bbc--2020-01-21--What to expect from Trump's impeachment trial

For only the third time in history , an American president is facing an impeachment trial , with hearings set to start on Tuesday at 13:00 ( 18:00 GMT ) .
Such a trial could , in theory , lead to President Donald Trump being removed from office .
That outcome would be a huge shock - we 'll explain why later - but the very fact a president is facing trial is significant .
Here are seven questions and answers that will help you understand the trial .
Put simply , it 's a process that allows senior figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like judges , the president and cabinet members ) to account if they 're suspected of committing offences while in office .
Those offences can include `` treason , bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours '' .
After someone is impeached , they then go on trial in the Senate , the upper house of Congress , the members of which will decide whether they are guilty or not .
It 's a political trial , not a criminal one .
2 ) What is Mr Trump accused of ?
He 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges .
Firstly , he 's accused of seeking help from Ukraine 's government to help himself get re-elected this November .
He 's alleged to have held back millions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine and dangled a proposed White House meeting with Ukraine 's president , both as bargaining chips .
In exchange , witnesses say he wanted Ukraine to publicly announce an investigation into Joe Biden , the man who 's leading the Democratic race to challenge him in the election .
Polls suggest Mr Biden would beat him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secondly , after the White House refused to allow staff to testify at the first impeachment hearings last year , Democrats accused Mr Trump of obstructing Congress ( the part of the US government that writes and brings in laws , and which was investigating him ) .
Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and his legal team say the `` flimsy '' charges are a `` dangerous perversion of the Constitution '' .
It 's worth emphasising that this has nothing to do with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign 's ties to Russia .
That ended with no further action against Mr Trump himself .
3 ) Why is there a trial ?
This is what led us to this moment : • October - December : An investigation took place , with hearings in the House of Representatives ( the lower house of Congress , controlled by Mr Trump 's Democratic rivals ) • December : Democratic leaders from the House voted to impeach Mr Trump • January 2020 : The case was passed up to the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , where the trial will take place 4 ) What will the Senate trial involve ?
The US Constitution is a bit vague when it comes to the specifics of managing impeachment .
But there are general rules based largely on the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868 .
In that case , the president just about kept his job .
The only other president to face an impeachment trial was Bill Clinton in 1999 .
He too survived .
• Why only two articles of impeachment ?
Two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted : Mitch McConnell , the Republican leader of the Senate , and his Democratic counterpart , Chuck Schumer .
Mr McConnell is seeking a quick trial and acquittal - he 's proposed giving each side 24 hours over two days for opening statements ( which will mean some long days in the Senate chamber ) .
And he also wants a vote on whether any evidence against Mr Trump should be admitted at all .
Mr Schumer said Mr McConnell was trying to prevent evidence from being heard , and said `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what it is '' .
Other rules include : there is to be no live tweeting from the chamber , and no outside reading material should be brought in .
Senators are also not allowed to speak to those sitting near them while the case is being heard .
Senators will hear from both sides - prosecutors from the House of Representatives and lawyers from the White House - as well as from any witnesses .
After that , senators will be given a full day to deliberate before they vote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-thirds majority of 67 votes in the 100-seat Senate is required to convict and oust Mr Trump .
But because there are only 47 Democrats ( and 53 Republicans ) in the Senate , the president is widely expected to be cleared .
In the unlikely event of Mr Trump being found guilty , he would be removed from office and Vice-President Mike Pence would be sworn in as president .
A simple majority of senators - 51 - could also vote to end the trial should they wish .
5 ) Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Mr McConnell , has delivered an oath promising to deliver `` impartial justice '' during the trial .
But Mr McConnell - the most senior Republican in the Senate - last month said , `` I 'm not an impartial juror , '' and has also said he and his party are working hand-in-hand with the White House .
`` Everything I do during this , I 'm co-ordinating with the White House counsel , '' he told Fox News , to the fury of senior Democrats .
He is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , although the 100 senators will ultimately act as both judge and jury .
Justice Roberts is there to make sure the trial sticks to the predetermined rules .
A group of seven Democrats will act as impeachment managers - essentially prosecutors for the House , who will present its case for impeachment to the Senate .
They include Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler , both frequent targets of Mr Trump 's anger .
President Trump 's defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Clinton 's impeachment - Ken Starr and Robert Ray .
Alan Dershowitz , whose past clients include OJ Simpson , is also part of the team which will be led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Mr Trump 's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow .
He could choose to appear before the Senate himself , but it 's much more likely his lawyers , Mr Cipollone and Mr Sekulow , will speak on his behalf .
They , like the impeachment managers , will be able to question witnesses and deliver opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very keen for Mr Biden to testify along with the original whistleblower .
Democrats want several senior White House officials to testify , including former National Security Adviser John Bolton .
But there may not be any witnesses at all if Republicans decide they would rather keep the trial short , which is possible .
A simple majority of senators - 51 - is needed to agree whether witnesses ( including Mr Trump ) will be called or not .
• Who 's who in the Trump-Ukraine story ?
Senators can ask questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by submitting them in writing to Justice Roberts .
Witnesses may not necessarily appear on the Senate floor .
They could be interviewed by a committee of lawmakers , and footage of the testimony would be aired during the trial instead .
7 ) When will this all be over ?
After the House presents the articles of impeachment to the Senate - a process that took three days in Mr Clinton 's trial - senators must remain in session every day except Sunday until they make a final decision .
This means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for the presidency - Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren , Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet - will have to leave their campaigns behind for the length of the trial .
The trial is likely to last for weeks but how many is anybody 's guess - Mr Clinton 's took almost a month .
Democrats will hope it is all done by February and the start of the 2020 primary elections , which will decide their nominee to run against ( probably ) Mr Trump .
Want to know more ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a basic take , this one 's for you • GO DEEPER : Here 's a 100 , 300 and 800-word summary of the story • VIEW FROM TRUMP COUNTRY : Hear from residents of a West Virginia town • CONTEXT : Why Ukraine matters to the US • FACT-CHECK : Did Ukraine interfere in the 2016 election to help Clinton ?

Some of the other rules include: no live tweeting from the chamber, and no outside reading materials to be brought in. Senators are also not allowed to speak to those sitting near them while the case is being heard.


bbc--2020-01-21--Trump impeachment trial: Five possible twists ahead

For only the third time in US history , an impeachment trial is under way in Washington .
President Donald @ @ @ @ @ abuse of power and obstructing Congress .
Many believe it 's a foregone conclusion that @ @ @ @ @ the charges - will be acquitted at the end of this process because his party @ @ @ @ @ BBC 's Anthony Zurcher explains how events could yet diverge from the script .
Read @ @ @ @ @ to the impeachment trial

For only the third time in US history, an impeachment trial is under way in Washington. President Donald Trump is accused of an abuse of power and obstructing Congress.
Many believe it's a foregone conclusion that Mr Trump - who denies the charges - will be acquitted at the end of this process because his party controls the Senate.
Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter, explains to BBC journalist Shrai Popat how events could yet diverge from the script.
Video by Maxine Collins and Chloe Kim


bbc--2020-01-21--New China virus: Warning against cover-up as number of cases jump

China 's top leaders have warned lower-level officials not to cover up the spread of a new coronavirus that has now infected nearly 300 people .
Anyone who concealed new cases would `` be nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity '' , the political body responsible for law and order said .
The warning came as state media said six people had now died from the virus , which causes a type of pneumonia .
It 's been confirmed the virus can pass from person to person .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) will on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the virus - as it did with swine flu and Ebola .
Such a declaration , if made , will be seen as an urgent call for a co-ordinated international response .
China 's National Health Commission on Monday confirmed for the first time that the infection could be transmitted from human-to-human .
It said two people in Guangdong province had been infected in this way .
In a separate statement , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said at least 15 medical workers in Wuhan have also been infected with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The workers presumably became infected with the virus due to contact with patients .
All of them are being kept in isolation while being treated .
Where has the virus spread ?
A total of 291 cases have now been reported across major cities in China , including Beijing and Shanghai .
However most patients are in Wuhan , the central city of 11 million at the heart of the outbreak .
The disease was first identified there late last year and the outbreak is believed to be linked to a seafood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • How worried should we be ?
• New Chinese virus 'will have infected hundreds' A handful of cases have also been identified abroad : two in Thailand , one in Japan , one in South Korea and one in Taiwan .
Those infected had recently returned from Wuhan .
Authorities in many places , including Australia , Singapore , Hong Kong , Taiwan and Japan have stepped up screening of air passengers from Wuhan .
US authorities last week announced similar measures at airports in San Francisco , Los Angeles and New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had travelled to Wuhan has been placed in isolation and is undergoing tests .
China is the largest source of tourists to Australia , with more than one million people visiting last year .
How fast is it spreading ?
There are fears that the virus could spread swiftly - and further across the country - as millions of people across China prepare to travel home for the Chinese New Year holidays later this week .
This mass movement of people could also mean that authorities will not be able to monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say there already could be many cases going undetected .
A report by the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London suggested there could be more than 1,700 infections .
However , Gabriel Leung , the dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong , put the figure closer to 1,300 .
Why are there warnings against a cover-up ?
The outbreak has revived memories of the Sars virus - also a coronavirus originating in China - that killed 774 people in the early 2000s across several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially withheld information about the epidemic from the public .
It later vastly under-reported the number of people that had been infected , downplayed the risks and failed to provide timely information that experts say could have saved lives .
Analysis of the genetic code of the new virus shows it is more closely related to Sars than any other human coronavirus .
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for `` all-out efforts '' to control the outbreak , according to state media , including quickly making information available and taking measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its commentary published online on Tuesday , the Communist Party 's Central Political and Legal Commission talked of China having learned a `` painful lesson '' from the Sars epidemic and called for the public to be kept informed .
Deception , it warned , could `` turn a controllable natural disaster into a man-made disaster '' .
What do we know about the virus ?
The virus , known also as 2019-nCoV , is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan .
Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses , but only six ( the new one would make it seven ) are known to infect people .
The World Health Organization has advised people to avoid `` unprotected '' contact with live animals , thoroughly cook meat and eggs , and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms .
Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms , fever , cough , shortness of breath and breathing difficulties .

