bbc--2020-02-06--Germany AfD: Thuringia PM quits amid fury over far right

A German state premier elected with the help of the far-right AfD says he is resigning to pave the way for fresh elections .
The election of liberal leader Thomas Kemmerich in the eastern state of Thuringia prompted national outrage .
`` Resignation is unavoidable , '' he said .
For years Germany 's main parties have shunned Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) .
Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose own party also backed Mr Kemmerich - called Wednesday 's election `` unforgivable '' .
The AfD has grown in popularity in recent years but has been condemned for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech and the press .
Wednesday 's vote was described as a political earthquake as it was the first time the AfD had helped form a government in Germany , breaking a consensus among the main parties never to work with extremist parties .
• How far right caused earthquake in German politics Mr Kemmerich has now announced he will seek new elections in the state , `` to remove the stain of the AfD 's support for the office of the premiership '' .
He will need a two-thirds majority to dissolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Despite the AfD having broad support in Thuringia , the state election in October was won by the far-left Die Linke .
And the liberal Free Democrats ( FDP ) had just 5 % of the vote , barely scraping into the local parliament in the state capital , Erfurt .
But on Wednesday , in the secret vote to pick the leader of the government , Mr Kemmerich of the FDP beat Die Linke 's leader Bodo Ramelow by 45 votes to 44 - thanks to votes from the AfD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local MPs in his FDP and Mrs Merkel 's Christian Democrats ( CDU ) , prompting outrage from critics , who said the two centre-right parties had apparently made a pact with the far right .
Mr Kemmerich insisted there had been no co-operation with the far right and accused the AfD of carrying out a `` perfidious trick to harm democracy '' .
However , there are now suggestions the FDP and AfD had discussed a pact in Thuringia before .
A letter sent by AfD 's Thuringia leader to Mr Kemmerich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , in which the regional AfD leader offered his party 's support - either to form a technocratic government or a minority FDP-led government .
It would break the long-standing red-red-green ruling coalition in Thuringia , he said .
The letter , first reported by regional broadcaster MDR at the time , shows that the AfD was seeking a deal long before Wednesday 's political shock .
Germany may have pledged `` never again '' .
But 90 years after the rise of the Nazi Party , the far right has once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of kingmaker in a German state .
The former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was among those who took to social media in protest , circulating a photograph of a newly-elected Mr Kemmerich shaking hands with Thuringia 's AfD leader Björn Höcke , and juxtaposing it with one of Hitler greeting the then-German President Paul von Hindenburg .
Barely a week ago , this country reflected on the atrocities of World War Two , during commemorations to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wield such influence , that a mainstream political party accepted its support and that , knowingly or otherwise , Angela Merkel 's CDU appeared to align with them is , for many , the source of great shame .
What was the reaction ?
There were immediate calls for Mr Kemmerich to resign .
Speaking on a visit to South Africa , Chancellor Merkel said the Thuringia vote had to be reversed .
`` It was a bad day for democracy , a day that broke with the long and proud tradition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in no way in line with what the CDU thinks , how we have acted throughout our party 's existence , '' she said .
CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also said Mr Kemmerich should stand down , and her party 's Social Democrat coalition partners in Berlin called on the CDU to distance themselves from the AfD .
Both parties plan to hold crisis talks on Saturday .
Amid the growing pressure , Mr Kemmerich told reporters on Thursday that his FDP had decided to request the dissolution of the state parliament .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional vote • Just how far to the right is AfD ?
FDP leader Christian Lindner had travelled to Erfurt on Thursday for talks with Mr Kemmerich ahead of the party 's statement .
After the resignation he called for a vote of confidence in the party 's national leadership .
Some have compared the AfD 's surprise move to the Nazis ' rise to power and there were protests in several German cities after the election .
In 1930 a Nazi entered the Thuringia government , the party 's first big breakthrough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adolf Hitler 's appointment as chancellor in 1933 .
The Thuringia AfD is led by Björn Höcke , one of the AfD 's most controversial figures .
He sparked an outcry when he condemned the decision to place the Holocaust memorial in the heart of Berlin , describing it as a `` memorial of shame '' .
What is the AfD ?
The anti-immigration and anti-Islam AfD has MPs in all 16 of Germany 's state parliaments .
Nationally the AfD has 89 seats in the lower house of parliament ( Bundestag ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it the largest opposition party .
In a tweet ( in German ) , the AfD hit back at people who compared them with the Nazi Party because of their extremist views .
`` These Nazi comparisons , for example one by Peter Frey of @ ZDF , really stink .
We in the AfD stand FOR a law-based state , democracy , political pluralism and FOR Jewish life in our country .
We are AGAINST all violence and censorship of opinion .
Stop the incitement ! ''
the tweet said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nazis was one from Die Linke 's Bodo Ramelow , who juxtaposed a photo of Hitler becoming chancellor with Wednesday 's photo of Mr Höcke shaking hands with Mr Kemmerich .
The tweet included a quote from Hitler , who said in February 1930 : `` We achieved the greatest success in Thuringia .
Today we really are the crucial party there ...
The parties in Thuringia , which up until now formed the government , can not get a majority without our assistance . ''

"It was a bad day for democracy, a day that broke with the long and proud tradition of the CDU's values. This is in no way in line with what the CDU thinks, how we have acted throughout our party's existence," she said.


bbc--2020-02-06--Maldives: Suspected jihadists held over Maldives stabbings

Three suspected Islamic extremists have been arrested in the Maldives for stabbing two Chinese nationals and an Australian .
The @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday on Hulhumale , an island four miles north of the capital Male .
The @ @ @ @ @ .
A Maldivian group affiliated with the Islamic State group have taken responsibility for the @ @ @ @ @ online , local media reported .
Police are investigating the authenticity of the video .
@ @ @ @ @ has arrested three suspects under a court warrant in relation to the stabbing of three @ @ @ @ @ force said in a statement .
One of the Chinese nationals was a tourist and @ @ @ @ @ in the country , police said , adding all three were in a stable condition @ @ @ @ @ was arrested in the South Asian island nation last year after the US called him @ @ @ @ @ in Syria and Afghanistan .
The man was also thought to have been behind a @ @ @ @ @ , which injured a dozen tourists .

One of the Chinese nationals was a tourist and the two others were employed in the country, police said, adding all three were in a stable condition.


bbc--2020-02-06--News reporter interrupted by snake in Australia

A reporter for Australia 's Nine Network had a surprise when the python she was holding began biting her microphone @ @ @ @ @ doing a piece to camera on snake safety , and was not hurt in the @ @

A reporter for Australia's Nine Network had a surprise when the python she was holding began biting her microphone.
Journalist Sarah Cawte was doing a piece to camera on snake safety, and was not hurt in the incident.


bbc--2020-02-06--Syria war: Israel 'hits Iran-backed fighters near Damascus'

Israeli warplanes have fired missiles at targets near Syria 's capital , Damascus , Syrian state media report .
The Sana news agency said air defences intercepted most of the missiles , but that eight people were wounded .
A monitoring group said Syrian army positions and those of Iran-backed militias were hit , killing 23 people .
Israel did not comment , but it has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years to stop Iranian `` military entrenchment '' .
Iran and its proxies , including the Lebanon 's Hezbollah movement , are supporting forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country 's civil war .
Sana cited a Syrian military source as saying that Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon and the occupied Golan Heights launched two waves of missiles at southern Syria early on Thursday .
The first wave targeted military positions in the suburbs of Damascus , while the second targeted those in Deraa , Quneitra and Damascus Countryside provinces , according to the source .
`` [ The ] vigilance of our air defence personnel contributed to destroying large numbers of the hostile missiles and the aggression caused the injury of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material damage , '' the source added .
• The town with more cats than people The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , a UK-based monitoring group , said strikes on Iran-backed militia positions in Kiswa , Muqaylabiya , Jisr al-Baghdad and Izra killed 15 fighters , including five Syrians and at least three Iranians .
And eight Syrian soldiers were killed by missiles that hit air defence batteries near Damascus , it added .
The Syrian military accused Israel of launching an `` aggressive escalation '' in an attempt to `` save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo in front of the strikes of the Syrian Arab Army '' .
In recent weeks Syrian soldiers , supported by Iran-backed militiamen and Russian air strikes , have captured dozens of towns and villages in the country 's north-west , which is the last stronghold of the opposition to President Assad .
More than half a million civilians , the vast majority of them women and children , have been displaced by the fighting , according to the United Nations .
The Turkish government , which backs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influx of refugees , has called on Russia to bring an end to the offensive .
On Monday , eight Turkish military personnel monitoring the situation in Idlib were killed when they came under Syrian army artillery fire .
Fighting on Thursday was focused on the major opposition-held town of Saraqeb , which straddles the intersection of the strategic M4 and M5 highways .

