bbc--2020-01-06--American rapper Ludacris becomes Gabonese citizen

African-American rapper and actor Ludacris has become the latest US celebrity to take the nationality of an African country .
Ludacris , whose real name is Christopher Brian Bridges , celebrated Christmas and rang in the New Year in Gabon , where he received the citizenship .
A video uploaded on Twitter shows Ludacris with his Gabonese passport and confirming his mother and two daughters also obtained the citizenship of the small , oil-rich Central African nation .
In recent years a number African-American celebrities have received African citizenship or travelled to Africa to trace their roots .
In August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackson also received a Gabonese passport after he was hosted by Ali Bongo , the president of Gabon .
His father , Omar Bongo , was in power for more than four decades .
Gabon is not the only country welcoming African-Americans as citizens .
In May 2019 , comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish travelled to Eritrea where she gained the country 's citizenship .
She was criticised by some for appearing to endorse Eritrea 's totalitarian government .
And last November , Ghana held a mass ceremony in which 126 African-Americans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's `` Year of Return '' marking 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in North America .
'Africa was born in me' The popularity of African Ancestry , a US-based genealogy company with the largest African DNA database , shows that many African-Americans are looking to discover more about their roots and family history .
The Trans-Atlantic slave trade , which saw some 12.5 million Africans shipped to the New World , stripped most African slaves of their identity and over the course of 400 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never gave up Faith .
You can never imprison our minds nor our spirits .
They empowered me to Return , '' Ludacris wrote on Instagram .
In one of the photos taken in front of a slave dungeon built by the Europeans in Cape Coast , Ghana , Ludacris has his back turned to the camera , wearing a shirt that says : `` I am not an African because I was born in Africa .
I am an African because Africa was born in me .
I have returned . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Year of Return '' programme .
• US slavery : How is America marking the 400th anniversary ?
• Tiffany Haddish 's Black Mitzvah and her journey of Jewish discovery Samuel L Jackson chose to take Gabonese nationality after taking a DNA test as part of a US documentary series Finding Your Roots that uncovers the family history of stars .
This traced his roots back to the Benga people in Gabon .
The US veteran actor posted several photos of the country , including one with a king of the Benga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a journey of discovery & a life choice becomes clear ! ''
he wrote .
The government of Ghana launched `` The Year of Return '' to encourage African-Americans and the black Diaspora to return `` home '' .
`` The arrival of enslaved Africans [ in North America ] marked a sordid and sad period , when our kith and kin were forcefully taken away from Africa into years of deprivation , humiliation and torture , '' the initiative 's official website says .
It celebrates `` the cumulative resilience '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were `` scattered and displaced '' across most continents .
A number of black stars saw in the New Year in Ghana .
Supermodel Naomi Campbell , actress Lupita Nyong ' o , musician Akon and pop icon Beyonce 's mother Tina Knowles Lawson were among some of the bigger stars to attend the Afrofest celebration .
At the mass citizenship ceremony in November , African-American rabbi Kohain Halev summed what it meant to take up the nationality of an African country .
`` The most valuable possession that was taken away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection ; it was like severing the umbilical cord . ''
He added that receiving a Ghanaian citizenship had mended the hurt : `` Our identity , the dignity , the pride that has been absent is restored here . ''
Many African-Americans do n't feel like they fully belong in the US , according to Dwayne Wong , an author specialising in African and African Diaspora history .
Mr Wong believes that centuries of discrimination and being treated as `` second-class citizens '' , and the fight for acceptance and recognition that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of movements like `` Black Lives Matter '' , has taught African-Americans that they are not fully American .
For some , gaining citizenship of an African country or tracing roots to specific ethnic groups in Africa , can bring an important sense of belonging .

In one of the photos taken in front of a slave dungeon built by the Europeans in Cape Coast, Ghana, Ludacris has his back turned to the camera, wearing a shirt that says: " I am not an African because I was born in Africa. I am an African because Africa was born in me. I have returned."


