bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus: What's going wrong in Sweden's care homes?

More than half of elderly Covid-19 victims in Sweden have died in care homes .
Some healthcare workers believe an institutional reluctance to admit patients to hospital is costing lives .
Lili Perspolisi 's father , Reza Sedghi , was not seen by a doctor on the day he died from coronavirus , at his care home in northern Stockholm .
A nurse told her he 'd had a morphine shot in the hours before he passed away , but he was not given oxygen , nor did staff call an ambulance .
`` No-one was there and he died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's so unfair . ''
Most of the 3,698 people who have died from coronavirus in Sweden so far were over 70 , despite the fact that the country said shielding risk groups was its top priority .
Sweden , with 10m inhabitants , has kept more of society open than is the case in most of Europe .
`` We did not manage to protect the most vulnerable people , the most elderly , despite our best intentions , '' Prime Minister Stefan Löfven admitted last week .
• Has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweden did ban visits to care homes on 31 March .
But as in many European countries , relatives , staff and union officials have shared concerns that protective clothing arrived too late , and that some staff may have gone to work at the start of the crisis despite showing symptoms of Covid-19 .
Now , increasing numbers of workers are also coming forward to criticise regional healthcare authorities for protocols which they say discourage care home workers from sending residents into hospital , and prevent care home and nursing staff from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , either as part of acute or palliative ( end-of-life ) services .
'We were told not to send them in' '' They told us that we should n't send anyone to the hospital , even if they may be 65 and have many years to live .
We were told not to send them in , '' says Latifa Löfvenberg , a nurse who worked in several care homes around Gävle , north of Stockholm , at the beginning of the pandemic .
`` Some can have a lot of years left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do n't have the chance ... because they never make it to the hospital , '' she says .
`` They suffocate to death .
And it 's a lot of panic and it 's very hard to just stand by and watch . ''
Ms Löfvenberg is now working on a Covid-19 ward in a major hospital in the Swedish capital , where she says the demographic of patients she 's treating is further evidence that the elderly are being kept away .
`` We do n't have many older people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people born in the 90s , 80s , 70s . ''
A paramedic working in Stockholm , who wanted to remain anonymous , told the BBC she had not had a single call-out to an elderly care home connected to Covid-19 , despite putting in overtime during the crisis .
Mikael Fjällid , a Swedish private consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care , says he believes `` a lot of lives '' could have been saved if more patients had been able to access hospital treatment , or if care home workers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead of waiting for specialist Covid-19 response teams or paramedics .
`` If you need care and you can benefit [ from ] care , for example , or oxygen for a short time , you should have it .
Like any other age group in the population , '' he says .
`` If you have more than 20 % that survive without nothing , you could assume that also perhaps the same amount or the same proportion would have survived with supplemental oxygen . ''
Decisions about healthcare staffing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sweden , although national guidelines suggest that elderly patients , whether in state or privately run care homes , should not automatically be taken to hospital for treatment .
Dr Thomas Linden , Chief Medical Officer at the National Board of Health and Welfare , says workers should `` professionally weigh the potential benefits '' against risk factors such as catching the virus in hospital and the `` costs '' of transporting patients , including the likelihood of disorientation and discomfort .
Healthcare workers are asked not to discriminate on age alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be relevant in combination with other factors .
When it comes to providing palliative care , it is not mandatory to give patients oxygen , and Dr Linden admits `` the opinions on the value of oxygen is divided between specialities and regions '' .
Gävleborg , the region where Latifa Löfvenberg worked at the start of the pandemic , says individual patients ' needs are always put first and that nurses can call doctors to make assessments about the need for hospital care .
It is against the idea of care-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it requires specialist training .
Christoffer Bernsköld , a spokesperson for geriatric care for Region Stockholm , insists there are enough resources to ensure patients in the capital get acute or palliative care , with a focus on `` specialist homecare units '' providing help in the first instance .
He points to a new , unused , military field hospital in southern Stockholm as proof that the elderly are not being held back from treatment because of a lack of beds .
But he says it can be an `` ethical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer patients to hospital .
Critics like Mikael Fjällid see that field hospital as a sign that officials in the capital have been cautious about hospitalising the elderly because they fear overstretching resources , which would be needed to cope with a future spike in cases .
How do other countries prioritise patients ?
Sweden is not alone in asking healthcare workers to consider the fragility of patients when deciding whether or not to send them to hospital .
But representatives of care homes in other parts of Europe have told the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about a lack of access to treatment .
In the UK , the National Care Association says it believes care has been available for Covid-19 patients `` no matter how old or sick '' they are .
The Association of German Aid for the Elderly and Disabled says every patient with coronavirus symptoms is seen by a doctor and there has n't been a single patient who has not received the care they needed .
In some cases , entire care homes have been moved into hospitals .
Many homes also keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurses Association says that all patients in need of oxygen are currently sent to hospital .
This could be reviewed if there is a shortage of ventilators , although age would not affect future guidelines .
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At a recent news conference , Sweden 's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven told the BBC that regional authorities had been trusted to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way '' and given extra resources from the state to cover costs connected to Covid-19 .
Last week the government also announced a further 2.2bn kronor ( £185m ) for additional training within care homes , with a view to creating 10,000 permanent positions for assistant nurses and care workers .
Mr Löfven said it was n't currently the right time to reflect on potential failures , but a national commission would look at how things had been handled at a local , regional and national level as soon as the `` acute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is a bittersweet message for relatives of Covid-19 victims like Lili Perspolisi , who buried her father last week .
`` Whatever they did did n't work , because ... many , many people in his home are dead , '' she says .

Coronavirus: What's going wrong in Sweden's care homes? Published 19 May 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Sweden's Prime Minister has admitted the country has not done enough to protect the elderly
Care home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden. Some healthcare workers believe an institutional reluctance to admit patients to hospital is costing lives.
Lili Sedghi's father, Reza, was not seen by a doctor on the day he died from coronavirus, at his care home in northern Stockholm.
A nurse told her he'd had a morphine shot in the hours before he passed away, but he was not given oxygen, nor did staff call an ambulance. "No-one was there and he died alone," says Ms Sedghi. "It's so unfair."
Most of the 3,698 people who have died from coronavirus in Sweden so far were over 70, despite the fact that the country said shielding risk groups was its top priority.
Sweden, with 10m inhabitants, has kept more of society open than is the case in most of Europe.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, 'No one was there when my father died'
"We did not manage to protect the most vulnerable people, the most elderly, despite our best intentions," Prime Minister Stefan Löfven admitted last week.
The Swedish Public Health Agency told the BBC that 48.9% of deaths were care home residents up to and including 14 May.
Sweden did ban visits to care homes on 31 March. But as in many European countries, relatives, staff and union officials have shared concerns that protective clothing arrived too late, and that some staff may have gone to work at the start of the crisis despite showing symptoms of Covid-19.
Now, increasing numbers of workers are also coming forward to criticise regional healthcare authorities for protocols which they say discourage care home workers from sending residents into hospital, and prevent care home and nursing staff from administering oxygen without a doctor's approval, either as part of acute or palliative (end-of-life) services.
'We were told not to send them in'
"They told us that we shouldn't send anyone to the hospital, even if they may be 65 and have many years to live. We were told not to send them in," says Latifa Löfvenberg, a nurse who worked in several care homes around Gävle, north of Stockholm, at the beginning of the pandemic.
"Some can have a lot of years left to live with loved ones, but they don't have the chance... because they never make it to the hospital," she says. "They suffocate to death. And it's a lot of panic and it's very hard to just stand by and watch."
Image caption, Latifa Löfvenberg works as a nurse in Stockholm
Ms Löfvenberg, a local politician with the nationalist Sweden Democrats, is now working on a Covid-19 ward in a major hospital in the Swedish capital, where she says the demographic of patients she's treating is further evidence that the elderly are being kept away. "We don't have many older people. It's a lot of younger people born in the 90s, 80s, 70s."
A paramedic working in Stockholm, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC she had not had a single call-out to an elderly care home connected to Covid-19, despite putting in overtime during the crisis.
Mikael Fjällid, a Swedish private consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care, says he believes "a lot of lives" could have been saved if more patients had been able to access hospital treatment, or if care home workers were given increased responsibilities to administer oxygen themselves, instead of waiting for specialist Covid-19 response teams or paramedics.
"If you need care and you can benefit [from] care, for example, or oxygen for a short time, you should have it. Like any other age group in the population," says Mr Fjällid, a right-wing critic of the centre-left led government.
"If you have more than 20% that survive without nothing, you could assume that also perhaps the same amount or the same proportion would have survived with supplemental oxygen."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell argued in April that Sweden’s strategy is largely working
In April 10,458 people died in Sweden, making it the country's deadliest month since 1993, when there was an outbreak of seasonal flu, state-funded Statistics Sweden reports.
National guidelines
Decisions about healthcare staffing and resources are taken at a regional level in Sweden, although national guidelines suggest that elderly patients, whether in state or privately run care homes, should not automatically be taken to hospital for treatment.
Dr Thomas Linden, Chief Medical Officer at the National Board of Health and Welfare, says workers should "professionally weigh the potential benefits" against risk factors such as catching the virus in hospital and the "costs" of transporting patients, including the likelihood of disorientation and discomfort.
Healthcare workers are asked not to discriminate on age alone, he says, although biological age may be relevant in combination with other factors.
When it comes to providing palliative care, it is not mandatory to give patients oxygen, and Dr Linden admits "the opinions on the value of oxygen is divided between specialities and regions".
Gävleborg, the region where Latifa Löfvenberg worked at the start of the pandemic, says individual patients' needs are always put first and that nurses can call doctors to make assessments about the need for hospital care.
It is against the idea of care-home workers administering oxygen during palliative care, because it requires specialist training.
Christoffer Bernsköld, a spokesperson for geriatric care for Region Stockholm, insists there are enough resources to ensure patients in the capital get acute or palliative care, with a focus on "specialist homecare units" providing help in the first instance.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Most Swedish victims of the virus have been over 70 years old
He points to a new, unused, military field hospital in southern Stockholm as proof that the elderly are not being held back from treatment because of a lack of beds.
But he says it can be an "ethical dilemma" whether to administer oxygen or transfer patients to hospital.
Critics like Mikael Fjällid see that field hospital as a sign that officials in the capital have been cautious about hospitalising the elderly because they fear overstretching resources, which would be needed to cope with a future spike in cases.
How do other countries prioritise patients?
Sweden is not alone in asking healthcare workers to consider the fragility of patients when deciding whether or not to send them to hospital.
But representatives of care homes in other parts of Europe have told the BBC they do not share Swedish critics' concerns about a lack of access to treatment.
In the UK, the National Care Association says it believes care has been available for Covid-19 patients "no matter how old or sick" they are.
The Association of German Aid for the Elderly and Disabled says every patient with coronavirus symptoms is seen by a doctor and there hasn't been a single patient who has not received the care they needed. In some cases, entire care homes have been moved into hospitals. Many homes also keep emergency oxygen on site.
The Danish Nurses Association says that all patients in need of oxygen are currently sent to hospital. This could be reviewed if there is a shortage of ventilators, although age would not affect future guidelines.
More funding and permanent jobs
At a recent news conference, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven told the BBC that regional authorities had been trusted to make sure healthcare provision "works the best way" and given extra resources from the state to cover costs connected to Covid-19.
Last week the government also announced a further 2.2bn kronor (£185m) for additional training within care homes, with a view to creating 10,000 permanent positions for assistant nurses and care workers.
Mr Löfven said it wasn't currently the right time to reflect on potential failures, but a national commission would look at how things had been handled at a local, regional and national level as soon as the "acute" phase of the crisis was over.
That is a bittersweet message for relatives of Covid-19 victims like Lili Sedghi, who buried her father last week.
"Whatever they did didn't work, because... many, many people in his home are dead," she says.
Additional reporting by Sira Thierij.