The Syrian military accused Israel of launching an "aggressive escalation" in an attempt to "save the armed terrorist organisations which have been collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo in front of the strikes of the Syrian Arab Army".


bbc--2020-02-06--Climate change: Clean tech 'won't solve warming in time'

Breakthrough technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen can not be relied on to help the UK meet its climate change targets , a report says .
The government had hoped that both technologies would contribute to emissions reductions required by 2050 .
But the report ’ s authors say ministers should assume that neither carbon capture and storage ( CCS ) nor hydrogen will be running `` at scale '' by 2050 .
They say the government must start a debate on other , controversial steps .
These actions , which they say would need to be implemented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flying and eating red meat .
UK law dictates that , by 2050 , carbon emissions will be virtually halted , and any remaining emissions will have to be compensated for by activities such as tree planting .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has regularly expressed the belief that technology would mostly solve the problem .
But the authors say that if new tech does emerge at scale by 2050 , the government should treat it as a bonus , not an expectation .
Both of the new technologies in question have their supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology entails generating hydrogen from natural gas , or from water .
CCS entails capturing CO2 emissions from power stations or industry , and burying them in rock formations or finding uses for the CO2 .
Both are expensive .
A few years ago , government economists predicted that gas plants equipped with CCS would be producing 30 % of the UK ’ s clean electricity in the future .
Nuclear and renewables would produce another 30 % each .
Tom Burke , an expert on climate change , forecast at that time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When I reminded him yesterday , he admitted : “ I was wrong ” .
The equation radically changed because the nuclear renaissance didn ’ t happen ; the government pulled funding from CCS projects ; and the cost of renewables plummeted .
The government has now offered new CCS funds - but for tackling carbon emissions from industrial clusters , rather than from power generation .
The new technology report comes from a government-funded consortium of academics from Cambridge , Oxford , Nottingham , Bath and Imperial College London .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
The debate ’ s sponsor , Baron Browne of Ladyton , said it carries important messages that should be heard .
The report says : “ Businesses and the public want to act to eliminate emissions , but exaggerated claims about the speed at which new technologies can be introduced are holding back progress . ''
It continued : “ Relying on breakthrough technologies to achieve zero emissions by 2050 is risky and delays action .
“ Instead , with today ’ s technologies we can meet the target for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no substitutes for cement , shipping , flying , lamb or beef.
” The report says the UK can anticipate having four times as much emissions-free electricity in 2050 as today if current rates of renewables expansion continue .
This , it says , is enough to supply 60 % of today ’ s energy-using activities , if they are electrified .
It says to close the remaining energy gap , we could make incremental changes to the way we use technologies - such as buying smaller cars rather than SUVs .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the car , or put more passengers in fewer cars ( ride sharing ) .
Yet another possibility is to only heat rooms where people are sitting , and swap gas boilers for heat pumps when they need to be changed .
The government , the report says , should start a debate on these issues .
It says the two outstandingly difficult areas to de-carbonise are shipping and cement manufacture .
Julian Allwood , lead author and professor of engineering and the environment at Cambridge University , told BBC News : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the tension between the government wanting to deliver solutions based on technology and protestors and scientists asking for fast action that bites much more rapidly than we can bring new technologies into place .
`` So although new technologies may become relevant by 2100 , the number operating at scale in 2050 will be very few .
Probably we ’ ve got to deliver on climate change with today ’ s technologies . ''
The message contradicts several comments from the Prime Minister putting faith in technology to deliver 2050 targets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said no one needed to fly less , and that technology would solve the problem .
The government has committed to having CCS in industrial clusters from the second half of the 2020s and CCS at scale by 2030 .
The net zero scenario from the Committee on Climate Change includes 75-175 Megatonnes ( Mt ) of CO2 being captured and stored per year by 2050 .
The report 's authors say it typically takes 30 years for a major new technology such as carbon capture to solve all its complexities , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns , before it begins to be widely adopted .
But this will be too late to hit the government 's 2050 targets .
A government spokesperson said : `` Achieving net zero by 2050 requires decisive action across the economy , including developing a range of approaches and technologies .
`` Carbon capture , usage and storage ( CCUS ) , for example , can play an essential role as part of a balanced approach .
Our ambition is to be a world leader in this technology . ''

Julian Allwood, lead author and professor of engineering and the environment at Cambridge University, told BBC News: "The problem with delivering climate mitigation is the tension between the government wanting to deliver solutions based on technology and protestors and scientists asking for fast action that bites much more rapidly than we can bring new technologies into place.


bbc--2020-02-06--Oscars: The Toronto studio behind the shoes on screen

Alberto Hernandez has designed hats for LeBron James , David Beckham and Miley Cyrus .
Now the LA artist has @ @ @ @ @ for his wildest client - Carolina Panthers ’ quarterback Cam Newton .

Shoemaking company, Jitterbug Boy has crafted 17,000 pairs of footwear for film and TV productions. Their work appears in three films nominated for Best Picture and Best Costume Design at this year's Oscars.


bbc--2020-02-06--Trump: Twists and turns of impeachment drama

For the better part of 2019 , the impeachment saga surrounding US President Donald Trump has dominated Washington politics .
@ @ @ @ @ at the major milestones .
Read more : Trump acquitted by Senate in impeachment trial

For the better part of 2019, the impeachment saga surrounding US President Donald Trump has dominated Washington politics. We take a look back at the major milestones.
Read more: Trump acquitted by Senate in impeachment trial


bbc--2020-02-06--How Kirk Douglas helped break the Hollywood blacklist

There was one problem when Kirk Douglas saw the original script for the 1960 film Spartacus .
The actor , who died on Wednesday aged 103 , had optioned the rights to Howard Fast 's novel - and the film would go on to become Douglas 's best-known movie .
The star originally enlisted the author to adapt his own work for the big screen , but Fast was not used to writing screenplays and struggled with the format .
Douglas urgently needed someone to rescue the script before the historical epic went into production .
That sparked a sequence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood blacklist - the 1950s ban on scriptwriters and film-makers with alleged communist sympathies .
When it came to producing movies , Douglas was a perfectionist .
`` He was a person who had integrity , '' Tim Gray , senior vice president at Variety magazine , told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
`` He 'd be the first to admit that he was n't easy to work with , but he was always fighting to make a better film . ''
Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo to rewrite the script for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks .
But Trumbo had been a member of the Communist Party in the 1940s , so was blacklisted by Hollywood at the end of the decade .
He and nine other writers and directors , collectively known as the Hollywood Ten , were jailed for contempt of Congress in 1950 after refusing to co-operate with authorities , who were on the hunt for communists and sympathisers .
A pamphlet circulated at the time identified 151 professionals in the entertainment industry who were thought to be communists .
Those named could no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not using their real names .
And if they did keep working under pseudonyms , they had to do so at very cheap rates .
In his 2012 memoir I Am Spartacus !
: Making A Film , Breaking The Blacklist , Douglas wrote about hiring Trumbo , who planned to rewrite the script under the name Sam Jackson .
`` I gave my new friend 'Sam ' a copy of the book and he promised to read it right away , '' Douglas said .
`` I had been thinking a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end . ''
It became widely known in Hollywood that Trumbo had written Spartacus .
A gossip columnist , Walter Winchell , ran an item in March 1959 outing him as the screenwriter .
That perhaps paved the way for what Douglas did next .
Douglas said he told Trumbo that once the film was finished , `` not only am I going to tell them that you 've written it , but we 're putting your name on it '' .
In August 1960 , the studio Universal-International announced that the writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dalton Trumbo .
`` The masquerade was over , '' Douglas later wrote .
`` All my friends told me I was being stupid , throwing my career away .
It was a tremendous risk .
But the blacklist was broken .
`` I was n't thinking of being a hero and breaking the blacklist .
It was n't until later I realised the significance of that impulsive gesture . ''
In fact , Douglas claimed to have first broken the blacklist nine months earlier by requesting that Universal Studios issue a parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it was issued under the writer 's real name .
Either way , Rebecca Keegan , senior film editor at the Hollywood Reporter , told BBC Radio 5 Live that Douglas 's actions were `` pretty extraordinary '' .
`` It was a radical thing to do at the time , it was a huge statement , '' she said .
`` Douglas put his real name in the credits .
It was one of the most significant acts in ending the use of the blacklist , which had had such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Douglas used his star power to make sure Trumbo got the credit he deserved .
`` The fact that Hollywood was using these blacklisted screenwriters , paying them pennies on the dollar , and not allowing them to use their real names , he thought that was absurd , '' she explained .
`` And he had enough power at that point that he could make a decision like that and have a profound impact on the industry . ''
Later in his career , Douglas revelled in telling people how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have argued that he overstated the part he played .
Trumbo 's daughter , Melissa , said that when his 2012 book was published , she `` threw it across the room '' .
In 2002 , Trumbo 's widow Cleo wrote a letter to the LA Times saying `` no single person can be credited with breaking the blacklist '' .
Nonetheless , Douglas became the public face of the blacklist rebellion , which would have taken some courage in itself , even if just as one member of a growing movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , Douglas said : `` I have been working in Hollywood over 60 years and I 've made over 85 pictures , but the thing I 'm most proud of is breaking the blacklist . ''
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"It was a radical thing to do at the time, it was a huge statement," she said. "Douglas put his real name in the credits. It was one of the most significant acts in ending the use of the blacklist, which had had such an oppressive effect in Hollywood."


bbc--2020-02-05--Irish elections - Is populism on the rise?

