bbc--2020-01-08--CES 2020: Manta5's electric bike rides on water

It has taken nearly a decade to bring a commercial hydrofoil bicycle to market .
But New Zealand-based Manta5 has @ @ @ @ @ has brought it to the CES tech show to exhibit .
BBC Click 's Spencer @ @ @ @ @ first to try out the water bike on Lake Las Vegas .
Catch up with @ @ @ @ @ 2020 coverage

It has taken nearly a decade to bring a commercial hydrofoil bicycle to market.
But New Zealand-based Manta5 has finally launched its product and has brought it to the CES tech show to exhibit.
BBC Click's Spencer Kelly was one of the first to try out the water bike on Lake Las Vegas.
Catch up with all the BBC's CES 2020 coverage


bbc--2020-01-08--Ugandan officers intercept ‘baby' full of contraband

Ugandan officers have detained a smuggler passing off a baby grow full of banned cosmetics as a child .
The `` baby '' was intercepted aboard a bus at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo , Uganda 's customs commissioner tweeted .
`` Some smugglers never cease to amuse ! ''
Dicksons Kateshumbwa said in his post .
Tonnes of banned skin-lightening products get into Uganda every year , mostly through porous points along the border with DR Congo .
• Africa Live : More on this and other stories • On the trail of illegal 'beauty-cream ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliveries .
Carriers , who earn about $ 1 ( £0.80 ) per trip , bring them across the border box-by-box or sack-by-sack , reports the BBC 's Uganda reporter Patience Atuhaire .
They often come concealed in sacks of green bananas , and even in plastic jerry cans with false bottoms that are cut and sewn up .
Mr Kateshumbwa was clearly delighted with the ingenuity of this latest smuggling attempt at the Mpondwe border post as he tweeted three photos of baby `` dummy '' stuffed with illegal cosmetics : Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin-lightening creams that were banned in Uganda in 2016 because they contain mercury and hydroquinone , which some studies have linked to damaging health side-effects .
You may also be interested in : • Africa - where black is not really beautiful

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bbc--2020-01-08--Does the US have a problem with topless women?

Women fed up with being forced to cover up their breasts and nipples are challenging American laws about nudity and sparking a debate about the country 's attitude to the naked female form .
In September , Effie Krokos was awarded a $ 50,000 ( £38,178 ) civil settlement after she took her shirt off in public in Loveland , Colorado , and was issued a summons for doing so .
The 20-year-old was charged with indecent exposure after she played Frisbee topless in her fiance 's front yard .
She had thought that the law in Colorado had changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirt off when she got hot and sweaty during the game - after all her fiance had removed his top too .
They were equal , right ?
`` I thought it was fine because there had been a ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals which covers Colorado .
I 'd read an article about it saying that it was OK for women to go topless .
`` It was a warm September day and the weather was roasting .
I took my shirt off without thinking too much about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a police officer turned up to tell her that there had been complaints and she was facing charges .
Krokos told the BBC : `` I kept asking the police officer what I was being charged with , but I was just told I was disgusting the neighbours and that there were children around , and what made it OK for me to think I could be topless ?
`` I was taken aback because for everyone to be here today who was breastfed , you would have had a topless woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that ? ''
Krokos said that by the time the officer arrived at her home , she was fully clothed while her fiance remained topless , and yet there had been no complaints about him .
`` It 's not like I was standing in the middle of the road , screaming 'look at me ' .
I was discreetly playing Frisbee in my yard when I had my top off , '' she added .
But it did n't matter .
She had to get lawyers involved to have the charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not come up in background checks .
If the charge of indecent exposure had been upheld it would have derailed her dream of teaching .
`` There was a risk at one point that I would have been marked down as a sexual predator as indecent exposure is a sexual offence , '' Krokos said .
Krokos had thought she would be safe because of a court ruling made earlier in the year .
Brit Hoagland and Samantha Six , activists with Free the Nipple - a global movement that campaigns for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Fort Collins , Colorado , for females to have the right to be topless in the same way men could be .
In Fort Collins , females aged 10 and older were not allowed to `` knowingly appear in any public place '' with their breasts exposed .
This also included private places where there was any chance of somebody at ground level seeing them from a public spot .
There were some exemptions such as breast-feeding but Hoagland says the city council 's stance `` criminalised and sexualised minors over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a stand .
Backed by lawyers as well as supporters of the Free the Nipple campaign , the pair saw success in February when the city 's ban was ruled unconstitutional by the Federal Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals .
Judge Gregory Phillips wrote in the ruling : `` We 're left , as the district court was , to suspect that the City 's professed interest in protecting children derives not from any morphological differences between men 's and women 's breasts but from negative stereotypes depicting women 's breasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as sex objects . ''
This court 's jurisdiction includes Oklahoma , Kansas , New Mexico , Colorado , Wyoming and Utah , therefore many eyes are on these states and local governments to see how they will deal with women choosing to go topless following the ruling .
In September , after spending $ 322,000 ( £244,964 ) Fort Collins eventually decided to give up its fight to keep battling the lawsuit and rewrote its local laws to reflect the court 's judgment .
The local paper The Coloradoan reported that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue the fight , stating the original ban on public nudity had reflected the values of the community .
Fort Collins mayor Kristin Stephens was among those who voted to remove the wording from the city code after the federal court 's ruling .
She told the BBC : `` I ca n't speak for everyone , but I chose not to proceed because I felt a protracted legal battle was not in the best interest of the city . ''
While Fort Collins chose to amend the wording of its laws , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done so .
In Krokos 's case , Loveland 's local laws do not allow exposure in public places but the city agreed to the payout following advice from its insurers after the law firm representing Hoagland and Six got involved .
And the Oklahoma City Police Department , for example , has said that it will continue to enforce the local laws banning women from appearing topless in public , with the city 's attorney general Mike Hunter stating : `` These courts have recognised that states and political subdivisions have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditionally defined . ''
• The freedom to be topless ( whilst drinking tea ) • A brief history of the nipple There are some places where it is legal for women to be topless .
In Philadelphia , women can be naked but not `` lewd '' , while in New York City , female toplessness is allowed .
The website Go Topless reports that there are many states with ambiguous laws regarding what 's allowed and what is n't .
In New Hampshire , three Free the Nipple protesters were arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beach .
Activists now want the Supreme Court to step in .
Professor Amy Werbel is the author of Lust on Trial , a book which delves into the history of American obscenity .
She says America 's opposition to female nudity is rooted in `` evangelical Christian opposition to the display of the body that goes back to the arrival of the Puritans in New England '' .
`` They brought with them a very particular reading of the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve .
And when Adam and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first thing they realise about themselves is their nakedness , and they fashion aprons to cover themselves .
`` It 's a pivotal moment in which you recognise the shame of nudity .
And that has lingered . ''
Werbel says in this particular theological thinking , in place when America 's laws were enshrined , argue that it 's the female body `` which holds the responsibility for the fall of humankind '' .
A search for the hashtag # FreeTheNipple generates over 4 million posts on Instagram , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - including photos of female nipples - is generally not allowed on the platform , with a few exceptions .
• Why is Instagram deleting the accounts of hundreds of porn stars Werbel says : `` So if then someone claims they have transitioned to being a man , then their nipples are male and that will be allowed .
If someone transitions male to female , then the nipples are female and not allowed . ''
It 's a complex subject , warns Werbel , who says that social media company algorithms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the posted image depicts free-speech protected art or illegal pornography .
Kathryn Watzel , president of the American Association of Nude Recreation ( AANR ) , says more people are now fighting in courts for their legal right to nudity than before .
`` In the past , a lot of these attempts were quieter and discreet and people would n't take it to court but now it 's a different case , '' she says .
`` Things change , attitudes change .
Remember just 20 years ago breastfeeding in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes . ''
Watzel says her family 's attitude while growing up allowed for at-home nudity , but she understood that was n't the case for everyone .
`` My mum would do housework sometimes in the nude as it was so hot and uncomfortable , '' she said .
`` My husband 's background was different .
Nobody in his family came out of their bedroom or the bathroom without clothes or a robe on . ''
Krokos remains astounded by what happened to her in Loveland , saying that in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't bother you '' but in states out west and in America 's so-called Bible Belt , `` it 's like it 's a crime against God if someone see you topless . ''
`` This is n't about feminism ; this is about equality .
`` I do think Americans are afraid of nudity , especially when it comes to women 's bodies because many have that argument in their head that every little bit of a woman 's body is for sex .
But that 's not the case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ What 's it like to swim naked with 300 others ?

