bbc--2020-06-03--George Floyd death: New charges for all four sacked officers

New charges have been announced against all of the sacked police officers present at the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The charge against Derek Chauvin has been elevated to second-degree murder , court documents show .
The other three officers , previously uncharged , face counts of aiding and abetting murder .
Floyd 's death has sparked huge protests across the US against racism and the police killings of black Americans .
The vast majority of demonstrations over the past eight days have been peaceful , but some have turned violent and curfews have been imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new charges , Minnesota 's Attorney General Keith Ellison said that they were in the interests of justice .
Derek Chauvin had initially faced charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
These will stay on his charge sheet .
The other three sacked officers are Thomas Lane , J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao .
They all face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder , and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter .
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Twitter that the latest charges were `` another important step for justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement : `` This is a significant step forward on the road to justice and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd 's body was laid to rest . ''
But he later told CNN that the family believed the charge against Derek Chauvin should be first-degree murder and that they had been told that the investigation was ongoing and the charges could change further .
At a press briefing , rights activist Rev Al Sharpton said that the Floyd case must lead to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If we come out of all this and do not have federal legislation where we can protect citizens from local policing ... then all of this is drama to no end .
Drama in the street must be geared to fundamental legal change . ''
What did the attorney general say ?
Mr Ellison said he was under no illusion that bringing a successful prosecution against the former police officers would be difficult .
`` Winning a conviction will be hard .
History does show there are clear challenges , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been convicted of killing a civilian while serving in the role .
Mr Ellison said George Floyd was `` loved by his family , his life had value '' and that `` we will seek justice for you and we will find it '' .
He said bringing justice to society more generally would be slow and difficult work and that Americans did not have to wait for the end of the Floyd case to start that work .
`` We need to rewrite the rules for a just society now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges mean ?
First- and second-degree murder under Minnesota law require proof that the defendant intended to kill .
First-degree in most cases requires premeditation , with second-degree more related to crimes of passion .
• Why did a US city go up in flames ?
A third-degree murder conviction would not require proof that the defendant wanted the victim to die , only that their actions were dangerous and were carried out without regard to human life .
A second-degree murder conviction can carry a sentence of up to 40 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CRIME AND JUSTICE : How are African-Americans treated ?
• HOW IT HAPPENED : The last moments of his life George Floyd , 46 , was stopped by police investigating the purchase of cigarettes with counterfeit money on 25 May in Minneapolis .
A video showed Floyd being arrested and a white police officer continuing to kneel on his neck for several minutes even after he pleaded that he could not breathe .
Protests erupted and have continued since , across many US cities and also internationally , with rallies on Wednesday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK , where thousands gathered in central London .
The Floyd case follows the high-profile cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri ; Eric Garner in New York ; and others that have driven the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years .
For many , the outrage over Floyd 's death also reflects years of frustration over socio-economic inequality and discrimination .

George Floyd dies after police arrest Image caption Tributes to George Floyd at a makeshift memorial Image copyright by Getty Images George Floyd dies after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Footage shows a white officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he is pinned to the floor. Mr Floyd is heard repeatedly saying "I can’t breathe". He is pronounced dead later in hospital.
Protests begin Image caption Demonstrators in Minneapolis Image copyright by AFP Four officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd are fired. Protests begin as the video of the arrest is shared widely on social media. Hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets of Minneapolis and vandalise police cars and the police station with graffiti.
Protests spread Image caption Protesters lie on the streets in Portland, Oregon Image copyright by Reuters Protests spread to other cities including Memphis and Los Angeles. In some places, like Portland, Oregon, protesters lie in the road, chanting "I can’t breathe". Demonstrators again gather around the police station in Minneapolis where the officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest were based and set fire to it. The building is evacuated and police retreat.
Trump tweets Image caption President Trump tweets about the unrest Image copyright by Reuters President Trump blames the violence on a lack of leadership in Minneapolis and threatens to send in the National Guard in a tweet. He follows it up in a second tweet with a warning "when the looting starts, the shooting starts". The second tweet is hidden by Twitter for "glorifying violence".
CNN reporter arrested Image caption Members of a CNN crew are arrested at a protest Image copyright by Reuters A CNN reporter, Omar Jimenez, is arrested while covering the Minneapolis protest. Mr Jimenez was reporting live when police officers handcuffed him. A few minutes later several of his colleagues are also arrested. They are all later released once they are confirmed to be members of the media. Derek Chauvin charged with murder Image caption Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after being charged over the death of George Floyd Image copyright by Getty Images Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, 44, is charged with murder and manslaughter. The charges carry a combined maximum 35-year sentence.
Sixth night of protests Image caption Demonstrators set fire to rubbish in New York Image copyright by Reuters Violence spreads across the US on the sixth night of protests. A total of at least five people are reported killed in protests from Indianapolis to Chicago. More than 75 cities have seen protests. At least 4,400 people have been arrested. Curfews are imposed across the US to try to stem the unrest.
Trump threatens military response Image caption Trump posing with a Bible outside a boarded-up church Image copyright by EPA President Trump threatens to send in the military to quell growing civil unrest. He says if cities and states fail to control the protests and "defend their residents" he will deploy the army and "quickly solve the problem for them". Mr Trump poses in front of a damaged church shortly after police used tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters nearby.
Eighth night of protests Image caption George Floyd’s family joined protesters in Houston Image copyright by Getty Tens of thousands of protesters again take to the streets. One of the biggest protests is in George Floyd’s hometown of Houston, Texas. Many defy curfews in several cities, but the demonstrations are largely peaceful.
Memorial service for George Floyd Image caption Mourners gather to remember George Floyd Image copyright by Getty A memorial service for George Floyd is held in Minneapolis. Those gathered in tribute stand in silence for eight minutes, 46 seconds, the amount of time Mr Floyd is alleged to have been on the ground under arrest. Hundreds attended the service, which heard a eulogy from civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton.
International protests Image caption Protester addresses crowds in Australia Image copyright by Getty As the US saw another weekend of protests, with tens of thousands marching in Washington DC, anti-racism demonstrations were held around the world. In Australia, there were major protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians. There were also demonstrations in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. In Bristol, protesters tore down the statue of a 17th century slave trader and threw it into the harbour.


bbc--2020-06-03--Coronavirus: Italy's Conte offers hope as travel restrictions end

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte offered a hopeful message as the country moved to its final stage in easing lockdown restrictions .
`` We deserve to smile , to be cheerful , after weeks of great sacrifice , '' he said on Wednesday .
He added that now was the time for the country to enact economic reforms .
With more than 33,600 fatalities and almost 234,000 cases since the coronavirus outbreak began , Italy has been one of the hardest-hit countries .
Only the US and the UK have recorded higher death tolls .
Mr Conte 's comments came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its final phase in easing lockdown restrictions , allowing domestic travel between regions and opening its international borders .
• 'We all became heroes but they 've already forgotten us' '' This crisis must be an opportunity to overcome structural problems and redesign the country , '' Mr Conte said .
`` We have to deal with the economic and social emergency . ''
The prime minister said the government was working to speed up social payments and pledged `` a serious tax reform '' .
But he also continued to urge caution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only effective measures [ against the virus ] are physical distancing and the use , if necessary , of masks .
Abandoning these precautions is seriously thoughtless . ''
On the eve of the lifting of restrictions , Italy 's President Sergio Mattarella had also warned that the threat posed by coronavirus had not ended .
`` The crisis is not over and institutions and citizens alike will still have to face its consequences and trauma , '' he said .
What can Italians do now ?
Domestic travel was banned when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early March , with only a small number of exceptions allowed .
Tourism was also prohibited and those entering Italy faced a 14-day quarantine .
But with Wednesday 's changes , Italians are now able to move between regions .
Travel to and from other European countries is also permitted - depending on the rules in the destination country - but non-European travel remains off-limits .
Shops , cafes and restaurants had already opened their doors again , and tourist sites including the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum have begun welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has now opened its international borders , not all of its neighbours have reciprocated .
Austria will reopen its borders to all of its neighbours from Thursday - with the sole exception of Italy .
Switzerland , meanwhile , has agreed to lift restrictions with Germany , Austria and France from 15 June , but the government says it is `` too early '' to introduce similar changes on its border with Italy .
• How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
They are not the only European countries exercising caution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would allow travel between the two countries , but excluded Swedes from the deal .
Sweden , which did not impose a strict lockdown , has suffered a far higher mortality rate than its Nordic neighbours , and the man behind the policy now says the decision led to too many deaths .
A similar `` bubble '' has been introduced between three Baltic states - Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia - which became the first countries in Europe to allow free movement again , but only with each other .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - have introduced a quarantine period for travellers entering the country .

