bbc--2020-01-15--Iran chess ref Shohreh Bayat fears returning home over hijab row

For 32-year-old Iranian Shohreh Bayat , the Women 's World Chess Championship was meant to be a career highlight .
It is her first time as the event 's chief arbiter - a senior role .
But that achievement has been clouded by controversy after the circulation of a photograph taken at game in Shanghai that appears to show Ms Bayat without a headscarf , as her country mandates .
She now feels unsafe to return to Iran , where women can be arrested for violating strict Islamic dress code .
`` I turned on my mobile and saw that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media ] .
They were claiming I was not wearing a headscarf and that I wanted to protest against the hijab , '' Ms Bayat told the BBC .
She says she was , in fact , covering her head as she always has at international tournaments , despite disagreeing with the rule .
'Women should have right to choose' '' It 's against my beliefs .
People should have the right to choose the way they want to dress , it should not be forced , '' she explained , speaking from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now refereeing the second leg of the World Championship .
`` I was tolerating it because I live in Iran .
I had no other choice . ''
But this time Ms Bayat has run into serious problems .
The photographs circulating online and being discussed by Iran 's state media show Ms Bayat 's scarf apparently draped over her shoulders and not over her hair .
In other pictures from the same day , her head is clearly - albeit loosely - covered .
Ms Bayat says Iran 's chess federation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the fuss , which she took to mean an apology and a defence of Iran 's dress code .
So now she says it 's too risky to return to her family .
`` There are many people in prison in Iran because of the headscarf .
It 's a very serious issue .
Maybe they 'd want to make an example of me , '' she explains , adding that she had `` totally panicked '' when she saw the reaction online .
The International Chess Federation ( Fide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation , as Ms Bayat has not broken any of its rules .
But English grandmaster and now Fide Vice-President Nigel Short did tweet a photo praising the chief arbiter .
Ms Bayat says she asked Iran 's chess federation to write a letter guaranteeing her safety on her return , but they declined .
She believes that they are under pressure , from higher up .
'My achievements have been overlooked' Ms Bayat is angry that the argument over how she dresses has overshadowed her achievements in chess , where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level women arbiters in the world - and the only one at all in Asia .
`` I ca n't think of any Iranian women who have worked at such a high-level tournament .
But the only thing that matters for them is my hijab , not my qualification .
That really bothers me , '' Ms Bayat says .
Her own case comes soon after Iran 's first female Olympic medal-winner apparently defected .
Kimia Alizadeh later posted on Instagram that she had left Iran partly because she was fed up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think people are under too much pressure , especially athletes , '' Ms Bayat says , adding : `` This pressure to be something that you are not . ''
She had felt that herself , even before the main controversy erupted : she had sent a photograph for Iran 's chess federation website , only to have it request another because the hijab on the image Ms Bayat had chosen was not `` good enough '' .
For now , Ms Bayat is focusing on the job in hand : refereeing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her title from Russian challenger Alexandra Gorychkina .
She 's not yet sure of her own next move .
But as she can not return to Iran , she has concluded that she has nothing more to lose and has removed her hijab altogether .
`` This is a very hard decision .
I feel so sad because I 'm going to miss my family , '' she confesses , though she said taking off her scarf meant she could `` be myself '' .
`` If I had a choice to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would love to , '' Ms Bayat says .
`` But I do n't know what would happen to me . ''
Read more about the Islamic veil :

"It's against my beliefs. People should have the right to choose the way they want to dress, it should not be forced," she explained, speaking from Vladivostok in eastern Russia, where she is now refereeing the second leg of the World Championship.


bbc--2020-01-15--Trump launches fresh attack on Apple over privacy

US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Apple .
He tweeted that the company was refusing to unlock iPhones `` used by killers , drug dealers and other violent criminal elements '' .
On Monday US Attorney General William Barr accused Apple of not being helpful in an inquiry into a shooting that is being treated as a terrorist act .
It is the latest in a series of clashes between the White House and technology giants over access to data .
Mr Trump accused Apple of refusing to co-operate with investigators despite his administration helping the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president 's comments came a day after Mr Barr said Apple had failed to provide `` substantive assistance '' to unlock two iPhones in an investigation into a fatal shooting at a naval base in Pensacola , Florida .
Three US sailors were killed when a Saudi trainee at the base opened fire on 6 December .
Apple said it rejected the claim that it had failed to help officials in their investigation .
`` Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely , thorough and are ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Should governments be given keys to access our messages ?
This is not the first time Apple has clashed with the US justice department .
After a mass shooting in San Bernardino , California in 2015 , in which 14 people were killed and 22 others were seriously injured , Apple refused to help gain access to the gunman 's iPhone .
The US government ended up paying another company a reported $ 1m ( £770,000 ) to develop software to get around the device 's encryption .
The disputes highlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and law enforcement agencies around the world .
On one side encryption plays a crucial role in protecting people 's privacy , on the other it can cause major issues for criminal investigators .

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bbc--2020-01-15--UK paper defends printing Meghan letter to father

The Mail on Sunday will use evidence from the Duchess of Sussex 's father , Thomas Markle , in a High Court battle over the publication of a private letter she wrote to him .
Meghan accuses the paper of misusing her private information , breaching copyright and selective editing .
The Mail on Sunday rejects the claims and says there was `` huge and legitimate '' public interest in publishing the note .
No date has been set for the case .
Documents submitted to the High Court by the paper laying out its defence show much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon comes from Mr Markle .
He was at the centre of controversy in the lead up to Meghan 's marriage to Prince Harry in 2018 .
• Tax and titles : Your Harry and Meghan questions answered The documents include text messages sent from Mr Markle to his daughter ahead of the wedding .
`` The fact that so much of the evidence appears to come directly from him and that he appears to be co-operating with the paper presents at least the possibility of him being called to testify in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter John Donnison said .
The Daily Mail , the Mail on Sunday 's sister paper , reported on Wednesday that Mr Markle is `` expected to be called as a key witness '' in the case .
What is the Mail on Sunday arguing ?
The newspaper has given what BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond describes as a `` very robust '' response to Meghan 's claims .
The paper argues in legal documents that members of the Royal Family , including the duchess , `` rely on publicity about themselves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privileged positions they hold and promote themselves '' .
It said the duchess `` did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy that the contents of the letter were private and would remain so '' .
`` There is a huge and legitimate public interest in the Royal Family and the activities , conduct and standards of behaviour of its members , '' it said .
`` This extends not merely to their public conduct , but to their personal and family relationships because those are integral to the proper functioning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not infringe her privacy , the paper says the letter was `` immaculately copied '' in Meghan 's `` elaborate handwriting '' , arguing that this care in its presentation meant she anticipated it would be seen and read by a wider audience .
What is the paper 's response to Meghan 's claims ?
The 44-page legal filing by the Mail on Sunday aims to tackle the duchess ' claims one by one : • Meghan claimed she had not courted publicity for her relationship with her father - but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her friends to speak about it for an article in a US magazine • The duchess said publishing the letter breached her copyright - but the Mail on Sunday says it was not a protected `` original literary work '' but a recounting of existing facts • Meghan said it infringed her data rights - but the newspaper says the data was not sensitive and concerned topics she had put in the public domain • Accused of selective editing - the Mail on Sunday says the extracts it released accurately conveyed the tone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is the background ?
In October , law firm Schillings , acting for the duchess , filed a High Court claim against the Mail on Sunday and its parent company Associated Newspapers over the alleged misuse of private information , infringement of copyright and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 .
At the time , Harry said he and his wife were forced to take action against `` relentless propaganda '' .
Referring to his late mother Diana , Princess of Wales , he said : `` I lost my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling victim to the same powerful forces . ''
The legal proceedings are being funded privately by the couple and any proceeds will be donated to an anti-bullying charity .
Has this happened before ?
Yes - it is not the first time the royals have taken legal action against the press .
In 2017 , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awarded £92,000 ( 100,000 euros ) in damages after French magazine Closer printed topless pictures of the duchess in 2012 .
Where are Meghan and Harry ?
Meghan returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
The duchess visited a women 's centre in Vancouver on Tuesday , in her first public appearance since she and Prince Harry said they would `` step back '' as full-time royals .
The Downtown Eastside Women 's Centre posted a photograph of the duchess with staff and visitors on Facebook , with the caption `` Look who we had tea with today '' .
Her visit was `` to discuss issues affecting women in the community '' , the group added .
The visit provides a sense of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Canada , following their decision to split their time between the Commonwealth country and the UK .
Prince Harry is expected to join Meghan and Archie in Canada at a later date - he is due to attend an official event at Buckingham Palace on Thursday .
Meanwhile , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to make their first joint visit since Prince Harry and Meghan 's decision to `` step back '' in Bradford later .
What about Meghan and Prince Harry 'stepping back ' ?
Details of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royal Family seeks to redefine the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 's role after the pair issued their surprise statement a week ago .
The Queen , the Prince of Wales , the Duke of Cambridge , and Prince Harry met at Sandringham on Monday to discuss the couple 's future .
In a statement released later , the Queen said discussions had been `` very constructive '' and that final decisions will `` be reached in the coming days '' .

"The fact that so much of the evidence appears to come directly from him and that he appears to be co-operating with the paper presents at least the possibility of him being called to testify in court against his own daughter," BBC reporter John Donnison said.


bbc--2020-01-14--Alaskan wilderness fire survivor tells story

Rescue crews found Tyson Steele 23 days after his cabin burned down , killing his dog and leaving him with @ @ @ @ @ on rationed canned food that had been charred by the fire .
He plans to @ @ @ @ @ home .