"I do think Americans are afraid of nudity, especially when it comes to women's bodies because many have that argument in their head that every little bit of a woman's body is for sex. But that's not the case."


bbc--2020-01-08--Australia fires: How the world has responded to the crisis

The world has watched with horror as bushfires have torn across Australia , leaving a trail of destruction in their wake .
The blazes have razed almost 2,000 homes , and killed at least 25 people and hundreds of millions of animals since they began in September .
People in Australia and abroad , including politicians and celebrities , have been eager to find ways to offer assistance and support .
But authorities have warned that some kinds of help can actually be a hindrance and overwhelm fire-affected communities .
Here are some of the ways that the world has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what help those responding to the crisis say is needed .
Many people have made financial donations to help with the response to the crisis .
One fundraiser for fire services in New South Wales ( NSW ) , launched by Australian comedian Celeste Barber , raised more than A $ 20m ( £10.6m ; $ 13m ) in just 48 hours .
It 's now topped A $ 30m , with donations from more than 1.1 million people .
Big business in Australia has also pledged significant contributions .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts have come from celebrities .
US singer Pink , Australian pop star Kylie Minogue , Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman , British singer Elton John and Australian actor Chris Hemsworth are among those to make major donations .
The Prince of Wales has said he and the Duchess of Cornwall have been `` in despair '' watching the `` appalling horror '' unfold .
In a video posted on the Clarence House Twitter account on Tuesday , Prince Charles praised the work of firefighters and hailed the resilience of Australians facing `` such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken a more unusual approach .
Australian cricket great Shane Warne was set to raise more than A $ 300,000 for the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund by auctioning off his prized `` baggy green '' Test cap .
British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge , meanwhile , said she would auction off the suit she wore to the Golden Globes to raise money for relief efforts .
• The 16-year-old who lost his home in Australia 's fires Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios , known for his powerful serve , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for every ace he hit at every tournament he entered in January .
He was n't the only tennis player to chip in .
Ashleigh Barty , the Australian world number one , said she would donate all her prize money from the Brisbane International - which offers a pot of nearly A $ 1.5m .
Maria Sharapova said on Twitter she would donate A $ 25,000 , and Novak Djokovic later matched the pledge .
And then there 's the California-based Instagram model Kaylen Ward , who claimed to have raised more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nude photos of herself in exchange for proof of charitable donations .
Fire-ravaged communities have also been inundated with donations of toys , food , clothes and furniture .
But officials have warned that such generosity can sometimes cause problems .
A spokesman for the state of New South Wales ' Office of Emergency Management ( OEM ) said the deluge of goods could potentially spark a `` second disaster '' .
`` Unfortunately , what usually happens is local communities become overwhelmed very quickly with donated goods , '' Jeremy Hillman told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clog up halls used for recovery meetings .
Officials said communities in Victoria had the same problem - and that those wanting to help should do so financially , whether through donations or direct spending in affected towns .
`` We do not need any more food , we do not need any more clothes .
Give money… support the local businesses and the communities , '' the state 's Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville was reported as saying .
Thousands of social media users have called on people to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
Using the hashtag # GoWithEmptyEskies , referring to portable coolers , they are urging people to spend money on hotels , food , fuel , drink and other supplies to help rebuild local economies in the wake of the crisis .
`` Go with empty eskies , empty cars and low fuel… Beyond rebuilding , they need continued and long term support to get back on their feet and your empty esky makes more of a difference than you could ever imagine , '' said a Facebook post , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Actors Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett used their Golden Globes speeches to highlight Australia 's bushfire crisis and climate change .
`` When one country is facing a climate disaster , we are all facing a climate disaster , '' Blanchett said .
Many celebrities have posted statements on social media , urging their followers to make donations .
Australian actress Margot Robbie posted an emotional appeal on Instagram , sharing pictures of her childhood to show `` how beautiful our country is '' .
World leaders have also offered their support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among those to call Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to express solidarity .
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said he had written to Mr Morrison offer assistance `` in any way we can '' .
Members of the Royal Family said their `` thoughts and prayers '' were with those affected by the massive fires .
Most of those battling Australia 's fires are unpaid volunteers , thousands of people who have given up their time and risked their lives to help deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because it 's a passion , it 's a brotherhood , '' one volunteer firefighter told the BBC .
Many countries have offered assistance , including firefighters , helicopters , troops and money .
In a tweet , Mr Morrison thanked the US , New Zealand , Canada and Singapore for their support on the ground .
The tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu pledged almost A $ 250,000 to `` assist bushfire victims '' .
Acting Prime Minister Jotham Napat described Australia as a `` Pacific neighbour and friend '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can in this time of need , as Australia has always done in ours '' .
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said about 1,000 soldiers and firefighters `` stand ready to be deployed '' at Mr Morrison 's invitation .
People around the world have also been knitting blankets and protective pouches for animals which have lost their homes in the crisis .
The Animal Rescue Craft Guild told Reuters news agency it had been inundated with offers to make items including bat wraps , koala mitten and animal beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people from countries including Canada , the US and UK posted messages about their efforts .


bbc--2020-01-08--Kroos scores from corner as Real reach Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia

Toni Kroos ' opportunistic goal direct from a corner helped Real Madrid reach the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Valencia in Saudi Arabia .
Kroos ' corner was punched in by Valencia keeper Jaume Domenech as he scrambled back towards his line after remonstrating with his defenders .
Daniel Parejo scored a late consolation from the penalty spot after the referee consulted the pitchside VAR monitor .
The penalty was given for handball by Sergio Ramos despite it appearing to be accidental .
Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final on Thursday ( 19:00 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner in the final on Sunday ( 18:00 GMT ) .
• Money the reason we are here - Barca boss Valverde • Spanish Super Cup - who , why and where ?
The tournament has a new format this season , with the top two from La Liga and the Copa del Rey finalists playing in a four-team competition rather than the two winners playing each other .
Real , despite finishing third in La Liga , qualified because Barcelona won La Liga and finished runner-ups in the Copa del Rey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ second in La Liga on goal difference , dominated from the start and had 17 attempts on goal at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah .
Their margin of victory could have been bigger as Isco 's header hit the post before Luka Jovic 's rebound from two yards out was blocked by Domenech .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Isco doubled Madrid's lead just before half-time with a smart volleyed finish
Toni Kroos' opportunistic goal direct from a corner helped Real Madrid reach the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Valencia in Saudi Arabia.
Kroos' corner was punched in by Valencia keeper Jaume Domenech as he scrambled back towards his line after remonstrating with his defenders.
Isco's volleyed finish doubled Real's lead before Luka Modric made it 3-0.
Daniel Parejo scored a late consolation from the penalty spot after the referee consulted the pitchside VAR monitor.
The penalty was given for handball by Sergio Ramos despite it appearing to be accidental.
Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final on Thursday (19:00 GMT), with Real facing the winner in the final on Sunday (18:00 GMT).
The tournament has a new format this season, with the top two from La Liga and the Copa del Rey finalists playing in a four-team competition rather than the two winners playing each other.
Real, despite finishing third in La Liga, qualified because Barcelona won La Liga and finished runner-ups in the Copa del Rey.
Zinedine Zidane's side, who are second in La Liga on goal difference, dominated from the start and had 17 attempts on goal at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Their margin of victory could have been bigger as Isco's header hit the post before Luka Jovic's rebound from two yards out was blocked by Domenech.