bbc--2020-05-18--Killer Kicks: the secret in your sneakers

The sneaker industry has tripled in the last 10 years , now accounting for almost half of global footwear sales @ @ @ @ @ phenomenon .
Lynnie , 26 , owns 80 pairs and still wants more .
She @ @ @ @ @ the birthplace of the sneaker scene , and charts its rise from the footwear of @ @ @ @ @ rappers to the defining fashion item of our age and an asset class unto itself @ @ @ @ @ exchange ( StockX ) and with collectors parting with up to $ 560,000 for a @ @ @ @ @ it happen ?
And how can the planet possibly keep up ?
Every pair of @ @ @ @ @ amount of carbon dioxide as a 10 mile drive - and the industry is pumping @ @ @ @ @ a year .
She wants to know why she - and we - just can @ @ @ @ @ .

The trainer industry has tripled in the last 10 years, now accounting for almost half of global footwear sales. They are a fashion phenomenon.
Lynnie, 26, owns 80 pairs and still wants more. She travels to New York, the birthplace of the sneaker scene, and charts its rise from the footwear of basketball players, breakdancers and rappers to the defining fashion item of our age and an asset class unto itself, with its own stock exchange (StockX) and with collectors parting with up to $560,000 for a single pair.
How did it happen? And how can the planet possibly keep up? Every pair of trainers produced emits the same amount of carbon dioxide as a 10 mile drive - and the industry is pumping out over a billion pairs a year. She wants to know why she - and we - just can’t stop buying them.
Watch the full documentary on BBC iPlayer
Produced by Nomia Iqbal
Graphics by Naomi Goddard
Executive Producers Nisha Lilia Diu and Toby Sealey
Filmed by Hannah Livingston, Ben Mann and Andy Brownstone


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus crisis 'could help ease Gulf tensions' - UAE

Countries in the Gulf region - Iran and the six Gulf Arab states - will emerge `` weaker , poorer and damaged '' from the coronavirus pandemic , according to the UAE 's Minister of State , Dr Anwar Gargash .
Speaking to the BBC from Abu Dhabi , he said the answer was for the whole region to try to de-escalate its tensions .
The United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , one of the wealthiest countries in the world , made early preparations for the onset of the pandemic , buying in testing kits and setting up production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total population of nine million , it has so far registered 23,358 cases and 220 deaths .
Iran , just across the waters of the Gulf , has been the worst-hit country in the region with over 122,000 cases registered and more than 7,000 deaths .
The UAE has sent medical aid to Iran , as well as to the UK .
`` We knew back in January this was coming our way , that it was not going to stay in China , so we moved very quickly to prepare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As far back as late January , he says , the UAE 's national security advisor warned that the coming pandemic was going to completely overshadow concerns about the ongoing war in Yemen , where the UAE deployed forces against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for years before scaling back its involvement .
With the virus being a common enemy for everyone , Dr Gargash said he was hopeful it could lead to a de-escalation of some of the regional disputes and tensions that have dogged the region .
Yemen , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil war that has dragged in outside countries and shattered that country 's already fragile healthcare system .
The UAE , like all its Gulf Arab neighbours , has a large , fluid population of expatriate workers mainly from poorer countries in South Asia .
Many live in crowded conditions or shared rooms and one area of Dubai , the UAE 's second city , initially showed such a high level of infections it had to be temporarily cordoned off and sanitised before being reopened .
• ' I just want to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere in public is mandatory .
`` You just get used to it , '' says James , a Briton living in Dubai .
`` It makes us feel a lot safer and there 's tonnes of testing going on .
The secret police are everywhere [ so people are complying ] . ''
Between 30-40,000 tests are now being carried out each day using a nasal swab and there are still around 700 new infections registered daily .
The UAE is also working on a pioneering stem cell therapy , so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gargash says has shown some encouraging results .
`` We had a patient in ICU [ intensive care unit ] in a coma , '' he said .
`` After the treatment they recovered . ''
Dr Gargash believes the pandemic will lead to greater investment in healthcare technology - including Artifical Intelligence - but also to austerity .
`` The biggest challenge is going to be an economic one .
We have had the double-hit of the pandemic and falling oil prices . ''
Governments in the region , he says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming austerity measures .

Countries in the Gulf region - Iran and the six Gulf Arab states - will emerge "weaker, poorer and damaged" from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the UAE's Minister of State, Dr Anwar Gargash. Speaking to the BBC from Abu Dhabi, he said the answer was for the whole region to try to de-escalate its tensions.


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus: French court orders ban on worship to end

France 's administrative court has ruled that the government must lift a blanket ban on meetings at places of worship within eight days .
The ban was put in place as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus .
The Council of State ruled the ban was `` disproportionate in nature '' and caused `` damage that was seriously and manifestly illegal '' .
More than 28,000 people have died in France from Covid-19 .
Currently , all gatherings in places of worship are banned except for funerals , which are limited to 20 people .
However the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 10 people are now allowed , the ban was `` disproportionate to the objective of preserving public health '' .
• How a church sings when the choir ca n't meet • France 's first coronavirus case 'was in December' Bruno Retailleau , leader of the right-wing Republicans in the Senate said on Twitter that the ruling was `` good news for freedom of religion '' .
France is currently in the middle of relaxing its lockdown rules while trying to ensure the country does not experience a second wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to organise services until 2 June .
France had a cluster of Covid-19 cases in February that originated at an evangelical church .
Thousands of people gathered in Mulhouse for a week of activities .
More than 2,500 cases are said to have been linked to it worldwide , Reuters news agency reports .
A gathering at a church in South Korea sparked more than 5,000 cases there .

France is currently in the middle of relaxing its lockdown rules while trying to ensure the country does not experience a second wave of cases. Religious leaders had been told not to organise services until 2 June.


bbc--2020-05-18--Myanmar police seize largest haul of synthetic drugs

Police in Myanmar have seized South East Asia 's biggest ever haul of synthetic drugs , the scale of which they described as `` off the charts '' .
More than 200m methamphetamine tablets , 500kg of crystal methamphetamine and 300kg of heroin were found in raids in north-east Shan state .
Thirty-three people were arrested in the operations , which were carried out between February and April .
Myanmar is thought to be the largest global source of methamphetamines .
The suspects told police most of the drugs were destined for sale within Myanmar and in neighbouring countries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency told Reuters news agency .
More than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl , a product used to make powerful opioid fentanyl , was also discovered .
Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and more than 100 times more potent than morphine .
It has fuelled an opioid crisis in the US .
On average , 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day , according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention .
UNODC South East Asia and Pacific representative Jeremy Douglas said the discovery was a sign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging `` on a scale nobody anticipated '' .
Myanmar is the world 's second largest producer of opium , after Afghanistan .
Its illicit drug trade has flourished because of its mountainous land and porous borders .
It is located in the `` Golden Triangle '' , an area shared with China , Laos and Thailand , known for supplying drugs , a multi-billion dollar trade .
Between 2018 and 2019 , a total of 14 clandestine drug laboratories were seized in Myanmar .
In 2017 , a Buddhist monk was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four million methamphetamine pills hidden in a monastery .

Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and more than 100 times more potent than morphine, and has fuelled an opioid crisis in the US.


bbc--2020-05-18--Elaphrosaur: Rare dinosaur identified in Australia

A fossil unearthed in Australia by a volunteer digger has been identified as a rare , toothless dinosaur that roamed the country 110 million years ago .
The elaphrosaur , whose name means `` light-footed lizard '' , was related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor .
The five-centimetre ( two-inch ) vertebrae fossil was discovered during a dig near Cape Otway in Victoria in 2015 .
It is the first elaphrosaur bone ever to be found in Australia .
The fossil was discovered by volunteer Jessica Parker , who was taking part in an annual dig led by Melbourne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was thought to be from a flying reptile called a pterosaur .
But when palaeontologists at Swinburne University in Melbourne studied the fossil further , they realised it was a delicately-built dinosaur .
• 'Crazy beast ' lived among last of dinosaurs '' Elaphrosaurs had long necks , stumpy arms with small hands , and relatively lightly-built bodies , '' Dr Stephen Poropat said .
The fossil indicated the animal was about two metres ( 6.5ft ) long .
However , other fossils previously found in Tanzania , China and Argentina show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in length .
Adult elaphrosaurs probably did n't eat much meat , Dr Poropat said .
`` As dinosaurs go , they were rather bizarre .
The few known skulls of elaphrosaurs show that the youngsters had teeth , but that the adults lost their teeth and replaced them with a horny beak .
We do n't know if this is true for the [ Australian ] elaphrosaur yet - but we might find out if we ever discover a skull , '' he said .
Cape Otway , where the fossil was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discoveries .
About a dozen animals and five dinosaur species have been identified there , according to ABC News .
Those discovered include a plant-eating dinosaur found in 2018 .
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"As dinosaurs go, they were rather bizarre. The few known skulls of elaphrosaurs show that the youngsters had teeth, but that the adults lost their teeth and replaced them with a horny beak. We don't know if this is true for the [Australian] elaphrosaur yet - but we might find out if we ever discover a skull," he said.


bbc--2020-05-18--Cyclone Amphan: India's east coast braces for severe storm

Indian officials are on alert after Cyclone Amphan - due to make landfall on the east coast - looks likely to intensify into a `` very severe '' storm .
The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday and hit West Bengal and Orissa ( Odisha ) states .
Twenty relief teams have been dispatched there .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to chair a high-level meeting to further discuss preparations for the storm .
The cyclone comes amid huge levels of migration from the cities to villages .
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing cities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of coronavirus .
Both states are seeing large numbers of people return .
• How cyclones get their names There are fears about the impact of the storm on them - many are on foot .
This would be the first super cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 super cyclone that hit the Orissa coast and killed more than 9,000 people , according to BBC Weather .
India 's meteorological department has issued a `` yellow alert '' for the region , advising fishermen not to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the next 24 hours , and north Bay of Bengal from 18-20 May '' .
A ' '' yellow alert '' or `` cyclone alert '' is issued `` of the expected commencement of adverse weather over the coastal areas '' .
In a bulletin , the weather department said the storm is likely to move across the north-west Bay of Bengal , and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts from noon local time on 20 May as a `` very severe cyclonic storm '' .
It also warned of rough seas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coastal areas .
Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for West Bengal and Orissa - 200-250mm of rain is expected between Tuesday night and Thursday morning .
Beginning Monday evening , Orissa is planning to evacuate more than a million people from coastal areas and accommodate them in more than 550 cyclone shelters .
The head of India 's National Disaster Relief Force ( NDRF ) , SN Pradhan , said they were watching the situation closely and were in touch with state governments .
Last June a powerful cyclone that was expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast changed its course , and moved further into the Arabian sea .
Hundreds of thousands of people had already been evacuated as the region braced for Cyclone Vayu , which was classified as `` very severe '' .
And in May last year India evacuated more than a million people to safety to avoid Cyclone Fani , in which 16 people were killed in Orissa .
In the Bay of Bengal , the cyclone season typically runs from April to December .

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bbc--2020-05-18--Fang Fang: The Wuhan writer whose virus diary angered China

A diary written by an award-winning Chinese author documenting her life in Wuhan in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak has now been translated into English .
Fang Fang first began publishing online accounts of her experience in the city in January , while it was still believed to be a local crisis .
The 65-year-old 's diary entries were widely read , providing millions in China with a rare glimpse into the city where the virus first emerged .
Earlier this year , Wuhan became the first place in the world to enter a state of complete lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has now become widespread .
The city was essentially cut off from not only China , but the rest of the world .
As the lockdown continued , Fang Fang 's popularity grew .
Publishers then announced that they would collate her entries and publish them in several languages .
But Fang Fang 's growing international recognition has come with a shift in the way she is viewed in China - with many angered by her reporting , even branding her a traitor .
What was her diary about ?
In late January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan , Fang Fang - whose real name is Wang Fang - began documenting events in the city on Chinese social media site Weibo .
• Living alone in a city gone quiet • 'He got a hospital bed hours before he died' • Can China test Wuhan in only 10 days ?
In her diary entries , she wrote about everything from the challenges of daily life to the physiological impact of forced isolation .
Publisher HarperCollins says she `` gave voice to the fears , frustrations , anger , and hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It notes she `` also speaks out against social injustice , abuse of power , and other problems which impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it '' .
In one column written by her published by the Sunday Times , she details an instance where she went to pick her daughter up from the airport .
`` There were hardly any cars or pedestrians on the streets .
Those few days were when panic and fright were at their height in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
How did it come to international attention ?
During a time where news was being heavily filtered and independent news outlets were scarce , Fang Fang quickly emerged as a reliable source of information , boosted no doubt by her background as a well-known writer .
`` This country needs writers with a conscience like you .
The public has lost trust with much of the official media , one user on Weibo had reportedly said , according to news site The Independent .
Her reputation , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't long before it found its way out of China .
Why did China turn on her ?
Cyber-nationalism is common on Chinese social media .
Thousands of angry netizens stand ready to rear their head whenever China is criticised , humiliated or subjected to some form of foreign insult .
And Fang Fang is far from the first Chinese writer to face online backlash .
In this case , as the virus continued to spread across the world , people started to become more critical of China 's response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant many went on the defensive .
It was in this climate that it became known that Fang Fang 's works were due to be sold in the West .
According to specialist news site What 's on Weibo , this was when public opinion turned against it , after it `` became known that an international edition of her diary was on pre-sale through Amazon '' .
`` In the eyes of many Chinese users , a translated version of Fang 's critical account of the Wuhan outbreak would only provide opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the report .
She was quickly seen not as a bearer of truth but instead a traitor to China , with some saying she was capitalising on her fame - and even possibly a tragedy .
`` She 's seizing this time of national crisis and taking advantage [ of it ] , '' said one user on Weibo .
`` This is contemptible . ''
The anger against her is not helped by the fact that the book was published by US publisher HarperCollins - at a time when the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a diplomatic spat .
Chinese state media have also made it very clear what their position is on Fang Fang .
`` Her global rise propelled by foreign media outlets has sounded the alarm for many in China that the writer might have become just another handy tool for the West to sabotage Chinese people 's efforts , '' said a piece by the Global Times .
`` Her diary only exposes the dark side in Wuhan while ignoring the efforts that local people made and the support extended across the nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It 's hard to say as the book was only made available last Friday .
The New York Times has praised its raw honesty , saying `` she may live meekly during the lockdown , but she writes bold sentences '' .
A review by NPR says the diary is a `` document of the trivial , tragic and absurd during Wuhan 's 76 days of lockdown '' , but laments that the translation into English is unable to `` capture [ a ] multidimensionality '' found in her Chinese diaries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been met with a handful of negative reviews , one of which called the book `` totally fake information '' .
Another reviewer , however , praised the book , saying her diary `` provided a window into what it was like to live in a city that the whole world was watching '' .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

Earlier this year, Wuhan became the first place in the world to enter a state of complete lockdown that was then unheard of, but has now become widespread. The city was essentially cut off from not only China, but the rest of the world.


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus lockdown: The harmonica player giving cheer to neighbours

Frederic Yonnet is an urban jazz harmonica player living in Washington , DC .
Mr Yonnet says his band calls @ @ @ @ @ to encourage people to enjoy the music from their own property .
The US capital @ @ @ @ @ in place since 11 March .

Frederic Yonnet is an urban jazz harmonica player living in Washington, DC.
Mr Yonnet says his band calls their Sunday playing sessions Eavesdrop to encourage people to enjoy the music from their own property.
The US capital's stay-at-home order has been in place since 11 March.
Video by Gringo Wotshela


bbc--2020-05-18--Night at the museum: Man breaks into dinosaur exhibit, taking selfies

An international student has been charged with breaking into a Sydney museum after CCTV footage showed a man taking selfies @ @ @ @ @ The Australian Museum is the country 's oldest museum .

