bbc--2020-05-11--La Liga president Tebas hopes for 12 June restart

La Liga president Javier Tebas hopes Spain ’ s top flight will restart on 12 June and says coronavirus tests will mean “ practically zero ” risk to players during games .
The league said on Sunday that five players had tested positive for the virus across Spain ’ s top two divisions .
La Liga started testing players last week as it plans to resume training and play matches behind closed doors .
“ I ’ d like it [ the restart date ] to be 12 June , ” Tebas told Movistar .
“ But we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many factors such as a potential rise in infections , factors which don ’ t depend on football but on Spanish society .
“ The risk during games will be zero , or practically zero , because the players will be tested – with only a 5 % possible failure rate – 24 hours before.
” • How the virus has impacted sporting events around the world Tebas added that Spain ’ s second division would restart at the same time and that national competitions would need to be completed by 31 July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Spaniard said “ interesting and groundbreaking ” broadcasting alternatives would be used given there will be no fans at games and that there will “ be football every day ” once the league restarts .
The five unnamed players who tested positive are asymptomatic and in isolation .
They will continue to be tested and can only rejoin training when they return two consecutive negative results .
Tebas said “ between 25-30 positive cases ” had been expected , adding that five positive tests is “ good news for the football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramos added : “ Players and football can help the economy to work again , help get out of complicated situations again .
“ Football is secondary right now , but it can serve as a distraction for the people who have been suffering.
” Spain has been one of the worst hit countries in Europe , with 26,621 deaths and 264,663 infections as of 11 May .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Barcelona's Arturo Vidal arrives at the club's training ground wearing a mask and gloves for a coronavirus test
La Liga president Javier Tebas hopes Spain’s top flight will restart on 12 June and says coronavirus tests will mean “practically zero” risk to players during games.
The league said on Sunday that five players had tested positive for the virus across Spain’s top two divisions.
La Liga started testing players last week as it plans to resume training and play matches behind closed doors.
“I’d like it [the restart date] to be 12 June,” Tebas told Movistar.
“But we have to be careful. It will depend on many factors such as a potential rise in infections, factors which don’t depend on football but on Spanish society.
“The risk during games will be zero, or practically zero, because the players will be tested – with only a 5% possible failure rate – 24 hours before.”
Tebas added that Spain’s second division would restart at the same time and that national competitions would need to be completed by 31 July, with European competitions finished in August.
The Spaniard said “interesting and groundbreaking” broadcasting alternatives would be used given there will be no fans at games and that there will “be football every day” once the league restarts.
A number of clubs, including Barcelona, started individual training last week.
The five unnamed players who tested positive are asymptomatic and in isolation.
They will continue to be tested and can only rejoin training when they return two consecutive negative results.
Tebas said “between 25-30 positive cases” had been expected, adding that five positive tests is “good news for the football industry”.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos added: “Players and football can help the economy to work again, help get out of complicated situations again.
“Football is secondary right now, but it can serve as a distraction for the people who have been suffering.”
Spain has been one of the worst hit countries in Europe, with 26,621 deaths and 264,663 infections as of 11 May.


bbc--2020-05-11--The European Goal Contest semi-final: Watch & pick your top six goals

Grab your miniature flags and get ready to wave them like never before .
With no Eurovision song contest or Euro 2020 to look forward to this year , we 're bringing together two of Europe 's much loved competitions for one big celebration - the European Goal Contest .
In the week when Eurovision would have hit our screens , we 're pulling out some of the best goals from Euro 2020 qualifying and the Euro 2016 tournament - and in true song contest style , you 're going to pick the winner .
Twenty-four countries , each represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from qualifying , have been split into two semi-finals .
On Monday , we bring you semi-final one , with semi-final two on Tuesday .
The top six goals from each semi go into Thursday 's final , which you can follow live at 12:00 BST on the BBC Sport website and vote for your winner .
Watch all 12 goals in the video at the top of the page and then put your favourite six in order using our ranked list below - share your selection using # europeangoalcontest on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 May will count towards the result .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
The semi-finals have now finished - any lists made will not count towards the final result.
Grab your miniature flags and get ready to wave them like never before.
With no Eurovision song contest or Euro 2020 to look forward to this year, we're bringing together two of Europe's much loved competitions for one big celebration - the European Goal Contest.
In the week when Eurovision would have hit our screens, we're pulling out some of the best goals from Euro 2020 qualifying and the Euro 2016 tournament - and in true song contest style, you're going to pick the winner.
Twenty-four countries, each represented by a cracking hit (goal) from qualifying, have been split into two semi-finals.
On Monday, we brought you semi-final one, with semi-final two on Tuesday.
The top six goals from each semi go into Thursday's final, which you can follow live at 12:00 BST on the BBC Sport website and vote for your winner.
You can still watch all 12 goals from semi-final one in the video at the top of the page and then rank your six favourites, but the deadline for your list to count towards the result has now closed.
Share your selection using #europeangoalcontest external-link on social media.


bbc--2020-05-11--Walker apologises to fans for lockdown breaches

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has written to some of the club 's supporters to apologise for breaking coronavirus lockdown @ @ @ @ @ a message on social media on Friday detailing how he had travelled to South Yorkshire @ @ @ @ @ parents at different addresses , and said he felt `` harassed '' by the media @ @ @ @ @ one message personally , as well as others via the club , from fans expressing @ @ @ @ @ with supporters after accepting his actions were wrong .
The 29-year-old England right-back is understood @ @ @ @ @ told them it will not happen again and , in one instance , sent a @ @ @ @ @ facing disciplinary action from the Premier League club over a lockdown breach in April , @ @ @ @ @ have hosted a party involving two sex workers .
City said the player had `` @ @ @ @ @ as a role model .
It is understood City will not take further action against @ @ @ @ @ are extenuating circumstances surrounding his trip to South Yorkshire .

A number of Manchester City fans expressed their displeasure at Kyle Walker's actions
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has written to some of the club's supporters to apologise for breaking coronavirus lockdown guidelines twice.
Walker put a message on social media on Friday detailing how he had travelled to South Yorkshire to visit his sister and parents at different addresses, and said he felt "harassed" by the media.
He received at least one message personally, as well as others via the club, from fans expressing displeasure and got in touch with supporters after accepting his actions were wrong.
The 29-year-old England right-back is understood to have said sorry, told them it will not happen again and, in one instance, sent a match-worn shirt.
Walker is facing disciplinary action from the Premier League club over a lockdown breach in April, when he was reported to have hosted a party involving two sex workers. City said the player had "directly contravened" his responsibility as a role model.
It is understood City will not take further action against Walker because they feel there are extenuating circumstances surrounding his trip to South Yorkshire.


bbc--2020-05-09--'I spent 20 years preparing for this'

'I spent 20 years preparing for this'

