bbc--2020-07-06--Huawei: UK government weighs up ban of Chinese firm's telecoms kit

The government has received a report into Huawei that is likely to change its policy over the Chinese firm 's role in the UK 's telecoms networks .
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said GCHQ 's National Cyber Security Centre had delivered its findings .
NCSC is believed to have said it can no longer assure the security of Huawei 's products because of new US sanctions .
`` We 're now examining it and understanding the implications of it , '' Mr Dowden told BBC Radio 4 's Today .
The Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prime minister , but Boris Johnson said on Monday afternoon that he did not want the country to be `` vulnerable to a high-risk state vendor '' .
Huawei has said it remains `` open to discussions '' .
But one of the company 's spokesmen took a tougher line over the weekend , following newspaper reports that the government might ban the purchase of new Huawei 5G equipment by the end of the year .
`` UK policy is being dictated by [ the ] Trump administration ... should n't the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-Brexit era being in a position to chose its own telecommunication strategy ? ''
tweeted Paul Harrison , Huawei 's head of international media , UK .
China 's ambassador to the UK has warned that if the country got rid of Huawei , it would send out a wider message about its openness to foreign investment .
Huawei 's role in the UK seemed to have been settled in January , when the government placed a cap on its market share in mobile and full-fibre fixed-line broadband networks , and excluded its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5G known as the `` core '' ' .
However , the US subsequently announced fresh sanctions that forbid the Chinese firm and the third parties that make its chips from using `` US technology and software to design and manufacture '' its products .
Washington claims Huawei is backed by the Chinese military and poses a national security risk , claims the company denies .
NCSC has examined the impact of the sanctions , including the fact that they effectively prevent the company from being able to use critical software to design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as stopping third-party manufacturers from being able to use equipment needed to produce some of Huawei 's most advanced processors .
• Why Huawei 's days in the UK could be numbered • What would happen if the UK ditched Huawei ?
The risk is that as a consequence Huawei would have to start sourcing chips from elsewhere , which UK security officials might not be able to properly vet .
`` Clearly the US sanctions will present challenges and that is what that advice is about , '' Mr Dowden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final decision had yet to be taken , but added : `` We want to diversify away from these so called high-risk vendors , of which Huawei is is the principal one ... we want to be in a position where we do n't have high-risk vendors in our networks at all . ''
Mr Dowden said he aimed to tell Parliament of any policy change before MPs rose for the summer recess on 22 July .
It remains unclear how far the government will go .
The Sunday Times reported that BT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 2030 to remove Huawei 's equipment from their existing 5G infrastructure .
But ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the BBC : `` The government now must act and make sure that Huawei or any other untrusted vendor is never to be in our telecom system . ''
And one of his allies , Bob Seely MP , told the Telegraph : `` 2029 is going to be too long for some colleagues , who want to see Huawei out of the system by the end of this parliament . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide to go further , ordering Huawei 's kit to be removed from 3G and 4G networks , and even the tens of thousands of roadside cabinets it is currently sits in providing broadband connectivity .
But experts have warned that the cost of this would run into `` billions of pounds '' and would cause major delays to the rollout of full-fibre internet .
When asked about this , Mr Johnson said : `` We have to come up with the right technological solutions , but also we will have to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the broadband that the UK needs . ''
A spokesman for the prime minister added that there was `` no change to [ the ] broadband 2025 target '' .
China 's introduction of a controversial security law giving it new powers over Hong Kong , and the subsequent arrest of some pro-democracy protesters may put the prime minister under further pressure to take a tough stance .
Former Labour business minister Peter Mandelson said the forthcoming US sanctions - which are due to come into effect in September - provided `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its position .
`` President Trump has undoubtedly succeeded in overturning the government 's original decision about Huawei equipment in Britain 's 5G network , '' he added .
`` This is fundamentally not a question of security .
It 's a commercial war between the US and China .
`` President Trump said he wanted to demolish Huawei , and he 's doing so through very draconian sanctions . ''
But Nigel Inkster , the former director of operations at MI6 , told the BBC that the UK needed to avoid becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two superpowers .
`` It 's going to be very important for the UK to manoeuvre adroitly to ensure that we do n't get forced into making a binary choice in this area , in ways that could be very detrimental to our long-term interest , '' he said .
When questioned about the issue , China 's ambassador to the UK said the wider Chinese business community was watching to see how the UK handled the case .
`` We want to be your friend .
We want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But if you want to make China a hostile country , you will have to bear the consequences . ''
On Thursday , MPs will discuss the issue further at the House of Commons science and technology committee when it questions Huawei , Vodafone and BT about the implications of a potential ban .

He said a final decision had yet to be taken, but added: "We want to diversify away from these so called high-risk vendors, of which Huawei is is the principal one... we want to be in a position where we don't have high-risk vendors in our networks at all."


bbc--2020-07-06--Colombia fuel tanker inferno kills seven and injures dozens

At least seven people have burned to death after an overturned petrol tanker exploded in northern Colombia , local police @ @ @ @ @ people were injured in the incident on the road near the town of Pueblo Viejo @ @ @ @ @ the police said .
Crowds had gathered around the tanker to try to siphon off @ @ @ @ @ into flames .
The injured were taken to several hospitals in the area .
Some @ @ @ @ @ , and there are fears that the death toll will rise further .
Local officials @ @ @ @ @ police warnings of the dangers .

More than 40 people were injured in the incident on the road near the town of Pueblo Viejo on the Caribbean coast, the police said.


bbc--2020-07-06--Street traders losing 'right to shade' under trees

Street vendors are being denied the `` right to shade '' under street trees in Hyderabad , India , a study suggests .
Urban trees play an important role in providing a comfortable work environment for the city 's outdoor traders , said researchers .
They added that the urban poor 's food security was under threat if they lost access to local street vendors who were being displaced by redevelopments .
The findings have been published in the Landscape and Urban Planning journal .
The study was part of a study by Azim Premji University 's Centre for Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Indian cities from the combined perspectives of ecology and social justice .
`` It is quite evident , through multiple studies , that urban trees provide critical ecosystem services to cities across the globe , '' explained co-author Sukanya Basu .
However , she added that the needs of those most dependent on the trees were not taken into account .
`` When we observe the streets of Indian cities , it is clear that street vendors are the among the most dependent on street trees , a highly vulnerable group who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hot sun , '' Ms Basu observed .
`` Interestingly , we could not find any literature that explores their relationships with trees . ''
The team chose the city of Hyderabad because of its extremely hot climate , which made it especially difficult for street vendors to function outdoors .
Ms Basu added : `` Given the backdrop of climate change and increasing urban heat island effects , street trees play an important role in making the daily lives of street vendors more comfortable . ''
The study found street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but their dependency was not only limited to shade , but to things such as emotional and spiritual well-being .
But the accessibility to street trees was being restricted for a number of reasons .
`` We identified three broad challenges that limited the accessibility of street trees by vendors .
`` First , there were only limited number of trees present on streets , of which several were felled for various reasons , such as road widening , '' Ms Basu observed .
`` Second , there was uneven segregation within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a highly popular street in Hyderabad , where vendor density is high , had the least number of trees .
`` In contrast , streets of Banjara Hills and Jubliee Hills ( affluent commercial areas ) , with a number of huge canopy trees had few vendors [ as a result of ] its location .
`` Finally , redevelopment , privatisation and gentrification of urban spaces has resulted in displacement of vendors from streets , or from trees on streets because of fences , walls and obstruction by guards . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` significant but under-recognised role in cities '' , such as providing basic security like food , clothing and other products , not only to the urban poor but also to the rest of the city , and shaping urban street culture .
But , she added : `` Sadly , visions of 'sustainable cities ' rarely include perceptions of this important urban group . ''
`` Town planners and policy makers need to include all voices in planning , '' she urged .
`` Planners and policy-makers need to understand the dependencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of street vendors , and the vulnerabilities of their daily life , using this insight to reframe the nature of access to public spaces in Indian cities .
`` Redevelopment , landscape designing and beautification projects can not be done at the expense of groups like street vendors , who are not only especially marginalised , but also play a major role in shaping the economy and street culture of cities . ''

"When we observe the streets of Indian cities, it is clear that street vendors are the among the most dependent on street trees, a highly vulnerable group who spend almost their whole working days outdoors in the hot sun," Ms Basu observed.


bbc--2020-07-06--Frederick Douglass: Historic US black activist's statue toppled

A statue of the 19th Century US black activist Frederick Douglass has been toppled in New York state .
It appears to have been vandalised on 5 July - the anniversary of a famous speech the former slave gave in 1852 .
In it he said Independence Day celebrations were a sham in a nation that still enslaved its black citizens .
His statue , in the city of Rochester , could have been targeted in retaliation for attacks on monuments linked to slavery , activists said .
The leader of the group that erected the statue , Carvi Eison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take its place .
No-one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the statue .
In recent weeks , statues of Confederate leaders and the explorer Christopher Columbus have been torn down in the US , as pressure grows on authorities to remove monuments connected to slavery and colonialism .
The movement has been sparked by the death in police custody of African American George Floyd .
His death in Minneapolis in May has led to protests in the US and internationally against police brutality and racial inequality .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests US President Donald Trump last week ordered the creation of a `` National Garden of American Heroes '' to defend what he called `` our great national story '' against those who vandalised statues .
His executive order gave a new task force 60 days to present plans , including a location , for the garden .
Mr Trump insisted the new statues must be lifelike , `` not abstract or modernist '' .