bbc--2020-01-08--Iheanacho earns Leicester first-leg draw with Villa

Kelechi Iheanacho 's equaliser gave Leicester City a deserved draw to leave the Carabao Cup semi-final against Aston Villa delicately poised after an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium .
Substitute Iheanacho finished emphatically from Jamie Vardy 's pass with 16 minutes left to give The Foxes the reward their incessant second-half pressure merited to set up a tense second leg at Villa Park .
Villa , struggling with injuries after goalkeeper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley were ruled out for the season , defended with organisation and resilience to protect the lead given to them after 28 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far post to meet Anwar El Ghazi 's cross .
Ezri Konsa 's header also struck the bar for Villa but Leicester applied most of the pressure with keeper Orjan Nyland saving twice from James Maddison and Vardy , who also shot just wide late on , before he was beaten by Iheanacho 's powerful strike from 12 yards .
The second leg at Villa Park takes place on Tuesday , 28 January .
• Reaction to action from the King Power Stadium • Quiz : Name all EFL Cup semi-finalists of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stands at The King Power Stadium to cast his eye over several players as he finalises his Euro 2020 plans .
Villa defender Tyrone Mings and Leicester pair James Maddison and Ben Chilwell have already won full caps - so Southgate will have been paying particular attention to Jack Grealish , who has been a key figure for Dean Smith 's side this season .
Grealish is yet to make the breakthrough to full England status and his midfield battle with Maddison , who is yet to fully convince Southgate , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the Villa captain did not disappoint , surely pressing his claims for inclusion in England 's squad and the opportunity to put himself in contention for this summer 's Euros .
Villa spent much of the game on the back foot but Grealish was composed and strong on the ball when he got the chance , always looking for the chance to play the decisive pass on the rare occasions they were able to build pressure .
Maddison is currently ahead of Grealish in Southgate 's pecking order , but this classy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southgate food for thought as Villa set up a platform to give themselves a real chance of reaching the EFL Cup Final against either Manchester City or Manchester United .
Leicester City were not quite at their fluent best that has taken them into second place in the Premier League , forcing their way between runaway leaders Liverpool and reigning champions Manchester City .
And yet , despite this , the Foxes showed real determination and patience to maintain the pressure until marksman Vardy turned creator with an astute pass that released Iheanacho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions when the home crowd , largely supportive , became impatient as Leicester probed but they stayed true to the principles of manager Brendan Rodgers and no-one apart from Villa could complain about their equaliser .
Rodgers would have wanted victory from this home leg but he looked satisfied at the final whistle , clearly believing this is a result Leicester City can work with at Villa Park , where their pace and power on the break - spearheaded by Vardy - may be an even bigger weapon than it was here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league victory .
'He has really come to the fore ' - reaction Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers : `` Kelechi is a big talent .
He did n't play a lot of football at Manchester City and it takes a bit of time to adapt .
`` But since I 've come in his confidence has grown and grown and we believe in him and believe in his talent and this season he has really come to the fore .
`` He works so hard every day .
He 's either making a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he works so hard in his pressing game .
He was a threat when he came on against Villa and I 'm delighted for him . ''
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith : `` It should be a good second leg , all square and a boisterous crowd , a full house .
`` It was n't the performance I wanted , Leicester were the better team but we defended well at times .
We have to be honest , they created chances as well .
We were loose on the ball tonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm certainly content with a draw , just not the performance .
We gave away a farcical goal .
Ezri Konsa has got brain dazzled .
A disappointing goal but it sums up some of our performance on the night .
We did get in a lot of tackles and blocks . ''
• Villa have scored 17 League Cup goals this season - their most since 2012-13 , with Villa last scoring more in the 1999-00 campaign ( 18 ) .
• Villa have not kept a clean sheet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their last 17 games , last doing so against Bolton Wanderers in April 2019 .
• Iheanacho has been directly involved in seven goals in his five competitive appearances against Aston Villa ( five goals , two assists ) - more than any other opponent in his professional club career .
• Vardy has provided five assists in his 22 appearances in all competitions this season ; as many as he got for Leicester City in the previous two campaigns ( five assists in 78 apps ) .
• El Ghazi has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitions for Aston Villa this season ( five goals , six assists ) ; only Grealish has more for the Villans ( 14 ) .
• Guilbert 's goal in the 28th minute was Aston Villa 's only shot on target in the match .
In fact , they only recorded three shots in the entire game - the lowest total they have registered in all competitions since May 2016 against Newcastle United ( two shots ) .
• No player had more shots ( eight ) , shots on target ( two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) than Leicester 's Maddison in this match , with Grealish having zero shots and recording just one key pass by comparison .
Leicester are home to Southampton in the league on Saturday ( 15:00 GMT ) and Villa host Manchester City on Sunday ( 16:30 GMT )

Frederic Guilbert's (right) only other goal for Villa also came in the Carabao Cup - during the 6-1 win at Crewe in August
Kelechi Iheanacho's equaliser gave Leicester City a deserved draw to leave the Carabao Cup semi-final against Aston Villa delicately poised after an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium.
Substitute Iheanacho finished emphatically from Jamie Vardy's pass with 16 minutes left to give The Foxes the reward their incessant second-half pressure merited to set up a tense second leg at Villa Park.
Villa, struggling with injuries after goalkeeper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley were ruled out for the season, defended with organisation and resilience to protect the lead given to them after 28 minutes when Frederic Guilbert stole in at the far post to meet Anwar El Ghazi's cross.
Ezri Konsa's header also struck the bar for Villa but Leicester applied most of the pressure with keeper Orjan Nyland saving twice from James Maddison and Vardy, who also shot just wide late on, before he was beaten by Iheanacho's powerful strike from 12 yards.
The second leg at Villa Park takes place on Tuesday, 28 January.
Grealish shines in front of Southgate
Jack Grealish previously played for the Republic of Ireland at youth level before transferring his allegiance to England
England manager Gareth Southgate was in the stands at The King Power Stadium to cast his eye over several players as he finalises his Euro 2020 plans.
Villa defender Tyrone Mings and Leicester pair James Maddison and Ben Chilwell have already won full caps - so Southgate will have been paying particular attention to Jack Grealish, who has been a key figure for Dean Smith's side this season.
Grealish is yet to make the breakthrough to full England status and his midfield battle with Maddison, who is yet to fully convince Southgate, was an intriguing sub-plot to this semi-final.
And the Villa captain did not disappoint, surely pressing his claims for inclusion in England's squad and the opportunity to put himself in contention for this summer's Euros.
Villa spent much of the game on the back foot but Grealish was composed and strong on the ball when he got the chance, always looking for the chance to play the decisive pass on the rare occasions they were able to build pressure.
Maddison is currently ahead of Grealish in Southgate's pecking order, but this classy display from the 24-year-old will have given Southgate food for thought as Villa set up a platform to give themselves a real chance of reaching the EFL Cup Final against either Manchester City or Manchester United.
Leicester's patience rewarded
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is unbeaten in his past 31 domestic cup games (W27 D4), although this is his first home draw in this run since September 2015 when manager of Liverpool (1-1 against Carlisle United in the League Cup)
Leicester City were not quite at their fluent best that has taken them into second place in the Premier League, forcing their way between runaway leaders Liverpool and reigning champions Manchester City.
And yet, despite this, the Foxes showed real determination and patience to maintain the pressure until marksman Vardy turned creator with an astute pass that released Iheanacho for his late leveller.
There were occasions when the home crowd, largely supportive, became impatient as Leicester probed but they stayed true to the principles of manager Brendan Rodgers and no-one apart from Villa could complain about their equaliser.
Rodgers would have wanted victory from this home leg but he looked satisfied at the final whistle, clearly believing this is a result Leicester City can work with at Villa Park, where their pace and power on the break - spearheaded by Vardy - may be an even bigger weapon than it was here, as it was in their recent 4-1 league victory.
Man of the match - Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
Jack Grealish has been a key figure in Villa's team this season and once again underlined his importance to his side
'He has really come to the fore' - reaction
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "Kelechi is a big talent. He didn't play a lot of football at Manchester City and it takes a bit of time to adapt.
"But since I've come in his confidence has grown and grown and we believe in him and believe in his talent and this season he has really come to the fore.
"He works so hard every day. He's either making a goal or scoring a goal now and he works so hard in his pressing game. He was a threat when he came on against Villa and I'm delighted for him."
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith: "It should be a good second leg, all square and a boisterous crowd, a full house.
"It wasn't the performance I wanted, Leicester were the better team but we defended well at times. We have to be honest, they created chances as well. We were loose on the ball tonight, we've got to do better.
"I'm certainly content with a draw, just not the performance. We gave away a farcical goal. Ezri Konsa has got brain dazzled. A disappointing goal but it sums up some of our performance on the night. We did get in a lot of tackles and blocks."
El Ghazi shines for Villa again - stats
Villa have scored 17 League Cup goals this season - their most since 2012-13, with Villa last scoring more in the 1999-00 campaign (18).
Villa have not kept a clean sheet on the road in all competitions in their last 17 games, last doing so against Bolton Wanderers in April 2019.
Iheanacho has been directly involved in seven goals in his five competitive appearances against Aston Villa (five goals, two assists) - more than any other opponent in his professional club career.
Vardy has provided five assists in his 22 appearances in all competitions this season; as many as he got for Leicester City in the previous two campaigns (five assists in 78 apps).
El Ghazi has been directly involved in 11 goals in all competitions for Aston Villa this season (five goals, six assists); only Grealish has more for the Villans (14).
Guilbert's goal in the 28th minute was Aston Villa's only shot on target in the match. In fact, they only recorded three shots in the entire game - the lowest total they have registered in all competitions since May 2016 against Newcastle United (two shots).
No player had more shots (eight), shots on target (two) or created more chances (four) than Leicester's Maddison in this match, with Grealish having zero shots and recording just one key pass by comparison.
What's next?
Leicester are home to Southampton in the league on Saturday (15:00 GMT) and Villa host Manchester City on Sunday (16:30 GMT)


bbc--2020-01-08--Rib injury rules England pace bowler Anderson out of SA tour

Bowler James Anderson has been ruled out of the final two Tests of England 's tour of South Africa with a rib injury .
Anderson , England 's all-time leading wicket-taker , picked up the injury during the second Test on Tuesday .
The 37-year-old bowled only two overs after lunch on the final day as England won to level the series at 1-1 .
Scans have revealed the extent of the injury and he is now out of the third Test which starts on 16 January and the fourth Test a week later .
`` Frustrating to be missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken rib but hopefully will be healed in a few weeks ! ''
Anderson said on Instagram .
`` Will be supporting the boys from home . ''
Anderson only returned to action after four months out with a calf injury in the first Test in South Africa , which started on Boxing Day .
He missed four of the five Ashes Tests last summer , and the Test against Ireland in July , with the injury .
The Lancashire bowler has taken nine wickets so far against South Africa , the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the second Test in Cape Town .
After taking 5-40 in the first innings at Newlands - his 28th five-wicket haul in Tests - he said `` age is irrelevant '' and that he was `` desperate to prove my place in the team '' .
England are hopeful pace bowler Jofra Archer , who missed the second Test with a sore elbow , will be fit for the third Test in Port Elizabeth .
Somerset bowler Craig Overton will remain in South Africa as cover for Anderson .