The World Health Organization (WHO) will on Wednesday consider declaring an international public health emergency over the virus - as it did with swine flu and Ebola. Such a declaration, if made, will be seen as an urgent call for a co-ordinated international response.


bbc--2020-01-21--Harry and Meghan: Prince arrives in Canada ahead of new chapter

The Duke of Sussex has arrived in Canada as he prepares for a new life away from royal duties .
Prince Harry landed on Vancouver Island on Tuesday morning to be reunited with his wife , the Duchess of Sussex , and their eight-month-old son Archie .
It comes after the duke said he was `` taking a leap of faith '' in stepping back as a senior royal , but `` there really was no other option '' .
From the spring , the Sussexes will no longer be full-time working royals .
They will stop using their HRH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duties or military appointments and no longer formally represent the Queen .
The new arrangement was unveiled on Saturday , following days of talks with the Queen and other senior royals including Harry 's older brother , the Duke of Cambridge .
It came after the Sussexes announced they would step back as `` senior '' royals and intended to split their time between the UK and North America .
Last October , Prince Harry and Meghan publicly revealed their struggles under the media spotlight .
• Who pays for Harry and Meghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : What we know so far Prince Harry landed in Vancouver on Tuesday morning before travelling to Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island .
The duchess has been staying on Canada 's west coast with her son , after briefly returning to the UK earlier this month following an extended six-week Christmas break on Vancouver Island with Prince Harry .
On Monday , Harry attended the UK-Africa Investment Summit - likely to be one of his last official royal engagements .
After holding a number of private meetings - including with Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heathrow Airport to Canada , BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said .
He has been apart from wife Meghan for more than 10 days , after she flew back to Canada earlier this month .
On Monday , a beaming Meghan and Archie were photographed walking her dogs , a beagle and a black Labrador , in a park on Vancouver Island .
Before she married , Meghan regularly featured her pets on her Instagram account .
Archie , who was born in May , has not been back to the UK since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island .
Will the Sussexes find peace on Vancouver Island ?
The storm has passed and the sun that has melted most of the snow has revealed just how beautiful Vancouver Island is .
Now I can understand why the royal couple might want to live here .
The people are relaxed and welcoming .
There is a sense of happiness and pride that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to come here and share in the surroundings that islanders are so proud of .
The couple have come here because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful life .
One woman tells me they deserve as much space as anyone and she thinks they 'll find it here - as long as the press leave them alone .
The implication being that the Canadian public wo n't be the problem .
Ross , who was born and raised here but has British roots , says he does n't think they 'll be hassled .
`` Canadians might give them a wave , '' he says , `` but they wo n't be jumping up and down . ''
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are continuing with their royal schedule .
For the first time , the couple hosted an evening reception for world leaders on behalf of the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Monday .
On Tuesday , the duke will attend a United for Wildlife event at St James 's Palace .
'The truth from me' Buckingham Palace 's statement on Saturday night followed weeks of speculation about what Harry and Meghan 's new roles within the Royal Family would involve , after the couple 's surprise announcement they wanted to step back as senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the revelation , Harry said he wanted people `` to hear the truth from me ... not as a prince , or a duke , but as Harry '' .
`` The UK is my home and a place that I love .
That will never change , '' he said .
He said he had found `` the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life '' with Meghan , and wanted to make it clear they were `` not walking away '' .
In their announcement earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to become financially independent .
Currently , 95 % of the couple 's income comes from Prince Charles 's income from the Duchy of Cornwall , a vast portfolio of property and financial investments , which brought in £21.6m last year .
• How might Harry and Meghan make money ?
It is understood the couple will continue to receive money from Harry 's father under the new agreement , although it is unclear whether this will come from the Duchy , his personal wealth , or a combination of the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving money from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant , which makes up the other 5 % of their income .

The people are relaxed and welcoming. There is a sense of happiness and pride that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to come here and share in the surroundings that islanders are so proud of.


bbc--2020-01-21--Storm Gloria: Deadly squall batters Spain, then shifts to France

Powerful storm Gloria has battered much of eastern Spain , with officials linking at least four deaths to it .
The region around Valencia and the Balearic Islands were the worst-hit on Monday , with heavy flooding and strong winds causing havoc .
More than 30 provinces in Spain were put on high alert .
The storm later moved into southern France .
One French forecaster was quoted by local media as saying the storm was the worst in the region since 1982 .
A man died in his home in the Spanish province of Avila after being hit by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
A homeless woman froze to death near Valencia , a municipal official told Reuters news agency .
One man was killed in a car accident on a snowbound road in the Asturias region , while another man was found dead outside his home in the town of Moixent with signs of hypothermia .
Social media users in Spain have been publishing footage of flooded streets in Valencia and other cities and towns in Spain .
Spanish forecasters on Monday reported winds of up to 115km/h ( 71mph ) , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alicante airport was forced to close , resulting in the cancellations of many flights .
Storm Gloria has arrived in Pyrénées-Orientales , France 's southernmost Mediterranean department , which has been placed on high alert .
Dozens of extra police and firefighters have been deployed in the region .
The A9 motorway on the French side of the border was closed as a precautionary measure .
Gloria was the worst storm to have hit the region in the winter period since January 1982 , Météo France forecaster Olivier Proust told Franceinfo .
Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flooding in October last year .

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-01-21--Pyjamas in public: Chinese city apologises for 'shaming' residents

Officials in a Chinese city have apologised for `` shaming '' people for wearing pyjamas in public .
Government officials in Suzhou in Anhui province released pictures of seven people wearing their nightwear , calling it `` uncivilised behaviour '' .
The online `` shaming '' included the pyjama picture - caught by surveillance cameras - plus the person 's name , ID card and other information .
China has seen a huge growth in surveillance in recent years .
Two years ago , the country had 170 million CCTV cameras , with another 400 million expected by the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificial intelligence - allowing them to recognise exactly who they are filming .
The pictures in Suzhou were published on Monday by the city 's management bureau .
Officials argued they were entering a national `` civilised city '' competition , and that residents were banned from wearing pyjamas in public .
Other `` bad behaviour '' exposed online included `` lying [ on a bench ] in an uncivilised manner '' , and handing out advertising flyers .
But the pyjama pictures caused anger online .
Some argued there was nothing wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others said the government had infringed residents ' privacy .
Officials later `` sincerely apologised '' , adding : `` We wanted to put an end to uncivilised behaviour , but of course we should protect residents ' privacy . ''
The officials said they would , in future , blur the pictures instead .
Suzhou 's proactive approach is not new .
Last year , according to local media , the city asked residents to submit pictures of `` uncivilised behaviour '' , offering to pay 10 yuan ( $ 1.45 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might also be interested in :

But the pyjama pictures caused anger online. Some argued there was nothing wrong with wearing pyjamas in public - while others said the government had infringed residents' privacy.


bbc--2020-01-21--Meng Hongwei: China sentences ex-Interpol chief to 13 years in jail

A former Interpol chief accused of bribery was sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in jail by a Chinese court on Tuesday .
Meng Hongwei , who was the first Chinese head of Interpol , vanished on a trip back to the country from France in September 2018 .
China later confirmed he had been detained as part of President Xi Jinping 's drive against corruption .
Meng has admitted to taking more than $ 2m ( £1.6m ) in bribes .
The 56-year-old was also ordered by the Tianjin No 1 Intermediate People 's Court to pay a fine of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
The court statement said Meng would not appeal against the verdict .
Expelled and stripped of all positions Meng disappeared in September 2018 during a visit to China from France , where international policing agency Interpol is based .
He was scheduled to serve as head of Interpol until 2020 , but the organisation said he resigned as president days after his wife reported him as missing .
Chinese authorities later confirmed he had been detained and , in October , said Meng was being investigated over suspected bribe-taking .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position for personal gain , misused state funds to finance his family 's `` extravagant lifestyle '' and disregarded Communist Party principles .
He was expelled from the party and stripped of all government positions , according to the party 's watchdog , the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection ( CCDI ) .
Meng admitted his guilt in a trial last year .
His wife , who is currently living in France under political asylum , has said the charges against him are politically motivated .
Chinese President Xi Jinping has overseen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one million officials have been disciplined .
Critics say this campaign has been used to great effect to silence some of his political rivals .

Chinese President Xi Jinping has overseen a vast and ruthless anti-corruption campaign in which one million officials have been disciplined. Critics say this campaign has been used to great effect to silence some of his political rivals.


bbc--2020-01-21--'A billion pounds can't buy back my happiness'

Chiplyn Burton came to the UK from Jamaica in 1965 , as part of the Windrush generation .
But her @ @ @ @ @ , when she was denied entry back into the country after a trip to Jamaica @ @ @ @ @ that it would take more than 40 years to sort out her immigration status .
@ @ @ @ @ to the BBC 's community affairs correspondent Adina Campbell .

