bbc--2020-05-06--Kraftwerk founder Florian Schneider dies at 73

Florian Schneider , co-founder of highly influential electronic pop group Kraftwerk , has died at the age of 73 .
The German quartet set the template for synthesiser music in the 1970s and 80s with songs like Autobahn and The Model .
They achieved both musical innovation and commercial success , and inspired scores of artists across genres ranging from techno to hip-hop .
Midge Ure described Schneider as `` way ahead of his time '' , while singer Edwyn Collins summed it up with : `` He 's God '' .
• How Kraftwerk influenced five decades of music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1970 , and remained a member until his departure in 2008 .
A statement said he `` passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday '' .
Tributes flowed from the music world .
Spandau Ballet 's Gary Kemp said Schneider was `` such an important influence upon so much of the music we know '' , and had forged `` a new Metropolis of music for us all to live in '' .
Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes remembered hearing Autobahn and `` how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the radio '' .
It `` sparked my lifelong admiration for their innovation and creativity '' , and the group 's `` influence on contemporary music is deeply woven into the fabric of our pop culture '' , he wrote .
OMD said they were `` absolutely devastated '' at the news , and Jean-Michel Jarre also paid tribute .
The long list of artists to have been influenced by Kraftwerk included David Bowie , who named the track V-2 Schneider on his Heroes album after Schneider ; as well Depeche Mode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coldplay used a section from Kraftwerk 's Computer Love in their hit Talk , while Jay-Z and Dr Dre borrowed from Trans Europe Express for their track Under Pressure .
Kraftwerk reputedly turned down Michael Jackson , who wanted to collaborate .
The group faced resistance in the British music press at first , but went on to achieve both musical innovation and commercial success .
They broke through with the hypnotic Autobahn in 1975 , and went to number one in the UK with the double A-side single The Model/Computer Love in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mechanical - during the 1970s , they began to portray themselves as robotic figures , dressed identically and standing in a row behind keyboards on stage .
With striking album covers adding to their visual impact , their artistic as well as musical identity led to a series of acclaimed residencies in galleries like New York 's Moma and the Tate Modern in London in the 2010s .
Schneider had left by then .
He and Hütter remained famously enigmatic , but Hütter told The Guardian in 2009 his bandmate had not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many years '' .
During the mid-70s , the band 's allegiance to what they called `` robot pop '' set the sonic template for everything from hip-hop to house music via EDM and techno .
In some quarters , they were dubbed `` the electronic Beatles '' , and it 's hard to disagree .
Electronic music had existed before - from the musitron solo on Del Shannon 's Runaway to the mind-expanding Doctor Who theme , recorded by the BBC 's Radiophonic Workshop in 1963 .
But Kraftwerk developed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-frequency sounds that celebrated Europe 's romantic past , and looked forward to its shimmering future .
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bbc--2020-05-06--Ahmaud Arbery: Biden demands justice for Georgia killing of black jogger

The Democrats ' likely presidential candidate Joe Biden has demanded justice over the killing of an unarmed black man in the US state of Georgia .
Mr Biden said his heart went out to the family of Ahmaud Arbery .
Mr Arbery , 25 , was jogging in February when confronted by an ex-policeman and his son .
Video purported to show the shooting emerged online on Tuesday .
A district attorney in Georgia has now ruled that a grand jury should decide whether charges should be brought .
An earlier decision by a prosecutor in the Brunswick jurisdiction argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gregory McMichael , 64 , and his son Travis , 34 .
More than 100 people took part in a protest in Brunswick on Tuesday night , demanding justice for Mr Arbery .
Mr Arbery was out running in the Satilla Shores neighbourhood of Brunswick in Georgia 's Glynn County early in the afternoon on 23 February .
In a police report , Gregory McMichael says he saw Mr Arbery and believed he resembled the suspect in a series of break-ins .
He and his son armed themselves and pursued him in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gregory McMichael says he and his son had said `` stop , stop , we want to talk to you '' and that Mr Arbery had attacked his son .
Shots were fired , with Mr Arbery falling to the street .
Mr Arbery 's mother , Wanda Cooper Jones , said police told her her son had been involved in a burglary before the incident , but the family say they do not believe the keen jogger had committed a crime and he was unarmed .
A number of calls were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of the confrontation , CBS reports .
In one 911 call , a neighbour said a black man was seen at a home under construction in the area .
When asked what the man was doing now , the caller said `` running down the street '' .
What does the video show ?
The 36-second video is shot from a vehicle following the pick-up truck said to be involved in the incident .
It shows a man jogging and then approaching the stationary pick-up from behind .
He tries to bypass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a man carrying a shotgun .
There is muffled shouting and shotgun shots are heard .
A second man is standing in the bed of the pick-up .
The second man is then shown with a pistol standing alongside the other armed man with the jogger no longer in view .
Mr Arbery 's mother told CBS on Wednesday that the video was too painful for her to watch immediately , but that she hoped the video `` proves that my son was not committing a crime .
He was out for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down like an animal and killed . ''
What have Mr Biden and other officials said ?
Joe Biden sent out a tweet saying : `` The video is clear : Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood .
My heart goes out to his family , who deserve justice and deserve it now .
It is time for a swift , full , and transparent investigation into his murder . ''
A statement from Lee Merritt , a lawyer for Mr Arbery 's family , said : `` This is murder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ video confirm what all the evidence indicated prior to its release . ''
Tom Durden , the district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit , decided on Tuesday that a grand jury should be involved .
`` After careful review of the evidence , '' he wrote in a statement , `` I am of the opinion that the case should be presented to the grand jury of Glynn County for consideration of criminal charges . ''
The McMichaels have not been charged and have so far declined to comment .
They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times said it had obtained a letter in which a prosecutor had earlier argued there was not sufficient probable cause for arrest because the pursuers were legally carrying firearms , were within their rights to follow `` a burglary suspect '' and were able as private persons to `` arrest an offender if the offence is committed in his presence or within his immediate knowledge '' .
Mr Merritt told CNN : `` The only thing they have ever said is ... that Ahmaud stopped by a house that was under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We do n't know if that happened or not , but even if that did happen that is not a felony that would invoke the citizen 's arrest statute that would make this allowable . ''

The New York Times said it had obtained a letter in which a prosecutor had earlier argued there was not sufficient probable cause for arrest because the pursuers were legally carrying firearms, were within their rights to follow "a burglary suspect" and were able as private persons to "arrest an offender if the offence is committed in his presence or within his immediate knowledge".


bbc--2020-05-06--India coronavirus: Massive evacuation operation to begin from 12 countries

The first of more than 60 flights repatriating thousands of Indians stranded overseas by the coronavirus lockdown is to arrive home on Thursday .
Nearly 15,000 Indians are expected to return on special Air India flights from 12 countries over the next week .
Passengers will pay their own fares and be quarantined on return .
Indian navy ships are assisting in the exercise .
India suspended all international travel in March before it went into lockdown to curb Covid-19 infections .
Since then , the country has operated a few flights to bring back Indian citizens .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vande Bharath ( hail India ) mission , is the most organised effort so far .
Eventually , about 200,000 Indians will be brought back , report local media .
If successful , this would be India 's biggest evacuation mission since 1990 , when it rescued 170,000 civilians from Kuwait during the Gulf War .
Air India , the country 's national airline , will carry out the mission and fly planes to the US , the UK , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , Qatar and Malaysia , among other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone has received 197,000 applications to be repatriated so far .
• Air India pilots 'at risk of infection ' on rescue flights • Three acts of kindness that won hearts in India • The leopard on India 's streets and other claims fact checked Most of the flights are expected to land in the southern Indian state of Kerala , from where tens of thousands go to work abroad .
Indians wanting to return will be expected to pay for their tickets ( the prices will vary based on the port of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to board if they 're not showing any symptoms of Covid-19 .
Details issued by the government said each flight would carry 200 to 250 passengers .
The crew will be in protective gear , while all passengers will have to wear masks and follow social distancing norms and other health protocols .
Anyone who shows symptoms during the flight will be moved to an isolation zone in the aircraft .
The passengers will also be subject to extensive screening when they return , and will then be quarantined for at least 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hospitals and temporary care homes .
Officials told the BBC that the elderly , pregnant women , those requiring medical attention and those who are `` stranded in difficult situations '' will get first preference to board the flights .
The country 's naval fleet of warships is also being used to evacuate citizens - two ships are currently en route to Male to evacuate 1,000 Indians stuck in port in the Maldivian capital .
Foreign affairs minister S Jaishanker has urged Indians abroad to stay in touch with their local embassies @

The crew will be in protective gear, while all passengers will have to wear masks and follow social distancing norms and other health protocols. Anyone who shows symptoms during the flight will be moved to an isolation zone in the aircraft.