bbc--2020-01-06--Reynhard Sinaga: How the Manchester rapist found his victims

Warning : This piece contains accounts of sexual assaults .
Reynhard Sinaga is thought to be the UK 's `` most prolific rapist '' ever .
For several years , until he was caught in 2017 , he preyed on young men enjoying a night out .
Princess Street , in the heart of Manchester 's city centre , is rarely quiet .
If you follow it down from the impressive Victorian town hall on Albert Square , past bars , shops , restaurants , and converted textile warehouses , you reach the borders of two of the city 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gay Village .
Beyond that , you come to a stretch of road bordered by nightclubs - Factory , Fifth , Joshua Brooks - a big part of the city 's vibrant nightlife .
With its close proximity to two of the city 's universities , the road is also a popular area for student accommodation .
Reynhard Sinaga , a 36-year-old postgraduate student , had made this his home for more than seven years , living in a rented flat just a few moments ' walk from Factory Nightclub .
Sinaga , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student .
He already had four degrees and was studying for a doctorate .
By night he was a serial sex offender .
He has been found guilty of drugging , raping and sexually assaulting 48 men , but police believe they are among at least 190 victims .
They are able to be so precise about these numbers because Sinaga filmed his attacks and collected what detectives call `` trophies '' - items or information stolen from his victims .
Sinaga typically approached his victims in the street .
The rapist operated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His targets were men mostly in their late teens or early 20s who had been out drinking , often in the nearby nightclubs .
Some were on their way home , others had become separated from friends .
Many were too drunk to remember their conversation with Sinaga , but for those who did there was no indication of a sexual motive .
Sinaga used various pretexts to entice each to his flat .
Some victims could recall being provided with a drink and then blacking out .
Are you affected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more information on emotional distress Greater Manchester Police said anyone who believes they might have been attacked by Sinaga can report information online or call its police line on 0800 092 0410 from inside the UK or 0207 158 0124 from abroad .
The force said anyone in need of support from specialist agencies could call 0800 056 0154 from within the UK or 0207 158 0011 from abroad .
Sinaga presented himself as a flamboyant , churchgoing academic who used the nickname `` posh spice '' .
A thin man of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he appeared unthreatening .
Several victims recall him smiling a lot .
It was this apparent harmlessness that enabled Sinaga to pose as a `` good Samaritan '' , coaxing men he approached back to the flat .
We know about the benign impression Sinaga created because dozens of victims gave testimony to police , with 48 of them appearing in court over the course of four trials .
Of the victims who went to court , the vast majority were heterosexual .
Ian Rushton , from the Crown Prosecution Service , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleasure in preying on heterosexual men '' .
Most of his victims were living in Manchester at the time and , in all , 26 were students when they were attacked .
One was waiting for his girlfriend outside Fifth Avenue nightclub - since renamed Fifth Manchester - when he was approached by a `` small Asian guy '' who seemed harmless .
The man was invited back to Sinaga 's flat to wait for his girlfriend , but recalled nothing further after being given a shot of clear liquid to drink .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a young Asian gentleman '' .
He said he had a `` vague recollection of explaining that my phone was dead and that I was trying to get a taxi but the taxis were passing me '' .
He added : `` I think I can recall a conversation along the lines of , 'Would you like to come inside and charge your phone and have a quick chat , ' '' he told the court .
To him , Sinaga `` did n't seem like an imposing character '' and during their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be `` an honest , motivated person '' with an interest in academic research .
The man told the court that soon after being offered a drink , he could n't remember `` a single thing until the next morning '' .
After waking , confused and disoriented , he left within five minutes .
Like almost every victim , he had no idea he had been raped until being approached by police .
Another victim remembered his friends putting him in a cab outside a club .
His next recollection was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When he asked Sinaga what had happened , he described providing care and shelter after finding him lying in the street .
Another victim believed Sinaga had been `` really nice and had looked after him '' .
One victim , a teenage university student , managed to get Sinaga 's mobile number as a precaution after waking up in the flat , and then having concerns that something might have been stolen from him .
When he rang to ask for more information about what happened , Sinaga described himself as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him unconscious on the pavement .
Another man remembered waking up on the floor , covered in a blanket , before thanking the flat 's occupier for letting him stay over .
He suspected nothing , even though the person `` refused to give me personal details '' in order to assist with an insurance claim for a lost mobile phone .
The phone , like many others stolen from their owners , was later recovered from Sinaga 's home by police .
Some victims felt incredibly unwell after regaining consciousness , sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them at the time , Sinaga had given his victims a drug - almost certainly GHB - which rendered them unconscious before he assaulted them .
• Class C prohibited drug - colourless and odourless liquid or powder , usually dissolved in water • Generates feelings of euphoria in very small doses ; in only slightly larger amounts can cause unconsciousness and death • Used by clubbers and in so-called `` chemsex '' ; also frequently implicated in sexual offences • Thought to account for thousands of hospital admissions each year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Between 2007 and 2017 more than 200 deaths were linked to the drug ; since 2014 it has been named as a murder weapon in five cases • Closely related to GBL , a colourless liquid that sold is an industrial cleaner and converts to GHB in the body .
GBL is only classed as Class C prohibited drug when knowingly intended for human consumption One victim , who woke up naked on Sinaga 's floor feeling nauseous and panic-stricken , came to the conclusion he had been drugged , telling his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the condition in which he awoke .
Another man , who was told he could sleep on the floor , recalled waking twice during the night , on one occasion to be sick .
He remembered that on one of the occasions he was unable to move his arms and could feel himself being penetrated , before passing out again .
In the morning , he briefly spoke with Sinaga before leaving .
He did not report what happened to police , until being approached by them .
It was the largest rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 of the men from clues in Sinaga 's flat .
But the identities of 70 men have not been established and police are now appealing for anyone who believes they may been abused by Sinaga to come forward .
The CPS 's Ian Rushton says that Sinaga is probably the most prolific known rapist `` anywhere in the world '' .
One of four children , Sinaga comes from a wealthy Indonesian family who live in Depok , a city within the Jakarta metropolitan area .
His father is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After obtaining a degree in architecture at the University of Indonesia in Depok , he moved to the UK in 2007 to study urban planning at the University of Manchester .
He went on to gain three degrees there before embarking on a doctorate in human geography at the University of Leeds - travelling there from Manchester when required .
His family wealth meant that he rarely worked , although he claims to have had stints in employment in hospitality at both Manchester football clubs and in a clothes shop .
Manchester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of him working at the club .
He worked for a period at a bar in the city 's Gay Village , the area where he spent much of his time socialising .
He was also a regular at a local church .
After originally living in student accommodation , Sinaga moved to a rented flat in Montana House on Princess Street in 2011 .
While his convictions cover a period of two and a half years , police believe his offences predate 2015 .
But they say they may never know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It came to an end in the summer of 2017 .
Sinaga was offending with abandon , sometimes night after night .
In footage recovered from CCTV cameras covering his block of flats , he is seen leaving one evening only to return with a man 60 seconds later .
It was just after midnight on 2 June 2017 , when he approached his final victim .
A teenager , who left The Factory nightclub to get some fresh air after becoming separated from friends , agreed to go to Sinaga 's flat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contact them from there .
The man recalled nothing further until waking several hours later being sexually attacked by Sinaga .
He immediately pushed Sinaga away , who responded by screaming `` intruder '' and `` help '' , before repeatedly biting the teenager .
The man hit Sinaga several times , escaped from the flat , and then called police , who arrived to a chaotic scene .
Sinaga , who was discovered semi-conscious with serious injuries , was at first viewed sympathetically , and the teenager was arrested for assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to arouse suspicion .
He kept asking officers to have a mobile phone brought to him from his flat .
Police asked him to confirm the pin number before they would hand it over .
However Sinaga gave a series of false numbers , then tried to grab the phone after providing the correct one .
The officer became so suspicious that he seized the phone as potential evidence and , when it was checked , a video recording was found of Sinaga raping the arrested teenager .
It was the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain , calls `` an absolutely unprecedented case '' .
He says the inquiry has been like `` piecing a jigsaw together without the picture '' .
Another of Sinaga 's mobiles had somehow ended up in the pocket of the final victim .
Between them , the two phones had been used to capture about 800 videos of Sinaga raping or sexually assaulting unconscious men .
The victims , usually snoring loudly , were often repeatedly raped over several hours .
In some of the films , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down who , though unconscious , were visibly distressed or made attempts to push him away .
In others , victims are seen to vomit while being attacked .
To find the men , detectives used both the films and `` trophies '' collected by Sinaga - phones , watches , ID cards from their wallets , images that Sinaga had downloaded from their social media profiles , searches about them he conducted online .
When they lacked identifying information , investigators tried facial recognition technology , approached local universities , and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they knew any of the men .
Officers also considered whether Sinaga might have killed any of his victims with fatal drug overdoses , examining potential links to unsolved deaths or missing people , but there was no evidence to suggest this was the case .
When officers made a positive identification , that person would be approached and told he had been a victim of sexual offences .
Lisa Waters , of the St Mary 's Sexual Assault Referral Centre , says their crisis workers accompanied detectives on these visits in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support '' .
She says that being told what happened `` can be quite overwhelming , very confusing '' .
`` What we did n't want to do was to drop the bombshell and then just disappear and leave these men with no support , '' she says .
A large programme was put in place to provide ongoing support .
Waters says many of the men have chosen not to tell anybody else about what happened to them .
`` That might be because they might want to protect their own psychological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're ashamed to tell other people ; it might be because they 're fearful of other people 's responses , '' she says .
Dozens of those approached did not want to go through the court process .
Sinaga was found to have told unsuspecting friends about some of the rapes , passing them off as consensual sexual conquests .
In messages about the first victim who went to court , Sinaga boasted about the attack on New Year 's Eve in 2014 .
`` I did n't get my new year kiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex in 2015 already , '' he wrote , adding that the man was `` straight in 2014 .
2015 is his breakthrough to the gay world hahaha '' .
During another boast about what he presented as his prowess with `` straight '' men , Sinaga wrote : `` Take a sip of my secret poison , I 'll make you fall in love . ''
Police officers have spoken to other men , tracked down as a result of still images discovered in the flat that date from before 2015 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not what happened .
There is no other evidence available to show that they were sexually assaulted .
Only one previous report to police was linked to Sinaga after his arrest , dating from April 2017 , when the victim had woken disorientated and unwell in a strange room with an Asian male .
He quickly left , but later that day had flashbacks of being sexually assaulted and - two days afterwards - he called the police .
However , the man was unsure of the property in which he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby hotels , neither of which had had any guests who matched the suspect 's description .
Despite the overwhelming evidence , Sinaga pleaded not guilty to all 159 charges , forcing a series of four trials in which his victims had to give evidence and jurors had to watch hours of distressing videos .
Court rules meant that nothing could be reported in the media and each jury was unaware of the wider case against him .
Sinaga gave evidence in the first and last of the trials , running what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which involved him claiming that each victim had agreed to fulfil his `` sexual fantasy '' by being penetrated while being filmed and pretending to be asleep .
When this scenario was suggested to one victim in court , he responded by saying it was `` absolutely farcical '' .
Sinaga changed his story during the trials .
In the first trial , he denied that the loud snoring heard in some films was snoring at all , insisting it was just `` breathing sounds '' .
But , by the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snoring was actually just `` role-play '' .
It was only halfway through the first trial that he admitted penetrating most of the victims on that indictment .
In the witness box he came across as vain and self-absorbed , telling jurors : `` I make myself available all the time… I may look like a 'lady boy ' and it seems very popular amongst curious men who are looking for a gay experience . ''
When entering and exiting court he often appeared cheerful , as if he was enjoying the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the judge repeatedly asked defence counsel whether any of the evidence could be agreed , to spare jurors watching every video .
But Sinaga would not agree and , because he insisted each victim was conscious and consenting , the videos had to be played to demonstrate this was a lie .
The prosecution case was that Sinaga used the drug GHB to incapacitate his victims .
No trace of the drug was found in his apartment and - due to the circumstances of Sinaga 's arrest - the final victim was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be established .
However , the symptoms shown by the hundreds of videos were all consistent with GHB intoxication , as were the descriptions of him providing clear liquid shots , and each trial heard expert evidence about its effects .
GHB was used by Stephen Port , who murdered four men between June 2014 and September 2015 .
The men were given fatal overdoses of the drug .
Port was also convicted of raping or assaulting several living victims using GHB .
The impact on Sinaga 's victims is vast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ men have found it very difficult to function in everyday life '' .
This has resulted in substance misuse , people unable to go to work , students unable to finish university , and others having to leave home after feeling unable to function any longer within their families .
She adds that `` some men have been suicidal and we 've had to try to help them come to terms with that and how we can make them safe '' .
Dr Sam Warner , author of a report about the psychological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loss of power coupled with an absence of memory can be `` extremely frightening , disturbing , upsetting because that goes to the heart of how you make sense of yourself , how you understand your experiences '' .
`` In a situation where people have been incapacitated through drugs they may have no flashback to that particular event , '' she says .
`` What they will have is the flashback to being told , however sensitively done , because suddenly they become a rape victim at that point . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may continue throughout people 's lives '' .
In a series of statements read in court , the men themselves described the impact .
`` I felt numb .
I was totally shocked , embarrassed , betrayed and very angry , '' one said .
`` His actions were disgusting , unforgiveable .
He has massively abused my trust in humanity . ''
Another man said : `` I want Sinaga to spend the rest of his life in prison .
Not only for what he has done to me but for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the misery and stress he has caused them . ''
A further victim said : `` I remember the day the police contacted me , it is a day I will never forget because it changed my life forever . ''
Another : `` I wish the worse for him , I want him to feel the pain and sufferance I have felt .
He has destroyed a part of my life . ''
Throughout all four trials , Sinaga displayed not a glimmer of empathy or contrition .
His persistent smile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disarm , was instead revealed to be a mark of his cruelty .
In a message to Sinaga , one victim said : `` I 'm not going to let you ruin my life . ''

His family wealth meant that he rarely worked, although he claims to have had stints in employment in hospitality at both Manchester football clubs and in a clothes shop. Manchester United have since said they have no record of him working at the club. He worked for a period at a bar in the city's Gay Village, the area where he spent much of his time socialising. He was also a regular at a local church.


bbc--2020-01-06--'I lost my home. The shock will never fully set in'

