bbc--2020-05-24--Stan's Donuts: A farewell to a shop closed by coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a hard blow to businesses around the world .
In the US alone , economists project that more than 100,000 small businesses have permanently shut because of the health crisis .
Among those are iconic institutions that have survived for decades .
Stan 's Donuts in Los Angeles is one of them .
Stan Berman says there are three reasons his doughnuts were so good .
The first was the sea air that blew into his shop from the Pacific Ocean some five miles away - he never used air conditioning , even at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid spoiling the perfect atmospheric conditions .
The second reason was the skill that went into making the doughnuts .
And the third , simply , was love .
Stan took over his shop in the heart of LA 's bustling Westwood Village neighbourhood more than 55 years ago .
The unassuming one-storey white-block building sits on the corner of two busy streets .
Stan described it as `` the smallest little shop you 've ever seen '' .
It was prime real estate : less than two blocks away from the UCLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox Village cinemas where glamorous premieres would frequently take place .
The exact date it all began is a matter of debate .
He believes it was Christmas time 1963 , while others in his family think it was 1964 .
What everyone can agree on is that it quickly made its mark .
When Stan first took over it was called The Corner Shoppe - a distributor for pastries , pies , cookies and `` everything else like that '' .
Everything , that is , apart from doughnuts .
Stan came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bakers .
As a child , he would wake up before dawn to fry doughnuts at his father 's little Philadelphia bakery , finishing them off with a generous coating of granulated sugar .
When people came in to buy a loaf of bread in the morning , they 'd pick up one of Stan 's doughnuts too .
He later learned how to make intricate European-inspired pastries .
The Corner Shoppe had equipment for baking , but when Stan first took over it only sold other people 's food .
One Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stan popped in to clean up and , noticing the heavy footfall in the area , saw an opportunity .
He called a friend in the bakery business who brought him flour , yeast and everything else he needed .
He made a piece of dough and fried a batch of doughnuts , then sold them through the shop 's window .
It soon became a routine .
Every Sunday , Stan would head into work at about 04:00 to make doughnuts ; his wife would drive his three children down a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with the money they made , the family would go out for dinner in the evening .
On Monday mornings people started coming in looking for doughnuts .
`` They 'd say 'Stan why are n't you making doughnuts ? '
'' Stan , now 90 , recalls .
`` And I 'd say 'Well you know , we 're not really doing that ' .
Then , before you know it , we were doing that . ''
The Corner Shoppe became The Corner Donut Shoppe and eventually Stan 's Donuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the bakery business , but Stan applied the techniques for making fine pastries learned in his youth to create a new product .
`` They were so different from most doughnuts , even though I used the same flour , and shortenings and toppings , '' he says .
`` My idea was I 'm going to make something you really like .
Tell me what you like and I 'm going to try and make something for you as a doughnut so you will come in for yours - I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He packed his array of flavours - cherry , chocolate , cinnamon , peanut butter - into a display case that `` blasted '' people when they walked into the tiny room .
Before long , Stan was selling thousands of doughnuts every day .
His growing reputation and proximity to the two LA cinemas meant some of Hollywood 's biggest stars were among his customers .
When one of her movies was playing across the road , actress Ali MacGraw and her partner Steve McQueen would frequently drive up to Stan 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cup of coffee and a doughnut and sit outside on the kerb to watch people going into the cinema .
Elizabeth Taylor - one of Hollywood 's most glamorous women - ordered coffee and doughnuts with a group of friends .
Not that Stan recognised her - a passer-by pointed her out .
Willy Wonka actor Gene Wilder and Hollywood filmmaker Mel Brooks were also regulars .
But Stan had one rule : he never took photos of the stars coming into his shop .
`` I wanted them to be comfortable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he says .
Cementing its place in Hollywood history , the shop 's original signage was restored for a scene in Quentin Tarantino 's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood .
In more recent years , Stan 's Donuts has been frequented by a Nobel laureate and senior staff at the nearby UCLA - as well as many students .
`` For generations , numerous UCLA departments have shared boxes of Stan 's Donuts to celebrate special occasions , myriad student groups have sold them as fundraisers for worthy causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had their days brightened by one ( or more ) of your delicious treats , '' the chancellor of the university , Gene Block , said in a recent letter to Stan .
When the animated show The Simpsons turned 20 , producers ordered batches of Stan 's Homer Simpson doughnuts - pink frosting , sprinkles - for Fox affiliates .
Simpsons writer Carolyn Omine tweeted that the shop was among her first memories of LA .
Stan 's cherry cheesecake doughnut was her favourite .
While the doughnuts themselves might have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's success , Stan also became a star in his own right , and he revelled in the attention .
`` We would bump into people all over the world , people who knew us from the doughnut shop , '' he recalls with glee .
`` We could n't go to a movie , we could n't go anywhere where someone would n't tap me on the shoulder and say 'Hey Stan ' . ''
His shop 's success and longevity earned it iconic status in LA .
The city declared 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , and the shop was named a `` Monumental Business '' .
Looking back , Stan says he has had `` the most unbelievable life and it all came from the doughnut shop '' .
He believes part of his success was due to him always being `` the finisher '' .
Even in old age , he would go into the shop every day - he 'd make the icing , clean the pots and sweep the floors .
He was a perfectionist and expected the same attention to detail from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favourite doughnut was his raisin buttermilk bar because as soon as he took a bite he could tell whether the fryer had been cleaned .
It was also the doughnut he 'd give away to customers after a friendly chat at his shop .
He gave away plenty over the years - he could never bear to throw any away at the end of the day .
But as well as being responsible for his successes , he says there were `` one or two events '' in his life where his shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a close friend called Norman .
Together they were known as `` the doughnut men '' .
But the pair fell out when Stan missed Norman 's wife 's funeral because he was making doughnuts .
They were never able to reconcile .
`` The problem was that the shop was so important to me that I could n't see other things around , '' Stan says .
Stan was still frying doughnuts into his 80s , but he had a stroke about three years ago and was forced to take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the shop once a week with his son .
Without Stan there every day , sales were not what they used to be .
Despite the struggles , Stan hoped that he would still have the business when he turned 100 .
But he could n't have anticipated the coronavirus pandemic , or the impact it would have on his little shop in LA .
Restaurants in the city were ordered to close in mid-March in a bid to slow the spread of the virus , with only takeaways and deliveries allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sales dropped dramatically .
Since 2014 , Stan has been making money in royalties from Stan 's Donuts & Coffee - a successful line of shops in Chicago with a range of doughnuts inspired by his Westwood creations .
But that money has dried up in recent months , with business there also suffering under the pandemic .
With so much uncertainty about the virus , Stan and his family worried how long it would go on for .
`` We did a bit of business , maybe 40 % , but 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Stan says .
His daughter Pam says coronavirus `` killed the business '' .
`` We had to make the choice of whether to stay open by going into my father 's savings and it was n't worth it , '' she explains .
Without the pandemic `` we would have continued .
The store would have stayed open until my father passed away . ''
For Pam it has left a `` sweet and sour feeling '' .
`` It was so much aggravation trying to run the store without my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a bit easier to close the doors .
But it 's been very sad . ''
With a stay-at-home order in place in LA , there was no party to bid farewell to the shop when it closed its doors in April .
Stan has been left to settle reluctantly into retirement , while trying to come to terms with losing the two loves of his life - his doughnut shop and his wife of 68 years , Ina , who passed away in January .
He has received scores of letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop and celebrating their memories there .
He likens it to witnessing his own obituary .
His grandson , who has a tattoo of the shop 's logo , took the equipment and is now learning to make doughnuts himself .
`` It 's not going to be Stan 's Donuts but he wants to continue my father 's legacy with making and selling doughnuts .
That 's what he 's hoping to do , '' Pam says .
At the Westwood Village shop , a note announcing its closure remains stuck to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a business loved by so many .
`` I hope that you will remember how our donuts made you smile for many years to come , '' it says .

"My idea was I'm going to make something you really like. Tell me what you like and I'm going to try and make something for you as a doughnut so you will come in for yours - I did that for hundreds of people."


bbc--2020-05-24--'My mother died as she lived - not wanting to make a fuss'