bbc--2020-05-06--New US campus sex assault plan gets pushback

US universities must hold hearings on campus sexual assault claims where alleged victims and attackers can be cross-examined , according to federal guidelines .
The mandate is part of a new set of US Department of Education rules on how places of learning must handle sexual misconduct cases .
The agency said the rules will ensure fairness to accusers and accused .
Critics said they will discourage victims from reporting attacks .
The new policy , issued on Wednesday following an 18-month review , limits what complaints private and public universities are obliged to investigate and raises the burden for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They have until August to comply with the rules , which are a marked shift for addressing how universities enforce Title IX , the federal law barring discrimination in education based on gender .
The previous administration had sought to expand university responsibility for sexual misconduct on campuses under Title IX .
Under the Trump administration rules , the institutions are required to provide a live hearing and allow advisers to cross-question parties and witnesses involved - a practice discouraged by the previous administration .
In announcing the policy , Betsey DeVos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Too many students have lost access to their education because their school inadequately responded when a student filed a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual assault .
`` This new regulation requires schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct , without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process . ''
Some initial rules to limit schools ' liabilities and apply the requirement for hearings to secondary school pupils Ms DeVos proposed in November 2018 were scrapped amid dissent from victims ' groups .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut back on victims ' rights .
Fatima Graves of the National Women 's Law Center told the New York Times that `` if this rule goes into effect , survivors will be denied their civil rights and will get the message loud and clear that there is no point in reporting assault '' .
The group will challenge the rules in court , Ms Graves said .

Fatima Graves of the National Women's Law Center told the New York Times that "if this rule goes into effect, survivors will be denied their civil rights and will get the message loud and clear that there is no point in reporting assault".


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus mutations: Scientists puzzle over impact

Researchers in the US and UK have identified hundreds of mutations to the virus which causes the disease Covid-19 .
But none has yet established what this will mean for virus spread in the population and for how effective a vaccine might be .
Viruses mutate - it 's what they do .
The question is : which of these mutations actually do anything to change the severity or infectiousness of the disease ?
Preliminary research from the US has suggested one particular mutation - D614G - is becoming dominant and could make the disease more infectious .
It has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and formally published .
The researchers , from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico , have been tracking changes to the `` spike '' of the virus that gives it its distinctive shape , using a database called the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data ( GISAID ) .
They noted there seems to be something about this particular mutation that makes it grow more quickly - but the consequences of this are not yet clear .
The research team analysed UK data from coronavirus patients in Sheffield .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus seemed to have a larger amount of the virus in their samples , they did n't find evidence that those people became sicker or stayed in hospital for longer .
Another study from University College London ( UCL ) identified 198 recurring mutations to the virus .
One of its authors , Professor Francois Balloux , said : `` Mutations in themselves are not a bad thing and there is nothing to suggest SARS-CoV-2 is mutating faster or slower than expected .
`` So far , we can not say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lethal and contagious . ''
A study from the University of Glasgow , which also analysed mutations , said these changes did not amount to different strains of the virus .
They concluded that only one type of the virus is currently circulating .
Monitoring small changes to the structure of the virus is important in understanding the development of vaccines .
Take the 'flu virus : it mutates so fast that the vaccine has to be adjusted every year to deal with the specific strain in circulation .
Many of the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spikes of the virus - the idea is that getting your body to recognise a unique element of the spike will help it to fight off the whole virus .
But if that spike is changing , a vaccine developed this way could become less effective .
At the moment this is all theoretical .
Scientists do n't yet have enough information to say what changes to the virus 's genome will mean .
Dr Lucy van Dorp , UCL study co-author , said being able to analyse a large number of virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development efforts '' .
However , she told the BBC : `` I love genomes , but there is only so much they can say . ''

Many of the Covid-19 vaccines currently in development target the distinctive spikes of the virus - the idea is that getting your body to recognise a unique element of the spike will help it to fight off the whole virus. But if that spike is changing, a vaccine developed this way could become less effective.


bbc--2020-05-07--Ruth Bader Ginsburg: US Supreme Court Justice returns to work from hospital bed

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has taken part in legal arguments from her hospital bed , just a day after she was admitted with a gallbladder condition .
Ms Ginsburg , 87 , participated in two cases shortly after receiving non-surgical treatment for an infection .
A court spokeswoman earlier said she was `` resting comfortably '' at Baltimore 's Johns Hopkins Hospital .
Ms Ginsburg was discharged from hospital late on Wednesday .
Ms Ginsburg was `` doing well and glad to be home '' , court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in a statement .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her health is closely watched .
She has received hospital treatment a number of times in recent years , but has returned swiftly to work on each occasion .
• Why half of America panics when this woman falls ill • Meet the Supremes - the judges on the top US court • Why is the US top court so important ?
Supreme Court justices serve for life or until they choose to retire , and supporters have expressed concern that if anything were to happen to Ms Ginsburg then a more conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has appointed two judges since taking office , and the current court is seen to have a 5-4 conservative majority in most cases .
Ms Ginsburg was treated for an inflammatory condition of the gallbladder known as acute cholecystitis on Tuesday afternoon , Ms Arberg said in an earlier statement .
The court 's justices heard oral arguments by telephone on Wednesday due to the coronavirus outbreak .
They considered a case relating to the Affordable Care Act and another relating to federal law on automated calls .
Ms Ginsburg 's voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but picked up as the proceedings went on .
She posed lengthy questions during the first case , which concerned a requirement that employers cover birth control in their health insurance plans .
President Donald Trump 's administration changed this law in 2017 and allowed employers to obtain a religious exemption , but this has been challenged in the courts .
`` You have just tossed entirely to the wind what Congress thought was essential , that women be provided these services with no hassle [ at ] no cost to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration 's lawyer on Wednesday .
Social media users pointed out that at one point in the call the sound of a flushing toilet could be heard , suggesting the dangers of teleconferencing can also affect America 's highest court .
Ms Ginsburg is the oldest sitting justice on the Supreme Court , and has suffered a number of recent health scares .
Last November , she was taken to hospital after suffering chills and a fever .
In August , she was treated for a cancerous tumour on her pancreas .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and pancreatic cancer in 2009 .
And in December 2018 , she had surgery to remove two cancerous nodules from her lung .
She has also suffered fractured ribs from falls .
Ms Ginsburg was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 - becoming the second woman ever to join the Supreme Court .
In recent years , she has been the subject of a biopic , On the Basis of Sex , a documentary , and a bestselling book called Notorious RBG .
She has refused to retire from her role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` As long as I can do the job full steam , I will be here . ''


bbc--2020-05-07--Poland's presidential poll postponed over coronavirus

Poland governing coalition parties have agreed to postpone this Sunday 's presidential election because of the deadly coronavirus outbreak .
The nationalist Law and Justice ( PiS ) party had wanted the vote to go ahead to get Andrzej Duda , 47 , re-elected .
But junior coalition partner Agreement and the opposition said PiS was putting political gain ahead of public health .
The election will now be rescheduled to a date `` as soon as possible '' and it will be a postal-only ballot .
The timing of the election had plunged Poland into a serious political crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the BBC 's Adam Easton in Warsaw reports .
Both international and Polish election observers had also raised concerns the ballot would not be sufficiently transparent nor fair given that candidates have suspended campaigning due to the lockdown , our correspondent says .
Poland has nearly 15,000 confirmed infections and more than 700 deaths , according to America 's Johns Hopkins University .
The Covid-19 numbers are lower than in many Western European countries , but the Polish health minister has warned that cases have not yet peaked .
• Coronavirus : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe ?
Under President Duda , Poland has enacted far-reaching and controversial changes to society , including the judiciary and the media .
Opposition leaders fear PiS - which supports the incumbent president - is seeking to ensure his victory to continue this programme .
Mr Duda has been far ahead in recent opinion polls .
His opponents say he benefits from regular coverage on state television , while normal election campaigning has been impossible .
The socially conservative PiS boosted its majority in the lower house in last October ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , the party has clashed with the EU and the opposition over its reforms to Poland ’ s judiciary and its stance on gay rights .
• The leader who sees gay rights as a threat to Poland • Why Poles want more of this man 's populist message In 2018 , PiS changed the law so the parliament could select members of a national council that nominates judges .
And new controversial measures passed in December make it easier to dismiss judges who criticise further judicial reforms .
Poland ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have to leave the EU over the changes .