Rescue crews found Tyson Steele 23 days after his cabin burned down, killing his dog and leaving him with no shelter.
Steele survived on rationed canned food that had been charred by the fire. He plans to return Alaska to rebuild his home.


bbc--2020-01-15--Reconnecting with nature 'triggers' eco-actions

People who have access to nature or urban green spaces are much more likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways , a study suggests .
Researchers used a representative sample of 24,000 people in England for their study of green behaviour .
The findings also showed that people who were not exposed to green spaces were less likely to adopt green behaviours , such as recycling .
The findings will appear in the journal Environment International .
The team of scientists from South-West England found that the link between access to green spaces and a greater level of green behaviour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether it was older people , younger people , rich or poor , male or female .
`` The message that we want to get out is that reconnecting with nature may promote sustainable behaviour , '' explained co-author Ian Alcock from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter .
Dr Alcock explained that previous studies had highlighted a link that if people had more connections to nature , they were more likely to make more green choices .
`` But the evidence came from small-scale experiments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BBC News .
`` What we wanted to do was to test that idea on a large scale , so we took a large nationally representative sample of the population of England .
People who took part in the study were asked a range of questions , such as whether they recycled , bought eco-friendly brands , bought local or seasonal produce etc .
`` People who made more nature visits were more likely to engage in recycling and more likely to engage in green travel and were more likely to engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message for policymakers is that we should encourage these active exposures to nature in order to encourage greater environmentalism .
`` What this suggests to us , from a policy viewpoint , is that there should be efforts to increase contact through improving both social participation also through the physical infrastructure , through promises to improve access to natural spaces in urban settings .

"What this suggests to us, from a policy viewpoint, is that there should be efforts to increase contact through improving both social participation also through the physical infrastructure, through promises to improve access to natural spaces in urban settings.


bbc--2020-01-15--Miscarriage 'can lead to' post-traumatic stress

One in six women who lose a baby in early pregnancy experiences long-term symptoms of post-traumatic stress , a UK study suggests .
Women need more sensitive and specific care after a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy , researchers say .
Toni Edwards-Beighton , 36 , says she felt she was losing her mind after a miscarriage in 2016 .
`` I felt my grief was wrong because it was n't a real baby - but I was in complete shock , '' she says .
Warning : Some readers may find part of this article distressing Toni and husband Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their baby had no heartbeat at 12 weeks , before she miscarried naturally at home in the bathroom .
But she did n't expect to bleed heavily for eight days and then have to go through painful contractions .
`` I thought I was going mad , '' she says .
`` I had no information about what what would happen to me or what I could expect to see . ''
In the end , something `` recognisable and the size of a palm '' fell between her legs in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital the following day , they told her to `` bring the pregnancy tissue in and we 'll get rid of it '' .
`` It was n't 'tissue ' to me , it was our baby , '' Toni says .
In the weeks that followed , she started to panic about everything , especially their daughter who was four at the time .
`` I worried she was going to die - I could see her falling to the ground . ''
Months later , Toni 's GP diagnosed her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and offered her counselling - but she did n't go because by that time she was pregnant again .
`` The following nine months were awful - I was convinced I 'd lose my baby again , '' she says .
Toni and Matt now have two daughters , Phoebe who is eight and Willow who is two .
• 'They called my baby biowaste - it broke my heart' In the study of 650 women , by Imperial College London and KU Leuven in Belgium , 29 % showed symptoms of post-traumatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declining to 18 % after nine months .
Most had been through an early miscarriage before 12 weeks - while the rest had had an ectopic pregnancy .
The women , who attended three London hospitals - Queen Charlotte 's and Chelsea , St Mary 's , and Chelsea and Westminster , completed questionnaires about their feelings over the course of a year .
One month following their loss , 24 % had symptoms of anxiety and 11 % of depression .
This reduced to 17 % and 6 % after nine months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage in the UK - with most happening early before 12 weeks • There are 250,000 miscarriages every year and 10,000 ectopic pregnancies • Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks • An ectopic pregnancy is one that develops outside the uterus , or womb Get information and support at BBC Action Line Dr Jessica Farren , specialist registrar and clinical fellow at Imperial College London , said miscarriage could be a very traumatic experience .
`` For some women , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond their control .
`` These can be profound events which stay with you . ''
Even though these losses are at a very early stage , `` women are looking for validation for them '' , Dr Farren says .
Being told it 's `` only a bag of cells '' is not always helpful .
Among a control group of women who had healthy pregnancies , 13 % had symptoms of anxiety and 2 % of depression one month after giving birth .
The study recommends that women who have miscarried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most at risk of psychological problems .
Counselling and support will help many women , but those with symptoms of PTS need specific treatment if they are going to recover , the research says .
This can range from cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) to medication , and should be given by a qualified professional .
An earlier , smaller study from 2016 found that early pregnancy loss could trigger symptoms of post-traumatic stress .
`` For too long , women have not received the care they need following a miscarriage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , '' says Jane Brewin , chief executive of miscarriage and stillbirth charity Tommy 's .
`` Miscarriage services need to be changed to ensure they are available to everyone and women are followed up to assess their mental wellbeing with support being offered to those who need it , and advice is routinely given to prepare for a subsequent pregnancy . ''

"Miscarriage services need to be changed to ensure they are available to everyone and women are followed up to assess their mental wellbeing with support being offered to those who need it, and advice is routinely given to prepare for a subsequent pregnancy."


bbc--2020-01-15--737 Max crisis: Boeing sees lowest orders in decades

Boeing has reported its worst annual orders in at least two decades - as it remains in crisis over its 737 Max model .
The company also said deliveries of its planes slumped to an 11-year low last year .
It means the US firm has lost its title as the world 's biggest plane maker to European rival Airbus .
The 737 Max has been grounded since March after two crashes in which 346 people were killed .
Boeing said net orders after cancellations for 2019 totalled just 54 planes .
That compares with 893 the previous year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 53 % to 380 planes , the lowest number since 2007 .
• New Boeing chief : ' I 'm confident in the future' The company last month halted production of what had been its best-selling commercial airliner .
The grounding of the 737 Max means it is impossible for the firm to deliver the planes to customers .
In comparison , Boeing 's main rival Airbus said earlier this month that it delivered a record 863 planes in 2019 and racked up a net 768 orders after cancellations .
• 29 October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Lion Air crashes after leaving Indonesia , killing all 189 people on board • 31 January 2019 : Boeing reports an order of 5,011 Max planes from 79 customers • 10 March 2019 : A 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashes , killing all 157 people on board A bright spot for the Chicago-based plane maker was a record number of deliveries of 787 Dreamliners in the last three months of 2019 .
The company delivered 45 of the wide-body passenger jets , which first went into service in 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calhoun took the helm of the manufacturer on Monday .
Mr Calhoun said he is `` confident in the future '' of the firm , telling staff his `` primary focus '' will be returning the 737 Max to the skies .
He replaced Dennis Muilenburg , who was fired last month , in a move the company 's board said was necessary to `` restore confidence '' in Boeing .
The aviation industry is also feeling the pressure over fears of a global economic slowdown and the US-China trade war .

Mr Calhoun said he is "confident in the future" of the firm, telling staff his "primary focus" will be returning the 737 Max to the skies.


bbc--2020-01-15--India police probe death of newborn 'mauled by dog' in hospital

Police in India are investigating allegations that a newborn died after being mauled by a stray dog at a hospital .
The parents alleged that their baby was alive and in the operating theatre when the dog attacked .
The hospital , however , insists the infant was stillborn .
Officials told the BBC that they have shut down the hospital in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh as it was running without a licence .
Police say they are awaiting results of the post-mortem to determine the cause of death .
`` Early evidence suggests that the baby was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigating how a dog entered the hospital , '' district magistrate Manvendra Singh told the BBC .
`` The hospital says the baby was stillborn and did n't die because of the attack .
But parents say the hospital is lying .
We are investigating the case thoroughly , '' he added .
The father told the Times of India newspaper that the baby was inside the operating theatre when a member of the hospital staff came running out of the room , saying a dog had entered .
`` The baby had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left eye .
He was lying still , '' the father , Ravi Kumar , said .
He also accused the staff of trying to bribe him to stay quiet when he confronted them .
Uttar Pradesh has been in the news in recent years for deadly attacks by stray dogs .
A three-month-old and a seven-year-old were mauled to death by dogs in two separate incidents last year in the state .
In 2018 , villagers of Sitapur district said dogs had killed 12 children in a series of attacks .

"The hospital says the baby was stillborn and didn't die because of the attack. But parents say the hospital is lying. We are investigating the case thoroughly," he added.


bbc--2020-01-15--Student rape reports: The battle to be believed

Three women who reported being violently sexually assaulted by fellow students – including one woman who says she was bitten @ @ @ @ @ have told the BBC the perpetrators got away with it .
A number of UK @ @ @ @ @ action to improve safety on campus but , as reports of sexual misconduct at universities @ @ @ @ @ how seriously the issue is being taken .
If you have been affected by sexual @ @ @ @ @ and support is available at BBC Action Line .

