bbc--2020-05-14--Coronavirus: Is Putin rushing Russia out of lockdown?

It looks like Vladimir Putin has run out of patience with coronavirus .
On Monday he sent millions of workers back to factories and building sites across Russia , declaring six weeks of full lockdown over .
Regional leaders have been left to manage exactly how and when they lift the remaining restrictions , with the infection rate still stubbornly high - especially in Moscow .
But by Thursday , Mr Putin was telling his government that life was `` resuming its normal , familiar rhythm '' and urging them to refocus on non-coronavirus priorities .
The message from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to move on .
`` I think for the first time in his active political life , Putin is faced by a problem which is absolutely not under his control and which broke all of his plans , '' says Chatham House political analyst Nikolai Petrov .
This spring that included a public vote on reforming the constitution , allowing Mr Putin to rule for another two terms .
Instead , the 67-year-old ended up retreating to his residence outside Moscow , after an attempt to keep up his action-man image by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became a close-scrape with infection .
The doctor who showed him round later tested positive for the virus .
• How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
Tucked away in self-isolation , the hands-on president has been forced to conduct business via video conferences on a giant split screen .
At 59 % , his approval rating has slid to an all-time low and his tetchiness , even boredom , during the long calls has been visible .
`` Putin 's eager to finish his plans , '' Nikolai Petrov argues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still widely advertised on state TV and giant city billboards .
`` It 's like he was caught mid-jump over a fence .
It 's not a very comfortable position . ''
So is Covid-19 really defeated ?
The day Vladimir Putin announced a formal end to lockdown , Russia recorded its biggest spike in new coronavirus cases .
Since then , official numbers have fallen slightly each day but the total is now over 250,000 , placing Russia near the very top of worldwide ratings .
Politicians here have preferred to highlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate below 1 % .
`` This shows that the quality of our healthcare is much better than in the USA , '' the Speaker of Parliament , Vyacheslav Volodin , gloated on Wednesday , when Russia had reported just 2,212 coronavirus deaths .
`` We must give thanks to our doctors and our president , who works day and night to save lives , '' he gushed , to a smattering of applause from MPs mostly in facemasks .
The low mortality has raised some sceptical eyebrows , but the suggestion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied by officials this week as `` fake news '' .
However , figures for the overall death rate in Moscow in April do suggest an excess mortality of up to three times the official Covid-19 death figure , calculated against an average rate over the past five years .
Excess mortality is considered a better measure of Covid-19 deaths , as it includes people who may not have been tested and those dying outside hospital .
At around 1,700 excess deaths , Moscow 's tally in April was still considerably lower than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow Health Department has since clarified that up to 60 % of suspected coronavirus cases actually died of other causes , like strokes or heart attacks , a fact established during post-mortem examination .
What lessons have been learned ?
Russia did have more time to prepare for coronavirus to hit .
Widespread testing , now over 40,000 a day in Moscow , early detection and earlier hospital treatment may be helping Russia avoid the distressing scenes of mass graves and overloaded morgues that played out in parts of Europe , though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There may also be cultural differences : whilst UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson coughed his way through remote meetings with a raging temperature only to end up in intensive care , Vladimir Putin 's spokesman battled his own fever for three days before being admitted to hospital with double pneumonia .
In an interview with Kommersant newspaper , Dmitry Peskov describes falling ill despite extreme precautions at work , where Kremlin staff even disinfect paperwork before passing it on .
Mr Peskov said he had n't been in direct contact with President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's not clear when Russia 's leader might judge it safe to return to the Kremlin .
Many others in Moscow are also still `` working from home '' as most Covid-19 restrictions remain in place .
It 's down to the mayor to decide when they 're lifted and Sergei Sobyanin is still refusing even to let residents out for a daily run .
On Thursday , he described such decisions as the hardest he 's ever made .
The price , he said , was `` people 's health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrated joggers , than the many workers now struggling .
Official unemployment has doubled since the start of the epidemic and the independent polling firm Levada this month found that one in four people had lost , or were in imminent danger of losing , their job .
A third have had their wages or hours cut .
Russians do n't save much , and state handouts to workers under lockdown have been limited , so pressure to ease the restrictions is building .
`` [ Russia 's leaders ] know that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will provoke collapse , an explosion .
So they ruled the pandemic over when it 's far from the peak , '' political analyst Lilia Shevtsova argues .
`` They needed a victory over coronavirus , and fast ! ''
she wrote in a blog for Ekho Moskvy radio station .
But the virus , still spreading into Russia 's regions , is oblivious to the political wishes of the Kremlin .
And the damage to Russia 's strongman leader may also be hard to stop .
`` Even if he gets the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petrov argues , `` it wo n't change the fact that Putin is now much weaker . ''

Widespread testing, now over 40,000 a day in Moscow, early detection and earlier hospital treatment may be helping Russia avoid the distressing scenes of mass graves and overloaded morgues that played out in parts of Europe, though the epidemic here is far from contained yet.