Both international and Polish election observers had also raised concerns the ballot would not be sufficiently transparent nor fair given that candidates have suspended campaigning due to the lockdown, our correspondent says.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Dallas hair salon owner jailed for week for defying lockdown

A hair salon owner in Texas has been jailed for a week for staying open despite coronavirus restrictions that have shut all non-essential businesses .
Shelley Luther , owner of Salon à la Mode in Dallas , appeared in court on Tuesday after defying a cease-and-desist letter and a restraining order .
The judge said she could avoid jail if she apologised for being selfish , shut the salon and paid a fine .
But Luther refused , saying `` feeding my kids is not selfish '' .
She would only have needed to close the salon until Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen then .
Luther was fined $ 7,000 ( £5,652 ) and warned that she would be fined a further $ 500 a day from now until Friday if the business continued to remain open .
Judge Eric Moyé told Luther : `` The rule of law governs us .
People can not take it upon themselves to determine what they will and will not do . ''
A Dallas inspector and a police officer told the court that they saw clients inside getting haircuts and manicures , according to the Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pictured at a rally to reopen the state , ripping up a cease-and-desist letter that had been handed to her .
Last week , she told her followers on Facebook that she had a right to remain open .
In court she told the judge : `` I have to disagree with you , sir , when you say that I am selfish , because feeding my kids is not selfish .
I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they 'd rather feed their kids .
`` So , sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more important than kids being fed , then please go ahead with your decision .
But I 'm not going to shut the salon . ''


bbc--2020-05-06--Mexico receives ventilator shipment from US

Mexico has welcomed a planeload of medical ventilators from the US to help treat Covid-19 patients , says Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard .
The 211 machines were purchased from a US firm following an informal agreement between the neighbouring nations ' leaders in mid-April .
Last week , several hospitals in Mexico City said they were turning patients away because of a lack of equipment .
President Trump has previously called the US `` the king of ventilators '' .
In early April , President Trump said that the US would have 110,000 ventilators by the end of June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not shut down • Americans not welcome due to virus , say Mexicans He also said at the time that some of the machines could go to countries that were `` desperate '' for the machines .
A ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe by getting oxygen into the lungs and removing carbon dioxide Ventilators can be used to help a person breathe if they have lung disease or another condition that makes breathing difficult .
They can also be used during and post-surgery A tube , connected to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person 's mouth , nose or through a small cut in the throat ( called a tracheostomy ) • Read more on the importance of ventilators According to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , Mr Trump agreed to sell Mexico 1,000 ventilators , with the option to buy more , when they spoke on the phone in April .
Tuesday 's shipment came from Hamilton Medical and each ventilator was purchased for between $ 16,000 and $ 24,000 ( £13,000 to £19,000 ) , according to Mr Ebrard .
Mr Ebrard welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times of adversity , you know who your friends are '' .
He added that there would be `` at least six flights '' from the US to deliver further equipment .
President López Obrador said in his daily news conference that he planned to visit the US in July to thank President Trump `` for the help we received in confronting the pandemic '' .
Relations between the two leaders have been dominated by President Trump 's insistence that a wall is needed to tackle cross-border migration and that Mexico pay for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government says it will not do .
• Trump wall - all you need to know about US border in seven charts The border between the two neighbours has been temporarily closed to all non-essential travel to curb the spread of the virus .
The US has also used emergency powers aimed at slowing the virus spread to expel thousands of undocumented migrants to across the border .
The US has the world 's highest number of confirmed infections - more than 1.2m - and more than 70,000 deaths .
Mexico has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases and 2,507 deaths .
However it has conducted a very low number of tests and the government said on Sunday that statistical modelling would put the real number of cases at more than 104,000 • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• FACE MASKS : Should I be wearing one ?
• STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Relations between the two leaders have been dominated by President Trump's insistence that a wall is needed to tackle cross-border migration and that Mexico pay for the wall, something that the Mexican government says it will not do.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Germany reopens shops as lockdown is relaxed

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany 's goal of slowing the spread of coronavirus has been achieved , so all shops can be reopened as lockdown restrictions are eased .
Bundesliga football has been given the green light to resume and schools will gradually reopen in the summer term .
Germany 's 16 federal states , under an agreement with the government , will take control of timing the reopening .
They will operate an `` emergency brake '' if there is a new surge in infections .
General contact rules involving will continue for another month .
A limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easing of restrictions is far broader .
Two households will be able to meet and eat together , and elderly people in nursing homes and facilities for the disabled will be able to have visits from one specific person .
'Germany doing better than other countries' '' I think we can safely state that the very first phase of the pandemic is behind us , '' Chancellor Merkel said .
`` But we need to be very much aware we are still in the early phases and we 'll be in it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markus Söder said Germany was doing better than many other countries because it had adopted a good strategy nationally and regionally and everyone had remained patient .
Social distancing of 1.5m ( 5ft ) and hygiene were key to keeping the infection rate low , he said .
Germany has seen fewer than 7,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic - a much lower figure than in other Western European countries including the UK , Italy , France and Spain .
• Do n't rule out summer in Majorca : German official • Greece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to save summer The Robert Koch Institute ( RKI ) , a federal public health body , reported 165 deaths in the past 24 hours on Wednesday and some 947 new infections .
The rate of infection has been consistently low for some time , and Mrs Merkel said she was very pleased that the number of new , daily infections was into three digits .
She praised the responsibility of German citizens in sticking to lockdown measures to protect the lives of others as well as themselves .
What has been agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday that Germany was opening up again .
And broadly that is what has been agreed .
Shops of up to 800 square metres ( 8,600ft ) in size have already been allowed to open .
All restrictions on shops will now be lifted , although masks must be worn and social distancing maintained .
Schools have already begun opening for older children ; all pupils will be allowed to return to class gradually during the summer term .
`` Children quite rightly want to return to their normal lives , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks , state leaders agreed to take responsibility for the consequences of lifting the lockdown , which came into force on 17 March .
Germany , in common with other countries , is wary of a second surge in infections .
If new infections rise to above 50 people in every 100,000 in a district over a seven-day period , then it will be up to the local authority in the affected area to reimpose restrictions .
Germany 's regional leaders get their way Angela Merkel appeared cheerful as she stated that falling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take some significant steps back towards normality .
She emerged after what was reportedly a stormy session with Germany 's regional leaders who were so impatient to restart their local economies that some had already announced plans to relax restrictions before the meeting even began .
The leaders have got their way and many Germans will no doubt be delighted at the prospect of beer gardens and Bundesliga .
Mrs Merkel too , who 'd emphasised that no part of society should be left behind in any relaxation , may well be pleased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allow people in care homes a designated visitor .
But the chancellor , who 's urged a cautious approach from the start , will perhaps savour most the concession she appears to have wrestled from the regional leaders .
They have agreed to an emergency brake which forces local authorities to reimpose restrictions , should infections breach a certain number in their area .
A number of the 16 states have been less affected by the crisis , so some are more eager to ease restrictions than others .
Bavaria in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the north plans to do that this Saturday .
Reopening restaurants and hotels is seen as a particular risk because it will heighten the number of people travelling across Germany and raising infection rates .
Large public events will remain banned .
The German football league , the Bundesliga , has been given the green light to kick off for the first time since March .
Matches will resume on 15 May , and will be played behind closed doors amid strict hygiene measures .
A two-week quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the players , in the form of a type of training camp .
The Bundesliga will be the first major football league in Europe to resume after the pandemic .
However , it is not without risk .
Ten positive cases were revealed this week by the German football league out of 1,724 tests across the top two divisions .
Not everyone has been happy with the speed of reopening .
Baden-Württemberg state premier Winfried Kretschmann accused `` a whole row of colleagues of rushing ahead with their own openings '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ held out the hope that Germans will be able to go on holiday this summer .
If the outbreak remained under control , he suggested they could go away in Germany and in neighbouring countries that had seen a similar drop in infections .