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bbc--2020-07-06--Ennio Morricone’s life in pictures

Ennio Morricone’s life in pictures

Italian composer Ennio Morricone died in hospital in Rome at the age of 91 .
Known for putting the music to `` spaghetti '' Westerns that made Clint Eastwood a star , Morricone scored over 500 films in seven decades .
Here are pictures from his life and stills from some of the films he worked on .
Born in 1928 , Morricone followed in the footsteps of his jazz trumpeter father and took up the instrument as a child , writing short compositions by the time he was six .
At the Santa Cecilia Conservatory music school in Rome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They went on to form a director/composer partnership , with Morricone 's early career marked by his scoring of `` spaghetti '' Westerns directed by Leone in the 1960s , such as A Fistful of Dollars and The Good , the Bad and the Ugly .
With very little budget , Morricone used electric guitars and sound effects to punctuate the action on screen .
The composer 's sparse soundtracks were an iconic component of Leone 's revolutionary take on the Western genre .
In The Good , the Bad and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trotting of drum rhythms and electric guitar twangs made the soundtrack a worldwide hit , reaching number one in the UK chart in 1968 .
According to director Edgar Wright , Morricone `` could make an average movie into a must-see , a good movie into art , and a great movie into legend '' .
Despite the temptation of Hollywood , Morricone never left his Italian hometown .
`` I was offered a free villa in Hollywood , '' he said .
`` But I said , 'No thank you , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He also composed many scores for Italian cinema .
Morricone 's desire to reflect parts of his personality throughout his carefully produced compositions enhanced and transformed the emotional impact of the films , and he successfully adapted his work to many different styles of cinema .
`` I am disturbed when people think about me as a specialist for Westerns , '' he once said .
`` They are only a relatively small percentage of the music I 've written . ''
In Once Upon a Time in America , he used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the right historical context .
During his expansive career , the composer received Oscar nominations for Days of Heaven , The Mission , The Untouchables , Bugsy and Malena .
His score for The Mission was described as so moving that rather than complementing the film , it overwhelmed it .
He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2007 and went on to win an Oscar for best original score in 2016 for Quentin Tarantino 's The Hateful Eight .
It was Morricone 's first Western score for more than three decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a concert of film music at London 's Royal Albert Hall saw musicians conducted by Morricone playing music from a selection of his compelling scores .
His death was marked by Italian health minister Roberto Speranza , who tweeted : `` Adieu maestro , and thank you for the emotions you gave us . ''

They went on to form a director/composer partnership, with Morricone's early career marked by his scoring of "spaghetti" Westerns directed by Leone in the 1960s, such as A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.


bbc--2020-07-06--Amazon's Jeff Bezos: The richest person in the world

His wealth is now estimated to be $ 171bn ( £137bn ) , having made tens of billions during the @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Bezos even has plans to take the human race into space .
The BBC @ @ @ @ @ look at a few things you need to know about the wealthiest person in the @ @

As 2020 ended, Jeff Bezos's wealth was estimated to be more than $185bn (£135bn), after he made tens of billions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Amazon boss even has plans to take the human race into space.
The BBC's James Wignall takes a look at a few things you need to know about the wealthiest person in the world.


bbc--2020-07-06--Harry and Meghan: 'Wrongs of past need to be acknowledged', duke says

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken to young leaders about equal rights - with Harry saying the wrongs of the past need to be acknowledged .
Prince Harry and Meghan dialled into the Queen 's Commonwealth Trust weekly video call , which focused on responding to the Black Lives Matter movement .
Harry , president of the QCT , told them : `` There is no turning back now , everything is coming to a head . ''
His wife Meghan added that equality is a fundamental human right .
The duchess , vice president of QCT , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now , because it 's only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find the place where a high tide raises all ships .
`` Equality does not put anyone on the back foot , it puts us all on the same footing - which is a fundamental human right . ''
The couple , speaking from their Los Angeles home , said they had discussed the issues many times in the past weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ call : `` When you look across the Commonwealth , there is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past .
`` So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs , but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do .
`` It 's not going to be easy and in some cases it 's not going to be comfortable , but it needs to be done , because , guess what , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` all of us have been educated to see the world differently '' but that it was important to acknowledge unconscious bias exists and then `` do the work to become more aware '' .
On the call , they joined Chrisann Jarrett , co-founder of We Belong , which is led by young people who migrated to the UK ; Alicia Wallace , director of Equality Bahamas ; Mike Omoniyi , founder of The Common Sense Network , and Abdullahi Alim , who leads the World Economic Forum 's Global Shapers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , as a 35-year-old - prompting his wife to retort `` that 's not aging ! ''
- but that he felt optimistic about change when speaking to the young people .
`` This change is needed and it 's coming , '' he said .
`` The optimism and the hope that we get is from listening and speaking to people like you , because there is no turning back now , everything is coming to a head .
`` Solutions exist and change is happening far quicker than it ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been running weekly discussions with young people , looking at different forms of injustice .
Prince Harry and Meghan kept their roles with the trust after stepping down as senior working royals earlier this year .
As part of that move , he stepped down from his position as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador .
• GROUNDED WITH LOUIS THEROUX : Louis sits down with Chris O'Dowd

The duchess, vice president of QCT, said on the call: "We're going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now, because it's only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find the place where a high tide raises all ships.


bbc--2020-07-06--Vogue Portugal pulls controversial mental health cover

Vogue Portugal has pulled a recent magazine cover , which mental health experts criticised as `` outdated '' and in `` bad taste '' .
The Madness Issue featured a woman in a bathtub in a hospital setting with a nurse pouring water over her head .
Vogue Portugal said the image was intended to `` start a discussion '' .
But it has since changed the cover , saying that it now realises `` the subject of mental health needs a more thoughtful approach '' .
`` Vogue Portugal deeply apologises for any offence or upset caused by this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Instagram post , which showed a new cover image of a person holding a human heart .
The photo of the woman in the bath generated huge controversy on its release .
Vogue Portugal , however , initially refused to back down , insisting in a statement posted on Twitter that the cover story explored `` the historical context of mental health and is designed to reflect real life and authentic stories '' .
`` Inside the issue features interviews and contributions from psychiatrists , sociologists , psychologists and other experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman featured in the bathtub , Slovak model Simona Kirchnerova , wrote in an Instagram post on Friday that it was a `` career highlight '' because those standing either side of her were family members .
`` Made it to Vogue cover with my mum and my grandma , '' she wrote .
But London-based clinical psychologist Katerina Alexandraki told the BBC that she considered the cover to be `` unethical '' .
`` For those with experience of the psychiatric system , seeing a fashion magazine cover presenting a woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminder of a very challenging time in their lives , '' she said .
`` This image reinforces the idea of women being vulnerable and helpless during a mental health breakdown .
It does not show us the effort those with mental health put in to overcoming their struggles , their strengths and resistance to overcome adversity , '' she added .
• Coronavirus : How to protect your mental health Portuguese model Sara Sampaio said images like the one portrayed on the Vogue Portugal cover `` should not be representing the conversation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who said she had suffered with mental health issues herself , said she considered it `` very bad taste '' .
`` It looks like it 's in an [ outdated ] mental hospital '' that used to `` torture '' patients , she said in a video posted on social media .
She added that the image came at a particularly sensitive time `` because of Covid and the way that mental health has been dealt with '' , with many people having been isolated or directly affected by the pandemic @

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bbc--2020-07-06--'Horrible' offices look to tempt back workers