The writer Howard Jacobson remembers his mother , who died this month , as if she chose to slip away while everyone focused on the pandemic .
My mother died on 4 May .
Not of Covid-19 .
Two days before , she complained to my sister of a severe pain in her head , slipped into unconsciousness , and never woke .
She was 97 .
She died in the chair she preferred to her bed .
And died pretty much as she had lived , unobtrusively , not wanting to make a fuss , not wanting to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retiring by nature .
Exclamatory - she knew how to tell a good story and was never less than flabbergasted by insignificant event - but not demonstrative .
She hated show , never wanted to be seen making a fuss - in truth , never wanted to be seen at all - preferred reading to going out , and at any time in her life would n't have minded had she been told she 'd never go to another silver wedding , golden wedding or barmitzvah , another Market Traders ' Dance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ball , another Lancashire and Cheshire Branch of the Magic Circle Annual Dinner , ever again .
In this she could n't have been more unlike my father - the market trader , taxi driver and magician to indulge whose gargantuan social appetite she zipped herself reluctantly into one of those cocktail dresses she hated having to retrieve from her wardrobe , for fear of finding it too tight , too loose , too low , or too high , though he , having worked as a tailor in the army , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as he could get her to come out with him .
He too died as he lived , with razzamatazz .
He treated his death as his swan-song , his last ever variety performance , strictly for one night only .
In fact it went on for longer than that , partly on account of the rapport he enjoyed with the nurses in his hospital ward to whom he took pleasure in showing his tricks , even those that regularly misfired .
On what we thought would be his final day his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trick with the glass , the playing card , and the engagement ring - on this occasion hers .
This was one of his regularly misfiring tricks , but today , miracle of miracles , he performed it with such adroitness and eclat that he could n't think of any reason not to go on living .
So what was meant to be a show in one act suddenly had an interval and a second half - the Resurrection - which he played at home for a further three weeks , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but a beloved one .
For an encore , worn out by his own vitality , he closed his eyes .
I do n't think my parents grew into who they were in contradistinction to each other - she quiet because he noisy and vice versa .
It was my impression that they found and loved each other as they were and as they would go on being - as unlike as two mortal souls could be .
If I wanted to please my father I could do no better than make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see tears of amusement spring out from behind her glasses and roll in torrents down her cheeks .
It was as though they came from some secret place of feeling he could never hope to penetrate .
His own laughter was Falstaffian .
Which , for her , opened a door on an outlandish world of boisterousness .
His antecedents were Russian , my mother 's Lithuanian .
She 'd have studied music and philosophy had her grandparents stayed in Lithuania .
He 'd have wrestled bears .
Every talent has its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but had some of the selfishness of the performer .
His eyes would glaze over if you told him your troubles .
I recognise this in my myself and try to listen when people tell me theirs .
But I can see from the way their eyes glaze over that I have n't succeeded .
My mother listened hard and felt our tribulations as though they were her own , but mothers who worry overmuch for their children as often as not cause those children more worry than they spare them .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was small , convinced I would find her dead with worry in the morning .
Extraordinary that she lived to 97 , and in her final weeks accused me of being a worrier .
It was when I let slip how concerned I was about Coronavirus - making what I 'd intended to be a joke about my fear : that it was invincible , that even when you bolted the door on it , it would find a way in , come sliding through the letter box , or up through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power points - that she ticked me off for not having a more relaxed attitude .
`` Oh , Howard , '' she said , `` you 're not worrying about that . ''
`` That 's rich coming from you , Ma , '' I said , reminding her of all the precautions she 'd taught me to take over the years against finding myself in the Great Australian Desert without toilet paper , or up a five rung step-ladder without a harness .
• Listen to Howard Jacobson remembering his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Point of View on BBC Radio 4 My brother once told her he had just moved into a small flat in Notting Hill , sharing with six girls who were nurses and art students .
That night she rang him and asked to speak to him where none of them could hear .
`` Listen carefully , '' she said , `` to what I 'm about to tell you . ''
The phone burned with embarrassment in his hand .
What was she going to warn him against ?
Falling in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she going to explain how babies were made ?
`` It 's really important , '' she went on , `` that you get to the bathroom first in the mornings .
Girls take a long time getting ready . ''
She warned me against girls too , though more subtly than this , in the form of poems that told of female derangement , such as the Lady of Shalott going round the bend in her tower , or the Forsaken Merman 's wife who just upped and left him when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman who had left school early she had educated tastes .
Some of the happiest days of my childhood were spent sitting at her feet , listening to her read from Palgrave 's Golden Treasury and other anthologies .
Tennyson , Browning , Matthew Arnold - long before I went to school I was fortunate enough to have their voices in my head .
One poem my mother got me to read , and I do n't remember its author , told of a son seduced by a woman so cruel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his love for her by cutting out his mother 's heart and bringing it to her in a casket .
This the son did - the way sons do - but in his haste to deliver it to his mistress he tripped and dropped the casket .
From within the casket came the mother 's cry : `` Are you hurt , my son ? ''
No pressure there , then , as people did n't say in those days .
Thereafter I had some bad nights , unable to sleep , afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just dead with worry , but with her heart cut out .
And I with a knife in my hand .
I have n't been able to explain to myself why , after warning me off she-devils , she should think me too afraid of Coronavirus .
She 'd been waiting for the catastrophe to end catastrophes all her life and now it was here she seemed not to give a fig about it .
Could it be that only small imaginary dangers - such as women spending too much time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maybe her real life had always been in her head and she was too poetic to be interested in a literal cataclysm .
But latterly she changed her tune .
`` I think I 've worked this virus out , '' she told me on the phone .
`` It wo n't rest until it 's destroyed us all . ''
I suppose it should have dawned on me then that she was turning eschatological .
Three days later she was dead .
Social distancing meant there could be no family funeral .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jewish ritual for mourning the dead .
Some people have been sitting shiva on Zoom , but none of us cared for that idea .
We would light our candles and say our prayers in private .
And meet to remember her when it 's safe .
My mother always said she did n't want any fuss when she went .
She got her wish .
It was as though she chose her moment , looked around , saw the coast was clear , and made a dash for it .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health emergency prompted Nathan Romburgh and his sisters to look into their family history , decades after the end of apartheid , they uncovered a closely guarded secret that made them question their own identity .
Separated at birth : Was my mother given away because she looked white ?

I haven't been able to explain to myself why, after warning me off she-devils, she should think me too afraid of Coronavirus. She'd been waiting for the catastrophe to end catastrophes all her life and now it was here she seemed not to give a fig about it. Could it be that only small imaginary dangers - such as women spending too much time in the bathroom - disturbed her. Maybe her real life had always been in her head and she was too poetic to be interested in a literal cataclysm.


bbc--2020-05-24--Rwanda genocide: How Félicien Kabuga evaded capture for 26 years

Wealthy businessman Félicien Kabuga outwitted prosecutors of the Rwandan genocide tribunal for more than two-and-a-half decades by using 28 aliases and powerful connections across two continents to evade capture .
The 84-year-old had been on the run for so long that the international tribunal set up to bring to justice those responsible for the 1994 genocide had ceased to work .
But he was eventually hunted down last weekend to a hideout in a suburb of the French capital - thanks to an investigation relaunched by Serge Brammertz , a UN war crimes prosecutor heading the body which handles outstanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We knew already a year ago that he was very likely to be in the UK , France or in Belgium and we concluded only two months ago that he was in France , '' the chief prosecutor for the UN 's International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals ' ( IRMCT ) told the BBC .
`` The French authorities located the apartment in which he was hiding , which led to the operation . ''
One of the major reasons he was able to be on the run for so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children '' , hesaid .
He is known to have at least five children - two of his daughters were married to sons of Rwanda 's former President Juvénal Habyarimana , whose death when his plane was shot down 6 April 1994 triggered the genocide .
French investigators spied on Mr Kabuga 's children to track him down to his third-floor flat in the Paris suburb of Asnières-sur-Seine , where he had been living under a false identity using a passport from an unidentified African country .
According to Col Eric Emeraux , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting war crimes , the coronavirus pandemic also helped as the lockdown in France paralysed many operations across parts of Europe , freeing up time to focus on the man accused of being the main financier of the genocide .
In just 100 days in 1994 , about 800,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists - who Mr Kabuga , a man who had made his fortune in the tea trade , is said to have backed .
They were targeting members of the minority Tutsi community , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ethnic origin .
The United States had offered a $ 5m ( £4.1m ) reward for information leading to Mr Kabuga 's arrest .
But it was puzzling that for so many years one of the most wanted fugitives in Africa , with a $ 5m ( £4.1m ) US bounty on his head after being charged with seven counts of genocide and crimes against humanity in 1997 , managed to live in subterfuge and evade law enforcement across countries and continents .
Was he harboured in Kenya ?
Mr Kabuga is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in East Africa , including Kenya , where he and his family had business interests .
Kenya was for long said to be harbouring the fugitive , with powerful politicians accused of thwarting efforts to arrest him .
• Considered the richest man in Rwanda before the 1994 genocide • Made his fortune from tea in the 1970s and ventured into many other sectors at home and elsewhere • Was close to the ruling MRND party - and related by marriage to President Juvénal Habyarimana , who died in 1994 • Accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan and using his business and premises to organise and fund the killing • The main owner of the private radio station RTLM that was accused of inciting ethnic Hutus to kill Tutsis • The United States had offered a reward of $ 5m ( £4.1m ) for information leading to his arrest In 2006 , the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda said it had evidence that Mr Kabuga either visited or resided in Kenya , where he carried out business interests .
Three years later , Stephen Rapp , then US ambassador-at-large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments of refusing to hand over Mr Kabuga .
There was evidence that Mr Kabuga even attended functions attended by influential persons , he said - allegations Kenya has always denied .
There is no dispute that the Kabuga family owned assets in Kenya as one property became the subject of a court case in 2015 when his wife , Josephine Mukazitoni , who co-owned it , tried and failed to regain access to it .
Known as Spanish Villas , it had been seized because of a UN resolution requiring member states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assets .
Media reports pointed to Mr Kabuga 's presence in Kenya at different points , though with they never provided proof that he or his wife lived there .
He is said to have escaped police dragnets multiple times in Kenya 's capital , Nairobi .
In one raid in Nairobi on 19 July 1997 , when police arrested seven other Rwandan genocide suspects , Mr Kabuga allegedly escaped thanks to an earlier warning from a senior officer .
For journalists on his tail it proved a dangerous business .
On 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found dead in his apartment in Nairobi .
More about the genocide : • The radio show which brought children back from the dead • 'My father , the rapist ' : Hidden victims of Rwanda 's genocide His brother Josephat Gichuki says after his death he discovered that Munuhe was planning a sting operation with the FBI to arrest Mr Kabuga by posing as a businessman .
`` To our surprise , police said Munuhe 's death was a suicide [ from carbon monoxide poisoning ] after inhaling fumes from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC .
`` While at the mortuary , I personally saw a bullet wound in his head , and blood in his room . ''
Eight years later journalist John Allan Namu believes he was deliberately misled by a source in Kenya to out the wrong person , an unsuspecting businessman , as Mr Kabuga .
He feels this was done because some were unhappy about what his investigations had unearthed , including evidence that Mr Kabuga had a Kenyan bank account through which he was conducting business .
The whole affair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family were forced to go into hiding for months because of the death threats he was receiving .
`` Where he was arrested is a proof that Kabuga survived as a fugitive for such a long time because of the connivance of people across the globe , not least in Kenya , '' Namu told the BBC 's Great Lake Service .
In the immediate aftermath of the genocide , Mr Kabuga fled to Switzerland but was not allowed to stay , and reportedly came back to Africa via Kinshasa , capital of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence points to his presence in Kenya , though Mr Brammertz says there had also been sightings of him in Madagascar and Burundi .
But such information was always `` reactive '' , so the operation that led to his arrest took `` a sophisticated , co-ordinated operation with simultaneous searches across a number of locations '' , he said .
It took at least two years , starting from his last known location - in Germany where he had last been sighted when he went for surgery in 2007 .
Extensive analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to Paris .
`` It is difficult to imagine he could have escaped into French territory without the help of accomplices , '' says Patrick Baudoin of the International Federation for Human Rights .
The mystery about his whereabouts for so many years has prompted Human Rights Watch to call for an investigation into how and who made this possible .
His Paris neighbours say the elderly man had lived there for about three to four years .
Olivier Olsen , head of the association of homeowners in the building where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Mr Kabuga was `` very discreet '' and someone `` who murmured when you said hello '' .
Before the lockdown he was often seen going out for walks , he said .
Mr Kabuga is now confined to La Santé Prison in central Paris , where he will stay until he is transferred into the custody of the IRMCT .
Mr Brammertz says this could take weeks or months and it could take a year before a trial begins - either in The Hague or the Tanzanian city of Arusha , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Kabuga 's lawyers have stated that he would prefer to be tried in France .
Genocide survivors hope such procedures will not delay the justice they seek .
After his arrest Valerie Mukabayire , the leader of the Rwanda widows ' group Avega , told the BBC : `` Every genocide survivor is happy he is arrested .
Everyone has been waiting for this news .
It is a good thing that he is going to face justice . ''