The leaders have got their way and many Germans will no doubt be delighted at the prospect of beer gardens and Bundesliga. Mrs Merkel too, who'd emphasised that no part of society should be left behind in any relaxation, may well be pleased by measures which will, for example, allow people in care homes a designated visitor.


bbc--2020-05-06--Fortnite announces Party Royale as players reach 350 million

Epic Games owned Fortnite has announced another live concert featuring Dillon Francis , Steve Aoki and deadmau5 .
The Party Royale will take place this Friday 8 May at 21:00 EDT ( 01:00 GMT Saturday ) with an encore performance the following day .
Fortnite has seen a surge in virtual meet-ups during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Epic said it the game had 350 million registered players , who in April collectively spent over 3.2 billion hours in the game .
The company has used live concerts as a way of keeping players engaged .
Last month the platform hosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The first show with Travis Scott had 12.3 million concurrent participants .
Three hundred and fifty million registered players is an impressive number that makes the game , on paper , more popular than ever .
But the fact they are registered does not mean everyone is actively playing .
I myself have three Fortnite accounts ( do n't ask why ) and Epic is not giving us details like `` monthly active users '' .
The popular consensus was that Fortnite had peaked , possibly at the world cup event last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to teenagers becoming millionaires during the competition .
Since then , the number of people watching the game on streaming platforms like Twitch has been in decline .
However , even if the figure is not truly representative of the fanbase , it 's clear that the game is still one of the biggest in the world and in the top tier of both e-sports and casual gaming .
The reason for releasing the figures is also telling as Epic is positioning Fortnite as more than a game .
It wants to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of people logging in to `` chill with friends '' , it could rival some social media platforms if successful .
The party will take place on a new island that players will be able to access even when live events are not taking place .
Epic said this was a chance for players to `` leave their weapons '' and `` hang out with friends '' .
Usually Fortnite players engage in battles with one other to be the last player remaining .
Apart from the concert , players on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aerial obstacle courses at Skydive Rift and participate in boat races at Fishsticks ' Boat Race and grab new items in The Plaza .
Any player who logs on to Fortnite between 18:00 EDT on Friday and 10:00 on Monday will receive a free music-reactive Neon Wings Back Bling for their avatars .
Epic has called the island a `` new experimental and evolving space '' .
The idea of Fortnite as more than a game is not new .
Last December , the company 's founder , Tim Sweeney was asked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game or platform .
Mr Sweeney responded , `` Fortnite is a game .
But please ask that question again in 12 months . ''
During the coronavirus pandemic , while friends are unable to meet in person , gaming platforms have become a more popular space to connect and hang out .
Nintendo 's Animal Crossing and The Sims has been used by some firms to host business meetings .
Fortnite hosted concerts before the pandemic , but non-combat play may become more important to it and other games as social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Three hundred and fifty million registered players is an impressive number that makes the game, on paper, more popular than ever. But the fact they are registered does not mean everyone is actively playing. I myself have three Fortnite accounts (don't ask why) and Epic is not giving us details like "monthly active users".


bbc--2020-05-06--Uber axes 3,700 staff as trips drop in lockdowns

Uber has announced plans to cut 3,700 full-time staff - about 14 % of its workforce - as business plunges following pandemic shutdowns .
Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi will also waive his base salary - set at $ 1m ( £809,690 ) in 2019 - through to the year end .
The announcements come a day ahead of the firm 's quarterly results .
Even before the pandemic , Uber was struggling to balance its books , making a loss of $ 8.5bn in 2019 .
Uber said the reductions will come from its customer support and recruiting teams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severance pay and other costs .
Executives in March warned the firm had seen demand for its taxi services fall by more than 60 % in coronavirus hotspots , though they said ordering via its Uber Eats food delivery service had increased .
`` Since we do n't know how long a recovery will take , we are taking steps to bring our costs in line with the size of our business today , '' the firm said in a statement on Wednesday .
Uber 's business is heavily reliant on big cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by the pandemic .
Last year , four metro areas in the US , including New York and San Francisco , and London accounted for 23 % of the money spent on the platform .
Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called the job cuts `` painful but necessary '' , noting that both Uber and smaller rival Lyft face long-term difficulties as more people work from home and avoid taxis for fear of infection .
`` Uber and Lyft face Herculean-like challenges looking ahead as the new reality will likely change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and competitors ] for the foreseeable future , '' he wrote in a note .
On Wednesday , Lyft said it had seen a decline of more than 70 % in trips on its platform as the US started to implement shutdown orders .
It said it was taking aggressive cost-cutting steps to help the business survive .
The firm last week announced plans to axe about 17 % of its workforce or almost 1,000 employees , furlough another 300 people and reduce executive pay .
`` We face a new reality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We expect that rider demand for our platform will be down for the foreseeable future . ''
The reductions are a sign that the impact from the shutdowns is continuing to ripple out into the US economy , with economists now bracing for a prolonged slowdown rather than a quick rebound .
On Wednesday , payrolls processor ADP reported that private employers in the US cut a record 20.2 million jobs last month - more than double the jobs lost in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis .
`` Job losses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahu Yildirmaz , co-head of the ADP Research Institute .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

On Wednesday, Lyft said it had seen a decline of more than 70% in trips on its platform as the US started to implement shutdown orders. It said it was taking aggressive cost-cutting steps to help the business survive.


bbc--2020-05-06--US shopping centres re-open: 'This is the best day ever'

In states like Texas , shopping centres can currently operate at a 25 % capacity .
For some shoppers , @ @ @ @ @ get out of the house .
Throughout the United States , lockdown restrictions are being @ @ @ @

In states like Texas, shopping centres can currently operate at a 25% capacity. For some shoppers, it's a reason to get out of the house.
Throughout the United States, lockdown restrictions are being lifted in phases.
Video by Angélica M Casas. Produced by Samantha Granville.


bbc--2020-05-06--Mother of killed Georgia man seeks justice

Wanda Cooper says her son , Ahmaud Arbery , was `` hunted down like an animal and killed '' .
@ @ @ @ @ while jogging after a confrontation with a former police officer and his son in Brunswick @ @ @ @ @ police report , Gregory McMichael says he saw Mr Arbery and believed he resembled the @ @ @ @ @ break-ins .
He and his son armed themselves and pursued him in a pick-up truck @

This video has been removed for rights reasons.
Wanda Cooper says her son, Ahmaud Arbery, was "hunted down like an animal and killed".
Arbery was shot and killed while jogging after a confrontation with a former police officer and his son in Brunswick, Georgia.
In a police report, Gregory McMichael says he saw Mr Arbery and believed he resembled the suspect in a series of break-ins.
He and his son armed themselves and pursued him in a pick-up truck.


bbc--2020-05-06--Adele thanks healthcare 'angels' in birthday message

Adele has resurfaced to post a message thanking `` all of our first responders and essential workers who are keeping us safe while risking their lives '' .
The singer was writing on Instagram as she celebrated her 32nd birthday .
`` Thank you for the birthday love , '' she wrote .
`` I hope you 're all staying safe and sane during this crazy time . ''
The post , which is her first since Christmas , began trending worldwide after the singer 's followers began remarking on her weight loss .
The picture shows the star standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a laptop also in shot .
Adele 's three studio albums have been named after the ages she was when she wrote them - 19 , 21 and 25 .
There is speculation that she will return with her first new album for five years later this year .
In February , video emerged of her performing at a friend 's wedding and telling guests : `` Expect my album in September . ''
In Wednesday 's Instagram post , Adele added that key workers `` are truly our angels '' , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bye thanks x . ''
The chart-topping singer split from husband Simon Konecki last year .
She posts a birthday message every year , and last year 's said : `` I 've changed drastically in the last couple years and I 'm still changing and that 's okay . ''
Commenting on this year 's post , Chrissy Teigen had one of the top replies on Instagram , writing : `` I mean are you kidding me . ''
YouTube make-up star James Charles said simply : `` YOU LOOK AMAZING .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

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bbc--2020-05-06--The Aces: 'We were told not to sing about girls'