`` There is n't really any way to describe the intensity of the fires . ''
Gabriel Kam 's family home was recently destroyed by the bushfires which are sweeping across Australia .
Since September at least 24 people have died and the fires have destroyed more than 1,500 homes across the country .
`` You do n't think you 'll actually lose everything until it 's already happened , '' the 16-year-old tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
`` The shock will never fully set in . ''
Gabriel 's village , Balmoral , is about a two-hour drive south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the bushfires on 19 December .
Two days later they struck again - that 's when his home was destroyed .
His family has followed advice of firefighters to clear small trees or any shrubbery that might catch alight but Gabriel says `` there was n't a lot we could do '' to prepare for what was coming .
`` You know it 's coming .
But at the end of the day , you 're completely at the mercy of mother nature ... you 're helpless . ''
He says their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and there was no time to protect anything except their two cats and the clothes on their back .
Gabriel and his family are now staying close by with family friends .
`` One thing you 'll hear from a lot of firefighters is that this fire felt like it was alive ...
It completely encapsulated our house .
`` We had double-laminated glass , which you would need to hit with a sledgehammer several times to break .
The fire shattered straight away .
`` When we came back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground .
`` We had furniture outside , it disintegrated so quickly that it left imprints of where the furniture was on the wall ... anything inside the house is unrecognisable . ''
`` We almost got hit again , '' explains Gabriel .
`` The only way this fire is going to stop is through lots of continuous hard rain .
And rain is not coming to Australia anytime soon , unfortunately . ''
Part of the relief efforts have come from international donations including a fundraiser for fire services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised more than A $ 20m ( £10.6m ) in just 48 hours .
Gabriel has started fundraising for his family and local area and says getting support from all over the world is `` really heart warming '' .
`` People who do n't necessarily need to care are still helping as much as they can because we are all human .
`` The international community needs to understand what 's happening in Australia .
`` It 's not going to stop anytime soon ... No-one has been untouched . ''
Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 reserve troops to help as more strong winds and hot weather are predicted in the areas affected .
He was recently heckled during a visit to Cobargo in New South Wales , only a few hours away from Gabriel 's house , by people who said the government had n't done enough to help communities .
Gabriel agreed that `` there 's a sense of frustration '' , but says there 's `` an overwhelming sense of togetherness '' .
`` A lot of this is happening when there could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bond to support those who have lost things to the fire though . ''
Despite 20 % of the village reportedly losing their homes to the fire , Gabriel says he 's hopeful the community will be able to `` come back stronger than we 've ever been '' .
`` We 've had people we never met before come up to us and say , 'If you need a place to stay , you can stay at our place .
If you need any clothes , we have a bunch we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will get through this as a community and as friends together , and we will help each other rebuild . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .
Have you been affected by the fires in Australia ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions and privacy policy

His family has followed advice of firefighters to clear small trees or any shrubbery that might catch alight but Gabriel says "there wasn't a lot we could do" to prepare for what was coming.


bbc--2020-01-07--BBC Sound of 2020: How Yungblud is leading the 'liberation within people'

Yungblud may have come third on the BBC 's Sound of 2020 list but he 's got the biggest following by a landslide .
The Yorkshireman has more Spotify streams than the other nine artists on the longlist combined , thanks to his energetic blend of emo , rock , rap and pop .
His fans , who call themselves `` The Black Hearts Club '' , span the globe , with the singer playing around 250 gigs in 26 countries over the last two years .
The 22-year-old 's live following translated into chart success in October , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Underrated Youth , reaching the UK 's top 10 ( one week earlier and the chart position would have rendered him ineligible for the Sound of 2020 ) .
But with his star rising at such a rapid rate , does Yungblud - whose real name is Dominic Harrison - even require such recognition ?
`` I do n't really look at it like that , man , '' he tells us down the line from Los Angeles , just before Christmas .
`` We were so surprised [ to be named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was happening at all . ''
In fact , the singer seems taken aback that his songs , which tackle topics like anxiety , sexual assault and corporate greed , are getting mainstream acceptance .
`` Someone came up to me at some industry event the other night right and goes , 'What 's the secret ?
What 's the formula ? '
`` And I 'm like , ' I do n't actually know what you 're talking about .
You 're speaking to the wrong person if you want that ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get up everyday and all I 'm doing is , like , talking about things and people are listening and talking to me back .
That 's the only thing I can explain .
`` I think looking at charts and things , it 's kind of a little bit irrelevant to me .
I 'm not arsed about having people go , 'Oh Yungblud , he had a good couple of songs , did n't he ? '
`` When people look back on us in 10 years , I want them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement and they did something that was that was completely original and a liberation within people ' . ''
Yungblud is the grandson of Rick Harrison , who played with T Rex in the 1970s , but his sights are set on making anthems that speak to his own generation ; stamping out the `` sterile material '' of what he brands as `` The X-Factor age '' .
The ambitious young showman has already been described as an `` icon '' for the UK 's suburban youth , and a `` relentless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - who is unapologetically `` androgynous '' and `` over-the-top '' .
He 's also recently opened up about his fluid sexuality and how having ADHD informs his music .
And while the London-based Doncastrian finds inspiration in the collective rebellion of the early '90s Seattle grunge scene , thanks to bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden , he 's hoping to replicate the more recent success of one of his US contemporaries .
`` People are angry again , people are riled up and want to be told the truth , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why Billie Eilish is the biggest artist in the world right now , because she was just a 16-year-old kid just telling the truth .
`` It 's just undeniable fanbases .
Build a fanbase , build a culture , make people make people feel like it 's alright to be who they are - and then the rest will follow . ''
The top five acts on the BBC Sound of 2020 list are being revealed in a countdown , with one revealed every day until the winner is announced on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nominees on BBC Sounds • Find out more about the list .
What was your initial reaction when you heard you 'd made the class of 2020 ?
`` What is going on right now ?
I 'm walking down Venice Beach , California and I 'm on the BBC Sound of list ! ''
I 've seen artists like [ 2015 runner-up ] James Bay on there when he was popping in the UK and it 's just kind of mental to get that nod .
You work hard as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My head has been down in my fanbase , building my community , travelling the world and I never really look above the water .
And if you lift your head above the water for a minute and you look around and go , `` We just played to a sold out Brixton Academy and we 're on the Sound of list '' , it 's like , `` What ?
! ''
Your fans are clearly central to everything you do .
What is it that they tell you they want ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who they are , not something they need to be .
People do n't want to fit moulds anymore and be manipulated into boxes , because it 's just uncomfortable .
Do you still see that sort of thing going on ?
Absolutely .
The most important thing for me is the stories I hear .
For example a girl comes up to me in Nijmegen , Holland and gives me a note that says - `` I left school , ran away from home and shaved my head , and then went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a graphic designer , thanks to a girl I met at one of your shows , who brought me into the community '' .
Or I see two boys from Bristol snog before the mosh pit swallows them up .
And I talk to a 35-year-old dude in Glasgow who lost his wife and kid last year and he used to listen to the music in the car and for some reason it does n't make him sad , it takes him back to a place when things were alright .
For me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's what we 're here for .
It 's not me , man , it 's us .
And if it ever becomes [ just about ] me it 's all flawed .
Last year your EP went to number six in the album charts , you toured the world , played festivals like Reading + Leeds , and you also had a famous pop star girlfriend [ US singer Halsey ] .
Is this rock ' n ' roll star life how you imagined it would be ?
I 've done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the next album is about all this stuff .
We blew up all over the world , I fell in love and fell out of love .
I nearly lost my mum and I got really depressed for a bit and I came out of that , but when I look back on last year ...
I wrote a song the other night called A Weird Time Of Life and it 's going to be on the record .
It 's been a weird time of life but the best time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yungblud is a coming of age thing , but you 're growing up until you shut your eyes for good .
Recently you 've curated a few playlists for Radio 1 , which gave us an insight into your eclectic range of influences - from rock to rap and beyond .
Who are you digging the most right now ?
I think right now Travis Scott is as relevant in rock and roll music as Marilyn Manson is .
It 's just a different type of music .
Rock and roll ai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their instruments .
Rock and roll means freedom to me - and someone like Travis Scott is pouring petrol on the fire that 's already in young people 's tummies .
I 've got to that phase in life where people are trying to pitch songs to me and it 's so funny seeing a songwriter 's version of what they think Yungblud is and it 's all rock and bratty and I 'm like , `` No I 've left that behind '' .
I 've grown up now .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's some mental collaborations [ coming up ] .
I love collaborating - it 's tapping into cultures I never normally would .
So you 've told us what your fans want , but what do you want from 2020 ?
The best songs I 've ever written are going to come out , and we 're doing five nights at [ London 's ] Kentish Town Forum .
I 'm just building it , taking it one fan at a time because there are still people out there who feel like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are .
And I do n't want people to feel like that , as I 've felt like that ...
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

I've done so much living in the past year and the next album is about all this stuff. We blew up all over the world, I fell in love and fell out of love. I nearly lost my mum and I got really depressed for a bit and I came out of that, but when I look back on last year... I wrote a song the other night called A Weird Time Of Life and it's going to be on the record.


bbc--2020-01-06--Did Britain meddle in a US presidential election?

