final night ?
Some of the speakers sought to humanise the president , who is sometimes accused of lacking empathy .
His daughter , Ivanka Trump , a White House adviser , said : `` I 've been with my father and seen the pain in his eyes when he receives updates on the lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus ] plague . ''
Ja'Ron Smith , a White House political aide who has worked on racial disparities in the criminal justice system , said the president `` really cares '' .
The parents of Kayla Mueller , a US hostage of the Islamic State group who was killed in Syria , lauded Mr Trump for ordering the operation , named after their daughter , that killed IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last year .
`` The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touted Mr Trump as a law-and-order strongman - a message hammered home during the previous three nights of the party conference .
The convention heard from the widow of a retired 77-year-old black police captain David Dorn , who was shot dead while reportedly trying to protect his friend 's pawn shop during rioting in June in St Louis , Missouri .
Ms Dorn fought back tears as she said : `` Violence and destruction are not legitimate forms of protest .
They do not safeguard black lives .
They destroy them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani , who was mayor of New York in the 1990s , said : `` These continuous riots in Democrat cities gives you a good view of the future under Biden . ''
• A simple guide to the US election • How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
• How you can be US president without winning most votes What are you most concerned about ?
Is it coronavirus ?
Healthcare ?
The economy ?
Is it immigration or racial equality ?
In some cases your stories and experiences will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age and location as you provide it , unless you state otherwise .
Your contact details will never be published .
Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions and the privacy policy .
Use this form to get in touch .

In some cases your stories and experiences will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions and the privacy policy.


bbc--2020-08-28--Shinzo Abe: Japan's PM resigns for health reasons

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has announced his resignation for health reasons .
He said he did not want his illness to get in the way of decision making , and apologised to the Japanese people for failing to complete his term in office .
The 65 year old has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis , an inflammatory bowel disease , but he said his condition had worsened recently .
Last year , he became Japan 's longest serving prime minister .
His current period in office began in 2012 .
He will remain in his post until a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigned abruptly from an earlier term as prime minister because of his struggles with ulcerative colitis , a chronic condition that he has lived with since he was a teenager .
Mr Abe has a reputation as a staunch conservative and nationalist , and for stimulating growth with his aggressive economic policy known as `` Abenomics '' .
• The hawk who gave his name to Abenomics He has strengthened Japan 's defences and boosted military spending , but has been unable to revise the constitution 's pacifist Article 9 , which bans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-defence .
What did Mr Abe say ?
The prime minister said his health started to decline as his ulcerative colitis made a resurgence around the middle of July .
He was now receiving a new treatment for the condition which had to be administered on a regular basis and would not give him enough time to carry out his prime ministerial functions , he added .
He said he could not make any mistakes in terms of important decision making , and therefore had decided to step down .
`` I made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job as a prime minister , '' he said .
`` I would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Japan for leaving my post with one year left in my term of office , and amid the coronavirus woes , while various policies are still in the process of being implemented , '' he added , making a bow .
He also expressed regret at not fulfilling his core pledges - forcing North Korea to return Japanese citizens abducted decades ago ; sorting out a territorial dispute with Russia ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the military .
Prime Minister Abe has long suffered from chronic ulcerative colitis .
The disease forced him to resign in 2007 - the first time he headed the government .
Now , after weeks of speculation about him being absent from the public eye despite a worrying uptick in Japan 's coronavirus cases , he is resigning yet again due to the same illness .
As the longest-serving Japanese prime minister , he leaves behind a legacy of stability and a strong centralised power base that allowed forceful stimulus policies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations with the US by courting President Donald Trump , often on the golf course .
Yet his government was also mired in scandal , including talk of favouritism and wilful destruction of public records .
When the pandemic struck , his responses were often criticised as being slow , ineffective , and out of touch .
And perhaps importantly for Mr Abe , his cherished - and highly controversial - wish to revise Japan 's pacifist constitution under his watch , has come to naught , at least for now .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would `` firmly execute my duty to the end '' until a replacement was chosen .
His announcement will have automatically triggered a vote within his Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP ) to replace him as leader .
The party will decide next Tuesday how to hold an election , Kyodo news agency reports .
This election will be followed by a parliamentary vote to elect a new prime minister .
Potential successors have already emerged , including Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso , Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga , and LDP policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be Mr Abe 's choice .
None are expected to deviate significantly from the government 's current policies .
The winner would hold the post until the end of Mr Abe 's term in September 2021 .