Coping with a life-long phobia of germs meant the BBC 's Peter Goffin was ready for the coronavirus pandemic .
He knew how to observe hygiene rules , and he had the skills needed to prevent his anxieties growing out of control .
I was sitting on my kitchen floor , using disinfectant to wipe down a bag of cereal , when I had a revelation : I 've spent almost 20 years practising for the coronavirus pandemic .
In my early teens , I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ) .
For nearly two-thirds of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how they can be transferred , and how I can keep them at bay .
And that puts me ahead of the curve when it comes to the types of precautions the world is now being told to observe .
Avoiding physical contact with people outside my household , washing my hands after touching anything that anyone else has touched , disinfecting groceries when I bring them back from the supermarket - I 've done them all , at various points in my life .
And I 've perfected my technique .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tendencies in the new global culture of coronavirus .
But what I recognise most of all is the constant , unquenchable anxiety that comes from never really being satisfied that you 're safe from infection .
Thousands , maybe millions of people around the world are now asking themselves : '' Did that person in the shop get too close to me ? ''
`` Did I wash my hands for long enough ? ''
`` Will this soap kill all the germs ? ''
In the mid-19th Century , French doctors writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folie du doute - the madness of doubt .
That 's the best description I 've ever seen for the way that I 've felt in my darkest moments .
And many of us seem to be experiencing something like it now , in the face of the pandemic .
We may be pretty sure that if we maintain distance , and wash our hands , and follow the lockdown rules , we can protect ourselves .
But there 's always that nagging bit of uncertainty and doubt , and the anxiety that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inherently bad feelings .
In small doses , they 're what keep us vigilant .
The problem is , they can spiral out of control .
As I know all too well , the doubt starts as , `` Am I clean enough ? ''
But grows into , `` Will I ever be able to have a normal life again ? ''
And ultimately , `` Why even try ? ''
Growing up in Canada , I had problems controlling worry and fear from a very young age - maybe five or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 , those feelings had narrowed , mostly to concerns about cleanliness and contamination , especially with regards to other people 's bodily fluids : spit expelled when they speak , germs spread when they do n't wash their hands after using the toilet , and all the dangerous bacteria that I imagined were lurking all around me .
Eventually my family noticed I was trying to avoid touching things like door knobs and light switches , and scrubbing my hands red-raw .
I was fortunate to have accepting and supportive parents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lend , and who helped me navigate the often confusing and bureaucratic mental healthcare system .
I got into therapy and was prescribed anti-depressants , which I take to this day .
These treatments , and the OCD itself , just became parts of what I considered my normal life .
But they did disrupt my teens and early 20s in a major way .
When I got home from my lessons at high school and university , I was more concerned with washing off the day 's germs than with studying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ night doing laundry or showering a second or third time because I just could n't get `` clean enough '' .
I kept a lot of friends at a distance , partly because I was worried about contamination - but mostly because I was terrified they would discover I was different from them .
In the past five years or so , I 've got my OCD anxieties mostly under control .
I 've become more diligent about confronting and fighting my fears .
I try hard to differentiate between helpful worries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 've benefited immensely from having a patient and understanding partner , who holds me accountable when I need it most .
Anecdotally , many people with pre-existing anxiety or germ issues have said they are experiencing less worry during the pandemic .
Maybe because other people have adopted their worldview , are taking the same precautions , and are also now learning to manage high stress on a regular basis .
This is true for me , to some extent .
But the pandemic has also thrown up - or revived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public health warnings have reinforced the fact that germs are easily transferred from person to person , even as we pass each other in the street .
Hand-washing guidance has made me wonder how often I 've left the sink without truly being clean .
And groceries have presented one of the great re-emerging problems of my life .
Wasteful though it may be , I 've always preferred to buy packaged food instead of loose items that may have been pawed by other people .
But beyond that , I 'm relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midst of coronavirus , though , I 've returned to the extreme caution I used at the peak of my mental health problems about a decade ago .
Now , when I bring my groceries home from the shop , I set them all down in a little-used corner of my flat , the same way I might carefully set aside a pair of shoes after stepping on a discarded plaster or a wad of chewing gum .
I wash my hands .
Anything that can be shaken free from its protective packaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's clean enough already .
Then , methodically , I clean the remaining items with household disinfectant or washing up liquid and water , placing the finished ones down in a new pile .
I wash my hands again , and put my purchases in the cupboard or fridge .
None of these are new habits , but they 're ones I hoped I had buried forever .
And I 'm not the only one experiencing new , or more intense , mental health troubles .
Around the world , crisis counselling phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls since the pandemic began .
In the US , some professionals have warned the mental health care system does not have the capacity to keep up with growing demand .
And that 's to say nothing of countries with even less developed systems of care .
As the discussion surrounding coronavirus turns more and more to easing the lockdowns , keeping a cool , calm head may be more important and more challenging than ever .
No matter how soon the shops and offices and schools start to re-open , the spectre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anxieties that go with it , are bound to hang over the world for months to come .
But , as I 've learned from years of self-examination and multiple stints of therapy , anxiety can be controlled .
In my experience , it 's been incredibly helpful to talk about my feelings calmly and openly with people I trust , whether they 're a qualified professional or a loved one .
I 've undergone a form of treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy , first in Canada as a teenager and again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The purpose of this fixed-term counselling is , essentially , to give patients the skills they need to recognise , challenge and replace thoughts or actions that have stretched beyond the logical or helpful , and into the realm of harm or disruption .
It 's best to learn CBT with the help of a professional counsellor .
But there are elements of the technique that could be tried on your own , and might be helpful to anyone .
Like making a list of all the things that are worrying you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried and how it makes you feel .
Then you can look at the list , and try to come up with fact-based reasons why some of your worries may be unfounded , exaggerated , or solvable .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW How to understand the death toll • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?
For people under lockdown , anxiety could be a complex mix of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security , social isolation , and missing out on the more joyful aspects of life .
By identifying each of those worries individually , you may decide you can mitigate some of the stress - fighting isolation by scheduling regular video calls with family or friends , for instance .
Or planning a big summer holiday or party for whenever the world has safely opened back up .
You might find solace in the advice of experts , who have emphasised that the majority of people who contract Covid-19 will survive it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that regular hand soap or washing up liquid is enough to clean your skin , and doing your laundry in the usual way will remove the virus from your clothes .
Above all else , you must remember that none of us are experiencing this pandemic alone .
On my worst days , my doubt and anxiety can grind my self-esteem into a fine powder .
I see myself as strange and foolish , like I 'm the only person on Earth feeling the way I do .
But , right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one way or another .
We may be self-isolating to get through this crisis .
But we 're doing it together .
• This is how depression feels in lockdown • How to protect your mental health If you or someone you know needs support for issues about emotional distress , these organisations may be able to help .

These treatments, and the OCD itself, just became parts of what I considered my normal life. But they did disrupt my teens and early 20s in a major way. When I got home from my lessons at high school and university, I was more concerned with washing off the day's germs than with studying. There were times I stayed up all night doing laundry or showering a second or third time because I just couldn't get "clean enough". I kept a lot of friends at a distance, partly because I was worried about contamination - but mostly because I was terrified they would discover I was different from them.


bbc--2020-05-11--White House staff ordered to wear masks

White House staff ordered to wear masks

White House staff have been ordered to wear masks when entering the West Wing after two aides tested positive for coronavirus .
The White House personnel office has said that staff must cover their faces at all times except when seated at their desks , socially distant from colleagues .
The directive comes after an aide for Vice-President Mike Pence and a valet for President Trump fell ill. Mr Trump said he required the policy .
Appearing without a mask in the Rose Garden for a press briefing on Monday , however , the president claimed he did not need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` far away from everyone '' , and played down the White House infections .
`` We have hundreds of people a day pouring into the White House '' each day , he said .
`` I think we 're doing a good job containing it . ''
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force went into self-isolation for two weeks after possible exposure to the illness .
They include Dr Anthony Fauci , who has become the public face of the fight against the virus in the US .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller , tested positive for the virus on Friday .
Her diagnosis came after a valet for US President Donald Trump was also confirmed to have the illness .
Mr Trump shrugged of the White House spread , saying it was `` basically one person '' who had contracted the virus and that people who were in contact had since tested negative .
What else did President Trump say ?
Mr Trump said more funds would be made available to increase testing in states .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to states to meet testing goals this month .
States were asked how many tests they hope to conduct in May , and will be given supplies to match the targets .
Senior White House officials who come into regular contact with Mr Trump are currently being tested daily for the coronavirus .
Pressed by journalists on when all Americans could expect to have access to testing , Mr Trump said : `` If someone wants to be tested right now they will be able to be tested '' .
The claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his press conference to talk about the growing number of coronavirus tests available to Americans , but it was the impact of the pandemic on the White House itself that became the focus of attention .
At an event held in the Rose Garden last week , none of the attendees , including Vice-President Mike Pence , wore masks .
Four days later , Pence - regularly at the president 's side - was notably absent , his press secretary having tested positive for the virus days ago .
Everyone in attendance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , after a directive requiring them for all White House staff .
It was an order that applied to everyone - that is , except the president , who continued to decline the protection .
This made for a striking contrast , as Trump spoke of the `` pent-up demand '' and `` enthusiasm '' in the US for reopening businesses and easing government-ordered social distance restrictions , while denying that the system that protects White House personnel from infection had broken down .
`` We have a lot of people coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We are running a country . ''
It underlines a fundamental challenge facing the US in the days ahead .
Can the US economy reopen and recover when even the White House is n't safe ?
What 's going on with testing ?
For weeks , Mr Trump has sought to encourage an easing of lockdown measures throughout the US , arguing it was time to get back to work amid dire economic news .
However , public health experts have warned that easing restrictions too early could lead to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave .
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) had issued guidelines suggesting that lockdowns should not be eased unless a region has seen 14 days of declines in infections and be able to conduct 30 tests for every thousand residents .
According to the CovidTracking Project , a charity , they US conducted an average of 248,000 daily tests in the first week of May .
According to the White House , the number has increased to 300,000 a day , but prominent public health researchers say at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US should reopen .
As of this week , the US has tested only 2.75 % of its 330 million population , and no state has tested 10 % of residents .
In over a dozen states where lockdown measures have been relaxed , including Texas , South Carolina and Arizona , less than 2 % of residents have been tested .
Last week , the White House rejected the CDC 's reopening guidance , but some states are adopting the standards .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Pressed by journalists on when all Americans could expect to have access to testing, Mr Trump said: "If someone wants to be tested right now they will be able to be tested". The claim is heavily disputed.


bbc--2020-05-11--Ahmaud Arbery: Hate crime charges considered over US jogger killing