An international student has been charged with breaking into a Sydney museum after CCTV footage showed a man taking selfies next to dinosaur exhibits.
The Australian Museum is the country's oldest museum.


bbc--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Fasting for Ramadan on the front line

Every year millions of Muslims fast for the holy month of Ramadan , not eating or drinking between sunrise and @ @ @ @ @ it like to fast as a healthcare worker in the time of the coronavirus ?
@ @ @ @ @ women working on the front line who shared their days with us .

Every year millions of Muslims fast for the holy month of Ramadan, not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset.
But what is it like to fast as a healthcare worker in the time of the coronavirus?
The BBC spoke to two women working on the front line who shared their days with us.
Produced by Olivia Lang and Safia Mohamed


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus leads to food industry crisis in Europe

Across Europe , much of the food and agriculture industry has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic .
Half @ @ @ @ @ Netherlands have stopped going out to sea .
That 's because the price of fresh @ @ @ @ @ a lack of demand .
In France , 150,000 tonnes of high quality cheese went @ @ @ @ @ farmers can ’ t sell it .
And many of the warehouses that store fresh @ @ @ @ @ reaching capacity .
BBC Europe correspondent Gavin Lee takes a look at the impact .

Across Europe, much of the food and agriculture industry has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Half of the fishermen in the Netherlands have stopped going out to sea. That's because the price of fresh fish has plummeted due to a lack of demand.
In France, 1,500 tonnes of high quality cheese went off last week, because farmers can’t sell it.
And many of the warehouses that store fresh food across Europe are now reaching capacity.
BBC Europe correspondent Gavin Lee takes a look at the impact.
Producers: Kostas Kallergis, Sira Thierij
Researcher: Eve Webster
Filming: Maarten Lernout, Pol Reygaerts


bbc--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Belgian hospital staff turn backs on PM Sophie Wilmès

Staff at Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels have turned their backs on Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès during an official visit @ @ @ @ @ been criticised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the country 's high mortality @ @ @ @ @ previously suggested that Belgium may be over-reporting the actual number of cases .

Staff at Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels have turned their backs on Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès during an official visit.
Belgium's government has been criticised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the country's high mortality rate.
The PM has previously suggested that Belgium may be over-reporting the actual number of cases.


bbc--2020-05-18--Mars: Mud flows on Red Planet behave like 'boiling toothpaste'

Scientists have made a surprising discovery about Mars by playing with muck in the laboratory .
An international team of researchers wondered how volcanoes that spew mud instead of molten rock might look on the Red Planet compared with their counterparts here on Earth .
In chamber experiments , simulated Martian mud flows were seen to behave a bit like boiling toothpaste .
Under certain conditions , the fluid even began to bounce .
The mucky gunge resembled a certain type of lava referred to as `` pahoehoe '' , which is observed at Hawaii 's famous Kīlauea volcano .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations at the Red Planet , believes study lead Dr Petr Brož from the Czech Academy of Sciences ' Institute of Geophysics .
`` You 'll look at some features [ from space ] and you wo n't know for sure whether they are the result of lava flows or mud flows .
`` Without a geologist on the ground to hit them with a hammer , it will be hard to tell , '' he told BBC News .
For a long time , Dr Brož had a sceptical view about mud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well known here on Earth , but he 'd actually spent several years trying to disprove an interpretation that large numbers of conical forms on the Red Planet might also be the same thing .
Eventually , he came around to the idea , and that led him to wonder how mud - if it really does spew from the ground on Mars - would behave in the extreme cold and low-pressure conditions that persist there .
This took him to Dr Manish Patel and his team at the UK 's Open University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can recreate the Martian environment .
It 's the kind of set-up in which equipment destined to go on a space agency rover would be tested .
And although ordinarily every effort would be made to keep the chamber spotlessly clean , the researchers soon found themselves tipping experimental muddy fluids down a sandy slope .
Under `` Earth conditions '' , these muddy mixes behave as you would expect : they 're smooth , like gravy poured on to a dinner plate .
But under `` Martian conditions '' , the mud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jagged lobes .
It all comes down to how the low pressure - 150 times less than the pressure of Earth 's atmosphere - makes water rapidly evaporate , boil and ultimately freeze .
`` The skin on the fluid freezes , but this flow is thick enough that the inside remains fluid , '' explained Dr Patel .
`` So the skin will stop the flow for a bit , but then the momentum from the fluid inside breaks through at weak points in the skin , and the flow propagates forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except that 's molten rock .
But again , it 's a cooling skin that forms before hot material bursts through . ''
The team reports its initial experiments in a paper in the journal Nature Geoscience .
Not captured in this publication are subsequent experiments in which the flows were repeated for a `` hot day '' on Mars .
There are places where it can get as high as 20C for short periods .
In this scenario , the mud boiled vigorously in the low pressure ; `` it was jumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Dr Brož .
The team 's work should be a reminder to scientists that when they look at planetary bodies , physical processes can sometimes produce unexpected outcomes , he added .
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

"The skin on the fluid freezes, but this flow is thick enough that the inside remains fluid," explained Dr Patel. "So the skin will stop the flow for a bit, but then the momentum from the fluid inside breaks through at weak points in the skin, and the flow propagates forward. It's just like pahoehoe, except that's molten rock. But again, it's a cooling skin that forms before hot material bursts through."


bbc--2020-05-18--Lockdown in a virus-hit migrant camp

Lockdown in a virus-hit migrant camp

An Afghan journalist and refugee locked down in one of Europe ’ s migrant camps has been investigating conditions there @ @ @ @ @ Early action by the Greek government has kept infection rates low , and there have @ @ @ @ @ camps .
But as Reza Adib reports , fear of the virus has had a @ @ @ @ @ Viewers in the UK can see more on Coronavirus Crisis : Europe ’ s Migrant @ @ @ @ @ One on 18 May at 19:30 , or later on the BBC iPlayer

An Afghan journalist and refugee locked down in one of Europe’s migrant camps has been investigating conditions there during the coronavirus crisis.
Early action by the Greek government has kept infection rates low, and there have been no deaths in the camps. But as Reza Adib reports, fear of the virus has had a profound effect.
Watch: Viewers in the UK can see more on Coronavirus Crisis: Europe’s Migrant Camps on Panorama on BBC One on 18 May at 19:30, or later on the BBC iPlayer


bbc--2020-05-18--Just Sam: American Idol crowns first ever 'at home' winner

American Idol 's 18th winner , Just Sam , celebrated alone on Sunday after taking part in the finale under lockdown in Los Angeles .
Samantha Diaz , 21 , from Harlem , New York , was told she 'd won the public vote by host Ryan Seacrest , who was broadcasting from his garage .
She heard the news while clutching an iPad that was connected to a call with her grandmother , who brought her up .
`` Can I thank America now ? ''
asked the singer .
`` My dreams have come true . ''
American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , with the flashy neon sets and pyrotechnics replaced by gardens , garages and bedrooms .
Just Sam relocated from New York to LA for the live stages of the singing contest .
When the show started filming remotely due to the pandemic , she faced a tough choice - either return to Harlem or remain alone in quarantine in LA .
In the end , she chose the latter for her grandmother 's safety .
`` I get to stay in California so that my grandmother could be OK and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said on the show .
`` I do n't have much , just my two suitcases that I had packed about two months ago . ''
From the subway to stardom Over the weeks , Just Sam captured viewers ' hearts with her emotional back story , vivacious personality and soul-stirring vocals .
Formerly a subway singer in New York , she broke down in tears while auditioning for the show in Washington DC last year , before stunning the judges with a stirring performance of Andra Day 's Rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upbringing .
With her mother in jail , she spent time in foster care before being adopted at the age of six by her Liberian grandmother , Elizabeth .
`` She made sure we were fed , she made sure we had a roof over our head , she made sure we had clothes on our backs , '' she told American Idol .
She took on her stage name at high school after being bullied over her appearance .
`` In high school , they did n't know which category to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one episode .
`` I was n't a girl , not a boy , but both .
And I 'm like , 'Just Sam - it sounds perfect .
I think I 'm going to use that as my stage name forever . '
'' In the final , she faced stiff competition from Arthur Gunn , a Nepalese-American singer whose gritty rock vocals made him one of the favourites to win .
But Sam 's powerful rendition of Stronger ( What Does n't Kill You ) , by the first ever Idol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reprise of Day 's Rise Up earned her the public vote .
Rise Up will be released as her first single on Monday .
`` My grandmother has been saying that she does n't believe that people like us can have their dreams come true , '' she said during the show .
`` This is proof to her ! ''
The contestants and judges ( Katy Perry , Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie ) were each sent a makeshift rig consisting of three iPhones , a tripod and a ring light to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also in their own homes , advised on camera angles and backdrops , and the resulting footage was edited remotely .
For the finale , contestants were also provided with a confetti cannon , with each of the final five pre-recording one song and performing the other live .
`` We put the show together earlier in the week because there are so many factors to it , '' Seacrest told People magazine .
`` It 's technically not possible to do it all live obviously .
`` Every once in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to step on each other while we 're talking because there 's that delay that we 've all experienced talking to our families at home on different Zooms and things like that . ''
Elsewhere in Sunday 's show , Perry performed her new single Daisies , while Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo delivered a medley of Aretha Franklin hits .
The finale ended with a performance of the 1985 charity anthem We Are The World , led by co-writer Lionel Richie and his fellow judges .
Just Sam also joined the chorus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - including Jordin Sparks , Fantasia , Katharine McPhee , Ruben Studdard and Scotty McCreery - whose faces were virtually projected onto some of America 's most famous landmarks .
Speaking to Billboard , executive producer Trish Kinane , said some of the changes forced upon the team this season would influence next year 's show .
`` We 're starting to think about auditions in a serious way now , '' Kinane said .
`` All our big , open calls where you have thousands of people , I guess we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that . ''
Filming contestants at home could become a more regular feature .
`` When we 've been announcing the results to contestants these past few weeks , they 're at home in a familiar environment with their family and the emotion ... has been extraordinary and you do n't get that in the big studio , '' she said .
`` We 're certainly going to be looking at the emotion that these moments have produced , and how do we capture that again ?
`` We 've been forced into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed something rather stripped-back and back to the origins of what Idol was . ''
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"Every once in a while we have to be careful not to step on each other while we're talking because there's that delay that we've all experienced talking to our families at home on different Zooms and things like that."