A cosy old establishment .
A growing gap between elites and governed .
Inequality worsening .
Populism on the rise .
It might be a familiar song across Europe and the West - but in Ireland these tunes are brand new .
Sinn Féin , an old party , seems to have a new mission .
After years of life at the political fringes , it leads the latest Irish general election polling .
Though well known in the UK , `` the Shinners '' have had a minor role in the political life of the Republic .
Politics south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlier in European terms , dominated by two hegemonic centre right parties , Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael , who , frankly , do n't really disagree about very much .
They 've alternated in power for decades .
Political life has therefore been , though increasingly economically liberal , conservative too .
There has been little space for the left , or equivalent radical force to break through .
• Who will be the next taoiseach ?
• Issues at the heart of Irish general election In some senses , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a crucial underpinning of the populist waves we 've seen in other countries has been a rejection of globalisation , then on the surface Ireland should have been at the front of the queue .
Arguably going all the way back to Seán Lemass in the 1960s , successive Irish leaders have sought to place the `` Celtic Tiger '' at the heart of the global economy , slash corporate tax rates and become one of the most open globalised economies on earth .
In many ways it has been a remarkable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most backward economies turned into a powerhouse , with many of the world 's biggest companies headquartered in Dublin or Cork .
But it 's come at a cost .
Increasingly , thousands of Irish feel left out .
Rocketing rents , creaking social services and rampant inequality have made their mark .
Sinn Féin 's new voters are the young and Dublin-based , suffering from housing problems in every direction .
Brexit too , though absent from the campaign , has made Irish politics `` greener '' , in the old sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the moment a generation of voters come of age who remember little or nothing of the Troubles , the IRA and Sinn Féin 's association with them .
In a peculiar way , this is both the normalisation and denormalisation of Irish politics at the same time .
If Sinn Féin does become a prominent player in the Dáil , then a more typical European left-right politics will have emerged at last .
But equally , Ireland and Irish politics will , to some extent at least , have its own dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marked the early 21st Century , albeit an unusual populism of the left .
A party which says that they , not the long-time cosy duopoly of FF and FG , are the true guardians of the people 's interests .
As one leading Irish politician put it to me : `` The Sinn Féin rise is real .
It 's our Trump , Brexit , Lega , Le Pen or even our Corbyn .
Everything is changing .
There 's a global theme . ''
The consequences of a radical Republican party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government , will be felt not only in Dublin - but Belfast , London and perhaps Brussels too .
The two main parties will do everything they can to keep SF out and refuse to work with them .
But perhaps , in the long term , that will prove impossible .
Sooner or later , the great Irishman WB Yeats once said , `` things fall apart- the centre can not hold '' .

Brexit too, though absent from the campaign, has made Irish politics "greener", in the old sense, reactivating certain Republican instincts, just at the moment a generation of voters come of age who remember little or nothing of the Troubles, the IRA and Sinn Féin's association with them.


bbc--2020-02-06--Far right causes earthquake in German politics

In February 1930 , Adolf Hitler was in a jubilant mood .
`` Our biggest success we had in Thuringia , '' he wrote .
`` There we are the most significant party .
The parties in Thuringia trying to create a government can not secure a majority without our co-operation . ''
Germany may have pledged `` never again '' .
But 90 years on , the far right has once again played - albeit briefly - the role of kingmaker in the eastern German state .
Thuringia 's AfD - led by a man who can , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasonably described as a fascist - has caused a political earthquake which has brought thousands of Germans on to the streets in the protest .
• German state leader to quit over far right backing Until a few days ago , many of those protesters had never heard of Thomas Kemmerich .
The regional politician was , for 24 hours or so , unexpectedly elevated to the role of state prime minister thanks to the support of regional AfD politicians who ignored their own candidate in order to oust existing prime minister Bodo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , had been widely expected to continue as leader over a newly negotiated left-wing coalition .
After countrywide outrage , Mr Kemmerich stood down .
But not before the Free Democrat came to symbolise the vulnerability of what the Germans call the Brandmauer - the firewall which , by decades-long political convention , is supposed to keep the far right from exerting real influence over German politics .
For many it 's a mark of national shame that the AfD has found such fertile electoral ground in the former east of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons for the inconclusive election result in Thuringia .
• Just how far to the right is AfD ?
At national level , the party 's presence in the Bundestag has coarsened parliamentary debates and , arguably , its campaigns centred around migration and national identity have broken old German taboos and shifted politics to the right , as the political centre struggled to deal with the electoral challenge .
But what happened in Thuringia has sent a particular shudder down the country 's spine .
Mr Kemmerich , of the liberal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , may have voiced his opposition to the AfD .
But he took the job anyway - on a majority secured with their support .
Up the federal ladder , FDP chief Christian Lindner initially appeared to accept the result , despite the horrified response of senior members of his party .
Accused of seeking power at any price , Mr Lindner was reminded of his own words when in 2017 he walked away from coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel at federal level saying : `` It 's better not to govern than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affair has raised uncomfortable suspicions within Angela Merkel 's CDU .
The chancellor , who described what happened as `` unforgivable '' , sharply rebuked regional politicians from her own party .
They had also voted for Mr Kemmerich , eliciting accusations that - locally at least - the CDU was ready to break a pledge to never join forces with the far right .
• Far right overtakes Merkel party in regional vote The head of Mrs Merkel 's CDU , Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , will discuss the matter with her coalition partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat partners will no doubt want assurances that the CDU has no intention of working with AfD at any level and that she - and her party - can control its regional politicians .
She herself is under pressure .
Having forbidden Thuringia 's CDU leader from seeking a local alliance with Die Linke ( the Left party ) , some are unsurprised that the party aligned itself , knowingly or otherwise , with the AfD .
The German government is also painfully aware of the changing political landscape - and the part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fresh elections are now expected .
Even so , for many , the case has raised painful parallels .
Belgian ex-Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was among those who took to social media in protest , circulating a photograph of a newly elected Mr Kemmerich shaking hands with Thuringia 's hard-right AfD leader Björn Höcke , and juxtaposing it with one of Hitler greeting the then German president Paul von Hindenburg .
Barely a week ago , this country reflected on the atrocities of World War Two , during commemorations to mark the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death camp at Auschwitz .
That the far right has been able to wield such influence , that a mainstream political party accepted its support and that , knowingly or otherwise , Angela Merkel 's CDU appeared to align with them is , for many , the source of great shame .

The head of Mrs Merkel's CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, will discuss the matter with her coalition partners this weekend. Her ever reluctant Social Democrat partners will no doubt want assurances that the CDU has no intention of working with AfD at any level and that she - and her party - can control its regional politicians.


bbc--2020-02-06--India climate activist Licypriya Kangujam on why she took a stand

She is only eight , but Licypriya Kangujam has already been campaigning for action to tackle climate change in her native India for two years .
The young activist has pushed for new laws to curb India 's high pollution levels and wants climate change lessons to be mandatory in schools .
`` I cry when I see children lose their parents or become homeless due to the dangers of disasters '' , she told the BBC .
But , she adds : `` If you call me Greta of India , you are not covering my story . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Future school strike has grown into a global movement , Licypriya says that while she has much in common with the Swedish teenager , `` I have my own identity , story '' .
`` I already began a movement to fight climate change before Greta started , '' she said , adding that the two are `` good friends '' who `` respect each other '' .
The pair both attended the UN climate change conference , also known as COP25 , in the Spanish capital Madrid in December .
Residing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Licypriya says she was a small child when she accompanied her father on fundraising events for victims of a powerful and deadly earthquake in Nepal in 2015 .
But it was after attending a UN disaster conference in Mongolia with him in 2018 that she felt the need to get involved in activism .
`` I got lots of inspiration and new knowledge from the people giving speeches .
It was a life-changing event , '' she says .
`` My heart feels sore for people who can not help themselves when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Licypriya set up Child Movement , a body that aims to raise awareness `` to protect the planet by tackling climate change and natural disasters '' .
Licypriya has also campaigned , often alone , for new laws to help address the issue of poor air quality across India .
She has even designed what she calls her Sukifu device - a symbolic survival kit for the future she created to emphasise the need to curb air pollution in the country .
In November , schools in India 's capital , Delhi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said air pollution in the city had reached `` unbearable levels '' .
• India 's Supreme Court says world is 'laughing ' at smog issues Making climate change a compulsory subject to be taught from an early age in schools nationwide is one of Licypriya 's main aims .
`` Rajasthan has now become the first state in India '' to add climate change to the school curriculum , she says .
She adds that the Indian state of Gujarat will be the second in the country to agree to educate children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also feels inspired to continue fighting for government action to tackle climate change after witnessing others provide help to victims .
`` I get very happy when I see rescuers saving children and their parents from danger . ''
But , she says , leaders need to stop dispelling the messages of activists .
`` They are not taking any action , I want all leaders to do more - otherwise our future will die soon .
They must act now , to save our planet and our future . ''

"They are not taking any action, I want all leaders to do more - otherwise our future will die soon. They must act now, to save our planet and our future."


bbc--2020-02-06--Oscars 2020: 'How my cello became Joaquin Phoenix's Joker'