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Anderson is the most successful fast bowler in Test history with 584 wickets
Bowler James Anderson has been ruled out of the final two Tests of England's tour of South Africa with a rib injury.
Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, picked up the injury during the second Test on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old bowled only two overs after lunch on the final day as England won to level the series at 1-1.
Scans have revealed the extent of the injury and he is now out of the third Test which starts on 16 January and the fourth Test a week later.
"Frustrating to be missing the rest of this series with a broken rib but hopefully will be healed in a few weeks!" Anderson said on Instagram.
"Will be supporting the boys from home."
Anderson only returned to action after four months out with a calf injury in the first Test in South Africa, which started on Boxing Day.
He missed four of the five Ashes Tests last summer, and the Test against Ireland in July, with the injury.
The Lancashire bowler has taken nine wickets so far against South Africa, the most by an England bowler, including seven in the second Test in Cape Town.
After taking 5-40 in the first innings at Newlands - his 28th five-wicket haul in Tests - he said "age is irrelevant" and that he was "desperate to prove my place in the team".
England are hopeful pace bowler Jofra Archer, who missed the second Test with a sore elbow, will be fit for the third Test in Port Elizabeth.
Somerset bowler Craig Overton will remain in South Africa as cover for Anderson.


bbc--2020-01-08--Six-time Super Bowl winner Brady says he 'still has more to prove'

Quarterback Tom Brady says he `` still has more to prove '' after the New England Patriots were knocked out of the NFL play-offs .
The 42-year-old six-time Super Bowl winner , who has only played for the Patriots , is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career .
The Tennessee Titans beat the defending champions 20-13 in the AFC wildcard game at Foxborough on Saturday .
`` In both life and football , failure is inevitable , '' Brady said on Instagram .
`` You do n't always win .
You can , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick yourself up with great enthusiasm , and place yourself in the arena again .
`` And that 's right where you will find me .
Because I know I still have more to prove . ''
There was speculation Brady would retire when the Patriots lost their final game of the regular season , forcing them to play in the wildcard round of the play-offs for the first time in 10 years , but said it was `` pretty unlikely '' in the aftermath of Saturday 's defeat .
Brady - widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time - was the 199th pick in the 2000 draft but has led the Patriots to the most successful era in the franchise 's history .
He won each of his first three Super Bowls ( 2002 , 2004 , 2005 ) and was the championship game 's Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) four times , making a total of nine Super Bowl appearances - both NFL records .
He was named as the league 's MVP in 2007 , 2010 and 2017 , and is second on the all-time list for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees .
`` Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain , '' Brady continued .
`` I wish every season ended in a win , but that 's not the nature of sports ( or life ) .
Nobody plays to lose .
But the reward for working hard is just that , the work !
!
`` I have been blessed to find a career I love , team-mates who go to battle with me , an organisation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been behind us every step of the way .
`` Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best , spent themselves at a worthy cause , and prepared to fail while daring greatly ( h/t Teddy Roosevelt ) .
`` And for that , we 've been rewarded with something that the scoreboard wo n't show - the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal .
That is what TEAM is all about . ''

Brady has won a record six Super Bowls, including three of the last five
Quarterback Tom Brady says he "still has more to prove" after the New England Patriots were knocked out of the NFL play-offs.
The 42-year-old six-time Super Bowl winner, who has only played for the Patriots, is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career.
The Tennessee Titans beat the defending champions 20-13 in the AFC wildcard game at Foxborough on Saturday.
"In both life and football, failure is inevitable," Brady said on Instagram external-link .
"You don't always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again.
"And that's right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove."
There was speculation Brady would retire when the Patriots lost their final game of the regular season, forcing them to play in the wildcard round of the play-offs for the first time in 10 years, but said it was "pretty unlikely" in the aftermath of Saturday's defeat.
Brady - widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time - was the 199th pick in the 2000 draft but has led the Patriots to the most successful era in the franchise's history.
He won each of his first three Super Bowls (2002, 2004, 2005) and was the championship game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times, making a total of nine Super Bowl appearances - both NFL records.
He was named as the league's MVP in 2007, 2010 and 2017, and is second on the all-time list for touchdown passes and passing yards behind current New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
"Running out of that tunnel every week is a feeling that is hard to explain," Brady continued.
"I wish every season ended in a win, but that's not the nature of sports (or life). Nobody plays to lose. But the reward for working hard is just that, the work!!
"I have been blessed to find a career I love, team-mates who go to battle with me, an organisation that believes in me, and fans who have been behind us every step of the way.
"Every one of us that works at Gillette Stadium strived to do their best, spent themselves at a worthy cause, and prepared to fail while daring greatly (h/t Teddy Roosevelt).
"And for that, we've been rewarded with something that the scoreboard won't show - the satisfaction of knowing we gave everything to each other in pursuit of a common goal. That is what TEAM is all about."


bbc--2020-01-08--Man Utd's Maguire ruled out with hip injury

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is set for an extended period out after suffering a hip injury .
The number of matches Maguire will miss is unknown .
But the concern for United is that his absence proves far longer than suggested on Tuesday by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , who said the injury was `` not a long , long-term one '' .
Maguire suffered the injury during last Saturday 's goalless FA Cup third-round tie against Wolves .
• 'Man Utd only showing half of what we can do ' - Rashford • First half was worst we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The England international completed the full 90 minutes at Molineux , having told his manager he was happy to continue , although he was not walking freely as he left the stadium .
He missed Tuesday 's Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat by Manchester City at Old Trafford , after which United face a home FA Cup replay against Wolves , two Premier League matches - at Liverpool and at home to Burnley - and the second leg of their tie against Pep Guardiola 's side .
United are already facing defensive injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Bailly are out , while Chris Smalling is on loan at Roma .
Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones played in Tuesday 's defeat by City , with the latter man suffering cramp near the end of the 3-1 defeat .
At the start of the season , defence was the one area United felt confident about in terms of squad strength ; their transfer plans for January remain focused on trying to bolster their midfield , where they are considering a move for Ajax 's Dutch international Donny van de Beek .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difficulty of signing players during January , there is a feeling Ajax 's exit from the Champions League at the group stage gives them some chance of success with Van de Beek .
There is also an acknowledgement that without reinforcements , Solskjaer will struggle to qualify United for next season 's Champions League .

Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Harry Maguire missed his side's 3-1 defeat by Manchester City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is set for an extended period out after suffering a hip injury.
The number of matches Maguire will miss is unknown.
But the concern for United is that his absence proves far longer than suggested on Tuesday by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said the injury was "not a long, long-term one".
Maguire suffered the injury during last Saturday's goalless FA Cup third-round tie against Wolves.
The England international completed the full 90 minutes at Molineux, having told his manager he was happy to continue, although he was not walking freely as he left the stadium.
He missed Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat by Manchester City at Old Trafford, after which United face a home FA Cup replay against Wolves, two Premier League matches - at Liverpool and at home to Burnley - and the second leg of their tie against Pep Guardiola's side.
United are already facing defensive injury issues, as both Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly are out, while Chris Smalling is on loan at Roma.
Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones played in Tuesday's defeat by City, with the latter man suffering cramp near the end of the 3-1 defeat.
At the start of the season, defence was the one area United felt confident about in terms of squad strength; their transfer plans for January remain focused on trying to bolster their midfield, where they are considering a move for Ajax's Dutch international Donny van de Beek.
Although Old Trafford sources have consistently stressed the difficulty of signing players during January, there is a feeling Ajax's exit from the Champions League at the group stage gives them some chance of success with Van de Beek.
There is also an acknowledgement that without reinforcements, Solskjaer will struggle to qualify United for next season's Champions League.