bbc--2020-05-14--Chennai Six: Nick Dunn reveals what Indian prison life was like

Nick Dunn was one of six British ex-servicemen who spent years imprisoned in India for a crime they did not commit .
They faced the daily threat of violence , a scramble for food , and encountered rats the size of cats .
How did the former paratrooper , who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan , cope with incarceration ?
A thin mattress on a filthy stone floor for a bed .
A hole in the ground for a toilet .
Scavenged carrots and potatoes for a meal .
The photographs Nick Dunn snapped on a spy-pen are grainy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his fellow members of the Chennai Six ( named after the Indian city where they were incarcerated ) , what they depict was their everyday reality for two and a half years .
`` The conditions were bleak , basic and dirty , '' recalls Nick , from Ashington in Northumberland , adding : `` Every day was like Groundhog Day . ''
Nick and the other five men were working as armed security guards , employed to protect against Somali pirates , when they were intercepted on the merchant ship MV Seaman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 2013 .
They were accused of being illegally armed in Indian waters - they were n't , as a court ruled some four years later .
They had all the required documentation for their weapons , and their presence in Indian waters was justified because they needed to pick up emergency supplies amid stormy weather .
From Nick 's point of view it was a misunderstanding , one that would no doubt be cleared up after a brief period of confusion .
But Indian prosecutors persisted with the case .
Days turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and months into years as it limped through the courts .
Some of their time was spent in hostels and hotels , thanks to a 130,000-signature petition collected by the men 's families and submitted to the UK government calling on the Indian authorities to grant the men bail .
But much of it was spent in prison , sometimes four of them in a cell , other times more than 20 of them - the six Brits and their fellow crew .
They were the only westerners in a prison full of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were targeted from day one ; stones were thrown at them and they had to walk around in groups , ready to fight off any attack .
Their would-be attackers , stirred up by the official narrative that these newcomers were terrorists , were usually deterred by the size of these ex-military men .
But one day a brawl did break out .
`` All hell broke loose '' , Nick recalls in his new book Surviving Hell .
The Brits were set upon by a group of inmates while visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairs being used as weapons .
`` Punches were thrown , prisoners were grappling with each other , and a number of bodies hit the ground , '' Nick said .
`` It was complete pandemonium all around , with bodies being thrown about and fists flying . ''
The intervention of the guards brought the battle to an end , and the fight actually worked to the benefit of the men .
The other prisoners `` must have looked at this group of big blokes , and the damage we had caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so keen on a scrap '' , Nick wrote .
`` They must have got the message because we never had any more trouble after that , at least not from the inmates . ''
Any diversion from the grimness of prison life had to be organised by the men themselves .
Gym equipment was fashioned from the stones that littered the prison yard , a lifting weight made from a metal bar and rocks .
`` The guards would always dismantle our makeshift gym , but every time they did , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` In the end , we pleaded with them to leave our equipment alone .
Surely , we said , they could recognise we were setting a good example to other prisoners . ''
On 10 September 2017 , while his sister Lisa ran the Great North Run to raise legal funding and awareness of her brother 's plight , Nick completed his own half-marathon around the prison yard .
It was 27 laps in near 40C heat , much to the bewilderment of his guards and fellow inmates .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race with him , while another managed to secure some oranges to provide a much-needed energy boost .
Food was generally scavenged from the scant supplies on offer , a rota being drawn up to decide who would go and cook in the prison 's kitchen for the rest of the group .
A bit of old pipe was rigged to a tap to create a rudimentary shower , an improvement from washing in a bucket .
`` We were forever trying to make up for losing the comforts we took for granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nick said .
`` We just did what we had to do to make out lives a bit easier with what we had available , which was n't a lot .
`` You 've got to keep on top of our hygiene .
In that situation it 's so easy to fall ill because it 's just not a clean place . ''
They bartered with Indian cigarettes called bidis and ate eggs , chapatis and stews fashioned from whatever they could source .
`` Every day in that cookhouse was a battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We were coming to blows just to get hold of a pan , and we would have to kick off to make sure we had enough food to survive . ''
• 6 October 2013 - Nick boards the MV Seaman Guard Ohio in Sri Lanka to await deployment • 12 October 2013 - MV Seaman Guard Ohio brought into port of Tuticorin by the Indian coastguard • 18 October 2013 - Ten crew and 25 guards arrested and placed in prison • February 2014 - Charge sheet containing 2,158 pages given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petition signed by 136,000 people given to British government calling for the men to be given bail • 26 March 2014 - Bail granted to 33 of the 35 men , including Nick • July 2014 - Madras High Court throws out the charges , but the men must stay in India pending an appeal • 11 January 2016 - Crew members found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison • 27 November 2017 - Chennai appeal court acquits them , they are released from prison and free to return home While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families campaigned relentlessly for their release .
Nick 's sister Lisa , who had slipped him the spy-pen during one of her visits , harangued the UK authorities , appealing for them to intervene , but the men 's appeal limped on through the courts and showed no signs of making any progress .
`` I would say that it would take the death of one of us to end the ordeal for all of us , '' Nick said .
He was scarily close to the truth .
In the autumn of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a five-year sentence , the tide started to turn .
Their ship 's Ukrainian captain became seriously ill and `` it became clear to everyone that he might be dying '' , Nick said .
`` As I predicted , suddenly , the sluggish judicial system started to take notice of our case again .
`` The death or serious illness of one of our number while we were in an Indian prison would be a serious embarrassment to the authorities . ''
The case swiftly reached the country 's chief justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolved .
Judgement day was 27 November 2017 , a Monday , the men staying in prison to await news of their fate .
After hours of nothing , the message came through - they had been acquitted .
`` My knees just crumpled , '' Nick said , adding : `` I was exploding inside . ''
They walked free from prison the following day and returned to the UK six days later .
Loud cheers reverberated through the arrivals hall at Newcastle International Airport when Nick finally emerged , his hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a throng of family and friends .
Several years on and Nick still works in security , although he is less keen to do so abroad .
`` Things have changed in my life after going through what I went through , '' he said .
`` I take each day as it comes now .
`` There are days when I can feel a bit down and out , but I know I 've been through a lot worse . ''
Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter , Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to northeastandcumbria @ bbc.co.uk .