`` Many of us spend most of our waking lives in offices and typically they 're horrible , '' says Maciej Markowski , chief executive of spaceOS , a start-up based in Warsaw .
Before coronavirus offices were `` a mix of noise , distraction and an endless search for a free meeting room , '' he says .
Mr Markowski 's company makes an app and other technology that connects tenants with their workplaces .
He thinks that if building owners want to keep their tenants happy , then they need to be looking at different kinds of data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate real estate is really data focused , you have tremendous information on occupancy , electricity and water usage , '' says Mr Markowski .
However , that `` does n't give you a single clue what to do to keep a tenant , no idea what these people do in the building , what they like and dislike , any tools to keep them , '' he says .
With millions of people working from home since the coronavirus pandemic , office owners will have to work harder to tempt them back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big changes when they return .
`` I popped in last week for a few hours , and saw some Star Trek-style sensors you wave your hand over to exit , rather than pressing a button , '' says Elizabeth Hoefsmit , managing director of Hampshire-based McGinley Aviation , which uses serviced offices in a business park .
It might be infrared temperature checks in the lobby , contactless lifts , or new apps to spread workers out and keep shared surfaces clean , but there 's no doubt the post-coronavirus office is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finding the 'invisible ' millions who are not on maps • How much does your boss know about you ?
• When working from home is much more than emailing • Creating an online course 'changed my life' • The hidden detectors looking for knives and guns It could all start as soon as you wake up in the morning .
You may check your building app , says David Garten , vice president at RXR Realty which owns and manages 93 properties in the New York area .
The firm 's new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , from information like air quality , the number of occupants , and how well social distancing is being observed .
If your building has a low rating that day , you might decide to work from home , or go to a smaller satellite office instead .
The app will also tell you the ideal time to arrive , to reduce congestion , and people riding public transport at peak times .
`` So the ideal time for me to walk through our lobby is 10am , '' says Mr Garten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass through an infrared fever-screening system , says James Lawrence of Gensler , a large design and architecture firm based in San Francisco .
FLIR Systems , one Oregon company that makes these crowd thermal cameras , has seen its demand increase 700 % .
If a concierge judges you high risk from the infrared screening , they might double-check your temperature with a handheld device .
Then , you might need to have your meeting by video conference from a quarantine room , or take a car home or to hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then perhaps you will operate the lift with buttons on your app .
Once upstairs , it will tell you when your workstation was last cleaned , Mr Garten says .
When it gets to lunchtime , you 'll order food by an app , says John Robson , asset director at Workspace , which has 69 office properties around London focusing mainly on small companies .
`` Every transaction is cashless now , and your food will basically be grab and go , '' he says .
If you pop to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be increasingly looking at touchless taps , Mr Lawrence says .
New software is helping companies spread people out .
Gensler 's tool ReRun imports floor plans , calculates safe bubbles around each worker , and then outputs different ways to place workers so their bubbles do not overlap .
`` Recently we did an analysis on a two million square-foot building that took roughly 10 days to turn around .
Otherwise it would 've taken several weeks , '' says Mr Lawrence .
For the same reason , some companies are looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to video cameras .
AI algorithms can offer feedback about `` pinch points '' where people are too close together , while protecting individual privacy , says Dr Mahesh Saptharishi , Motorola Solutions ' chief technology officer , based in Boston .
Instead of watching the actual video , they can ask the AI how well social distancing is being observed overall , and where problem points are .
`` So employees do n't feel someone 's watching what they do , '' he says .
Meanwhile , your cleaner might well be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
An April study in The Lancet Microbe showed the virus can last on plastic and stainless steel ( like door handles ) for up to seven days , and glass ( like screens ) for four days .
Cleaning wipes can disrupt the layer of fat that surrounds and protects coronavirus .
And bleach 's active ingredient sodium hypochlorite destroys the crown of protein spikes that gives the virus its name , and the ribonucleic acid ( RNA ) which is its blueprint to reproduce .
So does the ethanol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be helpful to know which surfaces should be cleaned .
Contact tracing needs to keep track of the surfaces and facilities you and sick colleagues used , says Matt Calkins , head of US software development platform Appian , which has also made coronavirus workplace safety software .
If you know which of your rooms to target , you know where best to send your deep cleaning team , and maximise use of your bleach , ethanol and wipes , Mr Calkins says .
The virus can also be carried in the air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles , say researchers .
So what about air conditioning systems ?
The UK government says the risk of air conditioning spreading coronavirus in the workplace is `` extremely low '' .
Nevertheless , `` we 're advising organisations to look at their air conditioning system , '' says Dr Mark Parrish , Northern European medical director from International SOS , which advises companies about medical risks .
Filters with extremely narrow openings - like high-efficiency particulate air ( HEPA ) and the more powerful ultra-low particulate air ( ULPA ) ones - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air , according to UK air filter manufacturer SPCB .
The problem is such ventilation systems will normally need stronger fans to push air through these narrower filters , it says .
Upgrading air conditioning could be one of many options used by office owners to keep their tenants happy .
Maciej Markowski of spaceOS says simple convenience might be the winning factor .
`` It 's ridiculous that you 're in a building and it 's easier to order food from across town than the restaurant downstairs .
Or with three taps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a package is broken , but there 's no way to tell your building there 's a huge spill in front of your office . ''

"It's ridiculous that you're in a building and it's easier to order food from across town than the restaurant downstairs. Or with three taps on your phone you can tell Amazon a package is broken, but there's no way to tell your building there's a huge spill in front of your office."


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: China's workers and graduates fear for their future

Huang waits by a workbench for the welder to pass the next metal tray .
There 's only a handful of staff in the factory .
Half the building is in darkness .
The boss is stranded in Europe .
They have n't had any new orders from their American customers for months .
This is a business that 's desperately trying to keep the lights on .
`` Up until now we have n't received any substantial mass production orders to keep the factory running and to be able to pay salaries and to be able to stay afloat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She was blunt about the business she runs .
Speaking from Italy she said , `` The last [ thing ] I want to do really is fire or let go employees . ''
But she does n't have long left .
Lotus United is a business that 's hanging on .
In an industrial park in Jiangsu near China 's east coast it makes the rails and the racks for the shops that some of you go to .
Or at least it used to .
Two floors of manufacturing , around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a handful of staff turning up every day .
Most of the machines are now switched off , cardboard boxes stacked up , piles of rusty inventory on the floor .
• China 's virus-hit economy shrinks for first time in decades Huang Xuefeng is not very busy .
Before we met there were a few sparks flying over in a corner .
The white glow of welding at a workbench .
But the disastrous shutdown brought by the virus has reduced this company to a handful of workers , tucked away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 50 % pay cut .
He 's now spending the equivalent of just over $ 200 ( £160 ) a month .
`` The money I earn now can only guarantee basic living , '' he said .
His family has been hit hard because his wife works at the factory too .
They are a tiny , tiny part of China 's vast wave of migrant workers .
When I met him they were eating lunch together during a 25-minute break .
If the company goes under they 'll lose their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There will be nothing to send back home to their daughter .
`` I came here in 2012 .
[ She is being ] raised back home as I ca n't afford it . ''
Privately-owned companies like Lotus create the most new jobs in China .
But they are particularly vulnerable in this crisis .
In recent years the government and the Communist Party has been more focused on consolidating and protecting state-owned enterprises : the industrial , transport , telecoms and financial giants that they own .
Add to this small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US - it only has American customers - and it is clear that Lotus is very , very vulnerable .
One hundred jobs are on the line .
An impending unemployment crisis is the stuff of nightmares for China 's leaders .
The ruling Communist Party worries incessantly about the effects on social stability .
Small but visible protests sprang up in Wuhan in April .
Workers in a shopping centre gathered to demonstrate against rents they could no longer afford .
The official jobless total in China 's cities has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are independent forecasts that it could go much higher .
China 's number two politician , Premier Li Keqiang , acknowledged the scale of the problem last month when he said : `` The truth is that in April that figure already hit 6 % ... Employment is the biggest concern in people 's lives .
It is something of paramount importance for all families . ''
Addressing workers at firms like Lotus , Mr Li said : `` Many export companies have no orders now , which has greatly affected their employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all these people and businesses in difficulties , but most importantly , we must help them land jobs . ''
But there is one group the party is particularly worried about : graduates .
There are almost nine million graduates entering China 's job market this summer .
There are fewer jobs to go round .
Mr Li has admitted the outlook for them is `` grim '' .
Outside a recruitment fair in Shanghai , 23-year-old Zhang told us : `` Yes , we have pressure .
We ca n't find jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay at home doing nothing . ''
She is pessimistic .
`` I expect it wo n't get better within a year . ''
Many of the job fairs have gone online .
Graduates are looking down a phone camera with a mask on hoping to land their first big job .
`` We do n't have any internship experience and we did n't go to the autumn job fair , '' Zhang explained .
In China 's past , the government used to assign jobs to them .
But that is long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being encouraged to recruit graduates .
There are tax breaks on offer .
This is a critical issue for economic recovery and political legitimacy .
Young , educated , unemployed , restless and resentful graduates have repeatedly been a problem for the ruling party .
Back at the factory , via Italy , Ms Yakubova has her chin up .
`` I am hopeful that after one , two , I do n't know , three months , let 's say in the near future , that we can restart . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other work .
The minimum wage she was forced to put them on was not enough .
Huang and his wife are staying , but they have a plan .
`` We are under great pressure to live here , '' he said .
`` The rent , the cost of living ... if we ca n't hold on we will leave . ''
They will go back up north if the jobs end , and become corn and wheat farmers again .
Millions of migrant workers like them could do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China 's decades long vast urbanisation .
• JOBS : Can my boss force me to go to work ?
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• TWO METRES : Could less than 2m work ?
• LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?

Lotus United is a business that's hanging on. In an industrial park in Jiangsu near China's east coast it makes the rails and the racks for the shops that some of you go to. Or at least it used to.


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: How fast is it spreading in Africa?

Africa is seeing coronavirus cases rapidly increasing and deaths rising , according to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
We 've looked at the situation across the continent , and examined which countries are of most concern .
In terms of overall numbers , Africa currently accounts for only a small proportion of total global cases , but the acceleration in rates of infection in some countries is clearly a cause for concern .
While it took nearly 100 days for Africa to reach an initial 100,000 cases , it took only 18 days for that to double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400,000 cases over the next 20 days .
The upward trend in Africa is starting to resemble other parts of the world that have been badly hit by the coronavirus .
Most African countries are now experiencing community transmission , according to the WHO .
This is when a person gets Covid-19 without having been in contact with a known case from abroad or a confirmed domestic case , which makes it hard for for the authorities to track down the source of a local outbreak .
The two countries with the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt .
They accounted for over 60 % of all the new cases reported in late June .
South Africa has the highest recorded number of total cases , while Egypt has the largest number of recorded coronavirus deaths .
South Africa , which imposed one of the world 's strictest lockdowns in late March , has seen cases rise steadily after this was relaxed in early May .
The Western Cape province ( where Cape Town is located ) , accounts for nearly half of all cases in the country and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are steadily rising in Gauteng province , which includes Johannesburg .
Egypt has seen case numbers rising rapidly since mid-May , but there are indications that this may now have reached a peak with recorded new infections levelling off slightly in early July .
There is also concern about what is happening in Nigeria , which recorded the second-highest increase in deaths from Covid-19 after South Africa in the WHO report for 1 July .
Note : Data for Egypt can be found by selecting the Middle East region from the drop-down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table below .
Mauritania in West Africa has also seen a steep increase in cases , and has been among those recording the highest increases in recent weeks .
It 's worth stressing that parts of the continent have seen relatively few cases , such as some areas of East Africa .
In fact , the latest WHO Africa region report said just 10 countries accounted for more than 80 % of all the reported cases on the continent .
How many people are dying in Africa ?
The overall death rate has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite the fact that many countries have poor health infrastructure .
The WHO says this could be partly because of the relatively young population in Africa - more than 60 % under the age of 25 .
Current analysis suggests a lower mortality rate in younger people .
But there are still five countries with death rates that are comparable to or higher than the most recent global average rate of 5 % deaths from confirmed cases : Githinji Gitahi , the head of Amref Health Africa , an NGO which specialises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates could be an indication of much higher infection levels than those being recorded , but it could also be as a result of relatively low levels of testing .
The fewer tests you carry out , the fewer confirmed cases you find , and so the number of deaths appears relatively high .
The WHO says using community surveillance , where community health workers and other frontline staff report Covid-19 deaths , could be behind the high death rate reported , for example , in Chad .
How much testing is done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 80 % of the total tests conducted - South Africa , Morocco , Ghana , Egypt , Ethiopia , Uganda , Mauritius , Kenya , Nigeria and Rwanda .
There are wide variations in testing rates , with South Africa doing the most and Nigeria doing relatively few , according to Our World in Data , a UK-based project which collates Covid-19 information .
On 4 July , South Africa was doing just over 30 tests per 1,000 people , compared with 72 in the UK and 105 in the US .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , Ghana 10 and Kenya 3 .
It 's worth pointing out that for some African countries , it is impossible to know what exactly is happening due to a lack of any data or data being incomplete .
`` We have to take the numbers with a pinch of salt , '' says Chiedo Nwankwor , a lecturer in African affairs at Johns Hopkins University in the US .
In Tanzania , President John Magufuli has voiced doubts about the validity of virus testing results at the national laboratory , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates and testing to be made public .
Equatorial Guinea had a row with the WHO after accusing its country representative of inflating the number of Covid-19 cases .
For a while it held back its data , but has now started sharing it again .
And in Kano state in northern Nigeria , an unusual spike of close to 1,000 deaths was reported in late April , but the government has not still confirmed how many were due to Covid-19 .
Note : The graphics in this page use a different source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Johns Hopkins University , which results in a slightly lower overall total .
US figures do not include Puerto Rico , Guam or the US Virgin Islands .
• GLOBAL TRENDS : Where are cases rising and falling ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are the symptoms of the coronavirus ?