But it was puzzling that for so many years one of the most wanted fugitives in Africa, with a $5m (£4.1m) US bounty on his head after being charged with seven counts of genocide and crimes against humanity in 1997, managed to live in subterfuge and evade law enforcement across countries and continents.


bbc--2020-05-24--Coronavirus: Why reopening French schools is a social emergency

It 's obvious that a lack of schooling has increased inequalities , says France 's Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer .
`` Social emergency '' is the term he uses to describe the need to unlock the country 's schools .
France started reopening its education system after lockdown with primary schools , because it was even more important for young people than for older pupils , he explained .
In the UK , there has been strong opposition to the government 's plans to reopen schools in England on 1 June .
Some scientists , councils and teachers ' unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pupils back safely .
In France , 40,000 primary schools have reopened since lockdown was lifted on 11 May along with some middle schools .
So far , around one in five primary school pupils have returned to class .
Mr Blanquer admitted that the children who had returned were often those from wealthier families .
`` It 's true that the children of poor families are coming less than the others , '' he said .
`` That 's why it was important to start in May , not in June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ] step-by-step [ process ] with poor families .
It takes time to persuade people . ''
Why is there a social divide ?
Fathia Sissani lives in Seine-Saint-Denis , a poor suburb of Paris that last month recorded the highest rate of coronavirus deaths anywhere in France .
She is a single parent to three children , two girls and a boy , aged between 11 and 14 .
She gave up work to look after her middle child , who is disabled .
Her youngest , Riya , has dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard for him to follow the courses online at home .
`` I 'm a parent , not a teacher , '' says Fathia .
`` I grew up in Algeria so I studied in Arabic .
I speak French well , but I do n't understand lessons like maths or grammar . ''
• Teachers say still 'not wise ' to reopen schools • How England is following Denmark 's school safety model • How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
Her internet connection has also been a problem .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't have a good signal , '' she explained .
`` I was having difficulty connecting to the school .
Everyone is online .
We tried for a bit , but I 'd had enough of it . ''
Having everyone at home has been hard for Fathia .
Her two daughters love school , but even though schools are reopening she is n't sending any of them back into class yet .
`` I was among the first parents who said 'no ' .
I ca n't allow myself to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` At school , there are lots of pupils ; you ca n't watch everyone or follow all of them , you ca n't let them out to play .
So I 'm against the idea . ''
The town where school gates are staying shut It 's not yet compulsory for parents to send their child back to school in France , and many parents say they 're nervous about it .
In Sens , a pretty market town 100km ( 62 miles ) south of Paris , all the state primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted because of three suspected cases of coronavirus reported by teachers .
All have since tested negative .
The town 's mayor , Marie-Louise Fort , says her decision to shut all 19 schools was very popular .
There 's too much pressure on parents , she told me , because the government has asked each family to decide if their child should return to school .
`` The way it is now creates guilt for the parents , '' the mayor explains .
`` If they put their children in school and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty ; if they keep them at home and they fall behind , they 'll feel guilty .
When you govern , you have to take clear decisions . ''
How the government is trying to get children to return When I asked the education minister whether it was unfair to pass so much responsibility on to parents , he said the reasoning behind this decision was exactly the opposite .
Even before the closures , more than 90 % of parents in Sens told the local education department that they would n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And most of the parents we spoke to in the town said they were still planning to keep their children at home .
`` The best way to reassure parents that it 's safe is other parents and other children , '' Mr Blanquer said .
`` The fact that the first 10 days have been a success is the best factor , because people see on TV that they 're ok , they 're happy to come back . ''
The education ministry has issued 56 pages of detailed instructions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean and their pupils safe , in the hope of building trust .
There must be no more than 15 children in a class , no shared toys , and timed arrivals at school .
Children over the age of 11 also need to wear masks .

"I was among the first parents who said 'no'. I can't allow myself to take this risk," she says. "At school, there are lots of pupils; you can't watch everyone or follow all of them, you can't let them out to play. So I'm against the idea."


bbc--2020-05-24--LG Polymers: Was negligence behind India's deadly gas leak?