He was also repeatedly asked who he thought should replace him, or when, to which he said it wasn't his place to weigh in. But the Liberal Democratic Party which has almost continuously been in power since 1955 has many different factions so the race is on between them to get the top job.


bbc--2020-08-28--UAE implicated in lethal drone strike in Libya

This was fired by a drone called the Wing Loong II and the investigation by BBC Africa Eye and BBC Arabic Documentaries also found evidence that , at the time of the strike , Wing Loong II drones were only operating from one Libyan air base - al-Khadim - and that the UAE supplied and operated the drones that were stationed there .
What happened to these cadets ?
Without warning , an explosion detonated in the centre of the group , leaving 26 cadets dead or dying on the parade ground .
Many were still teenagers .
None of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessing our colleagues dying , breathing their last breath , and we could n't do anything ...
There were guys whose torsos were separated from their bodies .
It was an awful crime , a crime that has nothing to do with humanity . ''
The LNA , under Gen Khalifa Haftar , denied that it was behind the strike and told the press that the explosion might have been caused by a locally fired mortar shell or an attack from inside the academy .
What did the BBC find ?
By looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left on the parade ground after the strike , the BBC concluded that it matched the components of a missile called the Blue Arrow 7 .
Just three weeks before this strike , the UN also concluded that the Blue Arrow 7 `` is ballistically paired to be delivered by the Wing Loong II ... and by no other aviation asset identified in Libya to date '' .
The BBC also looked into where this drone might have come from , and found evidence that , at the time of the attack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one Libyan air base : al-Khadim , in LNA-controlled eastern Libya .
In 2019 , the UN found that , by sending Wing Loong drones and Blue Arrow 7 missiles into Libya , the UAE had violated the UN arms embargo on the country , which has been in force since 2011 .
What else did the BBC uncover ?
In February 2020 , the Wing Loong II drones stationed in Libya appear to have been moved over the border into Egypt , to an air base near Siwa in the western Egyptian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second Egyptian military air base , Sidi Barrani , has been used as an operating base for Mirage 2000 fighter jets painted in colours that are not used by the Egyptian air force , but which exactly match the jets flown by the UAE .
This is the same model of plane implicated by the UN in an air strike on a migrant centre east of Tripoli in July 2019 in which 53 people were killed .
Sidi Barrani is also the destination for multiple cargo planes that took off from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment or supplies between the UAE and a military base just 80km ( 50 miles ) from the Libyan border .
With the backing of Turkey , the UN-recognised Government of National Accord has now beaten back Gen Haftar 's LNA from the area around Tripoli .

This was fired by a drone called the Wing Loong II and the investigation by BBC Africa Eye and BBC Arabic Documentaries also found evidence that, at the time of the strike, Wing Loong II drones were only operating from one Libyan air base - al-Khadim - and that the UAE supplied and operated the drones that were stationed there.


bbc--2020-08-27--March on Washington: Protesters reflect on the significance of the march this year

Thousands of protesters are expected to gather in the US capital on Friday to commemorate the historic 1963 civil rights @ @ @ @ @ protest , marking the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. 's “ I Have @ @ @ @ @ was organised earlier this year in response to the police killing of George Floyd in @ @ @ @ @ BBC spoke to some of those planning to attend about why it was important to @ @ @ @ @ if anything - has changed for black people in America since 1963 .