Nick Dunn was one of six British ex-servicemen who spent years imprisoned in India for a crime they did not commit. They faced the daily threat of violence, a scramble for food, and encountered rats the size of cats. How did the former paratrooper, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, cope with incarceration?


bbc--2020-05-14--Bundesliga coach to miss match after breaking quarantine rules to buy toothpaste

Augsburg head coach Heiko Herrlich will miss the Bundesliga restart after breaching quarantine rules by leaving the team hotel to buy toothpaste .
Herrlich , whose side face Wolfsburg on Saturday , told a news conference on Thursday that he had visited a shop , breaking league rules .
Teams preparing for the German league to restart this weekend have been staying in quarantine .
`` I made a mistake by leaving the hotel , '' he said in a statement later .
• German Bundesliga is back : What do you need to know ?
Herrlich , 48 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home match with Wolfsburg was set to be his first in charge .
`` Even though I have followed all hygiene measures both when leaving the hotel and otherwise , I can not undo this , '' he said .
`` In this situation , I was not able to act as a role model for my team and the public .
`` I will therefore be consistent and stand by my mistake .
Because of this misconduct , I will not be leading the training [ on Friday ] and will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolfsburg on Saturday . ''
Speaking at a video news conference earlier , he had said : `` I have no toothpaste and then I went to a supermarket . ''
The club said players and staff are being regularly tested for coronavirus and Herrlich will be able to resume training after two negative test results .
Augsburg are 14th in the Bundesliga , five points above the relegation zone .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Heiko Herrlich was previously Bayer Leverkusen head coach
Augsburg head coach Heiko Herrlich will miss the Bundesliga restart after breaching quarantine rules by leaving the team hotel to buy toothpaste.
Herrlich, whose side face Wolfsburg on Saturday, told a news conference on Thursday that he had visited a shop, breaking league rules.
Teams preparing for the German league to restart this weekend have been staying in quarantine.
"I made a mistake by leaving the hotel," he said in a statement later.
Herrlich, 48, was appointed on 10 March and the home match with Wolfsburg was set to be his first in charge.
"Even though I have followed all hygiene measures both when leaving the hotel and otherwise, I cannot undo this," he said. "In this situation, I was not able to act as a role model for my team and the public.
"I will therefore be consistent and stand by my mistake. Because of this misconduct, I will not be leading the training [on Friday] and will not be in charge of the team against Wolfsburg on Saturday."
Speaking at a video news conference earlier, he had said: external-link "I have no toothpaste and then I went to a supermarket."
The club said players and staff are being regularly tested for coronavirus and Herrlich will be able to resume training after two negative test results.
Augsburg are 14th in the Bundesliga, five points above the relegation zone.


bbc--2020-05-14--IOC sets aside $800m fund for delayed Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has set aside $ 800m ( £654m ) to help with the `` severe '' financial impact caused by the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 .
Organisers will get $ 650m after this summer 's Games were postponed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic .
The other $ 150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees with cash flow problems .
IOC president Thomas Bach also said there would be cutbacks .
`` The situation requires compromises , it requires sacrifices by everybody , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no stone unturned to reduce the costs while maintaining the spirit of the Games and the quality of the sports competition for the athletes in particular . ''
Bach refused to speculate on whether there would be a further delay or cancellation if a vaccine for Covid-19 is not found before next year 's event , which is due to run from 23 July to 8 August .
`` We are one year and two months away , so it 's way too early to draw any conclusions , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Christophe Dubi , described the work to secure competition venues , the athletes ' village , media facilities and hotels as `` extremely difficult '' , but said that it was `` progressing well '' .

Last updated on .From the section Olympics
IOC president Thomas Bach says there will have to be cutbacks
The International Olympic Committee has set aside $800m (£654m) to help with the "severe" financial impact caused by the postponement of the Tokyo 2020.
Organisers will get $650m after this summer's Games were postponed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The other $150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees with cash flow problems.
IOC president Thomas Bach also said there would be cutbacks.
"The situation requires compromises, it requires sacrifices by everybody," said the German.
"We are leaving no stone unturned to reduce the costs while maintaining the spirit of the Games and the quality of the sports competition for the athletes in particular."
Bach refused to speculate on whether there would be a further delay or cancellation if a vaccine for Covid-19 is not found before next year's event, which is due to run from 23 July to 8 August.
"We are one year and two months away, so it's way too early to draw any conclusions," he said.
The executive director of the Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, described the work to secure competition venues, the athletes' village, media facilities and hotels as "extremely difficult", but said that it was "progressing well".