They are not the only European countries exercising caution. Last week, Norway and Denmark announced they would allow travel between the two countries, but excluded Swedes from the deal. Sweden, which did not impose a strict lockdown, has suffered a far higher mortality rate than its Nordic neighbours, and the man behind the policy now says the decision led to too many deaths.


bbc--2020-06-03--White House likens Trump to Churchill in WW2

'This is pain right here ' : Protests in Washington DC Riot police clash with demonstrators in the US capital @ @ @ @ @ White House .

'We are here today because George Floyd is not here' Video, 00:02:30'We are here today because George Floyd is not here'


bbc--2020-06-03--Madeleine McCann: German prisoner identified as suspect

A 43-year-old German man who travelled around Portugal in a camper van is now the focus of Scotland Yard 's investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann 13 years ago .
Police believe the man , now in jail for a sex crime , was in the area where the girl , then aged three , was last seen .
Madeleine 's parents Gerry and Kate McCann thanked the police , adding : `` All we have ever wanted is to find her . ''
Police are appealing for information about two vehicles owned by the man .
The day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Jaguar car to someone else 's name .
Madeleine went missing from an apartment on a Portuguese holiday resort on the evening of 3 May 2007 , while her parents were with friends at a nearby tapas bar .
Her disappearance sparked a huge and costly police hunt across much of Europe - the most recent Metropolitan Police investigation , which began in 2011 , has cost more than £11m .
`` Someone out there knows a lot more than they 're letting on , '' said Det Ch Insp Mark Cranwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The force said it remained a `` missing persons '' investigation because it does not have `` definitive evidence '' as to whether Madeleine is alive or not .
However , German investigators have classed it as a murder inquiry .
The London police force said the German authorities had taken the lead at this stage of the case because the German suspect was in custody in their country .
German police told the country 's ZDF TV channel the suspect , who is not being named , is a sex offender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man has two previous convictions for `` sexual contact with girls '' , according to Christian Hoppe from Germany 's federal criminal police office .
An appeal on German television was broadcast this evening at 19:15 BST .
Det Ch Insp Cranwell said the prisoner , then aged 30 , frequented the Algarve between 1995 and 2007 , staying for `` days upon end '' in his camper van and living a `` transient lifestyle '' .
He was in the Praia de Luz area where the McCann family was staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call at 7.32pm , which ended at 8.02pm .
Police have released details of the suspect 's phone number and the number which dialled him , saying any information about them could be `` critical '' to the inquiry .
The suspect is believed to have been using a Portuguese mobile phone , with the number +351 912 730 680 on the day Madeleine went missing .
The phone received a call in the area of Praia da Luz from a second mobile number , +351 916 510 683 , from someone not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who made this call to come forward .
`` They 're a key witness and we urge them to get in touch , '' said Det Ch Insp Cranwell .
`` Some people will know the man we 're describing today ... you may be aware of some of the things he 's done , '' he said .
`` He may have confided in you about the disappearance of Madeleine .
`` More than 13 years have passed and your loyalties may have changed , '' he added .
`` Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Is this the breakthrough ?
Is this German prisoner the man who can unlock the mystery ?
It certainly has the feel of a significant development - police have used those very words .
Evidence , according to detectives , places the man near the scene ; the re-registering of his car the next day is undoubtedly suspicious .
And his criminal record , disclosed by the German police , is a disturbing guide as to what his motivations might have been .
But ... there have been so many false trails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sightings and suspects that led nowhere .
Three years ago , during the last major police appeal , Scotland Yard said it was working on one final `` critical '' line of inquiry .
Now , we 're told there 's another one .
That may explain why Met detectives - who 've been involved in the case for nine years - are being rather more cautious than their German counterparts .
In a statement , the McCanns welcomed the appeal : `` We would like to thank the police forces involved for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madeleine .
`` All we have ever wanted is to find her , uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice .
`` We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive , but whatever the outcome may be , we need to know as we need to find peace . ''
Police said the suspect was one of 600 people that detectives on the inquiry , known as Operation Grange , originally looked at , though he had not been a suspect .
After an appeal in 2017 , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided .
Since then , Met detectives have carried out `` extensive inquiries '' in Portugal and Germany in order to gather more details about him .
The force said it was trying to `` prove or disprove '' his involvement in the case and retained an `` open mind '' .
Those with information can contact the Operation Grange incident room on 020 7321 9251 .
• 3 May 2007 : Alarm is raised after Madeleine is found to be missing • September 2007 : Kate and Gerry McCann are made `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their daughter 's disappearance • July 2008 : Portuguese police halt their investigation and lift the `` arguido '' status of the McCanns and another man , Robert Murat • May 2011 : Prime Minister David Cameron asks the Metropolitan Police to help investigate .
A two-year review follows • July 2013 : Scotland Yard says it has `` new evidence and new witnesses '' in the case and opens a formal investigation into Madeleine 's disappearance • October 2013 : Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation , citing `` new lines of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests • December 2014 : Detectives question 11 people who it was thought may have information on the case • September 2015 : The British government discloses that the investigation has cost more than £10m • February 2017 : Portugal 's Supreme Court dismisses a long-running libel case against Goncalo Amaral , former head of the local police investigation , ruling that his book , which alleged the McCanns disposed of Madeleine 's body , is protected by freedom of expression laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official suspects investigated by police are ruled out of the investigation but senior officers say they are pursuing a `` significant line of inquiry '' • November 2018 : An extra £150,000 is granted to continue the investigation .
It is the latest in a series of six-month extensions which take the cost of Operation Grange to an estimated £11.75m • March 2019 : Netflix screens an eight-part documentary about Madeleine 's disappearance .
Her parents , who did not participate in the film , feel it could `` potentially hinder '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK government says it will fund the Met Police inquiry , which began in 2011 , until March 2020 • June 2020 : Police reveal that a 43-year-old German prisoner has been identified as a suspect in Madeleine 's disappearance

Now, we're told there's another one. That may explain why Met detectives - who've been involved in the case for nine years - are being rather more cautious than their German counterparts.


bbc--2020-06-03--US to ban passenger flights from China

US to ban passenger flights from China

The US is to ban passenger flights from China from 16 June , in the latest sign of tensions between the two economic giants .
The Department of Transportation said it is punishing Beijing for refusing to let US airlines resume flights to China as its pandemic subsides .
In recent weeks the countries have sparred over coronavirus and China 's policies in Hong Kong .
But Washington said it would continue to `` engage '' on the air travel issue .
The Department of Transportation order applies to four airlines - Air China , China Eastern Airlines , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have continued to fly between the two countries during the pandemic , although at reduced levels .
It needs final approval from US President Donald Trump , who has repeatedly accused China of engaging in unfair trade , and in recent weeks criticised its handling of coronavirus and protests in Hong Kong .
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment .
Officials have previously said its restrictions , which were introduced to control coronavirus , were fair since they apply to all airlines .
Beijing in March said domestic and foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly flight between China and any given country , adding that carriers could not exceed the level of service they were offering on 12 March .
• Trump accuses WHO of being a 'puppet of China' The Department of Transportation said the March order had effectively banned US airlines , which had voluntarily suspended service between the two countries in February due to the pandemic and Mr Trump 's order barring entry to the US for most Chinese travellers .
It said the refusal to grant requests by US airlines to resume service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel between the two countries , which dates back to 1980 .
`` We conclude that these circumstances require the Department 's action to restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among US and Chinese air carriers , '' the Department of Transportation said .
`` Our overriding goal is not the perpetuation of this situation but rather an improved environment . ''
If the order goes forward , it will hurt travel , trade and other exchange between the two countries , said Daniel Kliman , director of the Asia-Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New American Security .
But that breakdown was already under way , he added .
`` We 're already seeing de-coupling of the United States and China , '' he said , pointing to US efforts to restrict technology sales and the US-China trade war .
`` It 's an acceleration of a trend that has really been building up . ''
In recent weeks , China has moved to loosen restrictions on charter flights from some countries but not the US , according to a report last month in the Community Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper the government would also consider increasing general flights , pending better control of the outbreak .
Mr Kliman said there is some chance the two countries could resolve the matter before 16 June - but once the US ban goes into effect it will be hard to undo .
In January , there were about 325 round-trip flights weekly between the US and China .
Those have numbered around 34 since the end of March , the US said .
Delta Airlines , one of the companies that had sought to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US order .
`` We support and appreciate the US government 's actions to enforce our rights and ensure fairness , '' it said .
The US China Business Council , which represents 200 big US companies that do business in China , said : `` Commercial air travel provides a vital bridge between the US and China .
Prior to the pandemic , millions of travellers crossed the ocean each year to conduct business , enjoy holidays , study and , most important , learn about the other through direct experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during times of conflict , suspicion and misunderstanding .
We call on the governments of both countries to get the airplanes flying again - in both directions . ''

Daniel Kliman, director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said there was some chance the two countries could resolve the matter before 16 June - but once the US ban went into effect it would be hard to undo.


bbc--2020-06-03--Stalled vaccine programmes 'put children's lives at risk'