Thousands of protesters are expected to gather in the US capital on Friday to commemorate the historic 1963 civil rights March on Washington.
The protest, marking the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech, was organised earlier this year in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
The BBC spoke to some of those planning to attend about why it was important to them, and what - if anything - has changed for black people in America since 1963.
Video Journalist: Olivia Lang


bbc--2020-08-28--Hurricane Laura slams Louisiana and Texas

At least six people were killed and hundreds of thousands left without power as Hurricane Laura struck with winds of @ @ @ @ @ ) .

At least six people were killed and hundreds of thousands left without power as Hurricane Laura struck with winds of up to 150mph (240km/h).


bbc--2020-08-28--JK Rowling returns award after Kerry Kennedy criticism

JK Rowling has said she is giving back an award associated with the US Kennedy family , after being criticised for her views on gender and trans issues .
The author was given the Ripple of Hope honour by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation last year .
But earlier this month , its president Kerry Kennedy said views expressed by Rowling recently `` diminished the identity '' of trans people .
Rowling says Kennedy 's implication that she is transphobic is `` incorrect '' .
What is the row all about ?
The Harry Potter writer was criticised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue with the phrase `` people who menstruate '' .
Rowling objected to the avoidance of the use of the word `` women '' .
In a lengthy blog post , Rowling said her interest in trans issues stemmed from being a survivor of abuse and having concerns around single-sex spaces .
`` I respect every trans person 's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them , '' she wrote .
`` At the same time , my life has been shaped by being female .
I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so . ''
Several film stars from the Harry Potter universe distanced themselves from her comments , including Eddie Redmayne , Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson .
What did Kerry Kennedy say ?
Earlier this month , Kennedy posted a statement online , which read : `` I have spoken with JK Rowling to express my profound disappointment that she has chosen to use her remarkable gifts to create a narrative that diminishes the identity of trans and non-binary people , undermining the validity and integrity of the entire transgender community .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination , harassment , and exclusion and , as a result , experiences high rates of suicide , suicide attempts , homelessness , and mental and bodily harm .
`` Black trans women and trans youth in particular are targeted . ''
She went on to say the organisation categorically rejected Rowling 's view that a person 's sex is the one they were assigned at birth .
`` The science is clear and conclusive : Sex is not binary , '' she wrote .
In a new statement published on her website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no conflict between the current radical trans rights movement and the rights of women '' .
She noted that `` thousands of women '' had got in touch with her to show their support and called for a more nuanced debate .
`` Clinicians , academics , therapists , teachers , social workers , and staff at prisons and women 's refuges have also contacted me , '' she continued .
`` These professionals , some at the very top of their organisations , have expressed serious concerns about the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on women 's rights , and of the dismantling of safeguarding norms which protect the most vulnerable women .
`` None of them hate trans people . ''
Rowling has since received support online , and the hashtag # IStandWithJKRowling began trending on social media on Friday morning .
`` There absolutely are conflicts between extreme transgender lobby demands and the rights of women and children , '' wrote journalist Sonia Poulton .
Previous recipients of the award she has now decided to give back have included Barack Obama and Archbishop Desmond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Explaining why she was returning the award, she added: "I am deeply saddened that RFKHR [Robert F Kennedy Human Rights] has felt compelled to adopt this stance, but no award or honour, no matter my admiration for the person for whom it was named, means so much to me that I would forfeit the right to follow the dictates of my own conscience."


bbc--2020-08-28--France Covid-19: Paris compulsory face-mask rule comes into force