bbc--2020-05-14--Friday's gossip: Silva ready to extend Man City deal

Midfielder David Silva 's contract with Manchester City is due to end on 30 June but the Spaniard , 34 , is willing to extend it until the end of the campaign , his last with the club .
( Times - subscription required ) Manchester United have been scouting Schalke 's Wales winger Rabbi Matondo and could make a move for the 19-year-old if they fail to sign Borussia Dortmund and England forward Jadon Sancho , 20 .
( Manchester Evening News ) Chelsea target Dries Mertens is looking to stay in Serie A if his Napoli contract runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 33-year-old Belgium forward .
( Mail ) Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski , 31 , has advised 19-year-old Norway forward Erling Braut Haaland - who has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid - to continue his development at Borussia Dortmund .
( Metro ) Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho 's agent says he has not held talks with any clubs about the 27-year-old Barcelona player , who is on loan at Bayern Munich .
( Talksport ) Southampton 's English striker Che Adams is set to be made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less - despite Championship side Leeds United agreeing a £19m fee for the 23-year-old in January before changing their mind .
( Football Insider ) Manchester United 's 19-year-old England Under-20 midfielder Angel Gomes , whose deal with the club runs out this summer , has not signed a new contract because of doubts over breaking into the first team and the club targeting similar aged players .
( Manchester Evening News ) Leeds United could make a move for TottenhamHotspur and Argentina defender Juan Foyth , 22 , if they are promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Insider )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
Midfielder David Silva's contract with Manchester City is due to end on 30 June but the Spaniard, 34, is willing to extend it until the end of the campaign, his last with the club. (Times - subscription required) external-link
Manchester United have been scouting Schalke's Wales winger Rabbi Matondo and could make a move for the 19-year-old if they fail to sign Borussia Dortmund and England forward Jadon Sancho, 20. (Manchester Evening News) external-link
Chelsea target Dries Mertens is looking to stay in Serie A if his Napoli contract runs out, with Inter Milan also interested in the 33-year-old Belgium forward. (Mail) external-link
Lionel Messi has hinted Inter Milan and Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez, 22, possesses the perfect qualities to revitalise Barcelona's forward line once the transfer window reopens. (Sport, via Metro) external-link
Premier League clubs warn players they face permanent pay cuts if Project Restart fails and 2019-20 season is curtailed, with some stars in line to lose contracts altogether. (Mail) external-link
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has held talks with PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot's mother over a potential move to Goodison Park for the 25-year-old Frenchman.(TuttoJuve, via HITC) external-link
Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, 31, has advised 19-year-old Norway forward Erling Braut Haaland - who has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid - to continue his development at Borussia Dortmund. (Metro) external-link
Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho's agent says he has not held talks with any clubs about the 27-year-old Barcelona player, who is on loan at Bayern Munich. (Talksport) external-link
Southampton's English striker Che Adams is set to be made available in the summer for £10m or less - despite Championship side Leeds United agreeing a £19m fee for the 23-year-old in January before changing their mind. (Football Insider) external-link
Manchester United's 19-year-old England Under-20 midfielder Angel Gomes, whose deal with the club runs out this summer, has not signed a new contract because of doubts over breaking into the first team and the club targeting similar aged players. (Manchester Evening News) external-link
Leeds United could make a move for Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender Juan Foyth, 22, if they are promoted to the Premier League. (Football Insider) external-link
Queens Park Rangers have rejected a £3m bid from Club Brugge for their 22-year-old English winger Bright Osayi-Samuel, who has also been linked with West Brom. (Birmingham Live) external-link


bbc--2020-05-14--Coronavirus: Can China test all of Wuhan in only 10 days?

China is drawing up ambitious plans to test the entire population of Wuhan , the city where the Covid-19 pandemic began .
The announcement came after the emergence of six new coronavirus cases in the city - the first ones since early April .
The authorities had originally promised to test all 11 million people in 10 days .
But it now appears they might be aiming for a less ambitious timetable .
How long will the testing take ?
In late April , the Hubei provincial government reported 63,000 people were being tested in Wuhan every day .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had dropped to just under 40,000 .
There are more than 60 testing centres across the city , according to the official Hubei Daily newspaper .
These have a maximum capacity of 100,000 tests a day at most , making it hard to see how the target of testing the entire population in 10 days could be met .
So the authorities have indicated the tests will not all start and finish within the same 10-day period .
`` Some districts [ in the city ] will start from 12 May , others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control said .
`` Each district finishes its tests within 10 days from the date it started . ''
But , according to a Reuters report on 13 May , preparations have begun in just two the city 's 13 districts .
What proportion have been tested already ?
As of 14 May , 2.7 million people in the city had already been tested , according to the local media .
But Wuhan University pathogen biology department deputy director Yang Zhanqiu told the Global Times newspaper he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents had already been tested .
The population of the city - originally 11 million - has also fluctuated .
The authorities said up to five million people had left the city for the lunar New Year before it was locked down , on 23 January .
The lockdown then lasted until 8 April .
And it is unclear how many have returned .
Should everyone be tested ?
Wuhan University 's Yang Zhanqiu said there was no need to test every resident in neighbourhoods with no reported cases .
The authorities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most at risk - for example in the older , more densely populated areas , as well as those in key jobs such as healthcare .
Also , people who have been tested in the previous seven days will not need to be tested again .
But Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou told state TV : `` The virus could take longer to manifest itself in patients with weak immunity and these people are also prone to 'on ' and 'off ' symptoms . ''
• EASY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Yang Zhanqiu adds : `` You 'll never know if people were infected after testing negative . ''
And US-based Council for Foreign Affairs senior fellow for global health Yanzhong Huang said : “ There would still be the possibility of isolated outbreaks in the future , which even large-scale testing will not address . ''
Additional reporting and research by Yitsing Wang , in Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in London .