Chiplyn Burton came to the UK from Jamaica in 1965, as part of the Windrush generation.
But her problems began in the 1970s, when she was denied entry back into the country after a trip to Jamaica.
Little did she know that it would take more than 40 years to sort out her immigration status.
She has been speaking exclusively to the BBC's community affairs correspondent Adina Campbell.


bbc--2020-01-21--Alarm at Mexico butterfly conservationist's disappearance

Concern is growing in Mexico about an environmental activist and expert on the monarch butterfly who has been missing for more than a week .
Homero Gómez manages a butterfly sanctuary in western Michoacán state , a region which is notorious for its violent criminal gangs .
Rights groups fear illegal loggers may have targeted Mr Gómez for his activism to conserve the local forest which is the home of the monarch butterfly .
He was last seen on 13 January .
Sixty thousand people have disappeared in Mexico since 2006 .
Many of them have fallen victim to criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kill anyone who could interfere with their illegal activities , which range from drug and human trafficking to extortion , logging and mining .
Mr Gómez is a 50-year-old agricultural engineer who manages the El Rosario sanctuary for the monarch butterfly , one of the biggest in Mexico .
On his Twitter account he invited people to visit the sanctuary .
He is a tireless campaigner for the conservation of the monarch butterfly , and the pine and fir forests to which they migrate every year in their millions from Canada and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened in November as part of a strategy to stop illegal logging in the area which is key to the monarch butterfly .
It was praised by the WWF 's Mexico director Jorge Rickards as a model of conservation work when it was inaugurated .
Scientists have been fascinated with the orange and black butterflies because of the vast distances these insects fly each year to hibernate in Mexico - the longest migration of any insect .
They found that they use a kind of internal solar compass to guide them during their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same area on the border between Michoacán and Mexico state .
Once they reach the mountain hillsides of the oyamel fir forests in that area , they cluster together to stay warm .
Tens of thousands of butterflies can be seen on a single tree , creating a colourful spectacle which has become a draw for tourists .
But environmentalists have warned that illegal logging poses a major risk for these forests and the butterflies which spend the winters here .
Mr Gómez was last seen in person attending a meeting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon of 13 January .
Messages promoting his butterfly sanctuary were still being sent from his mobile phone the next morning .
But after his mobile went silent on Tuesday afternoon , his family reported him missing .
More than 200 volunteers have joined the search for the environmentalist .
Frustrated with the lack of any clues to his whereabouts , his relatives protested in front of the offices of the Michoacán state attorney general on Friday .
Human rights organisations have also asked the authorities to intensify their efforts to find Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be linked to his anti-logging campaign .
Mayte Cardona of the Michoacán Human Rights Commission said that Mr Gómez `` was probably hurting the interests of people illegally logging in the area '' .


bbc--2020-01-21--Future Forward: Thai opposition party cleared over Illuminati claims

A court in Thailand has acquitted one of the country 's largest opposition parties after it was accused of having links to a mythical secret society .
A sedition charge against Future Forward alleged that it was influenced by the Illuminati and was seeking to overthrow the monarchy .
The Constitutional Court dismissed the charge .
A guilty verdict could have seen the party banned .
But it is still facing several cases that could result in its dissolution .
Future Forward was founded less than two years ago .
It has appealed strongly to young voters and won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 's general election .
But the party 's campaign to reform the military has angered supporters of the government , which is still headed by generals who led a military coup in 2014 .
What were the allegations ?
The dismissed complaint accused Future Forward 's founder and leader , Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit , and other executives of being `` part of an anti-monarchist movement '' .
Thailand has a constitutional monarchy , but the royal family is highly revered by Thais and wields considerable power .
The country 's lese-majeste law forbids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hefty prison sentence .
• The accidental invention of the Illuminati The party says it supports the monarchy and , on Tuesday , a judge ruled that it had not `` not acted ... to overthrow '' it .
The complaint also alleged that Future Forward was influenced by the Illuminati , which conspiracy theorists believe is an elite secret society that seeks world domination .
It said the party 's symbol resembles an upside-down triangle that is often associated with the mythical group .
The complaint , which has been ridiculed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illuminati played a role in the fall of monarchies across Europe and was now seeking to do the same in Thailand .
Pannika Wanich , a spokeswoman for Future Forward , said the case was an attempt to eliminate the party .
`` This is a deliberate political harassment , '' she said .
`` We believe those cases are politically motivated , '' Mr Thanathorn told reporters following the ruling .
There were cheers from supporters of Future Forward as the judges of the Constitutional Court read out their verdict .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resign .
The court has a track record of dissolving dissident political parties on seemingly trivial grounds , but the bizarre accusation this time - that Future Forward was allied to the Illuminati in a campaign against the monarchy - was judged too flimsy to warrant such punishment .
But the party and its executives still face more than 20 other legal cases that could yet result in its dissolution .
Its youthful and charismatic leader , Thanathorn Jungruangroonkrit , a wealthy businessman , is viewed as a dangerous subversive by many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he joined a nationwide run to protest against Mr Prayuth 's continued hold on power after last year 's election .
And he promised to lead more protests if his party is dissolved .
Thailand has been buffeted by political instability for years , largely a battle between supporters of the military and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra .
The country 's military has a history of intervening in politics .
Mr Prayuth , a retired general , led the military coup in 2014 and was elected as the country 's civilian prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the prime minister .
Last year , he faced charges of sedition which were filed by an officer in the government .

The complaint also alleged that Future Forward was influenced by the Illuminati, which conspiracy theorists believe is an elite secret society that seeks world domination. It said the party's symbol resembles an upside-down triangle that is often associated with the mythical group.


bbc--2020-01-21--RMS Titanic wreck to be protected under UK and US agreement

The wreckage of RMS Titanic is to be protected under a treaty between the US and UK governments .
The international agreement gives the governments power to grant or deny licences allowing entry of the wreck or removal of artefacts .
It was signed to ensure the resting site of more than 1,500 passengers and crew is preserved and respected .
Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast , the Titanic sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton .
The ocean liner sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic .
• Titanic treasure not to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2003 , the treaty comes into force after being ratified by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the end of 2019 .
The wreck has not previously been protected under explicit legislation as it lies in international waters .
UK Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani described the agreement as `` momentous '' .
`` Lying two and a half miles below the ocean surface , the RMS Titanic is the subject of the most documented maritime tragedy in history , '' she said .
`` It will be treated with the sensitivity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 1,500 lives . ''
Ms Ghani added that the UK will now work closely with other North Atlantic countries , like Canada and France , to bring `` even more protection '' to Titanic .
The wreck was discovered in 1985 about 350 nautical miles off the Canadian coast of Newfoundland , two-and-a-half miles below the ocean surface .
An international agreement between multiple countries to protect the wreck has been in negotiation since 1986 .

The international agreement gives the governments power to grant or deny licences allowing entry of the wreck or removal of artefactsIt was signed to ensure the resting site of more than 1,500 passengers and crew is preserved and respected.


bbc--2020-01-21--Emiliano Sala felt 'forced out' by Nantes before plane crash

Footballer Emiliano Sala told a friend he felt forced out of his former club , days before he died in a plane crash .
The 28-year-old Argentine and pilot David Ibbotson , 59 , were killed when the plane carrying him to his new club Cardiff City came down on 21 January 2019 .
The BBC has heard a voice message in which Sala says he did not feel respected at French club Nantes .
FC Nantes refused to comment on the message .
On Tuesday events will be held in Nantes and Cardiff in memory of Sala and Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane went missing over the Channel Islands .
The BBC has heard a WhatsApp voice message , sent by Sala days before the fatal flight , in which he tells a friend he felt like he was being forced out of FC Nantes after asking for his contract to be extended four times .
Sent three days before he signed for Cardiff City in a record £15m deal , Sala said he felt he had not been been kept properly informed about the transfer plans .
He adds he has not decided whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praying for something more interesting '' to come along .
Speaking from Nimes Olympique , on the eve of what would turn out to be his final game for Nantes , Sala said after four years at the club : `` They do n't respect me , they do n't value me .
`` I have n't made a decision ...
I went to get some information from this club that wants me and wants to value me for what I 'm worth ...
I 'm going to be 29 this year so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Meanwhile , the priest at the church where he worshipped said the footballer was treated as `` a toy '' who had little or no control over the direction his career was taking .
Sala 's mother , Mercedes Taffarel , said the pain of her son 's death would `` never go away '' and his family have called for investigators to `` speed up '' their work so a full inquest can be held as soon as possible .
A pre-inquest review is due to be held at Bournemouth Town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement his family said they wanted to `` finally learn the truth '' about what happened and it was `` imperative '' police and aviation investigators finish their investigations in time .
The Piper Malibu N264DB carrying Sala and pilot Mr Ibbotson went missing over waters near the Channel Islands on 21 January .
It took rescuers two weeks to find the wreckage .
The footballer 's body was recovered on 8 February after a private rescue team took over the search .
The body of Mr Ibbotson , from Crowle in Lincolnshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report into the cause of the crash is expected to be published by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch ( AAIB ) before the end of March .
The AAIB has already revealed potentially fatal levels of carbon monoxide were found in Sala 's blood .
An interim report into the crash revealed that , as a private pilot , Mr Ibbotson was not allowed to carry passengers for remuneration or financial reward .
He was also unqualified to fly at night due to his extreme colour-blindness .
Cardiff City had refused to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was not legally binding so Sala was not officially their player when he died .
But in September Fifa ruled the club should pay the first instalment of £5.3m ( 6m euros ) to FC Nantes .
Cardiff City have appealed the ruling .
Father Guillaume le Floc ' h , priest at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Carquefou , a small town north of Nantes where Sala lived , said the player was a devout Catholic and a familiar visitor there .
He said the news of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with changes being made , and he had blessed the footballer days before he died .
`` I felt as if he was like a toy ... [ with ] people deciding for him ... and that was really quite difficult to live with that , '' he said .
`` Football players can be victims ... People would say they also have some benefits from that because they earn so much money ... Sure but in fact they do n't have so many choices in life and that is not very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boudard , a sports journalist with Ouest France in Nantes , said the striker faced a `` dilemma '' over where to move for what he knew would be the final chapter of his career .
`` It 's a drama , a human tragedy about a man , which has shed light on the flaws of the business of football , '' he said .
`` It 's also a story that reminds us , because as journalists we tend to forget it , that the players are also human beings before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nantes have been campaigning for a permanent memorial to Sala in the city , such as a public mural of the striker or the adoption of a road in his name .
`` Sala left his mark not only on the club 's history , but the town 's history too .
It devastated people here , '' said Florian le Teuff , president of FC Nantes supporters ' club A la Nantaise .
`` During every game at the Beaujoire , Sala 's song is still heard - sung in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a player who is part of the club 's history . ''
On Tuesday , a mass will be held at St Peter 's and St Paul 's , while in Cardiff a service will be dedicated to the footballer and Mr Ibbotson at St David 's Metropolitan Cathedral .