Millions of children could die from preventable disease because of severe disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus , experts warn .
At least 68 countries have been affected - with some stopping vaccination campaigns completely .
The World Health Organization advised many countries to suspend vaccinations to help slow the spread of coronavirus .
But now it is one of several groups expressing concern about the long-term impact .
United Nations Children 's Fund ( Unicef ) , the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance are also worried thousands of children every day could die needlessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Niger 's capital , Naimey , the waiting room is quiet .
There have been almost 1,000 Covid-19 cases reported in the country .
But polio , which can cause paralysis or even death , is also making a comeback - four new cases have been reported since February .
Zeinabou Tahirou sits in a pink headscarf and a blue face mask , cradling her baby girl , Fadila .
`` I was so scared to come here , because of the coronavirus , '' she says .
`` But health workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and also what I need to do to stay safe - like washing my hands all the time . ''
There are a number of reasons vaccination services have been so badly disrupted , including : • parents ' fear of catching Covid-19 if they leave the house • health workers being diverted to deal with the pandemic '' Measles is on the rise , diphtheria , cholera , '' United Nations Children 's Fund ( Unicef ) executive director Henrietta Fore says .
`` So this is going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we had conquered many of these preventable diseases for children . ''
Now , there are grave concerns these gains could be `` wiped away '' .
At least 80 million under the age of one are at risk Estimated number of babies missing routine vaccinations because of the coronavirus pandemic : Source : The World Health Organization , Unicef , Sabin Vaccine Institute and Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance Recent modelling by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests disruption to these kinds of crucial health services for women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 6,000 additional children dying every day .
`` What we fully expect is these diseases will come roaring back , '' WHO immunisation and vaccines department head Kate O'Brien says .
`` And what that means ... is that we 're going to see deaths of children in numbers that are unprecedented in recent times . ''
But this potentially devastating situation can still be prevented , `` if governments act now '' .
The warnings come as global leaders meet virtually for the Global Vaccine Summit , on Thursday , hosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and donor organisations will asked to pledge $ 7.4bn ( £5.8bn ) to ensure Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance can continue delivering lifesaving vaccines to some of the poorest communities in the world , both during the pandemic and beyond .
Its leader , Dr Seth Berkley , says ensuring routine vaccination systems are up and running again as soon as possible , is crucial .
`` When you have a big effect on vaccine [ services ] like this , it takes some time to rebuild some of the systems around it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we rapidly move towards having Covid-19 vaccines available , these are the same systems we will use to deliver those vaccines as well . ''
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?

Countries and donor organisations will be asked to pledge $7.4bn (£5.8bn) to ensure Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance can continue delivering lifesaving vaccines to some of the poorest communities in the world, both during the pandemic and beyond.


bbc--2020-06-03--Steve King: Controversial Iowa Republican loses re-election bid

Controversial US Congressman Steve King , who has been criticised for a string of remarks on race and immigration , lost his bid to secure a 10th term in office on Tuesday .
The Republican has held his Iowa seat since 2002 , but was beaten to the party 's nomination in a primary vote by state senator Randy Feenstra .
It comes amid mass protests in the US against racism and police brutality .
They follow the death in police custody of unarmed black man George Floyd .
Last year Mr King was stripped of his House committee seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacy '' were offensive .
The following month , when defending a ban on abortion , he suggested much of the human race might not exist without rape or incest , prompting renewed calls for him to resign .
Mr King has also drawn ire for tweeting his support for the Dutch anti-Islam politician , Geert Wilders .
`` Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny , '' Mr King wrote on Twitter .
`` We ca n't restore our civilisation with somebody else 's babies . ''
He later defended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he `` meant exactly what he said '' .
The former lawmaker has also previously tweeted his support for a Toronto mayoral candidate with Neo-Nazi ties , and claimed in 2017 that diversity was not America ’ s strength .
Despite multiple controversies , until now he has continued to hold Iowa ’ s fourth congressional district .
He narrowly reclaimed his seat in 2018 , with just three percentage points separating him from his Democratic challenger .
In the latest primary race , his rival Randy Feenstra focused on Mr King ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video , Mr Feenstra thanked his supporters for “ placing their trust ” in him .
`` I 've said from day one that Iowans deserve a proven , effective conservative leader that will deliver results , '' he added .
Mr King posted a video of his own , saying his ousting was part of `` an effort to push out the strongest voice for full spectrum constitutional Christian conservatism '' from Congress .
`` There 's some powerful elements in the swamp that [ Mr Feenstra 's ] going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against , '' he said .
A result to please all parties Steve King 's defeat is one of those rare electoral events that will be welcomed across much of the US political spectrum .
It will be celebrated by Democrats , who will view it as an indication that Iowa voters have soured on the congressman 's divisive rhetoric , support for white nationalist viewpoints , and vehement anti-immigration views .
Mr King 's outspoken advocacy for a Mexican border wall predated Donald Trump 's political rise , and they hope it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat as well .
Many Republicans will be relieved that an embarrassing congressional back-bencher in a safe seat will be replaced by someone who will be a reliably conservative vote without Mr King 's political baggage .
In recent years , Mr King 's continued success was seen as a sign that his brand of unapologetic ethno-nationalism had a foothold in the US .
As a member of Congress , his associations with foreign politicians with similar viewpoints - such as Faith Goldy in Canada and Heinz-Christian Strache of the Austrian Freedom Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their home countries .
With Mr King on his way out , that official imprimatur is gone , even if the sentiments he gave voice to still remain .

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bbc--2020-06-03--Gambia demands probe after US police shoot dead diplomat's son

The Gambia has demanded a `` credible '' investigation after the son of a diplomat was shot dead by US police .
Thirty-nine-year-old Momodou Lamin Sisay was shot after a car chase in Georgia on Friday morning , according to the preliminary investigation by Georgia Bureau of Investigation ( GBI ) .
He was pronounced dead on the scene .
The police said he had produced a gun .
The shooting comes amid widespread protests after a US police officer killed George Floyd last week .
• Live coverage of the protests over George Floyd 's death Georgia investigators said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a police officer in Snellville , Georgia attempted to stop his vehicle but the vehicle did not stop , and a pursuit ensued .
`` Officers approached the vehicle and gave verbal commands for the driver to show his hands .
The driver did not comply ... the driver pointed a handgun at the officers .
Officers fired at the driver and pulled back to take cover behind their patrol vehicles , '' investigators said .
A Swat team was called and `` during the standoff , the driver pointed his weapon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One GCPD SWAT officer fired his weapon '' , they added .
Lare Sisay , the victim 's father who works at the United Nations , said the police did not do enough to peacefully resolve the situation , and also disputed that he had a gun , according to local media .
`` We will do an independent autopsy and we want to get a private investigator to investigate the circumstances of his death and if necessary hire a lawyer to sue the Georgia state police .
We 're not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper quotes him as saying .
On Tuesday The Gambia 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked its embassy in Washington DC to `` engage the relevant US authorities including the State Department to seek transparent , credible and objective investigation '' .
Mr Sisay 's name has been used in social media posts this week supporting the campaign against US police brutality against black people .
Protests have been taking place across the US following the death of Mr Floyd , an African-American man , who died after a white police officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his neck for more than eight minutes .
Mr Chauvin has been sacked from the police force and charged with murder .
• CRIME AND JUSTICE : How are African-Americans treated ?
• HOW IT HAPPENED : The last moments of his life

"We will do an independent autopsy and we want to get a private investigator to investigate the circumstances of his death and if necessary hire a lawyer to sue the Georgia state police. We're not going to let it go," The Point newspaper quotes him as saying.


bbc--2020-06-03--Snapchat stops promoting Donald Trump's account due to 'racial violence'

Snapchat says it has stopped promoting President Donald Trump 's account .
As a result , it will no longer feature in the app 's Discover section .
The firm said it would `` not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice '' .
The decision follows Mr Trump saying that `` vicious dogs '' and `` ominous weapons '' would have been used on protesters if they had breached the White House fence .
It follows Twitter 's decision to hide some of the president 's posts .
Snapchat 's parent company Snap said : `` Racial violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society and we stand together with all who seek peace , love , equality , and justice in America . ''
The move is likely to feed into tensions between the White House and social media , which escalated when Twitter added fact-checking tags to some of the President 's tweets last week .
The president subsequently signed an executive order seeking to curb legal protections offered to the industry .
Twitter later hid one of the president 's tweets for breaking its rules on `` glorifying violence '' .
Snapchat 's action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has resisted internal and external calls to intervene in regard to posts on its platform .
Mr Zuckerberg has said the firm 's free speech principles mean the president 's posts should be left up unaltered .
President Trump has more than one million followers on Snapchat , according to the Bloomberg news agency .
It said the app is seen as being a `` key battleground '' by Mr Trump 's re-election campaign because it offers a way to reach first-time voters .
The president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the fact it will not feature in Discover means that his posts will only be seen by people who subscribe to or search for his account directly .
Snapchat based its decision on remarks Mr Trump had posted to Twitter rather than its own platform .
On Monday , Snap 's chief executive Evan Speigel had sent a memo to staff in which he detailed his views on the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd .
`` Every minute we are silent in the face of evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of evildoers , '' Mr Speigel wrote .
`` As for Snapchat , we simply can not promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence , whether they do so on or off our platform . ''
`` Our Discover content platform is a curated platform , where we decide what we promote , '' he added .