They also said that if you include one million people tested in the seven days before the mass programme began in their area (and who didn't need retesting), that's a total of 10.9 million people tested out of the population of 11 million.


bbc--2020-05-14--Aarogya Setu: Why India's Covid-19 contact tracing app is controversial

India 's Covid-19 contact tracing app has been downloaded 100 million times , according to the information technology ministry , despite fears over privacy .
The app - Aarogya Setu , which means `` bridge to health '' in Sanskrit - was launched just six weeks ago .
India has made it mandatory for government and private sector employees to download it .
But users and experts in India and around the world say the app raises huge data security concerns .
How does it work ?
Using a phone 's Bluetooth and location data , Aarogya Setu lets users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person with Covid-19 by scanning a database of known cases of infection .
The data is then shared with the government .
`` If you 've met someone in the last two weeks who has tested positive , the app calculates your risk of infection based on how recent it was and proximity , and recommends measures , '' Abhishek Singh , CEO of MyGov at India 's IT ministry which built the app , told the BBC .
While your name and number wo n't be made public , the app does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your gender , travel history and whether you 're a smoker .
Is it mandatory to download the app ?
Prime Minster Narendra Modi has tweeted in support of the app , urging everyone to download it , and it 's been made mandatory for citizens living in containment zones and for all government and private sector employees .
Noida , a suburb of the capital , Delhi , has made it compulsory for all residents to have the app , saying they can be jailed for six months for not complying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swiggy have also made it mandatory for all staff .
But the government directive is being questioned by some .
• Coronavirus : How does contact tracing work and is my data safe ?
• Coronavirus contact-tracing : World split between two types of app In an interview with The Indian Express newspaper , former Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna said the drive to make people use the app was `` utterly illegal '' .
`` Under what law do you mandate it ?
So far it is not backed by any law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MIT Technology Review 's Covid Tracing Tracker lists 25 contact tracing apps from countries around the globe - and there are concerns about some of them too .
Critics say apps such as China 's Health Code system , which records a user 's spending history in order to deter them from breaking quarantine , is invasive .
`` Forcing people to install an app does n't make a success story .
It just means that repression works , '' says French ethical hacker Robert Baptiste , who goes by the name Elliot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about India 's app ?
Aarogya Setu stores location data and requires constant access to the phone 's Bluetooth which , experts say , makes it invasive from a security and privacy viewpoint .
In Singapore , for example , the TraceTogether app can be used only by its health ministry to access data .
It assures citizens that the data is to be used strictly for disease control and will not be shared with law enforcement agencies for enforcing lockdowns and quarantine .
`` Aarogya Setu retains the flexibility to do just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal orders and so on , '' says the Internet Freedom Foundation , a digital rights and liberties advocacy group in Delhi .
The app builders , however , insist that at no point does it reveal a user 's identity .
`` Your data is not going to be used for any other purpose .
No third party has access to it , '' Mr Singh of MyGov said .
The big issue with the app is that it tracks location , which globally has been deemed unnecessary , says Nikhil Pahwa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Any app that tracks who you have been in contact with and your location at all times is a clear violation of privacy . ''
He is also worried by the Bluetooth function on the app .
`` If I 'm on the third floor and you are on the fourth floor , it will show that we have met , even though we are on different floors , given that Bluetooth travels through walls .
This shows 'false positives ' or incorrect data . ''
What are the concerns over privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upload the collected information to a government-owned and operated `` server '' , which will `` provide persons carrying out medical and administrative interventions necessary in relation to Covid-19 '' .
The Software Freedom Law Centre , a consortium of lawyers , technology experts and students , says it is problematic as it means the government can share the data with `` practically anyone it wants '' .
MyGov says `` the app has been built with privacy as a core principle '' and the processing of contact tracing and risk assessment is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Singh says when you register , the app assigns you a unique `` anonymised '' device ID .
All interactions with the government server from your device are done through this ID only and no personal information is exchanged after registration .
But experts have raised doubts about the government claim .
Mr Alderson has said there are flaws in the app which make it possible to know who is sick anywhere in India .
`` Basically , I was able to see if someone was sick at the PMO [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian parliament .
I was able to see if someone was sick in a specific house if I wanted , '' he wrote on his blog .
Aarogya Setu denied any such privacy breach in a statement .
But , India has `` a terrible history '' of protecting privacy , says Mr Pahwa , referring to Aadhaar - the world 's largest and most controversial biometrics-based identity database .
Critics have repeatedly warned that the scheme puts personal information at risk and have criticised government efforts to compulsorily link it to bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This government has argued that privacy is n't a fundamental right in court , '' Mr Pahwa said .
`` We can not trust it . ''
India 's Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the controversial Aadhaar scheme was constitutional and did not violate the right to privacy .
And the question of transparency ?
Unlike the UK 's Covid-19 tracing app , Aarogya Setu is not open source , which means that it can not be audited for security flaws by independent coders and researchers .
A senior IT ministry official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not made the source code of Aarogya Setu public because it `` feared that many will point to flaws in it and overburden the staff overseeing the app 's development '' .
Mr Singh said `` all applications are made open source ultimately and the same is applicable to Aarogya Setu also '' .
Can you beat the system ?
To register , users have to give their name , gender , travel history , telephone number and location .
`` People can fill the form incorrectly and the government can not verify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data is questionable , '' Mr Pahwa told the BBC .
According to a Buzzfeed report , an Indian software engineer had hacked the app to bypass the registration page , and even stopped the app from gathering data through GPS and Bluetooth .
The report also mentioned a comment on Reddit suggesting phone wallpaper as a simple workaround to not downloading the app .
`` The privacy conscious are likely to do this .
Those who do n't want to be forced to give their data to the government will look for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by using a modified app or a screenshot , people will find ways , '' Mr Pahwa says .
But Mr Singh argues that `` if one is staying home and not meeting anyone , it would not matter whether they have the app , or deleted it or switched the Bluetooth off or lied on self-assessment '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How do we get out of this mess ?

