bbc--2020-02-20--Sinn Fein surge puts Irish economy in the spotlight

A former Irish President , Eamon de Valera , once famously outlined a vision for his country of `` comely maidens dancing at the crossroads '' .
But fast forward to the 21st Century and it is the nation 's politicians who are seeking a dance partner to form a government , with Ireland 's economy at a crossroads .
The Dail , the parliament , meets in Dublin on Thursday with newly elected members ( `` TDs '' ) convening to choose a Taoiseach , or prime minister , to lead a new government .
But there is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gold than TDs agreeing on a new government , because this month 's historic election finished with Sinn Fein gaining 24 % of first preference votes , leaving no party with a majority .
This has broken the grip on power held for decades by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael - but both have refused to form a coalition with Sinn Fein because of its historical links to the IRA .
Two main issues dominated the 8 February election - a healthcare system in chaos and the rising number of homeless people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but ordinary working families unable to pay high rents .
Sinn Fein 's promise to build 100,000 affordable homes over five years , including houses built by local councils , convinced voters to support the party , which is also a government partner in Northern Ireland .
Sinn Fein 's challenge is to persuade either Fianna Fail , led by Micheal Martin , or Fine Gael , led by current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , to join them in a coalition , probably with another smaller party too .
But so far neither is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going into opposition .
`` I actually think it 's quite disgraceful that the old boys ' club of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael believe that they can set aside the democratic mandate of Sinn Fein , '' says the party 's president , Mary Lou McDonald .
The shortage of affordable homes and the crisis in healthcare are hard to understand when you consider that the economy is booming , in a remarkable recovery , just a decade after the financial crisis .
Ireland avoided bankruptcy , thanks to a bailout of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the European Union and International Monetary Fund , but the rescue killed off the so called Celtic Tiger economy .
`` The Irish economy is doing really well at the moment , '' says Austin Hughes , chief economist at KBC Bank Ireland .
`` We 've seen growth return very , very , strong .
An improvement in jobs , a record number of people at work and unemployment back down to Celtic Tiger levels , currently running just under 5 % , having peaked at 16 % after the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnaround '' , he told BBC World Service the improvement had brought challenges in areas like health and housing .
Almost 10,000 people were registered homeless in December , many of them families living in hotels paid for by the state .
`` That is the new phenomenon , that 's only happened in the last seven or eight years , before that there was no such thing as homeless families , '' Father Peter McVerry explains .
The Catholic priest has helped homeless people for decades , with a foundation in Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay , '' The majority of homeless people are being evicted from the private rented sector , for either of two reasons .
The rent has shot to a level they can not afford or the landlord is selling the house and says you have to get out . ''
Father McVerry bluntly told the BBC 's World Business Report , `` there are landlords who are in serious financial difficulties , about 12,000 with mortgages at least two years in arrears , but there are a lot of very greedy landlords .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two years or more , it 's seriously damaging . ''
Reminiscent of the Celtic Tiger economy years , there is a boom in construction and cranes are once again a common sight in Dublin .
But can Ireland build 100,000 new affordable homes within five years as promised by Sinn Fein ?
`` In 2019 we reached 21,800 units .
In 2020 the estimates are that we need a supply of 35,000 units and that 's quite a substantial jump , '' says James Benson , director of housing planning at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main parties ' election pledges on house-building were all a `` little unrealistic '' .
There is also a shortage of skilled labour .
`` In the next five years we could need anything from 80,000 to 100,000 additional workforce to keep up with the demand , '' he says .
Despite its strong growth , the economy also faces risks .
The UK 's exit from the European Union is one threat , as recognised by Martin McElhinney , general manager of McElhinneys department store in Ballybofey , County Donegal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Thirty per cent of my customers come from Northern Ireland , over 30 % of my employees live in Northern Ireland .
Any barriers to trade , or to movement , on that border will have a massive impact , '' he says .
Meanwhile , the country 's growing technology sector could be hit by plans for a global digital services tax .
Tech giants like Apple , Facebook and Google have set up European bases in Ireland , in large part because of its low corporation tax rate of just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have benefited home-grown firms , too .
Gillian Doyle , boss of Cerebreon Technologies , in Ardara in the north west , says a sudden change in the rules would `` definitely curb growth '' .
`` The next government needs to be very careful , '' she says .
The Irish people used the ballot box to send politicians a loud message , that their economic strategy has not benefited everybody .
But it is unclear how the Dail will get around the current political impasse .
In 2016 the parties took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so do not be surprised if Ireland takes just as long .
The modern Irish Republic was born from a rebellion in Easter 1916 against the British and in the aftermath the poet William Butler Yeats wrote some prophetic words , which may apply after Sinn Fein 's election surge .

"The majority of homeless people are being evicted from the private rented sector, for either of two reasons. The rent has shot to a level they cannot afford or the landlord is selling the house and says you have to get out."


bbc--2020-02-19--Rod Blagojevich: Why did Trump just free a jailed Democrat?

US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich , the former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama 's vacated US Senate seat .
But why would the Republican president , who once promised to drain the swamp , show mercy to a Democrat viewed by critics as the embodiment of dirty politics ?
Even the president 's fellow party members in Illinois criticised his decision .
The state 's House Republican delegation said in a statement : `` Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois and not once has he shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having none of it .
`` That was a tremendously powerful , ridiculous sentence , '' he told reporters on Tuesday .
Speaking to reporters after his release , Blagojevich described his `` long , unhappy journey '' as a `` political prisoner '' and thanked the president on behalf of his family .
Who else did Trump show mercy to ?
Blagojevich was n't the only beneficiary of presidential mercy on Tuesday .
Trump went on a clemency spree , including to three high-profile figures with powerful friends : • Bernie Kerik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pleaded guilty to tax fraud and other charges and was sentenced to prison in 2010 .
His celebrity supporters include Christopher Ruddy , the head of Newsmax Media , and the president 's personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani • Michael Milken , a financier who rose to prominence in the 1980s , was convicted of securities fraud .
Celebrity supporter : Fox host Maria Bartiromo • Edward DeBartolo Jr , the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers , pleaded guilty in 1998 to offences related to a gambling scandal .
Celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former NFL player Jerry Rice Even before he won the White House , Trump expressed sympathy for Blagojevich , who was convicted of flagrant corruption .
In 2008 , he was responsible for naming someone to fill the Senate seat of Obama , who had been elected president .
Blagojevich , who was twice elected governor , spoke about the political opportunity on the phone with another state official , describing his plans to sell or trade the Democratic safe seat .
`` I 've got this thing , '' Blagojevich said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The governor - who loved the camera and was known for always having a hairbrush handy - said : `` I 'm just not giving it up… for nothing . ''
Blagojevich , 63 , also tried to obtain campaign funds in exchange for legislation that would help the race-track industry .
He attempted to pressure an executive at a children 's hospital into contributing money to his campaigns .
Blagojevich was convicted of soliciting bribes , attempted extortion and wire fraud , and was sentenced to 14 years .
His release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped in .
Before he was put behind bars in 2012 , Blagojevich had appeared on Trump 's Celebrity Apprentice TV show .
After he was convicted in a retrial a year earlier , Trump told the Hollywood Reporter he felt bad for him .
The president 's support for Blagojevich offers a case study in his approach to presidential power and the justice system .
Trump has his own grievances about investigations - he has called Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's Russian inquiry a `` witch hunt '' .
On Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Blagojevich 's wife , Patti , depicted her husband as the victim of over-zealous prosecutors , drawing parallels with the president 's experience during the Mueller investigation .
Mueller was FBI director when her husband was arrested , and former FBI Director James Comey - another Trump foe - is friends with a former US attorney , Patrick Fitzgerald , who prosecuted Blagojevich .
Patti Blagojevich laid out these connections in interviews .
• Trump : I have right to pardon myself The prosecution team behind the Blagojevich case said on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clemency powers , the former governor `` remains a felon , convicted of multiple serious acts of corruption '' .
Ruth Ben-Ghiat , a historian and cultural critic at New York University , says : `` He [ Trump ] clearly identifies with this man who has a harsh sentence and is a fighter .
`` He likes that kind of swagger . ''
She says the president 's public views of Blagojevich `` helps to create this culture in politics where loyalty is valued over ethics , and where corruption is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point out that Trump has never condoned Blagojevich 's crimes , but has focused instead on the perceived harshness of the sentence .
Brennan Hart , a political consultant in Alexandria , Virginia , who worked on Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign , says the president `` likes people who are a little bit over the top - like a caricature of a manly man '' .
`` He 's not saying it 's OK , '' says Hart , referring to the president 's attitude towards Blagojevich 's offences .
`` He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough . ''
Presidential clemency has been a politically fraught issue for decades .
President Bill Clinton pardoned a former business partner , Susan McDougal , who went to jail because she refused to testify in the Whitewater real-estate scandal .
President George HW Bush pardoned key figures in the Iran-contra scandal , in which he himself was implicated .
But Trump 's critics say he has gone further in the way he has politicised clemency .
David Litt , a former Obama speechwriter and the author of a memoir , Thanks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blagojevich reveals `` his own victimhood narrative '' .
He says it will `` send a message to other people who might be considering a variety of corrupt practises : if you get caught , he 'll have your back '' .