bbc--2020-01-08--PSG thrash Saint-Etienne to reach French League Cup semi-finals

Mauro Icardi scored a hat-trick as Paris St-Germain reached the French League Cup semi-finals with a 6-1 thrashing of 10-man Saint-Etienne .
Inter Milan loanee Icardi opened the scoring two minutes in , Wesley Fofana was sent off after 31 minutes .
Neymar 's dink and a Jessy Moulin own goal made it 3-0 at half-time .
Icardi hit two more and Kylian Mbappe made it 6-0 before Yohan Cabaye - once of Newcastle - headed a consolation after his penalty was saved .
Saint-Etienne , managed by former Southampton and Leicester boss Claude Puel , were as lively as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game , with Fofana sent off for a second bookable offence after a trip on Angel di Maria .
Just eight minutes after Puel 's side went down to 10 men , Neymar 's clever finish doubled PSG 's lead before Di Maria 's cross went in via ricochets off two defenders , the post and then the legs of the unfortunate Moulin .
The second half was a one-sided affair as Mbappe was twice provider for Icardi , who has scored 17 goals in 19 games since joining the eight-time League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour as his cross was turned in at the back post by the sliding Mbappe for his 19th goal of the season .
Di Maria gave away a needless penalty for a shove on Charles Abi with Cabaye seeing his effort saved by Sergio Rico , low down to his right , before the midfielder headed home the rebound .
PSG are joined by Stade Reims , Lyon and Lille in the last four .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Mauro Icardi has scored 17 goals in 19 games since joining PSG on loan from Inter Milan
Mauro Icardi scored a hat-trick as Paris St-Germain reached the French League Cup semi-finals with a 6-1 thrashing of 10-man Saint-Etienne.
Inter Milan loanee Icardi opened the scoring two minutes in, Wesley Fofana was sent off after 31 minutes.
Neymar's dink and a Jessy Moulin own goal made it 3-0 at half-time.
Icardi hit two more and Kylian Mbappe made it 6-0 before Yohan Cabaye - once of Newcastle - headed a consolation after his penalty was saved.
Saint-Etienne, managed by former Southampton and Leicester boss Claude Puel, were as lively as PSG before the red card effectively killed the game, with Fofana sent off for a second bookable offence after a trip on Angel di Maria.
Just eight minutes after Puel's side went down to 10 men, Neymar's clever finish doubled PSG's lead before Di Maria's cross went in via ricochets off two defenders, the post and then the legs of the unfortunate Moulin.
The second half was a one-sided affair as Mbappe was twice provider for Icardi, who has scored 17 goals in 19 games since joining the eight-time League Cup winners.
Icardi then returned the favour as his cross was turned in at the back post by the sliding Mbappe for his 19th goal of the season.
Di Maria gave away a needless penalty for a shove on Charles Abi with Cabaye seeing his effort saved by Sergio Rico, low down to his right, before the midfielder headed home the rebound.
PSG are joined by Stade Reims, Lyon and Lille in the last four.


bbc--2020-01-08--Did Iran deliberately miss US troops?

Did Iran deliberately miss US troops?

In the early hours of 8 January , Iran launched attacks on Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for a US drone strike in Baghdad last Friday that killed a top Iranian general , Qasem Soleimani .
But despite furious warnings from Tehran that the US would pay a significant price for that killing - no-one was hurt by the retaliatory attack , according to US President Donald Trump .
What did Iran and the US say ?
A statement from Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) said `` tens of surface-to-surface missiles '' were launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupied air base of terrorist and aggressor army of the US in Al Asad '' , the hub for American military operations in western Iraq .
Iran 's Tasnim news agency , which is close to the IRGC , reported that Fateh-313 and Qiam missiles were used in the attack , and that US forces failed to intercept them because they were equipped with cluster warheads .
The warheads also caused `` tens of explosions '' at Al Asad , it said .
The US defence department said Iran launched more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two Iraqi military bases - Al Asad and Irbil , in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region .
Mr Trump said US forces suffered no casualties as a result of the Iranian missile attacks , and that the bases sustained `` only minimal damage '' .
In a televised statement , he credited `` the precautions taken , the dispersal of forces , and an early warning system that worked very well '' , and declared : `` Iran appears to be standing down . ''
However , the US 's top military officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed the attack was meant to be deadly .
He said his `` personal assessment '' was that Iran `` intended to cause structural damage , destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft , and to kill personnel '' .
What did the missiles actually hit ?
Iraq 's military , which also reported no casualties , said the country was hit by 22 missiles between 01:45 and 02:15 on Wednesday ( 22:45-23:15 GMT on Tuesday ) .
It said 17 missiles were fired towards Al Asad air base .
Satellite photographs taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middlebury Institute of International Studies showed what appeared to be at least five destroyed structures at Al Asad .
David Schmerler , an analyst at the Middlebury Institute , told NPR : `` Some of the locations struck look like the missiles hit dead centre . ''
But it was clear that some of the weapons did not hit the bases .
Two of the missiles aimed at Al Asad fell in the Hitan area , west of the town of Hit , and did not explode , according to the Iraqi military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those missiles , including three large parts of its fuselage , subsequently emerged on social media .
The Iraqi military said Iran fired five missiles towards Irbil air base , in the northern Kurdistan region .
It did not say how many hit the base , but state TV reported that two missiles landed in the village of Sidan , 16km ( 10 miles ) north-west of the city of Irbil , and that a third missile came down in the Bardah Rashsh area , about 47km north-west of Irbil .
Journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they believed was the crater caused by the missile that hit Bardah Rashsh .
Did Iran try to avoid US casualties ?
US and European government sources told Reuters news agency that they believed the Iranians had deliberately sought to minimise casualties and avoid hitting US facilities in order to prevent the crisis escalating out of control while still signalling their resolve .
CNN journalist Jake Tapper quoted a Pentagon official as saying that Iran `` deliberately chose targets that would not result in loss of life '' .
The Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Tuesday afternoon that Iran intended to attack American targets in Iraq , although it was unclear which ones .
An early warning came from intelligence sources as well as communications from Iraq that conveyed Iran 's intentions to launch the strike , the paper said .
David Martin , Pentagon correspondent for the BBC 's US partner CBS , said a defence official told him the US was warned of the attack `` multiple hours '' before , giving plenty of time for troops to take shelter in bunkers .
The source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of satellites and signals and communications intercepts - the same systems that watch for North Korean tests .
But Mr Martin said he had not found anybody , including one very senior officer , who knew anything about a heads-up from the Iraqi prime minister .
This official did not agree with speculation that Iran was aiming to miss .
`` Our movements saved American lives , '' the official told him .
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus said : `` Whether this was by design , or just due to shortcomings with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as yet remains unclear .
However , launching long range missiles against US bases is a risky way of making a point . ''
He added : `` Looking at the initial civilian satellite pictures of the impacts of the Iranian missiles at Al Asad air base , they appear to have destroyed several structures , so the lack of casualties could be as much by luck rather than design . ''