bbc--2020-06-04--Russia's Putin declares state of emergency after Arctic Circle oil spill

Russia 's President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency after 20,000 tonnes of oil leaked into a river within the Arctic Circle .
The spill happened when a fuel tank at a power plant near the Siberian city of Norilsk collapsed last Friday .
President Putin expressed anger after discovering officials only learnt about the incident two days later .
The plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel , which is the world 's leading nickel and palladium producer .
And in a televised video conference on Wednesday , Mr Putin lambasted the head of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• The journey to the 'doomsday glacier' '' Why did government agencies only find out about this two days after the fact ? ''
he asked the subsidiary 's chief , Sergei Lipin .
`` Are we going to learn about emergency situations from social media ? ''
The region 's governor , Alexander Uss , had earlier told President Putin that he became aware of the oil spill on Sunday after `` alarming information appeared in social media '' .
Mr Putin has ordered an investigation into the accident and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been detained .
In a statement , Norilsk Nickel said the incident had been reported in a `` timely and proper '' way .
The accident happened when the pillars supporting a fuel tank at a power plant began to sink .
The area is built on permafrost which has been melting as the climate warms .
The leaked oil drifted some 12km ( 7.5 miles ) from the accident site , turning long stretches of the Ambarnaya river crimson red .
The state of emergency means extra forces will be sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation .
The accident is believed to be the second largest in modern Russian history in terms of volume , an expert from the World Wildlife Fund told the AFP news agency .
The incident has prompted stark warnings from environmental groups , who say the scale of the spill and the geography of the river means it will be difficult to clean-up .
It is not the first time Norilsk Nickel has been involved in oil spillages .
In 2016 , it admitted that an accident at one of its plants was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

"Why did government agencies only find out about this two days after the fact?" he asked the subsidiary's chief, Sergei Lipin. "Are we going to learn about emergency situations from social media?"


bbc--2020-06-03--Cyclone Nisarga: India's Mumbai escapes worst cyclone in decades

At least one person died after Cyclone Nisarga struck India 's west coast near the densely populated city of Mumbai .
The eye of the storm narrowly missed the city , while nearby coastal areas to the south bore the brunt .
The extent of the damage is still being assessed .
Officials moved tens of thousands of people along the coast to higher ground as the storm approached .
India 's most populous city has 20 million residents and has also been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
Mobile phone footage of the storm in Raigad , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mumbai , showed huge waves crashing into the shore , with trees being whipped into a frenzy by the strong winds .
There were warnings Nisarga may trigger big storm surges .
Images showed it ripped tin roofs off buildings .
The man who died in Raigad district was hit by a toppling power transformer and died before doctors could get to him , the Press Trust of India reported .
Eight others were injured .
However , in Mumbai , things were a little calmer .
`` Winds have been stronger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rain is a lot less than a bad monsoon day , '' reported the BBC 's Yogita Limaye in the city .
'Do not leave your house' Packing winds of more than 100km/h , Cyclone Nisarga intensified on its approach from the hot waters of the Arabian Sea .
It began making landfall at about 13:00 local time ( 07:30GMT ) around Alibaug in Raigad district .
The area is a favourite weekend destination for many , and often touted as `` the Hamptons '' of Maharashtra .
Gujarat state was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north-east .
It will dump huge amounts of rainfall across a swathe of India before it reaches the Himalayas at Nepal .
Earlier , BBC Marathi 's Janhavee Moole described how all beaches in Mumbai were closed to the public and police were telling people to stay indoors .
`` Do not leave your house for your own safety and well-being , '' Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had tweeted .
• Mumbai bracing for the 'first cyclone in years' Early on Wednesday , the Indian Meteorological Department said the cyclone had intensified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fact the storm damage does not appear to be severe will come as a relief to Mumbai , the city worst affected by the coronavirus crisis in India .
It has so far confirmed more than 40,000 confirmed virus cases , and almost 1,400 deaths .
The tens of thousands of people evacuated before the cyclone included 150 patients from a recently-built Covid-19 field hospital .
The local government said people living in flimsy homes near the shore were being moved .
The coast guard said it had taken 109 fishermen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government urged people to secure their homes , prepare an emergency kit , and keep documents and valuables in water-proof containers .
Unlike India 's eastern coast , cyclones are unusual on the country 's western shore .
Nisarga comes barely two weeks after Cyclone Amphan struck , devastating parts of Kolkata ( formerly Calcutta ) on the east coast .
More than 100 people were killed in the Indian states of West Bengal and Orissa , as well as neighbouring Bangladesh .

The man who died in Raigad district was hit by a toppling power transformer and died before doctors could get to him, the Press Trust of India reported. Eight others were injured.


bbc--2020-06-03--'We felt like we were going to die in that car'

Two black students , Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young , were dragged from their car in Atlanta , Georgia , @ @ @ @ @ .
Two officers have been fired and all six are facing charges .

Two black students, Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young, were dragged from their car in Atlanta, Georgia, last weekend by police officers. Two officers have been fired and all six are facing charges.


bbc--2020-06-03--UK minister self-isolates after falling ill in parliament

Business Secretary Alok Sharma is self-isolating at home after becoming unwell in Parliament .
Mr Sharma looked uncomfortable while taking part in a debate earlier , mopping his brow several times with his handkerchief while speaking .
A spokesman said the MP for Reading West had been tested for coronavirus and had returned home .
Mr Sharma was one of a handful of ministers to attend Tuesday 's cabinet meeting in Downing Street in person .
The business secretary was in the Commons chamber for nearly an hour earlier while leading for the government on the Corporate Insolvency and Governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alok Sharma began feeling unwell when in the Chamber delivering the second reading of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill .
`` In line with guidance he has been tested for coronavirus and is returning home to self isolate . ''
During the debate , Mr Sharma 's opposite number , shadow business secretary Ed Miliband , passed him a glass of water at one point .
It 's important to highlight that we do n't know for sure whether the business secretary has coronavirus .
However , a potential case is causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures say it shows the government was wrong to scrap a hybrid model which allowed MPs to contribute and vote remotely .
There are concerns some MPs did n't maintain social distancing rules in lengthy voting queues yesterday .
Others fear they could become super spreaders , taking the virus back to their constituencies if there is an outbreak .
If Mr Sharma did test positive , anyone he had spent more than 15 minutes within two metres of would have to self-isolate for two weeks .
Mr Miliband subsequently sent his best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery .
The House of Commons authorities said `` additional cleaning '' had taken place , following the debate .
And the BBC 's chief political correspondent Vicki Young said the MP who had sat nearest to Mr Sharma during his statement insisted that social distancing protocols had been observed throughout .
Mr Sharma was one of hundreds of MPs who queued around the building on Tuesday at two metre intervals as the Commons introduced new temporary voting procedures .
While the number of MPs permitted to sit in the chamber is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being forced to return to Westminster , saying it poses a risk to them and their constituents .
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the events of the past 48 hours had shown that effective social distancing in Parliament was `` impossible '' .
She said the government 's decision to stop the largely virtual procedures in force since the middle of April , in which MPs were able to speak and vote remotely , was `` reckless '' .
And her colleague Karl Turner said he had asked the Health and Safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of working conditions in Parliament .
He said MPs having to `` huddle together '' on escalators on the parliamentary estate while lining up to vote were among a number of `` unsafe practices '' .
The HSE has the power to take enforcement action against any employers which it believes is compelling its staff to work in unsafe conditions or ignoring guidance set out by the government earlier this month .