The governor - who loved the camera and was known for always having a hairbrush handy - said: "I'm just not giving it up… for nothing."


bbc--2020-02-20--'Sinister, with a typical twist' - how Sochi 2014 'changed four lives forever'

A presidential playground with a $ 50bn budget , disguised government agents , secret sample swapping and an elaborate Russian plot to dominate on the global stage .
A retrospective look at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics reads like a script for a James Bond or Mission Impossible film .
Even the International Olympic Committee was duped , hailing an `` exceptional '' event and its `` message of peace , tolerance and respect '' .
But six years on we know - via the McLaren report - that Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme between 2011 and 2015 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been stripped of 19 Olympic medals won by cheating over that period .
Somewhere in the middle of all the deception were a bunch of British bobsleighers dubbed the 'meatwagon ' who in November last year were finally awarded bronze medals after originally finishing fifth in Sochi .
BBC Sport has followed the team of John Jackson , Stu Benson , Joel Fearon , Bruce Tasker and performance director Gary Anderson since they formed as a group in 2011 .
Now they finally know the success of their story - achieved despite odds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
Theirs is a tale of optimism corrupted by suspicion , and of disappointment transformed into joy .
Eventually .
Bobsleigh requires speed and strength .
The muscle mass that provides the latter results in bulky athletes who also help generate more momentum as they career down the ice .
As a result , Fearon decided 'meatwagon ' was the perfect name for their heavyweight foursome .
Fearon , a former sprinter , describes himself as the `` baby '' of the group , `` excitable '' and `` cocky '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he adds .
`` Jacko was super-serious and we 'd call him granddad .
He 'd come from the marines so he 'd always make sure we were on our game .
`` Bruce ( Tasker ) was like a giant robot who 'd never forget anything and always deliver , then there 's Stu ( Benson ) , who was the most emotional - if anyone was going to cry first it would be him . ''
When they formed in 2011 , the GB set-up was unfunded .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - Royal Air Force - were paid by their respective armed forces , Fearon and Tasker had no such funding and money was tight for all .
`` You knew going into bobsleigh at that time you 'd end up in debt , '' says Welshman Tasker , who worked part-time as waiter and needed help from his girlfriend to pay his rent .
To cut costs the team would hire trucks and drive their sleds between venues overnight all around Europe .
It was one of many elements that brought the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flashpoint .
`` We 'd just had a big crash at a track in Winterberg on TV , so we were all bruised and pretty miserable on this long drive back from Germany to the UK for Christmas , '' he says .
`` It was about 2am and Jacko had been driving for about 14 hours when we had a massive blow-out on a tyre and veered across three lanes of the motorway .
He somehow kept us from smashing into the central reservation and I went : 'Wow Jacko , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all day ' .
He did n't take that well .
Not at all . ''
Fortunately , night driving was reduced when UK Sport stepped in to provide funding after the team finished 10th at the 2012 World Championships .
And results improved further still .
In December 2013 they won a landmark World Cup silver medal , before repeating the feat at the European Championships of January 2014 .
With one month to go before Sochi , hopes were high .
But nobody could have imagined just what they 'd be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over $ 50bn - more than 25 times Vancouver 's 2010 Winter Olympics spend - president Vladimir Putin was leaving nothing to chance in his mission to show Russia as a 21st Century sporting superpower .
Sochi 2014 was the first time the nation had hosted an Olympics since Moscow 1980 , when the summer Games were overshadowed by boycotts and protests following the Soviet Union 's invasion of Afghanistan .
Sochi aspired to achieve a very different legacy .
It was supposed to signal the start of a golden era for Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosted the football World Cup .
Arriving in the host city with a week to go , it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the scale of it all .
Organisers had created two entirely new resorts - one in the mountains for snow and sliding sports , plus another coastal cluster on the Black Sea , predominantly for indoor events .
It was impressive .
But it soon became clear appearances did n't tell the whole story .
There were lighter moments , which ranged from water running yellow out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way though bathroom doors , and on a personal note , waking up at 3am to discover I was sharing my room with a rat .
Then there was serious danger , such as when GB bobsledder Rebekah Wilson narrowly avoided certain death by almost walking into an empty lift shaft , and the discovery of hundreds of stray dogs that had been killed by organisers in order to 'clean up ' the area .
The military presence added an extra level of unease .
`` It was so heavily armed .
Sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vehicles being searched ... knowing you were always being watched was really quite bizarre , '' says Royal Air Force technician Benson .
`` At the time we just thought , 'this is Russia , this is how they do things here ' , but now you think well , if ever anyone was going to cheat the way they did , then they created the perfect place for it to happen . ''
`` The Russians had disappeared from the international circuit three weeks before everyone else .
We just put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit more time on their track , '' recalls the Royal Marines commando .
`` They 'd been much slower at starting than us , but then come the Games they were right on us , which was a real jump .
It was nagging at me . ''
Then there were further concerns during the Games when teams were turned away from the track before a training session because of a `` military exercise '' .
Benson , who suspected Russia had been having additional secret training sessions , adds : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the atmosphere more intense than you expected . ''
The four-man bobsleigh event took place over the Games ' final two days , by which point much of Sochi had become a party scene , with all but a small group of athletes finished competing .
After the first run , the British team were 10th .
They improved two further places by the end of the first day .
The team 's performance director Gary Anderson believed his team could climb into contention , but had noticed something curious .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heading off the track in one direction , but the Russian athletes would go in the opposite direction , '' he says .
`` I was just thinking 'what 's down there ? '
because it 's a prohibited area with no access for anyone else other than the Russians and officials with access-all-area passes .
`` At the time you put it down to home advantage and maybe a different changing room , but now I 'm thinking it was probably a lot more sinister than we thought . ''
The final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a beautiful sunrise .
There was a genuine feeling of celebration among the Russian fans I joined en-route to the sliding centre .
The Brits were happy too .
Skeleton slider Lizzy Yarnold 's gold already meant Britain had a record-equalling four medals .
One more from the bobsleigh crew would make history .
Now late February , it was warm in Sochi .
Up in the mountains , several of the 'secret ' sniper positions had been revealed by the melting snow .
Their occupants - the Russian military - had taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other broadcasters from their presentation positions for the final day to make room for soldiers on the venue rooftops .
Security was so tight because Putin was back to witness what he hoped would be another Russia gold , one that would confirm their place at the top the medal table before the closing ceremony later that evening .
The 39-year-old bobsleigh veteran Alexander Zubkov , a friend of the Russian president , duly delivered as he piloted the hosts to victory .
Jackson and his team came agonisingly close .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.11 seconds .
They finished fifth - with another Russian team in fourth .
`` It was tough , but there was a lot of pride because we 'd pushed ourselves until our bodies fell apart and did it for one another , '' says Jackson .
`` At the time we thought we 'd been beaten by four better teams .
But I remember standing at the finish and although I could n't quite put my finger on it something just did n't feel right .
`` I did n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just smiled , did my interviews and went to celebrate with the guys because it was still a great result given everything we 'd been through and where we 'd come from . ''
The real story of that race would n't emerge for another two years though .
When it finally did , the details were scarcely believable .
The McLaren report , published in July 2016 , revealed how Russia engineered an `` unprecedented doping programme '' to help their athletes cheat between 2011-2015 .
Hundreds of Russians were banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second report in December that year providing more details , stating that over 1,000 athletes from the nation had benefitted .
Immediately the team 's thoughts turned to those 0.11 seconds .
`` We would n't say it at the time as we did n't want to get too excited if it did n't come true , but all four of us were looking at one another early on and there was kind of an acknowledgement that we came third , '' says Tasker .
Fearon 's approach was slightly different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to bronze and `` had two or three massive parties '' before buying a replica medal .
The International Olympic Committee finally revised the official results in March 2019 - following the lengthy reanalysis of samples from Sochi 2014 , and various Russian appeals .
Jackson , a royal marine commando who has served in conflict zones and witnessed real horrors , admits he was moved to tears by the news .
`` I had n't seen it that morning as I was at work and when my wife phoned me I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no words .
For 15 minutes I was just sobbing , '' he recalls .
`` It was a combination of letting all that frustration and anger out , after years of uncertainty , combined with the relief that it was finally over . ''
For Tasker , confirmation made for an especially touching moment as he had been forced to retire from the sport and missed the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics after suffering a minor stroke in 2017 .
`` I was working for a health tech company as an office manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the call from Gary ( Anderson ) , '' he says .
`` I loved the fact I was by myself because I was quite emotional .
I just sat there grinning to myself when everyone came in , but did n't say anything until I got home to celebrate with my family .
`` I did n't get to leave the sport how I wanted , but it was special to finally have something like this to show for my career . ''
However , once the elation had passed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four realised what they had truly been denied - the chance to celebrate on an Olympic podium together at the Games themselves .
`` We 'll never get that moment back , '' says Jackson while shaking his head .
`` We should have shared that as a team and with our families and we were all denied that , while the Russians were celebrating something that was n't theirs . ''
This may be the end of the 'meatwagon ' story , but the Russian doping saga is still playing out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a four-year ban from all major sporting events , which includes the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympics , Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 football World Cup - subject to an appeal .
Jackson , Tasker and Benson are now retired from the sport .
Fearon is still competing , but because of funding issues is spending the current season on-loan with the Swiss national team to earn enough money to carry him through to the next Winter Games .
Medals mean money .
And that fifth place in Sochi meant the GB Bobsleigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK Sport as they might have .
`` A medal in 2014 would have completely changed my life and that of all my team-mates , '' Fearon says .
When the four finally did get their hands on bronze - at the 2019 Team GB Ball in London in November - it was n't without another twist .
Jackson , Tasker and Benson were in playful mood upon arrival , having settled any pre-presentation nerves with `` a pint or two… or maybe three '' in a local bar on the banks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the three could n't help but observe how the sprinter - despite being the fastest man ever to push a bobsleigh - always managed to be late .
It was an emotional evening , and there were plenty of tears .
Anderson looked on with pride .
`` Six years for this moment , it 's - well , I 'm struggling to keep it together to be honest , '' mumbled the former performance director as he reached for a tissue .
But within moments of stepping off the stage , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to return the Sochi medals , the IOC issued new sets for the reallocation ceremonies .
There was a mistake .
The inscription read 'bobsleigh four men ' when it should have been 'bobsleigh four man ' .
`` You know what , it 's almost typical that after all this time they could n't even get that right , '' Jackson says .
`` To have a typo just sums up the whole farcical situation we 've been through . ''