The Indian arm of LG Chem , a South Korean multinational , has been accused of negligence after a gas leak at its plant killed 12 people .
BBC Telugu 's Deepthi Bathini finds out what happened .
People who live close to the LG Polymers factory - on the outskirts of the southern city of Visakhapatnam - woke up in the early hours of 7 May to a pungent smell .
As their eyes began to itch and burn , many fled their homes on foot , stopping only to rouse sleeping neighbours , asking them to leave immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gasping for breath and lying unconscious on the streets .
Thousands were evacuated from their homes , and hundreds were admitted to hospital , complaining of breathing difficulties .
Twelve of them , including two children , died .
So did at least 32 animals - cows , buffalo and dogs .
Survivors , officials say , will need regular health check-ups because the effects could last for some time .
The cause of the deaths was inhalation of vapours of styrene gas , a toxic compound , that had leaked from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed a culpable homicide complaint against the company 's management for causing the deaths through negligence .
An investigation by BBC Telugu - based on factory inspection reports and interviews with officials and former employees of the company - has found evidence of this .
It also found that the plant was operating without the required environmental clearance .
LG has not responded to the BBC 's questions .
But , in an earlier statement , the company said it was probing the cause of the leak .
`` My daughter 's seventh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said N Latha .
She was standing over her child 's body , outside the gates of the LG Polymers plant .
On 9 May , she and hundreds of protesters gathered outside the factory , demanding its closure .
Like Ms Latha , some of them had brought the bodies of their loved ones along - all victims of the gas leak .
`` How can I continue to live ?
I want justice , '' Ms Latha said .
`` Please close the factory !
You need to give me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior police official at the location .
The leak had been plugged but the smell lingered .
Trees near the factory were discoloured , and banana plants in surrounding farms had turned black and felt like stone .
Officials said they had collected water , soil and vegetable samples for testing , and were awaiting results .
`` But we have advised residents not to consume any perishable foods or use groundwater .
We have arranged for tankers instead , '' city commissioner Srijana Gummala said .
The leak happened as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time since 24 March , when India went into lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus .
Even though the plant is located on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam , it 's still close to dense neighbourhoods and villages .
The port city , the biggest in the state of Andhra Pradesh , has expanded rapidly in recent decades .
The factory was set up in 1961 to manufacture polymers of styrene , a flammable liquid .
It 's used to make versatile plastics that go into various products , from refrigerators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposable tableware .
Styrene is stored in tanks at temperatures under 20C because it evaporates easily .
And the temperature has to be monitored regularly .
But sources say the temperature rose significantly on 7 May , triggering the deadly leak .
Sources told BBC Telugu that only one of the three shifts to monitor the tank temperature was staffed during the lockdown .
Officials told the BBC that they had issued permits for 15 LG employees responsible for maintenance and security to go to work .
`` There seems to be negligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said an official , adding that even the emergency siren had not gone off .
Locals said they heard no siren on the morning of the leak - and had not heard it since 2017 .
Former employees said the siren used to go off every time the shift changed , and was also meant to go off during emergencies .
But , they said , a former managing director had discontinued the practice .
`` As the siren had not been used for long , it did not work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the officer laughed it off , '' said a former employee .
`` The company said the siren did go off and people may not have heard it in their panic .
But it needs probing , '' said P Jaganatha Rao , member of the national environment tribunal , who was part of the team that did a preliminary inspection of the site .
The BBC has also seen earlier inspection reports by the labour ( department of factories ) department , which show evidence of poor maintenance in the factory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cement cladding protecting one of the six styrene tanks was `` damaged and needs to be replaced at once '' .
A report from December 2019 says that the pipes in the water sprinklers of one of the tanks was corroded - these sprinklers help lower the temperature in the tanks .
The report also says one of the tanks storing pentane , another toxic gas , also showed evidence of poor maintenance .
The report recommended that the company erect a containment wall around the styrene tanks , and a safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have responded to questions about whether these issues were addressed .
• The grassroots movement that shut down an Indian copper plant • Why are Bhopal survivors still fighting for compensation ?
Mr Rao told the BBC that the tanks storing styrene were old .
`` The new tanks have sensors and monitor systems , but old ones do not have these technologies , '' he said .
`` Thankfully , the safety valve was working well .
Otherwise , the scale of the accident would have been catastrophic . ''
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that LG Polymers had been operating since 2017 without the necessary environmental clearance .
The company had needed a fresh permit when it decided to expand production to include a new line of products - and it filed an application with the federal government on 22 December 2017 .
On 12 April 2018 , the company withdrew the application and filed a fresh one the same day , but this time it approached the state , and not federal , authority .
Its second application was accompanied by an affidavit , which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company admitted that it had been operating without the required permit , but said it was doing so with consent issued by the state 's pollution control board .
LG is one of several companies that has violated the law by starting operations without the necessary clearances .
And all of these companies applied for the permits once the federal government said - in 2017 - that it would grant them `` post facto '' , or after operations had begun .
Initially the power to do this only lay with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it said states could grant these permits as well .
LG Polymers is yet to receive the clearance .
The incident has put the spotlight on the government , which has been criticised for lax regulation , and India 's poor record in this matter .
Industrial accidents as a result of flouted safety norms and poor enforcement often make the news - the worst being a gas leak at a pesticide factory in 1984 that killed several thousand people and injured half a million others .
In a letter to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucrat , criticised the decision to grant approvals to companies that had violated the rules .
He accused the environment ministry of `` endangering people 's lives and damaging the environment '' with its actions .
Locals , meanwhile , said they are exploring legal options to close down the factory altogether .
`` We have smelled the gas on other days during morning walks , '' says Murali Ambati , another local who was at the protest .
`` We have raised concerns earlier , '' he says .
`` We even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but no action was taken . ''

Mr Rao told the BBC that the tanks storing styrene were old. "The new tanks have sensors and monitor systems, but old ones do not have these technologies," he said. "Thankfully, the safety valve was working well. Otherwise, the scale of the accident would have been catastrophic."


bbc--2020-05-23--Coronavirus: Spending lockdown in Henry VIII's palace

The Spring Bank Holiday would usually see thousands of tourists descend upon the UK 's historic palaces , mansions and stately homes .
But these incredible buildings and gardens , which were once homes for royals and the super rich , are being occupied by just a few people who are maintaining them during the pandemic .
What is it like living and working in these now deserted houses and grounds ?
'The formal garden is my running track' Lucy Hutchings is spending lockdown in the grand confines of Hampton Court Palace - once a favourite residence of Henry VIII @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are definitely worse places to be locked down than a palace , '' she says .
The complex beside the River Thames in south-west London was for many years home to the Tudor king and is rumoured to be haunted by his third wife Jane Seymour .
It was later home to Oliver Cromwell and eventually opened to the public by Queen Victoria .
Some 21,000 visitors would normally pass through the doors during Spring Bank Holiday and various events like jousting contests had been planned for this weekend .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's really gruelling , particularly given the nice weather , '' says Lucy , who is head of the palace .
However , she and others on site are trying to make the most of situation .
`` Having the keys to wander around a palace is so special .
We 've got 1,300 rooms here so I 'm using the opportunity to explore rooms I 've never been to before .
`` I 've [ also ] taken up jogging - the formal garden has become my personal running track , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in a royal residence is not all fun and games .
With a building that is almost 500 years old and only a skeleton staff to keep it in order , there is plenty of work to do .
The royal ceremonial dress collection , including clothing that belonged to Queen Victoria and Princess Diana , has had to be moved into a freezer to stop pests attacking it .
The gardens need to be maintained and weeded .
The many rooms are being cleaned and dusted .
Lucy says `` it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and in most cases , a lot of learning on the job .
When the chimes of Hampton Court 's 16th Century astronomical clock went wrong , specialists had to explain how to fix its Tudor workings by FaceTime .
The 37-year-old added : `` We initially had to figure out things like how the bins are collected - for the first few weeks we were living in our own filth but now we 're sorted . ''
While the downtime has given staff the opportunity to do jobs that would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lucy says they are all `` so looking forward '' to when the building can open again .
`` It 's so odd how quiet it is here and quite sad .
While it 's wonderful to have this space to myself , it 's meant to be bustling and busy .
`` Spaces like this are meant to be enjoyed . ''
'It feels like time 's stood still' When it was built in the early 17th Century , Audley End House , near Saffron Walden , Essex , was considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Surrounded by 100 acres ( 40 hectares ) of park , sculpted by famous landscape architect Capability Brown , it attracts large crowds keen to look around the magnificent Jacobean building .
However , this year it is lacking the hustle and bustle its staff have come to expect .
`` It feels quite surreal ... We 'd usually be having events and activities but instead it feels like time 's stood still , '' says property supervisor Franchesca Derry .
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The 24-year-old , who has been working at the grand house for two years , is living with her partner in a building in the grounds .
A few other essential staff like gardeners and grooms who care for the site 's five horses are also dotted in other properties , but all are keeping socially distant from one another , adding to the eerie calm .
While she is missing the guests who would usually fill up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have been benefits to the quiet .
`` We 've had the spring bloom and it 's so peaceful here which has led to an increase in wildlife .
We have seen an increase in Muntjac deer roaming the grounds freely , along with herons and egrets patiently waiting by the river for their next catch .
`` Ducks have also set up home within the service wing as it is much quieter and two Egyptian geese have made Audley their home over the last couple of months .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do feel lucky to be isolated in such a beautiful place , '' she says .
'The peacocks have no-one to show off to' While the English wildlife seems to be enjoying the peace , there are some over the border in Wales that are less fond of the enforced quiet .
With no visitors to entertain , the peacocks at Powis Castle have been harassing the few staff and gardeners who are working at the site .
`` They 're creatures who like to show off , but they 've got no-one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitor experience manager , Sarah Johnson .
`` [ And ] they are not good when it comes to social distancing . ''
The site was built as a fortress in the 1200s and is now known for its unique , medieval gardens , orangery and original statues .
Sarah lives near the National Trust property and visits once a week to help with the numerous tasks involved in `` putting the house to bed '' , including cleaning and safely storing the 2,000 items in the castle 's collection .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different side to the place , '' she says .
Like other historic properties , they would have expected a bumper bank holiday and Sarah says it is `` strange that no one is around '' .
`` It 's very different here .
We 're missing our colleagues and visitors .
We 're really looking forward to when it 's finally safe to reopen '' .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

"We've had the spring bloom and it's so peaceful here which has led to an increase in wildlife. We have seen an increase in Muntjac deer roaming the grounds freely, along with herons and egrets patiently waiting by the river for their next catch.