Three women who reported being violently sexually assaulted by fellow students – including one woman who says she was bitten and left with bruises – have told the BBC the perpetrators got away with it.
A number of UK universities say they are taking action to improve safety on campus but, as reports of sexual misconduct at universities rise, questions remain about how seriously the issue is being taken.
If you have been affected by sexual abuse or violence, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.
Video produced by Megan Fisher


bbc--2020-01-15--Liang Jun: China's first female tractor driver, and national icon, dies

A woman who became China 's first female tractor driver , and eventually a national icon , has died at the age of 90 .
In 1948 , Liang Jun became the only female in China to take up the job , when she enrolled in a training class for tractor drivers .
More than a decade later , an image of her proudly driving a tractor was featured on China 's one-yuan banknote .
`` No-one could drive as well as me , '' she had said in an earlier interview .
`` I have no regrets in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1930 to a poor family in China 's remote Heilongjiang province .
She spent most of her early years helping out at a farm as well as studying in a rural school .
In 1948 , when a local school opened up a course to train tractor drivers , she seized her chance .
According to local media , there were 70 students in the class - with Liang Jun being the only woman .
She eventually completed her training and became the country 's first female tractor driver .
A year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the creation of the People 's Republic of China .
In previous eras in China , nobles , poets and military leaders were the ones to admire .
But when the communists took power in 1949 , a new kind of hero was born - the model worker , a concept already in use in the Soviet Union .
The Chinese state promoted poor , hard-working individuals whose dedication to building a socialist country was held up for others to follow .
Liang Jun was one of the first , and one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her smiling face as she drives her tractor on the one yuan banknote was supposed to inspire others to similar heights of achievement .
It was not just class barriers she broke down either .
Liang Jun became a symbol for all Chinese women , and the possibilities that now opened up for them .
She herself made full use of those opportunities .
She became an engineer and a politician ; a long journey from an impoverished childhood .
Liang Jun joined the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) as a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Beijing to learn more about agricultural machinery .
She returned to Heilongjiang upon finishing her studies and was posted to work in the Agricultural Machinery Research Institute .
In 1962 , China began printing banknotes that featured an image of her driving a tractor .
The communist party had prioritised the mobilising of women - especially those in the countryside - in the country 's growing labour force .
Featuring women in various occupations was a way of promoting this , with `` no occupation more promoted than that of the female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxford Handbook of the History of Communism .
As China pushed Liang Jun into the limelight , her story was also printed in textbooks and is said to have inspired dozens of other women to become tractor drivers .
In 1990 , she retired from her position as chief engineer of the Harbin municipal bureau of agricultural machines - marking the end of several decades in the industry .
You may also like : In recent years however , Liang Jun battled various illnesses .
She often shifted in and out of consciousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed , said media reports .
Her son , Wang Yanbing , said she had died `` peacefully '' on Monday .
`` She had put up a good fight , '' he told a Harbin news outlet .
`` She was always happiest when people talked about her as China 's first female tractor driver . ''
On social media website Weibo , tributes flowed in for Liang Jun , after her death became the top trend .
`` She showed that whatever men can do , women could do as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goodbye to this woman who held up half the sky , '' said another comment , referencing a famous phrase by Mao Zedong .
`` She worked hard and became the heroine of her generation , '' another said .
`` Goodbye Liang Jun .
We salute you . ''

It was not just class barriers she broke down either. Liang Jun became a symbol for all Chinese women, and the possibilities that now opened up for them. She herself made full use of those opportunities. She became an engineer and a politician; a long journey from an impoverished childhood.


bbc--2020-01-15--The Coffin Club: People meeting to make their own coffins

Meet The Coffin Club of Rotorua - New Zealanders who get together every week to make their own coffins .
@ @ @ @ @ 's spread around the world , with coffin clubs springing up across the UK , @ @ @ @ @ beyond .

Meet The Coffin Club of Rotorua - New Zealanders who get together every week to make their own coffins.
It's an idea that's spread around the world, with coffin clubs springing up across the UK, the US and other countries beyond.
Video produced by Ellen Tsang and Mauricio Olmedo-Perez.


bbc--2020-01-14--Australia fires: Running to heal on Kangaroo Island

Australia 's Kangaroo Island has been badly hit by bushfires , which are still burning in places .
For members @ @ @ @ @ , getting out for a run is one way of coping with the emotional toll @

Australia's Kangaroo Island has been badly hit by bushfires, which are still burning in places.
For members of the weekly Parkrun club, getting out for a run is one way of coping with the emotional toll.
Video by Simon Atkinson.


bbc--2020-01-15--The Indian small-town shop owner who became a TikTok star

When 27-year-old Sumit Jain started sharing his dance videos on TikTok , his family laughed at him .
But that @ @ @ @ @ man from the western Indian state of Maharashtra from following his dream - which was @ @ @ @ @ and the world , to watch him dance .
Now , a year later , @ @ @ @ @ on the video-sharing platform .
This is the first in a series of videos on @ @ @ @ @ ordinary people who have made it big on social media .

When 27-year-old Sumit Jain started sharing his dance videos on TikTok, his family laughed at him.
But that didn't stop the young man from the western Indian state of Maharashtra from following his dream - which was for people across India, and the world, to watch him dance. Now, a year later, he has millions of followers on the video-sharing platform.
This is the first in a series of videos on India's Social Stars - ordinary people who have made it big on social media.
Video by Kinjal Pandya-Wagh, Shubham Koul and Nikita Mandhani


bbc--2020-01-14--South Africa: 'When I'm surfing, I feel like everything is possible'

Mental health is an important topic for young people around the world .
In South Africa , surfing is helping @ @ @ @ @ Change is an organisation that teaches young people from deprived neighbourhoods the value of teamwork @ @ @ @ @ about their emotions .
Radio 1 Newsbeat went to Cape Town to find out more @

Mental health is an important topic for young people around the world. In South Africa, surfing is helping people cope.
Waves for Change is an organisation that teaches young people from deprived neighbourhoods the value of teamwork, sharing experiences and opening-up about their emotions. Radio 1 Newsbeat went to Cape Town to find out more.
Video journalist: Christian Parkinson
Produced by Nesta McGregor and Paul Stanworth
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


bbc--2020-01-15--Harry and Meghan: Who are the royals' most powerful aides?

The Queen has agreed a `` period of transition '' as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex search for a new role in the Royal Family .
With a final decision expected in the coming days , the family 's most senior advisers are now involved in negotiations .
So , who are they ?
Fiona Mcilwham is the newest of the private secretaries advising members of the Royal Family .
She now finds herself at the centre of plans to develop an entirely new way of working for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex .
Joining their team in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter as a `` Crown servant , diplomat , wannabe super-mum '' .
She previously held a variety of senior diplomatic posts , including ambassador to Albania , and was a senior adviser on EU enlargement .
Private secretaries are the royals ' most powerful aides .
They offer advice and guidance on political , diplomatic and constitutional issues and currently occupy a crucial position in an unprecedented time for the monarchy .
As Ms Mcilwham was appointed directly by Prince Harry and Meghan , she is likely to have their trust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In these uncertain times , her role could become increasingly influential as significant decisions are made .
• Tax and titles : Your Harry and Meghan questions answered Appointed less than a year ago , Sara Latham is the duke and duchess 's front-line media contact .
She has already had to deal with a whirlwind of issues , such as their split from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 's charitable foundation and legal action against various newspapers .
Also handpicked by Prince Harry and Meghan , she has swiftly become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and information the Royal Family put out .
But although her official brief is to deal with the media , it is also likely she will be offering the duke and duchess personal advice .
Thought to be a dual US-UK citizen , Ms Latham worked for then President Bill Clinton in the late 1990s and was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign .
In-between , she was a special adviser to Baroness Tessa Jowell , then Secretary of State for Culture , Media and Sport , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner at PR agency Freuds .
Her transatlantic contacts and communications experience no doubt appealed to Prince Harry and Meghan and will become especially important now they intend to forge a new role for themselves in North America .
One of the most senior and influential members of the royal household is the Queen 's private secretary .
Sir Edward Young is expected to `` steady the ship '' in times of trouble , from within an institution that favours stability and continuity .
He is viewed as the most senior figure among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is helping to guide and advise the Queen on a future role for Prince Harry and Meghan that will keep everyone happy .
According to the Buckingham Palace , the Queen 's private secretary is also `` the channel of communication between the head of state and the government '' .
And that is not just in the UK but also the 15 other countries that recognise the Queen as their sovereign .
Sir Edward joined the royal household in 2004 and worked his way up from more junior private secretary positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at broadcaster Granada and an executive at Barclays .
He has held this role since 2017 , when he succeeded Christopher Geidt .
Prior to his departure , there were allegations of a `` power struggle '' between Lord Geidt and the Prince of Wales , who was said to be wary of any change that might reduce his involvement in his key causes such as combating climate change .
Donal McCabe became the Queen 's communications secretary last year .
The former corporate communications director at Ladbrokes is a veteran of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the London Underground , Railtrack and Boots .
Clive Alderton spent many years as a Foreign Office diplomat , with postings in Poland , Belgium , Singapore and France .
He first worked at Clarence House in 2006-12 before becoming the UK ambassador to Morocco .
In 2015 , he rejoined as principal private secretary to the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall .
He is a key figure in helping Prince Charles plan what kind of monarch he wants to be , as he increasingly takes on duties that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Payne was the BBC 's director of communications and more recently held a senior role at Burberry .
He has the sometimes difficult job of making sure the work of Prince Charles receives attention in an environment where there is often a keen focus on the younger royals .
Working as private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge , who will one day be King , requires an eye to the future .
Simon Case is a key adviser in the Cambridge household as they come to learn more about what is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Queen increasingly less disposed to travel , their role - and consequently Simon Case 's role - will become increasingly important .
He is also involved as the duke and duchess continue to develop their mental-health projects and other charity work .
Mr Case is a career civil servant , with stints at the Ministry of Defence and on the London organising committee of the 2012 Olympics .
He later served as then Prime Minister David Cameron 's private secretary .
Mr Case was also responsible for overseeing Brexit negotiations around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's private secretary in 2018 .
The Duchess of Cambridge had her own private secretary , Catherine Quinn , but she is thought to be leaving the role .
Prior to joining Kensington Palace last year , Christian Jones was a speech-writer and press secretary for David Davis when he was Secretary for Exiting the European Union .