"The privacy conscious are likely to do this. Those who don't want to be forced to give their data to the government will look for and find workarounds. It could be by using a modified app or a screenshot, people will find ways," Mr Pahwa says.


bbc--2020-05-14--Tracking the outbreak in maps and charts

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world , with more than four million confirmed cases in 188 countries .
More than 300,000 people have lost their lives .
The United States alone has more than 1.3 million confirmed cases - more than five times as many as any other country .
This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year .
How many cases and deaths have there been ?
The virus , which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19 , was first detected in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
Note : The map and table in this page use a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University , which results in a slightly lower overall total .
The US has by far the largest number of cases , according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University .
With more than 80,000 fatalities , it also has the world 's highest death toll .
France , Italy , Spain and the UK - the worst-hit European countries - have all recorded more than 25,000 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll is some 4,600 from about 84,000 confirmed cases , although critics have questioned whether the country 's official numbers can be trusted .
The outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on 11 March .
This is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time .
The true number of cases is thought to be much higher than the reported figures , as many of those with milder symptoms have not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 4.5 billion people - half the world 's population - have been living under social distancing measures , according to the AFP news agency 's estimates .
Those restrictions have had a big impact on the global economy , with the International Monetary Fund warning the world faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
The United Nations World Food Programme has also warned that the pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger .
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to protect your mental health • FACE MASKS : How to make your own Where are coronavirus cases still rising ?
While some countries are starting to see confirmed cases and deaths fall following the introduction of strict lockdown restrictions , others are only now seeing them rise .
Russia 's latest official data shows it now has the second highest number of infections worldwide and has been reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a week .
Brazil and Mexico announced their highest daily death tolls in recent days .
These charts show four countries where deaths are on an upward trajectory - as shown by the red lines .
Ecuador saw its health system collapse in April - thousands have died from the virus and other conditions that could not be treated because of the crisis .
The country 's official number of coronavirus deaths is around 2,300 but the actual toll is thought to be much higher .
The sharp rise in cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the Americas are the currently at the centre of the coronavirus pandemic .
In March , the WHO had labelled Europe the `` epicentre of the pandemic `` but the region is now slowly beginning to ease restrictions brought in to slow the spread of the virus .
In Europe , the UK became the first country to record more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths last week .
Italy , which was the first European country to have a major outbreak , has also passed that marker .
Differences in population size and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some including deaths in care homes , or deaths of those suspected but not confirmed of having the virus , means international comparisons are complicated .
However , the UK , Italy , Spain , France and many other European countries appear to have passed through the peak of the virus and the number of new reported cases and deaths is falling .
Germany and Belgium have also recorded a relatively high number of daily deaths and are now seeing those numbers decrease .
European countries have varied in their plans to ease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all nations to adopt a `` slow , steady '' approach .
In Germany , all shops can now reopen with extra measures in place and schools have partially reopened - but infection rates there have increased in recent days .
France , Italy , Spain and Italy have also begun to allow some shops to reopen .
Other countries that saw fewer coronavirus cases , including Austria , Denmark , Greece and Switzerland , have been able to lift restrictions even further .
You can read more about how lockdowns are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK , Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a limited easing of restrictions on Sunday .
The UK government is still encouraging people to stay at home wherever possible and all restaurants , bars and non-essential shops remain closed .
However , those in other professions who can not work from home are now being `` actively encouraged '' to return to their workplace , but not use public transport .
• What are the new lockdown rules in the UK ?
New York the worst-hit in US outbreak With more than 1.3 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of confirmed infections in the world .
It has also recorded more than 80,000 deaths .
The state of New York has been particularly badly affected , with more than 27,000 deaths , but the number of new cases there has been on a downward trend in recent weeks .
At one point , more than 90 % of the US population was under mandatory lockdown orders , but many states have now begun to loosen their stay-at-home restrictions and allowed some businesses to reopen - a move health officials fear could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci has cautioned against opening up public life too soon , warning of further `` little spikes '' which would become outbreaks .
However , he has now been criticised by President Donald Trump , who claimed during a press conference that Dr Fauci 's warning was `` unacceptable '' - in particular his caution around reopening schools too quickly .
President Trump has made it clear he is keen to reopen the US economy and said last week it would be the new focus for his government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures show more than 36 million people have lost their jobs since the outbreak hit the US .
That 's nearly a quarter of the American workforce .
The rise means the jobless rate is now worse than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
The data used on this page comes from a variety of sources .
It includes figures collated by Johns Hopkins University , data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control , national governments and health agencies , as well as UN data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different countries it is important to bear in mind that not all governments are recording coronavirus cases and deaths in the same way .
This makes like for like comparisons between countries difficult .
Other factors to consider include : different population sizes , the size of the a country 's elderly population or whether a particular country has a large amount of its people living in densely populated areas .
In addition , countries may be in different stages of the pandemic .