Russia president Vladimir Putin's popularity with voters soared after the Sochi games
A presidential playground with a $50bn budget, disguised government agents, secret sample swapping and an elaborate Russian plot to dominate on the global stage.
A retrospective look at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics reads like a script for a James Bond or Mission Impossible film, but those of us who witnessed what at the time appeared to be a spectacular Games, were duped.
That included the International Olympic Committee [IOC] who hailed it as an "exceptional" event and its praised the "message of peace, tolerance and respect".
Six years on we know - via the McLaren report - that Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme between 2011 and 2015. As a result, the country has been stripped of 19 Olympic medals won by cheating over that period.
Somewhere in the middle of all the deception were a bunch of British bobsleighers dubbed the 'meatwagon' who in November last year were finally awarded bronze medals after originally finishing fifth in Sochi.
BBC Sport has followed the team of John Jackson, Stu Benson, Joel Fearon, Bruce Tasker and performance director Gary Anderson since they formed as a group in 2011.
Now they finally know the success of their story - achieved despite odds stacked against them in the most startling way. Theirs is a tale of optimism corrupted by suspicion, and of disappointment transformed into joy. Eventually.
Bobsleigh requires speed and strength. The muscle mass that provides the latter results in bulky athletes who also help generate more momentum as they career down the ice. As a result, Fearon decided 'meatwagon' was the perfect name for their heavyweight foursome. Fearon, a former sprinter, describes himself as the "baby" of the group, "excitable" and "cocky".
"We had such an amazing bond," he adds. "Jacko was super-serious and we'd call him granddad. He'd come from the marines so he'd always make sure we were on our game.
"Bruce (Tasker) was like a giant robot who'd never forget anything and always deliver, then there's Stu (Benson), who was the most emotional - if anyone was going to cry first it would be him."
From left to right: Benson, Fearon, Tasker and Jackson - pictured at the World Championships of 2013
When they formed in 2011, the GB set-up was unfunded. Although Jackson - Royal Marines - and Benson - Royal Air Force - were paid by their respective armed forces, Fearon and Tasker had no such funding and money was tight for all.
"You knew going into bobsleigh at that time you'd end up in debt," says Welshman Tasker, who worked part-time as waiter and needed help from his girlfriend to pay his rent.
To cut costs the team would hire trucks and drive their sleds between venues overnight all around Europe. It was one of many elements that brought the group together, although Tasker recalls one dramatic flashpoint.
"We'd just had a big crash at a track in Winterberg on TV, so we were all bruised and pretty miserable on this long drive back from Germany to the UK for Christmas," he says.
"It was about 2am and Jacko had been driving for about 14 hours when we had a massive blow-out on a tyre and veered across three lanes of the motorway. He somehow kept us from smashing into the central reservation and I went: 'Wow Jacko, that was the best driving you've done all day'. He didn't take that well. Not at all."
Fortunately, night driving was reduced when UK Sport stepped in to provide funding after the team finished 10th at the 2012 World Championships.
And results improved further still. In December 2013 they won a landmark World Cup silver medal, before repeating the feat at the European Championships of January 2014.
With one month to go before Sochi, hopes were high. But nobody could have imagined just what they'd be up against.
With a budget of over $50bn - more than 25 times Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics spend - president Vladimir Putin was leaving nothing to chance in his mission to show Russia as a 21st Century sporting superpower.
Sochi 2014 was the first time the nation had hosted an Olympics since Moscow 1980, when the summer Games were overshadowed by boycotts and protests following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
Sochi aspired to achieve a very different legacy. It was supposed to signal the start of a golden era for Russian sport, four years before the nation hosted the football World Cup.
Arriving in the host city with a week to go, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the scale of it all.
Organisers had created two entirely new resorts - one in the mountains for snow and sliding sports, plus another coastal cluster on the Black Sea, predominantly for indoor events.
It was impressive. But it soon became clear appearances didn't tell the whole story.
Russian doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov spoke to BBC Sport in February 2018
There were lighter moments, which ranged from water running yellow out of hotel taps, to athletes hacking their way though bathroom doors, external-link and on a personal note, waking up at 3am to discover I was sharing my room with a rat.
Then there was serious danger, such as when GB bobsledder Rebekah Wilson narrowly avoided certain death by almost walking into an empty lift shaft, external-link and the discovery of hundreds of stray dogs that had been killed by organisers in order to 'clean up' external-link the area.
The military presence added an extra level of unease.
"It was so heavily armed. Sealed buses, snipers all over the place, vehicles being searched... knowing you were always being watched was really quite bizarre," says Royal Air Force technician Benson.
"At the time we just thought, 'this is Russia, this is how they do things here', but now you think well, if ever anyone was going to cheat the way they did, then they created the perfect place for it to happen."
Jackson was suspicious too.
"The Russians had disappeared from the international circuit three weeks before everyone else. We just put it down to home advantage and getting a bit more time on their track," recalls the Royal Marines commando.
"They'd been much slower at starting than us, but then come the Games they were right on us, which was a real jump. It was nagging at me."
Then there were further concerns during the Games when teams were turned away from the track before a training session because of a "military exercise".
The GB bobsleigh 'meatwagon' crew in action at the Sochi 2014 Olympics
Benson, who suspected Russia had been having additional secret training sessions, adds: "It all just contributed to making the atmosphere more intense than you expected."
The four-man bobsleigh event took place over the Games' final two days, by which point much of Sochi had become a party scene, with all but a small group of athletes finished competing.
After the first run, the British team were 10th. They improved two further places by the end of the first day. The team's performance director Gary Anderson believed his team could climb into contention, but had noticed something curious.
"I could see that all the athletes were heading off the track in one direction, but the Russian athletes would go in the opposite direction," he says.
"I was just thinking 'what's down there?' because it's a prohibited area with no access for anyone else other than the Russians and officials with access-all-area passes.
"At the time you put it down to home advantage and maybe a different changing room, but now I'm thinking it was probably a lot more sinister than we thought."
The final day of the Sochi Olympics began with a beautiful sunrise. There was a genuine feeling of celebration among the Russian fans I joined en-route to the sliding centre. The Brits were happy too. Skeleton slider Lizzy Yarnold's gold already meant Britain had a record-equalling four medals. One more from the bobsleigh crew would make history.
Now late February, it was warm in Sochi. Up in the mountains, several of the 'secret' sniper positions had been revealed by the melting snow. Their occupants - the Russian military - had taken up new homes, moving BBC Sport and other broadcasters from their presentation positions for the final day to make room for soldiers on the venue rooftops.
Security was so tight because Putin was back to witness what he hoped would be another Russia gold, one that would confirm their place at the top the medal table before the closing ceremony later that evening.
The four-man team wait to see how they will finish in Sochi in 2014
The 39-year-old bobsleigh veteran Alexander Zubkov, a friend of the Russian president, duly delivered as he piloted the hosts to victory. Jackson and his team came agonisingly close. They missed out on third place by just 0.11 seconds. They finished fifth - with another Russian team in fourth.
"It was tough, but there was a lot of pride because we'd pushed ourselves until our bodies fell apart and did it for one another," says Jackson.
"At the time we thought we'd been beaten by four better teams. But I remember standing at the finish and although I couldn't quite put my finger on it something just didn't feel right.
"I didn't want to come across as a sore loser so I just smiled, did my interviews and went to celebrate with the guys because it was still a great result given everything we'd been through and where we'd come from."
The real story of that race wouldn't emerge for another two years though. When it finally did, the details were scarcely believable.
The McLaren report, published in July 2016, revealed how Russia engineered an "unprecedented doping programme" to help their athletes cheat between 2011-2015.
Hundreds of Russians were banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics, with a second report in December that year providing more details, stating that over 1,000 athletes from the nation had benefitted.
Immediately the team's thoughts turned to those 0.11 seconds.
"We wouldn't say it at the time as we didn't want to get too excited if it didn't come true, but all four of us were looking at one another early on and there was kind of an acknowledgement that we came third," says Tasker.
Fearon's approach was slightly different. He was adamant they would be moved up to bronze and "had two or three massive parties" before buying a replica medal.
The International Olympic Committee finally revised the official results in March 2019 - following the lengthy reanalysis of samples from Sochi 2014, and various Russian appeals.
The McLaren report detailed how dirty samples would be swapped with clean ones at the Sochi anti-doping lab
Jackson, a royal marine commando who has served in conflict zones and witnessed real horrors, admits he was moved to tears by the news.
"I hadn't seen it that morning as I was at work and when my wife phoned me I just couldn't speak - I literally had no words. For 15 minutes I was just sobbing," he recalls.
"It was a combination of letting all that frustration and anger out, after years of uncertainty, combined with the relief that it was finally over."
For Tasker, confirmation made for an especially touching moment as he had been forced to retire from the sport and missed the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics after suffering a minor stroke in 2017.
"I was working for a health tech company as an office manager and was just opening up when I had the call from Gary (Anderson)," he says.
"I loved the fact I was by myself because I was quite emotional. I just sat there grinning to myself when everyone came in, but didn't say anything until I got home to celebrate with my family.
"I didn't get to leave the sport how I wanted, but it was special to finally have something like this to show for my career."
However, once the elation had passed, anger and frustration took over as the four realised what they had truly been denied - the chance to celebrate on an Olympic podium together at the Games themselves.
"We'll never get that moment back," says Jackson while shaking his head.
"We should have shared that as a team and with our families and we were all denied that, while the Russians were celebrating something that wasn't theirs."
This may be the end of the 'meatwagon' story, but the Russian doping saga is still playing out.
The latest twist has seen Russia handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events, which includes the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympics, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 football World Cup - subject to an appeal.
Jackson, Tasker and Benson are now retired from the sport. Fearon is still competing, but because of funding issues is spending the current season on-loan with the Swiss national team to earn enough money to carry him through to the next Winter Games.
Medals mean money. And that fifth place in Sochi meant the GB Bobsleigh team did not receive as much from UK Sport as they might have.
Six years on, following a welfare scandal,financial mismanagement and poor performances at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics the team now receives no support at all from UK Sport and athletes have been forced to crowd-fund.
"A medal in 2014 would have completely changed my life and that of all my team-mates," Fearon says, who has been forced to work part-time delivering pizzas.
"If we'd had the medal then, things would have been so different in the years since - it's devastating really when you think about it."
Fearon, Tasker, Benson and Jackson celebrating with their (misprinted) bronze medals at long last, pictured in November 2019
When the four finally did get their hands on bronze - at the 2019 Team GB Ball in London in November - it wasn't without another twist.
Jackson, Tasker and Benson were in playful mood upon arrival, having settled any pre-presentation nerves with "a pint or two… or maybe three" in a local bar on the banks of the Thames.
When Fearon joined, the three couldn't help but observe how the sprinter - despite being the fastest man ever to push a bobsleigh - always managed to be late.
It was an emotional evening, and there were plenty of tears. Anderson looked on with pride. "Six years for this moment, it's - well, I'm struggling to keep it together to be honest," mumbled the former performance director as he reached for a tissue.
But within moments of stepping off the stage, they noticed something.
With the Russian team refusing to return the Sochi medals, the IOC issued new sets for the reallocation ceremonies. There was a mistake. The inscription read 'bobsleigh four men' when it should have been 'bobsleigh four man'.
"You know what, it's almost typical that after all this time they couldn't even get that right," Jackson says.
"To have a typo just sums up the whole farcical situation we've been through."