Wearing a face-mask in public has become mandatory across Paris and several surrounding areas , amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in France .
The move comes a day after the country recorded 6,111 new infections - its highest number since early May .
The number of `` red zones '' where the virus is in active circulation has risen from two to 21 .
Announcing new local curbs on Thursday , PM Jean Castex said he wanted to avoid another general lockdown .
He said the coronavirus was `` gaining ground '' across France , and that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could become `` exponential '' .
Despite a sharp rise in cases in recent weeks , daily death tolls have remained low .
Overall , more than 30,500 people have died and almost 300,000 have been infected in France .
A number of European countries are seeing a surge in new cases , and Germany is also planning tighter rules .
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Friday that in the coming months things would become `` even more difficult than now '' , as people have been able to enjoy life outdoors over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said all pedestrians would have to wear face masks in public areas in the capital from 08:00 on Friday ( 06:00 GMT ) .
While individual streets and areas of the capital already have rules on wearing face-coverings , this new rule will be far more extensive , covering not only Paris but its inner ring of Seine-Saint-Denis , Hauts-de-Seine and Val-de-Marne .
Mask-wearing has taken over the streets of Paris by stealth over the past few months , and the blanket enforcement of face-masks in and around the capital from 08:00 triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing : the new rules were originally designed to apply to cyclists and runners , along with pedestrians .
By the time the regulation came into force this morning , Paris city hall had intervened , and won a reprieve , saying it was `` dangerous '' and `` counterproductive '' to force these two groups to wear masks , especially when the mayor has been encouraging people to cycle to work to relieve pressure on public transport .
Runners and cyclists aside , only a handful of people were still out without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there seems to be a lot of support for the measure around the capital .
`` It 's better than being locked down , '' one woman said .
Another resident said the government should have brought it in earlier , so that `` the situation would n't have got as bad as it is now '' .
Paris is already a red zone , along with the southern area of Bouches-du-Rhône , where France 's second-largest city Marseille made masks compulsory from Wednesday evening .
A broad expanse of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bordeaux are also red zones .
Masks will also become part of normal life for French schoolchildren aged 11 and over .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has recommended use of masks in school from the age of 12 .
Masks are already required in most enclosed public spaces and will be mandatory in workplaces from next week .
However , the two biggest cities in the Netherlands have decided to scrap a pilot scheme for compulsory masks in their busiest areas on Monday .
The Amsterdam and Rotterdam authorities say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , but they believe that as the warm weather and high tourist season come to an end it will be easier to maintain social distancing of 1.5m ( 5ft ) .
• France to make masks mandatory in most workplaces • What are the rules in France and other parts of Europe ?
• Why Spain is seeing second Covid wave Masks are a key part of Germany 's tougher restrictions aimed at curbing a renewed rise in cases .
Although Germany has not seen the scale of Covid-related deaths as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government and 16 states have reached a deal on new measures : • A minimum €50 ( £45 ) fine will be slapped on anyone breaking rules on face-coverings - in shops , public transport or elsewhere ; Lower Saxony in the north-west will not impose fines but Bavaria in the south will set higher penalties • Big events will be banned until the end of the year , although regions will be exempt if they have a low infection rate and participants are limited to those areas • A working group will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matches , but no spectators will be allowed in until at least the end of October • There will be an end to free tests for holidaymakers returning from high-risk countries after 15 September .
Travellers already have to self-isolate for 14 days .
Bavaria will continue free testing until 1 October .
During her summer press conference on Friday , Mrs Merkel said Germans would `` have to live with this virus for longer '' and maintain vigilance , especially as the number of infections had risen in recent weeks .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported on Friday .
Meanwhile , a group called `` Querdenken '' ( Think outside the box ) is challenging a Berlin ban on a march on Saturday against Covid-19 restrictions .
The protest has already seen 22,000 people sign up .
A march on 1 August attracted around 20,000 people , made up of mainly Covid-deniers and far-right activists .