bbc--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Tears inside Milan’s quarantine hotel

Ten weeks after imposing the world ’ s first national lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic , Italy is reopening shops @ @ @ @ @ and restarting church services .
It marks the country ’ s next stage of recovery @ @ @ @ @ , some hotels have taken in people infected with the virus who need to be @ @ @ @ @ spread .
Our correspondent Mark Lowen has visited one in Milan .

Ten weeks after imposing the world’s first national lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic, Italy is reopening shops, restaurants and hairdressers, and restarting church services.
It marks the country’s next stage of recovery.
As cases have dropped, some hotels have taken in people infected with the virus who need to be isolated to further stop the spread.
Our correspondent Mark Lowen has visited one in Milan.
Camera: Francesco Tosto
Producers: Gillian Hazell, Julian Miglierini


bbc--2020-05-17--Michael Jordan: NBA legend's trainers sell for record $560,000

Basketball legend Michael Jordan 's autographed trainers from 1985 sold for a record $ 560,000 ( £463,000 ) in an @ @ @ @ @ Air Jordan 1s , worn by Jordan during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls @ @ @ @ @ between $ 100,00- $ 150,000 at Sotheby 's .
The previous record was $ 437,500 @ @ @ @ @ 's 1972 Moon Shoes .
Jordan wore mismatched trainers , with the left a size @ @ @ @ @ size 13.5 .
The Air Jordan 1s were sold by Jordan Geller , who founded @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas .
The sale coincided with a Netflix documentary - The Last Dance - @ @ @ @ @ Bulls ' hunt for a sixth NBA title in the 1997-98 season .
• Why @ @ @ @ @ everyone talking • ' I design shoes for Ronaldo , the Beckhams and NBA stars @

Last updated on .From the section Basketball
Jordan won six NBA titles and was a five-time NBA MVP
Basketball legend Michael Jordan's autographed trainers from 1985 sold for a record $560,000 (£463,000) in an online auction.
The Nike Air Jordan 1s, worn by Jordan during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, were expected to fetch between $100,00-$150,000 at Sotheby's.
The previous record was $437,500 for a pair of Nike's 1972 Moon Shoes.
Jordan wore mismatched trainers, with the left a size 13 and the right a size 13.5.
The Air Jordan 1s were sold by Jordan Geller, who founded the trainer museum Shoezeum in Las Vegas.
The sale coincided with a Netflix documentary - The Last Dance - with behind-the-scenes footage of the Bulls' hunt for a sixth NBA title in the 1997-98 season.
The trainers were sold by auctioneers Sotheby's on Sunday


bbc--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Barack Obama and LeBron James congratulate US graduates

Many schools in the US have had to cancel or postpone graduation ceremonies because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Former @ @ @ @ @ NBA star LeBron James are amongst a host celebrities to have sent students messages to @ @ @ @ @ message , Mr Obama seemed to criticise his successor Donald Trump 's handling of the @ @ @ @ @

This video has been removed for rights reasons. Video, 00:00:11This video has been removed for rights reasons


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus splits couple from baby born through surrogacy 8,000 miles away

When Flavia Lavorino decided to have a baby through surrogacy , she looked Ukraine up on a map and calculated the distance .
Some 12,800km ( 8,000 miles ) separate Buenos Aires , in Argentina , from the Ukrainian capital , Kyiv .
`` This was our last resort .
We had stopped trying when we heard from a co-worker about trying for a baby through a gestational carrier in Ukraine , and we jumped at it , '' says Flavia .
With José Pérez , her partner of 15 years , she had tried every possible fertility treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex and painful procedure just once , but had a miscarriage .
`` So , when we got confirmation that our surrogate in Ukraine was doing well and the pregnancy was going forward , we were over the moon , '' says José .
Little could they predict that by the time the baby was born they would be stranded on the other side of the Atlantic due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Their son Manuel is now seven weeks old , but they have yet to meet him .
`` This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so long and then having to wait even longer , with no clear idea of when we could be allowed to travel , '' says José .
Ukraine , like many other countries , has closed its borders to international visitors in an effort to limit the spread of Covid-19 , which has killed more 300,000 people worldwide .
That has left dozens of babies born to Ukranian surrogates - and due to be collected by their intended parents from overseas - in limbo .
Argentina has also imposed a travel ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a strict coronavirus lockdown , making it impossible for the couple to plan a trip for the foreseeable future .
'We need to be with him' '' The physical contact at this point is key , he needs to be with us and we need to be with him , '' says the new father .
Flavia and José started their surrogacy journey in December 2018 and travelled to Kyiv four months later to create their embryos out of his sperm and her eggs .
An embryo was then transferred into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` surrogate mother '' , that they had contacted through a local clinic .
`` We never met our surrogate , the clinic managed the relationship and we do n't really know much about the specifics .
We do know that her fees were paid , of course , '' says José .
Commercial surrogacy is legal in Ukraine , and a big business too - though there have been concerns about the level of oversight of the industry , which has expanded significantly in recent years .
• The corner of Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of an average assisted reproduction package ranges from $ 30,000 to $ 50,000 ( £25,000 to £41,000 ) , a fraction of what it costs in the US and other countries where commercial surrogacy is permitted .
For the Argentine couple , it meant asking for a loan as well as borrowing money from family .
They wo n't say how much they have spent but that `` probably half of it went to the surrogate '' .
`` When we got confirmation that the transfer had been successful in late July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We wanted to travel days before the due date , which was 10 April , '' says Flavia .
`` In the meantime , we lived this pregnancy through the monthly scans the clinic was sending us , '' adds José .
The couple had booked transatlantic flights for 2 April , with a stopover in Madrid .
As the coronavirus outbreak started spreading and hit Spain badly , they realised their trip might not happened as planned .
`` But at first we did n't think we would n't be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had this false optimism , it was more like , 'uh , it may take us longer to get to Ukraine ' .
We kept on planning even as we watched airports starting to shut down everywhere , '' says Flavia .
As European countries closed their borders and Argentina went into lockdown in mid-March , the couple began to despair .
`` I was terrified .
We knew circumstances were exceptional , but we underestimated the implications , '' says Flavia .
The picture got complicated further by the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a social worker and José is a medical doctor in an intensive care unit at a hospital just outside Buenos Aires who has been treating Covid-19 patients .
As key workers , they were not allowed to take time off at first .
`` We started communicating regularly with the Ukrainian clinic 's Spanish-speaking coordinators via WhatsApp to come up with a plan , '' says José .
Stay put , was the message .
The fertility centre had set up a place for Manuel to stay while he waited for his biological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newborn babies would be safe , taken care of , well fed… They calmed us down , at least as much as it was humanly possible , '' says José .
'Our baby was born 12,500km away' The couple 's son was born early , on 30 March .
The anxious parents were texted the news early in the morning as they were on their way to work .
`` They told us we 'd had a child , and we were 12,500km away… We had to stop the car , we almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later that day they got to see their healthy , 8lbs-baby boy for the first time - through a photograph .
`` Our surrogate asked the clinic if she could send us a WhatsApp message and she wrote to us to say she had a happy pregnancy , that she was proud to make our life-long dream come true , '' says José .
`` We never got the chance to meet her but we told her she completed our family and forever transformed our lives , '' adds Flavia .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrogate babies to stay at a small hotel the company owns on the outskirts of Kyiv .
And it is not just Manuel , some 50 newborns are being looked after in a large dormitory-style nursery .
`` All they are doing is looking after the baby 's basic health and signs of a normal development , '' says José .
`` But nobody will be able to give him the love of a parent during these crucial first weeks .
That is heart-breaking . ''
The number of babies being kept the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue .
New deliveries are scheduled over the coming weeks .
`` We have Chinese babies , Italian babies , Spanish babies , British babies , '' says Denis Herma , spokesman for BioTexCom Centre for Human Reproduction , the company behind the hotel .
The hotel is normally offered as accommodation for the biological parents coming to Ukraine to collect their child .
Now it is run by a team of nurses working round the clock under strict quarantine rules , says the fertility company .
A video circulated by BioTexCom just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world , shows the number of babies born to surrogates which have not been able to be picked up due to the lockdown .
The images have also reignited the debate about what critics say is a loosely-controlled `` baby-making business '' in this Eastern European country .
Analysis : The lockdown and the fertility tourism debate From 2015 , as surrogacy hotspots in Asia began shutting down one-by-one amid reports of exploitation , Ukraine turned into a global hub for commercial surrogacy .
With relatively low prices compared to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from overseas , Ukrainian reproductive clinics are booming .
Many Ukrainian women , mostly from small towns or rural areas , see this as a financial opportunity .
The full package may cost around $ 50,000 and a surrogate may get less than half that - but this is still big money by Ukrainian standards .
A surrogate mother must have at least one child of her own in order to be eligible .
She will have no genetic link and never takes care of the newborn .
This is a strict rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The quarantine has laid bare some hard truths that Ukrainian health care officials seem to have ignored .
Nobody knows exactly how many babies are born here each year through surrogacy .
Two months into lockdown , at least 100 babies are separated from their parents .
Cots at the hotel are arranged in rows , names are printed in bright colours on each baby 's sleepsuit .
`` We feel very sorry for them , we know no one can replace their parents , '' nurse Olha Kuts tells the BBC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nurses on shift , some of whom speak Spanish .
`` When he turned one month we had a really long videocall , it was so lovely of them , '' says Flavia .
`` It made all the difference to be able to talk to him and see him in real time . ''
But more babies are coming in and `` they can not spend as much time as parents would like , it 's becoming more complicated '' , says José .
Ukraine 's borders have been closed since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel with special permits .
There are also negotiations under way with the Ukrainian authorities , through the embassies and consulates of the parents ' countries of origin .
The parents of 15 babies have been allowed in so far , including a couple from Sweden that reached the Ukrainian capital on a private jet paid for by an anonymous donor .
In Argentina , there are 16 other families in the same position as Flavia and José .
Three babies have been born already , and the rest are due between late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched a joint petition asking both governments to listen to their plea .
`` We waited for around 20 days because we understand these are very complicated times .
Then we put in a legal request , '' explains José .
Negotiations have moved forward and Ukraine has just agreed to let them enter the country .
They are now asking the Argentine government to authorise a flight on humanitarian grounds .
They are hoping to get a resolution `` before the end of the month '' .
But the wait will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other end .
`` We will need to self-isolate for 14 days before we can see Manu , '' says Flavia .
`` It makes sense as there are risks involved with flying across the world , and it is also wise in terms of the wellbeing of the baby . ''
Then they will need to process the baby 's documents before heading back to Argentina - if they are allowed back in before the borders officially re-open .
`` We do n't care about that second leg of the trip at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is seven weeks old and he is far away , we need to get there and then we 'll see , '' Flavia says .
`` It has been so hard to get to this point , for us to have a baby , so physically and emotionally draining .
We need that wait to be over .
`` We need to meet him .
We 'll take care of everything else later . ''