bbc--2020-02-20--Federer out of French Open after knee surgery

Roger Federer will miss his fourth French Open in the last five years after having knee surgery on Wednesday .
The 20-time Grand Slam champion had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee - which had been `` bothering him for a little while '' - in Switzerland .
Federer , who won his only Roland Garros title in 2009 , said doctors were `` very confident of a full recovery '' .
`` After the procedure , the doctors confirmed it was the right thing to have done , '' the 38-year-old said .
In addition to the French Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , Federer will also miss the tournaments in Dubai , Indian Wells , Bogota and Miami .
Federer reached the semi-finals last year in his first appearance on the Paris clay since 2015 .
`` See you on the grass ! ''
added the eight-time Wimbledon champion , who was knocked out of last month 's Australian Open in the semi-finals by Novak Djokovic .
Spain 's Rafael Nadal will be looking to win his 13th French Open title , which would see him draw level with Federer on 20 Grand Slams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to your phone

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Federer will miss Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota and Miami in addition to the French Open
Roger Federer will miss his fourth French Open in the last five years after having knee surgery on Wednesday.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee - which had been "bothering him for a little while" - in Switzerland.
Federer, who won his only Roland Garros title in 2009, said doctors were "very confident of a full recovery".
"After the procedure, the doctors confirmed it was the right thing to have done," the 38-year-old said.
In addition to the French Open, which takes place from 24 May-7 June, Federer will also miss the tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota and Miami.
Federer reached the semi-finals last year in his first appearance on the Paris clay since 2015.
"See you on the grass!" added the eight-time Wimbledon champion, who was knocked out of last month's Australian Open in the semi-finals by Novak Djokovic.
Spain's Rafael Nadal will be looking to win his 13th French Open title, which would see him draw level with Federer on 20 Grand Slams.


bbc--2020-02-20--Mercedes confident steering 'trick' within rules

Mercedes believe a trick steering innovation which could give them an advantage in 2020 is within the rules .
Technical director James Allison said it `` introduces an extra dimension for steering which we hope will be useful '' .
He said governing body the FIA was aware of it .
`` The rules are clear about what 's permitted on steering systems .
We 're pretty confident that it matches those requirements , '' he said .
He declined to elaborate further on the purposes of the system .
The so-called 'dual-axis steering ' system allows the driver to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheels - or their angle to the longitudinal axis of the car - while driving .
World champion Lewis Hamilton said : `` We 're trying to get on top of it , understand it , but safety-wise no problem today and the FIA are OK with the project .
`` For me it 's really encouraging to see that my team is continuing to innovate and stay ahead of the game , and I think that 's down to the great minds in the team and so hopefully that 'll work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to light from on-board camera footage on the second day of the first pre-season test at Spain 's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya .
Hamilton could be seen pulling the steering wheel towards him at the start of straights , which appeared to change the toe-in of the front wheels by moving their forward edges towards the centreline of the car .
Then , before the next corner , he would push the steering wheel away from him again , which changed the toe-in back so the leading edge of the front wheels was angled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact purposes of the system are not clear but all F1 cars run with a degree of 'toe-out ' on the front wheels because it aids turn-in to corners .
However , as this means the wheels are not perfectly parallel to the car , it creates a degree of 'tyre scrub ' on the straights , where the tyre is being dragged slightly at an angle .
This can cause problems with tyre temperature , which is a crucial area of F1 car performance .
Allison refused to explain how the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'll forgive me for not expanding further .
I 'm pleased we got it on the car , it seems to be useful , and we 'll see over the coming days how it benefits us . ''
F1 teams are always searching for design innovations within the boundaries of the rules that can give them a decisive advantage over their rivals .
If the system makes the Mercedes quicker - and they would not have put it on the car if not - it could take other teams weeks or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their own versions of the design .
Hamilton is this year aiming to win a seventh world title , which would equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher , while Mercedes are bidding to expand their record of six consecutive driver and constructors ' championship doubles into a seventh year .

The driver can pull and push the steering wheel to operate the system
Mercedes believe a trick steering innovation which could give them an advantage in 2020 is within the rules.
Technical director James Allison said it "introduces an extra dimension for steering which we hope will be useful".
He said governing body the FIA was aware of it. "The rules are clear about what's permitted on steering systems. We're pretty confident that it matches those requirements," he said.
He declined to elaborate further on the purposes of the system.
Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen was fastest on the second day of the first pre-season test, ahead of Racing Point's Sergio Perez, Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull's Alexander Albon.
Typically the front wheels on an F1 car are mounted at an outward-facing angle to help with cornering - this system adjusts them to be more centred (red line) when travelling down the straights
World champion Lewis Hamilton said of the system: "We're trying to get on top of it, understand it, but safety wise no problem today and the FIA are OK with the project.
"For me it's really encouraging to see that my team is continuing to innovate and stay ahead of the game, and I think that's down to the great minds in the team and so hopefully that'll work to our benefit."
The system is known as 'dual-axis steering' and Allison said: external-link "It is an innovative idea which allows the drivers an extra dimension of control on the steering system."
The Mercedes system came to light from on-board camera footage on the second day of the first pre-season test at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Hamilton could be seen pulling the steering wheel towards him at the start of straights, which appeared to change the angle of the front wheels by moving their forward edges towards the centreline of the car.
Then, before the next corner, he would push the steering wheel away from him again, which changed the angle back so the leading edge of the front wheels was angled further away from the car.
The system allows the driver to alter the 'toe-in' of the front wheels - or their angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the car - while driving.
All F1 cars run a degree of 'toe-out' - which effectively means that the front part of the tyres are turned outwards by a few millimetres. This is beneficial when the driver turns in to the corner as it gives them more grip and stability.
The exact purposes of the Mercedes system are not clear.
However, as 'toe-out' means the wheels are not perfectly parallel to the car, it creates a degree of 'tyre scrub' on the straights, where the tyre is being dragged slightly at an angle.
This can cause problems with tyre temperature, which is a crucial area of F1 car performance.
Allison refused to explain how the system worked, saying: "I hope you'll forgive me for not expanding further. I'm pleased we got it on the car, it seems to be useful, and we'll see over the coming days how it benefits us."
Ferraris' Sebastian Vettel said the system had caught his team by surprise.
"It looks interesting," he said. "I guess the fact that they are running with it means that it is legal. I don't know if it works.
"I guess there is quite a lot of work to bring it to the track it is probably not as easy as it looks for the driver to work with it. But we will see. For sure it was a novelty for us to see."
But he said he did not think the system on its own was the difference between winning and losing.
"I don't think it will give you much," he said. "Maybe I am underestimating it but I don't think it is the ticket to win. I think there is a lot more elements to building a competitive car. But for sure it is an innovation and we will see whether it is something everyone has to pick up on or not."
F1 teams are always searching for design innovations within the boundaries of the rules that can give them a decisive advantage over their rivals.
If the system makes the Mercedes quicker - and they would not have put it on the car if not - it could take other teams weeks or even months before they can negate that advantage with their own versions of the design.
Hamilton is this year aiming to win a seventh world title, which would equal the all-time record of Michael Schumacher, while Mercedes are bidding to expand their record of six consecutive driver and constructors' championship doubles into a seventh year.


bbc--2020-02-20--Barcelona sign Braithwaite from Leganes as cover for injured Dembele