When US President George HW Bush craved `` a smoking gun '' in 1992 to politically kneecap his White House challenger Bill Clinton , the British government delved into its files for damaging information .
So , did the Bush camp solicit foreign interference to help him win an election - the allegation that has seen President Trump impeached ?
`` A guy like that does n't deserve to be president , '' President Bush told his sister about Clinton .
He viewed the young Arkansas governor , who was the same age as Bush 's eldest son , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roll over him .
But the president sorely underestimated Clinton , an adversary so politically gifted that his ascent to the White House had been foreseen when he was aged just seven by his school teacher .
To Bush 's mystification , his saxophone-tootling challenger 's popularity in opinion polls was even defying the gravity of revelations about his draft-dodging past .
The Republican , a decorated World War 2 fighter pilot , dictated to his diary : `` I 'm tired of this guy lying and ducking on the draft and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem - his campaign was as stale as the recession-sapped US economy .
So he turned for inspiration across the Atlantic to his friend , UK Prime Minister John Major .
The British premier 's come-from-behind general election win in April 1992 was being touted by American conservatives as a blueprint for the US president .
Bush had a very special relationship with Major , his brother-in-arms from the 1990-91 Gulf War , as has previously been revealed in transcripts of their private conversations obtained by the BBC .
He once spoke of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assured the British PM `` obviously we 're rooting for you '' to beat Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock .
Two UK Tory panjandrums - architects of the PM 's surprise victory - flew to Washington eight weeks before the US election and advised the Bush team to focus attacks on Clinton 's character .
The president 's campaign hired an opposition research specialist to dig for dirt in Britain .
What happened next was either a bureaucratic mishap , or an egregious act of political meddling by the UK in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At some point in early October 1992 , the Home Office inspected its immigration nationality section to see whether Clinton had applied for British citizenship while at Oxford University from 1968-70 in order to escape the Vietnam draft .
Briefing reporters on background , the department said its `` comprehensive '' check was conducted out of `` sheer helpfulness '' to the media , even though it usually always rebuffed journalists with the stock answer that it did not discuss individual cases .
Nothing compromising on the Democrat was discovered , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political bombshell , had it been excavated , would have been handled by Whitehall .
That same month , a frustrated Bush would dictate to his diary that `` we can not get this smoking gun on Clinton '' .
More on US presidents • The mental rigours of being US president • Should Washington and Jefferson monuments come down ?
• Is this the US president most like Trump ?
• Was this man really the worst president ?
All Major could offer him were well wishes .
The British premier called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last burst of campaigning two days ahead of November 's election .
`` I wanted to wish you a great hurrah and all of my best for the home stretch , '' Major said , according to a transcript of their conversation at the Bush presidential library in Texas .
But he had backed the wrong horse - Clinton trounced Bush .
Returning to the White House a day after he lost , the humiliated one-term president grew emotional , according to biographer Jon Meacham .
Bush dictated to his diary that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in God 's name did this country elect a draft dodger ? ''
A month later , when the Home Office publicly acknowledged having carried out the file check , the victorious Clinton did not hide his annoyance .
`` They should have more pressing business , '' he said of British officials when asked about the controversy during a morning jog in Little Rock , Arkansas .
That very same day , 6 December 1992 , Major wrote a letter of apology to the US president-elect .
According to a copy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the UK National Archives , the British premier said he was `` disturbed by reports which have appeared about enquiries by our Home Office relating back to your time at Oxford '' .
`` I am only sorry , '' Major added , `` that it has been played up now in a mischievous way .
I hope the mischief will be short-lived . ''
There is no indication that Clinton responded .
Later that month , Major flew to Washington on an official working visit .
He had hoped to mend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Clinton declined to meet him - the Washington Post described it as a snub .
With the so-called special relationship on ice , Labour MPs jeered the prime minister in the House of Commons in February 1993 as he denied taking sides in a US election .
Margaret Beckett , the opposition 's deputy leader , was among members of Parliament who shook her head sceptically at Major 's explanation .
`` No I did n't buy it , '' the MP for Derby South tells the BBC , remembering that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I thought at the very least there must have been a nod and wink [ between the US and UK ] .
`` And probably a bit more than a nod and a wink , 'if you can find something , George [ HW Bush ] might be rather grateful ' .
`` Because it [ the Home Office records search ] seemed to me like the kind of thing most civil servants would be fairly wary about doing . ''
Whosever idea it was , Beckett says , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement to the BBC , Major - now a knight of the realm - denied approving the Home Office file search .
His spokeswoman , Dame Arabella Warburton , says : `` Sir John did , indeed , have a close working and personal relationship with President George HW Bush .
`` However , Sir John neither sanctioned , nor had any knowledge of , Home Office checks being carried out on George Bush 's Presidential rival Bill Clinton . ''
No-one in the Bush camp set any UK official to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's closet , insists Charles Black , who was a senior adviser to the president 's re-election bid .
`` I 'm pretty confident that nobody in the campaign asked for it , '' he tells the BBC .
`` It did n't come up in the meetings I had with the [ UK ] Conservatives , so maybe somebody in the [ US ] government did . ''
The two top Tory apparatchiks who flew to Washington were Sir John Lacy and Mark Fullbrook .
Lacy died in 2009 and Fullbrook declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pinkerton , who was deputy assistant to Bush and worked on the campaign , thinks his former boss ' hands were clean .
`` Bush was an ethical , honest guy , '' he tells the BBC , `` and if you said to him , we 're going to do a dirty trick to help you win , he would 've said , no . ''
But despite his reputation for civility and decency , `` the last gentleman '' - as Bush 's admirers call him - did not always measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his political life , he was fully prepared to fight dirty to win , as evidenced by the infamously race-baiting attacks he launched in 1988 to tar his then-Democratic challenger , Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis , as soft on crime .
Bush effectively blamed his rival for the torture and rape of a white couple by a black felon , Willie Horton , who had failed to return to prison after being allowed out on a weekend-release programme .
And as Ronald Reagan 's deputy , Bush blatantly lied when insisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on the administration 's secret effort to trade arms with Iran for hostages in violation of its own policy .
`` I 'm one of the few people who know the details , '' the vice-president had confided to his diary .
George Herbert Walker Bush - who died one year ago , aged 94 - was an intensely competitive man .
In 1980 , as his dream of capturing the Republican presidential nomination began to slip away in the wake of defeat to Reagan in New Hampshire , Bush penned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I WILL NEVER GIVE UP .
NEVER .
NEVER , '' it said in bold scrawl .
He gave up three months later .
Sidney Blumenthal , a historian and former Clinton White House aide , tells the BBC that `` of course '' the Home Office files search was done at the behest of the British government in cahoots with team Bush .
He notes that former Bush chief of staff James Baker - who declined to speak to the BBC for this article - stated in a 1992 memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , that the commander-in-chief would not have enlisted the UK to aid his campaign .
`` And yet somehow the Home Office went ahead , '' Blumenthal archly adds .
`` Hard to believe that they [ the British government ] would do this entirely unbidden . ''
The UK action might be dismissed as the suspected rogue meddling of an over-zealous ally , except that it was mirrored by a simultaneous muck-raking exercise within the Bush administration .
Just as the Republican president was making an issue of his rival 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a government warehouse in suburban Maryland was being scoured for damaging information on Clinton , and even his mother .
This scandal came to be known as Passportgate .
A stinging Department of State inspector general report would later implicate two Bush political appointees in having Clinton 's documents unsealed .
It was a fruitless bid to find out if the Democrat had ever considered renouncing his US citizenship during the Vietnam conflict .
While the watchdog did not establish the White House had directly instigated the invasion of privacy , it found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity '' , yet did nothing to stop it .
Baker was cleared three years later of any `` criminal intent '' in the matter by an independent counsel investigation set up under then-and-current US Attorney General William Barr .
Beyond the suspicions , no concrete proof has emerged of collusion between Bush and Major in the US election of '92 .
But even if there was , is n't what President Trump allegedly did - brazenly soliciting the interference of a foreign government , Ukraine , to harm the election prospects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden - worse ?
Not under US campaign finance law , according to Ann Ravel , former commissioner of the Federal Election Commission .
It is illegal for anyone to seek or accept anything of value from a foreign national in an American election , she points out .
Ms Ravel , who led the federal regulator in 2015 , tells the BBC : `` It would be the equivalent of what we 're seeing now [ with Trump ] because obviously it would be a request by the Bush White House for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign . ''
Though so much about the Trump presidency is said to be unprecedented , foreign interference in elections - with the occasional connivance of unscrupulous US office-seekers - is as old as the American republic itself .
As he pursued his own political ambitions , Founding Father Thomas Jefferson enabled outrageous French meddling in US internal affairs .
When President George Washington infuriated Paris by forging a peace treaty with Great Britain in 1794 , Jefferson briefed against his commander-in-chief to the French ambassador , who was trying to wreck the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1797 , Jefferson was suspected of treason when he undercut his boss by sabotaging Franco-American peace talks , again via diplomatic back channels .
How prescient that a decade earlier Adams had written to a friend in France : `` As often as Elections happen , the danger of foreign Influence recurs . ''
That letter was addressed to Jefferson .
More on US presidents • What Trump has in common with Lincoln and Ferris Bueller • Was James Buchanan really the worst president ?