The US justice department is considering federal hate crimes charges over the death of unarmed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February .
Gregory McMichael and his son Travis , who are white , are facing murder and assault charges over the shooting .
The case sparked national outrage when video of the death emerged last week .
Mr Arbery 's supporters have been using the hashtag # IRunWithMaud , sharing photos and running 2.23 miles ( 3.6km ) for the day he died , 23 February .
Some held protest rallies outside courthouses in Georgia and neighbouring Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police failed to charge the McMichaels for more than two months .
The pair were detained on Thursday by the state bureau of investigation ( GBI ) , two days after the video came to light .
Gregory , 64 , and Travis , 34 , are in the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff 's Department , officials said on Friday .
What did the justice department say ?
The department said it would take `` any appropriate action warranted by the facts and by the law '' , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice , the FBI , and the US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been supporting and will continue fully to support and participate in the state investigation , '' the statement added .
`` We are assessing all of the evidence to determine whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate . ''
What 's the status of the investigation ?
Justice officials in Georgia have vowed to investigate why it took so long to arrest the McMichaels .
GBI Director Vic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every stone will be turned over , I promise you '' .
He said the individual who filmed the video - another local man - was also under investigation .
Last Tuesday , Atlantic Circuit District Attorney Tom Durden ruled a grand jury should consider the case and accepted Governor Brian Kemp 's offer to have the GBI investigate .
Two days later the GBI said it had arrested the McMichaels .
Mr Durden is the third prosecutor involved , as two local district attorneys recused themselves due to professional connections to Gregory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police officer in Glynn county for seven years before working as an investigator in the district attorney 's office for 24 years .
He retired a year ago .
The shooting has led to a wave of outrage from national figures , including presidential candidate Joe Biden and basketball star LeBron James .
Mr Biden said Mr Arbery had been `` shot down in cold blood '' and `` essentially lynched before our very eyes '' .
Mr James tweeted : `` We 're literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arbery was out for a jog in the city of Brunswick early in the afternoon on 23 February - something his father said he did often .
Gregory McMichael told police he believed Mr Arbery resembled the suspect in a series of local break-ins .
Mr McMichael and his son armed themselves with a pistol and a shotgun and pursued Mr Arbery in a pickup truck in the Satilla Shores neighbourhood .
The elder Mr McMichael told police he asked Mr Arbery to stop and talk , and claims the 25-year-old attacked his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show the younger Mr McMichael firing a shotgun at point blank range at Mr Arbery and the victim falling to the street .

Questions have been raised about why the police failed to charge the McMichaels for more than two months. The pair were detained on Thursday by the state bureau of investigation (GBI), two days after the video came to light.


bbc--2020-05-11--Ahmaud Arbery: What do we know about the case?

Ahmaud Arbery was jogging in February when he was confronted by Gregory and Travis McMichael .
Mr Arbery was fatally shot during the encounter .
Now , over two months later , the pair have been arrested .
Here 's what we know about the case .
What 's the status of the investigation ?
Gregory , 64 , and Travis McMichael , 34 , are in the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff 's Department .
They were detained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation ( GBI ) on 7 May .
The GBI has said the investigation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The individual who filmed the video - another local man - is also under investigation .
Tom Durden , the Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney in charge of the case , has called for a grand jury , but they can not convene until Covid-19 restrictions ease in June .
In the afternoon on 23 February , Mr Arbery was out for a jog in the coastal city of Brunswick .
At one point , he entered the Satilla Shores neighbourhood .
A neighbourhood resident , Gregory McMichael , told police he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of local break-ins .
Police have said no reports were filed regarding these alleged break-ins .
He and his son , Travis , armed themselves with a pistol and a shotgun and pursued Mr Arbery in a pickup truck through the neighbourhood .
According to the elder Mr McMichael , he and his son had said `` stop , stop , we want to talk to you '' .
He said Mr Arbery then attacked his son .
Lawyers for Mr Arbery 's family have said the 25-year-old was unarmed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell down on the street .
Why did their arrest take so long ?
The delay is in part tied to prosecutor turnover : the case is currently on its third , Tom Durden .
Two local district attorneys recused themselves due to professional connections to the elder Mr McMichael .
Officials have also publicly disagreed over whether there were orders to not arrest the pair .
Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson - whose office initially handled the case - has been accused by two county commissioners of not allowing police to arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr McMichael had been previously employed by her office .
But Ms Johnson has denied the claim , and said no prosecutors in her office told law enforcement not to arrest them .
She blamed local police for not deciding what to do .
The second district attorney involved , Waycross Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill , had told police he believed the father and son had used citizen 's arrest rights in confronting the jogger .
Mr Barnhill recused himself , citing concerns raised by the victim 's mother over his ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family have criticised prosecutors ' handling of the case as a `` cover-up '' and asked for an inquiry .
What are McMichael 's ties to local law enforcement ?
He also worked as an investigator for the local district attorney for years and had retired in 2019 .
A former star high school football player , his father said he often exercised in the area .
His family has described him as a good , generous young man with a big heart .
He would have turned 26 this month .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he received five years probation for a first-time weapons charge and in 2018 , was convicted of probation violation for shop lifting according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper .
Mr McMichael was reportedly involved in that 2018 case .
What are the two videos in the case ?
The first video surfaced publicly on 5 May .
The 36-second clip was filmed from a vehicle following the pickup truck said to be involved in the incident .
It shows a man jogging and approaching the stationary pickup from behind .
He tries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling with a man carrying a shotgun .
There is muffled shouting and three gunshots are heard .
A second man is standing in the bed of the pickup .
The second man is then shown with a pistol standing alongside the other armed man with the jogger no longer in view .
On 10 May another video emerged , showing a man believed to Mr Arbery at a home construction site shortly before the shooting .
In the footage from a surveillance camera , a black man in a white T-shirt walks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around for a few minutes before leaving and jogging down the street .
Lee Merritt , an attorney for Mr Arbery 's family , said in a statement that it was Mr Arbery in the clip , and that it confirms the young man was out for a jog and did nothing illegal .
Around the time of the incident , a number of emergency calls were made , CBS News had reported earlier .
In one , a neighbour said a black man was seen at a home under construction , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What do the McMichaels say ?
The McMichaels have not issued a statement to US media .
It remains unclear if they are represented by an attorney at this time .
But in their account to police , Mr McMichael alleges the jogger attacked his son in the road after they tried to stop him , and that they acted out of self-defence .
What does Arbery 's family say ?
His parents said the arrest of the McMichaels was a relief , but they have expressed a distrust of local law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones , told PBS News : `` I honestly think that if we did n't get national attention to it , my son 's death would have actually been a cover-up . ''
Benjamin Crump , a lawyer for the family , has asked for the same justice for Mr Arbery if the situations were reversed and two black men had attacked an unarmed white man .
`` We know beyond a shadow of a doubt they would 've been arrested on day one , '' Mr Crump said .
Under the citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detain someone they have seen committing a serious crime and if the suspect is trying to escape .
Local media note that the law does not always allow deadly force in carrying out an arrest - that 's limited to self-defense or times where it is absolutely necessary to prevent certain serious crimes .
Will the federal government get involved ?
While Georgia is one of four states that has no hate crime statutes , the federal government can file those charges .
The Department of Justice ( DOJ ) on Monday said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been supporting the state investigation .
`` We are assessing all of the evidence to determine whether federal hate crime charges are appropriate , '' spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said .
Georgia 's Attorney General Chris Carr has also asked the department to investigate the handling of the case .
The DOJ said on Monday it has requested Mr Carr send any information he has to federal authorities .
The case has also prompted members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .

Police bodycam footage showed the encounter with officers, who said he was in a car in an area known for drug use. He said he was on his day off from work. The taser malfunctioned and he was allowed to leave on foot.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: Robot dog enforces social distancing in Singapore park

A robot dog is patrolling one of Singapore 's parks as part of coronavirus-related trial .
The machine - made @ @ @ @ @ is fitted with a camera to monitor how busy Bishan-Ang Moh Kio Park becomes .
@ @ @ @ @ to broadcast social-distancing messages .

A robot dog is patrolling one of Singapore's parks as part of coronavirus-related trial.
The machine - made by US-based Boston Dynamics - is fitted with a camera to monitor how busy Bishan-Ang Moh Kio Park becomes.
It also carries a loudspeaker to broadcast social-distancing messages.


bbc--2020-05-11--Wife of US 'spy' is wanted fugitive, says Interpol

The suspect in the crash which killed Harry Dunn is `` wanted internationally '' after an Interpol notice .
Mr Dunn 19 , died after a crash in Northamptonshire in August and US national Anne Sacoolas is suspected of causing his death by dangerous driving .
A Home Office extradition request was rejected by the US in January .
In an email from police to Mr Dunn 's parents the force said `` the wanted circulations should be enacted '' should Mrs Sacoolas leave the US .
Reacting to the news Mr Dunn 's mother Charlotte Charles said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
We are utterly bereft and heartbroken and miss our Harry every minute of every single day . ''
She said the latest development was `` important news '' and the family were `` in pieces '' .
`` I just want to urge Mrs Sacoolas to come back to the UK and do the right thing , '' she said .
`` Face justice and maybe then our two families can come together after the tragedy and build a bridge . ''
Motorcyclist Mr Dunn died in a crash with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 27 August .
Mrs Sacoolas , the wife of a US intelligence official , claimed diplomatic immunity and returned home .
The 42-year-old was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December , but an extradition request was rejected .
An Interpol Red Notice - a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition , surrender , or similar legal action - has now been issued .
On its website , Interpol states a red notice `` is an international wanted persons notice , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The prime minister 's official spokesman said the government had `` worked throughout to try to get justice for Harry Dunn and his family and we have been clear throughout that Ann Sacoolas should return to the UK to face justice '' .
He said the UK Government had made it clear to the United States and to President Donald Trump that it considered the rejection of an extradition request for Mrs Sacoolas to be `` a denial of justice '' .
Find BBC News : East of England on Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews @ bbc.co.uk

The prime minister's official spokesman said the government had "worked throughout to try to get justice for Harry Dunn and his family and we have been clear throughout that Ann Sacoolas should return to the UK to face justice".


bbc--2020-05-11--Skateboarder, 11, lands record 1080-degree turn

An 11-year-old has broken a skateboarding world record , landing the first 1080-degree turn on a vertical ramp .
The @ @ @ @ @ due to the coronavirus pandemic has given Gui Khury plenty of time to practise .
@ @ @ @ @ decades after Tony Hawk completed the first 900-degree turn .