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This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.
** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.
Source: Johns Hopkins University and national public health agencies


bbc--2020-07-06--Iran blasts: What is behind mysterious 'attacks' at key sites?

Just after midnight on 30 June , an email dropped into my inbox .
It claimed to be from an unknown group calling itself the Homeland Cheetahs .
The group said it had attacked the major Iranian nuclear site at Natanz some two hours earlier , at 02:00 local time .
In the detailed message , it claimed it had blown up a facility and that the Iranian regime would not be able to hide it .
The group said it was composed of dissidents within Iran 's military and security forces and that they had been behind numerous attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concealed from the public .
I went online to check Iranian news agencies and reliable accounts on social media , but I found no mention of such an attack anywhere .
Several hours later , Iran 's Atomic Energy Organisation announced there had been an incident at the Natanz nuclear plant , but they ruled out sabotage .
The next day , Iran 's Supreme National Security Council - its top security body - announced that it knew what caused the `` incident '' at Natanz but that `` for security reasons '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say what this was .
Nasa satellite images showed there had been a fire at Natanz at 02:06 .
The damage corresponded with details contained in the email from the Homeland Cheetahs .
The group 's message had been carefully crafted and included a propaganda video about attacks on strategic sites it said it had carried out inside Iran .
• Why do the limits on Iran 's uranium enrichment matter ?
• Iranians on Trump and the nuclear deal Preparing this kind of statement and video requires hours , if not days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew about the Natanz explosion in advance , which supports the theory that it was an act of sabotage .
But there is also the possibility that the email was an elaborate attempt to mislead us as to who was behind the attack , and could actually be the work of foreign agents posing as opponents of the regime in Iran .
The group 's name , the Homeland Cheetahs , is similar to those of other `` Iranian '' cyber groups , such as Persian Cat , or Charming Kitten - teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Cyber Army .
It is possible that the Homeland Cheetahs were born to confront the Persian Cat .
In late May , national cyber security in Israel - Iran 's arch-foe - said the country had prevented a major cyber attack on its water system , widely thought to have been the work of Iran .
Days later , there was a cyber attack on Shahid Rajaae , an important economic and shipping hub in southern Iran .
More than 50 % of Iran 's sea imports and exports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack caused a massive blockage of water in the canals and flooded roads leading to the terminal .
Iranian officials blamed power shortages , but Western intelligence sources believe it was Israeli retaliation against Iran .
In the past three months there have been an increasing number of mysterious incidents which have damaged sensitive sites in Iran .
Numerous fires have broken out in nuclear facilities , oil refineries , power plants , major factories and businesses across the country .
Since 26 June alone , there have been several such incidents : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquid fuel production facility for ballistic missiles in Khojir , close to Parchin , near Tehran ; fire at power plant in Shiraz , causing a blackout • 4 July : Explosion and fire in power plant in Ahwaz ; chlorine gas leak at Karoun petrochemical plant in Mahshahr Saeed Aganji , a Finland-based Iranian journalist who has been following the events , says the incidents are unusual and could be deliberate .
`` By targeting Iran strategic and economic sites , the aim is to bring Iran 's economy to its knees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia groups and change course in the Middle East . ''
Parchin and Khojir are two military sites believed to house nuclear and missile production facilities on the eastern edge of Tehran .
Inspectors from the global nuclear watchdog , the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) , have long been denied access to Parchin , where Iran is suspected of having conducted high-explosive tests related to the manufacture of nuclear weapons .
In a rare acknowledgement , Iran 's state news agency Irna said the fire at Natanz could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , especially the Zionist regime [ Israel ] and the US '' .
Iran 's civil defence chief has vowed to `` respond '' if it turns out Iran was the victim of a cyber attack .
On Sunday , an unnamed `` Middle Eastern intelligence official '' told the New York Times Israel had caused the blast at Natanz .
Just a day earlier , Israel 's foreign minister responded obliquely when asked if Israel was behind the incident , saying `` our actions in Iran better left unsaid '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these kinds of `` attacks '' , and Iranian officials have avoided blaming Israel directly .
But it seems the cyber war between the two countries has already started .

But there is also the possibility that the email was an elaborate attempt to mislead us as to who was behind the attack, and could actually be the work of foreign agents posing as opponents of the regime in Iran.


bbc--2020-07-06--Clash between Spurs team-mates Lloris & Son 'beautiful' - Mourinho

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says the half-time clash between goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and forward Son Heung-min was `` beautiful '' and `` something needed for the team to grow up '' .
Captain Lloris ran over and shoved Son in the back before the players went down the tunnel , with the pair having to be separated by their team-mates .
But they embraced at full-time after a 1-0 Premier League win over Everton .
Lloris said there was `` no problem '' after Monday 's match .
• Who made Garth Crooks ' team of the week ?
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boiled over when France World Cup winner Lloris reacted angrily towards Son , unhappy that the South Korea international for not tracked back to help prevent a chance for Toffees forward Richarlison .
`` It just belongs to the changing room - outside you can say whatever you want .
What happened between me and Sonny is part of football sometimes , '' added Lloris .
`` At the end of the game you could see we were more than happy . ''
The result gave boss Mourinho his 200th victory in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fifth manager to reach the landmark .
It came following a poor 3-1 loss at Sheffield United in their previous game , after which Mourinho had questioned the mentality of his players .
`` [ The argument ] was probably as a consequence of our meetings .
If you want to blame someone for that it 's me , '' said the 57-year-old .
`` I was critical of my boys .
They were not critical enough with themselves .
I asked them to be more demanding of each other .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes Son , but the captain told him you have to do more and give more to the team .
`` It is something needed for the team to grow up .
To grow up you need big personalities .
When you have that reaction I have no doubts . ''
• The New Tech Cold War : Can we avoid the consequences of Chinese tech dependency ?

Last updated on .From the section Tottenham
Mourinho 'guilty' but pleased after Lloris-Son spat
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says the half-time clash between goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and forward Son Heung-min was "beautiful" and "something needed for the team to grow up".
Captain Lloris ran over and shoved Son in the back before the players went down the tunnel, with the pair having to be separated by their team-mates.
But they embraced at full-time after a 1-0 Premier League win over Everton.
Lloris said there was "no problem" after Monday's match.
An uneventful encounter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium almost boiled over when France World Cup winner Lloris reacted angrily towards Son, unhappy that the South Korea international had not tracked back to help prevent a chance for Toffees forward Richarlison.
"It just belongs to the changing room - outside you can say whatever you want. What happened between me and Sonny is part of football sometimes," added Lloris.
"At the end of the game you could see we were more than happy."
Bust-up with Son 'part of football' - Lloris
The result gave boss Mourinho his 200th victory in the Premier League, the Portuguese becoming only the fifth manager to reach the landmark.
It came following a poor 3-1 loss at Sheffield United in their previous game, after which Mourinho had questioned the mentality of his players.
"[The argument] was probably as a consequence of our meetings. If you want to blame someone for that it's me," said the 57-year-old.
"I was critical of my boys. They were not critical enough with themselves. I asked them to be more demanding of each other.
"Son is an amazing kid. Everybody likes Son, but the captain told him you have to do more and give more to the team.
"It is something needed for the team to grow up. To grow up you need big personalities. When you have that reaction I have no doubts."


bbc--2020-07-06--Six teams, five games - who will be relegated from the Premier League?