Eight weeks ago , The Aces were on a high .
The band had just stepped off stage at Florida 's Okeechobee music festival after playing their new single , Daydream , for the very first time .
`` It was a brand new song , I do n't even think it was out at that point , '' says singer-guitarist Cristal Ramirez , `` and the way the crowd started moving to it was so incredible .
`` You only see that every once in a while , so I instantly knew , 'Oh , this song 's really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came off stage thinking , 'When we start playing the new album , that 's going to be the reaction , ' '' adds bassist McKenna Petty .
`` It was so exciting . ''
But Okeechobee , which was the band 's first show of 2020 , may also end up being their last , after the Covid-19 lockdown kicked into gear .
`` It makes me sad , '' says McKenna .
`` I 'm just so anxious to play that new music live . ''
One silver lining is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long-distance relationship , has taken on a second meaning in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic , with fans using it to reassure each other they 'll meet again .
`` I love that , '' says guitarist Katie Henderson .
`` The song 's so happy and energetic and it says , 'You know I 'm coming back to you , ' which is so relevant to what 's happening now .
`` I love that sense of hope at the end . ''
The four-piece are speaking to the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 've spent the last few weeks constructing home studios , learning the Seinfeld theme tune and staging a `` digital wellness tour '' on Instagram ( you can work out with Katie , meditate with Cristal , cook vegan pasta with McKenna or practise yoga with drummer Alisa Ramirez ) .
More importantly , they 've been preparing to release the follow-up to their debut album , When My Heart Felt Volcanic - a hidden gem of stylish pop that ended up on several critics ' end-of-year lists in 2018 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is markedly more assured .
The Aces are still cool , fresh and colossally enjoyable - but this time around the earworms burrow a little deeper , and the lyrics hit a little harder .
• The Aces : 'Not all girl bands are the same' • How Dua Lipa released an album from isolation • Charli XCX on her lockdown album : 'Why did n't I do this before ? '
Musically , the album is more adventurous , calibrating the band 's exuberant choruses and feel-good guitar riffs with more intimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twists .
The biggest change , however , is the way Cristal and her younger sister Alisa write their lyrics .
Both siblings are queer , but they avoided using gendered pronouns on their first album .
On Under My Influence , that hesitance is scrubbed out of existence .
`` Met a girl with a smile that I liked and her name was Kelly , '' sings Cristal on the album 's fourth song .
`` Golden hair in her eyes , of the kind makes you feel like heaven . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were driving in the car and I looked at Alisa and I was like , 'Hey , this is a step for us .
Do we want to use pronouns ... because we did n't in the last record ? '
'' recalls the 24-year-old .
`` And Alisa was like , 'Do you know what ?
I feel like if we do n't it 's starting to become untruthful . '
`` And that struck me really hard .
I was just like , 'She 's so right ' . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounds so good in songs , '' chips in Alisa .
`` It 's hard to avoid it ! ''
Nonetheless , addressing their sexuality took courage .
The sisters grew up in Provo , a religious town in the US state of Utah , which was particularly intolerant of alternative sexualities .
`` We really love where we 're from but it was a little oppressive in ways , especially if you 're queer , '' says Cristal .
`` It 's a very strong religious culture .
There 's a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so if you do n't want to follow that , it 's easy to feel like an outcast , '' adds her sister .
It was n't just their hometown that proved to be conservative , however .
`` In the music industry , you have people in your ear telling you , 'Change the pronoun , do n't say that , do n't do that , it wo n't sell , ' '' says Alisa .
`` So if you have people saying that to you , and you 've grown up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be yourself , it feels brave [ to write about it ] .
`` It 's a step you have to take and that 's something straight people do n't have to think about - but when you 're queer you have to be like [ deep breath ] , 'OK , I 'm going to do this and I do n't care if it 's going to affect sales .
I do n't care .
This is me ' . ''
The band reference their hometown on a new song called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which also serves as an anthem to the city 's underground LGBT scene .
`` Leave your church shoes and your Sunday clothes , '' sings Cristal over a trippy , charcoal-smudged beat .
`` Being ourselves can never be a crime . ''
`` There 's one gay club in Utah , '' explains the singer , `` and we went there one night , Alisa and I , and the amount of kids we saw from our high school… kids we did n't know were gay .
Or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who liked going out to a gay bar and hanging out with their friends and drinking .
`` And where we come from that 's really taboo .
Drinking 's really taboo , partying 's really taboo , all these things are demonised and there 's a lot of shame and guilt around that .
`` So for us it was like , 'Woah , dude .
Can you believe we saw those guys ?
They 're just like us ! '
'' The feelings of belonging and acceptance they discovered that night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , the band had been their only `` getaway '' and `` place of happiness , '' says Alisa .
`` It 's probably not the healthiest , but I feel like the band 's always given me a sense of identity . ''
`` It 's so much more than even a band to us , '' Cristal elaborates .
`` The Aces is like a family , it 's a community .
Any time I was struggling or confused or going through heartache , I had my girls , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like many friends , the band have developed their own vocabulary of in-jokes and catchphrases .
While promoting their first album , for example , Cristal started giving faux-motivational speeches backstage , dubbing her bandmates `` the moguls '' .
`` It was a total gag , but then we started calling everybody a mogul , '' says Alisa .
`` 'You 're a mogul !
No , you 're a mogul !
Channel your mogul-ity ! '
'' For the second record , the mot-du-jour is `` clacking '' .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've never had nails before , '' Alisa explains .
`` So I was messing around with them all the time , tapping on a laptop , and we started saying , ' Got ta clack ! '
'' `` It embodied the whole idea of an in-charge woman , getting stuff done .
So now , whenever we announce something or put up a post , we 'll be like , 'Everybody clack , We 're clacking ' . ''
The band are in clacking overdrive today , as they reveal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Influence .
It 's accompanied by the tangily-titled new single , My Phone Is Trying To Kill Me , whose opening line could n't be any more pertinent during the lockdown '' I 'm gon na put down my phone , '' sings Cristal with a sigh of resignation , `` because it makes me feel so alone . ''
`` We 'd wanted to write something about social media and your phone for a long time , '' the singer says , `` but we just were n't getting it right lyrically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a high-stakes session with hitmaker Justin Tranter ( Justin Bieber , Ariana Grande , Selena Gomez ) and Cristal found herself unable to focus .
`` I 'd been texting someone who was n't getting back to me , and I was so annoyed because I was having a hard time concentrating 'cos I kept checking my phone .
`` I was like , 'This is so dumb .
That person 's not as important as what I 'm doing right now , ' so we just started talking about how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and how , if you 're left unread by somebody , it can ruin your whole day and how powerful that is . ''
`` And the big tag line ended up being 'my phone is trying to kill me , ' '' adds Alisa with a smile , `` because it feels that way half the time '' .
Intriguingly , they 've discovered that quarantine has ( partially ) solved the phone problem by `` forcing us to live in the moment '' .
`` It 's one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Alisa .
`` You ca n't think about the future because nobody knows what 's going to happen . ''
Which brings us back to those hastily abandoned live shows .
Have the band asked when they might be allowed back on the tour bus ?
`` Only every day ! ''
says Katie .
`` But no-one knows .
Our agent does n't know .
Nobody knows . ''
`` But as soon as we can , we 'll be on the road , '' says Alisa .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerts .
We 'll do , like , a coffee shop tour first . ''
The Aces new single , My Phone Is Killing Me , is out now on Red Bull Records .
Their album , Under My Influence , follows on 12 June .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"There's one gay club in Utah," explains the singer, "and we went there one night, Alisa and I, and the amount of kids we saw from our high school… kids we didn't know were gay. Or even if they weren't gay, kids who liked going out to a gay bar and hanging out with their friends and drinking.


bbc--2020-05-06--Virtual baseball fans as sport returns to Korea

On the opening day of the Korean baseball season a mascot makes the traditional first pitch in an unusual way @ @ @ @ @ avert the threat of coronavirus .

On the opening day of the Korean baseball season a mascot makes the traditional first pitch in an unusual way as part of measures to avert the threat of coronavirus.


bbc--2020-05-06--The Last Dance: 'I did not anticipate this reaction'

The director of hit Netflix documentary The Last Dance , Jason Hehir , has spoken to the BBC about why @ @ @ @ @ been so successful and the techniques he used when interviewing basketball legend Michael Jordan .

The director of hit Netflix documentary The Last Dance, Jason Hehir, has spoken to the BBC about why he thinks the series has been so successful and the techniques he used when interviewing basketball legend Michael Jordan.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: All dressed up and nowhere to go

As people across the UK continue to live in isolation we are all missing out on meeting up with friends , going for a meal or to the cinema , so photographer Robin Sinha asked his neighbours to pose on their doorsteps dressed as if ready for a night out .
`` I was already shooting a series of images regarding my own isolation experience but having seen some doorstep projects from around the world , I felt inspired to approach ( at a safe distance ) my local neighbourhood , '' says Sinha .
`` When my wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , it was immediately apparent to us that our street had a strong sense of community spirit .
Lockdown has only strengthened this spirit and there has been a genuine feeling of concern for one another .
`` Messages have been flowing thick and fast on the street 's WhatsApp group with offers of food shops , sharing crafts to keep children entertained , and information about how to support the NHS .
`` I wanted to differentiate my project from others I 'd seen and somehow make it more collaborative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the working title of , All dressed up and nowhere to go .
With pyjamas and tracksuits becoming the lockdown look , I wondered whether people might enjoy putting on their 'Sunday best ' and imagining they had a special occasion to attend .
`` The response was overwhelmingly positive , and it was n't long before I had 30 houses in my diary .
`` I 'm hoping the project will bring the street 's residents even closer , and I 've begun to explore the idea of a local exhibition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here is a selection of pictures from the project : You can see more of Robin Sinha 's work on his website and Instagram .

As people across the UK continue to live in isolation we are all missing out on meeting up with friends, going for a meal or to the cinema, so photographer Robin Sinha asked his neighbours to pose on their doorsteps dressed as if ready for a night out.


bbc--2020-05-06--How the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening Africa’s wildlife

A wildlife catastrophe is unfolding in Africa , according to park rangers and conservation experts .
They say the closure @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic , is decimating the industry , and leading to an increase @ @ @ @ @ tourism industry is worth almost $ 30 billion a year and employs almost four million @ @ @ @ @ on the ground say they are seeing a surge in poaching as thousands of unemployed @ @ @ @ @ turn to wild animals for food .
They also fear an upsurge in more organised @ @ @ @ @

A wildlife catastrophe is unfolding in Africa, according to park rangers and conservation experts.
They say the closure of safari tourism, due to the coronavirus pandemic, is decimating the industry, and leading to an increase in poaching.
The African tourism industry is worth almost $30 billion a year and employs almost four million people.
Experts and rangers on the ground say they are seeing a surge in poaching as thousands of unemployed people dependent on the industry turn to wild animals for food.
They also fear an upsurge in more organised poaching of endangered species.
Reporter: Claire Marshall , producer and editor: Rachel Price.
Additional camerawork by Jeff Waweru of Tusk.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Why do I need to be tested?