An 11-year-old has broken a skateboarding world record, landing the first 1080-degree turn on a vertical ramp.
The closure of schools in Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic has given Gui Khury plenty of time to practise.
It comes more than two decades after Tony Hawk completed the first 900-degree turn.


bbc--2020-05-11--Longer overlap for modern humans and Neanderthals

Modern humans began to edge out the Neanderthals in Europe earlier than previously thought , a new study shows .
Tests on remains from a cave in northern Bulgaria suggest Homo sapiens was there as early as 46,000 years ago .
This is up to 2,000 years older than evidence from Italy and the UK .
Around this time , Europe was populated by sparse groups of Neanderthals - a distinct type of human that vanished shortly after modern humans appeared on the scene .
There 's considerable debate about the length of time that modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This has implications for the nature of contact between the two groups - and perhaps clues to why Neanderthals went extinct .
Two new scientific papers ( here and here ) describe the finds at Bacho Kiro cave .
A tooth and four bone fragments were identified as broadly human based on their anatomical features .
Helen Fewlass , from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig , Germany , and colleagues determined their ages using scientific techniques .
Their analysis , in Nature Ecology & Evolution , says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , assigning them to a stage known as the Initial Upper Palaeolithic .
In the other paper , published in Nature journal , Jean-Jacques Hublin , also from the Max Planck Institute , and team members , detail features of the tooth that are found in modern humans but are absent from Neanderthals .
Furthermore , they were able to retrieve DNA from these remains , demonstrating that they belonged to Homo sapiens and not their evolutionary cousins .
Prof Chris Stringer , research leader for human evolution at the Natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not involved with the latest study , said : `` In my view , this is the oldest and strongest published evidence for an IUP ( Initial Upper Palaeolithic ) presence of H. sapiens in Europe , several millennia before the Neanderthals disappeared . ''
The bones were found associated with stone tools and artefacts , such as pendants made from cave bear teeth .
These resemble examples found at later sites believed to have been occupied by Neanderthals .
This could suggest the two groups interacted sufficiently for modern humans to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prof Stringer explained : `` That is certainly possible , although evidence suggests that Neanderthals were producing jewellery made from eagle talons and shells long before the IUP . ''
Dr Matt Pope , from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London , UK , and was not involved in either study , said : `` If Neanderthals are living - as we tend to think from the genetic evidence - in relatively small dispersed groups of extended families , there may not be that need for complex social coding and symbolism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting thing - Neanderthals may pick up these kinds of symbolisms as they become enmeshed and entangled in the social networks of contact that Homo sapiens will be carrying with them as they colonise Europe . ''
The upper date for the Bacho Kiro remains is older than previous evidence of early Homo sapiens settlement from Kents Cavern in Britain ( a jawbone dating to between 44,200 and 41,500 years ago ) and from the Italian site of Grotta del Cavallo ( two teeth dating to 43,000-45,000 years ago and associated with artefacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , both the British and Italian evidence has been dated using material from the soil layers they were found in .
The new paper relied on dating the bones and teeth themselves .
Prof Stringer said the Kents Cavern and Cavallo evidence was `` not generally accepted because of uncertainties about their dating or morphology '' .
A scientific paper published in 2014 proposed that Neanderthals disappeared from Europe between 41,000 and 39,000 years ago with a 95 % probability .
However , other scientists have found evidence that Neanderthals may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the least , the new finds suggest there was around 5,000 years of chronological overlap between Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe .
Dr Pope said there was `` no sudden disappearance '' of Neanderthals in Europe .
`` The new dates , if they 're correct , are pushing back the co-existence of Neanderthals and modern humans a couple of thousand years even further than the evidence from Kents Cavern and the Uluzzian dates , '' he explained .
`` In some places , we 're getting direct evidence for interbreeding events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ networking and cohesion ... but in other examples , we can still see evidence of clear Neanderthal morphologies , suggesting populations that are n't - to any degree - hybridising or being absorbed . ''
Prof Stringer said initial dispersals of modern humans into Europe may have been by small bands which could not sustain their presence in the face of a larger Neanderthal presence .
Indeed , DNA evidence suggests some of these early settlers contributed minimally to the gene pools of later populations .
There is even earlier evidence of Homo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers published evidence that a skull fragment from Apidima cave in Greece , dated to 210,000 years ago , belonged to Homo sapiens .
However , scientists say this very early foray into Europe was not permanent , and the Apidima Homo sapiens population was later replaced by Neanderthals .

Dr Matt Pope, from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, UK, and was not involved in either study, said: "If Neanderthals are living - as we tend to think from the genetic evidence - in relatively small dispersed groups of extended families, there may not be that need for complex social coding and symbolism.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: Putin eases Russian lockdown as cases rise

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that from Tuesday the nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be eased and businesses will go back to work .
He said the country 's `` non-working period '' imposed to curb the virus had lasted six weeks .
The easing of restrictions will affect all sectors of the economy , Mr Putin said , but some regions may keep tighter controls if necessary .
Russia now has the third-highest number of confirmed infections worldwide .
In the last 24 hours it reported a record daily rise of 11,656 cases , bringing the official total to 221,344 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases than both Italy and the UK .
Only Spain and the US have reported more infections .
However , comparisons between countries are not always accurate because of different factors such as the extent of their testing .
According to official figures , 2,009 people in Russia have died from the virus .
But some question the low figure , and believe the tally is far higher .
What did President Putin say ?
In a televised address , the Russian leader announced an end to six weeks of countrywide restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country to prepare its health system and save `` many thousands of lives '' .
`` Starting from tomorrow , May 12 , the national period of non-working days will be over for all sectors of the economy , '' Mr Putin said .
Individual regions however will be able to keep rules in place if needed .
Large public events remain banned and people must still follow `` strict sanitation demands '' , but it is in everyone 's interest for the economy `` to return to normal quickly '' , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be among the first industries to restart .
But the outbreak is far from over , the president warned , saying that `` danger remains '' .
`` We must not allow ... a new wave of the epidemic and the growth of serious complications , '' he said .
The address comes just days after the mayor of Moscow , Sergei Sobyanin , extended the capital 's lockdown until 31 May .
• Is pandemic being used for power grab in Europe ?
Though construction and industrial workers must now return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must wear face masks and gloves in shops and on public transport .
Residents still can not leave home unless to shop , work or walk the dog , and must have a digital permit to travel .
• EUROPE 'S EASING : How lockdown is being lifted • THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
Moscow is the epicentre of Russia 's outbreak , accounting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed case and death totals .
Mr Sobyanin has however estimated that the capital may have more than 300,000 infections - about three times its confirmed tally of 115,909 .
Over the weekend , Russia was forced to cancel its annual World War II Victory Day Parade due to the outbreak .

That means Russia now has more confirmed cases than both Italy and the UK. Only Spain and the US have reported more infections. However, comparisons between countries are not always accurate because of different factors such as the extent of their testing.


bbc--2020-05-12--Climate change: Study pours cold water on oil company net zero claims

Claims by oil and gas companies that they are curbing their carbon emissions in line with net zero targets are overstated , according to a new review .
The independent analysis of six large European corporations acknowledges they have taken big steps on CO2 recently .
In April , Shell became the latest to announce ambitious plans to be at net zero for operational emissions by 2050 .
But the authors say none of the companies are yet aligned with the 1.5C temperature goal .
• Shell cuts dividend for first time since WW2 The research has been carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , an investor-led group which investigates how companies are preparing for the move to a low-carbon economy .
Going net zero means removing as many emissions as are produced .
TPI found that the relationship between the oil and gas industry and climate change has evolved rapidly over the last three years .
In Europe , in 2017 , no European company had set targets to reduce the carbon intensity of the energy it supplied .
Today , all six companies assessed by the analysis have targets and plans .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the report , climate ambitions among these companies have risen markedly .
In February , the new head of BP , Bernard Looney , committed to cutting net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner .
Going further than his predecessor , Mr Looney said BP would cut the emissions intensity of its sold products by 50 % by the middle of this century .
But according to this new analysis , BP and Austrian company OMV are the only two oil and gas companies of the six assessed who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Paris climate agreement .
`` Is it sufficient ?
No , it 's not , '' said Adam Matthews , co-chair of TPI .
`` There are ones that have more comprehensive commitments that put them on a path much closer to two degrees than some of the others . ''
Shell is classed as the most ambitious of the companies assessed and are the closest to a 2C warming scenario .
However , despite Shell 's stated commitment to having a net-zero energy business by 2050 , TPI says that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a 1.5C climate scenario is not consistent with our analysis . ''
The authors say that they have not been able to assess Shell 's plan to sell only its energy products to companies that are committed to net zero .
`` We ca n't yet quantify that , '' said Adam Matthews .
`` But that potentially is very significant .
And does get them to a sort of one and a half degree of warming kind of commitment , which is equivalent to net zero . ''
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the average European oil and gas company would require 100 % emissions cuts between now and 2050 .
TPI point out that all of the plans they have assessed are , to some degree , dependent on carbon capture and storage ( CCS ) technology and nature-based solutions such as planting trees .
`` There are very significant assumptions that need further probing , '' said Adam Matthews .
`` And we obviously need greater understanding of the role that that these will play in delivering these strategies . ''
Four of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Total and Repsol , are now aligned with the goals of the Paris climate agreement .
However , the authors draw a sharp contrast between the actions of these European companies and oil and gas producers in the US .
None of the dozens of American fossil fuel corporations have public disclosures on climate change comparable to Europe , which TPI says is a concern .
`` We simply do n't know what their intentions are on this issue , that poses a greater financial risk to us , '' said Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage , but engagements are finite , there comes a point at which you have to draw very clear conclusions . ''