Please update your browser to see full interactive
Show more
This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.
** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.
Source: Johns Hopkins University and national public health agencies


bbc--2020-05-15--Burning EU flag can now bring German jail term

Germany has made public burning of the EU flag or that of another country punishable by up to three years in jail , classing it as a hate crime .
The vote in the Bundestag ( parliament ) on Thursday makes defiling foreign flags equal to the crime of defiling the German flag .
The same applies for the EU anthem , Beethoven 's Ode to Joy theme .
The move followed Social Democrat ( SPD ) complaints about protesters ' burning of the Israeli flag in Berlin in 2017 .
Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht , a member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly has nothing to do with peaceful protests '' .
She said it stoked up `` hatred , anger and aggression '' , and hurt many people 's feelings .
The new law also applies to acts of defilement besides burning , such as publicly ripping a flag up .
Public display of the Nazi swastika and other Nazi symbols is already banned in Germany .
The far-right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) has condemned the new law as `` excessive interference in free speech and artistic expression '' .
The act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK is not a crime , but France has made desecration of the tricolour punishable by a fine of up to €7,500 ( £6,600 ; $ 8,000 ) or six months in jail .
Spain , Italy and Greece also have laws banning desecration of the national flag .
• European flag to stay up at Holyrood after Brexit

The act of defiling the Union Flag in the UK is not a crime, but France has made desecration of the tricolour punishable by a fine of up to €7,500 (£6,600; $8,000) or six months in jail.


bbc--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: Baltic states open a pandemic 'travel bubble'

The Baltic countries of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another , creating a coronavirus `` travel bubble '' .
From midnight on Thursday , citizens and residents can move freely between the three EU nations .
Anybody arriving from outside the zone however must self-isolate for 14 days .
This is the first `` travel bubble '' in Europe since nations began shutting their borders earlier this year in response to the coronavirus outbreak .
European Union officials are now trying to encourage other countries to end restrictions on movement as concerns grow about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Baltic states expect their economies to shrink by up to 8 % this year .
• How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
• Fast on coronavirus , now they need to save summer In a statement , Lithuania 's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis called the move `` an opportunity for businesses to reopen , and a glimmer of hope for the people that life is getting back to normal '' .
Under the new rules , anyone who has not travelled outside the Baltic states in the past two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been in contact with somebody who has tested positive may travel freely to the other nations .
The sparsely populated Baltic states have not been as badly affected by the pandemic as some of their European neighbours .
There are fewer than 150 recorded deaths between the three nations , according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University .
Official national data shows very small numbers of new infections , and the three governments have already begun loosening lockdown measures brought in to contain the virus 's spread .
Arnoldas Pranckevicius , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted that the commission 's guidelines `` encourage Member States enjoying a similar epidemiological situation to gradually open internal borders , in a coordinated and non-discriminatory way '' .
Both Finland and Poland have also been approached to join the Baltic travel bubble .
Estonia and Finland have eased travel for business and education already , as have Poland and Lithuania .
Some other nations are beginning to lift virus related border restrictions .
Germany has begun to partially reopen , and has said it plans to open all its borders on 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not worsen .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?
• STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Under the new rules, anyone who has not travelled outside the Baltic states in the past two weeks, is not infected, and has not been in contact with somebody who has tested positive may travel freely to the other nations.


bbc--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: Surrogate babies stranded in Ukraine

Everything you need to know about the coronavirus – explained in just one minute .

Babies born to surrogate mothers have been left stuck in Ukraine because of coronavirus lockdown measures.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher has visited a hotel in Kyiv, where the children are being cared for.
Video journalist: Abdujalil Abdurasulov
Watch more personal stories during the coronavirus outbreak: Your Coronavirus Stories


bbc--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: WTO head steps down a year early as downturn looms

The head of the World Trade Organization has said he will step down a year earlier than planned , at a crucial moment for the global economy .
Roberto Azevedo 's surprise departure comes as the WTO faces the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and criticism from US President Donald Trump .
Global trade has slumped and the world is braced for the worst downturn since the Great Depression .
Meanwhile , Mr Trump has accused the body of treating America unfairly .
Mr Azevedo said his early departure as the WTO 's director-general was a `` personal decision '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organisation .
`` The WTO may not be perfect , but it is indispensable all the same .
It is what keeps us from a world where the law of the jungle prevails , at least as far as trade is concerned . ''
• Fed warns of slow recovery without more virus aid • IMF head : Recession forecasts may be too optimistic • What shape will the coronavirus recession be ?
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused the global trade watchdog of having strayed from its purpose to liberalise and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China 's entry into the organisation in 2001 have led to millions of American job losses .
Asked about Mr Azevedo 's exit , Mr Trump , who had previously said the US would leave the organisation if it did n't change , said he was `` OK with it '' .
`` We 've been treated very badly ...
They treat China as a developing nation .
Therefore China gets a lot of the benefits that the US does n't get , '' he added .
Mr Azevedo 's departure comes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with global trade expected to slump to historic lows as measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 shut down economic activity around the world .
At the same time the Geneva-based body last year saw one of its main functions , arbitrating trade disputes , hobbled by the US .
Washington 's dispute with the WTO has seen it block the appointment of judges to the organisation 's top court , called the Appellate Body , since December 2019 .
It means it has too few officials to rule on major trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US , other WTO members , including Japan and the European Union , have pushed for the WTO to make far-reaching reforms .
They argue that global trading rules need to reflect new realities , notably the rise of China as a powerful economy , and address problems such as state subsidies and forced technology transfers .