Stringed instruments have long been used to make people feel edgy .
Think of a double bass rasping `` duh-nuh , duh-nuh '' as Jaws approaches , or the screeching violins of Psycho as terror strikes .
There 's something visceral about their sound , which can make your hair stand on end during a horrifying film sequence .
In Joker , the cello conveys the inner turmoil of Joaquin Phoenix 's character Arthur Fleck , as he contorts into a murderous clown .
The film 's soundtrack is the work of Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Gudnadottir - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year 's Oscars .
Anyone who 's seen the film will know the music plays an integral part .
`` Joker is the story of basically one person , so it felt fitting that one instrument was leading the way into his head , leading us forward , '' she tells BBC News .
Of all the instruments at her disposal , she chose the cello .
`` It 's my instrument , so it was convenient as I played it on the soundtrack , '' she says .
Hildur was lured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by director Todd Phillips , and she recalls : `` The script was just fantastic - it struck me very hard . ''
She collaborated on Arthur 's transformation into Joker with Phillips and Phoenix , the favourite to win best actor at the Oscars .
`` I fell in love with the film and wrote all the main themes before they started shooting , so they were able to use that music , and I was able to be a part of that . ''
Hildur 's music was pivotal to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` bathroom dance '' where Arthur , dressed as Joker , begins to inhabit his alter ego .
Her score triggered an unexpected response in Phoenix .
In the half-light of a bathroom , he slowly twists his arms in a series of oddly balletic poses as a haunting cello solo plays .
It makes for compelling , if creepy viewing .
`` Joaquin was basically responding in real time to the music - the scene was n't scripted like this at all , '' she said .
`` The scene in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the music and improvises a dance , it was just basically his reaction to hearing what I 'd written .
`` A lot of his performances that happened after that point were because that moment just worked so well , and the music really kind of supported him . ''
Indiewire reported that Hildur 's score became `` the actor 's muse '' and `` thereafter , he could be seen listening to the music in his ear piece on set throughout the shoot '' .
Hildur , whose work includes composing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series Chernobyl , has already caused a stir with her recent winning streak at the award ceremonies .
So far she 's notched up a Bafta and a Golden Globe for Joker and an Emmy for Chernobyl .
But it wo n't have escaped many people 's attention that the lack of diversity during awards season is still a huge issue , with the Oscars , Baftas and Golden Globes coming in for much criticism .
• Does the Baftas voting system need to change ?
• How diverse are the Oscars nominations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oscars have awarded best original score , only seven women including Hildur have been nominated , and only three have gone on to win .
The most recent female winner was British composer Anne Dudley , for The Full Monty , way back in 1997 and the academy has yet to nominate a woman of colour .
Last year 's Celluloid Ceiling Report , by San Diego State University 's Centre for the Study of Women in TV and Film , stated : • Just 7 % of composers working on the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • On films with at least one female director , 16 % of composers were women • On films with exclusively male directors , women accounted for 6 % of composers Equality is evidently still a good way off for female composers , but has anything changed in the short space of time since Hildur was nominated for Joker ?
`` Obviously , we could definitely do with having more women , for sure , but what I do find fantastic is that after the run I 've had in the last few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of discussion happening as result of that , '' she says .
`` I 'm the first woman to have been nominated and win like this for a long time , so people have been talking about it a lot .
`` That 's been really wonderful , because I 've just been hearing from music supervisors and editors that directors are , as a consequence , asking for more female composers to work on their films .
`` That has n't really happened before . ''
One of the things Hildur enjoys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to explore many aspects of her personality .
`` I enjoy doing the darker side of film .
My personality is rather cheerful , I like to laugh , but every person has a dark side and a light side , and luckily for my family , my lighter side is the main side and the darker side is in my music . ''
With a female composer , Joker is helping carve new ground for films inspired by comic books and super-heroes .
The upcoming Captain Marvel , starring Brie Larson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pinar Toprak , from Turkey , who wrote additional music for Danny Elfman on last year 's Justice League , is the first woman to score a Marvel film .
Toprak told the New York Times last year : `` Music , and art in general , it 's genderless , because emotions are genderless . ''
Hildur is obviously delighted things are slowly changing .
`` I just feel so happy to have been a part of opening up the conversation about female composers , and then hopefully inspiring young women to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job as a possibility .
It 's starting to happen . ''

"Obviously, we could definitely do with having more women, for sure, but what I do find fantastic is that after the run I've had in the last few months, there's been a lot of discussion happening as result of that," she says.


bbc--2020-02-06--South Africa's Jacob Zuma takes aim in rifle photo

South Africa 's embattled former President Jacob Zuma has found himself at the centre of fresh controversy after tweeting a photo of himself taking aim with a rifle .
Its meaning was unambiguous , and provocative .
A day after he had learned that a judge had issued an arrest warrant for him for failing to appear in court on corruption charges related to a multi-million dollar arms deal , Mr Zuma tweeted a photograph , on his official account , showing him aiming a rifle at an unknown target .
For a man who uses social media only rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clear to all South Africans .
It was a display of angry defiance against a judiciary and an `` elite '' which - Mr Zuma and his supporters have argued for years - is biased against him and involved in a dark conspiracy to undermine him and the `` radical economic transformation '' agenda that he unveiled towards the end of his corruption-riddled presidency .
As the photograph provoked furious exchanges on social media , Mr Zuma 's family and his remaining allies in the governing African National Congress ( ANC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son Edward claimed the arrest warrant , issued by a judge but suspended until Mr Zuma 's next scheduled court appearance , had somehow been orchestrated by his political enemies .
Edward Zuma also said the rifle photo was two years old - a claim that hardly seemed relevant in the context in which it was used .
The head of the ANC 's Women 's League , Bathabile Dlamini , went further , speaking of `` an invisible hand '' orchestrating a campaign against the former president on behalf of `` an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africans have reacted with contempt , and wry humour , to this latest incident , and see it as part of a decades-long attempt by Mr Zuma to avoid facing trial for alleged corruption by casting himself as a victim , floating frequent conspiracy theories and seeking endless court delays .
The arrest warrant issued on Tuesday followed Mr Zuma 's failure to show up in court for a fraud and corruption case that dates back to the 1990s .
The former president 's lawyer produced a doctor 's `` sick note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the judge questioned the credibility of the document and warned that Mr Zuma would face arrest if he did not appear for his next court appearance in May .
You may also be interested in : • Mandela would be 'unhappy ' with 2020 South Africa • Refugees in South Africa : 'Give us a place where we can be safe' Mr Zuma has repeatedly insisted that the corruption charges against him are part of a sophisticated western plot against him .
He has also claimed , with no evidence produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have sought to poison him .
It is almost impossible not to see the `` rifle '' picture in that context .
But while Mr Zuma still enjoys some limited support in the ANC , and more generally in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal , his antics and conspiracy theories are increasingly seen by many as a sign of desperation .
South Africans have watched , for months , as senior officials have given damning evidence of corruption at a judge-led public inquiry into the Zuma presidency - an era which Mr Zuma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since acknowledged was a period of rampant looting by state officials .
Mr Zuma 's behaviour is also seen here in the context of a `` fight-back '' by an allegedly corrupt faction within the ANC that lost control of the presidency and fears that , under a revived justice system , some of its most prominent members may soon join Mr Zuma in facing criminal charges .

It was a display of angry defiance against a judiciary and an "elite" which - Mr Zuma and his supporters have argued for years - is biased against him and involved in a dark conspiracy to undermine him and the "radical economic transformation" agenda that he unveiled towards the end of his corruption-riddled presidency.


bbc--2020-02-06--Would you follow this man on Instagram?

Would you follow this man on Instagram?

Bernard Looney had a great first day in his new job as chief executive of oil giant BP .
We know this because he took to Instagram on Wednesday to tell us , posting a video of happy , smiling employees at one of the company 's operations in Germany .
We also know that Tidjane Thiam , boss of financial giant Credit Suisse , is worried about those suffering from coronavirus .
Under an image showing Chinese President Xi Jinping - one of many pictures Mr Thiam posted of himself hobnobbing at last month 's Davos World Economic Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees ' health and safety is our top priority . ''
Once the preserve of young people posting pictures of their lunch , Instagram is becoming part of the the corporate world 's marketing machine .
The app was where many of us turned to escape thoughts of work .
Now it 's where your company can boast about all the good deeds it does in the community , or where the boss can voice concerns over their employees ' mental health .
Sara Tasker , an influencer and Instagram consultant , gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than impressed by the execution .
She tells the BBC : `` There is a slight sense of a dad dancing at a wedding when you see these chief executives posting on social media . ''
BP 's Mr Looney is a newcomer to the platform .
As of Thursday morning he had posted six times , but had already accrued 3,533 followers .
Clearly none of them were from Greenpeace , which turned up at BP 's central London headquarters on Wednesday hoping to disrupt his first day at the office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away in Germany .
The boss of Spanish bank Santander , Ana Botín , has been on the Instagram platform a few months longer .
Her account now features 272 posts , both in English and Spanish .
But much of the content follows a familiar corporate formula : get yourself pictured in exotic locations and show plenty of corporate social responsibility .
Climate change , micro-finance , healthy living and sustainability are all present and correct .
But she also finds room for some atmospheric pictures of London 's Hyde Park - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and similar shots in Madrid 's Retiro park .
There is a sense with some of these Instagam newcomers that they are dipping their toes nervously into a world they do not quite understand .
In his first post , Mr Looney writes : `` I 've long been a fan of Instagram , but mainly in the background , so here goes with a new approach ! ''
Alongside a picture of himself - wearing a navy jumper with his hands half tucked in to his jeans pockets - he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I am up to , who I am meeting and offering a window into the decisions , challenges and opportunities that are ahead . ''
He said he wanted to use the platform to talk `` openly '' about people 's concerns over the oil and gas industry .
`` I encourage you all to be candid - I consider honest and open discussion crucial , '' he wrote .
Ms Tasker says , done well , Instagram can be a great vehicle for giving people a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one - if you can do it well , it 's a great investment of your time and energy but it often means compromising on some of the PR machine that chief executives like , '' she says .
`` People are looking for a bit of authenticity and a connection they ca n't get elsewhere so you really need to share something above and beyond what you put on traditional communication channels . ''
It 's about putting a human face on the business , says Alexei Lee , a communications adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says there 's always a risk the executive might post something that creates a social media storm about something that does not represent the company .
He suspects there are PR people working behind the scenes running these executives ' social media accounts .
As BP itself is only too well aware , shooting from the lip has serious consequences .
Amid BP 's Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster , then boss Tony Hayward made several gaffes , including saying `` I want my life back '' when asked about the personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed 11 people .
Luckily for Mr Hayward , social media was in its infancy in 2010 , but the critical fall-out was huge and Mr Hayward 's days at BP were numbered .
So , why take the risk ?
A big reason is the desire to connect with younger employees - and younger people in general , says Dave Endsor , who works for Tank PR .
But he 's sceptical they can win the hearts and minds of the younger generation by muscling in on their own turf ( or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the struggle to sound authentic could be insurmountable .
`` It 's less authentic than someone who 's got more of an engagement with the community , whether that is Melinda Gates or Arianna Huffington , '' he says , referring to the philanthropist and businesswoman .
And BP is a prime example .
The oil giant is a `` contentious '' business and trying to meet the likes of Greta Thunberg and her followers on the platforms like Instagram `` could blow up in Mr Looney 's face , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an emailed list of questions .
Mr Looney did not respond to an interview request sent on Instagram .