bbc--2020-05-24--Coronavirus: Which health claims are circulating online?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect countries across the world , false and misleading health advice is still being widely shared online .
We 've taken a look at some of the most recent examples and where they 've come from .
Often , messages will be shared containing generally sound advice but mixed in with additional claims that are clearly misleading and even potentially harmful .
Because they are frequently shared on encrypted social media platforms they can be difficult to track .
Two of India 's leading medical institutions and a top Indian doctor have criticised a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributing health advice to them .
The message contains a long list of precautions to take to avoid getting the virus , many of them very sensible such as social distancing , avoiding crowded areas and observing personal hygiene .
But it also advises a vegetarian diet , and to avoid wearing belts , rings or wristwatches .
None of these measures has been shown to protect against the virus .
Nutritional advice from the WHO relating to Covid-19 includes consuming protein as well as eating fruit and vegetables , in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
2 .
The flu vaccine wo n't put you at greater risk of Covid-19 This is an important one to highlight because it points to a real study , but draws misleading conclusions from it .
A widely shared Facebook post claims if you 've had a flu jab you 're significantly more likely to contract Covid-19 .
The post links to a study published by the US military as evidence .
But this study was published in October 2019 , before the Sars-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19 was identified , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2017-18 flu season .
For the avoidance of doubt , there is no evidence that a flu jab increases your risk of contracting Covid-19 .
The guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control is clear : `` Influenza vaccination does not make people more susceptible to other respiratory infections . ''
3 .
Prolonged wearing of face masks is not harmful Another misleading article being shared on social media claims the prolonged wearing of masks is dangerous to health .
The claim first appeared online in Spanish and was circulated widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ translation later made its way into English-language outlets , including a Nigerian news site which was shared more than 55,000 times on Facebook .
The article claims prolonged breathing while wearing masks leads to inhalation of carbon dioxide , which makes people dizzy and also deprives the body of oxygen .
It recommends lifting the masks every 10 minutes .
Dr Richard Mihigo , of the World Health Organization , told the BBC that the claims are not true and could actually be dangerous .
`` Non-medical and medical masks are made from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The masks should allow you to breathe normally and prevent particles from passing through , '' he said .
He also says the advice that people should keep lifting the masks to inhale to avoid harmful effects could expose them to contamination .
There are some situations in which face masks might not be advised : • children under two whose lungs have n't fully developed • people with respiratory conditions who may struggle to breathe 4 .
Smoking does n't help ward off the virus And here 's a claim that keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be true - but is n't .
There 's no evidence that they 're less likely to be at risk from Covid-19 , but there are plenty of articles that suggest they might be be .
This one , for example from the UK Mail Online - shared tens of thousands of times , suggests there 's `` more evidence smoking may cut the risk of coronavirus '' .
It said a review of studies from a number of countries showed that smokers are less common among Covid-19 patients who end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It added that experts were struggling to explain if there was a connection .
One study by a leading French hospital suggested that it could be nicotine which might be stopping the Covid-19 infection spreading .
Research is going on to test what impact nicotine patches and nicotine replacement therapies might have on the coronavirus .
But the WHO says : `` There is currently insufficient information to confirm any link between tobacco or nicotine in the prevention or treatment of Covid-19 . ''
It adds that smokers are more vulnerable to serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues associated with smoking .
And there 's been clear medical advice that people who smoke should quit during the current pandemic as it could increase their chances of a severe form of lung disease .
Research by Shruti Menon in Delhi and Peter Mwai in Nairobi • EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

Often, messages will be shared containing generally sound advice but mixed in with additional claims that are clearly misleading and even potentially harmful. Because they are frequently shared on encrypted social media platforms they can be difficult to track.


bbc--2020-05-23--Two positive in latest Premier League coronavirus tests

Two new cases of coronavirus , at two separate clubs , have been found after the latest round of Premier League tests .
Tests were carried out on Tuesday , Thursday and Friday of last week , with 996 players and club staff tested overall .
Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days .
This time the tests available to each club was increased from 40 to 50 .
On 19 May the Premier League announced that in the first round , six tested positive from three clubs .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant manager Ian Woan .
A total of 748 players and club staff were tested between 17-18 May .
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic , with 92 fixtures remaining .
Speaking on Friday , Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the league was `` as confident as we can be '' about restarting in June .
Asked what date the Premier League was targeting for a return , Masters said it must be `` flexible '' and could learn from the resumption of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister said La Liga can resume behind closed doors from 8 June .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
'We have to be flexible' - Premier League chief executive Richard Masters spoke to BBC sports editor Dan Roan on 22 May
An unnamed Bournemouth player is one of two new coronavirus cases discovered by the latest round of Premier League tests - taking the overall total of positive results to eight.
The Cherries said the player's identity will not be disclosed - they will now self-isolate for seven days.
The other positive was at a different club which has not been named.
Tests took place on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, with 996 players and club staff tested.
In the Championship, two individuals from Hull City have tested positive after 1,014 tests were undertaken at all 24 Championship sides over the past 72 hours.
"Following strict adherence to the Premier League's return to training regulations, the club's training ground remains a safe working environment for players and backroom staff, who will continue to be tested for Covid-19 twice per week," Bournemouth said in a statement.
The first round's results, announced on 19 May, returned six positive tests at three clubs from the 748 players and staff tested.
That number included the positive tests of Watford defender Adrian Mariappa and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan.
For the second round of testing the number of tests available to each club was increased from 40 to 50.
Squads started non-contact training from Tuesday for the first time since the Premier League was suspended on 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with 92 fixtures remaining.
Speaking on Friday, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the league was "as confident as we can be" about restarting in June.
Germany's Bundesliga has already resumed, while on Saturday the Spanish Prime Minister said La Liga can resume behind closed doors from 8 June.
What's next?
The guidance for the second phase of training, which would allow contact, is waiting to be signed off by the government.
The Premier League is due to meet on Wednesday and Thursday for further discussions about restarting the season, with the results of the third round of testing also due later in the week.
Players quiz government on BAME risks
Watford captain Troy Deeney and former Arsenal striker Ian Wright were among those who quizzed government officials on Friday about the added dangers that coronavirus might pose towards black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) players.
The Office for National Statistics says black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die from coronavirus as white people in England and Wales.
Hornets forward Deeney and Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante opted to stay away from club training this week as a precaution.
In a "frank and open" online meeting, medical experts, including deputy chief medical offer Jonathan Van-Tam, were asked to quantify risks.
Deeney and Wright, who were also joined in the online forum by former Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi and former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, were told that the risk among young and healthy footballers was low.
But concerns were also raised about passing the infection on to family members.
The Professional Footballers' Association, which was also in attendance, has asked for more research to be conducted into the issue.


bbc--2020-05-23--Bayern score five to stay four points clear at top of Bundesliga

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will take a four-point lead into Tuesday 's top-of-the-table clash with Borussia Dortmund following an entertaining victory over Eintracht Frankfurt .
With Dortmund having narrowed the gap at the top to a single point earlier on Saturday , Bayern staged the perfect response , barring one three-minute period .
Leon Goretzka 's superb strike and a close-range Thomas Muller finish gave them a 2-0 half-time lead , which Robert Lewandowski added to with a header less than a minute into the second half .
But Frankfurt staged an unlikely fightback , scoring twice in three minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mishit volley , the second a header from a corner .
However , any hopes the visitors had of a famous result were dashed when Alphonso Davies capitalised on a defensive mistake to make it 4-2 before Hinteregger bundled the ball over his own line following Serge Gnabry 's flick for Bayern 's fifth .
Struggling Frankfurt have now lost five Bundesliga games on the bounce courtesy of conceding five to Bayern for the second time this season .
Bayern resumed their season following the two-month coronavirus shutdown with victory at Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with this , their 16th win in 17 games in all competitions .
Usually home to 75,000 vociferous fans , the deserted Allianz Arena made for an odd and eerie backdrop to an otherwise typically vibrant and gripping Bayern home display .
The strict hygiene measures put in place on the first weekend of German top-flight football 's return were again present and correct - staggered warm-ups , coaching staff and substitutes wearing masks and all separated by two metres on the sidelines .
But while the Bayern players did their best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals and play leading up to them were deserving of greater appreciation in the stadium .
Goretzka 's finish was sublime , steered into the net with an opened boot following a neat ball from Muller .
Muller did what Muller does , slotting home after chesting the ball down to claim his 117th Bundesliga goal .
Lewandowski , ever the predator , looked to have finished the game as a contest before the second half had even hit its stride with a thumping header from Kingsley Coman 's cross .
Hinteregger 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well taken as his goal at the wrong one was calamitous .
Davies utilised his pace and awareness to latch on to a misplaced pass from Gelson Fernandes and slot home to conclude a mad opening 15 minutes to the second half .
And there could easily have been more .
Lewandowski hit the bar with a shot and Benjamin Pavard saw a header from point-blank range saved with the game still goalless .
At the other end and later in the game , Manuel Neuer produced a superb block to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Frankfurt 's Filip Kostic was very unlucky , hitting the inside of the post with a fierce shot following a super solo run .
An unexpected test then for Bayern , but one they may appreciate come Tuesday 's Der Klassiker - a game that could go a long way to deciding if Bayern continue their run of having won the Bundesliga every year since 2012-13 .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will take a four-point lead into Tuesday's top-of-the-table clash with Borussia Dortmund following an entertaining victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
With Dortmund having narrowed the gap at the top to a single point earlier on Saturday, Bayern staged the perfect response, barring one three-minute period.
Leon Goretzka's superb strike and a close-range Thomas Muller finish gave them a 2-0 half-time lead, which Robert Lewandowski added to with a header less than a minute into the second half.
But Frankfurt staged an unlikely fightback, scoring twice in three minutes through defender Martin Hinteregger - the first a mishit volley, the second a header from a corner.
However, any hopes the visitors had of a famous result were dashed when Alphonso Davies capitalised on a defensive mistake to make it 4-2 before Hinteregger bundled the ball over his own line following Serge Gnabry's flick for Bayern's fifth.
Struggling Frankfurt have now lost five Bundesliga games on the bounce courtesy of conceding five to Bayern for the second time this season.
A game that deserved a crowd
Bayern resumed their season following the two-month coronavirus shutdown with victory at Union Berlin last Sunday, and followed it up with this, their 16th win in 17 games in all competitions.
Usually home to 75,000 vociferous fans, the deserted Allianz Arena made for an odd and eerie backdrop to an otherwise typically vibrant and gripping Bayern home display.
The strict hygiene measures put in place on the first weekend of German top-flight football's return were again present and correct - staggered warm-ups, coaching staff and substitutes wearing masks and all separated by two metres on the sidelines.
Hinteregger (right) had an eventful game, scoring twice in the Bayern goal and one in his own
But while the Bayern players did their best to cheer their positive work, the goals and play leading up to them were deserving of greater appreciation in the stadium.
Goretzka's finish was sublime, steered into the net with an opened boot following a neat ball from Muller.
Muller did what Muller does, slotting home after chesting the ball down to claim his 117th Bundesliga goal.
Lewandowski, ever the predator, looked to have finished the game as a contest before the second half had even hit its stride with a thumping header from Kingsley Coman's cross.
Hinteregger's two goals at the right end were as well taken as his goal at the wrong one was calamitous.
Davies utilised his pace and awareness to latch on to a misplaced pass from Gelson Fernandes and slot home to conclude a mad opening 15 minutes to the second half.
And there could easily have been more.
Lewandowski hit the bar with a shot and Benjamin Pavard saw a header from point-blank range saved with the game still goalless.
At the other end and later in the game, Manuel Neuer produced a superb block to prevent Mijat Gacinovic from making it 4-3, while Frankfurt's Filip Kostic was very unlucky, hitting the inside of the post with a fierce shot following a super solo run.
An unexpected test then for Bayern, but one they may appreciate come Tuesday's Der Klassiker - a game that could go a long way to deciding if Bayern continue their run of having won the Bundesliga every year since 2012-13.