Ms Ravel, who led the federal regulator in 2015, tells the BBC: "It would be the equivalent of what we're seeing now [with Trump] because obviously it would be a request by the Bush White House for what is something of value to the campaign."


bbc--2020-01-07--Max Verstappen extends Red Bull deal until 2023

Max Verstappen has extended his deal with Red Bull until the end of the 2023 season .
The 22-year-old Dutchman has been with the team since being promoted from Toro Rosso part-way through the 2016 season .
`` Red Bull believed in me and gave me the opportunity to start in Formula 1 which I have always been very grateful for , '' said Verstappen .
`` I want to win with Red Bull and our goal is of course to fight for a World Championship together . ''
• Verstappen on the difference between hard and dirty racing • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verstappen became the youngest winner in F1 history when he won the Spanish Grand Prix as an 18-year-old in 2016 .
He finished third in the title race behind champion Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas last season and the new deal appears to end speculation about the possibility of Verstappen moving to Mercedes or Ferrari .
`` With the challenge of the 2021 regulation changes on the horizon continuity in as many areas as possible is key , '' said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner .
`` Max has proven what an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he truly believes in the partnership we have forged with our engine supplier Honda , and we are delighted to have extended our relationship with him . ''
Max Verstappen 's new contract with Red Bull is a highly significant development in Formula 1 for a number of reasons .
For Red Bull , it secures the services of arguably the brightest new talent on the grid for the next four seasons .
And following on from Charles Leclerc 's commitment to Ferrari for the next five years , signed just before Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new generation know the stage on which they will fight for supremacy in the early years of this decade .
And at Mercedes , it hands Lewis Hamilton a whole heap of new bargaining power as he heads into the 2020 season and negotiations over a new contract .
Following Verstappen 's new deal , Hamilton is along with Ferrari 's Sebastian Vettel one of only two top-line drivers out of contract at the end of the 2020 season .
Hamilton 's team-mate Valtteri Bottas is also in that position , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superstar in the manner of Hamilton , Vettel , Verstappen and , after last year , Leclerc .
But after Vettel 's unconvincing and mistake-strewn performances for Ferrari over the past three seasons , Mercedes do n't really have any alternatives to Hamilton now that Verstappen and Leclerc are committed elsewhere .
Renault 's Daniel Ricciardo is a wildcard - but Mercedes have already rejected the chance to sign the Australian once .
Looking at it from Verstappen 's perspective , though , this is an interesting move .
Yes , Red Bull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ F1 beyond the end of 2020 - which Mercedes , technically and formally , are not yet .
But Honda announced last autumn only a one-year extension to the end of 2021 .
The Japanese company says it intends to stay longer , and only did not commit because it still has questions about the details of the new 2021 rules .
But still one imagines that Verstappen must have been given significant reassurances to commit for such a long period , especially as it was known that Mercedes are interested in him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As much as this strengthens Hamilton 's hand in negotiations with Mercedes , though , in some ways it also reduces his options .
Of course there are still potential seats available at Red Bull and Ferrari alongside Verstappen and Leclerc .
But after such a strong show of support for their new young stars from both teams - an illustration that they see them as their respective futures - would Hamilton , 35 today , really feel he could get the support he so enjoys at Mercedes if he were to move @

Verstappen became the youngest winner in F1 history when he won the Spanish Grand Prix as an 18-year-old in 2016
Max Verstappen has extended his deal with Red Bull until the end of the 2023 season.
The 22-year-old Dutchman has been with the team since being promoted from Toro Rosso part-way through the 2016 season.
"Red Bull believed in me and gave me the opportunity to start in Formula 1 which I have always been very grateful for," said Verstappen.
"I want to win with Red Bull and our goal is of course to fight for a World Championship together."
Verstappen became the youngest winner in F1 history when he won the Spanish Grand Prix as an 18-year-old in 2016.
He finished third in the title race behind champion Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas last season and the new deal appears to end speculation about the possibility of Verstappen moving to Mercedes or Ferrari.
"With the challenge of the 2021 regulation changes on the horizon continuity in as many areas as possible is key," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
"Max has proven what an asset he is to the team, he truly believes in the partnership we have forged with our engine supplier Honda, and we are delighted to have extended our relationship with him."
Verstappen is famed for his tough racing, including a clash with Esteban Ocon at the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix, in which he pushed and shoved the Frenchman after the race
Analysis
Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer
Max Verstappen's new contract with Red Bull is a highly significant development in Formula 1 for a number of reasons.
For Red Bull, it secures the services of arguably the brightest new talent on the grid for the next four seasons.
And following on from Charles Leclerc's commitment to Ferrari for the next five years, signed just before Christmas, it means the two biggest stars of the new generation know the stage on which they will fight for supremacy in the early years of this decade.
And at Mercedes, it hands Lewis Hamilton a whole heap of new bargaining power as he heads into the 2020 season and negotiations over a new contract.
Following Verstappen's new deal, Hamilton is along with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel one of only two top-line drivers out of contract at the end of the 2020 season.
Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas is also in that position, but few would regard him as a superstar in the manner of Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen and, after last year, Leclerc.
But after Vettel's unconvincing and mistake-strewn performances for Ferrari over the past three seasons, Mercedes don't really have any alternatives to Hamilton now that Verstappen and Leclerc are committed elsewhere. Renault's Daniel Ricciardo is a wildcard - but Mercedes have already rejected the chance to sign the Australian once.
Looking at it from Verstappen's perspective, though, this is an interesting move.
Yes, Red Bull and engine partner Honda are committed to F1 beyond the end of 2020 - which Mercedes, technically and formally, are not yet.
But Honda announced last autumn only a one-year extension to the end of 2021.
The Japanese company says it intends to stay longer, and only did not commit because it still has questions about the details of the new 2021 rules.
But still one imagines that Verstappen must have been given significant reassurances to commit for such a long period, especially as it was known that Mercedes are interested in him as a potential successor to Hamilton.
As much as this strengthens Hamilton's hand in negotiations with Mercedes, though, in some ways it also reduces his options.
Of course there are still potential seats available at Red Bull and Ferrari alongside Verstappen and Leclerc. But after such a strong show of support for their new young stars from both teams - an illustration that they see them as their respective futures - would Hamilton, 35 today, really feel he could get the support he so enjoys at Mercedes if he were to move?


bbc--2020-01-06--Ronaldo scores first Serie A hat-trick - and 56th overall

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Serie A hat-trick as Juventus beat Cagliari .
Ronaldo took advantage of a Ragnar Klavan error early in the second half to give the champions the lead , before scoring a penalty after Marko Rog fouled Paulo Dybala .
Portugal legend Ronaldo then set up Gonzalo Higuain to put Juve 3-0 up .
And moments later he got his 56th career hat-trick when he slipped the ball under goalkeeper Robin Olsen .
The 34-year-old is in his best scoring run since his £99.2m move from Real Madrid in 2018 , scoring in each of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily went top of the league but Inter Milan 's 3-1 win at Napoli later on Monday - featuring two goals from Romelu Lukaku - sent them back into first place on goal difference .
It was Ronaldo 's second hat-trick for Juve , having scored three against Atletico Madrid in last season 's Champions League last-16 tie .
He has scored three hat-tricks for Portugal since then .
The former Manchester United forward is the first player since Alexis Sanchez to score a hat-trick in the Premier League , La Liga and @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Cristiano Ronaldo's three goals all came in the second half
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Serie A hat-trick as Juventus beat Cagliari.
Ronaldo took advantage of a Ragnar Klavan error early in the second half to give the champions the lead, before scoring a penalty after Marko Rog fouled Paulo Dybala.
Portugal legend Ronaldo then set up Gonzalo Higuain to put Juve 3-0 up.
And moments later he got his 56th career hat-trick when he slipped the ball under goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
The 34-year-old is in his best scoring run since his £99.2m move from Real Madrid in 2018, scoring in each of his past five Serie A games.
Juventus temporarily went top of the league but Inter Milan's 3-1 win at Napoli later on Monday - featuring two goals from Romelu Lukaku - sent them back into first place on goal difference.
It was Ronaldo's second hat-trick for Juve, having scored three against Atletico Madrid in last season's Champions League last-16 tie. He has scored three hat-tricks for Portugal since then.
The former Manchester United forward is the first player since Alexis Sanchez to score a hat-trick in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.


bbc--2020-01-07--Bushfires not expected to delay Australian Open, say organisers

Australian Open organisers `` do n't expect any delays '' to the start of the tournament on 14 January despite the ongoing bushfires in the country .
Fires in Australia have killed at least 24 people since September and millions of hectares of land have been scorched .
Air quality in Melbourne has reached `` very unhealthy '' levels but tournament organisers have introduced `` additional measures '' to ensure it can run .
`` The forecast is good , '' said tournament director Craig Tiley .
`` We do n't expect any delays and we 've implemented additional measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to run as scheduled .
`` As always , the health and safety of our players , along with our staff and our fans , is a priority , and we 've committed substantial extra resources to analysis , monitoring and logistics to ensure this throughout the tournament .
`` There will be meteorological and air quality experts onsite to analyse all available live data and assess in real-time the air quality at Melbourne Park , and we always work closely with our medical personnel and other local experts .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to how we deal with extreme weather conditions like heat and rain . ''
Visibility in Melbourne , which hosts the opening Grand Slam of the year this month , is less than 1km ( 0.62 miles ) in some parts of the city and surrounding areas , according to Victoria 's Bureau of Meteorology .
The air quality index in the city reached 213 on Monday , with a reading above 200 considered `` very unhealthy '' .
Qualifying for the Australian Open begins on Tuesday , 14 January , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are very fortunate to have three roofed-stadiums and eight indoor courts at Melbourne Park .
For a number of years this has allowed us to effectively weather-proof the Australian Open , '' added Tiley .
`` While the conditions we are currently facing are unusual , they are nothing compared to the suffering so many across Australia are experiencing at the moment .
Our whole team is committed to using our events , including the Australian Open , to raise funds as part of the efforts to help these communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interruptions so far at the ATP Cup , which is taking place in Sydney , Brisbane and Perth , but this week 's Canberra challenger event was relocated more than 450km away to Bendigo and some football and basketball matches have been cancelled .
Nick Kyrgios , Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty have been among the tennis players who have pledged financial support to the relief fund .
Australian Open organisers also announced plans to raise money , including staging an `` AO Rally for Relief '' with a group of leading players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inordinate loss of people , wildlife , stock , homes , schools and businesses is going to require an extraordinarily widespread effort to get these families and communities back on their feet , '' Tiley said .
`` Our aim is for tennis to play a significant role where we can to help that recovery . ''
• Alerts : Get tennis news sent to your phone