Six teams scrambling to avoid finishing in the bottom three with five games to go - the race to stay in the Premier League is reaching a tense finale .
While Norwich look doomed after being cut adrift at the bottom , 15th-placed Brighton - nine points above the relegation zone - appear safe .
But with 15 points still to play for - including some key games between teams fighting for survival - Bournemouth , Aston Villa , Watford and West Ham will all believe they can turn their season around .
Who will stay up ?
Which teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the fight for survival heading for a gripping last-day battle ?
Here , BBC Sport assesses the teams in trouble at the bottom of the table .
• What are each side 's chances in the race to avoid relegation ? '
I ca n't see Villa or Bournemouth winning again' Having seen his side go backwards since the Premier League resumed , Norwich boss Daniel Farke says it is `` unrealistic '' to talk about avoiding relegation .
Norwich , promoted last season after finishing top of the Championship , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resumed after being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic .
That gap is now seven points .
In contrast , Brighton resumed the season just two points above the drop zone .
Four games later and Graham Potter 's men are now nine clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa on 36 points - a tally that has been good enough to stay up for the past three seasons .
Like Norwich , Bournemouth have also failed to muster a point in their four games back .
Indeed , the bottom six have managed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brighton winning half that tally - from a possible 75 , and three wins in 25 since the Premier League resumed .
`` I ca n't see either Aston Villa or Bournemouth winning another game , '' former Villa and England striker Emile Heskey told BBC Radio 5 Live .
`` Villa and Bournemouth 's run-ins are much harder than West Ham and Watford 's .
Watford manager Nigel Pearson has been in this position before with Leicester and got them out of it , so he knows what it takes and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Bromwich Albion 's 34 points in 2004-05 make them the team with the lowest total to remain in England 's top flight in the Premier League era .
Watford , in 17th , are still six points off that total with five games left .
Villa and Bournemouth have been in the bottom three since the end of February but history suggests they can still get out of trouble .
With five games of the 2007-08 Premier League season left , Fulham had just 24 points and were six points from safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after beating Reading , Manchester City , Birmingham and Portsmouth in four of their last five matches to finish in 17th , level on points with 18th-placed Reading but with a superior goal difference .
Position : 15th - nine points above the relegation zone .
Promoted to Premier League : 2017 .
Form since restart : 7/12pts .
Why Brighton can plan for a fourth Premier League season : Brighton have found form since the restart , taking more points than third-placed Leicester and as many as champions Liverpool , who they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of results will see the Seagulls go down .
Former Arsenal and England forward Ian Wright , speaking on Match of the Day : `` Graham Potter has got to get a lot of credit .
Brighton 's defensive shape is very good but they also have a cutting edge going forward . ''
Key stat : Brighton are nine points clear of the relegation zone .
It is the furthest ahead of the relegation zone the Seagulls have been all season , and the furthest since 12 January 2019 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position .
Position : 16th - four points above the relegation zone .
Promoted to Premier League : 2012 .
Form since restart : 4/12pts .
Coming good at the right time ?
West Ham posted financial losses of £27.26m earlier in the season and said staying in the Premier League was `` an absolute necessity '' .
A thrilling win over Chelsea and a hard-earned point at Newcastle in their last two games have helped ease the threat of relegation , with three of their last five games against fellow strugglers Norwich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and , on the final day , Aston Villa ( home ) .
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin , speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live : `` I was so impressed with West Ham 's work rate against Chelsea - it was phenomenal .
I spoke to a member of staff at West Ham after the game and he said they played brilliantly and worked hard , but trying to get them to play at that level and work ethic for the rest of the season is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ham can not afford to lose survival battle Key stat : West Ham are on a run of 13 Premier League matches without a clean sheet - only Bournemouth ( 16 ) are on a longer current run without a shutout .
They last had a worse run back in December 2009 ( 15 games ) .
Watford : Will Hornets get over the finishing line ?
Position : 17th - one point above the relegation zone .
Promoted to Premier League : 2015 .
Form since restart : 1/12pts .
Tense finale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six points from safety , when Nigel Pearson took charge in December .
After an initial burst of wins , they enter the last five games out of form and in desperate need of wins before their last two games of the season against Manchester City and Arsenal .
Former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown , speaking on Match of the Day : `` There has been a special bond between Nigel Pearson and his players .
He needs to pull them together to change their season . ''
• 'We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' - Pearson Key stat : Watford have lost their last three Premier League games by an aggregate score of 1-7 .
They last lost four in a row within the same season back in December 2017 .
Aston Villa : Is it all over for Villa ?
Position : 18th - one point from safety .
Promoted to Premier League : 2019 .
Form since restart : 2/15pts .
Will Villa stay in the fight until final day ?
Villa spent big after winning promotion via the play-offs .
Despite reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adapt and are in grave danger of making an immediate return to the Championship .
Boss Dean Smith has to make sure his side are in with a chance of staying up by the time they visit West Ham on the final day .
Former Aston Villa and England forward Emile Heskey , speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live : `` It 's very difficult for Villa to turn it around , even in that relegation battle where it seems no-one wants to pull away .
Villa have Manchester United next .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are stuck in a rut . ''
• 'Everybody has written us off ' - Villa boss Key stat : Aston Villa have picked up just two points in their last nine Premier League matches ( D2 L7 ) , finding the net just five times in that run .
Position : 19th - one point from safety .
Promoted to Premier League : 2015 .
Form since restart : 0/12pts .
Cherries not got going since restart : It feels a long time ago since Joshua King and Dan Gosling were hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howe 's side against Manchester United and Chelsea respectively .
Bournemouth have been left standing on the starting line since the Premier League restarted , and two of their last five games are against teams in the top three .
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock , speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live : `` It seems as though everything is very down at Bournemouth .
I listen to Eddie Howe and it is like they are resigned to going down .
The games are very difficult but we have seen Bournemouth pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it . ''
Key stat : Bournemouth have lost 20 Premier League games this season , more than they have in any of their five campaigns in the competition .
Seven of these defeats have been at home , with the Cherries only losing more at the Vitality Stadium in their debut season in the competition in 2015-16 ( 9 ) .
Norwich : Will Canaries find their way back up ?
Position : 20th - seven points from safety .
Promoted to Premier League : 2019 .
Form since restart : 0/12pts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another goal - let alone record another win - this season ?
The Canaries hit three in a memorable win over Manchester City earlier in the season but have failed to find the net in their last five league outings , which have all ended in defeat .
Former Norwich City striker Dion Dublin , speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live : `` Norwich 's biggest problem is n't going down .
It 's can they hold on to their best players ?
If they all go , I do n't know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Key stat : Norwich have lost 22 Premier League games this season - in no top-flight campaign have they ever lost more .
Their highest number of defeats in a league season is 24 , with the Canaries last losing that many in the 2008-09 Championship campaign .