Barcelona have completed the controversial emergency signing of Danish striker Martin Braithwaite from Leganes for 18m euros ( £15m ) .
La Liga gave Barcelona permission to make a signing outside the transfer window after Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for six months with an injury .
La Liga rules allow clubs to apply to make new signings if a player is ruled out for more than five months .
Braithwaite 's contract will run until the end of June 2024 .
His deal also includes a buy-out clause of 300m euros ( £251m ) .
The rules allowing Barcelona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they brought in must be a free agent or already playing in Spain and that they can not play in Uefa competition .
Braithwaite signed a four-year-deal at Leganes in July following a spell on loan from Championship side Middlesbrough last season .
He scored eight goals in 27 games since joining them permanently and has six of Leganes ' 18 league goals so far this season .
Leganes are in the relegation zone of La Liga and have lost the forward , capped 39 times by Denmark , after Barcelona met his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our voice , '' said Leganes director general Martin Ortega .
`` We are in a situation of enormous and serious damage .
`` We can not understand the current regulation that a club , having a long-term injury , can perform this operation unilaterally and transfer their problem to our club .
`` We consider that there is a regulation that is unfair , from which Barcelona has benefited .
The one who is damaged by this is Leganes . ''
'Natural flair ' and disagreements with Pulis - who is Braithwaite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Braithwaite `` showed a natural flair for the game '' as a baby and describes himself as the `` fastest player in Denmark '' .
Raised in the Danish town of Esbjerg , for whom he began his youth career , he made his senior debut in 2009 and helped the club to the Danish first division title in 2011-12 and cup in 2013 .
Despite that success , the striker hinted at feeling undervalued during his time at Esbjerg .
`` They may not have known what I could do , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Departing Denmark for Ligue 1 side Toulouse in 2013 , Braithwaite made 137 appearances before joining Championship side Middlesbrough in 2017 on a four-year contract .
Initially signed by manager Garry Monk , the forward struggled for opportunities under his replacement Tony Pulis .
`` Disagreements '' between the pair ensued , leading to loan moves to Bordeaux and then Leganes .
He made his Leganes move permanent in the 2019 summer transfer window .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Martin Braithwaite has scored eight goals in 27 appearances for Leganes this season
Barcelona have completed the controversial emergency signing of Danish striker Martin Braithwaite from Leganes for 18m euros (£15m).
La Liga gave Barcelona permission to make a signing outside the transfer window after Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for six months with an injury.
La Liga rules allow clubs to apply to make new signings if a player is ruled out for more than five months.
Braithwaite's contract will run until the end of June 2024.
His deal also includes a buy-out clause of 300m euros (£251m).
The rules allowing Barcelona to sign the 28-year-old stipulated the player they brought in must be a free agent or already playing in Spain and that they can not play in Uefa competition.
Braithwaite signed a four-year-deal at Leganes in July following a spell on loan from Championship side Middlesbrough last season.
He scored eight goals in 27 games since joining them permanently and has six of Leganes' 18 league goals so far this season.
Leganes are in the relegation zone of La Liga and have lost the forward, capped 39 times by Denmark, after Barcelona met his buy-out clause.
"We will raise our voice," said Leganes director general Martin Ortega. "We are in a situation of enormous and serious damage.
"We cannot understand the current regulation that a club, having a long-term injury, can perform this operation unilaterally and transfer their problem to our club.
"We consider that there is a regulation that is unfair, from which Barcelona has benefited. The one who is damaged by this is Leganes."
'Natural flair' and disagreements with Pulis - who is Braithwaite?
Braithwaite played for Middlesbrough against Hartlepool United in a pre-season friendly in July 2019
According to his official website, external-link Braithwaite "showed a natural flair for the game" as a baby and describes himself as the "fastest player in Denmark".
Raised in the Danish town of Esbjerg, for whom he began his youth career, he made his senior debut in 2009 and helped the club to the Danish first division title in 2011-12 and cup in 2013.
Despite that success, the striker hinted at feeling undervalued during his time at Esbjerg.
"They may not have known what I could do, but I knew," he said.
Departing Denmark for Ligue 1 side Toulouse in 2013, Braithwaite made 137 appearances before joining Championship side Middlesbrough in 2017 on a four-year contract.
Initially signed by manager Garry Monk, the forward struggled for opportunities under his replacement Tony Pulis. "Disagreements" between the pair ensued, leading to loan moves to Bordeaux and then Leganes.
He made his Leganes move permanent in the 2019 summer transfer window.


bbc--2020-02-20--Roger Stone: 'Disgusted' judge jails Trump ally

A judge has expressed `` disgust '' at US President Donald Trump 's former adviser Roger Stone , as she sentenced him to 40 months in prison .
Stone , 67 , was found guilty in November on seven counts of lying to Congress , obstruction and witness tampering .
The judge said Stone threatened her , but Mr Trump said he should be cleared .
He is the sixth Trump aide convicted on charges linked to a justice department inquiry that found Russian attempts to boost Mr Trump 's 2016 campaign .
What was Stone convicted of ?
Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Intelligence Committee about his attempts to contact Wikileaks , the website that released damaging emails about Mr Trump 's 2016 Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton .
US intelligence officials have concluded the messages were stolen by Russian hackers .
Stone will serve two years ' probation after his custodial sentence .
He has also been fined $ 20,000 ( £15,500 ) and must serve 250 hours of community service .
He will not have to report to prison until the judge rules on a pending defence appeal .
Stone 's sentence fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation from prosecutors .
What did the judge say ?
Speaking in her Washington DC court on Thursday , Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Stone had engaged in `` threatening and intimidating conduct '' towards her .
She said Stone `` knew exactly what he was doing '' when he posted an image on social media last year of a gun 's crosshairs next to her head .
Stone had claimed he thought the crosshairs were a Celtic cross .
`` This is intolerable to the rule of justice , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit idly by and say 'that 's just Roger being Roger . '
'' Judge Jackson also said Stone `` was not prosecuted for standing up for the president , he was prosecuted for covering up for the president '' .
She continued : `` The dismay and disgust at the defendant 's belligerence should transcend party . ''
`` At his core , Mr Stone is an insecure person who craves and recklessly pursues attention . ''
She said the politics surrounding the case did not inform her ultimate decision .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still matters , '' she said .
What politics was the judge referring to ?
After prosecutors last week recommended a sentence of seven to nine years , Mr Trump tweeted that such a prison term would be `` very horrible and unfair '' .
The Department of Justice then swiftly said it planned to reduce the amount of prison time sought for Stone .
This led all four prosecutors on the case to quit , one leaving the justice department entirely .
What did Stone 's lawyer say ?
The defendant 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite his client 's image as a `` dirty trickster '' , he was a spiritual man , devoted to his family .
`` Mr Stone is , in fact , not simply that public persona , but a human being , '' he said .
Mr Ginsberg had argued that Stone should get no prison time .
Stone declined to speak at Thursday 's hearing .
Wearing sunglasses and a dark fedora , he entered the courthouse flanked by his wife , family and friends .
He walked past several protesters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking in Las Vegas , Nevada , after the sentencing , the Republican president defended Stone .
He indicated no immediate plans to pardon Stone , but said `` at some point I 'm going to make a determination '' .
Mr Trump said : `` I 'd love to see Roger exonerated , and I 'd love to see it happen because I personally think he was treated very unfairly . ''
`` It is my strong opinion that the forewoman of the jury is totally tainted , '' Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Trump activist . ''
Awaiting Stone 's sentencing , Mr Trump sent a tweet that seemed to question his ally 's conviction while listing a host of perceived enemies .
What does Trump mean by a 'tainted ' jury ?
Mr Trump was apparently referring to Tomeka Hart , a former Democratic congressional candidate originally from Tennessee who has publicly identified herself as a jury forewoman .
One of her fellow jurors has denied bias played any part in the guilty verdict for Stone .
Stone plans an appeal on the basis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Republicans since the 1970s and has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back .
In the 1990s , Stone worked as a lobbyist for Mr Trump 's casino business , and later helped Mr Trump 's unsuccessful White House run in 2000 .
According to the Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone , the strategist reportedly encouraged Mr Trump to run for the presidency again .

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bbc--2020-02-20--Germany shooting: Investigation into 'deeply racist' gunman's links