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Fires have been ravaging parts of Australia and creating haze pollution
Australian Open organisers "don't expect any delays" to the start of the tournament on 14 January despite the ongoing bushfires in the country.
Fires in Australia have killed at least 24 people since September and millions of hectares of land have been scorched.
Air quality in Melbourne has reached "very unhealthy" levels but tournament organisers have introduced "additional measures" to ensure it can run.
"The forecast is good," said tournament director Craig Tiley.
"We don't expect any delays and we've implemented additional measures to ensure the Australian Open will be able to run as scheduled.
"As always, the health and safety of our players, along with our staff and our fans, is a priority, and we've committed substantial extra resources to analysis, monitoring and logistics to ensure this throughout the tournament.
"There will be meteorological and air quality experts onsite to analyse all available live data and assess in real-time the air quality at Melbourne Park, and we always work closely with our medical personnel and other local experts.
"This information will be used in a similar way to how we deal with extreme weather conditions like heat and rain."
Visibility in Melbourne, which hosts the opening Grand Slam of the year this month, is less than 1km (0.62 miles) in some parts of the city and surrounding areas, according to Victoria's Bureau of Meteorology. external-link
The air quality index in the city reached 213 on Monday, with a reading above 200 considered "very unhealthy".
Qualifying for the Australian Open begins on Tuesday, 14 January, with the main draw starting on 20 January.
"We are very fortunate to have three roofed-stadiums and eight indoor courts at Melbourne Park. For a number of years this has allowed us to effectively weather-proof the Australian Open," added Tiley.
"While the conditions we are currently facing are unusual, they are nothing compared to the suffering so many across Australia are experiencing at the moment. Our whole team is committed to using our events, including the Australian Open, to raise funds as part of the efforts to help these communities."
There have been no smoke-related interruptions so far at the ATP Cup, which is taking place in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, but this week's Canberra challenger event was relocated more than 450km away to Bendigo and some football and basketball matches have been cancelled.
Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty have been among the tennis players who have pledged financial support to the relief fund.
Australian Open organisers also announced plans to raise money, including staging an "AO Rally for Relief" with a group of leading players and a music event.
"The inordinate loss of people, wildlife, stock, homes, schools and businesses is going to require an extraordinarily widespread effort to get these families and communities back on their feet," Tiley said. "Our aim is for tennis to play a significant role where we can to help that recovery."


bbc--2020-01-07--Britain to face hosts Australia in ATP Cup quarter-finals

Great Britain will play hosts Australia in the ATP Cup quarter-finals after Belgium beat Bulgaria in a thrilling group finale .
Knowing defeat would mean elimination , Britain thrashed Moldova 3-0 and then topped Group C after Belgium won 2-1 .
Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans won their singles against Alexander Cozbinov and Radu Albot to clinch Britain 's victory .
Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury sealed a 3-0 win with a 6-2 6-2 success over Albot and Cozbinov in the doubles .
Britain , led by captain Tim Henman , will play Australia in Sydney at 10am local time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Bulgaria , who beat Britain in Friday 's opener , would have secured top spot if they had beaten the Belgians and left Britain facing an anxious wait to see if they would qualify as one of two best-placed runners-up .
Bulgaria led 1-0 in the best-of-three tie when Dimitar Kuzmanov eased past Belgium 's 35-year-old player-captain Steve Darcis in a 6-0 6-3 triumph .
US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov put the Bulgarians a set away from the last eight before Belgium 's world number 11 David Goffin fought back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contest at 1-1 .
Dimitrov , a former world three now ranked 20th , teamed up with Alexandar Lazarov in the decisive doubles and the Bulgarian pair again edged their side close to the quarter-finals by winning the opening set .
But the Belgian duo of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen fought back to win 3-6 6-4 10-7 at about 12:15am local time and leave the Bulgarian team disconsolate at the Ken Rosewall Arena .
Britain are the fourth nation to clinch their quarter-final place at the inaugural event in Australia , joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the knockout phase .
The ATP Cup is a new 24-nation knockout tournament that has been set up by the men 's professional tour to kick off the 2020 season .
It features six groups of four teams , who each play three round-robin ties in an event played across Sydney , Brisbane and Perth .
British number one Evans beat Goffin to inspire the turnaround against Belgium , which kept his team in the tournament and produced another impressive display against Albot .
Evans , ranked 42nd in the world , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Albot in the Delray Beach Open final last February , missing three championship points before a double fault handed victory to the Moldovan .
This time there were no such concerns in a 6-2 6-2 win for 29-year-old Evans , who is now poised to break into the world 's top 40 for the first time next week .
`` He was world class again .
Gave so little away .
Got off to a very good start , took his opportunities , and it was a really clinical performance , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number four .
`` I have known the tennis he 's capable of .
I would just say the challenge is to deliver that consistently throughout a match , consistently throughout the tournament and throughout a year , '' Henman , a former world number four , said of Evans .
`` And I think the element that we focused on is really the mental side of things and just playing it point by point , trying to structure the points on his terms so he can be aggressive and dictate at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great job of that . ''
Australia were the first nation to reach the quarter-finals , having not lost a single match in the round-robin stage with just a final doubles rubber against Greece still to play .
Spearheaded by their leading singles players Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios , the hosts will provide formidable opposition for a British side that has shown great fight to reach the knockout phase .
Kyrgios , ranked 29th , was in irrepressible form as he overcame Greek world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair are rated as two of the game 's most promising younger talents .
Little separated the two in a tight contest which Kyrgios , 24 , eventually edged 7-6 ( 9-7 ) 6-7 ( 7-3 ) 7-6 ( 7-5 ) in front of a ecstatic home crowd in Perth .
Frustration got the better of Tsitsipas after he lost the opening set , angrily smashing his racquet and seeming to catch his father Apostolos - also Greece 's team captain - which brought a telling-off from his mother Julia , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number five Daniil Medvedev sealed Russia 's spot in the quarter-finals by clinching victory over Group D rivals Norway .
Team-mate Karen Khachanov , ranked 17th , eased past world number 329 Viktor Durasovic in a 6-2 6-2 win , leaving Medvedev with the task of beating highly rated Casper Ruud to maintain Russia 's 100 % winning record .
US Open finalist Medvedev , 23 , won 6-2 7-6 ( 8-6 ) in one hour and 34 minutes to end world number 53 Ruud 's winning run , with the 21-year-old having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Fabio Fognini and American John Isner - in his previous two matches .
Russia are the third nation to secure their spot in the quarter-finals after hosts Australia and Serbia .
Canada still have a chance of joining those nations in the last eight following a 2-1 win over Germany in Group F. Jan-Lennard Struff put the Germans ahead with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime before Denis Shapovalov levelled by easing past world number seven Alexander Zverev - whose poor form at the tournament continues - in a 6-2 6-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and qualification hopes - to the deciding doubles where Shapovalov , 20 , and Auger-Aliassime , 19 , teamed up to beat French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3 7-6 ( 7-4 ) .