bbc--2020-05-23--'I am the second greatest of all time' - but McGregor vows to be the best before retirement

Last updated on .From the section Mixed Martial Arts Conor McGregor has declared himself as the second greatest MMA fighter of all time behind Anderson Silva .
McGregor last fought in January , defeating Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 .
`` The array of finishes , across 2 divisions , with champion status in 1 , Anderson Silva is No.1 MMA GOAT , '' said McGregor .
McGregor , who has a 22-4 record in the UFC , claims his `` champion status '' in two divisions - featherweight and lightweight - is enough to secure him second place behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ array of finishes , across 3 divisions , with champion status in 2 , I 'm No.2 .
If not tied one .
`` However [ I am ] still active , No.1 is fully secured by career end .
And easily . ''
McGregor 's top four is rounded out by former middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and current light heavyweight belt-holder Jon Jones .
He added that had he taken into account failed drugs tests while determining his rankings , he would have installed himself at the top .
Silva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned substances during their career .
`` I did n't mention PED results on multiple entrants , even though that makes me the clear current No.1 MMA GOAT , along with still being active , '' said McGregor .
`` Although it shames , as well as puts all runs and finishes in complete doubt , I 've snored multiple juice heads .
A true GOAT must do it all . ''

Last updated on .From the section Mixed Martial Arts
Conor McGregor regards Anderson Silva to be the best MMA fighter of all time
Conor McGregor has declared himself as the second greatest MMA fighter of all time behind Anderson Silva.
The Dubliner, 31, took to Twitter on Saturday to anoint Silva, but said he will "easily" surpass the Brazilian before retiring.
McGregor last fought in January, defeating Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.
"The array of finishes, across 2 divisions, with champion status in 1, Anderson Silva is No.1 MMA GOAT," said McGregor.
McGregor, who has a 22-4 record in MMA, claims his "champion status" in two UFC divisions - featherweight and lightweight - is enough to secure him second place behind former middleweight champion Silva.
"My array of finishes, across 3 divisions, with champion status in 2, I'm No.2. If not tied one.
"However [I am] still active, No.1 is fully secured by career end. And easily."
McGregor's top four is rounded out by former middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and current light heavyweight belt-holder Jon Jones.
He added that had he taken into account failed drugs tests while determining his rankings, he would have installed himself at the top.
Silva and Jones have both tested positive for banned substances during their career.
"I didn't mention PED results on multiple entrants, even though that makes me the clear current No.1 MMA GOAT, along with still being active," said McGregor.
"Although it shames, as well as puts all runs and finishes in complete doubt, I've snored multiple juice heads. A true GOAT must do it all."


bbc--2020-05-23--NBA in talks to resume season at Disney World

The NBA is in talks to resume the season at Florida 's Disney World Resort in late July .
The @ @ @ @ @ March because of the coronavirus pandemic .
It is hoped Disney 's ESPN Wide World @ @ @ @ @ a `` single site for games , practices and housing '' .
The league is @ @ @ @ @ '' with the National Basketball Players Association and the resort , according to NBA spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved , and we are @ @ @ @ @ and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols @ @ @ @ @ , '' Bass added .
The regular season is yet to be completed .
Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ Conference and Los Angeles Lakers are top of the Western Conference .
There have been @ @ @ @ @ the United States and more than 96,000 deaths .

Last updated on .From the section Basketball
LeBron James' LA Lakers are currently top of the NBA Western Conference
The NBA is in talks to resume the season at Florida's Disney World Resort in late July.
The season was paused on 11 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It is hoped Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex can be a "single site for games, practices and housing".
The league is "engaged in exploratory conversations" with the National Basketball Players Association and the resort, according to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass.
"Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place," Bass added.
The regular season is yet to be completed. Milwaukee Bucks currently lead the Eastern Conference and Los Angeles Lakers are top of the Western Conference.
There have been 1.64m confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and more than 96,000 deaths.


bbc--2020-05-23--Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning take on $10m golf challenge

Rivals Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be joined by NFL greats Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as they take on a $ 10m ( £8.2m ) golfing rematch on Sunday .
The event will raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts in the United States .
It follows Rory McIlroy 's £4m skins event last week involving Dustin Johnson , Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff also in aid of charity .
Mickelson beat Woods to claim the $ 9m prize when they met in a matchplay duel in Las Vegas in 2018 .
The pair have previously had a strained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good humour in the build-up to their rematch .
During a recent video call , Mickelson showed off his trophy from their most recent meeting in 2018 , as Woods responded by putting on his green jacket from his 2019 Masters triumph .
NFL quarterbacks Brady , who partners Mickelson , and Woods ' team-mate Manning , also have a long-standing rivalry .
The contest will take place behind closed doors at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound , with no caddies , while the players are allowed to drive their @ @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section Golf
Mickelson beat Woods to claim the £7m in their head-to-head match in 2018
Rivals Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be joined by NFL greats Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as they take on a $10m (£8.2m) golfing rematch on Sunday.
The event will raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts in the United States.
It follows Rory McIlroy's £4m skins event last week involving Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff also in aid of charity.
Mickelson beat Woods to claim the $9m prize when they met in a matchplay duel in Las Vegas in 2018.
The pair have previously had a strained relationship, but have taunted each other in good humour in the build-up to their rematch.
During a recent video call, Mickelson showed off his trophy from their most recent meeting in 2018, as Woods responded by putting on his green jacket from his 2019 Masters triumph.
NFL quarterbacks Brady, who partners Mickelson, and Woods' team-mate Manning, also have a long-standing rivalry.
The contest will take place behind closed doors at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, with no caddies, while the players are allowed to drive their own golf buggies.


bbc--2020-05-24--Hong Kong police fire tear gas as protesters decry China security law plan

Police in Hong Kong have fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters rallying against China 's plans to impose a new security law on the territory .
Thousands of demonstrators have been marching through the city centre .
Police say 120 have been arrested .
Earlier , 200 senior politicians from around the world issued a joint statement criticising China 's plan .
Signatories called it a `` comprehensive assault on the city 's autonomy , rule of law and fundamental freedoms '' .
China is seeking to pass a law that would ban `` treason , secession , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• China 's new law : Why is Hong Kong so worried ?
• All the context you need on Hong Kong 's protests It has dismissed fears the legislation would harm foreign investors in Hong Kong , an important financial centre , and has lashed out at `` meddling '' countries .
Hong Kong 's leader Carrie Lam , who is seen as part of the pro-Beijing political establishment , has pledged full support for the proposed law and said the city 's freedoms would remain unchanged .
How are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the busy Causeway Bay and Wan Chai districts of the city on Sunday , chanting slogans against the government and waving banners .
`` People may be criminalised only for words they say or publish opposing the government , '' 25-year-old Vincent told AFP new agency , referring to the draft law .
Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators , who were wearing face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus .
The rally comes despite earlier warnings from authorities against unauthorised assembly and a ban on large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some protesters threw objects such as umbrellas and water bottles at officers , and used bins and other debris to set up road blocks .
Reports say Sunday 's protest followed a similar pattern to many of last year 's demonstrations , many of which turned violent .
More than 8,400 people have been arrested in Hong Kong since pro-democracy protests erupted last year .
What is in China 's proposed law ?
The `` draft decision '' - as it is known before approval by China 's National People 's Congress - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` must improve '' national security .
It adds : `` When needed , relevant national security organs of the Central People 's Government will set up agencies in Hong Kong to fulfil relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance with the law . ''
That means China could potentially have its own law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong , alongside the city 's own .
Earlier this week , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the plans , which he described as a `` death knell '' for the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Canada have also expressed their `` deep concern '' .
Relations between the two Washington and Beijing are already strained over trade disputes and the coronavirus pandemic .
The US is currently considering whether to extend Hong Kong 's preferential trading and investment privileges .
President Trump has also weighed in , saying the US would react strongly if the law went through - without giving details .
Speaking on Sunday , China 's Foreign Minister Wang Li said : `` Some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brink of a new Cold War .
`` This dangerous attempt to turn back the wheel of history will undo the fruits of decades long China-US cooperation , dampen America 's own development prospects and put world stability and prosperity in jeopardy . ''
What is in the foreign politicians ' statement ?
The statement was drafted by former Hong Kong Governor Christopher Patten and former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind , and signed by 186 policy makers and politicians from 23 countries .
It describes Beijing 's plans as a `` flagrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under which Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 .
`` If the international community can not trust Beijing to keep its word when it comes to Hong Kong , people will be reluctant to take its word on other matters , '' the signatories wrote .
They include 17 members of the US Congress , among them Republican Senator Marco Rubio , who is acting chairman of the Intelligence Committee , and Senator Ted Cruz as well as Democratic Senator Bob Menendez , who is the most senior Democrat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives to sign include Eliot Engel , head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , and Adam Schiff , chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee .
Some 44 UK MPs , including Tom Tugendhat , chair of the foreign affairs committee , and eight members of the House of Lords also signed .
Why does Beijing want to bring in the law ?
Hong Kong , a semi-autonomous region and an economic powerhouse , was required to introduce such a law after the handover from British control to Chinese rule in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never been done - the government tried in 2003 but had to back down after 500,000 people took to the streets .
Last year , Hong Kong was rocked by months of protests sparked by a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China .
Now the Chinese government argues the law is necessary to `` prevent , stop and punish '' such protests in the future .
• What is the Basic Law and how does it work ?
Beijing may also fear September 's elections to Hong Kong 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pro-democracy parties in district elections is repeated , government bills could potentially be blocked .
China could essentially place the draft law into Annex III of the Basic Law , which covers national laws that must be implemented in Hong Kong - either by legislation , or decree .
The NPC is expected to vote on the draft law at the end of its annual session , on 28 May .
It will then be forwarded to the NPC 's Standing Committee , China 's top legislature , which is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of June .