He added: "Across the country people are going back to work. How can we look teachers in our constituency in the eye when we are asking them to go back to work and we are saying we are not willing to?


bbc--2020-06-03--UK to change immigration rules for Hong Kong citizens if China passes law

Britain will change its immigration rules and offer millions of people in Hong Kong `` a route to citizenship '' if China imposes new security laws , Boris Johnson has said .
Writing in the Times , Mr Johnson said the UK would `` have no choice '' but to uphold its ties with the territory .
China is facing mounting criticism over its planned law .
Many people in Hong Kong fear it could end their unique freedoms , which the rest of China does not have .
• China 's new law : Why is Hong Kong worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with allies including the US and Australia about what to do if China imposes the new law - which would make it a crime to undermine Beijing 's authority - and people start fleeing Hong Kong .
In the Times on Wednesday , the prime minister confirmed that if China passes the law , people in Hong Kong who hold British National ( Overseas ) ( BNO ) passports will be allowed to come to the UK for 12 months without a visa .
Currently they are allowed to come for six months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently already have a BNO passport , but 2.6 million others are also eligible .
Passport-holders would also be given further immigration rights , including the right to work .
This `` could place them on a route to citizenship , '' Mr Johnson said .
• More about the BNO passport and what could change 'Britain will not walk away' The prime minister added that the immigration changes `` would amount to one of the biggest changes in our visa system in British history '' .
`` If it proves necessary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and take it willingly .
`` Many people in Hong Kong fear their way of life , which China pledged to uphold , is under threat .
`` If China proceeds to justify their fears , then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away ; instead we will honour our obligations and provide an alternative . ''
The last British governor of Hong Kong , Lord Patten , said the offer of support from the UK government was `` morally and politically right '' .
He accused China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullying '' tactics , adding : `` Sooner or later with a bully you have to stand up to them , otherwise you 'll get knocked about . ''
Asked whether the UK was entering a new Cold War with China , Lord Patten told the BBC 's World at One : `` I think we 're entering a period of realism with China ... '' This is not us against China , it 's the way in which the Chinese Communist regime ca n't stand us , and they 've cracked down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things which [ President ] Xi Jinping dislikes . ''
Hong Kong is a former British colony .
It was handed back to China in 1997 .
As part of an agreement signed at the time , it enjoys some freedoms not seen in mainland China - and these are set out in a mini-constitution called the Basic Law .
BNO passports were granted to all Hong Kong citizens born before the Chinese handover in 1997 and while they allow the holder some protection from the UK foreign service they do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in Britain .
• The background you need on Hong Kong 's protests There has been widespread international criticism of China 's proposed law and the UK government 's announcement marks a step up in Britain 's opposition to it .
On Tuesday , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK was in talks with countries in the Five Eyes alliance about how to handle a potential `` exodus '' of people from the area .
He urged China to reconsider its plans which , he said , would threaten Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Britain , Canada , Australia and New Zealand have urged the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to Hong Kong to monitor how the new law affects human rights .
Earlier this week , seven former UK foreign secretaries urged Mr Johnson to form a global alliance to co-ordinate a response .

In the Times on Wednesday, the prime minister confirmed that if China passes the law, people in Hong Kong who hold British National (Overseas) (BNO) passports will be allowed to come to the UK for 12 months without a visa. Currently they are allowed to come for six months.


bbc--2020-06-03--Coronavirus: Barcelona beach trip for recovering patients

Spanish coronavirus patients are taking trips to the seaside as part of their recovery from the illness .
Medical teams @ @ @ @ @ in Barcelona have been photographed wheeling people to the beach as part of a programme @ @ @ @ @ units .
In total , Spain has confirmed 239,932 infections and 27,127 deaths .
The @ @ @ @ @ ease what was one of Europe 's most restrictive lockdowns .
At one point people @ @ @ @ @ exercise and children were not allowed to leave their homes for any reason .
But @ @ @ @ @ under control in recent weeks .
Tuesday was the second day running that Spain did @ @ @ @ @ death over the previous 24 hours .
• How is lockdown being lifted across Europe @ @ @ @ @ Minister Pedro Sanchez asked parliament for one further extension to the state of emergency until @ @ @ @ @ have overcome the worst of the pandemic , '' Mr Sanchez said .
But opposition @ @ @ @ @ to the outbreak and the repeated extensions of the state of emergency .

"We have overcome the worst of the pandemic," Mr Sanchez said. But opposition parties have criticised his response to the outbreak and the repeated extensions of the state of emergency.


bbc--2020-06-03--Coronavirus in Russia: 'I don't trust Putin any more'

In Russia , President Putin ’ s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low .
Russia , like many @ @ @ @ @ economic hardship after weeks of coronavirus lockdown .
Amid rising unemployment , there are signs @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin .
Our correspondent Steve Rosenberg has been to Vladimir Putin ’ s home city @ @ @ @ @ the mood .

In Russia, President Putin’s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low.
Russia, like many countries, is suffering acute economic hardship after weeks of coronavirus lockdown.
Amid rising unemployment, there are signs of growing disillusionment with the Kremlin. Our correspondent Steve Rosenberg has been to Vladimir Putin’s home city of St Petersburg to gauge the mood.
Produced by Will Vernon, camera/editing Matthew Goddard.


bbc--2020-06-03--Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder

Tanker driven at US protesters in Minneapolis The driver was pulled from the truck by demonstrators , before being taken @ @ @ @ @ .

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced an upgraded charge of second-degree murder for Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck. The other three officers involved in the case were also charged.


bbc--2020-06-03--Sudan banned FGM - what happens next?

Sudan banned FGM - what happens next?

Sudan 's new government has banned FGM - female genital mutilation - but this does not mean the practice will @ @ @ @ @ deeply embedded in Sudanese culture and is also difficult to talk about .
The BBC @ @ @ @ @ of the long-term work that will need to happen now to ensure the new law @ @ @ @ @

Sudan's new government has banned FGM - female genital mutilation - but this does not mean the practice will disappear overnight. It is deeply embedded in Sudanese culture and is also difficult to talk about.
The BBC's Insaf Abbas discusses some of the long-term work that will need to happen now to ensure the new law can be enforced successfully.
Video produced by Larissa Kennelly


bbc--2020-06-03--'My brothers on Europe's last death row'

Any day now , it 's possible that two men will be executed in the only European country where the death penalty still exists - but their family will never find out when they were shot , or where they were buried .
Five months ago , Hanna Kostseva was in court when her two brothers , Stanislaw and Ilya , aged 19 and 21 , were sentenced to death for murder .
`` When the judge read out the verdict to 'apply an exceptional measure of punishment in the form of execution ' , people in the courtroom began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Initially , just one started , then another followed , then a third , and in the whole hall only applause was heard .
For me , at that moment , it was like my own life was cut short . ''
Hanna says she then approached the cage in which her brothers had pleaded guilty to the murder of one of her neighbours .
She managed to squeeze close to them and hug them through the bars , and promised she would do everything possible to save their lives .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A month earlier , the president of Belarus , Alexander Lukashenko , had told a Russian radio station the case was under his personal control .
`` They 're scum , there 's no other word for them .
They have been in trouble before and have been punished .
They killed a teacher - only because she wanted to save two of their sister 's children .
Their sister is a nothing - an asocial element .
The teacher only tried to protect the kids and take them out of the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night . ''
The brothers ' appeal against their sentence was dismissed on 22 May .
After that , the only option remaining was to ask the president for clemency .
His decision was probably made by Tuesday 2 June , and if he had decided to spare them it would most likely have been in the news , so the silence is ominous .
In his quarter of a century as Belarus 's first and only president , Lukashenko has granted clemency on only one occasion .
Natalya Kostseva , the brothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sentencing herself for a reason that may be hard for someone from another country to understand .
The story goes back 19 years , to the day when her husband died .
Stanislaw , the youngest of her four children , was then five months old .
Ilya was already two .
To feed her family , Natalya worked as a milkmaid on a collective farm .
Subsequently she got a job in a transport company , where her shifts sometimes ran late into the night .
Stanislaw , Ilya and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of Hanna , the oldest child .
Natalya admits she was n't a perfect mother .
Visiting social workers would enjoy her home-made pies but would also note in their reports that she 'd been drinking .
Natalya held out for 13 years .
It was when Stanislaw and Ilya were 14 and 16 that they were finally taken away for fighting and skipping school , and placed in a state-run children 's home .
In Belarus , when children are taken into care , their parents - in this case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She still owes 10,000 Belarusian roubles , or about $ 4,000 , so each month a third of her meagre salary is taken by the state , and this will continue for the next eight years , long after her sons ' execution .
This is the reason Natalya was unable to travel to visit them in prison in the eastern city of Mogilev , and was unable to attend the hearing when they were sentenced : after she 'd missed some payments , a court had ruled that she could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debt was paid in full .
Since her sons were arrested in April 2019 , her only contact with them has been by letter .
The family does n't dispute that the two young men are murderers and deserve to be punished .
`` I 'm not justifying them in any way - they are guilty , you should n't take a person 's life .
In one moment , they crossed out someone 's life as well as their own and ours , '' says their sister , Hanna .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when - finally released from the children 's home - he had gone to stay with Hanna in the house they lived in as children , in the town of Cherykaw , close to the Russian border .
Ilya had already left care on his 18th birthday , two years earlier .
But any joy at being reunited did n't last long .
Just a few days later the two brothers went to take revenge on a neighbour - a teacher , who had complained to social services about Hanna 's children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into care .
Stanislaw and Ilya stabbed her to death then set the house on fire , and were quickly arrested .
After the applause in the courtroom , Hanna says she was hounded out of town .
On one occasion , while her partner and her oldest brother were away working in Russia , someone even tried to break down her door , she says .
She then moved into a tiny flat in a former military barracks 140km ( 90 miles ) away , occasionally making a six or seven-hour trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying heavy bags of food for her brothers .
She met each of them separately , because they are forbidden to meet or even write to each other .
It was only after the verdict that Hanna learned that other countries in Europe , including neighbouring Russia and Ukraine , no longer have the death penalty .
It was a bitter discovery .
Killers should be sentenced to life in prison , she says .
`` Not everyone leaves prison alive , but you have to live through it , to bear it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of repentance .
The death penalty is denying the right to repent . ''
• It 's thought that more than 400 people have been executed since Belarus became independent in 1991 , though numbers have dwindled to a handful per year • The death penalty has not been carried out in any other European country since 1996 • President Lukashenko rejects calls for a moratorium citing the `` will of the people '' - a 1996 referendum in which 80 % voted in favour of capital punishment • Women can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men In court , the brothers begged the victim 's family to forgive them , and both have since asked to see a priest , Hanna says .
They have now been moved to a detention centre in the centre of Minsk , close to the Gorky Drama Theatre , a museum of the history of Belarusian cinema , McDonalds and TGI Friday 's .
It 's an open secret that this is where executions have been carried out for decades .
`` Everything is exactly how it was in the Soviet days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poluda .
`` Not a thing has changed .
The relatives are not given the bodies of the executed prisoners , they are not told the time of death , the place of the burial is unknown . ''
A single executioner uses a pistol , according to a former director of the facility , Oleg Alkayev , who now lives in the West .
• 'They are treated as if they are already dead' • 'The hangman was too tired to hang me - three times' '' During the execution a doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A prosecutor is present , too .
Sometimes , when I 'm on the metro in Minsk , I look around and I wonder if a person who is a part of that system is travelling now , too , '' Poluda says .
Natalya can not come to terms with what is about to happen .
`` If , God forbid , I lose them , I wo n't go on living - I do n't want to , '' she says .
At some point after the execution has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containing her sons ' belongings and an official letter .
In it , she will be told that the death sentence has been carried out , and nothing more .
You may also be interested in : Earlier this year , two guards who worked at a prison in Yaroslavl , north-east of Moscow , were jailed for abusing an inmate .
Despite official claims that Russian penitentiaries are cleaning up their act , prisoners , their relatives and human rights activists tell a very different story .
The BBC 's Oleg Boldyrev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three hours of arrival at a Russian prison