The investigation into a deadly gun attack in Hanau is focusing on whether others knew about or helped organise it , Germany 's federal prosecutor says .
The suspect shot dead nine people `` of migrant background '' at two shisha bars on Wednesday evening .
He and his mother were later found dead in his flat .
Peter Frank said material the suspect Tobias R had posted online showed a `` deeply racist mindset '' .
He had also been influenced by conspiracy theories , Mr Frank said .
Earlier Chancellor Angela Merkel said there were many signs Tobias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racism .
• Has Germany done enough to tackle far-right violence ?
• What we know so far Speaking in Berlin , Mrs Merkel said : `` Racism is a poison .
Hate is a poison and this poison exists in our society and is already to blame for many crimes . ''
Thousands of people have attended vigils in Hanau and cities across Germany .
Turkey says at least five of the dead were Turkish citizens .
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected Germany to `` throw light on all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salutes , banned swastika emblems and even the playing of the Horst Wessel , the one-time Nazi `` anthem '' - all have been cropping up in far-right extremist circles as Germany struggles to contain a growing wave of home-grown extremism .
The problem has been particularly acute in - but not confined to - the east of the country , in the former East Germany .
There , unemployment levels have been higher than in the rest of Germany and a simmering resentment , by some , of the recent immigrant arrivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostels .
In 2015 Germany opened its borders to an estimated 1.5 million refugees from the Middle East .
Although the number of subsequent incidents involving them has been very small , their arrival has been used by far right extremists to stoke ethnic tensions and recruit more young men and women to their cause .
What did the prosecutor say ?
Mr Frank said six people had also been injured in the attack , one of them seriously .
Shortly after the attacks the suspect and his 72-year-old mother were found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A gun was found next to the suspect 's body .
Mr Frank said investigators wanted to establish any links the suspect may have had in Germany or potentially also abroad .
`` My sympathies to the loved ones of the victims .
I wish the injured a swift recovery .
It is a day that will live long in our memory and will motivate our investigations , '' Mr Frank said at a short news conference .
What do we know about the attacks ?
The shootings took place around 22:00 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first target was the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre of Hanau .
Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen gunshots .
The suspect then travelled by car to the Kesselstadt neighbourhood , some 2.5km ( 1.5 miles ) away , and opened fire at the Arena Bar & Cafe .
Shisha bars are places where people gather to smoke a pipe known as shisha or hookah .
Traditionally found in Middle Eastern and Asian countries , they are also popular in many other parts of the world .
The shootings sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through information from witnesses and surveillance cameras .
Early on Thursday , they stormed the suspect 's home , near the scene of the second shooting .
Hanau , in Hesse state , is a city of 100,000 residents about 25km east of Frankfurt .
Who were the victims ?
They included German citizens and foreigners aged between 21 and 44 , Germany 's federal prosecutor said .
Among the dead were `` several victims of Kurdish origin '' , the Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said , adding that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing more to fight extremism .
A Bosnian and a Bulgarian also died in the attack , those countries ' foreign ministries said .
Ali Can , a German-Turkish anti-racism activist , posted a photo of a friend of his cousin , saying that the friend was among those killed .
Writing on Twitter he said : `` We ca n't spend a peaceful evening out , we 're scared for our lives .
What is happening in Germany ?
Where is the protection ? ''
What do we know about the suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kind of manifesto on his website , Mr Frank said .
In the manifesto he wrote that people from more than 20 countries including Turkey and Israel should be `` destroyed '' , AFP reported .
London-based German counter-terrorism expert Peter Neumann said the text contained `` various , but mostly extreme right views , with a do-it-yourself ideology cobbled together out of parts found on the internet '' .
`` The pattern is clear , and not at all new , '' he added .
In her statement , Mrs Merkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment that the perpetrator acted on right-wing extremist , racist motives , out of hatred towards people of other origins , religion or appearance '' .
Hesse state Interior Minister Peter Beuth said the suspect had not previously been known to the authorities .
The Bild tabloid reports he had a firearms licence , and that ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car .
Claus Schmidt , who runs the Diana Bergen-Enkheim shooting club that Tobias R joined , described him as `` totally inconspicuous '' .
`` There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards foreigners , not even an awkward joke .
He was always friendly , '' he told Reuters .
Gun laws in Germany are among the most stringent in the world , and were tightened further in recent years after other mass shootings .
• October 2019 : In Halle , an attacker kills two and tries to storm a synagogue , broadcasting the assault live online .
He later admits a far-right , anti-Semitic motive for the attack • June 2019 : Walter Lübcke , a pro-migrant politician , is shot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead in his garden .
A suspect with far-right links later confesses to the murder • July 2016 : An 18-year-old shoots dead nine people at a shopping mall in Munich before killing himself .
Bavarian authorities later classify the attack as `` politically motivated '' , saying the teen had `` radical right-wing and racist views '' What has the reaction been ?
Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky said it had been the `` hardest day in our history '' .
He said the city had seen centuries of peaceful coexistence between different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why it is so hard to understand '' .
Hesse state leader Volker Bouffier said the state parliament had travelled to Hanau to show its solidarity with the victims and their families .
He said the attack `` came out of a climate '' that existed `` to some degree worldwide '' in which people are targeted because they are different .
`` We will do everything to show that people do n't have to be afraid and show them that they belong with us , `` he said .
However the co-leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack was `` neither right- nor left-wing terrorism '' but the actions of `` a madman '' .
Politicians from the rest of political spectrum accused the expressly anti-Islam and anti-immigration AfD of stirring up anti-foreigner hatred .
• German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer : `` The background must now be clarified further .
Violence from right-wing extremists must not let us rest , we must stand against it '' • Ursula von der Leyen , European Commission President and former German government minister : `` I am deeply shocked by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' • French President Emmanuel Macron : `` Immense sadness and my full support for Germany in the face of this tragic attack ...
I stand with Chancellor Merkel in this fight for our values and the protection of our democracies '' • Germany 's Muslim association KRM called for more to be done in the fight against right-wing extremism , saying they had requested for months that needed to be `` a clear stand against Islamophobia '' Were you in the area ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Germany shooting: Investigation into 'deeply racist' gunman's links Published 20 February 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Muhammed spoke from hospital about how he survived the shooting
The investigation into a deadly gun attack in Hanau is focusing on whether others knew about or helped organise it, Germany's federal prosecutor says.
The suspect shot dead nine people "of migrant background" at two shisha bars on Wednesday evening. He and his mother were later found dead in his flat.
Peter Frank said material the suspect Tobias R had posted online showed a "deeply racist mindset".
He had also been influenced by conspiracy theories, Mr Frank said.
Earlier Chancellor Angela Merkel said there were many signs Tobias R, 43, had acted out of racism.
Speaking in Berlin, Mrs Merkel said: "Racism is a poison. Hate is a poison and this poison exists in our society and is already to blame for many crimes."
Thousands of people have attended vigils in Hanau and cities across Germany.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, People came together in Hanau and Berlin to remember the victims
Turkey says at least five of the dead were Turkish citizens. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected Germany to "throw light on all aspects" of the attack.
Nazi salutes, banned swastika emblems and even the playing of the Horst Wessel, the one-time Nazi "anthem" - all have been cropping up in far-right extremist circles as Germany struggles to contain a growing wave of home-grown extremism.
The problem has been particularly acute in - but not confined to - the east of the country, in the former East Germany. There, unemployment levels have been higher than in the rest of Germany and a simmering resentment, by some, of the recent immigrant arrivals has manifested itself in arson attacks on hostels.
In 2015 Germany opened its borders to an estimated 1.5 million refugees from the Middle East. Although the number of subsequent incidents involving them has been very small, their arrival has been used by far right extremists to stoke ethnic tensions and recruit more young men and women to their cause.
What did the prosecutor say?
Mr Frank said six people had also been injured in the attack, one of them seriously.
Shortly after the attacks the suspect and his 72-year-old mother were found in his apartment, both also shot. A gun was found next to the suspect's body.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Eyewitnesses filmed the aftermath of the shooting
Mr Frank said investigators wanted to establish any links the suspect may have had in Germany or potentially also abroad.
"My sympathies to the loved ones of the victims. I wish the injured a swift recovery. It is a day that will live long in our memory and will motivate our investigations," Mr Frank said at a short news conference.
What do we know about the attacks?
The shootings took place around 22:00 (21:00 GMT) on Wednesday, and the first target was the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre of Hanau. Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen gunshots.
The suspect then travelled by car to the Kesselstadt neighbourhood, some 2.5km (1.5 miles) away, and opened fire at the Arena Bar & Cafe.
Shisha bars are places where people gather to smoke a pipe known as shisha or hookah. Traditionally found in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, they are also popular in many other parts of the world.
Image source, AFP Image caption, Hanau residents demonstrated against racism
The shootings sparked a manhunt. Police identified the gunman through information from witnesses and surveillance cameras. Early on Thursday, they stormed the suspect's home, near the scene of the second shooting.
Hanau, in Hesse state, is a city of 100,000 residents about 25km east of Frankfurt.
Who were the victims?
They included German citizens and foreigners aged between 21 and 44, Germany's federal prosecutor said.
Among the dead were "several victims of Kurdish origin", the Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said, adding that it was "furious" the authorities were not doing more to fight extremism.
A Bosnian and a Bulgarian also died in the attack, those countries' foreign ministries said.
Ali Can, a German-Turkish anti-racism activist, posted a photo of a friend of his cousin, saying that the friend was among those killed.
Writing on Twitter he said: "We can't spend a peaceful evening out, we're scared for our lives. What is happening in Germany? Where is the protection?"
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What do we know about the suspect?
Tobias R had posted videos and a kind of manifesto on his website, Mr Frank said.
In the manifesto he wrote that people from more than 20 countries including Turkey and Israel should be "destroyed", AFP reported.
London-based German counter-terrorism expert Peter Neumann said the text contained "various, but mostly extreme right views, with a do-it-yourself ideology cobbled together out of parts found on the internet".
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The suspect has been identified as Tobias R
"The pattern is clear, and not at all new," he added.
In her statement, Mrs Merkel said there were "many indications at the moment that the perpetrator acted on right-wing extremist, racist motives, out of hatred towards people of other origins, religion or appearance".
Hesse state Interior Minister Peter Beuth said the suspect had not previously been known to the authorities.
The Bild tabloid reports he had a firearms licence, and that ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car.
Claus Schmidt, who runs the Diana Bergen-Enkheim shooting club that Tobias R joined, described him as "totally inconspicuous".
"There was not a hint of racism or hatred towards foreigners, not even an awkward joke. He was always friendly," he told Reuters.
Gun laws in Germany are among the most stringent in the world, and were tightened further in recent years after other mass shootings.
Recent far-right attacks in Germany
October 2019: In Halle, an attacker kills two and tries to storm a synagogue, broadcasting the assault live online. He later admits a far-right, anti-Semitic motive for the attack
June 2019: Walter Lübcke, a pro-migrant politician, is shot in the head at close range and found dead in his garden. A suspect with far-right links later confesses to the murder
July 2016: An 18-year-old shoots dead nine people at a shopping mall in Munich before killing himself. Bavarian authorities later classify the attack as "politically motivated", saying the teen had "radical right-wing and racist views"
What has the reaction been?
Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky said it had been the "hardest day in our history". He said the city had seen centuries of peaceful coexistence between different faiths and cultures - "That is why it is so hard to understand".
Hesse state leader Volker Bouffier said the state parliament had travelled to Hanau to show its solidarity with the victims and their families. He said the attack "came out of a climate" that existed "to some degree worldwide" in which people are targeted because they are different.
"We will do everything to show that people don't have to be afraid and show them that they belong with us, " he said.
Image source, EPA Image caption, A minute's silence was held at the opening of the Berlin International Film Festival
However the co-leader of the far right AfD party said the attack was "neither right- nor left-wing terrorism" but the actions of "a madman". Politicians from the rest of political spectrum accused the expressly anti-Islam and anti-immigration AfD of stirring up anti-foreigner hatred.
In other reaction:
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer: "The background must now be clarified further. Violence from right-wing extremists must not let us rest, we must stand against it"
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President and former German government minister: "I am deeply shocked by the tragedy that took place... in Hanau"
French President Emmanuel Macron: "Immense sadness and my full support for Germany in the face of this tragic attack... I stand with Chancellor Merkel in this fight for our values and the protection of our democracies"
Germany's Muslim association KRM called for more to be done in the fight against right-wing extremism, saying they had requested for months that needed to be "a clear stand against Islamophobia"
Were you in the area? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.