Coronavirus splits couple from baby born through surrogacy 8,000 miles away Published 19 May 2020
Image source, AFP Image caption, Babies born to Ukrainian surrogates are being cared for in a hotel
When Flavia Lavorino decided to have a baby through surrogacy, she looked Ukraine up on a map and calculated the distance.
Some 12,800km (8,000 miles) separate Buenos Aires, in Argentina, from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
"This was our last resort. We had stopped trying when we heard from a co-worker about trying for a baby through a gestational carrier in Ukraine, and we jumped at it," says Flavia.
With José Pérez, her partner of 15 years, she had tried every possible fertility treatment. Flavia managed to get pregnant through a complex and painful procedure just once, but had a miscarriage.
"So, when we got confirmation that our surrogate in Ukraine was doing well and the pregnancy was going forward, we were over the moon," says José.
Little could they predict that by the time the baby was born they would be stranded on the other side of the Atlantic due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Their son Manuel is now seven weeks old, but they have yet to meet him.
Image source, Courtesy Lavorino/Pérez Image caption, José and Flavia travelled to Ukraine in July 2019, but in March 2020 they were unable to travel there
"This is the worst nightmare. Imagine waiting for so long and then having to wait even longer, with no clear idea of when we could be allowed to travel," says José.
Ukraine, like many other countries, has closed its borders to international visitors in an effort to limit the spread of Covid-19, which has killed more 300,000 people worldwide. That has left dozens of babies born to Ukranian surrogates - and due to be collected by their intended parents from overseas - in limbo.
Argentina has also imposed a travel ban on all commercial flights until September as part of a strict coronavirus lockdown, making it impossible for the couple to plan a trip for the foreseeable future.
'We need to be with him'
"The physical contact at this point is key, he needs to be with us and we need to be with him," says the new father.
Flavia and José started their surrogacy journey in December 2018 and travelled to Kyiv four months later to create their embryos out of his sperm and her eggs.
Image caption, Demand for gestational carriers in Ukraine has soared in recent years
An embryo was then transferred into the womb of a gestational carrier, or "surrogate mother", that they had contacted through a local clinic.
"We never met our surrogate, the clinic managed the relationship and we don't really know much about the specifics. We do know that her fees were paid, of course," says José.
Commercial surrogacy is legal in Ukraine, and a big business too - though there have been concerns about the level of oversight of the industry, which has expanded significantly in recent years.
The cost of an average assisted reproduction package ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 (£25,000 to £41,000), a fraction of what it costs in the US and other countries where commercial surrogacy is permitted.
For the Argentine couple, it meant asking for a loan as well as borrowing money from family. They won't say how much they have spent but that "probably half of it went to the surrogate".
"When we got confirmation that the transfer had been successful in late July, we started planning every single detail. We wanted to travel days before the due date, which was 10 April," says Flavia. "In the meantime, we lived this pregnancy through the monthly scans the clinic was sending us," adds José.
From optimism to despair
The couple had booked transatlantic flights for 2 April, with a stopover in Madrid.
Image source, Courtesy Lavorino/Pérez Image caption, Flavia and José live 12,800km away from the Ukranian capital
As the coronavirus outbreak started spreading and hit Spain badly, they realised their trip might not happened as planned.
"But at first we didn't think we wouldn't be able to travel at all. I think we had this false optimism, it was more like, 'uh, it may take us longer to get to Ukraine'. We kept on planning even as we watched airports starting to shut down everywhere," says Flavia.
As European countries closed their borders and Argentina went into lockdown in mid-March, the couple began to despair. "I was terrified. We knew circumstances were exceptional, but we underestimated the implications," says Flavia.
The picture got complicated further by the fact that both work in healthcare. Flavia is a social worker and José is a medical doctor in an intensive care unit at a hospital just outside Buenos Aires who has been treating Covid-19 patients.
As key workers, they were not allowed to take time off at first.
"We started communicating regularly with the Ukrainian clinic's Spanish-speaking coordinators via WhatsApp to come up with a plan," says José.
Stay put, was the message. The fertility centre had set up a place for Manuel to stay while he waited for his biological parents.
"They told us the newborn babies would be safe, taken care of, well fed… They calmed us down, at least as much as it was humanly possible," says José.
'Our baby was born 12,500km away'
The couple's son was born early, on 30 March. The anxious parents were texted the news early in the morning as they were on their way to work.
"They told us we'd had a child, and we were 12,500km away… We had to stop the car, we almost had a crash," remembers Flavia.
Later that day they got to see their healthy, 8lbs-baby boy for the first time - through a photograph.
Image source, Courtesy Lavorino/Pérez Image caption, Manuel - or Manu, as his parents call him - was born on 30 March
"Our surrogate asked the clinic if she could send us a WhatsApp message and she wrote to us to say she had a happy pregnancy, that she was proud to make our life-long dream come true," says José. "We never got the chance to meet her but we told her she completed our family and forever transformed our lives," adds Flavia.
Baby hotel
The Ukrainian clinic made arrangements for the stranded surrogate babies to stay at a small hotel the company owns on the outskirts of Kyiv.
And it is not just Manuel, some 50 newborns are being looked after in a large dormitory-style nursery.
"All they are doing is looking after the baby's basic health and signs of a normal development," says José. "But nobody will be able to give him the love of a parent during these crucial first weeks. That is heart-breaking."
Image source, BIOTEXCOM Image caption, The clinic released images from the hotel to show the extent of the surrogacy crisis triggered by the pandemic
The number of babies being kept the hotel may keep growing if travel restrictions continue. New deliveries are scheduled over the coming weeks.
"We have Chinese babies, Italian babies, Spanish babies, British babies," says Denis Herma, spokesman for BioTexCom Centre for Human Reproduction, the company behind the hotel.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Manuel is not the only baby stranded far away from his parents
The hotel is normally offered as accommodation for the biological parents coming to Ukraine to collect their child. Now it is run by a team of nurses working round the clock under strict quarantine rules, says the fertility company.
A video circulated by BioTexCom just days ago, and published by media around the world, shows the number of babies born to surrogates which have not been able to be picked up due to the lockdown.
The images have also reignited the debate about what critics say is a loosely-controlled "baby-making business" in this Eastern European country.
Analysis: The lockdown and the fertility tourism debate
By Zhanna Bezpiatchuk - BBC News Ukraine, Kyiv
From 2015, as surrogacy hotspots in Asia began shutting down one-by-one amid reports of exploitation, Ukraine turned into a global hub for commercial surrogacy.
With relatively low prices compared to other countries, looser regulations and growing demand from overseas, Ukrainian reproductive clinics are booming.
Many Ukrainian women, mostly from small towns or rural areas, see this as a financial opportunity. The full package may cost around $50,000 and a surrogate may get less than half that - but this is still big money by Ukrainian standards.
Image caption, Surrogate mothers have regular health check-ups provided by clinics and surrogacy agencies
A surrogate mother must have at least one child of her own in order to be eligible. She will have no genetic link and never takes care of the newborn. This is a strict rule designed to prevent any emotional attachment.
The quarantine has laid bare some hard truths that Ukrainian health care officials seem to have ignored. Nobody knows exactly how many babies are born here each year through surrogacy. Two months into lockdown, at least 100 babies are separated from their parents.
Cots at the hotel are arranged in rows, names are printed in bright colours on each baby's sleepsuit. "We feel very sorry for them, we know no one can replace their parents," nurse Olha Kuts tells the BBC.
José and Flavia get daily updates from the nurses on shift, some of whom speak Spanish. "When he turned one month we had a really long videocall, it was so lovely of them," says Flavia. "It made all the difference to be able to talk to him and see him in real time."
But more babies are coming in and "they cannot spend as much time as parents would like, it's becoming more complicated", says José.
Diplomatic negotiations
Ukraine's borders have been closed since March but some families have managed to travel with special permits.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Boryspil International airport, Ukraine's biggest, was closed on 16 March
There are also negotiations under way with the Ukrainian authorities, through the embassies and consulates of the parents' countries of origin.
The parents of 15 babies have been allowed in so far, including a couple from Sweden that reached the Ukrainian capital on a private jet paid for by an anonymous donor.
In Argentina, there are 16 other families in the same position as Flavia and José. Three babies have been born already, and the rest are due between late May and September.
The parents have launched a joint petition asking both governments to listen to their plea.
"We waited for around 20 days because we understand these are very complicated times. Then we put in a legal request," explains José.
Negotiations have moved forward and Ukraine has just agreed to let them enter the country. They are now asking the Argentine government to authorise a flight on humanitarian grounds.
They are hoping to get a resolution "before the end of the month".
But the wait will not be over when they land on the other end. "We will need to self-isolate for 14 days before we can see Manu," says Flavia.
"It makes sense as there are risks involved with flying across the world, and it is also wise in terms of the wellbeing of the baby."
Image source, Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto Image caption, Kyiv has slowly started to ease restrictions. The Zhytniy market resumed operations in mid-May
Then they will need to process the baby's documents before heading back to Argentina - if they are allowed back in before the borders officially re-open.
"We don't care about that second leg of the trip at this point. We have a son that is seven weeks old and he is far away, we need to get there and then we'll see," Flavia says.
"It has been so hard to get to this point, for us to have a baby, so physically and emotionally draining. We need that wait to be over.