He has held this role since 2017, when he succeeded Christopher Geidt. Prior to his departure, there were allegations of a "power struggle" between Lord Geidt and the Prince of Wales, who was said to be wary of any change that might reduce his involvement in his key causes such as combating climate change.


bbc--2020-01-15--Strongman Putin stokes patriotism in small-town Russia

This ancient Russian town has its own Kremlin and a myriad of onion domes from monasteries and churches .
But what catches my eye is an ordinary nine-storey apartment block by the railway station .
I say ordinary .
But that was before someone painted a giant mural of Vladimir Putin on the side of the building .
On Apartment Block 25 on Polyanskaya Street , President Putin is half naked , wearing only a towel , and sporting bulging muscles .
He is depicted holding up the world , rather like Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology who held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his endurance .
So is Mr Putin : he 's been in power in Russia for 20 years .
The residents of Apartment Block 25 appear in no hurry to see him go .
`` Putin has made Russia 's position in the world stronger , '' Vladimir tells me .
`` Let him have another 10 years in office . ''
`` I was 10 when Putin came to power , '' says Ilya .
`` Now I 'm 30 .
I ca n't really imagine any another leader . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tatyana , `` but at least the world takes notice of Putin . ''
'There will be war anyway' At the Patriotic Youth Centre across town , high school students are being shown a film about a local hero .
Vasily Zaitsev was an ace fighter pilot in World War Two , twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union .
President Putin has made the Soviet victory in World War Two a key element of Russia 's national idea .
But as I 'm about to discover , there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vyacheslav Burilov , the former head of the Kolomna Flying Club ( Helicopter Section ) gets up to make a speech .
`` Unfortunately , our country , the USSR , was destroyed , '' he tells the young audience .
• The man who helped put Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin '' And much of Russia 's land went to other countries , which is not right .
Like Ukraine , Belarus , parts of the Baltic states and part of Kazakhstan .
You must make sure this land is returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scared if you hear people say , 'There must n't be war . '
There will be war anyway . ''
I follow the group as they walk through the slushy streets of Kolomna to Vasily Zaitsev 's monument and lay red carnations .
Mr Burilov from the Flying Club is there .
Astonished by his call to arms , I approach him .
`` What you 're calling for , '' I tell him , `` means a major war . ''
`` It wo n't be a big war , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear weapons .
If our authorities are decisive and strong , our opponents wo n't want to fight . ''
A man called Alexander joins our conversation and starts to criticise the authorities .
`` The only time they think of us is when they need our taxes , our votes , or cannon fodder for their wars .
There are so many negative things . ''
Hearing my accented Russian , he suddenly goes quiet .
`` Just a minute , are you a citizen of Russia ? ''
he asks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no point in me spouting on , '' concludes Alexander .
`` Just so you know , we love Russia , we love our country .
We are patriots ! ''
For some in Kolomna the more important battles are closer to home .
Local activist Vyacheslav Yegorov takes me to a landfill on the edge of Kolomna .
Concerned by its overuse and the noxious smell , campaigners fought hard to get the dump shut .
Its closure is a victory for people power .
But only partially .
In connection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia 's leading human rights group , Memorial , has concluded that the case against him is politically motivated .
Vyacheslav claims that Russia 's FSB intelligence service had tried to weaken the protests by attempting to discredit him .
`` They claimed I was working for the US State Department and that I had billions stashed away in Swiss bank accounts , '' he tells me .
Back in town I head to the Church of St John the Apostle , where a priest is reciting prayers in the soup kitchen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up here , the only battle they are waging - in difficult economic circumstances - is for their own survival .
`` My gas and electricity have been cut off , '' Olga tells me .
`` I have no money to pay the bills .
My pension does n't cover it .
And as for prices in the shops , everything is so expensive . ''
Olga tells me it 's not just the free meals that bring her to church .
She comes here to pray .
For in Kolomna the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one story , when the town was attacked by foreign invaders , hundreds of years ago , the townsfolk took refuge in a church .
When they prayed for help , the ground opened and the church and parishioners were hidden underground , while the church bells inspired the local soldiers to keep fighting .
In today 's Russia , part of the population are counting on their president to make life better .
Others have decided they can only rely on themselves .
And some Russians are still hoping for a @ @

"And much of Russia's land went to other countries, which is not right. Like Ukraine, Belarus, parts of the Baltic states and part of Kazakhstan. You must make sure this land is returned to Greater Russia. And don't be scared if you hear people say, 'There mustn't be war.' There will be war anyway."


bbc--2020-01-14--Australia fires: The farmers burying their own cattle

Belinda Attree walks towards a ditch in a paddock that has been blackened by Australia 's massive bushfires .
`` We 'll get as close as we can without probably getting a bit sick , '' she says .
In the ditch - now a grave - are 20 dead cattle and a kangaroo .
All were badly burned when the fire swept through Corryong , about half-way between Melbourne and Sydney .
Warning : Some may find the following pictures of dead animals distressing Belinda , her husband Travis , and their children made a terrifying last-minute escape as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through their property .
But when they returned after the fire-front had passed , they found 11 dead cows , and others that were too injured to keep .
`` It destroys you , mate , to shoot your own cattle , '' Travis says .
`` I take pride in my cattle , to have them in good condition .
And to do this , it 's just not right . ''
Travis Attree has put down cows before .
It 's an unpleasant reality of farming .
But he has never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a bit .
They 've lost lots of other things too : all their hay , the hay shed , another shed full of football memorabilia , two boats , and an all-terrain vehicle .
But losing animals hurts the most .
When asked why he has n't covered the animals ' grave , the answer is simple .
`` My neighbour has n't found all of his , '' he says .
`` There could be more to go in there yet . ''
• The grief of losing a vineyard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they returned to the property .
In it , she tearfully follows their injured herd through the choking haze , knowing they wo n't have any choice but to euthanise many of the stock .
`` They must have just been in so much pain , '' she says .
`` And that 's what 's hard .
What 's really really hard . ''
Much of their property is an ashen moonscape .
There 's nothing for their remaining livestock to eat .
They have rolls of hay on their front lawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 've already sent 30 of their animals to the abattoir , and more might go .
Marilyn and Neil Clydsdale are cattle breeders who have 400 breeding stock across their properties near Corryong .
They 've lost at least 30 , including three out of four bulls they raised from birth .
`` During the firestorm , one of them ended up on our back porch , absolutely frizzled , '' Marilyn says , Neil has only just arrived back at his farm with a truck loaded with round bales .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with his grandson and his cattle dog Ned , heads out past dead , bloated cattle laid out in a line .
The tractor ambles up the hill , and stops next to the livestock that survived .
Neil walks around and unhooks the bale , which unravels down the hill , and the grateful cattle tuck in .
But he still has to figure out what to do with them .
`` We either have to engage in a very heavy feeding regime , sell off the livestock , or locate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
• What 's Australia doing to fight the bushfires ?
He 's a collector of antique farm machinery , and it 's this social network that has generated an unexpected lifeline .
A collector friend found them a property owner who wants an overgrown paddock eaten out .
They 'll pay to truck their remaining livestock down there , but otherwise it 's free .
It 's a tremendous stroke of luck .
But the day is n't done with Neil yet .
As he feeds his cows , he notices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hanging off the rim of the wheel .
It 's flat and it 's irretrievable .
He had a spare in a shed in town .
But that burned down and it was n't insured .
It 's another A $ 1,500 ( £800 ; $ 1,030 ) expense on a list that just keeps growing .
It 's demoralising .
An insult on top of injury .
Neil looks a little glum , but there 's no time to think about it .
There 's too much work to be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the south coast of New South Wales with about 1,200 acres .
He 's been hit twice by bushfire over the past few months , and they have burnt out about two-thirds of his land .
`` I 've never had two fires hit me ever in my life before , '' he says .
Dairy Farmers Australia , an industry body , says around 70 dairy farms have been hit in this year 's fires , including 20-25 each in New South Wales and Victoria , and maybe 12 in South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 20 % of his stock .
He 's still figuring it out .
In some places the stock may have wandered onto a neighbour 's property .
Some of his dairy cows were kept cool under sprinklers .
But for many others , the heat and the stress have just been too much .
Cows that are calving have been affected too .
`` We 've had four or five abort in the last 48 hours , '' he says .
He 'll need to bring in 25 tons of feed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the moment , with all the road closures , that 's impossible .
The cows have been on ration feeding .
He 'll have to get rid of many more .
He 'll export some of his lower quality stock to Japan when he 's able .
There will be huge decisions over the coming week about what to do with his stock .
He 's filled with a sense of dread about the rest of the season .
`` I 'm on an edge .
I know if I take my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could happen , '' he says .
• How do we know how many animals died in bush fires ?
• Which animals fare best and worst in fires ?
If there 's one thing everyone agrees on , it 's that there 's a desperate need for rain , both to put out the massive fires and to rehabilitate the farms .
Last year was Australia 's hottest and driest on record .
The tinder dry conditions fuelled the fires .
And the recovery is also likely to stretch water resources , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts of water .
`` Our catchment is diabolically impacted by this , '' says Helen Haines , the independent MP for Indi , which takes in Corryong , as well as the headwaters of the Murray , Australia 's largest river system .
And while cattle farmers have been hit hard , they 're certainly not the only agricultural or primary industry that 's been affected .
Already , Ms Haines says , wine growers , pine plantations and hop growers have all been hit .
She expects the impact will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After all , the fires stretch from Victoria all the way up to Queensland , and there 's almost two months left in the fire season .
Neil Clydsdale is 70 .
He has worked at the same property since 1984 .
He thinks many other local farmers will simply give up and do something else .
Personally , he 's thinking of retiring .
`` In terms of financial and emotional stress on people , I think this is going to take a number of years for the community to recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's horrendous . ''
But not everyone feels the same way .
The Attrees are hopeful that with a little luck and a little rain , they 'll be restocking by May .
Besides , they do n't know what they 'd do otherwise .
`` There 's no other choice for us , '' says Belinda .
`` We would never choose to leave .
This is us . ''