But according to this new analysis, BP and Austrian company OMV are the only two oil and gas companies of the six assessed who have failed to align with the pledges made under the Paris climate agreement.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: France eases lockdown after eight weeks

France has cautiously begun to lift its lockdown , with millions back in work after eight weeks of restrictions .
Shops are reopening , many pupils are returning to primary schools , and people will not need travel certificates when they leave home .
But some parts of the country - including the capital Paris - remain under tighter controls , with the country split into green and red zones .
The government has faced criticism over its handling of the crisis .
French President Emmanuel Macron won broad support for imposing restrictions on 17 March .
But many have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 26,000 people have died from Covid-19 in France since 1 March - one of the highest tolls in Europe .
• France 's first coronavirus case 'was in December' • Cameras to monitor masks and distancing in France Many other European countries are also easing restrictions on Monday .
• The Netherlands is opening libraries , hairdressers and driving schools - and partially restarting primary schools • Both primary and middle schools are restarting in Switzerland , albeit with reduced sizes , and restaurants , bookshops and museums are reopening too • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed in Spain and some restaurants can open their doors provided they impose social distancing rules Read more about how Europe is easing lockdown here Austria , Denmark , Germany and Italy began to lift their lockdown measures earlier .
The government has released a detailed plan of how France will slowly come out of lockdown , first brought in on 17 March .
Masks are mandatory on public transport and in secondary schools as they reopen in the coming weeks .
Shops also have the right to ask customers to wear one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed , and the elderly and vulnerable will be allowed outside .
People will no longer need travel permits to explain why they have left home .
Car journeys of up to 100km ( 60 miles ) from home are allowed , but drivers need permission for distances further than that .
And anyone wanting to travel in Paris during rush hour will need authorisation from their employer .
On the first day out of lockdown in France there was no mass rush back on to the street .
Despite a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not put under strain .
Metro trains were half-occupied , and there was in the main little difficulty in social distancing .
Shops opened , but shoppers were few .
Schools only start reopening on Tuesday .
In the BBC 's six-storey office building , we are the only company to have reoccupied our premises .
Home-working remains the norm .
What it suggests are two things : first that the real test has not yet come .
People are obviously hesitant about resuming their old lives .
The risk of a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - they actually get back to normal .
And second : governments need not be too cautious about setting fixed dates for lockdown easing .
Given sufficient warning and guidance , people react with good sense .
There is no post-lockdown big bang .
All shops , leisure centres and cemeteries reopen - bar shopping centres in Paris - but cafes , restaurants and beaches remain shut .
France has been divided into green zones , where the outbreak is not as bad , and red zones , which are still struggling with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary schools and nurseries open in much of France on 11 May , schools for 11 to 15-year-olds known as collèges open only in green zones on 18 May .
Schools for 15 to 18-year-olds ( lycées ) are not opening before June .
In many areas Monday is being treated as a preparatory day in schools which are reopening .
Lessons with reduced class sizes are to restart on Tuesday , but even so , some local authorities are keeping schools closed , under parental pressure .
In Paris schools are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to socially disadvantaged children and/or those of key workers .
Cafes and restaurants may be able to open in green zones as early as June .
Paris , its suburbs , and the three other north-eastern regions of France all remain in the red zone , as well as the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte .
Some 27 million people live in those areas .
France has also begun testing a new app to track and trace the virus - StopCovid - which it hopes to launch on 2 June .
Concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for users , with parliament set to debate it later in May .
And in April the government announced a new programme to encourage cycling , including free bike repairs up to €50 ( £44 ; $ 54 ) and funding for bike lanes throughout the country .
Mr Macron gave a televised address to the nation in March declaring the start of restrictions , saying his country was `` at war '' with the virus .
The French people broadly supported the move .
But since then there has been criticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Opponents have pointed to low levels of testing compared to other nations , a shortage of medical equipment and what they say was a confused message about wearing masks in public , as evidence of Mr Macron 's failings .
An Odoxa opinion poll published last week suggested 58 % of the French people do not trust the government to ease the restrictions successfully , and more than a third want to stay under lockdown .
Some 69 % do not think schools can be kept safe enough , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size and enforce social distancing - and 74 % of respondents think the same about public transport .
One angry commuter posted scenes from Gare du Nord station in Paris on Monday .
Despite this , a poll taken earlier in May suggests the French do not think others would be doing a better job than Mr Macron .
Only 20 % believed his 2017 presidential opponent , far-right candidate Marine Le Pen , would be handling the crisis better , with a similar percentage thinking former President Nicolas Sarkozy would be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

What it suggests are two things: first that the real test has not yet come. People are obviously hesitant about resuming their old lives. The risk of a second wave will be when - and if - they actually get back to normal.


bbc--2020-05-11--Iran navy 'friendly fire' incident kills 19 sailors in Gulf of Oman

Nineteen sailors have been killed and 15 others injured in an accident involving Iranian naval vessels in the Gulf of Oman , Iran 's navy has said .
Iranian media reported that the support ship Konarak was hit by a new anti-ship missile being tested by the frigate Jamaran during an exercise on Sunday .
The Konarak had been putting targets out in the water and remained too close to one , according to the reports .
The navy said the ship was towed ashore and that an investigation had begun .
The incident took place near the Strait of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which about a fifth of the world 's oil passes .
`` On Sunday evening ... during naval exercises performed by a number of the naval force 's vessels in the waters of Jask and Chabahar , an accident happened involving the Konarak light support ship vessel , causing the martyrdom of a number of brave members of the naval forces , '' the navy said in a statement on Monday .
The statement added that the Konarak had been taken to a port for `` technical inspection '' , but it made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident .
The Iranian armed forces are no strangers to error .
In January , an air defence unit fired two surface-to-air missiles at an unidentified target , bringing down a Ukrainian airliner and killing all those on board .
That mistake came at a time of heightened tension , with the Iranians expecting a retaliatory US missile strike .
But Sunday 's incident took place in very different circumstances - a planned naval exercise - and raises all sorts of questions about command and control and the professionalism of the Iranian navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sphere of its naval operations and to upgrade its warships ' armament .
The frigate Jamaran is part of a new class of home-built vessels intended to set a new course for Iran 's navy .
But it remains , to some extent , an over-looked service .
It is the Revolutionary Guards ' flotilla of fast patrol boats that seem to figure most prominently in Iranian efforts to harass and monitor US and other shipping in the Gulf .
Iranian media earlier reported the Konarak had been accidentally struck by an anti-ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise near the port of Jask .
`` The vessel was hit after moving a practice target to its destination and not creating enough distance between itself and the target , '' state television reported on its website .
• Is this the world 's most important waterway ?
State broadcaster Irib posted video footage of the aftermath of the incident on Twitter .
It showed significant damage to several structures on the deck of the Konarak and black smoke rising from them .
It is not clear how many sailors were on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in chief of the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps , Maj Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi and Maj Gen Hossein Salami , expressed their condolences to the families of the sailors who died .
The Konarak is a 47m ( 154ft ) long Hendijan-class logistical support vessel that was made in the Netherlands and bought by Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution .

But it remains, to some extent, an over-looked service. It is the Revolutionary Guards' flotilla of fast patrol boats that seem to figure most prominently in Iranian efforts to harass and monitor US and other shipping in the Gulf.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: Branson to sell Galactic stake to prop up Virgin

Sir Richard Branson is selling a stake in Virgin Galactic to raise $ 500m to prop up his other businesses including Virgin Atlantic .
The billionaire has been criticised for seeking financial help from the taxpayer for the airline .
Sir Richard will now sell a share of his space tourism business .
Virgin Group said it will use the proceeds to support its `` leisure , holiday and travel businesses '' hit by `` the unprecedented impact '' of Covid-19 .
Virgin Atlantic said last week it would cut more than 3,000 jobs and end its operation at Gatwick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the coronavirus pandemic brought global travel almost to a halt .
In April , Sir Richard - who owns 51 % of Virgin Atlantic - offered to put his luxury Necker Island resort up as collateral to secure a UK government loan , believed to be around £500m .
Those talks with the government are continuing .
But Virgin Atlantic , which is a private company , has been focusing on discussions with investors .
It was reported at the weekend that potential investors include private equity firms Greybull Capital , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British Steel , and Apollo Global Management .
In March , Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote to airlines and airports urging them to find other forms of funding , and that the government would only step in as `` a last resort '' during the coronavirus crisis .
The airline has also lined up restructuring specialists Alvarez and Marsal to draw up contingency plans in case of insolvency .