BP's Mr Looney is a newcomer to the platform. As of Thursday morning he had posted six times, but had already accrued 3,533 followers. Clearly none of them were from Greenpeace, which turned up at BP's central London headquarters on Wednesday hoping to disrupt his first day at the office when Mr Looney was some 500 miles away in Germany.


bbc--2020-02-06--Violent protests 'cannot be tolerated', says West Ham co-chairman Gold

Threats and violent fan protests against football executives `` can not be tolerated '' , says West Ham co-chairman David Gold .
It comes after the home of Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was attacked by a group chanting that he was `` going to die '' .
Gold has previously been targeted by fan protests .
`` I know exactly what Ed 's experienced .
I 've experienced it four or five times myself , '' he said .
`` What you 've got to understand is that it is by a minute percentage , a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` In my mind you 've got a couple of hundred belligerents who want to , metaphorically , burn your house down .
And those 200 will gather people who are listening , or walking by and wonder what it is all about . ''
On Thursday it was announced that fans who behave in an `` unacceptable '' manner towards players , supporters , club employees or referees will face a Premier League-wide ban .
The Premier League said anyone banned by a single club will be banned by all 20 clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a unit to protect the likes of Ed and punish those perpetrators .
It can not be tolerated , '' said Gold .
`` Manchester United are a big club , Ed Woodward is a big figure in the game .
He can not be worried about his wife and children . ''
During the disturbances at West Ham 's game against Burnley at the London Stadium in March 2018 , for which the club was fined £100,000 , Gold said his 10-year-old granddaughter asked him whether he was a liar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was dreadful .
My 10-year-old granddaughter said : 'Grandpa , what do they mean ?
You 're not a liar , are you grandpa ? '
I mean , what do you say to a 10-year-old ? ''
West Ham are bracing themselves for more fan protests in coming games .
There is an atmosphere of mistrust between many fans and the board , particularly Gold , Sullivan and vice-chair Baroness Karren Brady , who they accuse of betraying promises made when the club moved into the London Stadium in 2016 .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Sunday 's trip to Manchester City - the start of a tough run of fixtures that includes visits to Liverpool , Arsenal and Tottenham , plus home games against Wolves and Chelsea - the Hammers ' top-flight future under new boss David Moyes is precarious .
`` The story is that we are liars .
That we have taken all the money .
That is wrong , '' said Gold .
`` We are not liars .
We have made mistakes .
David Sullivan is not a bad person .
He wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brady works her socks off for the football club .
And then you read these terrible things . ''
Gold says criticism of West Ham 's controversial move from Upton Park is misplaced , that the reason behind it - to move the club forward - remains the goal and that owning the club was `` a dream come true '' .
`` Do I look like I 'm in it for profit ? ''
he said .
`` I 'm the kid who grew up in a life of poverty and used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have not received a penny in salary or expenses from West Ham in 10 years .
I know of owners or chief executives that are earning £3m a year .
`` All my young life , the club was in the old Second Division .
We are in the Premier League now .
OK , we 've got a few problems but overall we 're moving upwards .
There have been a few difficulties with the stadium but the one we have now holds 60,000 .
`` I spoke to a cab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour saying how he was thrilled with the stadium and how his kids love it .
But is he on the television ?
Is he in the paper ?
No .
All that 's in the paper is the guy that wants to kill me or burn my house down .
That 's the problem . ''

Gold (far right) has been the subject of fan protests at West Ham
Threats and violent fan protests against football executives "cannot be tolerated", says West Ham co-chairman David Gold.
It comes after the home of Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was attacked by a group chanting that he was "going to die".
Gold has previously been targeted by fan protests.
"I know exactly what Ed's experienced. I've experienced it four or five times myself," he said.
"What you've got to understand is that it is by a minute percentage, a couple of hundred people."
Gold added: "In my mind you've got a couple of hundred belligerents who want to, metaphorically, burn your house down. And those 200 will gather people who are listening, or walking by and wonder what it is all about."
On Thursday it was announced that fans who behave in an "unacceptable" manner towards players, supporters, club employees or referees will face a Premier League-wide ban.
The Premier League said anyone banned by a single club will be banned by all 20 clubs.
"The league will come together as a unit to protect the likes of Ed and punish those perpetrators. It cannot be tolerated," said Gold.
"Manchester United are a big club, Ed Woodward is a big figure in the game. He cannot be worried about his wife and children."
During the disturbances at West Ham's game against Burnley at the London Stadium in March 2018, for which the club was fined £100,000, Gold said his 10-year-old granddaughter asked him whether he was a liar.
He said: "The Burnley game was dreadful. My 10-year-old granddaughter said: 'Grandpa, what do they mean? You're not a liar, are you grandpa?' I mean, what do you say to a 10-year-old?"
West Ham are bracing themselves for more fan protests in coming games.
There is an atmosphere of mistrust between many fans and the board, particularly Gold, Sullivan and vice-chair Baroness Karren Brady, who they accuse of betraying promises made when the club moved into the London Stadium in 2016.
With the club now in the relegation zone before Sunday's trip to Manchester City - the start of a tough run of fixtures that includes visits to Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, plus home games against Wolves and Chelsea - the Hammers' top-flight future under new boss David Moyes is precarious.
"The story is that we are liars. That we have taken all the money. That is wrong," said Gold.
"We are not liars. We have made mistakes. David Sullivan is not a bad person. He wants the club to be successful. Karren Brady works her socks off for the football club. And then you read these terrible things."
Gold says criticism of West Ham's controversial move from Upton Park is misplaced, that the reason behind it - to move the club forward - remains the goal and that owning the club was "a dream come true".
"Do I look like I'm in it for profit?" he said. "I'm the kid who grew up in a life of poverty and used to bunk into West Ham.
"I have not received a penny in salary or expenses from West Ham in 10 years. I know of owners or chief executives that are earning £3m a year.
"All my young life, the club was in the old Second Division. We are in the Premier League now. OK, we've got a few problems but overall we're moving upwards. There have been a few difficulties with the stadium but the one we have now holds 60,000.
"I spoke to a cab driver on Wednesday who spent half an hour saying how he was thrilled with the stadium and how his kids love it. But is he on the television? Is he in the paper? No. All that's in the paper is the guy that wants to kill me or burn my house down. That's the problem."


bbc--2020-02-06--I am pinching myself but we haven't done the job yet - Liverpool chairman Werner

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner says he is having to `` pinch himself '' to believe the standards being set by Jurgen Klopp 's team this season .
The Reds have surged into a 22-point lead at the top of the Premier League , dropping only two points from their opening 25 games .
Liverpool have also reached the Champions League knockout stage , and the fifth round of the FA Cup .
`` I am pinching myself , but we have n't done the job yet , '' said Werner .
`` I keep saying to everyone I talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I appreciate the record we have achieved so far and I do n't think it is going to come along quickly [ again ] . ''
• When and where can Liverpool win the Premier League ?
• FA Cup fifth round : BBC One to show Chelsea v Liverpool & Sheff Wed v Man City Liverpool need six victories from their final 13 games to end their 30-year wait for a 19th league title .
Like Klopp , Werner is wary of getting ahead of himself , even if Pep Guardiola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are a distant second , has already accepted defeat in his attempt to win three successive championships .
`` The level of competition in this league is so great eventually you think you are going to have an off day , '' said Werner .
`` But that has n't happened yet , which is a great compliment to Jurgen because obviously , the team is playing at peak talent every week .
`` As Jurgen said , we have n't done the job .
We have n't accomplished anything yet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more at the end of the season . ''
Klopp 's absence from the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury on Wednesday threw into sharp focus the increasing demands being placed on elite level players .
The Liverpool boss stayed away from Anfield in protest at the replay being staged during the Reds ' winter break from the Premier League .
`` We all have to look at the calendar , '' said Werner , after emerging from a three-hour Premier League shareholders ' meeting , which was attended by representatives of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all concerned at the amount of stress we are putting on our players .
It is a bigger issue and I am not competent to know what the solution is . ''

Tom Werner, left, has been chairman of Liverpool for nine years
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner says he is having to "pinch himself" to believe the standards being set by Jurgen Klopp's team this season.
The Reds have surged into a 22-point lead at the top of the Premier League, dropping only two points from their opening 25 games.
Liverpool have also reached the Champions League knockout stage, and the fifth round of the FA Cup.
"I am pinching myself, but we haven't done the job yet," said Werner.
"I keep saying to everyone I talk to that we really need to savour this because I appreciate the record we have achieved so far and I don't think it is going to come along quickly [again]."
Liverpool need six victories from their final 13 games to end their 30-year wait for a 19th league title.
Like Klopp, Werner is wary of getting ahead of himself, even if Pep Guardiola, manager of a Manchester City side that are a distant second, has already accepted defeat in his attempt to win three successive championships.
"The level of competition in this league is so great eventually you think you are going to have an off day," said Werner. "But that hasn't happened yet, which is a great compliment to Jurgen because obviously, the team is playing at peak talent every week.
"As Jurgen said, we haven't done the job. We haven't accomplished anything yet. There will be time to enjoy this even more at the end of the season."
Klopp's absence from the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury on Wednesday threw into sharp focus the increasing demands being placed on elite level players.
The Liverpool boss stayed away from Anfield in protest at the replay being staged during the Reds' winter break from the Premier League.
"We all have to look at the calendar," said Werner, after emerging from a three-hour Premier League shareholders' meeting, which was attended by representatives of all 20 top-flight clubs.
"We are all concerned at the amount of stress we are putting on our players. It is a bigger issue and I am not competent to know what the solution is."


bbc--2020-02-06--Joshua fight likely to be at Tottenham stadium - Hearn

Anthony Joshua 's next fight is likely to be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium , according to promoter Eddie Hearn .
@ @ @ @ @ , who defeated Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in December , is expected to @ @ @ @ @ in June .
Hearn told Sky Sports : `` We 've had offers in from @ @ @ @ @ East , Africa , America , Turkey .
`` He wants to fight in London @ @ @ @ @ the frontrunner and that 's what he 's asked me to do . ''
Hearn @ @ @ @ @ made it very clear to me , ' I want to come home .
I @ @ @ @ @ Garden , I 've been to Saudi Arabia , bring me home .
Forget the @ @ @ @ @ home ' . ''
Joshua last fought in the capital in September 2018 when he @ @ @ @ @ Stadium .

Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Anthony Joshua recorded a unanimous points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in December
Anthony Joshua's next fight is likely to be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
The British heavyweight, 30, who defeated Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in December, is expected to take on Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in June.
Hearn told Sky Sports: "We've had offers in from the Far East, Middle East, Africa, America, Turkey.
"He wants to fight in London in June. Spurs is the frontrunner and that's what he's asked me to do."
Hearn added: "He's made it very clear to me, 'I want to come home. I've been to Madison Square Garden, I've been to Saudi Arabia, bring me home. Forget the other offers, bring me home'."
Joshua last fought in the capital in September 2018 when he beat Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium.


bbc--2020-02-06--Late goal knocks Barcelona out of Copa del Rey

Barcelona 's hopes of reaching a seventh successive Copa del Rey final have ended at the quarter-final stage with defeat @ @ @ @ @ tight contest was decided in the third minute of stoppage time when Spanish forward Inaki @ @ @ @ @ Stegen .
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi wasted a good late chance when he fired at @ @ @ @ @ Unai Simon .
There was another cup shock earlier when Real Madrid lost to Real @ @ @ @ @ the first time since 2010 , the Copa del Rey final will feature neither Barcelona @ @ @ @ @ surprise results come a day after second-tier side Mirandes defeated Villarreal 4-2 .
Granada , @ @ @ @ @ make up the semi-final line-up .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Lionel Messi made his 75th appearance in the Copa del Rey - equalling the club record held by Josep Samitier
Barcelona's hopes of reaching a seventh successive Copa del Rey final have ended at the quarter-final stage with defeat by Athletic Bilbao.
The tight contest was decided in the third minute of stoppage time when Spanish forward Inaki Williams headed past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi wasted a good late chance when he fired at the legs of Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon.
There was another cup shock earlier when Real Madrid lost to Real Sociedad.
It means for the first time since 2010, the Copa del Rey final will feature neither Barcelona nor Real.
The two surprise results come a day after second-tier side Mirandes defeated Villarreal 4-2. Granada, who overcame Valencia 2-1, make up the semi-final line-up.


bbc--2020-02-06--Odegaard scores as Real Sociedad shock Real Madrid in Copa del Rey

Real Sociedad 's Martin Odegaard scored against his parent club to help send Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey in a thrilling quarter-final .
The Norwegian midfielder , who is on a two-year loan , opened the scoring .
Alexander Isak netted twice in two minutes , including a superb acrobatic effort , as Sociedad went 3-0 ahead .
Marcelo and Rodrygo scored for Madrid , in between Mikel Merino adding Sociedad 's fourth , with Nacho heading in late on .
The defender 's 93rd-minute goal set up a tense finish at the Bernabeu as the referee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Andoni Gorosabel was sent off for a second yellow card , Real Madrid were unable to find the equaliser .
Real Madrid 's Vinicius Junior had a header ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside in the second half .
Odegaard , 21 , who joined Real Madrid as a 15-year-old , was rewarded with a standing ovation from the home fans as he was substituted in the 64th minute .
Zinedine Zidane 's side are top of La Liga and have the best defensive record in the top flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games .
They were unbeaten in 21 games coming into the tie .
It was the first time that Madrid have conceded four times under Zidane in more than 190 matches across two spells in charge .
`` It hurts , we have to be honest , nobody likes a defeat , '' said Zidane .
`` Despite [ trailing ] 1-4 , we have fought until the end , but it has not been possible .
`` We must congratulate the opponent and also accept losing . ''
Sociedad , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the competition just twice in their history , most recently in 1987 .
The draw for the last four takes place on Friday , with Granada - who knocked out holders Valencia - and second division side Mirandes both in the pot .
Athletic Bilbao took the last place in the draw by beating Barcelona 1-0 on Thursday .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Real Madrid have won the Copa del Rey 19 times, while Real Sociedad have triumphed twice
Real Sociedad's Martin Odegaard scored against his parent club to help send Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey in a thrilling quarter-final.
The Norwegian midfielder, who is on a two-year loan, opened the scoring.
Alexander Isak netted twice in two minutes, including a superb acrobatic effort, as Sociedad went 3-0 ahead.
Marcelo and Rodrygo scored for Madrid, in between Mikel Merino adding Sociedad's fourth, with Nacho heading in late on.
The defender's 93rd-minute goal set up a tense finish at the Bernabeu as the referee played eight additional minutes. Although Sociedad's Andoni Gorosabel was sent off for a second yellow card, Real Madrid were unable to find the equaliser.
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior had a header ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside in the second half.
Odegaard, 21, who joined Real Madrid as a 15-year-old, was rewarded with a standing ovation from the home fans as he was substituted in the 64th minute.
Zinedine Zidane's side are top of La Liga and have the best defensive record in the top flight with just 13 goals conceded from 22 games. They were unbeaten in 21 games coming into the tie.
It was the first time that Madrid have conceded four times under Zidane in more than 190 matches across two spells in charge.
"It hurts, we have to be honest, nobody likes a defeat," said Zidane.
"Despite [trailing] 1-4, we have fought until the end, but it has not been possible.
"We must congratulate the opponent and also accept losing."
Sociedad, who are eighth in La Liga, have won the competition just twice in their history, most recently in 1987.
The draw for the last four takes place on Friday, with Granada - who knocked out holders Valencia - and second division side Mirandes both in the pot.
Athletic Bilbao took the last place in the draw by beating Barcelona 1-0 on Thursday.


bbc--2020-02-07--Li Wenliang: Coronavirus death of Wuhan doctor sparks anger

The death of a Chinese doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak has sparked an unprecedented level of public anger and grief in China .
Li Wenliang died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan .
Last December he sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus he thought looked like Sars - another deadly coronavrius .
But he was told by police to `` stop making false comments '' and was investigated for `` spreading rumours '' .
`` I do n't think he was rumour-mongering .
Has n't this turned into reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shuying , told the BBC .
`` My son was wonderful . ''
News of his death was met with an intense outpouring of grief on Chinese social media site Weibo - but this quickly turned into anger .
There had already been accusations against the government of downplaying the severity of the virus - and initially trying to keep it secret .
Dr Li 's death fuelled this further and triggered a conversation about the lack of freedom of speech in China .
The country 's anti-corruption body said it will open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Li '' .
The Chinese government has previously admitted `` shortcomings and deficiencies '' in its response to the virus , which has now killed 636 people and infected 31,198 in mainland China .
According to Chinese site Pear Video , Dr Li 's wife is due to give birth in June .
What has the public reaction been ?
Chinese social media has been flooded with anger - it is hard to recall an event in recent years that has triggered as much grief , rage and mistrust against the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ website were `` Wuhan government owes Dr Li Wenliang an apology '' and `` We want freedom of speech '' .
• The Chinese doctor who tried to warn about coronavirus Both hashtags were quickly censored .
When the BBC searched Weibo on Friday , hundreds of thousands of comments had been wiped .
Only a handful remain .
`` This is not the death of a whistleblower .
This is the death of a hero , '' said one comment on Weibo .
A photo circulating on Twitter reportedly sourced from messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese saying `` Farewell Li Wenliang '' written in the snow on a riverbank .
Many have now taken to posting under the hashtag `` Can you manage , do you understand ? ''
- a reference to the letter Dr Li was told to sign when he was accused of disturbing `` social order '' .
These comments do not directly name him - but are telling of the mounting anger and distrust towards the government .
`` Do not forget how you feel now .
Do not forget this anger .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said one comment on Weibo .
`` The truth will always be treated as a rumour .
How long are you going to lie ?
What else do you have to hide ? ''
another said .
`` If you are angry with what you see , stand up , '' one said .
`` To the young people of this generation , the power of change is with you . ''
The death of Dr Li Wenliang has been a heart-breaking moment for this country .
For the Chinese leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It lays bare the worst aspects of China 's command and control system of governance under Xi Jinping - and the Communist Party would have to be blind not to see it .
If your response to a dangerous health emergency is for the police to harass a doctor trying to blow the whistle , then your structure is obviously broken .
The city 's mayor - reaching for excuses - said he needed clearance to release critical information which all Chinese people were entitled to receive .
Now the spin doctors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convince 1.4 billion people that Dr Li 's death is not a clear example of the limits to the party 's ability to manage an emergency - when openness can save lives , and restricting it can kill .
Chinese people are going to take some convincing .
How was the death announced ?
There was confusion over when exactly Dr Li had actually died .
He was initially declared dead at 21:30 on Thursday ( 13:30GMT ) by state media outlets the Global Times , People 's Daily and others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report - saying he had been given a treatment known as ECMO , which keeps a person 's heart pumping .
Journalists and doctors at the scene said government officials had intervened - and official media outlets had been told to change their reports to say the doctor was still being treated .
But early on Friday , reports said doctors could not save Dr Li and his time of death was 02:58 on Friday .
What did Li Wenliang do ?
Dr Li , an ophthalmologist , posted his story on Weibo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending out his initial warning .
He had noticed seven cases of a virus that he thought looked like Sars - the virus that led to a global epidemic in 2003 .
On 30 December he sent a message to fellow doctors in a chat group warning them to wear protective clothing to avoid infection .
Four days later he was summoned to the Public Security Bureau where he was told to sign a letter .
In the letter he was accused of `` making false comments '' that had `` severely disturbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later apologised to Dr Li .
In his Weibo post he describes how on 10 January he started coughing , the next day he had a fever and two days later he was in hospital .
He was diagnosed with the coronavirus on 30 January .
What is the latest on the coronavirus ?
• Some 61 people onboard a cruise ship off the coast of Japan have tested positive for coronavirus .
There are 3,700 people on board the vessel , which began testing people after an 80-year-old who had previously been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus • Uganda 's health ministry has placed more than 100 people in quarantine as a preventative measure against the possible spread of coronavirus • A third person in the UK has tested positive for the virus , and is believed to have caught it in Singapore • Singapore has raised its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition ( Dorscon ) level from yellow to orange .
This means that the disease is deemed severe and spreads easily from person to person but has not spread widely and is being contained • Equatorial Guinea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will donate $ 2m ( £1.5m ) to aid its `` sister nation '' China .
This is despite the fact that China boasts the world 's second-biggest economy • The head of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said officials were facing a `` chronic shortage of personal protective equipment '' such as masks and gowns .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he would work to resolve `` bottlenecks '' in the supply chain Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his US counterpart Donald Trump that China is `` fully confident and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The country has introduced more restrictive measures to try to control the outbreak : • The capital Beijing has banned group dining for events such as birthdays .
Cities including Hangzhou and Nanchang are limiting how many family members can leave home each day • Hubei province has switched off lifts in high-rise buildings to discourage residents from going outside .
The virus has now spread to more than 25 countries , but only two of the deaths have been outside mainland China .
What questions do you have about the coronavirus ?
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bbc--2020-02-07--Coronavirus: Dozens more catch virus on quarantined cruise ship