But not everyone feels the same way. The Attrees are hopeful that with a little luck and a little rain, they'll be restocking by May. Besides, they don't know what they'd do otherwise.


bbc--2020-01-15--The accidental Singer sewing machine revolution

Gillette adverts stand against toxic masculinity .
Budweiser makes specially-decorated cups to encourage non-binary and gender-fluid people to feel pride in their identity .
These examples of so-called `` woke capitalism '' - of corporations promoting progressive social causes - may feel ostentatiously up-to-the-moment .
But woke capitalism is not as new as you might think .
Back in 1850 , social progress certainly had further to go .
A couple of years earlier , American campaigner Elizabeth Cady Stanton had caused controversy at a women 's rights convention by calling for women to be given the vote .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambitious .
Meanwhile , in Boston , a failed actor was trying to make his fortune as an inventor .
He had rented space in a workshop showroom , hoping to sell his machine for carving wooden type .
But wooden type was falling out of fashion .
The device was ingenious , but nobody wanted to buy one .
The workshop owner invited the demoralised inventor to take a look at another product which was also struggling : a sewing machine .
It did not work very well .
Nobody had succeeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many attempts for many decades .
The opportunity was clear .
True , the time of a seamstress was not expensive - as the New York Herald said : `` We know of no class of workwomen who are more poorly paid for their work or who suffer more privation and hardship . ''
But sewing took so much time - 14 hours for a single shirt - that there would be a fortune in speeding it up .
And it was not only seamstresses who suffered : most wives and daughters were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ever-beginning '' task , in the words of contemporary writer Sarah Hale , made their lives `` nothing but a dull round of everlasting toil '' .
In that Boston workshop , the inventor sized up the machine he had been asked to admire , and quipped : `` You want to do away with the only thing that keeps women quiet . ''
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions , ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world .
It is broadcast on the BBC World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the programme 's sources and listen to all the episodes online or subscribe to the programme podcast .
That failed-actor-turned-inventor was Isaac Merritt Singer .
He was flamboyant , charismatic , capable of great generosity - but ruthless , too .
He was an incorrigible womaniser who fathered at least 22 children .
For years he managed to run three families , not all of whom were aware the others existed , and all while technically still married to someone else entirely .
At least one woman complained that he beat her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a natural supporter of women 's rights - although his behaviour might have rallied some women to the cause .
His biographer , Ruth Brandon , dryly remarks that he was `` the kind of man who adds a certain backbone of solidity to the feminist movement '' .
`` In place of the shuttle going round in a circle , '' he told the workshop owner , `` I would have it move to and fro in a straight line , and in place of the needle bar pushing a curved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight needle moving up and down . ''
Singer patented his tweaks , and started to sell his version of the machine .
It was impressive : the first design that really worked .
You could make a shirt in just an hour .
Unfortunately , it also relied on various other innovations which had already been patented by other inventors - such as the grooved , eye-pointed needle , to make a lock stitch , and the mechanism for feeding the cloth .
During the so-called `` sewing machine war '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more interested in suing each other for patent infringement than selling sewing machines .
Finally , a lawyer banged their heads together , pointing out that between them were four lots of people who owned patents to all the elements needed to make a good machine .
Why not license each other , and work together to sue everyone else ?
More things that made the modern economy : • Killed for spying : The story of the first factory • How the humble brick built the world Freed from legal distractions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and Singer came to dominate it .
That might have surprised anyone who had seen how his factories compared with those of his rivals .
Others had rushed to embrace what was known as the `` American system '' of manufacturing , using bespoke tools and interchangeable parts .
Yet Singer was late to this party : for years his machines were made from hand-filed parts and store-bought nuts and bolts .
But Singer and his canny business partner , Edward Clark , were pioneers in another way : marketing .
Sewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' income for the average family .
Clark came up with the idea of hire purchase : families could rent the machine for a few dollars a month - and , when their rental payments totalled the purchase price , they would own it .
It helped overcome the bad reputation built up by the slower , less reliable machines of bygone years .
So did Singer 's army of agents , who would set up the machine when you bought it , and call back to check it was working .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem .
And that problem was misogyny .
For a flavour of the attitudes Stanton was up against , consider two cartoons .
One shows a man asking why you would buy a `` sewing machine '' when you could simply marry one .
In another , a salesman says women will get more time to `` improve their intellects ! ''
The absurdity was understood .
Such prejudice fuelled doubts that women could operate these expensive machines .
Singer 's business depended on showing that they could , no matter how little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women in his own life .
He rented a shop window on Broadway in New York , and employed young women to demonstrate his machines - they drew quite a crowd .
Singer 's adverts cast women as decision-makers : `` Sold only by the maker directly to the women of the family . ''
They implied that women should aspire to financial independence : `` Any good female operator can earn with them $ 1,000 a year ! ''
By 1860 , the New York Times was gushing : no other invention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our mothers and daughters '' .
Seamstresses had found `` better remuneration and lighter toil '' .
Still , the Times rather undercut its gender-conscious credentials by attributing all this to the `` inventive genius of man '' .
Perhaps we should ask a woman .
Here 's Sarah Hale , from Godey 's Lady 's Book and Magazine in 1860 : `` The needlewoman is… able to rest at night , and have time through the day for family occupations and enjoyments .
Is this not a great gain for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sceptics about `` woke capitalism '' today .
It is all just a ruse to sell more beer and razors , is n't it ?
Perhaps it is .
Singer liked to say he cared only for the dimes .
But he is also proof that that social progress can be advanced by the most self-interested of motives .
The author writes the Financial Times 's Undercover Economist column .
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service .
You can find more information about the programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episodes online or subscribe to the programme podcast .

The opportunity was clear. True, the time of a seamstress was not expensive - as the New York Herald said: "We know of no class of workwomen who are more poorly paid for their work or who suffer more privation and hardship." But sewing took so much time - 14 hours for a single shirt - that there would be a fortune in speeding it up.