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Dan Evans celebrated with his British team-mates, who are led by Tim Henman, after clinching victory over Moldova
Great Britain will play hosts Australia in the ATP Cup quarter-finals after Belgium beat Bulgaria in a thrilling group finale.
Knowing defeat would mean elimination, Britain thrashed Moldova 3-0 and then topped Group C after Belgium won 2-1.
Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans won their singles against Alexander Cozbinov and Radu Albot to clinch Britain's victory.
Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury sealed a 3-0 win with a 6-2 6-2 success over Albot and Cozbinov in the doubles.
Britain, led by captain Tim Henman, will play Australia in Sydney at 10am local time on Thursday (23:00 GMT, Wednesday).
How the ATP Cup quarter-finals are shaping up Great Britain v Australia Thurs, 9 Jan - 10am local time (Wed, 8 Jan - 23:00 GMT) Group D winner v Russia Thurs, 9 Jan - 5:30pm local time (06:30 GMT) Serbia v second runner-up Fri, 10 Jan - 10am local time (Thurs, 9 Jan - 23:00 GMT) First runner-up v Group B winner Fri, 10 Jan - 5:30pm local time (06:30 GMT)
Bulgaria, who beat Britain in Friday's opener, would have secured top spot if they had beaten the Belgians and left Britain facing an anxious wait to see if they would qualify as one of two best-placed runners-up.
Bulgaria led 1-0 in the best-of-three tie when Dimitar Kuzmanov eased past Belgium's 35-year-old player-captain Steve Darcis in a 6-0 6-3 triumph.
US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov put the Bulgarians a set away from the last eight before Belgium's world number 11 David Goffin fought back to win 4-6 6-2 6-2 and level the contest at 1-1.
Dimitrov, a former world three now ranked 20th, teamed up with Alexandar Lazarov in the decisive doubles and the Bulgarian pair again edged their side close to the quarter-finals by winning the opening set.
But the Belgian duo of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen fought back to win 3-6 6-4 10-7 at about 12:15am local time and leave the Bulgarian team disconsolate at the Ken Rosewall Arena.
Britain are the fourth nation to clinch their quarter-final place at the inaugural event in Australia, joining the hosts, Serbia and Russia in the knockout phase.
The ATP Cup is a new 24-nation knockout tournament that has been set up by the men's professional tour to kick off the 2020 season.
It features six groups of four teams, who each play three round-robin ties in an event played across Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Evans produced another world-class performance - Henman
Since losing his opener to Grigor Dimitrov, Dan Evans has not dropped a set for a Great Britain squad without Andy Murray and Kyle Edmund
British number one Evans beat Goffin to inspire the turnaround against Belgium, which kept his team in the tournament and produced another impressive display against Albot.
Evans, ranked 42nd in the world, was denied a first ATP Tour title by Albot in the Delray Beach Open final last February, missing three championship points before a double fault handed victory to the Moldovan.
This time there were no such concerns in a 6-2 6-2 win for 29-year-old Evans, who is now poised to break into the world's top 40 for the first time next week.
"He was world class again. Gave so little away. Got off to a very good start, took his opportunities, and it was a really clinical performance," said British captain Henman, a former world number four.
"I have known the tennis he's capable of. I would just say the challenge is to deliver that consistently throughout a match, consistently throughout the tournament and throughout a year," Henman, a former world number four, said of Evans.
"And I think the element that we focused on is really the mental side of things and just playing it point by point, trying to structure the points on his terms so he can be aggressive and dictate at the right moments.
"He's done a great job of that."
Kyrgios maintains Australia run as Tsitsipas loses his cool
Australia were the first nation to reach the quarter-finals and have not lost a single match in the round-robin stage after closing out another 3-0 win against Greece.
Spearheaded by their leading singles players Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios, the hosts will provide formidable opposition for a British side that has shown great fight to reach the knockout phase.
Kyrgios, ranked 29th, was in irrepressible form as he overcame Greek world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas in an entertaining three-set match that showed why the pair are rated as two of the game's most promising younger talents.
Little separated the two in a tight contest which Kyrgios, 24, eventually edged 7-6 (9-7) 6-7 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) in front of a ecstatic home crowd in Perth.
Frustration got the better of Tsitsipas after he lost the opening set, angrily smashing his racquet and seeming to catch his father Apostolos - also Greece's team captain - which brought a telling-off from his mother Julia, who was sat behind the team bench.
Medvedev helps Russia to the quarter-finals
Daniil Medvedev has dropped just one set in his three singles victories for Russia
World number five Daniil Medvedev sealed Russia's spot in the quarter-finals by clinching victory over Group D rivals Norway.
Team-mate Karen Khachanov, ranked 17th, eased past world number 329 Viktor Durasovic in a 6-2 6-2 win, leaving Medvedev with the task of beating highly rated Casper Ruud to maintain Russia's 100% winning record.
US Open finalist Medvedev, 23, won 6-2 7-6 (8-6) in one hour and 34 minutes to end world number 53 Ruud's winning run, with the 21-year-old having beaten two top 20 players - Italy's Fabio Fognini and American John Isner - in his previous two matches.
Russia are the third nation to secure their spot in the quarter-finals after hosts Australia and Serbia.
Canada still have a chance of joining those nations in the last eight following a 2-1 win over Germany in Group F.
Jan-Lennard Struff put the Germans ahead with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime before Denis Shapovalov levelled by easing past world number seven Alexander Zverev - whose poor form at the tournament continues - in a 6-2 6-2 win.
That took the tie - and qualification hopes - to the deciding doubles where Shapovalov, 20, and Auger-Aliassime, 19, teamed up to beat French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3 7-6 (7-4).


bbc--2020-01-07--Man Utd issue semi-final ejection warning for Man City fans in home areas at Old Trafford

Manchester United have warned anyone `` visibly or audibly '' supporting Manchester City in a home area of Old Trafford on Tuesday will be ejected .
The clubs jointly decided to cut away allocations for the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final on security grounds .
There are fears City fans could buy tickets in home areas after United put tickets on general sale after failing to sell out .
It is expected around 70,000 fans will be at the game .
`` We have a series of measures in place to minimise any risks and anyone visibly or audibly supporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied entry to the ground or ejected during the game , '' said United , who have also emailed their season ticket holders with a reminder that `` all tickets must be used by Manchester United supporters '' .
Tonight 's crowd will be the highest for a United game in the Carabao Cup for a number of years , but is still expected to be around 6,000 short of capacity .
It will exceed the 65,798 they got for the semi-final against Hull in 2017 but will fall short of the 74,576 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , which United won thanks to an injury-time Wayne Rooney goal .
The failure to sell-out will cost United more than £200,000 in lost gate receipts and would almost certainly have been avoided had it not been for the joint decision to cut normal away allocations for such fixtures .
Instead of the 10 % allocation as stipulated in Football League regulations , City received 3,000 tickets for the game , with United getting around 2,800 for the return leg at Etihad Stadium on 29 January .
The clubs took the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place when the sides met last month , when United midfielder Fred appeared to be racially abused by a City supporter .
It is also understood at the previous semi-final , there were flashpoints that made the clubs wary of the consequences of a repeat .
United say increased police , stewarding and crowd surveillance will be in operation 'both inside and outside the ground ' .

United beat City 2-1 in the Premier League in December
Manchester United have warned anyone "visibly or audibly" supporting Manchester City in a home area of Old Trafford on Tuesday will be ejected.
The clubs jointly decided to cut away allocations for the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final on security grounds.
There are fears City fans could buy tickets in home areas after United put tickets on general sale after failing to sell out.
It is expected around 70,000 fans will be at the game.
"We have a series of measures in place to minimise any risks and anyone visibly or audibly supporting the away team in home areas will be denied entry to the ground or ejected during the game," said United, who have also emailed their season ticket holders with a reminder that "all tickets must be used by Manchester United supporters".
Tonight's crowd will be the highest for a United game in the Carabao Cup for a number of years, but is still expected to be around 6,000 short of capacity.
It will exceed the 65,798 they got for the semi-final against Hull in 2017 but will fall short of the 74,576 they got for the 2010 semi-final against City, which United won thanks to an injury-time Wayne Rooney goal.
The failure to sell-out will cost United more than £200,000 in lost gate receipts and would almost certainly have been avoided had it not been for the joint decision to cut normal away allocations for such fixtures.
Instead of the 10% allocation as stipulated in Football League regulations, City received 3,000 tickets for the game, with United getting around 2,800 for the return leg at Etihad Stadium on 29 January.
The clubs took the decision following a number of incidents that took place when the sides met last month, when United midfielder Fred appeared to be racially abused by a City supporter.
It is also understood at the previous semi-final, there were flashpoints that made the clubs wary of the consequences of a repeat.
United say increased police, stewarding and crowd surveillance will be in operation 'both inside and outside the ground'.


bbc--2020-01-06--I won't train Man Utd, just like I would never train Real Madrid - Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he would never manage Manchester United and would prefer to go on holiday than take over at Old Trafford .
Guardiola was on United 's radar to replace Sir Alex Ferguson but had already agreed to join Bayern Munich when the Scot retired in 2013 .
The Spaniard said his status at City means he would not join United even if it was the only offer he had .
`` If I did n't have any offers , I would be in the Maldives , '' he said .
`` Maybe not the Maldives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses but after training City , I wo n't train United , just like I would never train Madrid , '' said Guardiola , speaking before his side 's trip to Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday .
• Can you name Manchester derby scorers from 2010s ?
Ferguson famously met Guardiola for dinner in New York in 2012 .
At the time , the former Barcelona coach was on his sabbatical year and Ferguson was still to decide he would end his own illustrious career just months later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardiola 's plans but the return call never came .
United went on to win the Premier League but have not come close to winning another , whereas Guardiola has two titles - to add to the three Bundesliga crowns he won at Bayern Munich .
The 48-year-old has won 20 major honours , all with the distinctive tactics he learned from legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff when he was a player at Barcelona .
It is for that reason former England skipper Gary Lineker recently said on Twitter that Guardiola has `` changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and has had `` arguably the most positive influence of anyone , ever on our game '' .
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer understands the sentiment but , for the Norwegian , Ferguson remains peerless .
`` I admire Pep 's teams , '' he said .
`` He is one of the best managers ever and you can see where he has taken his wisdom from but I have to say I worked under the most influential one .
`` But when you watch City , you have to admire what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stick true to their values and beliefs . ''
United on the right track Remarkably , Guardiola has three wins at Old Trafford from four visits as City boss , yet recorded only one victory from the same number of meetings at the Etihad Stadium .
Guardiola has no answer to the bizarre sequence , which continued last month when United deservedly beat his team 2-1 at the Etihad .
However , he is certain United 's current malaise will not continue indefinitely and believes , under Solskjaer , they are starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for .
`` I have incredible respect for this club , '' he said .
`` In every club 's history there are periods when you struggle a bit .
But they will be back .
Sooner or later they will be in the positions to fight for the Premier League title . ''
The issue of 'tactical fouls ' has again been a talking point around a Manchester derby .
Guardiola is adamant he has never instructed any of his players to deliberately foul an opposition player to halt a counter-attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credence were it not for his former assistant and current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta telling City 's midfield players to do exactly that in the Amazon documentary released about the club earlier this season .
Solskjaer does feel there is an issue .
`` Sometimes I look at the referees and look at our games and even if they are just little fouls , there have been teams who have stopped us with them , which has stopped us showing how good we are when we attack , '' he said .