Another 41 people on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan have tested positive for the new coronavirus , bringing the total number of cases on board to 61 .
Some 3,700 people are on board the Diamond Princess , which is quarantined in Yokohama for at least two weeks .
The checks began after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who had been on the ship last month fell ill with the virus .
He boarded the luxury cruise liner in Yokohama on 20 January and disembarked in Hong Kong on 25 January .
A separate cruise ship - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hong Kong after eight former passengers caught the virus .
It has around 3,600 people on board , but none have tested positive so far .
A British-American owned liner , the Westerdam , has been turned away by Japan even though it has not reported any cases of the virus .
The new cases on board the Diamond Princess bring Japan 's number of confirmed cases to 86 , the second highest figure after China .
`` Today they will be sent to hospitals in several prefectures , and we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said .
One of those tested positive and now moved off board is a 58-year old British man , who was on honeymoon with his 41-year old wife .
With the quarantine due to last until 19 February , there has also been concern over supplies of normal medicine to the ship .
One passenger has been waving a Japanese flag with the message `` shortage of medicine '' .
A Japanese TV crew on the shore responded with a banner asking : `` What medicine ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to hospitals .
The 61 confirmed patients are from : In total , the roughly 2,700 passengers and 1,000 crew come from 56 countries .
Around half the guests are from Japan , the tour company said , while the UK government said there were 78 British citizens on board .
The company said it was providing satellite TV , films , newspapers , room service , and free phone calls and internet to all guests .
What is life like on board ?
David Abel , from the UK , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is providing regular updates via Facebook • `` We are to monitor our temperatures on a regular basis , and if it 's increased above normal we are to contact the medical services onboard of the ship . ''
• `` Passengers in the small inside cabins have no window , there is no daylight , and no fresh air ... but the captain has announced those passengers will be allowed access to open deck for exercise and fresh air . ''
• `` If we are permitted out on open deck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're outside .
We have to keep one metre apart from everyone else and are not allowed to congregate in groups . ''
• `` All of the luxury of having a steward come to make the bed and put a chocolate on the pillow - those days are gone .
We have to take care of the cleanliness and hygiene of our own room . ''
• `` We 're going through all the clothes we put into our dirty wash bag and we 're just re-wearing them now .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do n't have anything other than hand soap . ''
• `` The first day in isolation , the supply of food was n't good .
Now it 's superb . ''
Another passenger , Spencer Fehrenbacher , told the BBC that he was tested for the virus several days ago but had not been told the result .
`` I could get a knock on my door at any moment with the news , '' he said .
`` It 's a very scary feeling . ''
The other cruise ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently in Hong Kong .
Eight passengers - who had been on board from 19 to 24 January - tested positive which led to the ship cancelling its trip to Taiwan and returning to Hong Kong .
All crew that worked in the cabins of the infected passengers have been isolated , with no new cases of the virus reported .
The new coronavirus can cause severe acute respiratory infection , which in some cases can be fatal .
Most people infected are likely to recover though .
The centre of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most cases have been in the city and the surrounding province of Hubei .
The virus has killed 636 people and infected 31,198 in mainland China , the country 's National Health Commission 's said .
It has spread overseas with confirmed infections in at least 25 nations .
So far , there have been only two deaths outside of mainland China - one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines .
Due to the global spread , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has declared a global health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the issues raised ?
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Another passenger, Spencer Fehrenbacher, told the BBC that he was tested for the virus several days ago but had not been told the result. "I could get a knock on my door at any moment with the news," he said. "It's a very scary feeling."


bbc--2020-02-07--Russia says plane 'almost hit' by anti-aircraft fire in Syria

A passenger plane in Syria was forced to re-route after it was almost hit by the country 's missile defence system , Russia 's defence ministry says .
According to a statement quoted by Russian media , the plane was about to land in Damascus when Syrian anti-aircraft fire responded to an alleged Israeli attack early on Thursday .
The Airbus 320 then diverted to the Russian airbase of Hmeimim in north-western Syria , the ministry said .
More than 172 people were on board .
Israel did not comment on Thursday 's strikes , but it has acknowledged carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years against Iranian-linked targets and to thwart arms shipments via Syria to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement in Lebanon .
Israel says it will not allow Iran , its sworn enemy , to deepen its military presence in Syria , which Israel sees as an attempt by Iran and its proxies to surround it .
• Why is there a war in Syria ?
The identity of the flight involved is unclear .
Russian state media said the flight was coming from the Iranian capital Tehran and some early reports suggested a Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of social media users pointed out that a flight belonging to Syria 's Cham Wings travelling from the Iraqi city of Najaf appeared to change its course from Damascus to Hmeimim in the early hours of Thursday morning .
What did Russia say ?
Igor Konashenkov , an official Russian Defence Ministry spokesman , accused the Israeli military of `` using the presence of civilian airliners as a shield against Syrian anti-aircraft fire '' during air combat operations .
This , he said , made `` a total mockery of the lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In September 2018 , 15 Russian servicemen were killed when Syrian air defence forces accidentally downed a Russian aircraft while responding to Israeli strikes .
Russia 's claims comes a month after 176 people were killed when Iranian forces mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian aircraft shortly after it took off from Tehran , amid rising tensions with the US .
What was the target of Thursday 's strikes ?
A UK-based monitor , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , said Thursday 's strikes had targeted positions belonging to the Syrian army and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , killing 23 .
However , Syrian state news agency Sana said that eight people had been wounded in the strikes .
Iran and its proxies , including Hezbollah , are supporting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in the country 's long-running civil war .

Israel did not comment on Thursday's strikes, but it has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years against Iranian-linked targets and to thwart arms shipments via Syria to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.


bbc--2020-02-07--Russian reporter Milashina, who exposed Chechen gay purge, attacked in Grozny

A well-known Russian journalist and a lawyer have described being beaten up by a gang in a hotel in the Chechen capital , Grozny .
Yelena Milashina , who exposed the kidnap and torture of gay Chechen men , was in Grozny with Marina Dubrovina for the trial of a local blogger .
She said the pair were set upon by a gang of men and women in the lobby of the Kontinent hotel .
Police were investigating the incident , the local human rights council said .
In her statement to police , posted by Milashina on Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as linked to her professional work as she had been threatened by Chechen authorities before , and by Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov personally .
`` Of course this is an organised attack , it 's the latest in a chain of attacks on human rights defenders , journalists and lawyers working in Chechnya , '' she told Ekho Moskvy radio on Friday .
The pair were treated briefly in hospital and reported the incident to Chechen authorities .
It happened shortly before midnight on Thursday and was filmed by the attackers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she and Ms Dubrovina were returning from a cafe across the road from the hotel when they saw more than 15 people in the lobby , including a man with a camera .
As the pair waited by the lift , they were approached by some of the group and one of the women accused them of coming to `` defend Wahhabis '' .
`` A second woman asked me who we had come to defend .
I did n't get a chance to answer , before she hit me hard in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd started to beat me and Marina Dubrovina ; they grabbed us by the neck and head , threw us to the ground , smashed our heads against the marble floor with great force , which left me with bruising and injuries .
Then they kicked me hard in the stomach and yanked my hair . ''
• 'They want to exterminate us ' , says Chechen gay man Human rights activists and the monitoring organisation OSCE called on the authorities swiftly to investigate the attack .
President Kadyrov has ruled Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen as a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin , But he has been accused by human rights groups of serious abuses , including the kidnap and torture of opponents and gay men .
`` All those who defend human rights groups and the gays we supposedly have in the Chechen republic are foreign agents , '' he told the BBC 's Sarah Rainsford in 2018 .
Yelena Milashina and a colleague reported in 2017 on a campaign of kidnapping , torture and killing of gay men in Chechnya .
She had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to death threats .
Her newspaper was also threatened .
Russian journalists and human rights activists have been murdered in recent years for their work in Chechnya .
Natalia Estemirova , who documented abuse of civilians by Chechen government-backed militias , was murdered in Grozny in 2009 .
She was a close friend of Anna Politkovskaya , a Novaya Gazeta investigative journalist who was shot dead in 2006 in her Moscow apartment block .
She had covered the horrors of the second Chechen war in 1999 and had sought to expose human rights @ @ @ @ @

"After that the whole crowd started to beat me and Marina Dubrovina; they grabbed us by the neck and head, threw us to the ground, smashed our heads against the marble floor with great force, which left me with bruising and injuries. Then they kicked me hard in the stomach and yanked my hair."


bbc--2020-02-07--Australia: ‘Bat tornado’ invades Queensland town

Hundreds of thousands of bats have invaded the town of Ingham in Queensland , Australia , and residents are fed @ @ @ @ @ outnumber the residents in the town and upset locals have asked their council to do @ @ @ @ @ animals have caused chaos , with residents complaining about the smell , the dirt and @ @ @ @ @ the bats are protected by law and can not be culled .
Local authorities now @ @ @ @ @ `` persuade '' the bats to move back to their habitat .