bbc--2020-01-15--Remembering Nigeria's Biafra war that many prefer to forget

The deaths of more than a million people in Nigeria as a result of the brutal civil war which ended exactly 50 years ago are a scar on the nation 's history .
For most Nigerians , the war over the breakaway state of Biafra is generally regarded as an unfortunate episode best forgotten , but for the Igbo people who fought for secession , it remains a life-defining event .
In 1967 , following two coups and turmoil which led to about a million Igbos returning to the south-east of Nigeria , the Republic of Biafra seceded with 33-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helm .
The Nigerian government declared war and after 30 months of fighting , Biafra surrendered .
On 15 January 1970 , the conflict officially ended .
The government 's policy of `` no victor , no vanquished '' may have led to a lack of official reflection , but many Nigerians of Igbo origin grew up on stories from people who lived through the war .
Three of those who were involved in the secessionist campaign have been sharing their memories .
'We thought we were magicians' He had just finished grammar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant at the University of Nigeria , Nsukka ( UNN ) , in south-eastern Nigeria , when the civil war began .
Almost every student he knew became part of the war effort .
He joined the Biafran army and was assigned to the signal unit , whose responsibilities included `` active intelligence and eavesdropping on the Nigerian military '' .
`` We thought we were magicians , '' said 76-year-old Mr Ago .
`` The Nigerians who were pursuing us were trained soldiers .
We were not .
We were drafted into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training .
`` Plus the fact that we were hungry .
Some of us , our skin was getting rotten .
Nobody can fight a war like that . ''
In January 1966 , some senior Nigerian army officers , mostly of the Igbo ethnic group , assassinated key politicians during a coup in the West African state .
Those killed included Ahmadu Bello , a revered leader in the north .
This led to months of massacres against the Igbo living in the north .
Tens of thousands were killed while about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the Eastern Region .
These events sparked the Igbo 's decision to secede , spearheaded by Ojukwu , who was then the military governor of the Eastern Region .
In the months preceding the war , Ojukwu often visited UNN , the only university in south-eastern Nigeria at the time , to meet with students and prepare them for secession .
Mr Ago looked forward to these visits , and joined the crowd who gathered at the university 's Freedom Square .
`` Once his helicopter touched down , everybody went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
`` He had this incredible sense of humour .
He spiked everybody up and we formed songs and were singing and enjoying ourselves . ''
In the first year of the war , the Nigerian government captured the coastal city of Port Harcourt and imposed a blockade , which cut food supplies to Biafra .
Mr Ago remembers the overpowering hunger that often forced Biafran soldiers to catch and eat mice .
He also remembers the last year of the war when his unit was continuously on the move , fleeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the war , '' he said , `` the Biafrans made some dramatic successes that gave us hope that we might hold the Nigerians until at least some help from outside came . ''
By late 1969 , all hope was lost .
• January 1966 - Nigerian government overthrown in what was seen as an `` Igbo coup '' led by junior army officers • July 1966 - Second coup masterminded by Murtala Muhammed , Lt Col Yakubu Gowon becomes head of state • June to October 1966 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Igbos , killing many and forcing up to a million to return to south-eastern Nigeria • May 1967 - Ojukwu declares independence of the Republic of Biafra Mr Ago left the army and went in search of his family , whom he had not heard from in more than two years .
He collected his portion from an allocation of raw rice to his unit , then set off towards the village of a relative , where he suspected his parents and siblings would be holed up .
`` I had to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it across rivers and forests until I found them , '' he said .
Many of his friends and classmates had died at the battlefront .
But his family was delighted to see that the son and brother they assumed dead was alive .
And they were glad that he had turned up with food .
Hunger killed more Biafrans than bullets and bombs .
When the university was reopened a few months after the war ended , Mr Ago returned to UNN , eventually graduating with a degree in plant and soil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have done better if we had handled it with a little bit more intelligence , '' said Mr Ago .
`` I think now that Ojukwu… thought he was Jesus Christ .
`` He thought he could do magic .
If he had slowed down and allowed some people who were with him to advise him properly , we would have come out better than we did . ''
'They only had knives and cutlasses' He was a physics lecturer at UNN when the civil war began .
For the next 30 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( RAP ) group comprising Igbo scientists from various fields .
Its primary responsibility was to provide technological support to the Biafran army , which was poorly equipped .
The RAP 's most notable product was the `` ogbunigwe '' , a weapons launcher of remarkable and devastating effect which influenced the outcome of many battles in Biafra 's favour , according to historical reports .
`` Without us , the war would have lasted only about 30 hours , '' said the 85-year-old .
`` When the war started , there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store or anywhere throughout Biafra .
They only had knives and cutlasses .
No gun , no bomb , no nothing . ''
In the aftermath of the war , the Nigerian government did not want to impose any form of collective punishment .
Nevertheless , the Igbo faced some devastating consequences , particularly economically as the Biafran currency that people had accumulated became worthless .
Many Igbo still feel sidelined in Nigerian politics , as since the civil war no-one from the ethnic group has become president .
Increasing cries of marginalisation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergence of Igbo groups agitating once again for secession , particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra ( Ipob ) , formed by UK-based British-Nigerian Nnamdi Kanu .
Mr Oragwu wishes that the Igbo had paid less attention to the scramble for power at the centre , and instead distinguished their region by advancing the technological gains of the war .
`` Biafra would have been a technological nation and would have been able to compete with anybody , '' he said , anger in his voice .
`` That is what makes me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been competing with at least South Korea . ''
The scientist 's wartime accomplishments had caught the attention of the Nigerian authorities and he was invited by the government to pioneer a special science and technology programme for the country .
He was behind the setting up of four universities of science and technology in different regions of Nigeria and after retirement he published Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra , a book he hoped would inspire young Nigerians .
`` Nigeria was programmed by the British colonial authorities not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies , '' he wrote in the book .
`` The war gave the opportunity to… reject the colonial design . ''
She was teaching English and French in a secondary school in Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria when the civil war began .
While the UK backed Nigeria , France was the most prominent supporter of Biafra .
But English was more widely spoken in Biafra , so translators were needed whenever French officials visited Ojukwu .
Ms Nwanunobi joined the Biafran ministry of foreign affairs as part of a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The war was an incredible period , '' said 82-year-old Mrs Nwanunobi .
`` Everybody was forced to go home so you were forced to fraternise with your people more than any time before .
`` And people who worked in every Biafra office were high level people .
These were people who were doing all sorts of things and the war forced them out of their positions . ''
She enjoyed working directly with the Biafran leader , whom she and her colleagues fondly referred to as `` Brother OJ '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said again and again .
`` And he was disciplined .
If any meeting lasted more than two hours , he would n't be party to it . ''
Her most memorable assignment occurred after the Biafran military captured six Italian oil workers employed by the Nigerian government .
Officials from different European countries travelled to meet Ojukwu to appeal for their release .
`` That was the largest assembly we had , '' she recalled .
`` Even the Vatican sent representatives . ''
During the meeting , Mrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of losing European support .
He promised to consider the matter , and the Italians were subsequently released .
Mrs Nwanunobi met Ojukwu for the last time on 23 December 1969 , when she lined up outside his office with her colleagues , to receive a Christmas gift and a handshake from him .
A few days later , she left the country for the Biafran office in Paris .
During a stopover of several days in Lisbon , she heard that Biafra had surrendered .
Her first concern was for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would come to harm , '' she said softly .
`` I did n't want anybody to disgrace him . ''
Her worry lifted when she learned that her boss had escaped in his private jet , and was granted asylum by Ivory Coast , a francophone country .
Mrs Nwanunobi spent much of the 1970s in Canada before returning to Nigeria in 1977 , where she resumed work as a secondary school teacher .
Ojukwu himself remained in exile for 13 years .
After he was officially pardoned by the Nigerian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with multitudes pouring onto the streets of his home state of Anambra to welcome him .
He died in November 2011 and was given a full military burial in a ceremony attended by then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan , some other African leaders and members of the diplomatic corps .
Fifty years after the Biafran conflict , Nigeria is still battling to maintain its unity , with various groups , not just the Igbo , calling for the restructuring of Africa 's most populous state .
It is probably for this reason that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has nothing to gain by reminding Nigerians that secession happened before and can be attempted again .

Many of his friends and classmates had died at the battlefront. But his family was delighted to see that the son and brother they assumed dead was alive. And they were glad that he had turned up with food.


bbc--2020-01-15--Is it OK to call in sick with a common cold?

`` For goodness sake , just go home , '' my boss implored .
`` People are complaining and do n't want to catch your disgusting germs ! ''
My protests of `` it 's just a cold - I do n't feel that bad '' fell on deaf ears and I had to admit defeat gracefully rather than being frogmarched out of the newsroom .
While I was n't feeling 100 % , in my mind I certainly was n't poorly enough to justify spending an afternoon under a duvet .
But forget Brexit - nothing seemed to divide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media posters more than the thorny question of whether you should call in sick with the sniffles .
Opinions varied from `` oh , for heaven 's sake , just grow a pair '' via `` ooh , that 's a really tricky one ... '' to `` how very dare you infect your poor colleagues , you selfish ... '' And so I found myself entering the murky moral maze that brought together employment law , ethics and public health .
When is a cold more than a cold ?
Colds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the supermarket , in the playground .
So unless you plan on not leaving the house EVER , someone will infect you .
So why are so many people agitated , I wondered to myself ?
Surely it 's just part of winter ?
`` Colds are viruses and we react differently to them - we ca n't underestimate how lousy some people feel with a cold , '' said Rachel Suff , senior policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD ) .
`` If you are really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not going to be productive , it 's better to go off sick .
You 're also not spreading your germs around the workplace . ''
Prof Martin Marshall , chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners , agreed that `` every patient is different , and each one experiences illness differently '' .
But should we all be desperately trying to avoid colds ?
Are n't they great at building up our immune systems ?
Prof Peter Openshaw , former president of the British Society of Immunology , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 25 years , says colds can be good for our long-term health , but only sometimes .
It turns out there are `` good colds '' and `` bad colds '' .
`` It 's my life-long quest to find out which viruses are 'good ' , '' he said , `` because some colds seem able to put your immune system through some kind of training course . ''
What about those with compromised immune systems ?
One former colleague told me : `` When my mum was seriously ill [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chest infection after a colleague was ill and could n't see her for three weeks and had to get carers . ''
While she conceded that she `` could have got it from anywhere ...
I can guarantee being next to someone sneezing all over the desk did n't help ! ''
Prof Marshall suggests people , particularly if they are in caring roles , should `` take into account factors such as ... whether they are likely to come into contact with vulnerable groups , such as young children , pregnant women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson , an employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon , also pointed out the implications [ of catching a cold ] for people with cystic fibrosis or who have recently had chemotherapy , for example , can be incredibly serious .
It would seem so .
The CIPD reported the typical employee 's number of sick days dropped to 5.9 in 2019 - the lowest in the 19-year history of its annual survey of UK HR professionals .
That may explain why 83 % of them have observed people going to work when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had witnessed colleagues working while on annual leave .
It 's all tied up in workplace culture , said Ms Suff .
`` We know a lot of people ca n't cope with their workloads ... People know that by not being there , there will be extra work for their colleagues . ''
Ms Johnson said that in recent years employers have tended to be `` much more across sickness records '' than previously , especially when it comes to `` frequent , intermittent absences '' of a few days here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` budgets are so tight nowadays that you 've often got every employee doing the work of one and a half people '' .
Sometimes members of staff feel obliged to work when they are sick `` because they fear the mountain of work will just keep piling up '' for when they return .
Should your decision depend on who you work for ?
`` When somebody 's got a cold , we send them home , '' said Paul Knowles , from Acoustic and Engineering Consultants Ltd in Marple , Cheshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us and so if three or four catch it and ca n't work , we are struggling to keep our clients happy . ''
Mike Cherry , national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses ( FSB ) , urged those working for smaller companies not to be scared to talk to their boss .
`` Nine in 10 small employers offer flexible working arrangements , '' he said .
`` So in situations where a member of staff is feeling under the weather - but still well enough to get stuff done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrange a day working from home . ''
Finally , we should all spare a thought for freelancers and the self-employed , Mr Cherry said .
`` The luxury of statutory sick pay is not available [ so ] the tendency to just crack on with it - for better or worse - is much more prevalent among sole traders . ''
Could I get sacked for calling in sick with 'just a cold ' ?
`` Ultimately employees do n't have to be bed-bound to be unfit for work , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy to sign people off with what many people would regard as a low-level virus . ''
`` Employers can sack people who they think are lying , '' she said , giving a hypothetical example of `` somebody who calls in sick but then posts photographs of themselves [ on social media ] having afternoon tea with prosecco ! ''
But the fact so many employers are willing to take their employees ' word for genuinely being sick suggests there is at least a basic level of trust .
So what have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issues involved , I 've come to the conclusion that maybe I should count my blessings , and be more mindful of those with severely compromised immune systems .
And if I am horribly infectious but not feeling too bad , perhaps I should be kind to myself - and everybody around me - by working from home until the lurgy blows over .
At least my dog Biscuits will be happy to see me ...