In March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote to airlines and airports urging them to find other forms of funding, and that the government would only step in as "a last resort" during the coronavirus crisis.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus lockdown: Two hotels demolished in Nigeria 'for breach of rules'

The authorities in Nigeria 's oil-rich southern Rivers state have demolished two hotels over an alleged breach of lockdown rules intended to contain the spread of coronavirus .
State Governor Nyesom Wike , who supervised the tearing down of Edemete Hotel and Prodest Home on Sunday , said the operators had flouted an order that hotels should be closed .
He said that people who had tested positive for the virus had been found in hotels across the state .
But he did not say if anyone who had Covid-19 had been staying in either of the demolished hotels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested , but the owner of Prodest Home has denied that his hotel was open .
`` The hotel was not operating and 70 % of the staff had been sent away , '' Gogorobari Promise Needam told the BBC .
`` There were only three people on ground .
`` [ Officials ] came in and were asking for bribe , they said they would let us operate if we gave them money but we said we were not operational so had no money to give , '' he said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus and has recorded two deaths .
A lockdown was imposed on the state capital , Port Harcourt , last Thursday .
Nigeria has more than 4,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus overall , with the commercial capital , Lagos , at the epicentre .
But a lockdown that was imposed there , and in some other states , at the end of March has been partially eased .
Legal experts have told the BBC that the actions of the Rivers state governor could be challenged in court .
But the state government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granting him the power to enforce the lockdown .
The state has been criticised for its strict lockdown rules , which ordered markets and places selling food to shut down .
Doctors , pharmacists and other essential workers have also reported that they have been harassed and in some cases arrested for breaching the lockdown .
The authorities have erected barriers on the main highway on its eastern border to enforce a ban on interstate travel , accusing security personnel of smuggling in people under the cover of darkness .
Officials are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who violated the lockdown .
Only those who receive a special pass , personally issued by the governor , are allowed to move .
But , it seems only those in government house have the document outlining the exact provisions of the executive order as residents of the state told the BBC they are not aware of it .
State officials did not respond to the BBC 's request for a copy of the order .
Lawyer Ahmed Abass told the BBC that an executive order can not give the governor powers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order is made by the president or governor in furtherance of existing laws , '' he said adding that it can not go beyond the constitution , which guarantees a fair trial .
`` What [ Mr Wike ] should have done was to have arrested the [ hotel owners ] , taken them to court and the court would have prosecuted them , '' he told the BBC .
He described the governor 's actions as `` executive recklessness and an abuse of office '' .
Nigeria operates a federal system of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their jurisdiction .
You may also like : • What is behind Nigeria 's unexplained deaths ?
• Helping those struggling to eat amid the lockdowns Mr Wike personally moved around in the first three days of the lockdown to monitor compliance and said he was satisfied that people were obeying .
In one incident , captured on video , he ordered the arrest of two people out on the road and asked that they be taken directly to an isolation centre .
In another video he said medics were abusing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors of using the opportunity to visit their girlfriends .
More than 200 people were arrested on the first day of the lockdown and taken to an isolation centre .
A mobile court later convicted 170 of them with fines up to 50,000 naira ( £103 , $ 128 ) .
The BBC 's Karina Igonikon in Port Harcourt says people have been struggling under the strict lockdown rules and that might have influenced the state government 's decision to ease it on Sunday .
The governor announced that people are permitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week for `` some fresh air '' and to replenish supplies .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?

He said that people who had tested positive for the virus had been found in hotels across the state. But he did not say if anyone who had Covid-19 had been staying in either of the demolished hotels.


bbc--2020-05-11--IS regional leader Sheikh Khorasani 'arrested in Afghanistan'

The leader of the Islamic State group in South Asia and the Far East has been arrested in Kabul , Afghanistan 's intelligence service says .
Zia ul-Haq , also known as Sheikh Omar Khorasani , was held with two other senior leaders of the militant group .
The Taliban are the main militant group in Afghanistan but IS has been active in some areas and has carried out several bomb attacks in Kabul .
Correspondents say the arrest will be a major breakthrough if confirmed .
The other two were named as his spokesman Saheeb and chief of intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a tip-off by four recently arrested senior IS members , and based on security and intelligence inputs , a statement by the service said .
The agency `` will continue its comprehensive and targeted operations to hunt down senior leaders of regional terrorist groups and destroy the joint hubs of these terrorist networks '' , the statement said , quoted by Reuters .
IS has carried out several deadly bombings in recent years , targeting Afghanistan 's Shia and other minorities and killing scores of people .
A report submitted to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been replaced by the central leadership of the group because of his poor performance , but this has never been confirmed .
The arrests come as violence continues throughout the country despite the signing of a troop withdrawal agreement between the US and the Taliban in February .
The Taliban , which says it is opposed to IS , has desisted from large-scale attacks since the agreement .

A report submitted to the UN last year said Sheikh Omar Khorasani had been replaced by the central leadership of the group because of his poor performance, but this has never been confirmed.


bbc--2020-05-11--Argentina debt talks deadlocked as deadline looms

The Argentine government has extended a deadline to restructure $ 65bn ( £53bn ) of debt to 22 May in an effort to avert further financial turmoil .
Argentina had asked private bondholders to accept significantly lower interest payments and to defer those payments until 2023 .
The government says it can not afford to make the payments amid the coronavirus pandemic but non-payment could make it almost impossible to get future loans .
Governments often choose to finance spending by issuing bonds - this means they are loaned money by investors who expect to be paid a certain amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they are repaid the amount that was borrowed .
The interest rate governments pay depends on how high investors think the risk is that they might fail to make a payment ( known as a default ) .
At the end of 2019 , Argentina had racked up $ 323bn of debt , the equivalent of 88 % of its gross domestic product , according to International Monetary Fund figures .
On 10 December , the centre-left politician Alberto Fernández was sworn in as Argentina 's new president .
• Argentina dreams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his inaugural speech , Mr Fernández warned that while Argentina was willing to repay its debt , it needed the economy to grow before it could make the payments .
Much of Argentina 's debt is priced in US dollars and the recent slide of the value of the local currency , the peso , against the dollar has made interest payments dearer .
Argentine exports currently do not generate enough foreign currency to repay the massive debt .
That is why the president has tried to restructure some of the debt in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government time .
His government approached international creditors holding $ 65bn worth of bonds with an offer which included a three-year grace period in which Argentina would not have to pay interest , as well as a chunky cut to Argentina 's interest payments .
While some creditors agreed that Argentina should be given more time to repay , many balked at the interest rate cut and no deal was reached by Friday , the deadline Argentina had set .
Some creditors also reportedly did not like the take-it-or-leave-it approach of the Argentine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline to 22 May , the day on which it is due to repay $ 500m in interest .
President Fernández said he hoped the creditors would now come up with a counterproposal and that the two sides could still reach an agreement by that date .
Will bondholders go easy on Argentina ?
Even before coronavirus hit , Argentina 's economy was in crisis .
But then the Fernández administration shut the country down quickly , with some of the toughest lockdown measures in the region .
And although that 's helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively low , it 's ravaged a country desperate for a break .
Default would be even more devastating .
What happens next , though , is uncertain .
Last week a group of leading economists including Nobel prize-winner Joseph Stiglitz urged bondholders to act in good faith , arguing that debt relief is the only way `` to combat the pandemic and set the economy on a sustainable path '' .
But after extended debt negotiations , will bondholders stick to their guns and only accept a deal on their terms ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the circumstances ?
After all , the whole world is in economic meltdown .
Argentina may be one of the first countries to teeter towards default but it wo n't be the last .
Why does it matter ?
If the two sides fail to reach an agreement by 22 May and Argentina does not make the $ 500m interest payment due on that day , the country will be in default .
Being in default can have severe consequences .
Argentina has been there before , most notably in 2001 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repayments amid a wider economic and political crisis which saw the country go through five leaders within a matter of weeks .
People 's savings accounts were frozen to stop a run on the banks and violent street protests led to dozens of deaths .
The effect on Argentines was devastating with many seeing their hard-won prosperity quickly disappearing .
That default also led to Argentina being seen as an unreliable debtor .
It became embroiled in a decade of legal battles about how to restructure and repay those debts .
There have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts a total of eight , although the government disputes that number .
A further default on 22 May would no doubt cause further financial turbulence amid the upheaval already caused by the coronavirus pandemic .

But after extended debt negotiations, will bondholders stick to their guns and only accept a deal on their terms? Or could they go easy on Argentina in the circumstances? After all, the whole world is in economic meltdown. Argentina may be one of the first countries to teeter towards default but it won't be the last.


bbc--2020-05-11--Trump spars with Asian American reporter over 'nasty question'

CBS News journalist Weijia Jiang asked Mr Trump why testing is a global competition to him .
The president answered @ @ @ @ @ question she should ask China .
After calling on another reporter , Ms Jiang followed @ @ @ @ @ why that response was specifically for her .