Iran missile attack: Did Tehran intentionally avoid US casualties? Published 8 January 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Iraq's military said the country was hit by 22 missiles early on Wednesday
In the early hours of 8 January, Iran launched attacks on Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for a US drone strike in Baghdad last Friday that killed a top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani.
But despite furious warnings from Tehran that the US would pay a significant price for that killing - no-one was hurt by the retaliatory attack, according to US President Donald Trump.
So did Iran intentionally avoid causing casualties?
What did Iran and the US say?
A statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said "tens of surface-to-surface missiles" were launched early on Wednesday "to crush the occupied air base of terrorist and aggressor army of the US in Al Asad", the hub for American military operations in western Iraq.
Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is close to the IRGC, reported that Fateh-313 and Qiam missiles were used in the attack , and that US forces failed to intercept them because they were equipped with cluster warheads. The warheads also caused "tens of explosions" at Al Asad, it said.
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The US defence department said Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles that targeted at least two Iraqi military bases - Al Asad and Irbil, in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Mr Trump said US forces suffered no casualties as a result of the Iranian missile attacks, and that the bases sustained "only minimal damage". In a televised statement, he credited "the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well", and declared: "Iran appears to be standing down."
However, the US's top military officer, Army General Mark Milley, said he believed the attack was meant to be deadly.
He said his "personal assessment" was that Iran "intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel".
What did the missiles actually hit?
Iraq's military, which also reported no casualties, said the country was hit by 22 missiles between 01:45 and 02:15 on Wednesday (22:45-23:15 GMT on Tuesday). It said 17 missiles were fired towards Al Asad air base.
Satellite photographs taken by the commercial company Planet Labs for the Middlebury Institute of International Studies showed what appeared to be at least five destroyed structures at Al Asad. David Schmerler, an analyst at the Middlebury Institute, told NPR: "Some of the locations struck look like the missiles hit dead centre."
But it was clear that some of the weapons did not hit the bases. Two of the missiles aimed at Al Asad fell in the Hitan area, west of the town of Hit, and did not explode, according to the Iraqi military.
Photos of the remnants of one of those missiles, including three large parts of its fuselage, subsequently emerged on social media.
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The Iraqi military said Iran fired five missiles towards Irbil air base, in the northern Kurdistan region. It did not say how many hit the base, but state TV reported that two missiles landed in the village of Sidan, 16km (10 miles) north-west of the city of Irbil, and that a third missile came down in the Bardah Rashsh area, about 47km north-west of Irbil.
Journalists meanwhile photographed security forces retrieving debris from what they believed was the crater caused by the missile that hit Bardah Rashsh.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Security forces retrieved debris from a crater in Bardah Rashsh
Did Iran try to avoid US casualties?
US and European government sources told Reuters news agency that they believed the Iranians had deliberately sought to minimise casualties and avoid hitting US facilities in order to prevent the crisis escalating out of control while still signalling their resolve.
CNN journalist Jake Tapper quoted a Pentagon official as saying that Iran "deliberately chose targets that would not result in loss of life".
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The Washington Post reported that US officials said they knew by Tuesday afternoon that Iran intended to attack American targets in Iraq, although it was unclear which ones.
An early warning came from intelligence sources as well as communications from Iraq that conveyed Iran's intentions to launch the strike, the paper said.
David Martin, Pentagon correspondent for the BBC's US partner CBS, said a defence official told him the US was warned of the attack "multiple hours" before, giving plenty of time for troops to take shelter in bunkers.
The source said this warning came from a combination of satellites and signals and communications intercepts - the same systems that watch for North Korean tests.
But Mr Martin said he had not found anybody, including one very senior officer, who knew anything about a heads-up from the Iraqi prime minister. This official did not agree with speculation that Iran was aiming to miss.
"Our movements saved American lives," the official told him.
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus said: "Whether this was by design, or just due to shortcomings with the manufacture and accuracy of their missiles, as yet remains unclear. However, launching long range missiles against US bases is a risky way of making a point."


bbc--2020-01-08--Iran attack: How strong is Iran's military?

Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing US forces .
It had vowed to retaliate after its most powerful military commander , General Qasem Soleimani , was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad airport .
Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was `` a slap in the face '' for the US .
So what do we know about Iran 's military capabilities ?
What missiles does Iran have ?
Iran 's missile systems are a key part of its military arsenal given its relative lack of air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Saudi Arabia , along with the US and UK , have the technology to carry out precision air strikes .
Iran largely lacks this capability and so relies on launching missiles .
A US Defense Department report describes the country 's missile forces as the largest in the Middle East , comprising mainly short and medium-range missiles .
It 's not possible to give precise figures but the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies says Iran has thousands of missiles of more than a dozen different types .
The Qiam-1 missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced since 2011 , has a range of up 700km and a payload of 750kg .
It was used by Iran against IS fighters in June 2017 .
The variations of the Shahab-3 intermediate range ballistic missile have payloads of more than 750kg and ranges upwards of 1,500km .
Iran has up to 50 medium range ballistic missile launchers and up to 100 short range ballistic missile launchers , according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies , a UK-based think tank .
Iran is also testing space technology to allow it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the US report .
`` Iran has a highly developed missile force with weapons of a variety of ranges '' says Jonathan Marcus , the BBC 's Defence and diplomatic correspondent .
`` They are reasonably accurate - but not as accurate or as reliable as advanced western systems . ''
• What is the Patriot missile defence system ?
The long-range missile programme was put on hold by Iran following the 2015 nuclear deal , according to the Royal United Services Institute ( Rusi ) , but this may now have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In any case , many targets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf would be within range of Iran 's current short and medium-range missiles , and possibly targets in Israel as well .
In May last year , the US deployed a Patriot anti-missile defence system to the Middle East as tensions with Iran increased .
This is meant to counter ballistic missiles , cruise missiles and advanced aircraft .
There are an estimated 523,000 active Iranian personnel in a range of military roles , according to the IISS .
This includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 150,000 in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) .
There are a further 20,000 service personnel in the IRGC 's naval forces .
This group operates a number of armed patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz , the site of several confrontations involving foreign-flagged tankers in 2019 .
The IRGC also controls the Basij unit , a volunteer force which has helped suppress internal dissent .
This unit can potentially mobilise many hundreds of thousands of personnel .
The IRGC was set up 40 years ago to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a major military , political and economic force in its own right .
• Top Iranian general killed by US in Iraq Despite having fewer troops than the regular army , it is considered the most authoritative military force in Iran .
The Quds Force , which was led by General Soleimani , conducts secret operations abroad for the IRGC and reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
It 's believed to be about 5,000 strong .
The unit has been deployed to Syria , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Bashar al-Assad and armed Shia militias fighting with them .
In Iraq , it has supported a Shia-dominated paramilitary force which assisted in the defeat of the Islamic State group .
However , the US says the Quds force has a wider role by providing funding , training , weapons and equipment to organisations that Washington has designated as terrorist groups in the Middle East .
These include Lebanon 's Hezbollah movement and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad .
Economic problems and sanctions have hampered Iran 's arms imports , which are relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region .
The value of Iran 's defence imports between 2009 and 2018 was equivalent to just 3.5 % of Saudi Arabia 's imports over the same period , according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute .
Most Iranian imports come from Russia , and the rest from China .
Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapons programme , and has previously said it does not want one .
But it does have many of the elements required and the knowledge to create a military nuclear capability .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama estimated that Iran only needed two to three months to produce enough nuclear material to make a weapon .
The nuclear agreement that year between Tehran and six world powers - from which President Trump withdrew in 2018 - introduced limits and international checks on Iran 's nuclear activities .
It aimed to make it more difficult and time consuming to develop weapons-grade material .
Following the killing of General Soleimani by US forces , Iran has said it will not be bound by these restrictions .
But it also says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nuclear watchdog , the IAEA .
Despite years of sanctions , Iran has also been able to develop drone capabilities .
In Iraq , Iranian drones have been used since 2016 in the fight against IS .
Iran has also entered Israeli airspace with armed drones operated from bases in Syria , according to Rusi .
In June 2019 , Iran shot down a US surveillance drone , claiming it had violated Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz .
The other aspect of Iran 's drone programme is its willingness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its allies and proxies in the region , says Jonathan Marcus , the BBC 's Defence and diplomatic correspondent .
In 2019 , drone and missile attacks damaged two key Saudi oil facilities .
Both the US and Saudi Arabia linked these attacks to Iran , although Tehran denied any involvement and pointed to a claim of responsibility by rebels in Yemen .
Following a major cyber-attack in 2010 on Iranian nuclear facilities , Iran ramped up its own cyber-space capability .
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) is believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commercial and military espionage .
In 2012 , US officials blamed Iran for a series of cyber attacks on US banks intended to disrupt traffic to their websites .
A US military report in 2019 said Iran had also targeted aerospace companies , defence contractors , energy and natural resource companies and telecommunications firms for cyber-espionage operations around the world .
Also in 2019 , Microsoft said a hacker group that `` originates from Iran and is linked to the Iranian government '' targeted a US presidential campaign and tried to break into @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Following the killing of General Soleimani by US forces, Iran has said it will not be bound by these restrictions. But it also says it will continue to co-operate with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.