Guardiola has three wins from four games at Old Trafford as Manchester City manager
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he would never manage Manchester United and would prefer to go on holiday than take over at Old Trafford.
Guardiola was on United's radar to replace Sir Alex Ferguson but had already agreed to join Bayern Munich when the Scot retired in 2013.
The Spaniard said his status at City means he would not join United even if it was the only offer he had.
"If I didn't have any offers, I would be in the Maldives," he said.
"Maybe not the Maldives because it doesn't have any golf courses but after training City, I won't train United, just like I would never train Madrid," said Guardiola, speaking before his side's trip to Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
"Definitely not."
Pep or Fergie?
Guardiola's Barcelona beat Manchester United in two Champions League finals
Ferguson famously met Guardiola for dinner in New York in 2012.
At the time, the former Barcelona coach was on his sabbatical year and Ferguson was still to decide he would end his own illustrious career just months later. Ferguson asked to be kept abreast of Guardiola's plans but the return call never came.
United went on to win the Premier League but have not come close to winning another, whereas Guardiola has two titles - to add to the three Bundesliga crowns he won at Bayern Munich.
The 48-year-old has won 20 major honours, all with the distinctive tactics he learned from legendary Dutchman Johan Cruyff when he was a player at Barcelona.
It is for that reason former England skipper Gary Lineker recently said on Twitter external-link that Guardiola has "changed the way we play/think about the game" and has had "arguably the most positive influence of anyone, ever on our game".
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer understands the sentiment but, for the Norwegian, Ferguson remains peerless.
"I admire Pep's teams," he said. "He is one of the best managers ever and you can see where he has taken his wisdom from but I have to say I worked under the most influential one.
"But when you watch City, you have to admire what they are trying to do. They stick true to their values and beliefs."
United on the right track
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial scored Manchester United's goals in their win at Manchester City last month
Remarkably, Guardiola has three wins at Old Trafford from four visits as City boss, yet recorded only one victory from the same number of meetings at Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola has no answer to the bizarre sequence, which continued last month when United deservedly beat his team 2-1 at the Etihad.
However, he is certain United's current malaise will not continue indefinitely and believes, under Solskjaer, they are starting to develop the style of play he is looking for.
"I have incredible respect for this club," he said.
"In every club's history there are periods when you struggle a bit. But they will be back. Sooner or later they will be in the positions to fight for the Premier League title."
Tactical fouls
The issue of 'tactical fouls' has again been a talking point around a Manchester derby.
Guardiola is adamant he has never instructed any of his players to deliberately foul an opposition player to halt a counter-attack, although his words would have more credence were it not for his former assistant and current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta telling City's midfield players to do exactly that in the Amazon documentary released about the club earlier this season.
Solskjaer does feel there is an issue.
"Sometimes I look at the referees and look at our games and even if they are just little fouls, there have been teams who have stopped us with them, which has stopped us showing how good we are when we attack," he said.


bbc--2020-01-07--IN A NUTSHELL: The story in 400 words

IN A NUTSHELL: The story in 400 words

The assassination by the US of Iran 's most powerful general caused tensions between the two countries to soar , raising fears of an all-out war .
But what lies at the root of the crisis ?
Here are the basics .
The US and Iran have long been foes .
Problems can be traced to at least 1979 , when Iran 's US-backed shah was overthrown and the country became an Islamic republic .
That year , amidst the fallout from the revolution , dozens of Americans were taken hostage inside the US embassy in the capital Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were signs of a diplomatic thaw in 2015 , when Iran agreed a landmark deal to limit its nuclear programme , allaying international concerns .
It did so in return for the lifting of tough economic sanctions .
But the election of US President Donald Trump the following year posed a challenge .
He hated the nuclear accord , which he branded `` the worst deal ever negotiated '' .
In 2018 , he abandoned it altogether and reinstated US sanctions to force Iran 's leaders to agree to a new deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian economy was sent into a deep recession .
Mr Trump stepped up the pressure in May 2019 by applying secondary sanctions on countries that continued to do business with Iran .
Relations further deteriorated when six oil tankers were sabotaged in the Gulf of Oman in May and June .
Washington accused Iran of being behind these attacks .
Iran denied this .
In July , Tehran started suspending some of the commitments it had made under the nuclear deal .
Then , in late December , the US blamed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed an American contractor in northern Iraq .
Washington retaliated by bombing bases associated with the militia in Iraq and Syria , killing at least 25 fighters .
These bombings sparked a backlash in Iraq .
The US embassy in the capital , Baghdad , was attacked by crowds of protesters .
President Trump blamed Iran for orchestrating the attack and warned it would `` pay a very big price '' .
On 3 January , Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport .
The general - who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East - was regarded as a terrorist by the Americans , who alleged he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops and was plotting `` imminent '' attacks .
Iran vowed `` severe revenge '' for his death and said two days later that it had abandoned the last limit on its enrichment of uranium imposed by the nuclear deal .
Mr Trump , meanwhile , warned the US would respond in the event of retaliation `` perhaps in a disproportionate manner '' .
Want to know more ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean WW3 ?

In 2018, he abandoned it altogether and reinstated US sanctions to force Iran's leaders to agree to a new deal - something they rejected, even as the Iranian economy was sent into a deep recession.


bbc--2020-01-07--PROFILE: The new man leading Iran's elite Quds Force

Iran promised there would be `` severe revenge '' after Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike .
If there is retaliation Soleimani 's long-term deputy , Esmail Qaani , will be the one leading it .
Following the assassination Gen Qaani became the new chief of Iran 's elite Quds Force .
The Quds Force is the overseas operations arm of Iran 's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps ( IRGC ) , set up in the wake of the Iranian revolution in 1979 to defend the country 's Islamic system .
Gen Qaani , 63 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mashad , Iran 's second most populous city and an important pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims .
He joined the IRGC in 1980 .
Like Soleimani , Gen Qaani is a veteran of the bloody 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war , which pitted the forces of the new Iranian government against those of then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein .
• Will his killing spark war and more of your questions Gen Qaani has said the friendship the pair forged came through the hardships of the conflict .
`` We are children of war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After the war he joined the Quds Force and was stationed in Khorasan Province , which borders Afghanistan and Turkmenistan .
Little is known about his activities but it is thought that while Soleimani focused on the west , Gen Qaani looked after Iranian priorities in the east , such as combating drug smuggling and aiding Afghanistan 's Northern Alliance in its battles against the Taliban Gen Qaani is also said to have performed more of a day-to-day , administrative role in the forces .
In a mark of his seniority in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the US in 2012 for his work funding the Quds Force 's operations around the world .
Soleimani worked to bolster the Iranian state 's influence in the Middle East , playing an active role in Syria , Iraq , Lebanon and Yemen .
Gen Qaani 's challenge is to emulate his predecessor , a man hailed as a hero by many in Iran and someone widely seen as the most powerful person in the country behind the Supreme Leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
He quickly echoed promises of action from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` God the Almighty has promised to take martyr Soleimani 's revenge .
Certainly actions will be taken , '' he told state television .
Announcing Gen Qaani as Soleimani 's successor , Ayatollah Khamenei said the Quds Force would be `` unchanged '' .
While there are questions whether the new Quds Force chief can match Soleimani 's influence , analysts say the strength of the IRGC owes more than just to individuals .
`` It is difficult to expect Qaani , the bureaucrat , to emulate his predecessor 's charismatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington .
`` That said , Qaani will exert influence nonetheless , owing to the institutional power of the Quds Force itself . ''
`` Qaani will hit the ground running , '' tweeted Afshon Ostovar , an author on the IRGC and assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in the US .
He said the IRGC `` relies much less on individuals than many analysts believe '' , adding : `` Soleimani 's death will have an impact , but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's regional network or operations .
Revenge aside . ''

Little is known about his activities but it is thought that while Soleimani focused on the west, Gen Qaani looked after Iranian priorities in the east, such as combating drug smuggling and aiding Afghanistan's Northern Alliance in its battles against the Taliban


bbc--2020-01-06--ON THE STREETS: 'There will be consequences'

Jeremy Bowen describes the scene in Baghdad as Iraqis mourn the deaths of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi @ @ @ @ @ Iraqi militia leader .
The two men were killed in a US drone strike in @ @ @ @

Jeremy Bowen describes the scene in Baghdad as Iraqis mourn the deaths of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was an Iraqi militia leader.
The two men were killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on Friday.


bbc--2020-01-06--IN PICTURES: Iran's cultural sites under threat

Following the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani , US President Donald Trump has threatened to respond to any Iranian retaliation by attacking Iranian cultural sites .
There are hundreds of such sites with historical significance in Iran , more than 20 with Unesco World Heritage status .
Here is a selection of some of the most important .
One of the largest city squares in the world , Naqsh-e Jahan Square ( Pattern of the World Square ) , is in the city of Isfahan , built in the early 17th Century .
Sited in Naqsh-e Jahan Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the 1979 revolution ) .
It is decorated with elaborate tiles and also registered as a Unesco World Heritage site .
The Golestan Palace is a complex of royal buildings with elaborate interiors in Tehran , and was the official residence of the Qajar dynasty in the 19th Century .
Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire , and dates back to 515 BC .
It was declared by Unesco to be a World Heritage Site in 1979 .
Showing Darius the Great of the Achaemenid Empire around 500 BC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief written in several languages and was crucial to the deciphering of cuneiform script - one of the earliest systems of writing .
One of the largest adobe ( earth-based building material ) constructions in the world , the ancient Arg-e Bam citadel was situated on the ancient Silk Road East-West trade route .
Extensively damaged in an earthquake in 2003 , it is currently undergoing reconstruction .
The Azadi ( Freedom ) Tower in the centre of Iran was originally commissioned by the last Shah of Iran , Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation of the Imperial State of Iran .
It was renamed after the 1979 Revolution which removed him from power , and is the site of major gatherings celebrating the Islamic republic .
The Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini houses the tombs of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - the founder of the Islamic republic - and his family , together with other political figures .
It is an important site of pilgrimage in modern Iran .

Showing Darius the Great of the Achaemenid Empire around 500 BC, the Behistun Inscription is a large rock relief written in several languages and was crucial to the deciphering of cuneiform script - one of the earliest systems of writing.