CBS News journalist Weijia Jiang asked Mr Trump why testing is a global competition to him. The president answered by saying that's a question she should ask China. After calling on another reporter, Ms Jiang followed up by asking the president why that response was specifically for her.
President Trump has previously made comments regarding Ms Jiang's Asian American background.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: Four nurses on four continents tell their story

With more than four million reported cases worldwide , the coronavirus pandemic has brought the work done by nurses into the spotlight .
To mark International Nurses Day , the BBC spoke to nurses working on four different continents , to learn about the challenges they face in the battle against Covid-19 .
Nursing day is celebrated on 12 May , the birthday of Florence Nightingale , the founder of modern nursing .
'Mum told me she feels grateful to have a son like me' '' At first my family were n't comfortable with me joining the fight against Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my protective gear they understood that I am protected enough , '' says Mzwakhe Mohlaloganye .
Mzwakhe , a 37-year-old father-of-two , has been a nurse for five years and has been part of the mobile Covid-19 team in Johannesburg for two months .
South Africa has done an exceptional job at `` flattening the curve '' and many people say that community testing and awareness is a big part of that .
The team screens and tests people in the local community , prioritising those over the age of 59 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has found the role rewarding , seeing it as an opportunity to learn about the disease and how it connects with the different kinds of conditions in his patients .
However , his family were initially reticent about his new role and were concerned about his welfare .
`` Mum told me she feels grateful to have a son like me - one of the people who are out there fighting for them . ''
Reflecting on the efforts made by his team on the frontline and his work as a nurse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just helping to raise awareness but helping to save communities .
`` It makes me feel like a superhero because I feel like I am a lifesaver in my country . ''
He also feels that nurses are appreciated now more than ever .
`` For nurses all over the world my message is do n't give up .
You must do whatever you can to help contain the virus .
Never feel like a failure . ''
'It was moving but also unsettling' It became a symbol of a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurse in her facemask slumped asleep over her computer .
Italy had been struck by the virus - the first western country to be hit so badly - and the picture of Elena Pagliarini encapsulated the devastation it was wreaking .
`` It was such a dramatic situation '' , Elena told the BBC , `` some patients were dying in front of me .
We worked all night .
At 6am , I stopped and rested briefly on the desk and a doctor took this picture .
It was an angst-ridden moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realised the importance of the photo until she was contacted by journalists and people she did n't know .
`` I realised the picture became bigger than just the moment it captured .
It was moving but also unsettling . ''
By mid-March , when hospitals in northern Italy were at bursting point and hundreds were dying each day , Elena herself became infected , losing her sense of smell and taste .
She stayed at home for 23 days and returned to work on 2 April , as Italy reached the peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections have fallen dramatically and intensive care occupancy has dropped to a manageable level .
Italy has started to ease its lockdown - the world 's longest .
`` We 're now in phase two '' , Elena says , `` we still have cases coming in but the symptoms are lighter : sore throat , dehydration , strong headaches - but it 's not an emergency situation . ''
At least 160 health workers have died in Italy .
The country 's medics - as everywhere - are seen as the heroes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proud of my work '' , says Elena .
`` That photo shows just me but it should represent all nurses and doctors . ''
'They were over 70 and survived' Gabriela Serrano , a nurse working in the US , has fond memories of the day she saw her first Covid-19 patient discharged .
`` She was so happy when I wheeled her out of the hospital .
She said : 'It is so good to see the sun shine and breathe fresh air ' '' .
Gabriela has been a nurse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she worked in a hospital on the outskirts of San Francisco .
`` The two Covid-19 patients I was taking care of had underlying health conditions and were above 70 .
Yet they managed to survive .
This gives me hope . ''
Gabriela , 31 , has seen three non-coronavirus deaths in the past two months .
She described how she had cared for a dying woman .
`` She was a bit responsive on the first day but was non-verbal .
l explained everything I was doing to her , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to me . ''
The next day , the patient was not even opening her eyes .
The hospital authorised a visit from relatives during the patient 's final hours .
Unfortunately , she had no close family and her best friend opted to stay away from the hospital .
`` I sat with her , held her hand and just told her it was going to be okay .
I was there .
She had someone with her , '' says Gabriela .
`` I do n't know if she could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was the best I could do for her . ''
Her hard work did n't save her job .
She is a travel nurse , as they call those working on short-term contracts .
General patient admissions are down , as people fear contracting the virus and many stay away from hospitals for all non-emergency treatment , so the hospital she was working at decided to terminate her employment .
`` I 'm pretty optimistic about getting a job within a month .
I 'll take what I can get . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole population' '' On 24 March we had our first Covid-19 positive case .
Immediately I thought about two tribal patients in my hospital .
I asked them to leave , '' says Shanti Teresa lakra .
Shanti has made a name for herself providing health services for the rapidly declining tribal groups of India 's Andaman and Nicobar islands and is a recipient of the Florence Nightingale award , the highest professional recognition for nurses in India .
She was taking care of a five-year-old boy from the Jarawa tribe affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman from the Shompen tribe seeking fertility treatment .
Jarawas made contact with the outside world only in 1997 .
The naked hunter-gatherers live in a forest reserve about 80km ( 50m ) from Port Blair , where Shanti now works .
A week after the boy was discharged , she went to the forest area to check on him .
`` He had fully recovered .
Since I can speak a bit of their language , I told them to move deep into the jungle and stay there . ''
Isolation served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for thousands of years , but expanding settlements over the past century have decimated their population .
Shanti says there are currently some 450 members of the Jarawa tribe .
`` Their immunity is low .
A single infected person can threaten the whole population . ''

Coronavirus: Four nurses on four continents tell their story Published 12 May 2020
With more than four million reported cases worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic has brought the work done by nurses into the spotlight.
To mark International Nurses Day, the BBC spoke to nurses working on four different continents, to learn about the challenges they face in the battle against Covid-19.
Nursing day is celebrated on 12 May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
'Mum told me she feels grateful to have a son like me'
"At first my family weren't comfortable with me joining the fight against Covid-19. But when they saw the pictures of my protective gear they understood that I am protected enough," says Mzwakhe Mohlaloganye.
Image source, Christian Parkinson / BBC
Mzwakhe, a 37-year-old father-of-two, has been a nurse for five years and has been part of the mobile Covid-19 team in Johannesburg for two months.
South Africa has done an exceptional job at "flattening the curve" and many people say that community testing and awareness is a big part of that.
The team screens and tests people in the local community, prioritising those over the age of 59 and those with chronic medical conditions.
Mzwakhe has found the role rewarding, seeing it as an opportunity to learn about the disease and how it connects with the different kinds of conditions in his patients.
However, his family were initially reticent about his new role and were concerned about his welfare.
Image source, Christian Parkinson / BBC
"Mum told me she feels grateful to have a son like me - one of the people who are out there fighting for them."
Reflecting on the efforts made by his team on the frontline and his work as a nurse, Mzwakhe feels he plays an important role, not just helping to raise awareness but helping to save communities.
"It makes me feel like a superhero because I feel like I am a lifesaver in my country."
He also feels that nurses are appreciated now more than ever.
"For nurses all over the world my message is don't give up. You must do whatever you can to help contain the virus. Never feel like a failure."
'It was moving but also unsettling'
It became a symbol of a country overwhelmed: a photo of an exhausted nurse in her facemask slumped asleep over her computer. Italy had been struck by the virus - the first western country to be hit so badly - and the picture of Elena Pagliarini encapsulated the devastation it was wreaking.
Image source, Francesca Mangiatordi/@france_exa/via REUTERS.
"It was such a dramatic situation", Elena told the BBC, "some patients were dying in front of me. We worked all night. At 6am, I stopped and rested briefly on the desk and a doctor took this picture. It was an angst-ridden moment."
She says she hadn't realised the importance of the photo until she was contacted by journalists and people she didn't know.
"I realised the picture became bigger than just the moment it captured. It was moving but also unsettling."
By mid-March, when hospitals in northern Italy were at bursting point and hundreds were dying each day, Elena herself became infected, losing her sense of smell and taste. She stayed at home for 23 days and returned to work on 2 April, as Italy reached the peak of the outbreak.
Image source, Elena Pagliarini
Since then, infections have fallen dramatically and intensive care occupancy has dropped to a manageable level. Italy has started to ease its lockdown - the world's longest. "We're now in phase two", Elena says, "we still have cases coming in but the symptoms are lighter: sore throat, dehydration, strong headaches - but it's not an emergency situation."
At least 160 health workers have died in Italy. The country's medics - as everywhere - are seen as the heroes of this battle.
"I'm proud of my work", says Elena. "That photo shows just me but it should represent all nurses and doctors."
'They were over 70 and survived'
Gabriela Serrano, a nurse working in the US, has fond memories of the day she saw her first Covid-19 patient discharged.
"She was so happy when I wheeled her out of the hospital. She said: 'It is so good to see the sun shine and breathe fresh air'".
Image source, Gabriela Serrano
Gabriela has been a nurse for seven years. During the pandemic she worked in a hospital on the outskirts of San Francisco.
"The two Covid-19 patients I was taking care of had underlying health conditions and were above 70. Yet they managed to survive. This gives me hope."
Gabriela, 31, has seen three non-coronavirus deaths in the past two months. She described how she had cared for a dying woman.
"She was a bit responsive on the first day but was non-verbal. l explained everything I was doing to her, even though she wasn't able to talk back to me."
Image source, Gabriela Serrano
The next day, the patient was not even opening her eyes.
The hospital authorised a visit from relatives during the patient's final hours. Unfortunately, she had no close family and her best friend opted to stay away from the hospital.
"I sat with her, held her hand and just told her it was going to be okay. I was there. She had someone with her," says Gabriela.
"I don't know if she could hear me at that point, but it was the best I could do for her."
Her hard work didn't save her job. She is a travel nurse, as they call those working on short-term contracts. General patient admissions are down, as people fear contracting the virus and many stay away from hospitals for all non-emergency treatment, so the hospital she was working at decided to terminate her employment.
"I'm pretty optimistic about getting a job within a month. I'll take what I can get."
'A single infected person can threaten the whole population'
"On 24 March we had our first Covid-19 positive case. Immediately I thought about two tribal patients in my hospital. I asked them to leave," says Shanti Teresa lakra.
Shanti has made a name for herself providing health services for the rapidly declining tribal groups of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands and is a recipient of the Florence Nightingale award, the highest professional recognition for nurses in India.
Image source, Shanti Teresa lakra Image caption, Shanti's work with tribal people is well recognised
She was taking care of a five-year-old boy from the Jarawa tribe affected by pneumonia, as well as a woman from the Shompen tribe seeking fertility treatment.
Jarawas made contact with the outside world only in 1997. The naked hunter-gatherers live in a forest reserve about 80km (50m) from Port Blair, where Shanti now works.
Image source, Getty Images
A week after the boy was discharged, she went to the forest area to check on him.
"He had fully recovered. Since I can speak a bit of their language, I told them to move deep into the jungle and stay there."
Isolation served as a shield for these aboriginal groups for thousands of years, but expanding settlements over the past century have decimated their population. Shanti says there are currently some 450 members of the Jarawa tribe.
"Their immunity is low. A single infected person can threaten the whole population."