Why do I need to be tested ?
BBC Reality Check breaks down what is coronavirus testing and why it @ @

Countries across the world are approaching coronavirus testing differently. Reality Check's Chris Morris explains what testing is and why it matters.
Motion graphics by Jaqueline Galvin. Filmed by Myles Burke. Produced by Soraya Auer.


bbc--2020-05-06--Grimes and Elon Musk's X Æ A-12 (and 8 other unusual celebrity baby names)

When choosing a password , we 're generally advised to use one upper case letter , an unusual character and a number .
Singer Grimes and tech billionaire Elon Musk have gone one step further and applied these rules to choosing a baby name .
The couple have apparently named their first child together X Æ A-12 Musk .
Musk revealed the name via Twitter on Wednesday - although nobody 's quite sure if he 's being serious or just trolling us all .
If it 's real , it 's not entirely clear how it should be pronounced , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since stepped in to try to explain .
Grimes and Musk may have won a fierce battle to be the celebrity couple with the most unusual name for their child , but they have plenty of competition .
Here are eight other examples .
`` A is for Apple '' is a very familiar phrase indeed to parents trying to teach their kids the alphabet , but it also proved inspirational to Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow .
The pair , who `` consciously uncoupled '' in 2014 , have a 15-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The name caused Robbie Williams to get into a bit of a verbal tangle during one encounter with the family , as he told Graham Norton in 2012 .
During a party he was throwing , the singer asked Paltrow at the buffet : `` Does Melon want some Apple ? ''
Beyonce and Jay-Z made headlines in 2012 when they named their first born daughter Blue Ivy Carter .
They even tried to trademark the name , but the rights had already been granted to Boston-based wedding firm Blue Ivy Events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen because of the couple 's fondness for the number four , which is IV in Roman numerals .
Blue was actually a more common name at one stage - famous Blues include author Blue Balliett , born in 1955 , and NBA player Blue Edwards , born 1965 , though both are nicknames .
And while Beyonce and Jay-Z may have given the name a new lease of life , they were n't the first celebrity couple to choose the colourful name for their offspring .
U2 's The Edge chose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is now 31 .
`` You know who gives kids a bad name ?
Posh and Becks . ''
That joke won comedian Stewart Francis the title of funniest joke at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012 .
And you can see his point - the couple 's unusual choices have included Brooklyn , Romeo and Cruz for their sons and Harper Seven for their daughter .
Brooklyn in particular was singled out by Katie Hopkins as an example of a children 's name she really disliked in her famous This Morning interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is far from the only celebrity child to be named after a geographical location .
We 'd be here all day if we started listing the celebrities who name their children after countries and capitals , so let 's just single out a couple of examples .
Shakira welcomed the first of her two sons with FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique in 2013 , whom the couple named Milan .
Then there 's Michael Jackson 's daughter Paris , Bono 's daughter Memphis , Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger 's daughter Ireland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still available , should any stars out there still be on the lookout .
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcomed their first baby in 2013 .
Fans speculated for months about what the pair would name their first-born , bearing in mind that the child would probably take Kanye 's surname .
The couple delivered a name better than anyone could have hoped for - North .
Which makes their daughter 's full name North West .
News of the name was particularly welcomed by those in Lancashire .
Kardashian 's mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The way Kim explained it to me was North means 'highest power ' , and she says that North is [ Kim and Kanye 's ] highest point together .
And I thought that was really sweet . ''
The Wests followed it up by naming their next three children Saint , Chicago and Psalm .
Bear may not be too out of the ordinary - but it is certainly a name you remember .
And , as Liam explained in 2017 , that 's precisely why he and Cheryl chose it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
`` I wanted a more traditional name and she wanted a name that was more unusual , '' he said .
`` And the reason she chose Bear in the end was because Bear is a name that when you leave a room , you wo n't forget .
And I like that . ''
It probably also helps that Liam is a big fan of Bear Grylls , who he described as `` a boss '' on Twitter after the birth .
Princess may be a term of endearment many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer choose it as an actual name .
That did n't deter Peter Andre and Katie Price from giving the name to their daughter in 2007 .
But perhaps even more unusual is the second part of her name - Tiaamii .
Peter and Katie came up with the name by merging the first names of their two mothers - Thea and Amy .
Full marks for creativity , although Pete did reveal in 2014 that their daughter said she did n't like her name .
Jamie Oliver .
A national treasure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personality and the absolute king of unusual names .
His youngest child with wife Jools is called River Rocket , with their other offspring called Daisy Boo , Buddy Bear , Poppy Honey and Petal Blossom .
We take our hat off to him for the sheer creativity of these names - and his consistency deserves a special mention too .
There 's alliteration with the boys ( Buddy Bear and River Rocket ) and a flower-based theme for the girls ( Daisy , Poppy and Petal ) .
Follow us on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

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bbc--2020-05-06--Duchess of Sussex reads to Archie on his first birthday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have marked their son 's first birthday by releasing a video of Meghan reading @ @ @ @ @ The clip , filmed by Prince Harry , shows the duchess reading Duck !
Rabbit @ @ @ @ @ 's favourite books .
It was posted on Instagram as part of a Save the @ @ @ @ @ and families struggling due to coronavirus .
Read more on this story .

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have marked their son's first birthday by releasing a video of Meghan reading to a beaming Archie.
The clip, filmed by Prince Harry, shows the duchess reading Duck! Rabbit! - one of Archie's favourite books.
It was posted on Instagram as part of a Save the Children fundraising campaign for children and families struggling due to coronavirus.
Read more on this story.


bbc--2020-05-06--'Nearest black hole to Earth discovered'

Astronomers have a new candidate in their search for the nearest black hole to Earth .
It 's about 1,000 light-years away , or roughly 9.5 thousand , million , million km , in the Constellation Telescopium .
That might not sound very close , but on the scale of the Universe , it 's actually right next door .
Scientists discovered the black hole from the way it interacts with two stars - one that orbits the hole , and the other that orbits this inner pair .
Normally , black holes are discovered from the way they interact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dust .
As they shred this material , copious X-rays are emitted .
It 's this high-energy signal that telescopes detect , not the black hole itself .
So this is an unusual case , in that it 's the motions of the stars , together known as HR 6819 , that have given the game away .
`` This is what you might call a 'dark black hole ' ; it 's truly black in that sense , '' said Dietrich Baade , emeritus astronomer at the European Southern Observatory ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We think this may be the first such case where a black hole has been found this way .
And not only that - it 's also the most nearby of all black holes , including the accreting ones , '' he told BBC News .
One of the fascinating aspects of this story is that it 's possible see HR 6819 with just the naked eye - assuming you have access to the southern sky .
No telescope or binoculars are needed , although conditions are tricky at the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging from behind the Sun .
Scientists had begun the study of HR 6819 many years ago when looking for what 's termed a Be star .
This is a star that rotates so rapidly that it nearly tears itself apart , and the outer object in this pairing is a good example .
But a series of circumstances meant the investigation was never carried through to completion - until very recently .
Studies using the 2.2m telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile reveal the inner of the two visible stars to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
Presumed to be a black hole , this object has a likely mass of at least four times that or our Sun .
Astronomers have spotted only a couple of dozen black holes in our Milky Way Galaxy to date , nearly all of which strongly interact with their accretion discs .
But statistics tell us there must be many , many more out there .
`` In the Milky Way , the idea is that there should be about 100 million black holes .
So there should be perhaps a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Marianne Heida , a postdoctoral fellow at ESO , told BBC News .
A paper describing the discovery is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics .
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

One of the fascinating aspects of this story is that it's possible see HR 6819 with just the naked eye - assuming you have access to the southern sky. No telescope or binoculars are needed, although conditions are tricky at the moment because the star system is only now emerging from behind the Sun.


bbc--2020-05-06--How Florian Schneider and Kraftwerk influenced five decades of music

Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider , who has died at the age of 73 , helped forge a new future for pop , changing the sounds and techniques of how music was made .
The US and the UK are often considered the twin crucibles of pop music but , thanks to Kraftwerk 's visionary synth music , Dusseldorf has at least an equal claim on the title .
In the mid-1970s , the band 's allegiance to what they called `` robot pop '' set the sonic template for everything from hip-hop to dance music .
In some quarters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , and it 's hard to disagree .
Electronic music had existed before - from the musitron solo on Del Shannon 's Runaway to the mind-expanding Doctor Who theme , recorded by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1963 .
But Kraftwerk developed a new musical vocabulary , sculpting hypnotic , low-frequency sounds that celebrated Europe 's romantic past and looked forward to its shimmering future .
On albums like Trans-Europe Express and Man Machine , the quartet connected `` the coldness of circuitry and the warmth of the soul '' , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us that machines are , after all , the product of the dreams of humans '' .
Among those who took notice were David Bowie , who borrowed their industrial atmospherics on Low ; and Afrika Bambaataa , who lifted the icy riff from Trans-Europe Express to power one of rap 's earliest anthems , Planet Rock .
In turn , those records spawned the New Romantic , synth pop and hip-hop movements of the 80s , which later bled into trance , house and EDM .
`` They started it all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1990 .
Kraftwerk emerged from the same German experimental music community of the late '60s that spawned Can and Tangerine Dream .
Founders Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter met as students at Dusseldorf Conservatory , but rebelled against the constraints of classical music .
`` We do n't want to end up playing Mozart and Beethoven at our local concert hall , '' Hütter said .
`` The question is , 'What does Germany sound like today ? '
That 's where we started . ''
They adopted the name Kraftwerk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described themselves as `` klangchemiker '' - or sound chemists - immersing themselves in the possibilities of emerging new technology .
Schneider even invented some instruments of his own , including an electronic flute and a vocoder-style synthesizer called the Robovox .
Kraftwerk 's first three albums were free-form improvisations , largely played on traditional instruments , and are not considered by the band to be part of their `` official '' discography .
In 1974 , they settled on their definitive sound with Autobahn , a 22-minute synth symphony intended to evoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany 's motorways .
Edited down to three minutes , it earned the band a top 40 hit on both sides of the Atlantic - and they later appeared on BBC technology programme Tomorrow 's World to demonstrate their `` machinemusik '' .
But not everyone was impressed .
In the era of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd , the music press treated the pioneers with a sneering suspicion .
`` For God 's sake , keep the robots out of music , '' wrote Melody Maker 's Keith Ging .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NME .
`` The kind of guys who could blow up the planet just to hear the noise it made . ''
Their cold , sleek image only fuelled the fire , but critics often missed the sly humour at work in the band 's music .
Take , for example , Showroom Dummies from 1977 's Trans-Europe Express album - a deadpan riposte to their portrayal as emotionless machines .
They took the joke to its logical conclusion on 1978 's The Robots .
In 1982 , they scored their biggest hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with The Model - a searing takedown of the fashion industry .
But by that point , their sound had become mainstream .
Gary Numan scored a number one hit in 1979 with the synth-heavy Are 'Friends ' Electric , paving the way for bands like OMD , Depeche Mode and The Human League , who took Kraftwerk 's sounds and transposed them to the industrial cities of England .
Bowie was also a fan , describing their sound as the `` folk music of the factories '' , and paying homage on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track V-2 Schneider .
Kraftwerk returned the favour by namechecking him and Iggy Pop on Trans-Europe Express .
As their output slowed in the 1980s , the band 's sound became the bedrock of early hip-hop .
In subsequent years , their music has been sampled by everyone from Dr Dre and The Chemical Brothers to Justin Timberlake and The KLF .
Even Coldplay lifted elements of the band 's song Computer Love as the central motif to their 2005 song Talk .
Three years later , Schneider left the band - but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forefathers of electronic music was assured .
`` They are in the psyche of modern pop , whether there is an awareness of it or not , '' Underworld 's Karl Hyde told The Telegraph in 2013 .
Martin Gore of Depeche Mode added : `` For anyone of our generation involved in electronic music , Kraftwerk were the godfathers . ''
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bbc--2020-05-05--Climate change and coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash

We 're living through the biggest carbon crash ever recorded .
No war , no recession , no previous pandemic has had such a dramatic impact on emissions of CO2 over the past century as Covid-19 has in a few short months .
Multiple sources indicate we are now living through an unrivalled drop in carbon output .
But even though we will see a massive fall this year , the concentrations of CO2 that are in the atmosphere and warming our planet wo n't stabilise until the world reaches net-zero .
As our chart shows , since the Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the global expansion of emissions of CO2 , from the use of oil , gas and coal has risen massively .
While these energy sources have transformed the world , the carbon seeping into our atmosphere has driven up global temperatures by just over 1C since the mid-1850s .
They could rise by 3-4C by the end of this century if CO2 levels are n't savagely reduced .
Over the past 100 years , as indicated on the graphic , a number of events have shown that dramatic falls in carbon are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial crash in 2008-2009 , but in reality , carbon emissions only fell by around 450 million tonnes between 2008 and 2009 .
This is much smaller than the fall in CO2 in the aftermath of World War II , which saw a drop of around 800 million tonnes .
It is also smaller than the global recession in the early 1980s that followed the oil crisis of the late 1970s .
During this period , CO2 went down by around one billion tonnes .
But the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 dwarves all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a few months , demand for energy globally has fallen off a cliff .
The International Energy Agency ( IEA ) says that the world will use 6 % less this year - equivalent to losing the entire energy demand of India .
This will feed through to large falls in CO2 .
A number of different analyses , including this one from Carbon Brief , show that emissions this year will fall by 4-8 % , somewhere between 2 and 3 billion tonnes of the warming gas .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the last global recession .
By air and on roads , the world has cut back heavily on travel .
Full lockdowns have also pushed global electricity demand down by 20 % or more , says the IEA .
Across the full year , the need for electricity will fall by 5 % - the biggest drop since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
`` This is an historic shock to the entire energy world , '' says Dr Fatih Birol , IEA executive director .
The changes in energy demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal demand , which is set to fall 8 % this year .
With China the first country to stall its economy in response to the virus , coal use dropped sharply at first , though it is now rebounding and the expectation among energy analysts is that production this year will be down by just over 1 % .
Researchers say the biggest thing hitting CO2 emissions right now is the reduction in road transport .
According to the IEA global average road transport activity fell to 50 % of the 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As can be seen in our chart , almost every country has seen a huge drop in road use .
This has resulted in a massive fall in the use of oil .
`` Back in the 2009 recession , average oil demand dropped by 1.3 million barrels per day versus 2008 .
And now 2020 is set to average 10 million barrels per day less than 2019 . ''
said Erik Holm Reiso , from Rystad Energy , an independent research firm .
`` It 's a much more severe cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped hugely , but by different amounts in different regions .
In Europe , the number of flights is down around 90 % , whereas in the US it has been more resilient with around half the number of planes taking off compared to last year .
Globally , though , the demand for jet fuel is down 65 % year-on-year to April .
`` What we 're seeing is that the largest relative reduction is in air traffic , '' said Robbie Andrew , a senior researcher at the Centre for International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But air emissions are only about 3 % of global total .
So while the relative reductions in land transport are lower than air transport , the absolute reductions there are much more significant . ''
• Climate change : Where we are in seven charts It 's not the same everywhere While the lockdown might feel rather uniform across the world , there have been huge variations in emissions reductions from different cities .
If we take Paris and New York as examples , the contrast , as shown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw a CO2 drop of 72 % ( +/-15 % ) in the month of March compared to normal .
New York in the same period , saw a CO2 fall of around 10 % .
So why the big difference ?
`` In the Paris area , there are no large fossil fuel power plants , or industrial sites , '' said Philippe Ciais , from the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace in Paris .
`` Another difference is whether buildings are heated with fuels or with electricity .
In France , around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Much of New York 's CO2 comes from emissions related to the heating of buildings .
But significant emissions come from fossil fuel plants based within the city limits .
Cars make up a much smaller proportion of overall energy use .
`` I guess something to think about is that we shut down the entire city and got a reduction of 10 % in the CO2 emissions , '' said Prof Róisín Commane from Columbia University in New York .
`` We are still emitting more than 80 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a massive number .
So personal behaviour really is n't going to fix the carbon emission problem .
We need a systematic change in how energy is generated and transmitted . ''
Back in 2008 , the European electricity industry was hit badly by the global financial recession and demand for power fell sharply .
But when that demand picked up again , it was solar and wind that were by then large enough to supply all the growth .
Europe 's use of fossil fuels to produce electricity never returned to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crash .
Experts now believe something similar could happen with the coronavirus pandemic .
`` In about half of the world , we 've already seen peak demand for fossil fuels , '' said Kingsmill Bond , from independent financial think tank Carbon Tracker .
`` In Europe it was 2005 , in the USA 2007 . ''
This means that the trend in demand has been downhill ever since .
He added : `` There has been a global coal demand peak in 2013 .
If you look at car demand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak conventional car demand in 2017 . ''
So will the pandemic 's big hit on carbon mean that last year , 2019 , becomes the year the world reached a turning point ?
The carbon emissions drop that followed the recession in 2009 was followed by a sharp rise of almost 6 % in 2010 .
Something similar could happen over the next couple of years .
`` At this point , we do not see any clear signs that the pandemic and our societal response to it will lead to significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future global emissions , '' said Robbie Andrew from Cicero .
`` Right at the moment what we 're seeing are immediate emissions responses , and following most previous crises , global emissions have returned to their pre-crisis trajectory . ''
What if CO2 was cut like this each year ?
To keep the world on track to stay under 1.5C this century , the world needs similar cuts for the foreseeable future to keep this target in view .
`` If Covid-19 leads to a drop in emissions of around 5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of reduction we need every year until net-zero emissions are reached around 2050 , '' said Glen Peters , also from Cicero .
`` Such emissions reductions will not happen via lockdowns and restrictions , but by climate policies that lead to the deployment of clean technologies and reductions in demand for energy . ''
Energy experts believe there will be a bounce back next year , but that , long term , the world will move to greener fuels .
But it may not be enough to keep temperatures down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will accelerate over time beyond peak fossil energy , '' said Erik Holm Reiso , from Rystad Energy .
`` That does n't chime with 1.5C , but maybe 1.8-1.9C degrees could be within reach and this situation right now could help achieve that , I think . ''
Many climate researchers are optimistic that this deadly pandemic has taught governments some critical lessons that they can apply to the problem of rising temperatures .
The big challenge is to ensure the recovery has a green focus .
According to Prof Gail Whiteman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was almost impossible to believe that governments around the world , when faced with a health emergency , would put humanity ahead of the economy .
But they did .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?
`` We can recover from an existential , complex threat and emerge much stronger and more resilient , '' she says .
`` Which strengthens the idea that we can do things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tackle this one .
`` I think it gives us huge energy . ''
• How much warmer is your city ?
• What is your diet 's carbon footprint ?
• Where we are in seven charts