The US is currently considering whether to extend Hong Kong's preferential trading and investment privileges. President Trump has also weighed in, saying the US would react strongly if the law went through - without giving details.


bbc--2020-05-23--Coronavirus India: Death and despair as migrant workers flee cities

India ’ s strict lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus meant that most factories and businesses shut down , @ @ @ @ @ Minister Narendra Modi appealed to businesses to keep paying their workers , including daily-wage labourers @ @ @ @ @ t happen , and most of the workers were left with little money and food @ @ @ @ @ income , they took long journeys to go back to their villages .
Some managed @ @ @ @ @ those who couldn ’ t , walked hundreds of miles .
And some of them @ @ @ @ @ they died because of exhaustion or in accidents .

India’s strict lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus meant that most factories and businesses shut down, rendering millions jobless.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to businesses to keep paying their workers, including daily-wage labourers.
But that didn’t happen, and most of the workers were left with little money and food.
With no prospect of income, they took long journeys to go back to their villages. Some managed to get transport, but those who couldn’t, walked hundreds of miles.
And some of them never made it home as they died because of exhaustion or in accidents.
The BBC’s Vikas Pandey and Anshul Verma report.


bbc--2020-05-24--Western Australia prepares for 'once-in-a-decade' storm

Australia 's western coast is being battered by a huge storm , which is heading for the main city of Perth .
Torrential rains , strong winds and waves of up to eight metres ( 26ft ) are forecast in some areas .
The severe weather is the result of the remnants of tropical cyclone Mangga interacting with a cold front , according to the Bureau of Meteorology .
A senior official in Department of Fire and Emergency Services ( DFES ) said it would be a `` once-in-a-decade '' storm .
`` Normally our storms come from the south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north west , '' DFES acting assistant commissioner Jon Broomhall told journalists .
He added that authorities were `` asking people to secure property and make sure everything loose is tied down '' .
A severe weather warning is in place for much of Western Australia .
More than 30,000 homes and businesses are without power across the state , ABC News reports .
`` This is a rare event for WA particularly due to the extent of the area affected and the possibility of multiple areas of dangerous weather , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of up to 130 km/h ( 75 mph ) are expected along the coast , the Bureau of Meteorology said .
Some areas could see up to 10cm of rain .
The weather system will continue into Monday , according to forecasts .

"This is a rare event for WA particularly due to the extent of the area affected and the possibility of multiple areas of dangerous weather," said the Bureau of Meteorology.


bbc--2020-05-24--Nasa SpaceX launch: Astronauts complete rehearsal for historic mission

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have completed their dress rehearsal for Wednesday 's flight to the International Space Station .
The mission , the first crewed outing from American soil in nine years , will see the pair ride to orbit in a SpaceX Falcon rocket and Crew Dragon capsule .
It 's a demonstration of the new `` taxi '' service the US space agency will be buying from the Californian firm .
Lift-off on Wednesday is timed for 16:33 EDT ( 20:33 GMT / 21:33 BST ) .
• Who are Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission unfold ?
The weather around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida may have other ideas , however .
A forecast released on Saturday by the US Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicted just a 40 % chance of favourable conditions come launch time .
There is a strong possibility the Kennedy complex could see thick cloud , rain and even thunder .
If controllers are forced to scrub , everyone will come back on Saturday for a second try .
Hurley and Behnken are now all but done with their preparations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the pair don their made-to-measure spacesuits , walk out to a Tesla , and then make a 6km drive down to Kennedy 's famous Launch Complex 39A .
Their SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket has been sitting erect on the pad since Thursday .
The men then got in the service tower lift to go up to the access arm gantry and climb into the capsule .
The run-through gave all launch personnel - not just Hurley and Behnken - the opportunity to remind themselves of what 's to come .
There is huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the space shuttles were retired in 2011 has America been able to launch its own astronauts .
Getting crews to the ISS these past nine years has been a task entrusted solely to Russia and its Soyuz rocket and capsule system .
Nasa has contracted both SpaceX and aerospace giant Boeing to pick up where the shuttles left off .
The difference this time is that the agency will not own and operate the vehicles .
It will merely be buying `` tickets to ride '' .
SpaceX and Boeing will be free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies , other companies and even individuals .
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

There is huge focus on this mission. Not since the space shuttles were retired in 2011 has America been able to launch its own astronauts. Getting crews to the ISS these past nine years has been a task entrusted solely to Russia and its Soyuz rocket and capsule system.


bbc--2020-05-24--Prince William: Parenthood brought Diana death emotions

Prince William has revealed that becoming a father brought back painful emotions he felt following his mother 's death when he was 15 years old .
The Duke of Cambridge , who has three children with his wife Catherine , said feelings from a `` traumatic '' event can resurface when becoming a parent .
He told a BBC documentary on mental health that he found things `` overwhelming '' at times .
His mother , Diana , Princess of Wales , died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 .
Prince William , father to Prince George , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he and Catherine support one another during those difficult times .
He was speaking to former professional footballer Marvin Sordell for the programme focusing on men 's mental health and football .
Ex-Bolton Wanderers striker Sordell described becoming a father as `` the hardest time in my life '' , adding that he struggled with his emotions and found it challenging as he did not grow up with a father .
• How are William and Kate handling lockdown ?
• Coronavirus : How to protect your mental health The Duke of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest life-changing moment , it really is .
`` And I agree with you , I think when you 've been through something traumatic in life - and that is like you say your dad not being around , my mother dying when I was younger - your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it 's a very different phase of life .
`` And there 's no one there to , kind of , help you , and I definitely found it very , at times , overwhelming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` come out of the blue '' which you do not expect or think you have already dealt with .
Speaking about parenthood , the royal added : `` It 's one of the most amazing moments of life but it 's also one of the scariest . ''
Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry have , through their Heads Together mental health campaign , spoken increasingly about the impact their mother 's death had on them .
Football , Prince William And Our Mental Health will be broadcast on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One .
• GROUNDED WITH LOUIS THEROUX : What 's Lenny Henry doing in lockdown ?

"And I agree with you, I think when you've been through something traumatic in life - and that is like you say your dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger - your emotions come back in leaps and bounds because it's a very different phase of life.