Mask-wearing has taken over the streets of Paris by stealth over the past few months, and the blanket enforcement of face masks in and around the capital from 08:00 triggered little real outcry, except for one thing: the new rules were originally designed to apply to cyclists and runners, along with pedestrians.


bbc--2020-08-28--R. Kelly was 'attacked in jail', says his lawyer

R. Kelly 's lawyer has requested his immediate release from jail , after he was allegedly attacked by another inmate .
Steve Greenberg said his client was attacked at Chicago 's Metropolitan Correctional Centre , where Kelly is awaiting trial on sex abuse charges .
The extent of the injuries are not known , Mr Greenberg said on Twitter .
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including abuse of minors and sex trafficking .
News of the alleged assault was first reported by TMZ , which said a fellow inmate started `` punching '' Kelly while he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was apparently angry about the prison 's governor stopping visits at the centre , on more than one occasion , due to the number of Kelly 's fans protesting outside the facility .
• The history of allegations against R. Kelly '' My understanding is , every time there is a pro-R. Kelly protest outside of the jail , they lock down the entire facility , '' Mr Greenberg said .
Kelly , who was one of the biggest R & B stars of the 1990s , has been in jail for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with cases filed against him in Illinois , Minnesota and New York .
He has been denied bail three times , with a judge in Brooklyn saying there is a `` strong possibility of witness tampering '' in a case where it is alleged he led a long-running criminal scheme to recruit women and girls to have sex with him .
That trial is due to commence next month , but Kelly 's lawyer has called for the star to be released in the meantime to protect his safety .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they can not give him his day in court , '' Mr Greenberg wrote on Twitter .
`` We should not incarcerate people indefinitely because we can not provide them with due process . ''
A spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons would not confirm or deny whether Kelly had been attacked .
Mr Greenberg said he had `` received conflicting reports as to the extent of his injuries '' and had `` not been provided any information from the jail '' .
`` We are hopeful that he was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Kelly, who was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1990s, has been in jail for more than a year as he awaits trial, with cases filed against him in Illinois, Minnesota and New York.


bbc--2020-08-28--Uganda lightning strike kills 10 children playing football in Arua

Ten children have been killed by lightning in the north-western Uganda city of Arua after sheltering in a hut during @ @ @ @ @ were playing football when heavy rain forced them to take a break in a nearby @ @ @ @ @ by lightning .
Nine children , aged 13 to 15 , were killed on the @ @ @ @ @ the way to hospital .
Three survivors are receiving treatment at the regional hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ been experiencing severe rains coupled with thunder and lightning .
This is the worst accident @ @ @ @ @ since 2011 , when 18 children were killed at a school in the mid-western region @ @ @ @ @ people also died from lightning strikes in a single week .

This is the worst accident of its kind in Uganda since 2011, when 18 children were killed at a school in the mid-western region.


bbc--2020-08-28--Melbourne storm: Three killed as winds cause widespread damage

Three people - including a four-year-old boy - have been killed by falling trees after a storm lashed the Australian state of Victoria .
Gusts of up to 158km/h ( 100mph ) were recorded , causing widespread damage and knocking out power to 95,000 homes .
The deaths happened in suburbs across the state capital , Melbourne - a city already reeling from a Covid outbreak .
On Friday , residents in 88 suburbs were also warned that the storm had contaminated drinking water .
Locals made more than 2,100 calls for emergency assistance after the storm crossed the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines and damaging buildings .
The four-year-old boy was crushed by a tree on a footpath in the suburb of Blackburn South and died in hospital , authorities said .
He had been walking with his father and toddler sister when the accident happened about 18.00 local time ( 08.00 GMT ) , the Herald Sun reported .
`` They 've just gone outside for a little walk - it was just for two minutes , they went outside - and the tree just suddenly fell on him , '' a relative told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 59-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman , both killed when trees struck their cars in the suburbs of Tecoma and Fernshaw respectively .
The storm caused untreated water from a dam to enter the city 's drinking water system , affecting up to 250,000 houses .
Those residents should boil water before drinking it until at least late on Friday , said utility company Yarra Valley Water .
Melbourne has been in a strict lockdown for almost two months after seeing Australia 's worst coronavirus outbreak .
Almost 500 people have died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Currently , residents are allowed to leave home only for essential reasons and for one hour of exercise per day .