With China the first country to stall its economy in response to the virus, coal use dropped sharply at first, though it is now rebounding and the expectation among energy analysts is that production this year will be down by just over 1%.


bbc--2020-05-06--German Bundesliga to resume this month

German Bundesliga to resume this month

The German Bundesliga season can resume this month , Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed .
It will become the first major league in Europe to return to competition , with a date for resumption to be confirmed by the German Football League ( DFL ) on Thursday .
All matches will be played behind closed doors .
With nine games remaining , Bayern Munich are top of the table , four points above Borussia Dortmund .
Bayern chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge said : `` I would like to thank the politicians for giving today 's decision [ and for ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are now looking forward to resuming play , ideally from mid-May .
This ensures that the sporting decisions are made on the pitch .
`` I appeal to everyone involved to follow the requirements , which are the basis for resuming games , in an exemplary and extremely disciplined manner . ''
Christian Seifert , chief executive of the DFL , added : `` Today 's decision is good news for the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga 2 .
`` It is associated with a great responsibility for the clubs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisational requirements in a disciplined manner .
`` Games without spectators are not an ideal solution for anyone .
In a crisis threatening the very existence of some clubs , however , it is the only way to keep the leagues in their current form . ''
• What is the status of Europe 's other top leagues ?
The announcement comes a day after clubs in the top two German divisions returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests .
The DFL had warned that many top-division teams would be in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not resume by June .
Players returned to training last month , with the DFL initially saying the league would be ready to return on 9 May .
Germany has banned large events with crowds until 24 October , so games will be behind closed doors , but the DFL has developed a health and safety plan that would see only about 300 people or near the pitch during matches , to minimise the risk of infection .
According to official figures , just under 7,000 people have died in Germany from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other western European countries including the UK , Italy , France and Spain .
It was also announced on Wednesday that the Turkish Super Lig will resume on 12 June with the aim being to complete the season by the end of July .
The country 's football federation chairman Nihat Ozdemir said Turkey intended to host the Champions League final in Istanbul in August as planned .
The Croatian top-flight is also poised to resume - without spectators - with cup ties to take place on 30 May , followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government approval .
Spain 's La Liga has announced plans for a June return and president Javier Tebas said the league was `` pleased '' with the Bundesliga 's decision .
`` This is good news for European football and for the return to the new normal after this crisis , '' he added .
Over the years we 've come to expect German football success on the pitch but this feels like a victory for their clear , detailed and , above all , collective planning off the pitch .
Back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed the league 's proposals for matches behind closed doors , collaborating with five laboratories and involving around 20,000 tests and it appears to have impressed the local and national government .
That 's despite some setbacks over the past week , such as Salomon Kalou 's social media video , which showed him flouting social distancing rules at Hertha Berlin , and the fact that 10 players or members of staff have tested positive for coronavirus .
The clubs have put a huge amount of work into this though and Bayer Leverkusen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that his players feel safe now that there is testing every three or four days and temperature checks every day as they arrive at the training centre .
They are certainly under pressure to make this work , with vital TV money at stake .
One player told me he felt a duty to play again because in the Bundesliga clubs do n't have rich owners who can bail them out .
It will be interesting to see whether this news can give the Premier League , Serie A and La Liga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One thing the German football authorities have demonstrated is that it needs to be a collective and unified effort from clubs , league and players .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga table by five points
The German Bundesliga season can resume this month, Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed.
It will become the first major league in Europe to return to competition, and clubs have been told by the German Football League (DFL) that it wants to restart on 15 May.
All matches will be played behind closed doors.
With nine games remaining, Bayern Munich are top of the table, four points above Borussia Dortmund.
The start date will be confirmed on Thursday after the 36 clubs and the DFL have met via video link.
Bayern chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge said: "I would like to thank the politicians for giving today's decision [and for] the opportunity to finish the Bundesliga season.
"We are now looking forward to resuming play, ideally from mid-May. This ensures that the sporting decisions are made on the pitch.
"I appeal to everyone involved to follow the requirements, which are the basis for resuming games, in an exemplary and extremely disciplined manner."
Christian Seifert, chief executive of the DFL, added: "Today's decision is good news for the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga 2.
"It is associated with a great responsibility for the clubs and their employees to implement the medical and organisational requirements in a disciplined manner.
"Games without spectators are not an ideal solution for anyone. In a crisis threatening the very existence of some clubs, however, it is the only way to keep the leagues in their current form."
The announcement comes a day after clubs in the top two German divisions returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests.
The DFL had warned that many top-division teams would be in an "existence-threatening" financial position if play did not resume by June.
Players returned to training last month, with the DFL initially saying the league would be ready to return on 9 May.
Germany has banned large events with crowds until 24 October, so games will be behind closed doors, but the DFL has developed a health and safety plan that would see only about 300 people or near the pitch during matches, to minimise the risk of infection.
According to official figures, just under 7,000 people have died in Germany from coronavirus, a much lower figure than in other western European countries including the UK, Italy, France and Spain.
Borussia Monchengladbach fans show support with cut-outs
It was also announced on Wednesday that the Turkish Super Lig will resume on 12 June with the aim being to complete the season by the end of July.
The country's football federation chairman Nihat Ozdemir said Turkey intended to host the Champions League final in Istanbul in August as planned.
The Croatian top-flight is also poised to resume - without spectators - with cup ties to take place on 30 May, followed by league action on 6 June, pending government approval.
Spain's La Liga has announced plans for a June return and president Javier Tebas said the league was "pleased" with the Bundesliga's decision.
"This is good news for European football and for the return to the new normal after this crisis," he added.
Analysis
John Bennett, BBC World Service
Over the years we've come to expect German football success on the pitch but this feels like a victory for their clear, detailed and, above all, collective planning off the pitch.
Back on 23 April, DFL president Christian Seifert revealed the league's proposals for matches behind closed doors, collaborating with five laboratories and involving around 20,000 tests and it appears to have impressed the local and national government.
That's despite some setbacks over the past week, such as Salomon Kalou's social media video, which showed him flouting social distancing rules at Hertha Berlin, and the fact that 10 players or members of staff have tested positive for coronavirus.
The clubs have put a huge amount of work into this though and Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes assured me this week that his players feel safe now that there is testing every three or four days and temperature checks every day as they arrive at the training centre.
They are certainly under pressure to make this work, with vital TV money at stake. One player told me he felt a duty to play again because in the Bundesliga clubs don't have rich owners who can bail them out.
It will be interesting to see whether this news can give the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga extra impetus in their efforts to resume. One thing the German football authorities have demonstrated is that it needs to be a collective and unified effort from clubs, league and players.