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: Spanish family reunited after two months apart

This is the moment a family was reunited after lockdown was lifted in parts of Spain - which had some @ @ @ @ @ Europe .
Two aunts greeted their family for the first time in two months , @ @ @ @ @ had learned to walk .

This is the moment a family was reunited after lockdown was lifted in parts of Spain - which had some of the toughest measures in Europe.
Two aunts greeted their family for the first time in two months, and found their one-year-old niece had learned to walk.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: How Sweden is keeping its pubs and bars open

Sweden never went into full lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic .
Rules there allow most people to go outside , @ @ @ @ @ shops as long as they try to stay distant from each other .
The country @ @ @ @ @ 3,225 deaths from the virus with many around Europe , including some Swedish citizens , @ @ @ @ @ what does social-distancing outside of lockdown look like and is everyone comfortable ?
Listen to @ @ @ @ @ 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

Sweden never went into full lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rules there allow most people to go outside, visits bars, restaurants and shops as long as they try to stay distant from each other.
The country has seen 26,322 cases and 3,225 deaths from the virus with many around Europe, including some Swedish citizens, questioning the approach.
So what does social-distancing outside of lockdown look like and is everyone comfortable?
Produced by Benoît Derrier and Maddy Savage
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


bbc--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: How to run a factory during a pandemic

The Control Techniques factory in Newtown , Wales is still running at full production , despite the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ had to change , from the shift patterns and the corridors to the canteen and @ @ @ @ @ managers showed video journalist Jim Reed how they managed to do it .

The Control Techniques factory in Newtown, Wales is still running at full production, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
But lots of things have had to change, from the shift patterns and the corridors to the canteen and the toilets.
The company managers showed video journalist Jim Reed how they did it.


bbc--2020-05-11--In Pictures: Shanghai Disneyland reopens

Disney has reopened its Shanghai Disneyland park to a reduced number of visitors , ending a more than three-month closure @ @ @ @ @ .
China has seen declining virus cases for weeks and has been gradually easing restrictions @ @ @ @ @ reported 17 new cases nationally - the highest daily increase since 28 April - bringing @ @ @ @ @ to 82,918 , with the death toll at 4,633 .

Image caption,
As more parts of Europe and the US begin to ease restrictions, governments and health experts have warned that the pandemic is far from over


bbc--2020-05-11--Joshna Maharaj - The chef who lost her sense of smell

In January , chef Joshna Maharaj revealed a secret - she had n't been able to smell properly for about five years .
Now , she 's working to regain some of what she lost .
Her loss of smell was gradual , though looking back she realised there had been red flags along the way .
Firstly , she was burning things .
Peach squares , made with sliced `` beautiful '' summertime fruit , came out not browned but blackened .
`` Sometimes you can trim and get away with it , '' she says .
Not this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bin .
One day she walked into a BBQ restaurant with friends and was the only one who could n't smell the meat smoker working its magic .
`` There was a moment where I retrospectively did all this math .
'Wait a second , my nose is not working like it 's supposed to , ' '' she says .
`` And to be honest , at that moment , the idea of it filled me with enough panic - particularly with the professional implications of this - that I just shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself : `` You are going to keep this secret , you are not going to tell anybody about this . ''
The Toronto-born chef , food activist and author has worked with major public institutions , from universities to hospitals , to revamp the way they source , cook , and serve food .
Now she had anosmia , the complete loss of the sense of smell .
She became diligent about using cooking timers for everything , careful in case her nose betrayed her .
`` Lots of garlic and onions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's going to smack you in the face , or intense , intense , major rhubarb , or we 're going to go deep on strawberry . ''
The flavours had to be bold , especially as her taste was also muted by her smell loss .
Anosmia can have any number of causes , from common infections to brain injuries .
Recently , researchers have found a loss of smell or taste is a symptom of the coronavirus .
Ms Maharaj 's condition was caused by extreme sinusitis that led to polyps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her nasal passage .
• Loss of smell and taste 'may be coronavirus' • What 's it like not being able to smell ?
For years , she struggled with what felt like constant congestion .
`` I tried all the things - Chinese medicine , diet change , acupuncture , constantly hoofing down decongestants .
We had suspicions about mould lurking under the carpet of my apartment . ''
In February 2019 , she had surgery to remove the polyps and fix a deviated septum .
In August , she regained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first whiff she got was of a mango while on a trip to Bangalore .
Her nose then gave her a glimpse of the incense and flowers in the lobby of her hotel .
But in two weeks , her smell had disappeared again .
Over the 2019 winter holidays , she found herself in Croatia , and the trip brought home to her what she had been missing .
Family would comment on the delicious smells in streets and restaurants .
For her it was a blank .
There are smells she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the frying pan , the smell of newborns .
`` I stuck my face all under his chin and nothing , '' she says of meeting a friend 's new baby a few months back .
`` There was a sadness there , for sure . ''
A friend also told her about the link between smell and emotion , leading her to research that suggests impairments in smell have been linked to increased rates of depression , anxiety , and a sense of isolation .
Those experiences made her realise she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In January , she went public with a post on Instagram , disclosing her condition and announcing she had begun `` smell training to repair the path between my nose and my brain '' .
She had found Abscent , a UK-based organisation that raises public awareness of smell loss and of smell training , which can help people regain some or all of their lost sense .
Smell disorders are believed to affect about 5 % of the general population - though that 's a very rough estimate , notes organisation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a doctor or find themselves consulting with organisations like hers , it 's because `` they 're absolutely miserable '' .
She pictures the `` archetypical good smeller '' as a `` bon vivant - you know , people who love to eat and drink and who love to be with people , and they 're gregarious '' .
`` So imagine when that person loses their sense of smell . ''
When she lost her own ability to smell eight years ago , she had n't realised how connected she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of breathing in fresh laundry off the line or the comfort of returning to the familiar smell of your own home .
Research suggests smell training may not be a cure for smell loss but it can improve a person 's chances of recovery by stimulating the olfactory nerves , which convey the sensation of smell to the central nervous system .
It 's like physiotherapy for the nose , says Ms Kelly .
Take four essential oils - usually a flowery smell , and fruity , aromatic and resinous ones - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twice a day , focusing not just on trying to capture the smell but its related experiences .
Ms Maharaj chose four commonly recommended essential oils for her training - eucalyptus , rose , lemon , and clove .
`` They 're mega - the four corners of smelling , '' she says .
When she sits with the jars , the first in the rotation is eucalyptus , and she brings to mind `` the steam room at the spa ... with the greeny-ness , almost a minty-ness and an astringency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then it 's lemon , and she 's imagining `` lemon curd and just squeezing the juice out of a lemon '' .
For rose , `` there is a version of rose that actually finishes with sweetness that I love '' and does n't have the `` powderiness , grandmother-y '' scent .
The last is clove , which is all about memories of `` making pomanders at Christmas time '' , and `` winter , holiday baking and that woody , sweet , spicy kind of smell '' .
For weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jars .
Then in March she began to get hints of scent .
Not quite the smells of eucalyptus or clove but something .
It was like struggling to find a word at the end of your tongue - she could n't quite grasp it .
Soon she was getting some smell back .
Within weeks , it was gone again .
AbscentUK cautions it takes a minimum of four months of sustained training to recover the sense - and that it can come back distorted or limited .
Imperfect as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excited to begin `` tasting all over again ... reworking how I understand flavour '' after years of cooking from memory .
`` The fact that I have the freedom to just play around like that and honestly and truthfully experience this is very , very exciting . ''

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