"They're scum, there's no other word for them. They have been in trouble before and have been punished. They killed a teacher - only because she wanted to save two of their sister's children. Their sister is a nothing - an asocial element. The teacher only tried to protect the kids and take them out of the family. These two were knifing her all night."


bbc--2020-06-03--Viewpoint: What it's like to be an African in the US

As protests rock the US following the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody , Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo writes about the racism he has experienced in the country .
In my first week in New York City last summer , I was invited to dinner at a friend 's penthouse on the wealthy Upper West Side .
I picked up some fruit for her and arrived at her building carrying a plastic bag .
The front desk sent me through an open courtyard to the back of the building , past residents ' garbage bags and into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off upstairs , my host opened the door mortified , all the colour drained from her face .
`` My racist doorman thought you 're a delivery guy and made you use the service elevator , '' she explained as she apologized .
I have worked in the complicated racial hierarchies of South Africa and the UK and have travelled around the world , but it still stung that an American butler did not think accomplished white people like my friend and her husband could have a black dinner guest .
That early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the land of opportunity for many , but it would still reduce me to the colour of my skin and find me unworthy .
It did not matter that I am from a black majority African nation , people who look like me here have to negotiate for their humanity with a system that constantly alienates , erases and punishes them .
In Kenya , I may disappear into the crowd , but in America I always have a target on my back for being black .
A day after investment banker Amy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man asking her to follow park rules and leash her dog , a white policeman knelt on George Floyd 's neck for so long it eventually killed him .
As protests broke out nationwide to demand justice for Floyd and the countless other black people who have been killed by police , I held my breath .
How could I grieve for someone I did not know ?
How could I own a pain I had not lived , as an African `` fresh off the boat '' in America ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African-American struggle at a convenient moment .
Then I saw a video shot at a protest in Long Beach , California , that was clear about allegiances .
`` The best way that Africans in America can support African-Americans is to stand with us , and to understand that we 're all the same , '' said a protester .
I asked Tom Gitaa - a publisher of Mshale newspaper , which serves African immigrants in the Midwest of the US - what he made of the protests , subsequent riots and looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Many of us did n't grow up with some of these civil rights issues in Africa so sometimes our understanding is not there .
`` But with issues like police brutality and discrimination at the workplace , we 're running into a lot of the same things African-Americans have experienced over the years , '' said Mr Gitaa , who moved to the US from East Africa about 30 years ago and whose American-born 24-year-old daughter has been one of the people making their voices heard on the streets .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black Americans .
My friend , Karen Attiah , and I unpacked some of it in The Washington Post two years ago when the superhero film Black Panther came out .
She is the paper 's Global Opinions editor , a daughter of African immigrants - born in the US , but deeply connected to her parent 's home continent .
• CRIME AND JUSTICE : How are African-Americans treated ?
• HOW IT HAPPENED : The last moments of his life Karen told me her parents are now discussing race and white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her siblings did not hear while growing up .
`` I think we were supposed to almost maintain a distance from black Americans because we were immigrants , we were different , '' she told me this week .
`` And now we understand that if a cop sees the colour of your skin , he 's not about to ask if you 're from Ghana or Nigeria or Zimbabwe , or Atlanta or the south side of Dallas , they just see a black person . ''
African celebrities like actress Lupita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are using their powerful platforms to support the agitation for justice and to call out the hypocrisy in some of the criticism of the protests .
The African Union ( AU ) even released a rare statement condemning the death of Floyd , and asking the US government to `` ensure the total elimination of all forms of discrimination '' .
The first enslaved Africans arrived in the US - in the then British colony of Virginia - 401 years ago .
Last year , some of their descendants made the journey back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Return '' to where their forebears were stolen from four centuries ago .
One of the marquee events was the Afrochella Festival in Ghana last December , the brainchild of Abdul Karim Abdullah .
When I called , he was recovering from a long night after protests hit his home borough of The Bronx in New York City .
`` A lot of Africans are ignorant to the fact that this is also their fight , '' he said .
`` Injustice to black people anywhere is injustice .
We should stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' • ' I moved to Ghana to escape US racism' Africans in the US have marched alongside Black Lives Matter activists , supported protests against white supremacy , donated money to social justice causes and organized their own events to show unanimity in the black community .
Protesters with African flags or with signs in languages from the continent have also been spotted at events in different parts of the US .
`` People of colour , especially black men , are the most mistreated , misvalued and misunderstood community on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a crowd of marchers outside the Dallas City Hall in Texas .
She worried about what awaits her two-year-old nephew who has special needs when he grows up .
`` How is a cop going to treat him when he stands 6ft 8in like his father , is not communicative and looks like someone they 're looking for ? ''
Because of the violent history of American policing for black and brown communities , parents are always on edge .
Ifrah Udgoon , a Somalia-born high school science teacher in Columbus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 13-year-old son .
`` Each passing day brings the realisation that soon , if not already , he will go from being seen as cute to being seen as threatening .
And my heart breaks for his innocence , '' she wrote in South Africa 's Mail & Guardian .
Ms Udgoon captured a battle many other African immigrants feel : `` I am expected to be grateful to be here .
But have I sold my soul to the devil ? ''
Mr Abdullah sees Afrochella as a platform to unite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly intractable obstacles like this .
`` I checked in with black friends from Haiti , Benin and St Vincent and the Grenadines because discrimination has no nationality .
Systemic racism affects us all .
`` For a long time , I had n't realized it was an injustice until I started finding language for it .
I 've been pulled over , been through stop and frisk and racially profiled .
This fight is my fight . ''
Mr Abdullah said .
It is not just his fight for African-Americans like him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to be black safely in America .
I replayed Karen 's voice note to me because she had a powerful conclusion : `` I think right now what is on display is anti-blackness and it 's raising the consciousness about the connectedness of so many of our struggles , not the same but very much connected . ''

I replayed Karen's voice note to me because she had a powerful conclusion: "I think right now what is on display is anti-blackness and it's raising the consciousness about the connectedness of so many of our struggles, not the same but very much connected."