Who will get relegated from the Premier League?
Six teams scrambling to avoid finishing in the bottom three with five games to go - the race to stay in the Premier League is reaching a tense finale.
While Norwich look doomed after being cut adrift at the bottom, 15th-placed Brighton - nine points above the relegation zone - appear safe.
But with 15 points still to play for - including some key games between teams fighting for survival - Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Watford and West Ham will all believe they can turn their season around.
Who will stay up? Which teams are heading for the Championship? And is the fight for survival heading for a gripping last-day battle?
Here, BBC Sport assesses the teams in trouble at the bottom of the table.
'I can't see Villa or Bournemouth winning again'
Having seen his side go backwards since the Premier League resumed, Norwich boss Daniel Farke says it is "unrealistic" to talk about avoiding relegation.
Norwich, promoted last season after finishing top of the Championship, were six points from safety when top-flight football resumed after being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. That gap is now seven points.
In contrast, Brighton resumed the season just two points above the drop zone. Four games later and Graham Potter's men are now nine clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa on 36 points - a tally that has been good enough to stay up for the past three seasons.
There were eight points separating the bottom six before the restart
Like Norwich, Bournemouth have also failed to muster a point in their four games back. Indeed, the bottom six have managed a combined total of 14 points - with Brighton winning half that tally - from a possible 75, and three wins in 25 since the Premier League resumed.
"I can't see either Aston Villa or Bournemouth winning another game," former Villa and England striker Emile Heskey told BBC Radio 5 Live.
There are now 15 points between 15th and 20th
"Villa and Bournemouth's run-ins are much harder than West Ham and Watford's. Watford manager Nigel Pearson has been in this position before with Leicester and got them out of it, so he knows what it takes and what his squad have to do."
West Bromwich Albion's 34 points in 2004-05 make them the team with the lowest total to remain in England's top flight in the Premier League era.
Watford, in 17th, are still six points off that total with five games left.
Villa and Bournemouth have been in the bottom three since the end of February but history suggests they can still get out of trouble.
Battle at the bottom - key games left Date Fixture Current positions in table Tue 7 July Watford v Norwich (18:00 BST) 17th v 20th Sat 11 July Norwich v West Ham (12:30) 20th v 16th Fri 17 July West Ham v Watford (20:00) 16th v 17th Sun 26 July West Ham v Aston Villa (16:00) 16th v 18th
With five games of the 2007-08 Premier League season left, Fulham had just 24 points and were six points from safety.
Roy Hodgson's side stayed up after beating Reading, Manchester City, Birmingham and Portsmouth in four of their last five matches to finish in 17th, level on points with 18th-placed Reading but with a superior goal difference.
Who will be relegated? Pick the three teams you think will be relegated from the Premier League First 1 Second 2 Third 3 Confirm selection
Brighton: Fourth straight season in Premier League?
Position: 15th - nine points above the relegation zone. Promoted to Premier League: 2017. Form since restart: 7/12pts.
Brighton's remaining games Date Opponents (position in table) Where Wed 8 July Liverpool (1st) Home Sat 11 July Man City (2nd) Home Thu 16 July Southampton (13th) Away Mon 20 July Newcastle (12th) Home Sun 26 July Burnley (9th) Away
Why Brighton can plan for a fourth Premier League season: Brighton have found form since the restart, taking more points than third-placed Leicester and as many as champions Liverpool, who they host on Wednesday. Only a catastrophic set of results will see the Seagulls go down.
Former Arsenal and England forward Ian Wright, speaking on Match of the Day: "Graham Potter has got to get a lot of credit. Brighton's defensive shape is very good but they also have a cutting edge going forward."
Norwich City 0-1 Brighton: Graham Potter praises 'big' three points for Brighton
Key stat: Brighton are nine points clear of the relegation zone. It is the furthest ahead of the relegation zone the Seagulls have been all season, and the furthest since 12 January 2019, when they were 10 points ahead of 18th position.
West Ham: Last-day decider against Villa?
Position: 16th - four points above the relegation zone. Promoted to Premier League: 2012. Form since restart: 4/12pts.
West Ham's remaining games Date Opponents (position in table) Where Wed 8 July Burnley (9th) Home Sat 11 July Norwich City (20th) Away Fri 17 July Watford (17th) Home Wed 22 July Man Utd (5th) Away Sun 26 July Aston Villa (18th) Home
Coming good at the right time? West Ham posted financial losses of £27.26m earlier in the season and said staying in the Premier League was "an absolute necessity". A thrilling win over Chelsea and a hard-earned point at Newcastle in their last two games have helped ease the threat of relegation, with three of their last five games against fellow strugglers Norwich (away), Watford (home) and, on the final day, Aston Villa (home).
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "I was so impressed with West Ham's work rate against Chelsea - it was phenomenal. I spoke to a member of staff at West Ham after the game and he said they played brilliantly and worked hard, but trying to get them to play at that level and work ethic for the rest of the season is going to be really difficult."
Newcastle 2-2 West Ham: David Moyes admits need to defend better
Key stat: West Ham are on a run of 13 Premier League matches without a clean sheet - only Bournemouth (16) are on a longer current run without a shutout. They last had a worse run back in December 2009 (15 games).
Watford: Will Hornets get over the finishing line?
Position: 17th - one point above the relegation zone. Promoted to Premier League: 2015. Form since restart: 1/12pts.
Watford's remaining games Date Opponents (position in table) Where Tue 7 July Norwich City (20th) Home Sat 11 July Newcastle (12th) Home Fri 17 July West Ham (16th) Away Tue 21 July Man City (2nd) Home Sun 26 July Arsenal (7th) Away
Tense finale for Hornets: Watford were bottom, six points from safety, when Nigel Pearson took charge in December. After an initial burst of wins, they enter the last five games out of form and in desperate need of wins before their last two games of the season against Manchester City and Arsenal.
Former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown, speaking on Match of the Day: "There has been a special bond between Nigel Pearson and his players. He needs to pull them together to change their season."
Chelsea 3-0 Watford: Nigel Pearson urges Hornets to 'embrace' survival fight
Key stat: Watford have lost their last three Premier League games by an aggregate score of 1-7. They last lost four in a row within the same season back in December 2017.
Aston Villa: Is it all over for Villa?
Position: 18th - one point from safety. Promoted to Premier League: 2019. Form since restart: 2/15pts.
Aston Villa's remaining games Date Opponents (position in table) Where Thu 9 July Man Utd (5th) Home Sun 12 July Crystal Palace (14th) Home Thu 16 July Everton (11th) Away Tue 21 July Arsenal (7th) Home Sun 26 July West Ham (16th) Away
Will Villa stay in the fight until final day? Villa spent big after winning promotion via the play-offs. Despite reaching the Carabao Cup final, they have struggled to adapt and are in grave danger of making an immediate return to the Championship. Boss Dean Smith has to make sure his side are in with a chance of staying up by the time they visit West Ham on the final day.
Former Aston Villa and England forward Emile Heskey, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's very difficult for Villa to turn it around, even in that relegation battle where it seems no-one wants to pull away. Villa have Manchester United next. It's a difficult one and they are stuck in a rut."
Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Dean Smith says Villa showed 'quality' at Anfield
Key stat: Aston Villa have picked up just two points in their last nine Premier League matches (D2 L7), finding the net just five times in that run.
Bournemouth: Ready, Eddie, down?
Position: 19th - one point from safety. Promoted to Premier League: 2015. Form since restart: 0/12pts.
Bournemouth's remaining games Date Opponents (position in brackets) Where Thu 9 July Tottenham (10th) Home Sun 12 July Leicester (3rd) Home Wed 15 July Man City (2nd) Away Sun 19 July Southampton (13th) Home Sun 26 July Everton (11th) Away
Cherries not got going since restart: It feels a long time ago since Joshua King and Dan Gosling were hitting winners earlier in the season for Eddie Howe's side against Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. Bournemouth have been left standing on the starting line since the Premier League restarted, and two of their last five games are against teams in the top three.
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It seems as though everything is very down at Bournemouth. I listen to Eddie Howe and it is like they are resigned to going down. The games are very difficult but we have seen Bournemouth pick up a result where you don't expect it."
Bournemouth's belief is being tested - Howe
Key stat: Bournemouth have lost 20 Premier League games this season, more than they have in any of their five campaigns in the competition. Seven of these defeats have been at home, with the Cherries only losing more at the Vitality Stadium in their debut season in the competition in 2015-16 (9).
Norwich: Will Canaries find their way back up?
Position: 20th - seven points from safety. Promoted to Premier League: 2019. Form since restart: 0/12pts.
Norwich's remaining games Date Opponents (position in brackets) Where Tue 7 July Watford (17th) Away Sat 11 July West Ham (16th) Home Tue 14 July Chelsea (4th) Away Sat 18 July Burnley (9th) Home Sun 26 July Man City (2nd) Away
Lost cause: Will Norwich score another goal - let alone record another win - this season? The Canaries hit three in a memorable win over Manchester City earlier in the season but have failed to find the net in their last five league outings, which have all ended in defeat.
Former Norwich City striker Dion Dublin, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Norwich's biggest problem isn't going down. It's can they hold on to their best players? If they all go, I don't know how Norwich will find their way back."
Norwich 'deserved more' after 1-0 defeat by Brighton
Key stat: Norwich have lost 22 Premier League games this season - in no top-flight campaign have they ever lost more. Their highest number of defeats in a league season is 24, with the Canaries last losing that many in the 2008-09 Championship campaign.


bbc--2020-07-06--Super Bowl MVP Mahomes signs 10-year deal with Chiefs 'worth $503m'

Last updated on .From the section American Football NFL star Patrick Mahomes has signed a 10-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs reported to be worth a record $ 503m ( £403m ) .
Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in guiding the Chiefs their first championship in 50 years in February , producing a stunning fourth-quarter display in a 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers .
He was also named the NFL 's Most Valuable Player in 2018 , in what was his first full season in the league .
`` He 's an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City community , and I 'm delighted that he will be a member of the Chiefs for many years to come , '' said Chiefs chairman and chief executive Clark Hunt .
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid added : `` I 've had the privilege of coaching a lot of incredible athletes and special people in my career , and Patrick is without question on that list of players . ''
Mahomes , the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft , averages 302.4 passing yards per game , including play-offs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
He completed 319 of 484 passes for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns in the last regular season after throwing a league-high 50 touchdowns in 2018 .
He has also thrown 13 touchdowns in five career post-season games .
• None Can we avoid the consequences of Chinese tech dependency ?

Last updated on .From the section American Football
NFL star Patrick Mahomes has signed a 10-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs worth a record $503m (£403m).
The extension will keep the 24-year-old quarterback at the Chiefs until 2031 and is the richest contract in the history of North American team sports.
Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in guiding the Chiefs to their first championship in 50 years in February, producing a stunning fourth-quarter display in a 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
"Chiefs kingdom, you've been with me since the beginning - from rookie year," Mahomes wrote on Twitter. external-link
"You helped us overcome adversity to become Super Bowl champs and we're staying together for a long time. We're chasing a dynasty."
Mahomes was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2018, in his first full season in the league.
"He's an extraordinary leader and a credit to the Kansas City community, and I'm delighted that he will be a member of the Chiefs for many years to come," said Chiefs chairman and chief executive Clark Hunt.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid added: "I've had the privilege of coaching a lot of incredible athletes and special people in my career, and Patrick is without question on that list of players."
Mahomes, the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, averages 302.4 passing yards per game, including play-offs, which is the most in NFL history.
He completed 319 of 484 passes for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns in the last regular season after throwing a league-high 50 touchdowns in 2018. He has also thrown 13 touchdowns in five career post-season games.


bbc--2020-07-06--Mourinho claims 200th Premier League win as Tottenham beat Everton