Is it OK to call in sick with a common cold? Published 15 January 2020
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Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Should she be sent home to rest on the sofa, or encouraged to work through her cold?
"For goodness sake, just go home," my boss implored. "People are complaining and don't want to catch your disgusting germs!"
My protests of "it's just a cold - I don't feel that bad" fell on deaf ears and I had to admit defeat gracefully rather than being frogmarched out of the newsroom.
While I wasn't feeling 100%, in my mind I certainly wasn't poorly enough to justify spending an afternoon under a duvet.
But forget Brexit - nothing seemed to divide my friends, colleagues and random social media posters more than the thorny question of whether you should call in sick with the sniffles.
Opinions varied from "oh, for heaven's sake, just grow a pair" via "ooh, that's a really tricky one..." to "how very dare you infect your poor colleagues, you selfish..."
And so I found myself entering the murky moral maze that brought together employment law, ethics and public health.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Many types of viruses can cause a common cold, with rhinoviruses the most common culprit
When is a cold more than a cold?
Colds are everywhere - on the tram, in the supermarket, in the playground. So unless you plan on not leaving the house EVER, someone will infect you.
So why are so many people agitated, I wondered to myself? Surely it's just part of winter?
"Colds are viruses and we react differently to them - we can't underestimate how lousy some people feel with a cold," said Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
"If you are really not well and your symptoms mean you are not going to be productive, it's better to go off sick. You're also not spreading your germs around the workplace."
Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, agreed that "every patient is different, and each one experiences illness differently".
But should we all be desperately trying to avoid colds? Aren't they great at building up our immune systems?
Prof Peter Openshaw, former president of the British Society of Immunology, who has done research in this area for more than 25 years, says colds can be good for our long-term health, but only sometimes.
It turns out there are "good colds" and "bad colds".
"It's my life-long quest to find out which viruses are 'good'," he said, "because some colds seem able to put your immune system through some kind of training course."
What about those with compromised immune systems?
One former colleague told me: "When my mum was seriously ill [with cancer], I got a chest infection after a colleague was ill and couldn't see her for three weeks and had to get carers."
While she conceded that she "could have got it from anywhere... I can guarantee being next to someone sneezing all over the desk didn't help!"
Prof Marshall suggests people, particularly if they are in caring roles, should "take into account factors such as... whether they are likely to come into contact with vulnerable groups, such as young children, pregnant women, or the elderly".
Hayley Johnson, an employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, also pointed out the implications [of catching a cold] for people with cystic fibrosis or who have recently had chemotherapy, for example, can be incredibly serious.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Anybody fancy joining me for lunch? Anybody?
Have attitudes shifted in recent years?
It would seem so.
The CIPD reported the typical employee's number of sick days dropped to 5.9 in 2019 - the lowest in the 19-year history of its annual survey of UK HR professionals.
That may explain why 83% of them have observed people going to work when they were ill. Or that 63% had witnessed colleagues working while on annual leave.
It's all tied up in workplace culture, said Ms Suff. "We know a lot of people can't cope with their workloads... People know that by not being there, there will be extra work for their colleagues."
Ms Johnson said that in recent years employers have tended to be "much more across sickness records" than previously, especially when it comes to "frequent, intermittent absences" of a few days here and there.
She thinks this is because "budgets are so tight nowadays that you've often got every employee doing the work of one and a half people".
Sometimes members of staff feel obliged to work when they are sick "because they fear the mountain of work will just keep piling up" for when they return.
Should your decision depend on who you work for?
"When somebody's got a cold, we send them home," said Paul Knowles, from Acoustic and Engineering Consultants Ltd in Marple, Cheshire.
"There are only six of us and so if three or four catch it and can't work, we are struggling to keep our clients happy."
Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), urged those working for smaller companies not to be scared to talk to their boss.
"Nine in 10 small employers offer flexible working arrangements," he said.
"So in situations where a member of staff is feeling under the weather - but still well enough to get stuff done - it can be more straightforward to arrange a day working from home."
Finally, we should all spare a thought for freelancers and the self-employed, Mr Cherry said.
"The luxury of statutory sick pay is not available [so] the tendency to just crack on with it - for better or worse - is much more prevalent among sole traders."
Could I get sacked for calling in sick with 'just a cold'?
"Ultimately employees don't have to be bed-bound to be unfit for work," said Ms Johnson. "GPs are quite happy to sign people off with what many people would regard as a low-level virus.
"In my 10 years' experience as an employment lawyer I've only once seen a policy that says you need a sick note in all circumstances. Most say they are only required for five days or more."
She suggests a pragmatic, common-sense approach, based upon mutual trust.
"Employers can sack people who they think are lying," she said, giving a hypothetical example of "somebody who calls in sick but then posts photographs of themselves [on social media] having afternoon tea with prosecco!"
But the fact so many employers are willing to take their employees' word for genuinely being sick suggests there is at least a basic level of trust.
Image source, Ian Shoesmith Image caption, Should dogs get duvet days too?
So what have I learned?
From examining all of the issues involved, I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should count my blessings, and be more mindful of those with severely compromised immune systems.
And if I am horribly infectious but not feeling too bad, perhaps I should be kind to myself - and everybody around me - by working from home until the lurgy blows over.


bbc--2020-01-15--Why Charlize Theron wrestled with playing Fox anchor

There are two different types of bombshell in Bombshell .
The Oscar-nominated film depicts the 2016 sexual harassment scandal at Fox News , which led to the firing of the network 's then CEO Roger Ailes and rocked the media industry .
But the film 's title also refers to the female employees who were involved .
The right-wing news network is famous for hiring young , attractive and usually blonde anchors to front its broadcasts .
`` The movie 's title is clever , cleverness being its modus operandi , '' wrote Manohla Dargis in the New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is about female employees who , with icy smiles and iron ambition , worked for a conservative political force who institutionalised the harassment of women . ''
Former presenter Gretchen Carlson was the first to blow the whistle on Ailes , claiming she was fired from the channel for refusing his sexual advances .
Several other women then came forward , among them the high-profile anchor Megyn Kelly , to add their names to the list of women he abused .
Charlize Theron has been widely praised for her portrayal of Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nomination for best actress at the Oscars .
Playing a real-life person , especially one who 's still active and high-profile , can be a particular challenge for an actor .
But when it came to researching the role of Kelly , Theron explains : `` I did n't meet her , by choice .
`` Listen , the whole thing is pretty overwhelming , '' she continues .
`` It took me a while to wrap my head around playing her for many reasons .
But I think the biggest one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it 's contemporary , it 's of this moment , and whether you like her or not , you know her face , you know what she sounds like , and there was really no getting around that . ''
Theron has been praised by critics not only for her acting performance , but also for her physical likeness to Kelly , which was achieved with the help of prosthetics from make-up artist Kazu Hiro .
`` The transformation is so authentic , so on point , it 's unnerving , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The first thing you notice about her deep-dive performance as Megyn Kelly is that you do n't see Theron at all , '' agreed Peter Travers in Rolling Stone .
`` Through voice , posture , wardrobe , and the genius prosthetic make-up , Theron is Kelly . ''
Theron , who also co-produced the film , explains she wrestled with Kelly 's politics before she agreed to the role .
`` There are things she 's said in the past that have bothered me , '' Theron says .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people dressing in blackface for Halloween and her comments about Santa Claus being white . )
`` But the more I zeroed in on what the film was , [ I realised ] it was n't a Megyn Kelly biopic , it 's about a year-and-a-half at Fox , and she was a part of many other women who experienced this thing and then ultimately succeeded in doing something that was thought of as impossible .
`` And so once I narrowed it down to that , it became easier for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether I have issues with her or not , she was part of something that will I think be a historical marker for women 's rights . ''
Ailes was fired from Fox News as a result of the allegations , receiving $ 40m ( £31m ) in severance pay .
He died a year later , aged 77 .
Several women who filed lawsuits against him received damages from Fox News .
The fact that the Ailes scandal pre-dated # MeToo makes it all the more significant , as the climate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein sparked the movement which would bring down several big-screen heavyweights .
The film largely keeps things focused on the scandal and does n't venture into being a study of the goings on at a right-wing news channel .
`` Is Bombshell hard enough on Fox News ?
Difficult to gauge , because it 's so much more focused on the internal culture than the product they put out in the world , '' wrote Alison Willmore in Vulture .
`` The film presents familiar figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding : `` When it comes to Trump , the movie is oddly unspecific about the role Fox News played in the election . ''
But perhaps that does n't matter , given how resonant the film feels as a result of its focus on sexual harassment .
`` This conversation is happening in real time , and I think without that this movie would n't have the power that it does , '' acknowledges Theron .
`` It was really strange to make the film and to slowly see these things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting in the make-up trailer and watching male actors talk negatively about this movement , that they thought was dangerous and was excluding men and was over-correcting , and it was infuriating .
`` The Harvey [ Weinstein ] thing happened and that was really big , and when the tapes of the women were released , I think that 's when we realised that we were part of telling a story which was somewhat the origin story of this whole movement , and we did n't know that before . ''
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has led to over-correcting ?
`` I mean , listen , I feel like , in context , when you really look at it at from 30,000 feet in the sky , what 's happened to women in toxic workplaces for years and years , a little over-correcting is the least we can do , '' Theron says .
Considering Kelly is n't well known in the UK , and Fox News is n't consumed widely , is Theron aware that Bombshell could be a harder sell for British audiences ?
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of those conversations , '' she replies .
`` But then you realise that you guys have the linchpin , Rupert Murdoch , '' she says , referring to Fox 's ultimate chief , who also owns British newspapers including The Times and The Sun .
`` So I think that 's enough information , that 's all you need to know .
`` You do n't really need to know anything about Fox , '' she continues .
`` Because this is such a non-partisan ... this is not a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per se , really it 's just the time and the place in the world .
This is something which I think is reflected in so many different workplaces .
Before we leave , we ask which news outlets Theron consumes herself .
`` CNN , '' she replies initially .
`` But I also like to have varied news sources , I watch a lot of right-wing political shows and news programmes because I think it is important for us to see how the other guy is talking .
So there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's just like 'do n't want to see it , do n't want to hear it , only want to get what I believe ' .
`` I think it 's hard to have any kind of real conversation about real issues unless you really know where the other person is coming from , what ground they 're standing on .
You have to be willing to listen .
I think a lot of the time we just want to state what we believe and the importance of that , and we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in the UK and Ireland on Friday 17 January .