bbc--2020-06-03--The 100-year wound that Hungary cannot forget

Exactly 100 years ago , in the Trianon palace at Versailles , two medium-ranking Hungarian officials signed away two thirds of their country , and 3.3 million of their compatriots .
A new monument has appeared in the past weeks in front of parliament in Budapest , among many already erected by Viktor Orban 's government to Hungary 's past glories .
For Hungary the 1920 treaty was a national wound that still festers to this day .
Mr Orban 's message to the world is that Hungary must now be respected .
For his critics , he has dug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost in the Treaty of Trianon As the Austro-Hungarian empire fell apart at the end of World War One , historic Hungary was forced to cede what is now Slovakia , Vojvodina , Croatia , Slovenia , Ruthenia , the Burgenland and Transylvania to the new states of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia , to a much-enlarged Romania , and even to Austria , a fellow loser in the war .
US President Woodrow Wilson 's proposal for the self-determination of all national minorities was valid for everyone , except Hungary .
National groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hungarians , claimed their own sovereignty while Hungarians found themselves suddenly divided among several states .
Mainland Hungary was shaken from 1918 to 1921 by violence perpetrated both by occupying troops and by Hungarians against each other .
Four months of communist `` Red Terror '' in 1919 was followed by the `` White Terror '' , carried out by Adm Miklos Horthy 's National Army militia .
Horthy was regent from 1920-44 and later refused to apologise for the atrocities , arguing that `` only an iron broom can sweep the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the 1920s and 30s led directly to Hungarian participation in World War Two on the side of Nazi Germany .
Hitler was the only European statesman who offered them the return of territory .
• Orban : The man who thinks Europe 's been invaded • Does the Versailles Treaty still haunt us today ?
What is the point of the new monument ?
A national trench , or tomb , shelves gently beneath street level directly in line with the main entrance of parliament in Budapest .
Stainless steel letters depict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ villages of historic Hungary according to their size in the last , pre-war census in 1910 .
At the centre of the hard granite Monument of National Solidarity , is an eternal flame .
The anniversary of the Treaty of Trianon is a difficult balancing act for the Orban government .
By pursuing alliances with the governments of Serbia , Slovakia , the Czech Republic and Poland , Mr Orban is fond of saying that Hungary has broken out of its `` hundred years of solitude '' .
What do the neighbours think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a certain extent Austria , watch his actions with distrust .
Romania will this year celebrate the Trianon Treaty officially for the first time .
`` All these years we took note… of the many political statements coming from Budapest , which were very offensive for Romania , '' former Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean told the BBC .
He proposed the legislation , passed by the Romanian Parliament , to celebrate Trianon day .
`` I do not understand why the Romanians should be shy of marking what was fundamental for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to offend anyone . ''
Apart from the monument , the Hungarian parliament will hold a commemorative session .
Church bells will be rung .
And at 16:30 ( 14:30 GMT ) , at the request of liberal Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony - a fierce opponent of Viktor Orban - all transport will grind to a halt in the capital , as people observe a minute 's silence .
A new musical will be performed in the Operett theatre , entitled They Tore It Apart .
Nationalist group `` Our Homeland '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't need to forget Trianon .
That would be impossible , '' said the opposition Democratic Coalition party in a statement .
`` But mourning about Trianon can no longer be the focus of Hungarian politics , because , apart from the fact it leads nowhere , it paralyses , makes it incapable of action , it also consumes the moral and political power of the homeland . ''
`` No other nation or country could have survived what happened to us 100 years ago .
And we should be really proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoltan Kovacs told the BBC .
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The 100-year wound that Hungary cannot forget Published 4 June 2020
Image source, Tamas Wachsler/Flickr Image caption, The new Monument of National Solidarity is directly in line with the main entrance of parliament
Exactly 100 years ago, in the Trianon palace at Versailles, two medium-ranking Hungarian officials signed away two thirds of their country, and 3.3 million of their compatriots.
A new monument has appeared in the past weeks in front of parliament in Budapest, among many already erected by Viktor Orban's government to Hungary's past glories.
For Hungary the 1920 treaty was a national wound that still festers to this day. Mr Orban's message to the world is that Hungary must now be respected. For his critics, he has dug deeper into that wound.
What Hungary lost in the Treaty of Trianon
As the Austro-Hungarian empire fell apart at the end of World War One, historic Hungary was forced to cede what is now Slovakia, Vojvodina, Croatia, part of Slovenia, Ruthenia, the Burgenland and Transylvania to the new states of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, to a much-enlarged Romania, and even to Austria, a fellow loser in the war.
Image source, Facebook/Viktor Orban Image caption, Last month Viktor Orban posted a picture a Greater Hungary that included parts of Serbia, Romania, Slovakia and Croatia
US President Woodrow Wilson's proposal for the self-determination of all national minorities was valid for everyone except Hungary, claim the Hungarians.
National groups, which had long felt oppressed by the Hungarians, claimed their own sovereignty while Hungarians found themselves suddenly divided among several states.
Mainland Hungary was shaken from 1918 to 1921 by violence perpetrated both by occupying troops and by Hungarians against each other. Four months of communist "Red Terror" in 1919 was followed by the "White Terror", carried out by Adm Miklos Horthy's National Army militia.
Horthy was regent from 1920-44 and later refused to apologise for the atrocities, arguing that "only an iron broom can sweep the country clean".
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Miklos Horthy allied with Nazi Germany and reclaimed part of Transylvania
Attempts to revise Trianon through the 1920s and 30s led directly to Hungarian participation in World War Two on the side of Nazi Germany.
Hitler was the only European statesman who offered them the return of territory.
What is the point of the new monument?
A national trench, or tomb, shelves gently beneath street level directly in line with the main entrance of parliament in Budapest.
Stainless steel letters depict the names of all the towns and villages of historic Hungary according to their size in the last, pre-war census in 1910. At the centre of the hard granite Monument of National Solidarity, is an eternal flame.
Image source, Tamas Wachsler/Flickr Image caption, Place names from historic Hungary are listed on the monument in stainless steel
The anniversary of the Treaty of Trianon is a difficult balancing act for the Orban government.
By pursuing alliances with the governments of Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland, Mr Orban is fond of saying that Hungary has broken out of its "hundred years of solitude".
What do the neighbours think?
But Romania, Ukraine, and to a certain extent Austria, watch his actions with distrust. Romania will this year celebrate the Trianon Treaty officially for the first time.
Image source, AFP Image caption, Flags will be placed at half-mast at this border post, where Hungary, Romania, and Serbia meet
"All these years we took note… of the many political statements coming from Budapest, which were very offensive for Romania," former Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean told the BBC.
He proposed the legislation, passed by the Romanian Parliament, to celebrate Trianon day. "I do not understand why the Romanians should be shy of marking what was fundamental for their history, because we don't want to offend anyone."
Apart from the monument, the Hungarian parliament will hold a commemorative session.
Church bells will be rung. And at 16:30 (14:30 GMT), at the request of liberal Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony - a fierce opponent of Viktor Orban - all transport will grind to a halt in the capital, as people observe a minute's silence.
A new musical will be performed in the Operett theatre, entitled They Tore It Apart. Nationalist group "Our Homeland" will distribute black armbands.
"We don't need to forget Trianon. That would be impossible," said the opposition Democratic Coalition party in a statement. "But mourning about Trianon can no longer be the focus of Hungarian politics, because, apart from the fact it leads nowhere, it paralyses, makes it incapable of action, it also consumes the moral and political power of the homeland."
"No other nation or country could have survived what happened to us 100 years ago. And we should be really proud of our existence," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told the BBC.
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bbc--2020-06-03--The young actors joining an industry on pause