bbc--2020-02-20--The complicated truth behind Trump’s ‘American comeback'

Corin Kealoha and Shaun Karagory both work full time - but can not afford food without the help of a food bank .
`` We ca n't even live off our wages , '' says Corin , 46 , who works as a hotel receptionist .
`` That 's why we come here . ''
The couple are at St Vincent 's Food Pantry , in Reno , Nevada , where they have picked up cardboard boxes containing cereals , bread , milk , peanut butter , and some meat .
And their story offers a glimpse into the complicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump .
In his January State of the Union , President Trump hailed the `` great American comeback '' , stating : `` Jobs are booming .
Incomes are soaring .
Poverty is plummeting… the years of economic decay are over . ''
• US economy under Trump : The greatest ever ?
• The Democratic 2020 race - in five charts It 's a narrative he hopes will help him win November 's presidential race - including in Nevada , a swing state that supported Hillary Clinton by a margin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The western state , home to Las Vegas , was one of the worst hit by the 2008 financial crisis .
House prices dropped up to 60 % , unemployment soared to 14 % , and the state had the highest number of home foreclosures nationwide .
More than a decade on , Nevada 's home values have recovered , the state came first for job growth in the US in 2018 , and unemployment now hovers at a 20-year low of 3.8 % .
But to get a sense of some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only have to take a walk in downtown Reno .
Down North Virginia Street , there are glittery high-rise hotels and casinos , river walkways , and tourists taking selfies at the iconic Reno Arch , which proudly welcomes visitors to `` the biggest little city in the world '' .
Yet if you take a different turn , and walk down East Fourth Street , the city looks very different .
Instead of high-rises , there are smaller , weekly motels , and instead of tourists , you can see queues outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people sitting , chatting , or doing push-ups near the railway tracks .
`` Unemployment is low , but unfortunately unemployment is not a great indicator of how many people are hungry , '' says Jocelyn Lantrip , from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada , which supplies charities , including St Vincent 's Food Pantry .
And often , those going hungry - or temporarily homeless - are people who already have jobs .
`` We have anything from 350 to 450 new families per month , '' says Carlos Carrillo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food pantry , in between packing boxes with food .
`` We used to have a lot of clients who were unemployed or on social security , but nowadays most of our clients are working families . ''
The food bank has even started offering dog and cat food to 1,500 families a month - a practical step after they realised that clients would often go hungry in order to feed their pets .
A majority of clients say they are forced to use the food bank because rents have soared .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget to pay for rent , so that 's where we come in , to provide a bit of the food that they 're not buying anymore , '' Mr Carrillo says .
Elliott Parker , chair of economics at the University of Nevada , Reno , argues that `` recovery is in the eye of the beholder '' .
The latest data from the Census Bureau suggests that median household income is still just below 2008 levels , he adds .
`` We are finally at the end of a very long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near as fast as housing and rental prices . ''
Nevada has the nation 's worst shortage of affordable housing for low-income families , according to an advocacy group , only 19 homes for every 100 low-income renter households .
There are various reasons for the house prices - including stalled construction from the 2008 financial crisis that has been slow to pick up .
And Reno residents complain about the `` Tesla effect '' - as tech workers and retirees from the more expensive neighbouring state of California cross the border into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for locals .
`` Fifty percent of people in Nevada rent , and half of them are rent burdened - meaning they spend more than 30 % of their income on housing , '' says state Senator Julia Ratti , whose district covers the Reno-Sparks area .
`` This means they become very vulnerable to anything happening in their life - if you get a flat tyre , or your child needs medical care , you 'll be late on your rent . ''
It 's something Corin and Shaun , 39 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who works as a security guard , developed fibromyalgia and had to take some time off work .
`` We became homeless because I could n't afford to pay the rent , '' says Corin .
`` We basically ended up living in our car . ''
They have since moved into a studio apartment - although the rent , which is $ 900 a month , takes a significant bite out of their wages - they both earn $ 10 per hour .
`` We 're not stable yet - we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen , '' Corin says with a laugh .
`` We just live day by day for now . ''
John Restrepo , an analyst at RCG Economics in Las Vegas , says it is both true that the economy overall has grown - and that many working families are still suffering .
Those with equities in the stock market and small businesses have come out as winners from the economic recovery , he says , but wage earners have lost out .
`` About 60 % of our households are not invested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on wages - and a large percentage of those folks , particularly lower-income workers , have n't benefited from the recovery at all , '' says Mr Restrepo .
`` The challenge is that wages have been pretty stagnant after you adjust for inflation . ''
He believes that many companies , `` as a result of the great recession , decided to do business differently '' - hiring more contractors and gig workers .
Nevada was also coming out of a particularly deep recession , which means `` we 've been growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also one of the slowest recoveries in terms of the rate of recovery '' .
The other issue that comes up again and again when you speak to Nevadans is the cost of healthcare .
Jim Eaglesmith spent four years caring for his mother , who had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , and eventually lost his job in a physical therapy clinic after he had to reduce his hours to look after her .
`` The expenses of rent , home , healthcare , hospice and prescription needs meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years I used up her savings and my 401K .
I spent everything I had thinking she was going to have some money left over , but I ended up having to spend almost all of it , '' he says .
After that , he says he was effectively homeless for two months , couch surfing with different friends until he was able to move into Village on Sage Street - a dormitory built by a community foundation , which is designed to help working poor individuals and offers single rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
`` I ca n't afford a lot of things , but I 'm not here to make money , '' says Jim , who now works part time as a performance artist .
`` My value is n't based on my economic worth . ''
US healthcare costs are amongst the highest in the world - which means even middle-income families can feel vulnerable .
Adrielle Hammon , 35 , works in a pre-school , making $ 9 an hour .
Last year , she and her husband qualified for Medicaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans - which meant when her son had a medical emergency , the $ 40,000 hospital bill was covered .
This year , her family 's income has grown - Adrielle believes they are now `` roughly middle class '' - but it means they no longer qualify for Medicaid , and neither of them receives health insurance through work .
`` We can afford food , gas and bills now , '' she says .
`` But you throw in things like hospital bills , and that 's something worrisome ...
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything unless someone 's literally dying . ''
And the American dream of owning their own home seems like a remote possibility , which she admits bothers her because `` we always figured that by the time we were this age , we 'd be able to afford to buy a house . ''
For many lower-income families , housing and healthcare costs can combine , to make them more vulnerable to unexpected emergencies .
Angel Mcceig-Escalanti , 44 , says most of her family 's income is spent on rent , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We 've not been able to save any money at all - we have really been struggling , '' she says .
She lives with her husband , her mother , and one of her three children in a two-bedroom apartment costing $ 1,270 a month - `` and one person does n't have a bedroom , - my mother sleeps on the couch . ''
She visits St Vincent 's Food Pantry for fresh and canned fruit and vegetables , and visits several other food banks for help as well - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has to have a low-carbohydrate diet .
`` We could buy food , just not the sort of food I should be eating .
I 'm supposed to be low carb , but that 's the stuff that is the cheapest . ''
She also chooses the food carefully , hoping that this will help ensure her teenage son does n't develop diabetes when he 's older .
• A deepening crisis on the streets of America • Could it be Bernie Sanders v Donald Trump ?
• US election 2020 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in the media , it can be tempting to generalise - whether it is about the economic recovery , or the plight of lower-income families .
But the reality is often more nuanced - especially as the working class do n't necessarily want to see themselves as poor .
I met Kayshoun Grajeda , 33 , at the Culinary Academy in Las Vegas - a training centre that has built in kitchens , a restaurant , and bedrooms for hospitality staff in training .
She 's beaming with pride as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guestroom attendant course , and as she demonstrates how to make a bed in five minutes while keeping the sheets perfectly smooth .
`` If you really want something , and put your best foot forward , you can accomplish it , '' she adds .
`` There 's help - you 've just got ta want it .
You ca n't put the blame on somebody else . ''
The single mother of three has just been offered a job with a hotel , and believes it will be a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hair dresser .
`` I want things for my kids , so this is definitely a good start , you know ?
I 'm starting at $ 15.35 , but it 's a start !
It 's above minimum wage , '' she says with a grin .
It 's a sense of positivity that is partly shared by Deidre Hammon , who lives with her daughter Brianna in a mobile home in a trailer park in southern Reno .
Deidre ( who is also Adrielle 's mother ) works three jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm , as an advocate at a centre for children with disabilities , and as a carer for Brianna , 36 , who lives with cerebral palsy .
`` We 're all very optimistic about our lives , we do n't want to see ourselves as poor people who ca n't afford anything , '' she says .
But she adds that the difficulties that working families face are very real .
Her car just broke down , so she 's been forced to spend $ 250 per week on a rental car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and to transport Brianna around .
While she would rather work in a full-time role with benefits , `` it 's easier to have low-wage jobs I can quit easily , and then find another low-wage job '' - because she sometimes needs time off at short notice to care for her daughter .
She also ca n't afford a wheelchair van - which means she has to manually help Brianna in and out of the car .
`` I have to swing the wheelchair into the back of the car , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and transfer Brianna into the car , two to three times a day .
I have amazing upper body strength right now , but who knows how long that 's going to last ?
I 'm almost 60 ! ''
She says she has to look after Brianna herself , because there are n't enough service providers in northern Nevada .
She says she meets other mothers caring for adult children with disabilities , and they all find the prospect of their children living without them `` terrifying '' .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ever - because who 's going to take your place ? ''
Meanwhile , Christopher Ripke lives with epilepsy , and works full time as a dishwasher at the University of Nevada , Reno - sometimes working seven days a week , as he often offers to work overtime .
He also leads People First , a non-profit that helps people with disabilities .
He makes $ 9.30 an hour - sometimes making $ 13.50 per hour for overtime - and also received some rental assistance and food stamp assistance , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level .
Despite that , he feels pleased to have medical coverage in his job - and says he `` absolutely '' feels optimistic about his future .
`` I 'm setting money aside for future plans - I plan to move to Texas because the healthcare 's better . ''
Nevada is third in the Democratic primary race - and the state bills itself as more ethnically diverse , and more working class , than either Iowa or New Hampshire .
At Wednesday 's Democratic debate in Las Vegas , Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Klobuchar all made specific appeals to working families , or talked about the need to raise wages .
But voting patterns can be personal - and unpredictable - and politicians take the working-class vote for granted at their peril .
Deidre , Brianna and Adrielle all support Bernie Sanders because of his Medicare for All proposals - and do not want to see President Trump win .
Brianna says bluntly : `` If Trump gets re-elected I 'm probably dead .
He plans to cut all the programmes that make my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angel both support President Trump - Christopher because he disagrees with the Democratic candidates ' stance on abortion , and Angel because `` when he says something , he does it '' .
Christopher uses food stamps , and is not convinced by reports that Mr Trump 's proposed budget would cut food stamps and the safety net .
`` That 's one thing I do n't believe - if I see it , I see it , but I 've heard nothing about that . ''
Meanwhile , Angel believes Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a good idea .
`` I 've been working since I was 13 , and… I only used the system when I needed it .
People do n't do that anymore , now they use it because there 's free stuff . ''
And while Kayshoun 's `` best foot forward '' attitude chimes in with how the Republicans say they help working families , she 's actually unimpressed with both Mr Trump , and the Democratic candidates .
`` We need a new president , and not the one we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she plans to vote independent this year `` because I 'm not really feeling nobody '' .