Hundreds of thousands of bats have invaded the town of Ingham in Queensland, Australia, and residents are fed up.
The bats now outnumber the residents in the town and upset locals have asked their council to do something about it.
The animals have caused chaos, with residents complaining about the smell, the dirt and the noise.
However, the bats are protected by law and cannot be culled. Local authorities now say they are trying to "persuade" the bats to move back to their habitat.
Produced and edited by Isabelle Rodd


bbc--2020-02-07--Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam quits after spying scandal

Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam has resigned amid a power struggle which followed a spying scandal at the bank .
He is stepping down after five years at the Swiss bank just months after it emerged that two former employees had been placed under surveillance .
Mr Thiam said he did not know the spying was taking place , Credit Suisse 's board backed chairman Urs Rohner for leading it `` commendably during this turbulent time '' .
Mr Thiam 's resignation follows reports he was locked in a power struggle with Mr Rohner .
The surveillance scandal initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe found the bank 's former chief operating officer , Pierre-Olivier Bouée , had hired private detectives to track its former head of wealth management , Iqbal Khan .
Credit Suisse later admitted its former human resources head Peter Goerke had also been tailed , prompting an investigation by Swiss financial watchdog FINMA .
This week a number of shareholders in Credit Suisse such as Harris Associates had backed Mr Thiam to stay on as chief executive and for Mr Rohner to go .
And on Wednesday , Mr Thiam posted a smiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suisse 's executive team .
However , the bank 's board has thrown its support behind Mr Rohner .
Credit Suisse 's lead independent director Severin Schwan said : `` After careful deliberations , the board has been unanimous in its actions , as well as in reaffirming its full support for the chairman to complete his term until April 2021 . ''
Mr Rohner told Swiss broadcaster SRF on Friday : `` I have spoken with many [ shareholders ] , also with the big ones .
Many have confirmed to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board of directors . ''
Mr Thiam will leave on 14 February and is being replaced by Thomas Gottstein , who is head of the bank 's Swiss business .
Relations between the chief executive and chairman had been increasingly strained following the spying scandal .
In a statement , Mr Thiam said : `` I had no knowledge of the observation of two former colleagues. ''
It undoubtedly disturbed Credit Suisse and caused anxiety and hurt .
I regret that this happened and it should never have taken place . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Credit Suisse 's former head of wealth management being chased through the streets of Zurich , rocked the rather staid world of Swiss banking , overshadowing Tidjane Thiam 's attempts to overhaul the bank .
Mr Thiam and Mr Khan had previously been close allies , with the wealth management business a cornerstone in the chief executive 's turnaround plan .
He pivoted the bank away from riskier trading activities , stabilising revenue .
The scandal , which emerged after Mr Khan defected to rival UBS , claimed the jobs of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a probe from the regulators - but Mr Thiam was cleared of involvement at the time .
But as the accusations escalated , a showdown between Mr Thiam and the board ensued .
Urs Rohner triumphed : the man responsible for appointing Mr Thiam also determined his departure .
Tidjane Thiam has for many years been a high profile figure in the financial world , even resorting to Instagram to put his message out , and denies any wrongdoing The bank 's largest shareholders had publicly called for him to be retained ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to persuade shareholders that his successor , bank veteran Thomas Gottstein , can continue to restore its fortunes .
Mr Thiam has had an illustrious and varied career .
The French Ivorian studied in France and worked in management consultancy before serving as Ivory Coast 's Minister of Planning and Development , until a military coup led to him being placed under house arrest .
He later became boss of financial services firms Aviva Europe and Prudential before joining Credit Suisse five years ago .
Mr Thiam had attempted to overhaul the Swiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khan 's wealth management division .
While he had initially praised and promoted Mr Khan , there were reports a personal animosity had developed .
This intensified after Mr Khan redeveloped a property near Lake Zurich neighbouring that of his boss .
Media reports suggested there was an altercation between Mr Khan and Mr Thiam 's girlfriend at a cocktail party held by the chief executive at his home , over trees planted on Mr Thiam 's property .
Shortly after that Mr Khan announced his departure from Credit Suisse .
It later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him due to fears he might poach clients when he started work at UBS .
Mr Khan , after noticing he was being tailed , had confronted the person observing him .

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bbc--2020-02-07--Germany AfD-backed leader could get €93,000 for day's work

The ousted German regional leader who was backed by the far right AfD stands to collect at least €93,000 ( $ 102,000 ; £79,000 ) in salary and allowances for just one day in office .
The RND ( Editor Network Germany ) news group says the figure was confirmed by state officials in Thuringia .
Liberal FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich resigned on Thursday , a day after MPs in Thuringia elected him premier in a shock win engineered by the AfD .
Chancellor Angela Merkel called the vote in the eastern state `` unforgivable '' and said it must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen yet for Mr Kemmerich .
There are calls for fresh regional elections in Thuringia , but Chancellor Merkel 's Christian Democrats ( CDU ) are resisting that option .
The CDU and its coalition partner in the national government , the Social Democrats ( SPD ) , will hold crisis talks at the weekend .
It is the first time in post-war Germany that a leader has been helped into office by the far right .
Mainstream parties officially oppose any deals with the AfD , which has grown to become the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader quits over far right backing • How far right caused earthquake in German politics • Just how far to the right is AfD ?
RND reports that the Thuringia premier gets a base monthly salary of €16,617 gross , plus €766 in allowances .
In addition , as a married man Mr Kemmerich is entitled to a €153 family allowance , making a total of €17,537 .
Under Thuringia law , one day in office is treated the same as a month , and Mr Kemmerich is also entitled to a six-month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first three months that allowance would be paid in full , and in half for the next three months .
RND reports that his transitional allowance alone would total €75,468 .
Ordinary MPs in the Thuringia parliament get a monthly base salary of €5,803 .
In addition , they get up to €2,782 in monthly allowances , Germany 's Die Welt reports .

It is the first time in post-war Germany that a leader has been helped into office by the far right. Mainstream parties officially oppose any deals with the AfD, which has grown to become the main opposition party.


bbc--2020-02-07--Botswana to hold elephant hunting auctions

Botswana is to hold its first auctions for the right to hunt elephants since lifting a ban last year .
The country has some 130,000 elephants , the world 's largest population .
Authorities will issue seven hunting `` packages '' of 10 elephants each , confined to `` controlled hunting areas '' , a spokeswoman said .
The government revoked a 2014 ban in May , saying human-elephant conflict and the negative impact on livelihoods was increasing .
The lifting of the ban has been popular with many in local communities but criticised by conservationists .
How will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elephants each are on offer and the auction will take place in the capital Gaborone on Friday afternoon , the BBC 's Southern Africa correspondent Nomsa Maseko reports .
The bidders - who must be companies registered in Botswana - are expected to put down a refundable deposit of 200,000 pula ( $ 18,000 ; £14,000 ) .
• In depth : The war on elephants • Why elephants are seeking refuge in Botswana The government has issued a quota for the killing of 272 elephants in 2020 .
The hunting would help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict '' , wildlife spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa told the AFP news agency .
Why was the ban reversed ?
Many rural communities believe a return to commercial hunting will help keep the elephant population away from their villages , and also bring in much-needed income in places not suitable for high-end tourism .
But critics fear it could also drive away luxury-safari goers opposed to hunting .
Audrey Delsink , Africa 's wildlife director for the global conservation lobby charity Humane Society International , called the auctions `` deeply concerning and questionable '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term human-elephant mitigation tool or population control method , '' she told AFP .
President Mokgweetsi Masisi 's predecessor Ian Khama introduced the ban in 2014 to reverse a decline in the population of wild animals .

Many rural communities believe a return to commercial hunting will help keep the elephant population away from their villages, and also bring in much-needed income in places not suitable for high-end tourism.


bbc--2020-02-07--Personality clash: Trump and Pelosi spar over faith

President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took jibes at each other a day after his acquittal in the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ White House , he called her a `` horrible person '' and took issue with @ @ @ @ @ use of prayer and faith , while Pelosi criticised his `` dangerous '' behaviour .
@ @ @ @ @ voted to clear him of abuse of power and obstruction of justice .

President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took jibes at each other a day after his acquittal in the impeachment proceedings.
Speaking at the White House, he called her a "horrible person" and took issue with her and Mitt Romney's use of prayer and faith, while Pelosi criticised his "dangerous" behaviour.
On Wednesday, the Senate voted to clear him of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.