Elliot Swann caught his mum spying through the kitchen window as he practised ballet in their garden .
Despite still being physically closed , ArtsEd , the London-based acting conservatory where Elliot studies musical theatre , has powered on virtually since the start of the coronavirus lockdown .
Alongside classmates on Zoom meetings , Elliot , 21 , drills voice practices and dance moves on the garden decking , and taps away in the bathroom of his parents ' house in Hampshire .
But will there be any work for him and his fellow students after they graduate this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , acting students around the world are making their first foray into the business , performing in person for agents , casting directors and producers , hoping to sign on with a talent agency , or even pick up their first paid work .
But with theatres still closed , and TV and movie filming on hold , the acting world is currently an industry on pause .
`` All of our work has stopped , '' says James Calleri , who casts Broadway and regional theatre in New York as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has just been cleared . ''
Mr Calleri , who also runs the graduate acting programme at New York 's Columbia University , would normally have taken graduating students on an industry tour of Los Angeles back in April .
They would have performed for some of the big showbiz decision makers .
But all Columbia 's acting school showcases were cancelled , indefinitely .
`` We were going to push to September , but the problem is that theatres are so debilitated right now , '' Mr Calleri says .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to be like after lockdown . ''
Any auditions that are still taking place have moved to home recordings or `` self tapes '' that are emailed off .
Back in Hampshire , Elliot has made it though five rounds of recalls for a West End show .
`` The good thing is you get a second chance , '' he says .
`` You can watch it back , and if you want , you can do it again . ''
Elliot 's professors are also happy to give feedback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , something that would not be possible with in-person auditions .
`` The [ movie and TV ] businesses have been moving auditions to self tapes for some time , but I think plays and musicals will head that way too , even after the virus , '' says Chris Hocking , the principal of ArtsEd .
`` Everyone is trying to help these graduates .
We have worked hard so that the students have industry contact throughout their training . ''
What continues for Elliot is a waiting game .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the job .
`` Especially now , '' he says , `` because everything is extended .
And many tours have had to cancel because of the lockdown .
`` There is every chance you might be auditioning for a show , you could get cast , and then a couple of weeks later they 'll say , ' I 'm really sorry , it 's been cancelled . '
'' Elliot knows he is lucky to be getting seen .
Many new graduates are not getting any industry face-time .
Racheal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Acting , says their graduates were due to have a final day of performance for agents and casting directors back in March .
But a day before the show , the lockdown restrictions were announced , and it was cancelled .
`` Some students had signed , but others had not , and would have been hoping for more opportunities , as we had two musicals left to perform , '' she says .
The staff at Guilford have continued to do everything possible to get self tapes to agents .
Luckily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in an effort to support this year 's graduates , but there is very little work available .
`` I really feel for these students , whose introduction to the industry is so compromised , '' says Ms Owens .
A missed in-person performance can make life especially difficult for young actors with an offbeat style , or unusual looks , that might not come across well in a short self tape , plus resumé ( CV ) and headshot .
Such performers are more likely to win over agents and casting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young actors impress , however they are able to audition , how long will it be before the industry can return to some sort of normal ?
James Calleri wonders how the practical experience of going to the theatre would work with social distancing .
Producers might sell out a 1,200-seat Broadway theatre , but if 600 people sit in every other seat in order to socially distance , shows will fail to recoup costs , he points out .
In smaller theatres , social distancing would be impossible .
`` The class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , '' he says .
`` I feel like the industry knows that and hopefully will try and look out for them . ''
More from the BBC 's series taking an international perspective on trade : • How coronavirus is changing the adverts you see • How can the car industry hope to recover ?
• Seed sales soar as more of us become budding gardeners Alex Butler , who runs the New York boutique agency Henderson Hogan , warns his recent signings that things are n't going to get better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Look , if you are in this for the long haul , come to the city , get your apartment , your day job and your classes set up .
Once things go back , we can gear up . '
'' But it could be a long wait .
Mr Butler says he would love for Broadway to reopen in September but fears curtains may not rise until next year .
Still , he thinks that sometime down the road , if young actors coming out of school this year can hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audition for these shows .
`` People working on Broadway might decide they are done with the business , or if they are touring , their spouses wo n't want them to go on the road anymore , '' he says .
New York casting director Alison Franck , who casts Broadway , touring and regional musical theatre shows , says that actors have always needed to be creative and resilient .
Those attributes are needed now more than ever , because many will struggle to get agents straight away .
`` These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their own , '' she says .
`` And I think the ones who figure this out may often end up being more successful in the long run . ''
Elliot understands how hard the current situation is , but he is ready to dig in .
He believes the industry will come back `` stronger than ever '' .
Acting has been his dream for his whole life .
`` I 'm absolutely in it for the long haul , '' he says .

"We were going to push to September, but the problem is that theatres are so debilitated right now," Mr Calleri says. "They don't even know what their life is going to be like after lockdown."


bbc--2020-06-03--Premier League clubs to discuss options if season ends early

Premier League clubs will have their most thorough discussion to date about what should happen if the season is curtailed at their latest meeting on Thursday .
All clubs will be given a say in a detailed debate over how to finalise the league table if the season can not be completed , though it is widely expected that relegation will not be scrapped .
A fixture list for the first few rounds of the rebooted season are also due to be confirmed , along with kick-off times and broadcast plans , though it is understood there will be some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The opening two matches are due to be played on 17 June , with a full round of fixtures that weekend .
• What 's still up for grabs in the Premier League ?
Matchday operations and return-to-play protocols will also be presented , with clubs told that breaches of the strict biosecurity requirements would incur sanctions .
The number of people allowed inside the stadium during a match will need to be limited to about 300 , according to documents sent to clubs .
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the season has to be cancelled due to a second wave of coronavirus cases was `` a significant topic '' and would need to be debated by the clubs .
Some clubs are known to want relegation discarded this season .
However , 14 clubs would need to back such a move for it to be adopted , and the Football Association has said it will oppose the idea .
The governing body has a decisive 'golden share ' in any vote .
Premier League bosses are desperate to complete the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid the risk of increased rebate payments to broadcasters , and want to avoid any delays because of disagreements over curtailment .
A vote on the matter may not take place until a subsequent meeting .
After weeks of discussions around the proposal to use neutral venues , BBC Sport understands that virtually all of the remaining 92 matches will be played at home and away grounds .
But Premier League bosses will outline how they will need to identify pre-agreed neutral venues for each region as part of contingency planning in case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The use of neutral venues would require a rule change , so clubs will need to vote on this matter .
Various 'enhancements ' to the broadcasting of matches are also due to be discussed at Thursday 's meeting , including the possibility of camera access to dressing rooms , although that is understood to be unlikely .
The Premier League is expected to offer a centralised plan for including fans in some way .
European football clubs have used different methods to engage fans , with fans of Danish Superliga side AGF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual grandstand during last weekend 's derby match against Randers .
Cardboard cut-outs of fans have also been considered by clubs , but the use of the existing big screens might prove the most feasible and least costly option .
The Premier League 's plan to restart on 17 June received a boost on Wednesday , with just one positive test in the latest batch of testing .
The singular case , from 1,197 players and staff members tested , came from Tottenham .
But because of carefully planned drills and physio sessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not thought anyone else will need to isolate .

Players began contact training in the past week as they continued preparing for the resumption of the Premier League on 17 June
Premier League clubs will have their most thorough discussion to date about what should happen if the season is curtailed at their latest meeting on Thursday.
All clubs will be given a say in a detailed debate over how to finalise the league table if the season cannot be completed, though it is widely expected that relegation will not be scrapped.
A fixture list for the first few rounds of the rebooted season are also due to be confirmed, along with kick-off times and broadcast plans, though it is understood there will be some leeway for clubs to offer feedback.
The opening two matches are due to be played on 17 June, with a full round of fixtures that weekend.
Matchday operations and return-to-play protocols will also be presented, with clubs told that breaches of the strict biosecurity requirements would incur sanctions.
The number of people allowed inside the stadium during a match will need to be limited to about 300, according to documents sent to clubs.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has told BBC Sport that the scrapping of relegation if the season has to be cancelled due to a second wave of coronavirus cases was "a significant topic" and would need to be debated by the clubs.
'We have to be flexible' - Premier League chief executive Richard Masters speaks to BBC sports editor Dan Roan
Some clubs are known to want relegation discarded this season. However, 14 clubs would need to back such a move for it to be adopted, and the Football Association has said it will oppose the idea. The governing body has a decisive 'golden share' in any vote.
Premier League bosses are desperate to complete the season by the end of next month to avoid the risk of increased rebate payments to broadcasters, and want to avoid any delays because of disagreements over curtailment.
A vote on the matter may not take place until a subsequent meeting.
After weeks of discussions around the proposal to use neutral venues, BBC Sport understands that virtually all of the remaining 92 matches will be played at home and away grounds.
But Premier League bosses will outline how they will need to identify pre-agreed neutral venues for each region as part of contingency planning in case of local spikes in coronavirus cases.
The use of neutral venues would require a rule change, so clubs will need to vote on this matter.
Various 'enhancements' to the broadcasting of matches are also due to be discussed at Thursday's meeting, including the possibility of camera access to dressing rooms, although that is understood to be unlikely.
The Premier League is expected to offer a centralised plan for including fans in some way.
European football clubs have used different methods to engage fans, with fans of Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus appearing via video link on a virtual grandstand during last weekend's derby match against Randers.
Cardboard cut-outs of fans have also been considered by clubs, but the use of the existing big screens might prove the most feasible and least costly option.
The Premier League's plan to restart on 17 June received a boost on Wednesday, with just one positive test in the latest batch of testing.
The singular case, from 1,197 players and staff members tested, came from Tottenham.
But because of carefully planned drills and physio sessions being limited to 15-minute windows, it is not thought anyone else will need to isolate.


bbc--2020-06-03--Tottenham confirm one positive coronavirus test

Tottenham have had one positive coronavirus result in the latest round of testing by the Premier League , the club @ @ @ @ @ now self-isolate for seven days .
`` Due to medical confidentiality , the individual 's @ @ @ @ @ , '' Spurs said in a statement on their website .
This was the only @ @ @ @ @ and staff were checked in the latest round of testing .
• Nine people at @ @ @ @ @ There have now been five rounds of testing for Covid-19 , and the total of @ @ @ @ @ 13 from 5,079 tests .
Premier League players and staff are currently tested twice a @ @ @ @ @ set to resume on 17 June .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
The tests on club staff were held at Tottenham's training ground
Tottenham have had one positive coronavirus result in the latest round of testing by the Premier League, the club say.
That person will now self-isolate for seven days.
"Due to medical confidentiality, the individual's name will not be disclosed," Spurs said in a statement on their website. external-link
This was the only positive result after 1,197 players and staff were checked in the latest round of testing.
There have now been five rounds of testing for Covid-19, and the total of positive results has increased to 13 from 5,079 tests.
Premier League players and staff are currently tested twice a week, with the league set to resume on 17 June.