"Football players can be victims... People would say they also have some benefits from that because they earn so much money... Sure but in fact they don't have so many choices in life and that is not very respectful for their freedom."


bbc--2020-01-21--Van Gogh self-portrait is genuine, experts decide

A brooding self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh has finally been declared genuine after years of uncertainty .
Art experts have identified Self Portrait ( 1889 ) as the only work painted by the Dutch master while he was suffering from psychosis .
It was confirmed as authentic by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam .
Experts established that it was painted while Van Gogh was in an asylum in Saint-Remy in France in the late summer of 1889 .
Doubts about the authenticity of the painting had been around since 1970 .
The National Gallery in Oslo , Norway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Dutch experts , who used X-ray analysis of the canvas , studies of the brushwork and references in letters to Van Gogh 's brother Theo .
Van Gogh described the painting in a letter to his brother in September 1889 as `` an attempt from when I was ill '' .
The artist wrote that he was hit by a `` severe psychotic episode '' lasting six weeks from that July , and although he felt able to paint again by the end , he said he was still `` disturbed '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1910 from a collector in Paris , making it the first Van Gogh self-portrait to enter a public collection .
`` The self-portrait that is behind me has been doubted for a very long time , '' Louis van Tilborgh , senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum , told the AFP news agency .
`` It 's a work of art that for all kinds of reasons was by him but nevertheless also had certain aspects that were different from other pictures .
`` So we had to find an explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I think we 've solved that . ''
He added that the painting `` firmly depicts someone who is mentally ill '' .
To the untrained eye , it looks like a Van Gogh at first glance .
But the doubts arose because of the use of less vibrant colours than his other works from the same period , including muted blues and yellows , along with the fact that some of the paintwork looks less finished .
Mai Britt Guleng , curator of old masters and modern art at the Oslo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open to all possibilities '' but `` of course we are very happy '' that the painting is genuine .
A year before painting the self-portrait , Van Gogh had cut off his own ear after a row with his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin , beginning a long spell in and out of hospitals and asylums .
`` Although Van Gogh was frightened to admit at that point that he was in a similar state to his fellow residents at the asylum , he probably painted this portrait to reconcile himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a person he did not wish to be , yet was , '' said Van Tilborgh , who is also professor of art history at the University of Amsterdam .
`` This is part of what makes the painting so remarkable and even therapeutic .
It is the only work that Van Gogh is known for certain to have created while suffering from psychosis . ''
The painting is currently on display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and will return to Oslo when its new national museum opens in 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"Although Van Gogh was frightened to admit at that point that he was in a similar state to his fellow residents at the asylum, he probably painted this portrait to reconcile himself with what he saw in the mirror: a person he did not wish to be, yet was," said Van Tilborgh, who is also professor of art history at the University of Amsterdam.


bbc--2020-01-21--Disney+ to launch a week early in Europe

The new streaming service Disney+ is to launch on 24 March in the UK , a week earlier than originally planned .
Pricing has also been revealed - it will cost £5.99 per month or £59.99 a year , making it more expensive than the earlier DisneyLife platform .
Disney+ launched in the US and Canada in November , where it became the most downloaded app .
The new launch date may be an attempt to tackle piracy of shows like The Mandalorian , suggested one expert .
The other European countries that will receive Disney+ at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Germany , Italy , Spain , Austria and Switzerland .
The Netherlands already has access as it was used as a testing ground for the platform .
In the US , Disney+ costs $ 6.99 ( £5.36 ) per month .
`` The UK price was predictable given the aggressive US charge and the trend of a race to the bottom in terms of price - none of these services are going to make money for years , '' Tom Harrington at Enders Analysis told the BBC .
He added that executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward their original plan because the firm wanted `` to get The Mandalorian out there before even more people pirate it '' .
Disney has confirmed that the new service will replace DisneyLife in the UK and Ireland .
The earlier streaming platform had been offered since 2015 , and also offered access to Disney 's library of cartoons and films , but excluded content including the Star Wars films , Marvel movies and National Geographic documentaries provided by its successor .
DisneyLife cost £1 less per month and also included access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bundled into the new package .
However , one advantage of the new service is that some content will be screened in 4K resolution , which was not the case before .
• Quibi aims to change how we watch shows on phones • Lord Hall to step down as BBC 's director general In the US , Disney+ also includes the back catalogue to The Simpsons cartoon series , which Disney acquired when it bought 21st Century Fox last year .
However , it has not been confirmed if this will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
By comparison , Netflix 's `` basic '' plan also costs £5.99 per month , but does not offer HD or 4K .
And Sky 's Now TV service - which contains some Disney content - divides up films and TV shows into different packages and charges an extra £3 a month fee if users want to watch them in 1080p rather than 720p resolution .
Netflix is expected to announce financial results later today , which may reveal how much of an impact rising competition from Disney+ has had on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will become available in Belgium , Portugal and Nordic countries in the summer of 2020 .

In the US, Disney+ also includes the back catalogue to The Simpsons cartoon series, which Disney acquired when it bought 21st Century Fox last year. However, it has not been confirmed if this will be offered to the UK or other European countries.


bbc--2020-01-21--Prince Harry and Meghan: Black British women on Meghan

As Meghan and Harry start their new lives in Canada , do people think race is a factor in the @ @ @ @ @ Last week actor Laurence Fox for sparked a row when he clashed with an audience @ @ @ @ @ the issue .
We took to the streets of South London to find out what @ @ @ @ @ about how she is perceived by British people and the media .

As Meghan and Harry start their new lives in Canada, do people think race is a factor in the way she is treated?
Last week actor Laurence Fox sparked a row when he clashed with an audience member on Question time about the issue.
We took to the streets of South London to find out what black women had to say about how she is perceived by British people and the media.
Video produced by Miriam O'Donkor, Janay Boulos and Megan Fisher


bbc--2020-01-21--Learning how to live like a Mars colonist

Astroland is a project designed to see how humans would cope with the psychological demands of living on Mars and @ @ @ @ @ .
It is thought the first colonists on Mars will have to live in caves @ @ @ @ @ them from interstellar radiation and for the purpose of the Astroland experiment , “ Mars @ @ @ @ @ in a remote cave in Arredondo , Spain .
The BBC Travel Show ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .

Astroland is a project designed to see how humans would cope with the psychological demands of living on Mars and to test out potential technologies.
It is thought the first colonists on Mars will have to live in caves or lava tubes to protect them from interstellar radiation and for the purpose of the Astroland experiment, “Mars”, is set up in a remote cave in Arredondo, Spain.
The BBC Travel Show’s Lucy Hedges finds out more.


bbc--2020-01-21--Paternity leave: Why Japan is talking about Shinjiro Koizumi

Japan 's environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi is raising eyebrows by taking time off to take care of his newborn son @ @ @ @ @ because he is the first minister and MP to do so , but also because @ @ @ @ @ actually take paternity leave .
The BBC 's Mariko Oi explains why .