"Listen, the whole thing is pretty overwhelming," she continues. "It took me a while to wrap my head around playing her for many reasons. But I think the biggest one is that she's so well known. And it's contemporary, it's of this moment, and whether you like her or not, you know her face, you know what she sounds like, and there was really no getting around that."


bbc--2020-01-15--Tottenham sign Benfica's Fernandes on 18-month loan

Tottenham have signed midfielder Gedson Fernandes on loan from Benfica for 18 months .
The 21-year-old made his debut for Benfica last season and Spurs have the option to make his signing permanent at the end of the loan period .
Fernandes won the Portuguese title with Benfica last season and has played 53 times for the club , scoring two goals in the Champions League .
He is Tottenham 's first signing since manager Jose Mourinho took charge .
Fernandes , who has two caps for Portugal , said he will settle in London alongside family who have already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hard story .
My family , they came to London because in Portugal , work is very hard and it 's very difficult to find work , '' said Fernandes .
`` They did not have a brilliant life but they have a good life here and this is one more motivation for me to be here today .
They will help me to settle here .
`` For me , it 's one big dream to come to this big club .
This is a fantastic challenge that I have accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Fernandes last started a league game on 30 October having fallen out of favour at Benfica .
He joins Spurs at a time where midfielders Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele are injured , while Christian Eriksen is linked with a move away from the club .
`` All young players want to work with Jose Mourinho because he 's one of the best - all of us as players want to stay near the best , so it 's fantastic to work with him , '' added Fernandes .
Find all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page .

Last updated on .From the section Tottenham
Tottenham have an option to sign Fernandes permanently when his loan ends
Tottenham have signed midfielder Gedson Fernandes on loan from Benfica for 18 months.
The 21-year-old made his debut for Benfica last season and Spurs have the option to make his signing permanent at the end of the loan period.
Fernandes won the Portuguese title with Benfica last season and has played 53 times for the club, scoring two goals in the Champions League.
He is Tottenham's first signing since manager Jose Mourinho took charge.
Fernandes, who has two caps for Portugal, said he will settle in London alongside family who have already made the move.
"It's a hard story. My family, they came to London because in Portugal, work is very hard and it's very difficult to find work," said Fernandes. external-link
"They did not have a brilliant life but they have a good life here and this is one more motivation for me to be here today. They will help me to settle here.
"For me, it's one big dream to come to this big club. This is a fantastic challenge that I have accepted and I have to win my challenge."
Fernandes last started a league game on 30 October having fallen out of favour at Benfica.
He joins Spurs at a time where midfielders Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele are injured, while Christian Eriksen is linked with a move away from the club.
"All young players want to work with Jose Mourinho because he's one of the best - all of us as players want to stay near the best, so it's fantastic to work with him," added Fernandes.
Fernandes' career so far (league only) Games played 29 Games started 13 Goals 0 Assists 2 Chances created 7
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbc--2020-01-15--Rain forces Australian Open qualifying cancellation after 'very poor' air quality causes delays

Australian Open qualifying was cancelled for the day because of rain after earlier delays caused by the `` very poor '' air quality from ongoing bushfires in the country .
Play was delayed by three hours after the air quality was rated `` unhealthy '' .
Matches began at 13:00 local time ( 02:00 GMT ) but were later suspended for the day because of heavy rain .
On Tuesday , Slovenia 's Dalila Jakupovic had to be helped off court after retiring from her match .
Air quality in the city was rated as moderate by late afternoon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an estimated 10 million hectares ( 100,000 sq km ) of land in Australia has burned since 1 July .
Victoria 's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said it was `` awful '' to see players struggling with the air quality , adding that it was a `` juggling act '' for the tournament organisers over when to play .
`` I ca n't make a call on what individual thresholds might be - it really does depends on what it might mean to enclose a space and what filtration systems they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` But I think they need to consider through all those thresholds - from poor to hazardous air quality - what their alternatives might be with the view to protecting as many players as possible . ''
Harriet Dart was the only Briton to win on the opening day of qualifying on Tuesday but her second-round match against Nicole Gibbs has been pushed back to Thursday .
`` It was a little bit different , especially with the visual appearance of everything , '' Dart told BBC Radio 5 Live .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much until my match .
I think I was quite lucky to be playing later as the conditions definitely improved as the day went on . ''
At least 28 people have died and an estimated 10 million hectares ( 100,000 sq km ) of land in Australia has burned since 1 July .
The Rally for Relief exhibition match - featuring Roger Federer , Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams , with all money raised being donated to the bushfire relief fund - is scheduled to take place at Rod Laver Arena on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday morning was a sobering experience .
Reminiscent of a foggy autumnal day , the sun was completely obscured by smoke from the bushfires .
The air quality did improve as the day went on , although not until the first three hours of play had been lost .
The heat and humidity were probably the most unpleasant elements for the players on this second day of qualifying - until the thunder clouds rolled in , and turned the courts into paddling pools .
The rain is , of course , extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than smoke which is likely to cause the biggest headache for the schedulers over the next few days .
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Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Smoke haze over Melbourne was visible on Wednesday morning
Australian Open qualifying was cancelled for the day because of rain after earlier delays caused by the "very poor" air quality from ongoing bushfires in the country.
Play was delayed by three hours after the air quality was rated "unhealthy".
Matches began at 13:00 local time (02:00 GMT) but were later suspended for the day because of heavy rain.
On Tuesday, Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic had to be helped off court after retiring from her match.
Air quality in the city was rated as moderate by late afternoon.
At least 28 people have died and an estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land in Australia has burned since 1 July.
Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said it was "awful" to see players struggling with the air quality, adding that it was a "juggling act" for the tournament organisers over when to play.
"I can't make a call on what individual thresholds might be - it really does depends on what it might mean to enclose a space and what filtration systems they might have as alternatives," he said.
"But I think they need to consider through all those thresholds - from poor to hazardous air quality - what their alternatives might be with the view to protecting as many players as possible."
Australia weather forecast: air quality should improve
Harriet Dart was the only Briton to win on the opening day of qualifying on Tuesday but her second-round match against Nicole Gibbs has been pushed back to Thursday.
"It was a little bit different, especially with the visual appearance of everything," Dart told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I didn't go outside too much until my match. I think I was quite lucky to be playing later as the conditions definitely improved as the day went on."
The Rally for Relief exhibition match - featuring Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, with all money raised being donated to the bushfire relief fund - is scheduled to take place at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night.
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller in Melbourne
Landing at Melbourne airport on Wednesday morning was a sobering experience. Reminiscent of a foggy autumnal day, the sun was completely obscured by smoke from the bushfires.
The air quality did improve as the day went on, although not until the first three hours of play had been lost.
The heat and humidity were probably the most unpleasant elements for the players on this second day of qualifying - until the thunder clouds rolled in, and turned the courts into paddling pools.
The rain is, of course, extremely welcome. And it is water rather than smoke which is likely to cause the biggest headache for the schedulers over the next few days.