bbc--2020-05-24--Netanyahu trial: Israeli prime minister faces Jerusalem court

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu goes on trial for corruption on Sunday , the first time a serving leader will have done so in the country 's history .
Mr Netanyahu has been charged with bribery , fraud and breach of trust - allegations which he strongly denies .
The 70-year-old has rejected calls by opponents to step down while he fights the cases .
It comes just a week after he was sworn back into office as head of a rare national unity government .
His political rival , Benny Gantz , agreed to share power following three inconclusive elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial : What are the allegations ?
Mr Netanyahu is expected to attend the opening session of the trial , which is being held at Jerusalem District Court .
The leader of the right-wing Likud party is Israel 's longest-serving prime minister , having been in power continuously since 2009 .
He also served a term in office from 1996-1999 .
What is Benjamin Netanyahu accused of ?
Mr Netanyahu has been indicted in three cases , known as 1,000 , 2,000 and 4,000 : • Case 1,000 - Fraud and breach of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gifts - mainly cigars and bottles of champagne - from powerful businessmen in exchange for favours • Case 2,000 - Fraud and breach of trust : Mr Netanyahu is accused of offering to help improve the circulation of Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot in exchange for positive coverage • Case 4,000 - Bribery , fraud and breach of trust : as PM and minister of communications at the time of the alleged offence , Mr Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulatory decisions favourable to the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant , Shaul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Mr Elovitch 's Walla news site Mr Netanyahu has strongly denied all the charges against him , branding them a `` witch-hunt '' by political opponents , and has vowed to clear his name .
How can the prime minister serve and stand trial at the same time ?
Such a thing has never happened before in Israel , so there is no precedent .
A former prime minister , Ehud Olmert , stepped down as party leader when he was under investigation for corruption in 2008 but technically remained prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which brought Benjamin Netanyahu to power .
According to Israeli law , a prime minister charged with a crime is not required to resign .
Under the power-sharing deal with Benny Gantz , a new role of `` alternate prime minister '' was created , which means when the two men switch positions in 18 months ' time , Mr Netanyahu will still occupy a prime ministerial office and stay on as Mr Gantz 's deputy .
What does the trial mean for the country ?
In short , a serving prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land simultaneously trying to clear his name and avoid jail-time .
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it `` an embarrassment '' and `` horrible for the spirit of the nation '' though it is not expected to affect government policy .
Mr Netanyahu is still likely to press ahead with plans to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley - territory in the occupied West Bank - in the coming months , a move certain to infuriate the Palestinians .
Opinion in Israel as to whether he should carry on as prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a trial makes Mr Netanyahu 's job untenable , but his supporters - including his party - say he has been democratically elected and should not be forced out .
Even if he is convicted , Mr Netanyahu will not be required to resign unless and until any appeals are exhausted - which could , in theory , be many months or years into the future .
In Ehud Olmert 's case , the former prime minister went on trial in 2009 and after he was convicted only began serving his sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .

Netanyahu trial: Israeli prime minister faces Jerusalem court Published 24 May 2020
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Mr Netanyahu is the first serving Israeli prime minister to go on trial
The trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges has opened in Jerusalem, days after he began a new term in office.
Mr Netanyahu, 70, is the first standing leader to face trial in the country's history. He denies accusations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Arrived at the courthouse for a brief hearing, he said the cases were aimed at "toppling him in any way possible".
He was sworn back into office as head of a rare unity government a week ago.
His political rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to share power following three inconclusive elections in under a year.
He has rejected calls by opponents to step down while he fights the cases.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, November 2019 - Benjamin Netanyahu rails against corruption charges
The leader of the right-wing Likud party is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, having been in power continuously since 2009. He also served a term in office from 1996-1999.
What happened at the court?
As he arrived at the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday, he told reporters: "I'm here with a straight back and my head held high."
"When you need to take me down, a strong prime minister from the right, everything is possible," he added.
At the start of the hearing, which lasted about an hour, Mr Netanyahu told the judges: "I read and I understand the indictment."
He stood in a face mask and refused to sit down on the defendants' bench until the reporters left the room, local media say.
His lawyers say they need several months to prepare their defence. The date for the next hearing has been set for 19 July.
What is Benjamin Netanyahu accused of?
Mr Netanyahu has been indicted in three cases, known as 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000:
Case 1,000 - Fraud and breach of trust: he is accused of receiving gifts - mainly cigars and bottles of champagne - from powerful businessmen in exchange for favours
Case 2,000 - Fraud and breach of trust: Mr Netanyahu is accused of offering to help improve the circulation of Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot in exchange for positive coverage
Case 4,000 - Bribery, fraud and breach of trust: as PM and minister of communications at the time of the alleged offence, Mr Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulatory decisions favourable to the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for positive coverage by Mr Elovitch's Walla news site
Mr Netanyahu has strongly denied all the charges against him, branding them a "witch-hunt" by political opponents, and has vowed to clear his name.
How can the prime minister serve and stand trial at the same time?
According to Israeli law, a leader charged with a crime is not required to resign. But there is no precedent.
A former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, stepped down as party leader when he was under investigation for corruption in 2008 but technically remained prime minister until elections the following year - polls which brought Benjamin Netanyahu to power.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mr Netanyahu has resisted calls to step down, vowing to clear his name
Under the power-sharing deal with Benny Gantz, a new role of "alternate prime minister" was created, which means when the two men switch positions in 18 months' time, Mr Netanyahu will still occupy a prime ministerial office and stay on as Mr Gantz's deputy.
What does the trial mean for the country?
In short, a serving prime minister occupying the most powerful office in the land simultaneously trying to clear his name and avoid jail-time.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it "an embarrassment" and "horrible for the spirit of the nation" though it is not expected to affect government policy. Mr Netanyahu is still likely to press ahead with plans to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley - territory in the occupied West Bank - in the coming months, a move certain to infuriate the Palestinians.
Image source, AFP Image caption, The trial is unlikely to affect controversial plans to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank
Opinion in Israel as to whether he should carry on as prime minister is split: critics say the spectacle of a trial makes Mr Netanyahu's job untenable, but his supporters - including his party - say he has been democratically elected and should not be forced out.
Even if he is convicted, Mr Netanyahu will not be required to resign unless and until any appeals are exhausted - which could, in theory, be many months or years into the future.


bbc--2020-05-24--Coronavirus: Tory MPs urge Dominic Cummings to resign

Several Conservative MPs have called for the PM 's chief adviser Dominic Cummings to quit , amid claims he broke coronavirus lockdown rules .
Mr Cummings is facing new allegations , with The Observer and Sunday Mirror reporting he made a second trip to the North East after returning to London .
No 10 says this is `` false '' and Grant Shapps says Mr Cummings - who has been seen going into No 10 - will not quit .
Steve Baker is among the backbench MPs to question his position .
Mr Cummings and the government had said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the original claims that he drove 260 miles from London to County Durham while his wife had coronavirus symptoms .
Labour has called for an urgent inquiry into the allegations , while government ministers rallied around Mr Cummings on Saturday and defended his conduct .
Matt Hancock and Michael Gove were among those to back Mr Cummings for self-isolating at a property adjacent to other family members in case he and his wife needed help with childcare .
• What do we know about Cummings ' lockdown trip ?
• Caring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules ?
Mr Cummings told reporters outside his home on Saturday that he would not be resigning and had done the `` right thing '' .
The two newspapers have now reported witnesses saw Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle , more than 25 miles from Durham , on 12 April .
On 14 April , he was seen in London .
According to a witness , he was spotted again near Durham in Houghall Woods on 19 April .
Mr Cummings is yet to publicly respond to the new claims , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he left Durham on 13 April , and that the claim he made a second trip from London was `` totally false '' .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC 's Andrew Marr that the claims of a second trip was `` untrue '' .
When asked if Mr Cummings was going to resign , Mr Shapps replied : `` No . ''
But there are growing calls from backbench Tory MPs for Mr Cummings to consider his position .
Ex-chairman of the European Research Group ( ERG ) Steve Baker told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't afford this nonsense , this pantomime , Dominic should go and we should move on and deal with things that matter in people 's lives . ''
Tory Sir Roger Gale said there `` can not be one law for the prime minister 's staff and another for everyone else '' .
Conservative MP Caroline Nokes tweeted : `` There can not be one rule for most of us and wriggle room for others . ''
Colleague Simon Hoare has called for Mr Cummings to `` consider his position '' , Tory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` would be better without him '' and MP Craig Whittaker has said Mr Cummings ' position `` is untenable '' .
Labour 's shadow policing minister Sarah Jones told Sky 's Sophy Ridge on Sunday that people `` are feeling rightly angry '' .
`` I think people are rightly feeling is it one rule for us and one rule for people at the top , '' she said .
In response to the fresh claims , Downing Street said : `` Yesterday the Mirror and Guardian wrote inaccurate stories about Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more inaccurate stories including claims that Mr Cummings returned to Durham after returning to work in Downing Street on 14 April .
`` We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers . ''
Downing Street has also denied that police spoke with family members of Mr Cummings `` about this matter '' .
In an updated statement , Durham Police said officers learned of his trip on 31 March and spoke to Mr Cummings ' father the following day .
After an apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most senior Conservatives yesterday , today the first cracks may be starting to show .
Steve Baker has become the first Tory MP to break ranks and call for Dominic Cummings to go .
As one of Parliament 's most prominent Brexiteers , his intervention is significant .
The tone of his criticism even more so - accusing Mr Cummings of regarding `` accountability with contempt '' .
His view is that Boris Johnson is expending too much political capital on trying to save his adviser .
The next few hours will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If there 's enough backbench unrest , it will leave Boris Johnson with an unappealing choice to make : oust a highly-valued adviser or risk upsetting the party to keep him .
Other opposition parties have also renewed their calls for the prime minister 's adviser to go .
Mr Cummings masterminded the 2016 Vote Leave campaign before being made Boris Johnson 's chief political adviser .
The SNP 's Ian Blackford said Mr Cummings `` has to leave office '' , while acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told BBC Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been sacked by tomorrow , I think the prime minister 's judgement is in serious doubt . ''
Government advice had been for people to stay at home during the first weeks of lockdown .
Self-isolation at home continues to be advised for those with coronavirus symptoms .
England 's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said all health guidance should be applied with `` common sense '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ take to get better ?
It comes as the government announced 282 more people had died with coronavirus since Friday , across all settings , bringing the total to 36,675 .
• Rising costs from the coronavirus pandemic could see care homes in England `` go to the wall '' , sector leaders have warned • People arriving in France from the UK from 8 June will have to quarantine for 14 days • The government has pledged to give £283m towards improving safety and restoring services on bus and light rail services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THEROUX : What 's Lenny Henry doing in lockdown ?

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