bbc--2020-01-08--US presidents and the fuzzy legality of war

President Donald Trump 's action and words directed at Iran have led his critics to accuse him of breaking international law .
But he 's not the first US president to endure this criticism in the theatre of war .
Trump 's threat to attack Iran 's cultural sites sparked outrage and his officials were quick to deny that option was on the table .
Before that he authorised the killing of Iran 's most revered general .
According to international law , a government can carry out such a strike if they are acting in self-defence , and US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks .
But Agnes Callamard , UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings , disagreed with their assessment .
She tweeted that it seemed unlikely that the test for a legal strike , one that is laid out in the UN Charter , was met .
Trump has also championed US military personnel accused of war crimes , calling one of them , Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher , a `` tough guy '' .
Trump speaks about military personnel and operations in a way that blurs the line on legality .
An attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property .
But he defended his position on targeting cultural sites by saying that enemy commanders used illegal methods and Americans should do the same .
`` They 're allowed to torture and maim our people , '' he told reporters .
`` And we 're not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It does n't work that way . ''
With his dismissal of international law , he surprised even senior-level US officials .
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , the commander in chief , will not give us an illegal order . ''
It was another extraordinary moment in the Trump years , showcasing public disputes that he has with his own cabinet secretaries .
Trump is not , however , the first president to shock people with his fiery rhetoric or by his use of aggressive military policies .
Controversy over these policies has echoed for centuries , and public anger with the presidents themselves has been part of US history .
• What does the law say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 45th president took office , Republican and Democratic leaders were overseeing military and intelligence operations shrouded in secrecy that blurred the lines between lawful and not .
Several of these presidents tussled with a law , the Authorization for Use of Military Force ( AUMF ) , in their efforts to justify their policies .
The AUMF was designed to allow the use of military force against individuals who helped carry out the 2001 attacks against the US .
Since then , presidents have interpreted the law broadly and used it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places around the world .
Barack Obama expanded the use of secretive drone strikes , authorising more than 540 during his time in office .
Human rights advocates said the airstrikes violated international and domestic law , but Mr Obama defended the legal basis for the airstrikes .
His advisers argued that because the targeted individuals had been planning attacks against Americans , the airstrikes against them fell within the boundaries of international law .
Over time , the criticism of Obama was muted .
The president 's use of the airstrikes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential historian , was viewed as `` a path toward trying to limit the worst brutalities of war '' .
• The US , Iran and Soleimani story explained His predecessor , George W Bush , had signed off on only a fraction of airstrikes .
Bush pushed boundaries of warfare in another way , however .
He authorised the use of so-called enhanced interrogation methods , waterboarding and other tactics widely described as torture .
In his case , the harsh policies came to define his time in office .
Historian David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iraq war and the torture : `` He 's paid a price . ''
Before that , President Bill Clinton `` embraced '' extrajudicial renditions , the transporting of terrorism suspects to a country where prisoners are tortures , say legal scholars .
Clinton and the other presidents attempted to provide legal justification for their policies .
Decades earlier , Andrew Jackson , who served as president in the early 1800s , had done the same .
He signed the Indian Removal Act , and through this law forced Native Americans off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal was `` barbaric '' , says Greenberg , but there was at least a pretext of abiding by norms .
• US and Iran escalation : What can the rest of the world do ?
President Trump does not feel the need to frame his policies in such a way , says the historian .
`` You do n't just willy-nilly bomb cultural sites , but he kind of revels in the flouting of norms . ''
Part of his appeal is the way that he provokes those who hold more liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump 's supporters say that despite his rhetoric he has been more disciplined in his rollout of military policies than previous presidents .
James Carafano , an analyst at the Heritage Foundation , a conservative think-tank in Washington , says Trump has been cautious in what he has actually done with the military - the most conservative and the most restrained .
Some analysts say the real problem is that presidents are granted too much power , and they take things too far .
`` They used their authority to carry out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immoral , unethical - you pick the word , '' says Andrew Bacevich , the president of a foreign-policy think-tank , Quincy Institute .
`` The problem is not Trump - but that we have invested the presidency with authority far in excess of what should be allowed . ''
As Bacevich points out , presidents throughout the ages have pushed the boundaries of the law .
The question now is - what 's next ?

It was another extraordinary moment in the Trump years, showcasing public disputes that he has with his own cabinet secretaries. Trump is not, however, the first president to shock people with his fiery rhetoric or by his use of aggressive military policies. Controversy over these policies has echoed for centuries, and public anger with the presidents themselves has been part of US history.


bbc--2020-01-08--Iranian TV 'shows missile attack on US troops at Iraq airbase'

At least two airbases housing US troops in Iraq have been hit by more than a dozen ballistic missiles , @ @ @ @ @ of Defence .
Footage reportedly of the missiles was broadcast on Iranian state TV .
@ @ @ @ @ a retaliation after the country 's top commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone @ @ @ @ @ the orders of US President Donald Trump .
Read more : US airbases in Iraq @ @ @ @

At least two airbases housing US troops in Iraq have been hit by more than a dozen ballistic missiles, according to the US Department of Defence.
Footage reportedly of the missiles was broadcast on Iranian state TV. It said the attack was a retaliation after the country's top commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad, on the orders of US President Donald Trump.
Read more: US airbases in Iraq hit by ballistic missiles


bbc--2020-01-08--What we know about attacked bases

What we know about attacked bases

The Al Asad air base is so vast that , after the US invasion , it had cinemas , swimming pools , fast food restaurants , and - not one - but two internal bus routes .
It was built in the 1980s for the Iraqi military , in desert around 100 miles west of Baghdad .
But after the US invasion in 2003 , it became one of the biggest bases for American troops - and was quickly transformed .
`` It 's right in the middle of the desert , and surrounded on all sides by scrublands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported for the BBC in 2006 .
`` As you emerge into the American section , you come across much better roads ... in many ways they 've tried to recreate the set-up of a modern US suburban town . ''
The facilities were so impressive , some US troops even called it `` Camp Cupcake '' .
As the US withdrew from the base in 2009 and 2010 , it was handed back to the Iraqis .
But , as the Islamic State group gained control of surrounding Anbar province , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - as IS encircled - the BBC 's Quentin Somerville gained access via an Iraqi military plane .
`` Reminders of American occupation are everywhere - spent artillery shells and dusty accommodation quarters , with uneaten ration packs strewn across the floor , '' he reported .
After the US returned to Iraq to fight IS in the same year , the base was secured and rebuilt .
However , with far fewer troops , one airman noted in 2017 that `` it only offers a fraction of the comforts it once did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump visited troops at the base .
`` The men and women stationed at Al Asad have played a vital role in the military defeat of ISIS in Iraq and in Syria , '' he told them .
But afterwards , he said he feared for his wife 's safety during the visit .
`` If you would have seen what we had to go through , '' he told reporters .
In November last year , Vice-President Mike Pence also visited the base for Thanksgiving .
It 's thought there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Asad , and around 5,000 US troops in the country in total .
This week , in a non-binding vote , the Iraqi parliament voted to expel them .
In response , President Trump brought up the cost of the Al Asad air base .
`` We have a very extraordinarily expensive airbase that 's there , '' he said .
`` It cost billions of dollars to build .
Long before my time .
We 're not leaving unless they pay us back for it . ''
The other base that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital of Iraq 's relatively stable Kurdistan region .
In September , the US Army said it was home to `` more than 3,600 military and civilian personnel from 13 different nations '' .
The base is used to train local forces .
Last month , US Central Command reported that the first female military instructors in the region had graduated from Irbil .
How long the US will stay in Iraq , though , is uncertain .
Only this week , Defence Secretary Mark Esper was forced to deny the US was @ @ @ @ @ @

But afterwards, he said he feared for his wife's safety during the visit. "If you would have seen what we had to go through," he told reporters.


bbc--2020-01-09--Prince Harry and Meghan: Royal Family 'hurt' as couple begin 'next chapter'