"The expenses of rent, home, healthcare, hospice and prescription needs meant I depleted my savings… in the last three years I used up her savings and my 401K. I spent everything I had thinking she was going to have some money left over, but I ended up having to spend almost all of it," he says.


bbc--2020-02-20--German Kurds 'shocked but not surprised' at attack

Germany is in shock after nine people were shot dead in the town of Hanau on Wednesday evening .
The attack , which targeted two shisha bars , is being treated by investigators as an act of far-right terrorism .
A number of the victims are reported to be of Kurdish descent .
The BBC 's Outside Source Radio spoke to three German Kurds with links to the area about the attack in Hanau and how Germany deals with racism . '
A really hard situation for everyone to fathom' Dastan was born in Mannheim and visited the Kurdish community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shock .
You see really , really young boys and you know they 're the friends of two of the men who were killed : they 're outside the door in shock and some of them are crying .
We often gather at our Kurdish community centres because we 're mourning for somebody , because every day people are dying in every part of Kurdistan .
Every day we have to hear really bad news and we gather and try to help each other , but to have a situation like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - this is just really , really hard for everyone to fathom .
'Germany has to do a lot of homework' Dilar grew up in Offenbach , another suburb of Frankfurt , and spends time between there and the UK .
Of course we 're always shocked and upset when we hear news about attacks like this , especially racist attacks on communities like ours .
But I never would have thought it would happen in a place like Hanau , which is very close to where I grew up .
My friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in shisha bars all the time , so my first thought when I heard about the attack was : `` Is it people that we know ? ''
And apparently there are people that we know , that our communities know .
In terms of how people are received in Germany , in some ways it 's getting worse , because what we 've seen in the past few years is a normalisation of right-wing , racist ideology in mainstream politics and the media .
• Has Germany done enough to tackle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dastan , Luqman and I , and all of the people who were killed - are not heard in mainstream German society .
So there 's a very stereotypical way of portraying people , especially from the Middle East and North Africa - and I guess the attack on a shisha bar is very symbolic of that .
It 's a place where people go and expect to find people who look like us .
The question of racism is so taboo in Germany that whenever people try to say something - including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't a culture of debating these things .
Germany has to do a lot of homework .
Luqman , a journalist for a Kurdish newspaper , lives in another suburb of Frankfurt .
A son of one of his colleagues was killed in the attack .
It was a shock , but not a surprise .
I 'm just mourning with the community , and I hope that the political discourse and all the mainstream media - how it handles such heinous , racist attacks - will change .
It 's a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm a political refugee .
You try to find somewhere which is more secure for you and then your child gets killed in an attack .
I 've been in Germany for 27 years .
Kurden-Terror - Kurdish terror - is a standard word in German politics and mainstream media .
If you use such vocabulary , you are dehumanising other groups and other communities , and this is done in Germany .

Every day we have to hear really bad news and we gather and try to help each other, but to have a situation like this where something happened right around the corner - this is just really, really hard for everyone to fathom.


bbc--2020-02-20--London Central Mosque stabbing: Man is arrested

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing inside a central London mosque .
The victim , in his 70s , was injured in an attack at London Central Mosque , near Regent 's Park , which police are not treating as terror-related .
He was taken to hospital by paramedics where his condition has been assessed as non-life threatening .
A 29-year-old man was apprehended by worshippers who broke from prayer to restrain him until police arrived .
In a statement , the mosque said the injured man was the muezzin , the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he had been stabbed shortly after 15:00 GMT during afternoon prayer .
The mosque 's director general , Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan said he had a brief phone conversation with the muezzin in hospital , who said he was `` okay and feeling well '' .
Ayaz Ahmad , an adviser to the mosque , said the stabbing `` would have been life-threatening if it was n't for the worshippers '' .
Images from inside the mosque showed a man wearing a red hooded top , jeans and with bare feet being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One video showed a knife on the floor under a plastic chair .
Mustafa Field , director of the Faiths Forum for London , told reporters the attack was `` one stab , one strike , around the neck '' of the victim .
He said : `` Then the congregation members , some of them broke their prayers , and intervened , restrained the individual . ''
Abi Watik , who witnessed the attack , said the arrested man had been seen at the mosque previously and the muezzin was stabbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was praying behind him [ the muezzin ] and then he stabbed him .
`` He was waiting for him I think to start praying .
He was right behind him . ''
The 59-year-old added that the suspect `` was silent the whole time '' .
Dr Al Dubayan said : `` We are so sad about what has happened and we hope it 's just one off incident , not related or motivated by any kind of hatred . ''
Miqdaad Versi , from the Muslim Council of Britain , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this has happened ...
Given other recent attacks elsewhere , many Muslims are on edge , '' he said .
Police believe the attack was an isolated incident and have increased patrols around the area to `` provide reassurance to worshippers and the local community '' .
Ch Supt Helen Harpe said : `` A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene and he has been taken into custody .
`` The man is believed to have been attending prayers inside the mosque .
`` This incident has undoubtedly caused a great deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swiftly as possible to establish the circumstances . ''
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted he was `` deeply saddened '' by the stabbing and his `` thoughts are with the victim and all those affected '' .
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the Met Police would be `` providing extra resources in the area '' following the attack .
`` Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship , '' he tweeted .
Are you in the area ?
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Dr Al Dubayan said: "We are so sad about what has happened and we hope it's just one off incident, not related or motivated by any kind of hatred."


bbc--2020-02-20--Workers found trapped in illegal tobacco factory in Spain

An illegal cigarette factory has been uncovered in Spain where six foreign workers were found gasping for air before being @ @ @ @ @ Twelve British nationals suspected of running the factory were arrested .
The bunker under horse @ @ @ @ @ of Malaga could produce up to 3,500 counterfeit cigarettes an hour .
It is the @ @ @ @ @ found in the EU , Europol and Spanish police said .
Six Ukrainian and Lithuanian @ @ @ @ @ breathe due to a generator designed to pump air into the bunker running out of @ @ @ @ @ Twenty people had been arrested earlier in the day but had not informed police that @ @ @ @ @ .
The panicked workers banged and shouted from below as police searched the area .
@ @ @ @ @ and freed them .
Police confiscated 153,000 packs of cigarettes , more than 17 tons @ @ @ @ @ kg ( 44 lbs ) of hashish and 144 kg of marijuana .

Twenty people had been arrested earlier in the day but had not informed police that the workers were still inside. The panicked workers banged and shouted from below as police searched the area.