Japan's environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi is raising eyebrows by taking time off to take care of his newborn son.
It's not only because he is the first minister and MP to do so, but also because very few dads in Japan actually take paternity leave. The BBC's Mariko Oi explains why.
Produced by Tessa Wong.


bbc--2020-01-21--'I had a cardiac arrest and a vet saved my life'

When Mike Pinkerton called in at his local vet to pick up some food for his cat , Chewie , little did he know that he would be the one receiving treatment .
His day had begun like any normal Saturday .
An hour earlier , he had taken his four-year-old son Joel to Cramond Pier , north of Edinburgh , to test out a Spiderman bike he 'd received as a birthday gift during the week .
He does n't remember anything about what happened at the vet 's surgery , but he knows he is lucky to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a cardiac arrest Mr Pinkerton collapsed as he suffered a cardiac arrest - meaning his heart stopped pumping blood and he stopped breathing - and would have died there , had it not been for Henrietta Linnemann .
The vet performed CPR on him for about eight minutes before a community first responder , sent by the Scottish Ambulance Service , arrived to help .
An ambulance arrived soon after .
Mike ended up receiving CPR for about 20 minutes and paramedics shocked him four times .
Doctors say his odds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BBC radio 's Good Morning Scotland programme there had been no sign his heart was about to stop beating .
`` No warning , no symptoms at all , completely out of the blue .
I had been feeling absolutely fine .
I 'm sure if I had n't , I would n't have been buying cat food . ''
He was later diagnosed with cardiomyopathy , a type of heart disease where the heart muscle becomes stretched or stiff .
Three years on , doctors say he could not have wished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Ms Linnemann saved his life , he had learned he was to become a dad for a second time .
Without her , he says he would never have met his daughter , Mae .
Mr Pinkerton added : `` I go in for regular check-ups .
My cardiologist has said to me I could n't possibly have asked to have been in a better position given what happened to me and of course I 've got Henrietta and the emergency services to thank for that . ''
The 43-year-old is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive after having a cardiac arrest outside hospital in Scotland .
A report shows that the number of people receiving CPR before paramedics arrived has reached a record high .
According to data from the Scottish government 's Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest ( OHCA ) report , an average of 3,200 people experience a cardiac arrest .
The latest figures show CPR ( cardiopulmonary resuscitation ) was performed on 64 % of people who suffered a cardiac arrest in Scotland outside of hospital or before paramedics arrived last year - the highest level on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2015 , when a new strategy was launched .
Back then , the survival rate was one in 20 .
But now , for the first time , more than one person in 10 who suffers a cardiac arrest outside of hospital is surviving and leaving hospital .
Since October 2015 , almost 520,000 people have received training on how to resuscitate someone through the Save a Life for Scotland partnership - with chest compressions described in the report as `` the most important modifiable factor determining survival after OHCA '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise in people equipped with the skills to perform CPR `` bodes well for the future '' .
He added : `` Swiftly starting CPR can increase the likelihood of survival after cardiac arrest by two or three times so increasing the number of bystanders who can perform CPR is vitally important . ''
Lisa MacInnes , from Save a Life for Scotland , said : `` In October 2015 , we set out to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and help people living in Scotland get CPR ready .
At the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long way off .
`` However , with the hard work and dedication of the fantastic Save a Life for Scotland partnership we have surpassed this milestone over a year ahead of schedule and we 're keeping on counting , aiming to reach as many people as we can .
`` That hard work has paid off , our bystander CPR rate has increased and most importantly now one in 10 people will be going home to their families .
`` This amazing achievement belongs to every person who helped spread the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotland and especially the 500,000 people in Scotland who took time to stop and learn . ''

Mr Pinkerton added: "I go in for regular check-ups. My cardiologist has said to me I couldn't possibly have asked to have been in a better position given what happened to me and of course I've got Henrietta and the emergency services to thank for that."


bbc--2020-01-21--Emiliano Sala: A year on from plane crash, his family speak of 'pain that will never go away'

On a typical Saturday afternoon in Progreso , the streets seem completely deserted .
As the summer sun blazes outside , most of its 2,000 inhabitants are sheltering indoors .
The only human presence is at San Martin football club , where a family is celebrating a baptism .
It is the same place where the town mourned its most illustrious son , Emiliano Sala .
Located in Argentina 's agricultural heart , six hours ' drive from Buenos Aires , Progreso sadly became better known in the tragic story of Cardiff 's record signing , who died in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his casket arrived back home , those empty streets held more people than they had ever seen before .
A year later , the pain is still palpable .
BBC Sport visited between Christmas Day and New Year 's Eve , a time of reflection for most of the town .
Here , Sala was not only a football star .
He was El Emi , the kid everybody knew .
He was a friend , a neighbour , a former pupil , a former team-mate .
For his mother , Mercedes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not easy to speak about what happened .
When Dario opens the door of their home , Mercedes is sitting in the dining room .
`` Thanks for coming , it means a lot to pay homage to my son , '' she says as she instantly offers a glass of water .
A smiling picture of Emiliano , Dario and sister Romina lights up the room .
Sala 's father Horacio also died last year .
He suffered a heart attack at the age of 58 in April , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He and Mercedes did not live together .
`` When Emi was 15 , he sat in the kitchen at our old house and told me : 'Mummy , I want to be a football player ' .
He wanted that so much , and to pursue that dream he had to move to San Francisco , in Cordoba province , '' says Mercedes .
`` He was just a boy , and it was so difficult to see him leave , but he was so resolute , so convinced that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he did make it .
He loved football .
And now he was so excited to play in the Premier League . ''
Sala , who was 28 when he died , was on his way to join Cardiff City , following a £15m transfer from French side Nantes , when the plane he was travelling in crashed .
He had signed for the Welsh club two days before .
Cardiff and Nantes have since been in dispute over transfer payments .
Sala 's body was recovered from the wreckage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ibbotson has still not been found .
The Nantes supporters loved Sala , who moved there in 2015 .
Some have come to visit Progreso since his death .
Even his hairdresser travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to see where he lived and meet his family .
Mercedes ' living room is now home to many of the gifts her son received during his three and a half seasons at Nantes .
Collecting and sorting his belongings was another of the very painful experiences the family had to endure last year .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October for his birthday , and I 'd stay with him for a month , '' says Mercedes .
`` The first week was always a celebration of the food he loved .
In my luggage , I would pack the ready-made pastry circles to make empanadas , and also breadcrumbs for Milanesas , because the ones in France were different .
`` 'Mummy , please make all the dishes I love , ' he would tell me .
I 'd also make homemade pasta .
But after this one week he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diet , with lots of fish , because he was so focused on being fit .
He was a hard worker .
On top of training for the club , he also had a personal trainer and set up a gym in his house . ''
After home matches , supporters would gather , waiting for his car to go past on the way out of the stadium .
`` He was shy , but he would always stop , open the windows and start signing autographs and taking selfies , '' Mercedes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , are the ones that I want to thank , because they are still sending me pictures I had never seen before .
`` I receive so much stuff from France , from England , from the rest of Argentina . ''
Dario says : `` It was beautiful to see how much the people loved him .
I remember when he was in talks to renew his contract and people would just ask him to stay . ''
Sala was looking forward to his move to the Premier League and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Argentina .
In November 2017 , he was Argentina 's most prolific striker behind Lionel Messi .
His brother Dario , and many people from Progreso , still cherish the image captured from TV : Messi had scored a goal every 95 minutes ; Sala every 98 .
A photo depicting France and Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe , the man who ended Argentina 's chances at World Cup 2018 , going to hug him is still treasured .
Sala was so shy he would hardly ask for a jersey swap .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national team , as two fans do , '' says Dario .
`` He knew it was very difficult to be part of the squad , with the calibre of the strikers that we have .
But I 'm sure he never lost hope , not my brother .
He wanted to be a footballer and he 'd achieved it .
He wanted to play in the top flight and he made it .
He wanted to go to the Premier League and he 'd just achieved it .
`` Playing for Argentina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine him scoring after getting a pass from Messi , for instance .
Who would n't ? ''
Growing up , Sala admired Gabriel Batistuta and Carlos Tevez .
He was a fan of Independiente , because of his friend Colito 's influence .
Dario says : `` I 'm five years younger than him , so growing up I would always end up going in goal and he 'd get all the shots .
`` We did n't have many of the things that other kids might have had , but thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal missing from our table .
That 's where we come from .
From sacrifice .
And we are all very alike .
Emi was the oldest of the three and he was shy . ''
Mercedes says : `` It 's still so fresh .
I can still see them playing outside .
I would have to call them in to have dinner or take a shower .
There were no toys for them , just football .
`` He did n't see himself as famous or anything , that 's why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was just an ordinary citizen… and what a son he was . ''
`` Do you know that we would talk two , sometimes three times a day ?
Every day ?
That was my son .
He would tell me everything - the food he 'd eaten , the things he 'd done .
Sometimes he 'd complain about his performance , and perhaps he had scored a goal or made one , but he was always trying to progress . ''
Dario adds : `` We had a WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mum , Emi , Romina and me .
He 'd speak to mum and if he could n't call me , he 'd write at night saying that it was late in France and we 'd speak the next afternoon .
There was distance , but it was like we were all together .
He 'd ask me a lot about football , about the team , about his performances .
It was a joy to be able to watch him live on TV , too .
It was n't the case with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for . ''
One year after leaving home for Cordoba , Sala made his first trip to Europe to have a trial with Bordeaux .
He signed for them in 2010 , a move made easier by him gaining Italian citizenship .
Before his transfer to Nantes came in 2015 , he had been loaned out to some smaller French sides : Orleans , Niort and Caen .
`` He was completely focused on getting better , '' Mercedes says .
`` He learned French , had become extremely fluent , and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses . ''
On the date of Sala 's birthday last year , a giant mural was unveiled at San Martin , where it all began .
The club 's small stadium - which holds about 2,000 people - was also named after him .
`` It 's a very nice mural , very realistic , and very touching , too , '' Dario says .
`` I go often to the club and I take a moment to pass it . ''
San Martin also play with Sala 's image on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they compete in was renamed the Liga Emiliano Sala .
For Mercedes , each homage and every gesture acts like a valve releasing something of the pain of losing her first son .
`` As a mother , seeing all this love , all these messages , feeling the comfort of so many people , it is touching .
But what can I say ?
I just want to have him here with me . ''
Two days before Sala 's plane crashed , Progreso had celebrated its traditional Fiesta del Queso - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local area .
The main square , Los Colonizadores , was filled with joy .
Through the speakers it was announced that El Emi would move to the Premier League , becoming Cardiff 's record signing .
It felt as the town itself had earned that distinction .
That same square would soon be overcrowded with TV vans , cameras , journalists from all over the world .
After they left , the candles and prayers remained .
`` I ca n't say I found peace , unfortunately .
I 'm still fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a long time .
`` I am practically dead while living .
It 's been a terrible , terrible year .
I loved him so much .
I would tell him every day , '' she says in tears .
Outside , three dogs are barking in the back yard .
One of them is Nala , the five-year-old dog Sala had rescued as a puppy in France .
She became famous for a picture in which she was seen waiting for her owner to come home .
`` She knew us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France , but when she came here , she found all the stuff from Emi , and I 'm convinced that she also recognised his smell , '' Mercedes says .
`` We decided to take her to the wake , so she could also be with him . ''
The family had a private wake before going to San Martin 's main hall for the public funeral in February last year .
`` There was a whole town wanting to say goodbye , '' Mercedes says .
`` We understood it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Since that call at six in the morning ... '' she sighs deeply .
`` It seems as if it was yesterday , and it 's already been one year .
The pain is intact and it will never go away . ''