Manager Jose Mourinho brought up his 200th Premier League victory as Tottenham edged past Everton - though home players Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-min had to be separated by team-mates during the match .
A tepid contest threatened to boil over as the teams left the pitch at half-time when Spurs skipper Lloris ran over and shoved Son in the back .
The South Korea forward tried to react but was pushed down the tunnel by his team-mates , with others having to hold back France World Cup-winning keeper Lloris .
But the pair put their differences aside at full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the pitch .
The half-time clash was the flashpoint of a largely uneventful affair which was settled by Michael Keane 's own goal , the ball deflecting in off the Everton defender from Giovani lo Celso 's strike .
The Toffees barely threatened in a poor attacking display and substitute Anthony Gordon 's long-range strike , which was straight at Lloris , their only shot of note .
The win keeps alive Tottenham 's hopes of playing European football next season .
They move up to eighth , four points behind sixth-placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Who made Garth Crooks ' team of the week ?
Mourinho has seen his winning prowess wane since taking the Spurs job in November , but reached a significant milestone against the Toffees .
He has had two spells at Chelsea and been in charge of Manchester United , and he becomes the fifth manager to reach a double century of Premier League victories - with Sir Alex Ferguson , Arsene Wenger , Harry Redknapp and David Moyes the others to achieve the feat .
The 57-year-old had questioned the mentality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss to Sheffield United last time out , saying afterwards he was `` destroyed a little bit on the inside '' by the result .
But the players hit back to stay in contention for the top six - where they have finished in the past 10 seasons - with Lloris and Son two to show they are up for the fight .
The incident seemed to come out of nothing as the Tottenham players headed down the tunnel , but Lloris seemed particularly incensed by the contributions of his team-mate and determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pair embraced at the final whistle and Mourinho will surely be pleased with the passion shown by his players as they kept Everton at bay for only their fifth clean sheet in 30 games under the Portuguese .
Son saw two strikes kept out well by keeper Jordan Pickford , but three points will be welcome for Spurs - it was only their second win in their past 10 games - though striker Harry Kane was subdued throughout and must wait to net his 200th career goal .
Everton have enjoyed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , with only Liverpool , Manchester United , Manchester City and Arsenal picking up more points since the appointment of the three-time Champions League winner in December .
Neither side set a mediocre game alight , but the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium leaves the Merseysiders in the bottom half of the table and extinguishes any faint hopes of claiming a European spot with five games left .
Though their overall performance was steady , Everton lacked any real creativity or inventiveness in the final third , failing to force Lloris to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gordon 's low drive and efforts from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean in the second period were all very comfortable for the Spurs goalkeeper to deal with .
Tottenham travel to Bournemouth on Thursday ( kick-off 18:00 BST ) , while Everton host Southampton at the same time .
• Tottenham boss Mourinho has become the fifth manager to reach 200 Premier League victories , with only Ferguson ( 322 ) doing so in fewer games ( 326 ) .
• Spurs are unbeaten in 15 league games against Everton - winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without defeat against an opponent in the competition .
• Everton have lost half of their Premier League games in London ( 78 out of 156 ) , with only Newcastle ( 79 ) losing more in the English capital .
• Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in two of their past three league games - as many as they had in their previous 14 .
• Everton committed 18 fouls in this game - only against Aston Villa in August ( 18 ) have they conceded as many in a league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own goal was Everton 's third in the league in 2019-20 , with no side having scored more .
Meanwhile , it was the fourth own goal Tottenham have benefited from this season , also a joint league-high .
• The New Tech Cold War : Can we avoid the consequences of Chinese tech dependency ?

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Giovani lo Celso is still waiting for his first Tottenham goal in the league
Manager Jose Mourinho brought up his 200th Premier League victory as Tottenham edged past Everton - though home players Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-min had to be separated by team-mates during the match.
A tepid contest threatened to boil over as the teams left the pitch at half-time when Spurs skipper Lloris ran over and shoved Son in the back.
The South Korea forward tried to react but was pushed down the tunnel by his team-mates, with others having to hold back France World Cup-winning keeper Lloris.
But the pair put their differences aside at full-time as they shared a warm hug before leaving the pitch.
The half-time clash was the flashpoint of a largely uneventful affair which was settled by Michael Keane's own goal, the ball deflecting in off the Everton defender from Giovani lo Celso's strike.
The Toffees barely threatened in a poor attacking display and substitute Anthony Gordon's long-range strike, which was straight at Lloris, their only shot of note.
The win keeps alive Tottenham's hopes of playing European football next season. They move up to eighth, four points behind sixth-placed Wolves, while Everton stay in 11th.
Bust-up with Son 'part of football' - Lloris
Spurs players show much-needed fight
Mourinho has seen his winning prowess wane since taking the Spurs job in November, but reached a significant milestone against the Toffees.
He has had two spells at Chelsea and been in charge of Manchester United, and he becomes the fifth manager to reach a double century of Premier League victories - with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp and David Moyes the others to achieve the feat.
The 57-year-old had questioned the mentality of his players after a desperate 3-1 loss to Sheffield United last time out, saying afterwards he was "destroyed a little bit on the inside" by the result.
Mourinho 'guilty' but pleased after Lloris-Son spat
But the players hit back to stay in contention for the top six - where they have finished in the past 10 seasons - with Lloris and Son two to show they are up for the fight.
The incident seemed to come out of nothing as the Tottenham players headed down the tunnel, but Lloris seemed particularly incensed by the contributions of his team-mate and determined to let him know about it.
The pair embraced at the final whistle and Mourinho will surely be pleased with the passion shown by his players as they kept Everton at bay for only their fifth clean sheet in 30 games under the Portuguese.
Son saw two strikes kept out well by keeper Jordan Pickford, but three points will be welcome for Spurs - it was only their second win in their past 10 games - though striker Harry Kane was subdued throughout and must wait to net his 200th career goal.
Toffees come unstuck
Everton team spirit good despite defeat - Ancelotti
Everton have enjoyed a revival since Carlo Ancelotti took over as manager, with only Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal picking up more points since the appointment of the three-time Champions League winner in December.
Neither side set a mediocre game alight, but the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium leaves the Merseysiders in the bottom half of the table and extinguishes any faint hopes of claiming a European spot with five games left.
Though their overall performance was steady, Everton lacked any real creativity or inventiveness in the final third, failing to force Lloris to make a save in the first half.
Gordon's low drive and efforts from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean in the second period were all very comfortable for the Spurs goalkeeper to deal with.
What next?
Tottenham travel to Bournemouth on Thursday (kick-off 18:00 BST), while Everton host Southampton at the same time.
Everton's capital punishment - the stats
Tottenham boss Mourinho has become the fifth manager to reach 200 Premier League victories, with only Ferguson (322) doing so in fewer games (326).
Spurs are unbeaten in 15 league games against Everton - winning eight - which is their longest run without defeat against an opponent in the competition.
Everton have lost half of their Premier League games in London (78 out of 156), with only Newcastle (79) losing more in the English capital.
Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in two of their past three league games - as many as they had in their previous 14.
Everton committed 18 fouls in this game - only against Aston Villa in August (18) have they conceded as many in a league match this season.
Keane's own goal was Everton's third in the league in 2019-20, with no side having scored more. Meanwhile, it was the fourth own goal Tottenham have benefited from this season, also a joint league-high.


bbc--2020-07-06--Police reach out to sprinter Williams after car stop

Met Police bosses say they want to speak to a Team GB sprinter who is accusing officers of racially profiling her in a stop and search .
Bianca Williams and Ricardo dos Santos , a Portuguese 400m runner , were stopped in Maida Vale , west London on Saturday .
Ms Williams , whose three-month-old son was in the car at the time , called it an `` awful experience '' .
Cdr Helen Harper said she was `` really keen '' to speak to the couple `` to discuss ... the concerns they have '' .
The Met had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which Ms Williams was stopped because of an increase in youth violence .
But the European and Commonwealth Games gold medallist believes the couple were targeted because they are black and were driving a Mercedes .
• What are my rights if I 'm stopped and searched ?
`` They [ the officers ] said there 's a lot of youth violence and stabbings in the area and that the car looked very suspicious , '' she told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
`` They see a black male driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they assume that he was involved in some sort of gang , drug , violence problem . ''
In a statement on Sunday evening the Met said the Mercedes was stopped after it was seen driving suspiciously , including being on the wrong side of the road , and that the driver had sped off when asked to stop .
But this was rejected by Ms Williams , who said : `` That is false , we were never on the wrong side of the road .
We were driving down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found out about us driving on the wrong side of the road once they tweeted .
`` This is n't the first or fourth or fifth time , it must be about the 10th .
It 's getting ridiculous .
`` We are planning on taking it down the legal route .
I feel very hurt by their actions , and to witness my partner being taken away and for me to be taken away from my son , my heart hurts . ''
The Met said officers from the Directorate of Professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and officers ' bodycams and were satisfied there was no concern around the officers ' conduct during the stop and search of the two athletes .
`` That does not mean there is n't something to be learnt from every interaction we have with the public , '' Cdr Helen Harper said .
`` We want to listen to , and speak with , those who raise concerns , to understand more about the issues raised and what more we can do to explain police actions .
`` Where we could have interacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider what we should have done differently and take on that learning for the future . ''
Social media clips of police incidents must be treated with great care .
Often what you see is a short segment of an event that has gone on for some time ; background information and context are seldom provided .
In this case , there are conflicting accounts as to what happened and why - which only an investigation is likely to resolve .
Nevertheless , the incident has reignited claims stop and search is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young men , and has given rise to concerns that handcuffs are being deployed unnecessarily , despite police guidance saying they should not be .
It appears the tactic , which Scotland Yard says has helped to reduce knife violence in London , remains as controversial and divisive as it 's always been .
Speaking at a remote hearing of the House of Commons Human Rights Committee earlier , Baroness Lawrence said it was `` ludicrous '' that black people could not drive around in expensive cars .
`` Stop and search will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go through on a day-to-day basis , '' said the campaigner , whose murdered son was failed by an `` institutionally racist '' Met Police .
`` And when they are stopped , it is not just one officer or two officers , you have six or seven officers standing around one individual , a young person who is probably frightened to death because he does n't know what is going to happen to him .
`` So if now people have mobile phones and start recording what is happening to them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is one thing and the individual says it 's another , and the authority believes the police over the individual .
`` That is something that continues to happen . ''
London mayor Sadiq Khan said he took allegations of racial profiling `` extremely seriously '' and he had raised the case with the Met .
The Independent Office for Police Complaints said it has not yet received an official complaint .