bbc--2020-05-18--Coronavirus: How Australia's PM rebuilt his reputation fighting the virus

It 's exactly one year since he was re-elected .
Online , there are TikToks of teenagers singing his praises .
Shock jocks have apologised for previous criticism .
It 's in stark contrast to how he was viewed during the bushfire crisis , where he took a secret holiday to Hawaii while the nation was on fire .
Mr Morrison 's perceived failures then sparked immense public anger .
Citizens swore at him on camera , while firefighters and survivors refused to shake his hand .
Then , as the blazes were dying down in late January , Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency .
Months later , it has come out on top , seen as a world leader in its handling of the virus .
The nation has recorded fewer than 100 deaths and around 7,000 cases .
Only a dozen patients remained in intensive care across the country as of Monday .
The leader 's approval rating stood at 66 % - one of the highest for any Australian prime minister in the past decade .
So how did did Scott Morrison turn things around ?
Health and political experts say Mr Morrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was given , and that he chose to follow - despite the economic consequences .
Underscoring his reliance on this , the chief medical officer Dr Brendan Murphy was never far from his side ( or 1.5m at least ) at every major announcement .
It was on his advice that Australia shut its borders to China when the World Health Organization ( WHO ) was saying travel bans were n't needed .
Canberra also called it a pandemic before the official classification .
`` Clearly , yes , you should listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a health crisis , '' says Dr Tony Bartone , the president of the Australian Medical Association .
`` But listening to the health experts can create an enormous economic disruption .
And it takes bold and strong leadership to listen fully and listen early . ''
When it became clear local infections were accelerating , Mr Morrison acted quickly- spurred on by the leaders of Australia 's biggest states .
Shortly after case numbers tipped over 1,000 , bars and pubs were shut and larger social gatherings banned .
The economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared daunting , but he did n't drag his feet unlike leaders in the UK and the US , Dr Bartone says .
Instead , he listened to the science - something he was repeatedly accused of ignoring during the bushfires .
But that was a crisis of a different sort , says historian Prof Frank Bongiorno , from the Australian National University .
Australia 's PM was compromised by political baggage .
Scott Morrison 's conservative coalition - in power for the past seven years - had long downplayed and even rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fire chiefs had warned the government that a particularly harsh fire season was in store .
They say their calls were ignored .
So when the emergency flared up , critics accused the PM of not taking enough action .
They say he was initially reluctant to acknowledge the severity of the environmental disaster , and failed to address the underlying cause .
But with a public health crisis , `` there was n't that kind of baggage '' , says Prof Bongiorno .
Australia has an advanced , well-functioning health system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this one .
`` No-one has accused the Australian government of being hopelessly underprepared for a pandemic , '' he says .
This once-in-a-century health and economic crisis was far better suited to Scott Morrison 's style of leadership , experts say .
The rapid pace of developments allowed room for experimentation , which he embraced .
`` He 's a thoroughly professional politician .
He does n't have a big attachment to any policy position and is prepared to throw off particular positions for pragmatic reasons and move on to something else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such , Australians saw its centre-right government - which had for years bemoaned the debt hangover from the global financial crisis - accept that dramatic spending was necessary to keep the economy going .
Charged with the economic health of the nation , Mr Morrison funnelled about 10 % of GDP into spending - the biggest public spend on record .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • NEW ZEALAND : Beating Covid-19 with science and kindness • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to snitch on rulebreakers While there have been problems within the application of these policies , largely they 've received bipartisan support .
In fact , the $ 130bn ( £70bn ; $ 84bn ) wage subsidy programme - JobKeeper - was proposed by the centre-left Labor opposition during the crisis 's early days - and at first rejected .
Then `` the news vision of the dole queues forced a rethink '' , says politics professor Mark Kenny , a former political editor at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U-turn and `` voters welcomed that flexibility rather than punished '' .
The other key masterstroke , say observers , was the early decision to establish an emergency cabinet with the eight state and territory leaders to make decisions .
Australia is a federation - meaning it 's the state government which control the levers over hospitals , schools , policing , public transport and other services .
Establishing a unified message from all tiers of government was an inevitable necessity .
But as new restrictions were rapidly rolled out over March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaboration that this approach guaranteed .
Indeed , the strongest criticism of Australia 's PM stems from the early weeks of the crisis , when messages from the states contradicted Canberra .
Even after the establishment of the National Cabinet , ongoing disputes over school openings drew bad press .
And crossed wires also led to the biggest failure in Australia 's virus response : the Ruby Princess cruise ship in Sydney .
In late March , thousands of passengers were allowed to disembark and disperse while there were Covid-19 cases on board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about 700 cases in Australia and more overseas .
While blame has largely fallen on state officials , Prof Kenny at the Australian National University suggests the Morrison-led government is also to blame - particularly as the former immigration minister touted himself as the creator of Australia 's tough `` stop the boats '' immigration policies .
`` However his government failed to stop the one boat that actually could cause direct harm , '' he says .
Despite this , overall , Mr Morrison appears to have learned from his horror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evoked the bushfire errors - for example , the perception of hypocrisy as the prime minister encouraged people to go to the football while also announcing a ban on gatherings of above 500 people .
But his clumsy explanations of lockdown restrictions in the first weeks gave way to clearer public speeches .
His blustering , aggressive style also softened as the virus curve rapidly flattened and a largely compliant population followed the social distancing regime .
But as Mr Morrison marks his first year as prime minister , observers say the hardest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation may yet need to fend off a feared second wave of cases .
It 's bracing for the virus ' full economic impact .
Recovery is a far trickier path to manoeuvre and future generations may well be saddled with the cost .
Unemployment is expected to hit 10 % , and Australia has been tipped to enter its first recession in nearly 30 years .
He has two years to go until he has to face the voters again .
Historically , it has been rare for leaders to be re-elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the good will carry through for Scott Morrison ?