Sala's first football club was San Martin, in the small town where he grew up - Progreso
On a typical Saturday afternoon in Progreso, the streets seem completely deserted. As the summer sun blazes outside, most of its 2,000 inhabitants are sheltering indoors.
The only human presence is at San Martin football club, where a family is celebrating a baptism. It is the same place where the town mourned its most illustrious son, Emiliano Sala.
Located in Argentina's agricultural heart, six hours' drive from Buenos Aires, Progreso sadly became better known in the tragic story of Cardiff's record signing, who died in a plane crash in January 2019. When his casket arrived back home, those empty streets held more people than they had ever seen before.
A year later, the pain is still palpable. BBC Sport visited between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, a time of reflection for most of the town. Here, Sala was not only a football star. He was El Emi, the kid everybody knew. He was a friend, a neighbour, a former pupil, a former team-mate.
For his mother, Mercedes, and his 24-year-old brother, Dario, it is not easy to speak about what happened.
Mercedes says she takes comfort from the many messages of support her family has received
When Dario opens the door of their home, Mercedes is sitting in the dining room. "Thanks for coming, it means a lot to pay homage to my son," she says as she instantly offers a glass of water.
A smiling picture of Emiliano, Dario and sister Romina lights up the room. Sala's father Horacio also died last year. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 58 in April, three months after his son's death. He and Mercedes did not live together.
"When Emi was 15, he sat in the kitchen at our old house and told me: 'Mummy, I want to be a football player'. He wanted that so much, and to pursue that dream he had to move to San Francisco, in Cordoba province," says Mercedes.
"He was just a boy, and it was so difficult to see him leave, but he was so resolute, so convinced that he would make it. It was his dream, and he did make it. He loved football. And now he was so excited to play in the Premier League."
Sala, who was 28 when he died, was on his way to join Cardiff City, following a £15m transfer from French side Nantes, when the plane he was travelling in crashed. He had signed for the Welsh club two days before. Cardiff and Nantes have since been in dispute over transfer payments. Sala's body was recovered from the wreckage in the English Channel, but pilot David Ibbotson has still not been found.
The Nantes supporters loved Sala, who moved there in 2015. Some have come to visit Progreso since his death. Even his hairdresser travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to see where he lived and meet his family.
Mercedes' living room is now home to many of the gifts her son received during his three and a half seasons at Nantes. Collecting and sorting his belongings was another of the very painful experiences the family had to endure last year.
"Every year I'd go to France in October for his birthday, and I'd stay with him for a month," says Mercedes. "The first week was always a celebration of the food he loved. In my luggage, I would pack the ready-made pastry circles to make empanadas, and also breadcrumbs for Milanesas, because the ones in France were different.
"'Mummy, please make all the dishes I love,' he would tell me. I'd also make homemade pasta. But after this one week he'd quickly switch back to his football diet, with lots of fish, because he was so focused on being fit. He was a hard worker. On top of training for the club, he also had a personal trainer and set up a gym in his house."
After home matches, supporters would gather, waiting for his car to go past on the way out of the stadium.
"He was shy, but he would always stop, open the windows and start signing autographs and taking selfies," Mercedes says.
"All those fans, today, are the ones that I want to thank, because they are still sending me pictures I had never seen before.
"I receive so much stuff from France, from England, from the rest of Argentina."
Dario says: "It was beautiful to see how much the people loved him. I remember when he was in talks to renew his contract and people would just ask him to stay."
Cardiff City announced Sala's signing on 19 January 2019 - for a club record £15m
Sala was looking forward to his move to the Premier League and he dreamed of getting a call-up to represent Argentina.
In November 2017, he was Argentina's most prolific striker behind Lionel Messi. His brother Dario, and many people from Progreso, still cherish the image captured from TV: Messi had scored a goal every 95 minutes; Sala every 98.
A photo depicting France and Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe, the man who ended Argentina's chances at World Cup 2018, going to hug him is still treasured. Sala was so shy he would hardly ask for a jersey swap.
"We'd talk a lot about the national team, as two fans do," says Dario. "He knew it was very difficult to be part of the squad, with the calibre of the strikers that we have. But I'm sure he never lost hope, not my brother. He wanted to be a footballer and he'd achieved it. He wanted to play in the top flight and he made it. He wanted to go to the Premier League and he'd just achieved it.
"Playing for Argentina was the natural desire. We would imagine him scoring after getting a pass from Messi, for instance. Who wouldn't?"
Growing up, Sala admired Gabriel Batistuta and Carlos Tevez. He was a fan of Independiente, because of his friend Colito's influence.
Dario says: "I'm five years younger than him, so growing up I would always end up going in goal and he'd get all the shots.
"We didn't have many of the things that other kids might have had, but thanks to my mum we never had a meal missing from our table. That's where we come from. From sacrifice. And we are all very alike. Emi was the oldest of the three and he was shy."
Mercedes says: "It's still so fresh. I can still see them playing outside. I would have to call them in to have dinner or take a shower. There were no toys for them, just football.
"He didn't see himself as famous or anything, that's why when he came back to the town. He was just an ordinary citizen… and what a son he was."
She starts crying.
"Do you know that we would talk two, sometimes three times a day? Every day? That was my son. He would tell me everything - the food he'd eaten, the things he'd done. Sometimes he'd complain about his performance, and perhaps he had scored a goal or made one, but he was always trying to progress."
Dario adds: "We had a WhatsApp group, the four of us: mum, Emi, Romina and me. He'd speak to mum and if he couldn't call me, he'd write at night saying that it was late in France and we'd speak the next afternoon. There was distance, but it was like we were all together. He'd ask me a lot about football, about the team, about his performances. It was a joy to be able to watch him live on TV, too. It wasn't the case with some of the first clubs he played for."
One year after leaving home for Cordoba, Sala made his first trip to Europe to have a trial with Bordeaux. He signed for them in 2010, a move made easier by him gaining Italian citizenship. Before his transfer to Nantes came in 2015, he had been loaned out to some smaller French sides: Orleans, Niort and Caen.
"He was completely focused on getting better," Mercedes says. "He learned French, had become extremely fluent, and now he'd surely have been taking English courses."
Mercedes' home holds many gifts to her family from the football world
On the date of Sala's birthday last year, a giant mural was unveiled at San Martin, where it all began. The club's small stadium - which holds about 2,000 people - was also named after him.
"It's a very nice mural, very realistic, and very touching, too," Dario says. "I go often to the club and I take a moment to pass it."
San Martin also play with Sala's image on their black-and-red jerseys, while the regional league they compete in was renamed the Liga Emiliano Sala. For Mercedes, each homage and every gesture acts like a valve releasing something of the pain of losing her first son.
"As a mother, seeing all this love, all these messages, feeling the comfort of so many people, it is touching. But what can I say? I just want to have him here with me."
Cardiff's fans paid emotional tribute to Sala following news of his death
Two days before Sala's plane crashed, Progreso had celebrated its traditional Fiesta del Queso - a cheese festival showcasing producers from the local area. The main square, Los Colonizadores, was filled with joy. Through the speakers it was announced that El Emi would move to the Premier League, becoming Cardiff's record signing. It felt as the town itself had earned that distinction.
That same square would soon be overcrowded with TV vans, cameras, journalists from all over the world. After they left, the candles and prayers remained.
"I can't say I found peace, unfortunately. I'm still fighting," Mercedes says. She pauses for a long time.
"I am practically dead while living. It's been a terrible, terrible year. I loved him so much. I would tell him every day," she says in tears.
Sala's funeral in Progreso was held at the football club, San Martin. His father Horacio is pictured here, next to his son's coffin, with his hand to his face. Mercedes is to the far left of the image
Outside, three dogs are barking in the back yard. One of them is Nala, the five-year-old dog Sala had rescued as a puppy in France. She became famous for a picture in which she was seen waiting for her owner to come home.
"She knew us from all the times we'd been in France, but when she came here, she found all the stuff from Emi, and I'm convinced that she also recognised his smell," Mercedes says. "We decided to take her to the wake, so she could also be with him."
The family had a private wake before going to San Martin's main hall for the public funeral in February last year. "There was a whole town wanting to say goodbye," Mercedes says. "We understood it was the right thing to do.
"Since that call at six in the morning..." she sighs deeply. "It seems as if it was yesterday, and it's already been one year. The pain is intact and it will never go away."