"And when they are stopped, it is not just one officer or two officers, you have six or seven officers standing around one individual, a young person who is probably frightened to death because he doesn't know what is going to happen to him.


bbc--2020-07-07--TikTok to exit Hong Kong 'within days'

TikTok to exit Hong Kong 'within days'

TikTok has said it will quit Hong Kong after China imposed a new security law on the city .
`` In light of recent events , we 've decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong , '' a spokesman told the BBC .
The company 's exit from the city will come `` within days , '' according to the Reuters news agency .
Facebook and Twitter said this week they were `` pausing '' co-operation with Hong Kong police over user information .
The short-form video app was launched by China-based ByteDance for users outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grow its global audience .
TikTok , now run by former Walt Disney executive Kevin Mayer , has said in the past that the app 's user data is not stored in China .
The company has also said previously that it would not comply with any Chinese government requests to censor content or give access to its users ' data , nor has it ever been asked to do so .
However , the controversial national security law in Hong Kong has given Chinese authorities sweeping new powers , raising concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what China describes broadly as secession , subversion , terrorism and collusion with foreign forces , with up to life in prison .
Critics say it erodes Hong Kong 's freedoms as a semi-autonomous region , including freedom of speech .
Facebook , WhatsApp , Twitter , Google and Telegram have all announced this week that they are also making changes to their operations in Hong Kong after the new security law came into force last week .
The tech firms have said they are not processing data requests from the Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes in the city .
TikTok 's decision to stop operations in Hong Kong of its popular video app looks unusual - but is strategic .
The company has struggled to fight off suspicions that it operates under Chinese law , or under the control of Beijing .
Which is why TikTok has been at pains to try to change its global image - and this move could be one more step towards doing that .
TikTok has also consistently said that if asked , it would never hand over data to Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for any user data either .
Staying in Hong Kong , under the new law , may make it difficult for it to keep to that commitment .
Its biggest market is India - where it has recently been banned by the Indian government because of a border conflict with China .
Analysts say it could potentially lose up to a billion dollars in lost advertising revenue in India .
Which is why it is keen to show that it is not simply a Chinese-owned firm - but a global company that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media player .
On Tuesday , Hong Kong 's leader Carrie Lam defended the national security law imposed by Beijing saying it was not `` doom and gloom '' for the city .
Ms Lam said the law would restore Hong Kong 's status as one of the safest cities in the world after pro-democracy protests last year often turned violent .
`` Compared with the national security laws of other countries , it is a rather mild law .
Its scope is not as broad as that in other countries and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation has been heavily criticised globally for undermining freedoms guaranteed under the `` one country , two systems '' agreed as part of the former British colony 's return to Chinese rule in 1997 .
Also on Tuesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that the US is `` certainly looking at '' banning Chinese social media apps , including TikTok .
`` I do n't want to get out in front of the President ( Donald Trump ) , but it 's something we 're looking at , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Pompeo 's comments , a TikTok spokesperson said : `` TikTok is led by an American CEO , with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety , security , product , and public policy here in the US .
`` We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users .
We have never provided user data to the Chinese government , nor would we do so if asked . ''

The company has also said previously that it would not comply with any Chinese government requests to censor content or give access to its users' data, nor has it ever been asked to do so.


bbc--2020-07-07--Dakota Access Pipeline: Judge suspends use of key oil link

The controversial Dakota Access Pipeline has been ordered to suspend production by a US judge , amid concerns over its environmental impact .
The order is a major win for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , which has led the fight against the pipeline .
The ruling demands the pipeline is emptied within 30 days so another environmental review can take place .
Separately , the Supreme Court blocked another controversial oil pipeline from continuing construction .
• Cycling the length of the Dakota Access pipeline Judges sided with environmental groups , requiring the Keystone XL Pipeline - which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Texas in the southern US - to undergo an arduous review before construction can resume .
Both projects were backed by US President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election after they were blocked by his predecessor , Barack Obama .
What is the Dakota Access Pipeline ?
The $ 3.7bn ( £2.8bn ) 1,200 mile- ( 1,900km ) long pipeline , completed in 2017 , can transport some 570,000 barrels of crude oil a day across four states , from North Dakota to a terminal in Illinois , where it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pipeline , owned by Energy Transfer , argue it provides a more cost-effective , efficient means of transporting crude , rather than shipping barrels by train .
But the Standing Rock Sioux and their supporters argued the project - which passed just north of the tribe 's reservation - would contaminate drinking water and damage sacred burial sites .
What did the judge say ?
Federal judge James E Boasberg , sitting at the District Court for the District of Columbia , ruled that the construction of the pipeline had fallen short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to undergo a more thorough environmental review than had been conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers before it could be allowed to continue working , he said .
The process is expected to take 13 months , according to the Financial Times .
`` Given the seriousness of the Corps ' Nepa ( National Environmental Policy Act ) error , the impossibility of a simple fix , the fact that Dakota Access did assume much of its economic risk knowingly , and the potential harm each day the pipeline operates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flow of oil must cease , '' Judge Boasberg 's ruling concluded .
It 's been a bad week for fossil fuel pipelines in the US .
Dakota Access owners , Transfer Energy , now face the horrendously expensive prospect of shutting down their oil pipeline for over a year while the Army Corp of Engineers undertake a far more comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts .
Oil pipelines are seen as controversial because of their potential for leaks or accidents .
In the Dakota case , the court ruled that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights , hunting rights or environmental justice… '' .
The Dakota decision comes just days after the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast gas pipeline project , due to run between West Virginia , Virginia and North Carolina .
The developers said that legal delays and ongoing litigation made the project uneconomic .
The problems for both projects underline once again that battles over fossil fuel infrastructure are the new front line in the struggle between environment and economics in the US .
What has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , said it was a `` historic day '' for all those who had fought the pipeline .
`` This pipeline should have never been built here , '' he said .
`` We told them that from the beginning . ''
But Energy Transfer said it did not believe the ruling was `` supported by the law or the facts of the case '' .
Spokeswoman Lisa Coleman told news agency AFP they believed `` Judge Boasberg has exceeded his authority in ordering the shutdown of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been safely operating for more than three years '' .

It therefore needed to undergo a more thorough environmental review than had been conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers before it could be allowed to continue working, he said. The process is expected to take 13 months, according to the Financial Times.


bbc--2020-07-07--Siberian Arctic sees record average temperatures

Temperatures in the Siberian Arctic reached record averages in June , with some areas seeing rises of as much as 10C ( 18F ) , according to EU data .
Scientists say the heat has helped fan wildfires in the region , resulting in the unprecedented estimated release of 59m tonnes of carbon dioxide .
Hot summer weather is not uncommon in the Arctic Circle , but recent months have seen abnormally high temperatures .
The Arctic is believed to be warming twice as fast as the global average .
Carlo Buontempo , director of the European Union 's earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service , said the trend was `` worrisome '' .
• The Arctic is on fire - how bad is it ?
Copernicus scientists say the region saw an average rise of 5C .
That is more than a degree higher than the previous two warmest Junes on record - in 2018 and 2019 .
One Siberian town , Verkhoyansk , reached a high of 38C on 20 June - 18C higher than the average maximum daily temperature for the month .
The record is still to be verified .
Earlier in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while in May , Khatanga in Russia - situated in the Arctic Circle at 72 degrees north - set a new May temperature record of 25.4C .
Meanwhile , some 246 fires covering more than 1,400 sq km ( 540 sq miles ) were recorded in the region to 6 July , according to the Russian forestry agency .
The two issues are related , according to Mark Parrington , a senior scientist at Copernicus .
`` Higher temperatures and drier surface conditions are providing ideal conditions for these fires to burn and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large area , '' he told news agency Reuters .

It is one of the key drivers of global weather systems, he says. So, if you change the weather in the Arctic you are likely to see the effects ripple out around the world.


bbc--2020-07-07--Coronavirus updates: Melbourne tower block lockdown 'like being in prison'

Five million people have again been put under stay-at-home restrictions in the state of Victoria in Australia .
It comes @ @ @ @ @ in the main city Melbourne that saw residents of 10 postcodes `` ringfenced '' in @ @ @ @ @ Abdu 's is a resident of a North Melbourne tower block that was suddenly put @ @ @ @ @ notice .
She spoke to the BBC about what it 's like on the inside @

Five million people have again been put under stay-at-home restrictions in the state of Victoria in Australia.
It comes after a surge in cases in the main city Melbourne that saw residents of 10 postcodes "ringfenced" in a military-assisted operation.
Dima Abdu is a resident of a North Melbourne tower block that was suddenly put into complete lockdown with no notice.
She spoke to the BBC about what it's like on the inside.
Read more: Australia to close Victoria-New South Wales border
Video by Isabelle Rodd.


bbc--2020-07-07--Coronavirus: Italian beach nudists fined as police crack down

Six people who dared to go bare on the shores of an Italian lake have been given big fines for outraging public decency .
The naturists were spotted by police patrolling the beaches of Abbadia Lariana in an attempt to enforce social distancing measures .
The six , all men aged 43 to 68 , were each given fines of €3,333 ( £3,000 ; $ 3,750 ) .
Local police combed beaches in Lake Como by foot and with patrol boats .
Italian media said the men were spotted from a carabinieri police boat on Sunday .
Authorities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop people converging on local beaches in the summer weather .
Some 70 people were spotted on the beaches , mainly visitors from South American and Eastern Europe as well as neighbouring provinces .
Lombardy has been hit harder by Covid-19 than any other Italian region .
Although the lockdown is gradually being lifted it is compulsory to wear a mask , even outdoors .
The Corriere website noted that it was not just masks that the six nudists had failed to wear .
• Police issue 17,000 fines for lockdown breaches @ @ @ @

Lombardy has been hit harder by Covid-19 than any other Italian region. Although the lockdown is gradually being lifted it is compulsory to wear a mask, even outdoors.