The Royal Family are said to be `` hurt '' at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 's announcement they will step back as senior royals .
Prince Harry and Meghan did not consult any senior royal about making the statement , it is understood .
Buckingham Palace was `` blindsided '' , said BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond , as talks about their future had begun but were in very early stages .
The Palace said there were `` complicated issues '' to work through .
• Harry and Meghan to step back as senior royals • What do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pictures : Harry and Meghan 's life together In their statement on Wednesday , Harry and Meghan said they made the decision `` after many months of reflection and internal discussions '' .
They said they intend `` to step back as 'senior ' members of the Royal Family , and work to become financially independent '' .
They plan to split their time between the UK and North America , while `` continuing to honour our duty to the Queen , the Commonwealth , and our patronages '' .
`` This geographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born , while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter , '' the couple said .
Despite the couple 's decision , Harry will still remain sixth-in-line to the throne .
The pair was already preparing to launch their own Sussex Royal charity , which they set up after splitting from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 's foundation in June last year .
The Sussexes ' new charity is expected to be global , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than domestic - and will have a commitment to female empowerment .
Meghan , of course , is American herself and has a particularly close relationship with her mother who lives in California .
But the Sun , which broke the story on Wednesday , was firm in its speculation that Canada was their likely destination .
The couple have just returned after a six-week break from royal duties , which they spent in Canada with their eight-month-old son , Archie .
After returning to the UK on Tuesday , Harry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited Canada 's High Commission in London to thank the country for hosting them and said the warmth and hospitality they received was `` unbelievable '' .
Former actress Meghan lived and worked in Toronto for seven years during her time starring in the popular US legal drama Suits .
She has previously spoken about adopting the city as her second home after her native Los Angeles , and she she has several Canadian friends .
The couple 's announcement raises numerous questions over what their future royal roles will entail .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In stepping back as senior royals , Harry and Meghan have announced they will no longer receive funding from the Sovereign Grant .
The couple said this will make them `` members of the Royal Family with financial independence . ''
The Sovereign Grant is public money which pays for the cost of official royal duties , in exchange for the surrender by the Queen of the revenue from the Crown Estate .
The Queen 's Sovereign Grant from the Treasury was £82m in 2018-19 .
The couple said the Sovereign Grant paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2019 , with the remaining 95 % being funded by Prince Charles through his income from the Duchy of Cornwall .
Under current rules , the pair said they are `` prohibited from earning income in any form '' , but in their new roles could follow other title-holding royals in having full-time jobs .
The costs of official overseas visits will be funded by the Sovereign Grant and contributions from the host country `` when appropriate '' .
The couple are classified as `` internationally protected people '' , which means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Metropolitan Police .
They will retain Frogmore cottage , the Grade-2 listed property in Windsor that cost taxpayers £2.4m to renovate , as their official residence so they have a `` place to call home '' in the UK .
What do commentators say ?
Royal historian Prof Kate Williams said it will be `` difficult '' for Harry and Meghan to lead `` normal '' lives , as media interest in them will increase after their `` unprecedented '' move .
She told BBC Breakfast : `` Harry and Meghan are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ due to her former acting career ] '' as was Harry , who will become even `` more significant '' when his father - and later his brother - becomes king .
`` He is always going to be very close to the royal fold .
It is going to be difficult if Harry and Meghan are going to live in Canada for a certain period of time and try and get on with business and be normal , charitable CEOs .
`` They will require security because I do n't see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see it as probably increasing , because what they 're doing is so unprecedented for royals . ''
She said the Metropolitan Police or Foreign Office would pay for their security on royal business , but their security in Canada could be funded by their global charitable foundation .
Royal commentator Penny Junor said the couple 's actions were reminiscent of those of Harry 's mother , Diana , Princess of Wales .
The suggestion that they had not consulted other royals before making their statement was `` beyond bizarre '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Diana when she suddenly announced after her separation [ from Charles ] that she was stepping back from 50 of her charities without consulting anybody .
`` The problem is that they are not working for themselves , they are working for a family firm and to be making announcements of this sort without consulting is beyond bizarre . ''
Graham Smith , a spokesman for Republic , which campaigns for an elected head of state , said Harry and Meghan 's decision `` raises questions about the monarchy 's future '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple 's extra security and overseas lifestyle will be funded .
Mr Smith questioned why they were announcing they were working towards being financially independent , saying : `` To suggest that they 're not already financially independent is incredibly crass and belies a sense of self-entitlement and a lack of self-awareness that is common among royals . ''
He added : `` This really is wanting to have your cake and eat it .
They have said they will dip in and out of royal duties as it suits them but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they find other sources of income . ''
This is clearly a major rift between Harry and Meghan on one part , and the rest of the Royal Family on the other .
There are far more questions than answers ; what will their new role be ?
Where will they live , and who will pay for it ?
What relationship will they have with the rest of the Royal Family ?
And there 's the institutional question .
What does this mean for the Royal Family ?
It comes just months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duties after a BBC interview about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
Some might see this as the slimmed-down monarchy that the 21st Century needs .
But Harry and Meghan reached people that other royals did n't .
They were part of the reinvention and refreshing of the institution .
We 're now in wait-and-see mode as to whether this new model of being a royal can work - or if this is really a staging post for them to leave the Royal Family .
Signs the couple were unhappy with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some months .
In October last year , the Duchess of Sussex began legal action against the Mail on Sunday over a claim that it unlawfully published one of her private letters .
The paper stands by its story .
At the time , Prince Harry said his wife had `` become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press '' after a `` ruthless campaign '' of `` relentless propaganda '' .
`` Though we have continued to put on a brave face ...
I can not begin to describe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In an ITV documentary last year , Meghan , who was born in the US , described motherhood as a `` struggle '' due to intense interest from newspapers .
`` Not many people have asked if I 'm OK , '' she said .
On Wednesday the royal couple announced they would be adopting a `` revised media approach '' from the spring .
As part of the new strategy , published on their website , they will `` engage with grassroots media organisations and young , up-and-coming journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the so-called royal rota system , where journalists and media representatives are given exclusive access to cover royal engagements on the understanding they share the material they gather .
`` The current system predates the dramatic transformation of news reporting in the digital age , '' the couple said .
Harry is sixth in line to the throne - behind Prince Charles , Prince William and his three children .
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Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC 5 Live, she said: "Here is a man who every day has to live out the trauma that he experienced as a little boy when he had to walk behind her coffin at the age of 12 in front of the world, and I think if any of us were put in that situation we would find it incredibly triggering."


bbc--2020-01-09--Iran plane crash: Airliner 'was trying to return to airport'

A plane that crashed in Iran with 176 people on board was trying to return to the airport when it crashed , Iranian investigators have said .
The Boeing 737-800 went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran 's airport , leaving no survivors .
An initial probe found the aircraft experienced a problem as it was leaving the airport zone , and was `` on fire '' .
The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two air bases housing US forces in Iraq .
However there is no evidence the two events are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the secretary of Ukraine 's security council , said investigators wanted to search for possible debris from a missile at the site of the crash .
Iran is known to have Russian missile defence systems .
• Plane crash victims 'were the best of us' • Who are the victims of the crash ?
Amid high tensions - worsened by the US killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on 3 January - Iran has said it will not hand over the recovered black box flight recorders to Boeing or to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the right to lead the investigation , but manufacturers are typically involved .
Iran 's Civil Aviation Organisation ( CAOI ) chief Ali Abedzadeh said : `` The plane , which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone , turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash . ''
Mr Abedzadeh added that witnesses saw the plane `` on fire '' before the crash , and that pilots had n't made any distress calls before trying to return to Imam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings had been sent to Ukraine and the US , where Boeing is headquartered .
Sweden and Canada had also been sent the findings , as their nationals were on board , he added .
Mr Danylov said that the Ukrainian security council was examining various possible causes , including an anti-aircraft missile strike , a mid-air collision , an engine explosion or an explosion inside the plane carried out by a terrorist .
The investigation would include experts who worked on the probe into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Who is investigating the crash ?
Normally , the US National Transportation Safety Board would have a role to play in any international investigations involving US-made Boeings .
But the board must act with permission and in accordance with legislation of the foreign country concerned .
In comments published by Iran 's conservative Mehr news agency , Mr Abedzadeh , said : `` We will not give the black box to the manufacturer and the Americans . ''
`` This accident will be investigated by Iran 's aviation organisation but the Ukrainians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Mr Abedzadeh said it was not yet clear which country would analyse the black boxes - a cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised statement that `` a thorough and independent investigation will be conducted in accordance with international law '' , and that he would speak to Iranian leaders to step up cooperation in investigating the crash .
Boeing said it was `` ready to assist in any way needed '' , while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation and had offered technical assistance .
The Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv had 176 people on board when it crashed in Iran on Wednesday .
The majority of passengers were from Iran and Canada .
Ukraine 's Tehran embassy initially blamed engine failure but later removed the statement , saying any comment regarding the cause of the accident prior to a commission 's inquiry was not official .
There was good visibility when the plane went down near Iran 's capital , according to the Flightradar24 aviation website .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced .
President Zelensky warned against `` speculation or unchecked theories regarding the catastrophe '' until official reports were ready .
Iranian media blamed technical problems and quoted an aviation official who said no emergency had been declared .
Mr Abedzadeh said `` terrorism '' had played no role in the crash , according to Mehr .
Who was on board ?
Among the victims were 82 Iranians , 63 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians including all nine crew , 10 Swedes , four Afghans , three Britons and three Germans , Ukrainian Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead were children .
But the German government later said `` we currently have no knowledge that German citizens are among the victims of the plane crash in Iran '' .
Iran 's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian .
That would suggest that 65 of the foreign nationals had dual nationalities .
The Ukrainian airline gave a helpline number for further information about passengers : +38-044-581-50-19 .
Mr Trudeau said 138 passengers on the flight were en route to Canada via Kyiv .
`` All people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents , their friends , their colleagues or their family , '' he said .
`` All had so much potential , so much life ahead of them '' .
Flight data from the Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is openly available online .
It shows that the plane climbed normally after taking-off from Tehran .
It reached nearly 8,000ft ( 2,400m ) before the aircraft 's data suddenly disappears .
This is unusual and would suggest some type of catastrophic incident on board the plane .
We have no evidence at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident .
According to a former air crash investigator , any suggestion of engine failure feels premature .
This possibility ca n't be ruled out at this early stage but an airliner such as the Boeing 737-800 is designed to keep flying if there is an engine failure .
Plus , if there was a failure then we would normally expect the flight data to show the plane 's climb becoming less steep .
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"Several domestic and foreign flights were flying in Iranian space at the same altitude of 8,000ft (2,400m). The issue of the missile's impact on the aircraft cannot be true in any way," he said.