bbc--2020-01-21--How Nigeria's cricket team 'shocked the world'

Debutants Nigeria are set to face England at the Under-19 cricket World Cup , but as Janine Anthony reports from Lagos , cricket is still very much a minority sport in the West African country .
The players knelt down , praised God and some even cried after the winning runs were struck that saw Nigeria through to their first-ever cricket World Cup .
Bowler Peter Aho , who had only just turned 16 , scored the crucial runs in a closely fought victory over Sierra Leone at last year 's qualifying tournament in Namibia .
But there was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nigeria 's 200 million people as the final overs were played .
Most Nigerians do not care for cricket .
In fact , only a handful of people in Africa 's most populous nation - the players ' families and close friends - even knew that the team , nicknamed the Junior Yellow Greens , were on the verge of making history .
But that took nothing from the emotions of those involved as the qualifying game reached its climax .
Aho 's teammates stood behind the boundary looking on , hoping that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game and stop Nigeria sealing victory .
One team official could not watch , he turned his back to the action .
This was not how it was supposed to be but Sierra Leone , considered a weak side , forced a middle-order batting collapse .
Aho came in to bat with his side still needing 52 runs for qualification .
As he struck what would be the final ball and made his run , there was an explosion of emotion .
His teammates charged forward , the official who could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest towards the batsmen .
They all embraced Aho - he had done it , they had done it , Nigeria was going to the World Cup .
Looking back , team captain Sylvester Okpe found the fact that his team qualified hard to believe .
`` Sometimes , I pinch myself .
In fact , we still google the moment to be sure it 's not a dream , '' he said .
For a team that had been relegated to the second division of African cricket in 2015 and only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , getting to the World Cup was beyond what many had imagined .
You may also like : • The Nigerians bowled over by cricket '' I can say we are like the Leicester City of cricket… we shocked the world , '' Okpe said .
He was referring to the exploits of English Premier League side who against the odds became champions in 2016 a year after almost being relegated .
A football comparison is handy as few of his compatriots understand the game the Junior Yellow Greens play .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long history in Nigeria , spanning more than a century .
The British colonialists imported the sport and Nigeria played its first international match against another British colony - The Gold Coast ( now Ghana ) in 1904 .
The team was entirely made up of British colonial administrators .
But unlike in India , another British colony , the game never really took off among most of the population .
There are cricket grounds dotted around the country but few people have ever seen a game and the cost of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if people want to get involved .
`` People in Nigeria do n't take cricket as a sport , '' said fast bowler Taiwo Mohammed .
`` They love football over cricket so we just want to show the world that we have something in cricket and we want to get the world interested , '' he said .
If Nigeria 's young cricketers are going to prove themselves then a difficult test awaits them in South Africa .
They are in a hard group facing Australia , England and West Indies - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cup .
In their opening match on Monday , Nigeria were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia , proving how tough things might be .
But , speaking before the first match , captain Okpe was not fazed .
He insisted that the team have shown a good fighting spirit that has helped them to exceed their limits .
`` If we could get more individuals and families and friends all over to support us during the course of the World Cup , we could do much better as a team , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognises that more needs to be done to secure any wins at the tournament .
`` In bowling and fielding we are more defensive .
Batting has n't been really up to the level we want , '' he said .
`` Even at the qualifiers we were probably rated the lowest and so obviously it was a situation whereby we were snatching victories from the jaws of defeat . ''
The team would have to repeat their feat from the qualifiers if they hope to make it past the group stage at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the semi-finals' However , Aho , the hero of the team in Namibia , is imagining a path to the final next month .
`` I strongly believe we are going to beat if not three but two and qualify for the semi-finals and maybe play India at the finals .
`` We are really hoping and we are training hard and I believe we will get there , '' he said .
`` They should not be too concerned about winning or losing but the experience that can be gained from @ @ @ @ @ @

"If we could get more individuals and families and friends all over to support us during the course of the World Cup, we could do much better as a team," he said.


bbc--2020-01-21--Robot tanks: On patrol but not allowed to shoot

In 1985 the US pulled the plug on a computer-controlled anti-aircraft tank after a series of debacles in which its electronic brain locked guns onto a stand packed with top generals reviewing the device .
Mercifully it did n't fire , but did subsequently attack a portable toilet instead of a target drone .
The M247 Sergeant York ( pictured above ) may have been an embarrassing failure , but digital technology and artificial intelligence ( AI ) have changed the game since then .
Today defence contractors around the world are competing to introduce small unmanned tracked vehicles into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the move , there are contrasting views about how far and how fast this technology will advance .
Above all , designers are testing the limits of human control and machine independence , the ultimate goal of autonomy .
Will this new generation of mini-tanks change the face of warfare ?
How much autonomy can they be trusted with ?
Estonian soldiers currently serving in Mali are going out on patrol with an unmanned ground vehicle or UGV .
The size of a sit-on lawn-mower with tracks , it carries heavy supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind a conventional armoured personnel carrier it resembles an obedient younger sibling .
UK defence technology group Qinetiq presented the British army with a selection of these vehicles during a month-long trial on Salisbury Plain in late 2018 .
The basic UGV came from the Estonian company Milrem , but Qinetiq integrated a series of technology options onto it to create a trio of military roles .
• What went wrong with virtual reality ?
• A chatbot pulled me out of a 'really dark place' Depending on the option chosen the UGV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies or a heavy machine gun , or it can stand guard over its human comrades , using infra-red sensors and thermal imaging to supplement a battery of cameras .
Running on an electric-diesel hybrid engine Titan can be controlled by a human operator or sent off to perform tasks directed by its own software which can decide when to switch between power sources .
Keith Mallon is in charge of UGVs at Qinetiq .
While a small tank weaving across a muddy plain is a curious sight , he focuses on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've had robotics for years , but the information revolution means it can navigate on its own . ''
Machine learning , a subset of the Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) revolution , means software embedded in Titan recognises patterns .
Data from its cameras and other sensors is matched to prior examples so it can navigate to a chosen destination .
The idea is to have minimal human intervention while Titan goes about supporting the troops or exploring a dangerous area .
But the freedom Qinetiq will grant to the UGV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to firing a gun or anti-tank missile mounted on the chassis a human must always be in the loop to decide on the use of lethal force .
`` We will never give software the capability to fire a weapon , '' says Keith Mallon .
Does all this mean robot mini-tanks have really won acceptance ?
Nick Entwistle spent 19 years serving in the British army in tanks and armoured vehicles .
Today he advises the army and has studied the results of the Salisbury Plain trials .
He points out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the capabilities of current AI technology .
`` Even humans have trouble discriminating between a civilian and a combatant .
And human beings are adept at reading situations .
But look at Afghanistan where the enemy hid among civilians .
So autonomy is not going to happen for some time .
The technology is further away than some like to think . ''
Across the Atlantic US defence contractor FLIR has been buying up robotics firms in order to put together a UGV package with a group of technology and engineering firms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapted the Ripsaw , a small tracked vehicle with sports car speeds popularised on TV and by Hollywood .
Originally marketed as a millionaire 's plaything and subsequently starring in Fast and Furious 8 , the Ripsaw may be about to earn further recognition as an unmanned war machine .
It has been chosen for detailed testing by the US Army 's Robotic Combat Vehicle ( RCV ) programme .
After evaluating a whole crop of UGVs the army intends to field some for real by the mid-2020s .
Team Ripsaw uses a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see all around the UGV in day and night .
These sensors live inside a gimbal on a mast that can be extended to peer far and wide .
The big challenge is to pre-plan a mission and then let the UGV go and do it independently of an operator with radio control .
This is where AI comes in .
David Ray is a senior FLIR executive and ex-US Air Force communications expert who served on Air Force One .
As he sees it AI is `` about object detection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broomstick and a gun '' .
Again , machine learning is the key , showing the Ripsaw 's digital mind a succession of images that build up a comparative picture of the world .
Self-driving cars can be programmed to recognise everyday events from videos .
But you simply can not show a machine real images of every possible situation that might arise in war .
So synthetic training aids , familiar from flight simulators and using hyper-realistic computer-generated images have been brought to bear .
These reflect combat conditions .
The machine-learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it absorbs images of conflict .
This merging of different technologies represents a big breakthrough for UGVs .
David Ray talks of the Ripsaw as `` very fast and flexible and able to traverse difficult terrain such as sand dunes '' .
It uses an electric-diesel hybrid motor that can transition to a silent approach in stark contrast to the barrage of noise laid down by conventional tanks .
The US Army wants a discreet machine that can creep up on its target .
The real revelation about the Team Ripsaw vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character .
The little tank can open a hatch under its angled front to disgorge a junior robot partner , a smaller tracked machine based on a bomb disposal robot .
This scuttles away into confined spaces to look for enemies lurking inside buildings or to detect toxic substances such as nerve agents .
The robot family does n't stop there .
A quadcopter drone can rise from the rear of the UGV to carry out aerial reconnaissance on behalf of its terrestrial team-mates .
This is layered surveillance , keeping manned vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tech-heavy toys spy on threats .
Like Titan , Team Ripsaw has an armed option which resembles a smaller version of a normal tank .
As with his UK counterparts , David Ray is emphatic that a human will always be in the loop before firing .