He has two years to go until he has to face the voters again. Historically, it has been rare for leaders to be re-elected in times of economic strife.


bbc--2020-05-18--Dark web scammers exploit Covid-19 fear and doubt

`` They 're exploiting the fear , uncertainty and doubt people are experiencing during the pandemic , and using the anxiety and desperation to get people to buy things or click on things they would n't have otherwise , '' says Morgan Wright , a former senior adviser to the US Department of State anti-terrorism assistance programme .
He 's talking about the scammers and criminals that inhabit the `` dark web '' who have found a new angle - anxiety over Covid-19 .
Mr Wright , who is now chief security adviser at security software company SentinelOne , used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Security Agency ( NSA ) about the exploitation of human behaviour .
He is now seeing some of those techniques being used on the dark web , an encrypted part of the internet that can be accessed using popular networks such as Tor .
The Tor browser is privacy-focused , meaning it can obscure who is using it and what data is being accessed .
It offers bad actors a way to operate with a degree of impunity , as law enforcement find it much more difficult to track down criminals that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global pandemic , marketplaces on the dark web have seen a rise in Covid-19 related products and services .
Sought-after N95 masks , gowns , gloves and the drug chloroquine have all been listed on these marketplaces .
Last month , security software firm IntSights found blood allegedly belonging to recovered coronavirus patients was even being offered for sale .
Criminals hope a heightened sense of fear will make people rush to buy these products , and as a result these items are not cheap ; an Australian Institute of Criminology report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sold for about $ 370 ( £300 ) , while one supposedly sourced from China was selling for between $ 10-15,000 ( £8-12,000 ) .
One of the reasons for the rise in such sales may be because many fraudsters are having to turn from their normal methods of making money on the dark web - such as selling fake flights booked using stolen airmiles - because these industries are currently dormant .
Many criminals also see an opportunity - as the majority of people are working from home , there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
`` There was suddenly a huge shift [ on the dark web ] of talking about vulnerabilities in collaboration software when they realised people were going to be working from home , '' says IntSights chief security officer Etay Maor .
• The robot assistant that can guess what you want • The stealthy drones that fly like insects Phishing scams have also been on the rise .
These are where fraudsters pretend to be a different organisation or person by email , hoping the person will provide some login details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to steal money or someone 's identity .
`` The phishing attacks started with those pretending to be from the NHS , and then extended to secondary organisations that are related to Covid-19 like banks or HMRC emailing about funding , grants or being furloughed , '' says Javvad Malik , security advocate at training company KnowBe4 .
`` Now there are Covid-19 related phishing templates making their way into all of the phishing kits that are available on the dark web - meaning people can imitate Apple or LinkedIn with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he adds .
In addition , many services and products , including phishing kits are being offered at discount in `` coronavirus sales '' .
`` There are people who have been specialising in phishing pages , shady VPNs or spamming services for a number of years , who are now offering discounts because they believe it 's the best time to make money and spread these kits , '' says Liv Rowley , threat intelligence analyst at Blueliv , a computer and network security firm .
The dark web was designed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of enabling human rights activists and people within the military to talk and collaborate in a secure , anonymous way .
While the introduction of bitcoin enabled criminals to make money on the dark web , there remains a huge number of users that opt to use it for its initial purpose - speaking to others anonymously on forums .
According to Mr Malik , these forums have often been used to fuel conspiracy theories around the virus .
`` Conspiracies about 5G being the vehicle of this virus , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man behind it tend to crop up on the dark web , '' he says .
As social media companies and other news outlets crack down on misinformation , many others may be pushed onto the dark web .
These forums often act as a gateway to marketplaces , for people to plug their products or services to a targeted audience .
This could be a way for fraudsters to make further money in the months to come .
The flipside to this is that many journalists , activists and citizens may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries where there is a lot of censorship .
Tor versions of many news outlets , including the BBC and New York Times , may be used if the original sites are blocked by governments or states , for instance .
Netblocks , a digital rights advocacy group says that many countries have cut access to the web in different ways , as they seek to control the flow of information about the coronavirus outbreak .
Two ransomware groups had said they would not attack any hospitals or healthcare organisations during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlined in a recent press briefing , there is evidence that criminal gangs are actively targeting national and international organisations that are responding to the pandemic - including hospitals .
`` These organisations are targeted because of how vulnerable they are at this time and because of the likelihood that a ransom would be paid , '' says Charity Wright , cyber threat intelligence adviser at IntSights .
The co-ordination and orchestration of many of these attacks often begin on the dark web .
`` We are seeing more offerings on the dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeting healthcare facilities and doctors .
There 's even a database someone has created on the dark web with all kinds of information about medical staff , '' says Etay Maor from IntSights .
At its core , the dark web may still be being used for the same reasons it was intended to be used for - from a privacy and security perspective .
But criminals are using this to try to exploit a global crisis for financial gain .
`` That 's the double-edged sword that as a society we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we safeguard freedom of speech and ensure privacy , but at the same time track down and stop people abusing those freedoms ? ''
says Javvad Malik .

As social media companies and other news outlets crack down on misinformation, many others may be pushed onto the dark web. These forums often act as a gateway to marketplaces, for people to plug their products or services to a targeted audience. This could be a way for fraudsters to make further money in the months to come.


bbc--2020-05-18--Burundi election: Nkurunziza set to become 'supreme guide'

Burundi is about to lose its president of 15 years but gain a `` supreme guide to patriotism '' , according to the official title that will be given to Pierre Nkurunziza once he steps down after Wednesday 's election .
He will also receive a $ 540,000 ( £440,000 ) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa .
But it is not clear if he is going to step out of the limelight and spend more of his time on other things , like his beloved football .
The build up to the poll - in which seven candidates are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been marred by violence and accusations that the vote will not be free and fair .
But whoever wins will be required by law to consult Mr Nkurunziza on matters of national security and national unity .
Whether they have to follow his advice is not clear .
Five years ago , Mr Nkurunziza 's third term began amid political turmoil .
His announcement that he would run for a further five years in power had sparked anger as some questioned its legality .
There was a failed coup attempt , hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands fled the country .
His election in July 2015 , with nearly 70 % of the vote , was described as a `` joke '' by opposition leader Agathon Rwasa , who boycotted the poll .
This time around , Mr Nkurunziza was allowed , after a change in the constitution , to run again , however he appears to have opted for a quieter life .
Wednesday 's election has also been criticised for taking place during the time of coronavirus .
The country has only recorded 15 cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wisdom of holding mass rallies has been questioned .
A government spokesman said in March , when no cases had been recorded , that the country had been protected by God .
Burundi has resisted imposing tough restrictions , with the government only advising the population to stick to strict hygiene rules and avoiding crowds wherever possible - except of course in campaign rallies .
But the government did insist that foreign election observers be quarantined for 14 days from arrival in the country , which some saw as a way of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''What we 've seen in the last few months is that the political space in Burundi is fairly limited , '' Nelleke van de Walle , who works on Central Africa for the Crisis Group think-tank , told the BBC .
`` So it 's highly questionable that the elections will be free and fair .
`` The fact that no election observers will be allowed in the country to see what 's going on - I think that increases the risk for election fraud , corruption and human rights violations in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The government insists that it warned would-be observers about the quarantine in April , giving them ample notice .
Diplomats have also expressed concern over the poll .
But for the past five years , Burundi has found a way to deal with its international critics either by completely denying allegations of abuse or simply ignoring them .
And so far it has worked for the government and the ruling party .
The country has managed with little donor support , much of which disappeared after the 2015 turmoil .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded by the government - a first in the history of Burundi and rare on the continent .
All this has made the authorities there confident to push ahead .
From the seven candidates in the presidential race , only two are seen as real contenders .
Mr Nkurunziza is backing the governing CNDD-FDD party candidate , Evariste Ndayishimiye , who has been feted at huge rallies .
He is the party 's secretary general , former interior minister and was a rebel commander , alongside Mr Nkurunziza , in the FDD during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2003 .
Mr Rwasa , the former leader of another rebel group , the FNL , has called for a `` profound change in all sectors of national life '' , when he spoke to supporters of his National Congress for Liberty ( CNL ) , which was formed last year .
Despite pulling out of the 2015 race , when he was the candidate for another opposition party , he still garnered 19 % of the votes as his name remained on the ballot paper .
Both men are confident they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has been an uphill battle for Mr Rwasa .
Human rights organisations say the government has used its might to intimidate and repress the opposition and its supporters .
According to Human Rights Watch , there have been at least 67 documented killings , including 14 extrajudicial executions , in the last six months .
There have also been disappearances , cases of torture and over 200 arrests against real or perceived political opponents .
The security forces have been accused of using excessive force to shut down opposition activity .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burundi has seen wave after wave of violence between an ethnic Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority , which dominated the country .
It has never had a sustained period of peace after a change of leader .
Melchior Ndadaye , a Hutu , was elected president in the country 's first democratic election in 1993 .
But hopes of democracy taking root were dashed just three months into his presidency , when a group of soldiers from the Tutsi-led army mutinied and assassinated him , together with a number of his cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , including the FDD and Mr Rwasa 's FNL , then took up arms in a decade-long civil war , which saw some 300,000 deaths .
The tumult of 2015 ended another period of relative peace .
But the question is whether the next president can restore the country 's reputation in the eyes of international observers .
Mr Nkurunziza , armed with his title of `` supreme guide to patriotism '' , may hope to continue to maintain some influence .
But even if his party 's candidate does win , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to pulling the strings should he so desire .
In Angola , long-serving President Jose Eduardo dos Santos expected to continue to have a say in government after João Lourenço was elected to replace him in 2017 .
But his hand-picked successor turned against him , sacking and even prosecuting some of Mr Dos Santos ' children and close allies .
Party wrangling and jockeying for position however should not detract from the main task of the next head of state .
The World Bank estimates that seven out of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the country 's 11 million people will hope that whoever ends up president will make their lives better .

He will also receive a $540,000 (£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa. But it is not clear if he is going to step out of the limelight and spend more of his time on other things, like his beloved football.