"They've just gone outside for a little walk - it was just for two minutes, they went outside - and the tree just suddenly fell on him," a relative told the newspaper.


bbc--2020-08-28--NFL club Baltimore Ravens promise to 'drive change now'

Last updated on .From the section American Football NFL side the Baltimore Ravens say the United States must tackle racism `` head-on '' and have promised to use their platform to `` drive change now '' .
Blake , a black man , was shot and injured by police on Sunday in Wisconsin , near Milwaukee .
`` This is bigger than sports , '' the Ravens statement said .
`` Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation 's foundation and is a blemish on our country 's history . ''
The statement also highlighted the killing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a drugs investigation in March .
Several NFL sides cancelled practice on Thursday , while sports across the US boycotted matches in protest at Blake 's shooting .
`` It is imperative that all people - regardless of race , religion , creed or belief - come together to say : 'Enough is enough , ' '' the statement continued .
`` It is time to accept accountability and acknowledge the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice . ''
Meanwhile , seven MLB matches were called off on Thursday , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Mets v Miami Marlins game .
Both sets of players took the field in silence for 42 seconds - the number of Jackie Robinson , the first African-American to play in the league - before walking off .
The NBA has held talks to discuss when to resume matches after the play-offs were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday .
NBA executive vice-president Mike Bass said the league was `` hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday '' .
The WNBA also postponed Thursday 's games , having done the same a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into the potential use of racist comments by Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen has been launched by the league .
In the report by The Athletic , the club 's former head scout Andy Williams recounts incidents of racist comments allegedly made by Hansen .
`` We are deeply concerned about the allegations made in a report published this evening concerning language used by and the conduct of Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen , '' MLS said in a statement .
• None ' I was brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salt Lake future after owner 's comments • None 'We need to show we are using our voice in a positive way' '' Major League Soccer has zero tolerance for this type of language or conduct and will immediately commence an investigation . ''
The NHL announced that four games scheduled for Thursday and Friday had been called off .

Last updated on .From the section American Football
The Baltimore Ravens have called for the police officers responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake to be brought to justice
NFL side the Baltimore Ravens say the United States must tackle racism "head-on" and have promised to use their platform to "drive change now".
In a powerful statement on social media, the Ravens called for those responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake to be brought to justice.
Blake, a black man, was shot and injured by police on Sunday in Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.
"This is bigger than sports," the Ravens statement said. external-link
"Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation's foundation and is a blemish on our country's history."
The statement also highlighted the killing of Breonna Taylor, an African-American woman shot during a drugs investigation in March.
Several NFL sides cancelled practice on Thursday, while sports across the US boycotted matches in protest at Blake's shooting.
"It is imperative that all people - regardless of race, religion, creed or belief - come together to say: 'Enough is enough,'" the statement continued.
"It is time to accept accountability and acknowledge the ramifications of slavery and racial injustice."
Meanwhile, seven MLB matches were called off on Thursday, and there was a poignant protest at the New York Mets v Miami Marlins game.
Both sets of players took the field in silence for 42 seconds - the number of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the league - before walking off.
A Marlins player also left a Black Lives Matter T-shirt on home plate.
Both sets of players staged protests at the New York Mets v Miami Marlins game, before walking off the field
The NBA has held talks to discuss when to resume matches after the play-offs were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday.
NBA executive vice-president Mike Bass said the league was "hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday".
The WNBA also postponed Thursday's games, having done the same a day earlier.
In the MLS, an investigation into the potential use of racist comments by Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen has been launched by the league.
In the report by The Athletic, the club's former head scout Andy Williams recounts incidents of racist comments allegedly made by Hansen.
"We are deeply concerned about the allegations made in a report published this evening concerning language used by and the conduct of Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen," MLS said in a statement.
"Major League Soccer has zero tolerance for this type of language or conduct and will immediately commence an investigation."
The NHL announced that four games scheduled for Thursday and Friday had been called off.