Team Ripsaw uses a handful of sophisticated visual and thermal sensors to see all around the UGV in day and night. These sensors live inside a gimbal on a mast that can be extended to peer far and wide. The big challenge is to pre-plan a mission and then let the UGV go and do it independently of an operator with radio control. This is where AI comes in.


bbc--2020-01-21--New solar power source and storage developed

A new form of combined solar power generation and storage is being developed for the UK .
It couples thin , flexible , lighter solar sheets with energy storage to power buildings or charge vehicles off-grid .
The company behind it , Solivus , plans to cover the roofs of large industrial buildings with the solar fabric .
But Solivus also plans to manufacture solar units or `` arcs '' for home use .
The aim is to create local , renewable energy , to give people and business their own power supply and help the UK towards its target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2050 .
The solar material is a carbon-based sheet , which the company describes as an `` organic photovoltaic '' ( OPV ) .
It 's a material that absorbs sunlight and produces energy .
The layered film can be bent into shapes or glued on to flat or curved , vertical or horizontal , surfaces - where panels could not be used or fixed on without damaging the integrity of a building .
The firm says the film is one-tenth of the weight of traditional panels in frames - 1.8kg per m2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials , and lasts for 20 years .
It puts its efficiency in a lab at about 13 % but says that stays stable as temperatures rise in natural sunlight - a problem with traditional solar panels , although they can function at an average of 15-18 % efficiency .
The film collects a wider spectrum of light than other panels , manufacturer Heliatek says , while still working on grey days .
The plan is that the energy produced will be stored locally , in an electric vehicle battery , or potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release its charge .
The combination is the brainchild of Jo Parker-Swift , who has a background in biological sciences and has grown and sold two businesses that worked with NHS trusts .
But it was a chance meeting on a train with two former energy company bosses and a chat about growing demand that got her thinking about a way to harness enough solar power to take her house and car off-grid .
Once home , she looked at the leaves on laurel bushes in her garden , calculating the surface area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a right nutter , '' she says , marking all the leaves so she did n't count them twice .
But she felt nature might have the answer to energy independence - a large surface area in a small space , to capture sunlight .
Something along the lines of a solar tree .
So began a two-and-a-half year research and investment journey and a development of the idea that it would not just be one house running off-grid , but business , delivery companies and their vehicles , homes , stadiums , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• How could graphene transform the future ?
Transport accounts for 23 % of the UK 's CO2 emissions , and the government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol or diesel vehicles by 2040 .
She hopes the film will help in the battle to stop rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and the damage to increasingly acidic oceans .
Businesses keen to be carbon neutral have reacted positively and Solivus 's medium-term plan is to roll out an installation of film on large UK commercial properties and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 10,000m2 roof will provide approximately 1MW of energy - about enough to power a block of flats .
The company is also working with the University of Manchester 's Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre to see if graphene can play a role .
Graphene is a strong 2D material just one atom thick , which efficiently conducts heat and electricity .
The next step is more modest - the solar fabric has been installed on a farm building , let to a mobility scooter company that has to charge batteries for its fleet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into `` arcs '' - units with curved sides and a large surface area , designed to absorb more light without needing to track the sun .
It is anticipated one unit would be a 1kW ( kilowatt ) system providing 1,000 kWh ( killowatt hours ) each year in the UK .
University of Surrey researchers are looking at public reaction to the idea and the design .
The cost to consumers would come in repayment , not an initial investment , with the aim to come in below current energy bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology at Loughborough University , says the concept of lightweight PV on buildings is `` exciting '' because it opens up new applications for solar .
But there are economic and practical hurdles .
The current flexible PV market is a fraction of that for traditional rigid solar panels , meaning manufacturers of flexible PV do not have the same economies of scale .
So far , he says , some flexible solar films have seen problems where water has seeped through the coating , eventually causing degradation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PVs has been CIGS - devices made of copper indium gallium diselenide .
`` If they can sell at a reasonable cost and avoid technical issues , it would be fantastic , but there are many challenges , '' he says .
The idea of a solar tree may not yet be realised , but the journey is in progress .

But it was a chance meeting on a train with two former energy company bosses and a chat about growing demand that got her thinking about a way to harness enough solar power to take her house and car off-grid.


bbc--2020-01-21--Liverpool are 'a machine' - Mbappe in awe of Premier League leaders

Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has described Liverpool as `` a machine '' as they aim to clinch their first league title since 1990 , and has told BBC Sport he is `` 100 % '' happy in the French capital as he continues to be linked with Real Madrid .
Liverpool have also been linked with Mbappe - regarded by many as the best young player in the world - despite manager Jurgen Klopp saying the striker is out of his club 's price range .
And while the 21-year-old World Cup winner , who joined PSG in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his commitment to his current club at the launch of his charity , 'Inspired by Kylian Mbappe ( IBKM ) ' , he says he watches Liverpool 's title charge with admiration .
`` What Liverpool do in this moment is amazing , '' Mbappe said .
`` They 're like a machine , they 've found a rhythm and are like 'we play again , we play again ' .
`` They 've lost zero games .
When you watch you think everything 's easy but that 's not easy .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every three days and they win , they win , they win .
`` Now the problem is that everybody watches Liverpool , and everybody watches what we can do against them , so now they have to show they are strong again but it 's a very good team with a very good manager . ''
Mbappe grabbed the attention of Premier League clubs by scoring twice as Monaco knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League in 2016-17 .
That summer he joined PSG , initially on a season-long loan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he helped France win the 2018 World Cup .
This season he is aiming to help PSG win a third straight French title but has repeatedly been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid .
`` Everyone talks about it - when I was young I talked about it too , '' said Mbappe .
`` But now I 'm a player and I know it 's not the moment .
`` We are in January - it 's the money time of the season .
Imagine I answer your question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it and it 's not good for PSG .
`` Now I 'm with PSG and I 'm 100 % with the club .
I want to help the club grow this season , to win a lot of titles , so for me it 's not good to talk about [ my future ] .
`` I think about the club because the club helped me .
I came here at 18 .
I was a talent but I was not a superstar .
Now I 'm a superstar , thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I have to stay calm and stay focused on PSG .
After that , at the end of the season , we will see .
But now I 'm focused on my game . ''
• Kylian Mbappe , Neymar , Messi ?
Who is the world 's most valuable football star ?
As well as winning Ligue 1 this year , Mbappe hopes to help PSG win the Champions League for the first time , and win Euro 2020 and the Olympic Games with France .
Asked what was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` It would be a treble of Champions League , European Championship and Olympic Games .
That would n't be bad .
`` That seems unattainable for the time being but I 'm going to make sure I fulfil this dream .
It would be a proud moment to be able to win the first European [ Cup ] for PSG and for our country to keep winning . ''
Mbappe 's charity was set up to help 98 children - a nod to his birth year - between the ages of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accomplish `` their dreams '' .

'The first year I cried a lot' - Mbappe on teenage stardom
Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has described Liverpool as "a machine" as they aim to clinch their first league title since 1990, and has told BBC Sport he is "100%" happy in the French capital as he continues to be linked with Real Madrid.
Liverpool have also been linked with Mbappe - regarded by many as the best young player in the world - despite manager Jurgen Klopp saying the striker is out of his club's price range. external-link
And while the 21-year-old World Cup winner, who joined PSG in 2017 in a transfer worth £165.7m, reaffirmed his commitment to his current club at the launch of his charity, 'Inspired by Kylian Mbappe (IBKM)', he says he watches Liverpool's title charge with admiration.
"What Liverpool do in this moment is amazing," Mbappe said. "They're like a machine, they've found a rhythm and are like 'we play again, we play again'.
"They've lost zero games. When you watch you think everything's easy but that's not easy. The guys are focused, they play games every three days and they win, they win, they win.
"Now the problem is that everybody watches Liverpool, and everybody watches what we can do against them, so now they have to show they are strong again but it's a very good team with a very good manager."
'Real Madrid talk not good for PSG'
Mbappe grabbed the attention of Premier League clubs by scoring twice as Monaco knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League in 2016-17.
That summer he joined PSG, initially on a season-long loan, before being named best young player as he helped France win the 2018 World Cup.
This season he is aiming to help PSG win a third straight French title but has repeatedly been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
"Everyone talks about it - when I was young I talked about it too," said Mbappe. "But now I'm a player and I know it's not the moment.
"We are in January - it's the money time of the season. Imagine I answer your question and say something. Everybody will talk about it and it's not good for PSG.
"Now I'm with PSG and I'm 100% with the club. I want to help the club grow this season, to win a lot of titles, so for me it's not good to talk about [my future].
"I think about the club because the club helped me. I came here at 18. I was a talent but I was not a superstar. Now I'm a superstar, thanks to PSG and the French national team.
"I have to stay calm and stay focused on PSG. After that, at the end of the season, we will see. But now I'm focused on my game."
Mbappe targets rare treble
As well as winning Ligue 1 this year, Mbappe hopes to help PSG win the Champions League for the first time, and win Euro 2020 and the Olympic Games with France.
Asked what was on his wish-list for 2020, he said: "It would be a treble of Champions League, European Championship and Olympic Games. That wouldn't be bad.
"That seems unattainable for the time being but I'm going to make sure I fulfil this dream. It would be a proud moment to be able to win the first European [Cup] for PSG and for our country to keep winning."
Mbappe's charity was set up to help 98 children - a nod to his birth year - between the ages of nine and 16 from various social backgrounds to accomplish "their dreams".