"The WTO may not be perfect, but it is indispensable all the same. It is what keeps us from a world where the law of the jungle prevails, at least as far as trade is concerned."


bbc--2020-05-14--Coronavirus Sanofi: French drug giant rows back after vaccine storm

The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has rowed back on an apparent promise to prioritise the US market with any potential Covid-19 vaccine .
Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson sparked a row by saying the US government had `` the right to the largest pre-order because it 's invested in taking the risk '' .
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe responded by saying access for all was `` non-negotiable '' .
Sanofi 's chairman has now vowed equal access for everyone .
• How close to developing a vaccine are we ?
`` I am going to be extremely clear : there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , '' Serge Weinberg told France 2 TV .
He said Mr Hudson 's words had been distorted .
Prime Minister Philippe said he had spoken to Mr Weinberg and received `` all the necessary assurance regarding the distribution of an eventual Sanofi vaccine '' .
President Emmanuel Macron said that recent efforts had proved a vaccine should not be subject to market forces and he is due to meet top Sanofi officials next week .
The EU insisted that all countries should get equal access to a vaccine .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public good and its access needs to be equitable and universal , '' said European Commission spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker , quoted by AFP news agency .
Why is the issue so delicate for Sanofi ?
The deadly coronavirus pandemic has made the search for a Covid-19 vaccine the top priority for labs worldwide , with intense pressure to speed up a process that usually take years to develop .
Earlier this month the EU chaired a global online summit to boost coronavirus research , and secured pledges of $ 8bn ( £6.5bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The funding is aimed at developing a coronavirus vaccine and treatments for Covid-19 .
The UK co-hosted the summit but the US and Russia did not take part .
Sanofi 's Covid-19 vaccine research is partly funded by the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( Barda ) but in recent years Sanofi received tens of millions of euros in tax credits from the French government to help its research .
Mr Hudson 's remarks in a Bloomberg interview provoked uproar among politicians on the right and left in France .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some €150m ( £133m ; $ 162m ) in research tax credit and millions more in other tax credit .
Sanofi 's chief in France , Olivier Bogillot , said the goal was to have a vaccine `` available to the US as well as France and Europe at the same time '' .
But speaking on French news channel BFMTV , he said this would only be possible `` if Europeans work as quickly as the Americans '' , and added that the US government had pledged to spend `` several hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ row was reminiscent of reports in March of a US attempt to buy German biotech firm CureVac , which has also been researching a possible vaccine .
CureVac insisted there had been no US attempt to buy the firm or its manufacturing capacity .
Last month Sanofi also teamed up with Britain 's GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) to work on a vaccine , though trials have not yet started .
• EUROPE 'S EASING : How lockdown is being lifted • THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
Sanofi 's head of vaccine research , John Shiver , says `` we are using an existing technology that was designed for influenza , and we 're applying it to the new virus that causes Covid-19 disease '' .
Sanofi says GSK `` will contribute its adjuvant technology , an ingredient added to enhance the immune response , reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose and improve the chances of delivering an effective vaccine that can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine is expected to enter clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and to be available by the second half of 2021 .

But speaking on French news channel BFMTV, he said this would only be possible "if Europeans work as quickly as the Americans", and added that the US government had pledged to spend "several hundreds of millions of euros".


bbc--2020-05-15--Mexico at 'peak moment' of coronavirus crisis after biggest daily rise in cases

Mexico has reached `` the peak moment '' of its coronavirus outbreak , officials said , as the country recorded its largest one-day rise in cases so far .
More than 2,409 new cases of the virus were confirmed on Thursday - the first time this figure has exceeded 2,000 .
The total number of confirmed cases in the country is now more than 40,000 .
The grim milestone comes amid preparations to ease lockdown measures and reopen the economy , particularly factories near the border with the US .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell - an epidemiologist and Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the most difficult moment of the first wave of the epidemic '' .
He said that the country `` could not relax measures '' in place to stem the spread of the virus , and instead needs to embrace a `` new normal '' to avoid another wave of infections .
On Monday , some key industries - including mining , construction and automobile assembly - are scheduled to partially reopen .
Mr López-Gatell stressed that the re-opening of these industries will be largely preparatory , with a broader restart of businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data released on Thursday also showed more than half of hospitals in the capital , Mexico City , were at capacity with coronavirus patients .
At the end of April , hospitals in the city admitted they were having to turn patients away because of a lack of equipment .
Earlier this month , Mexico received a shipment of more than 200 ventilators purchased from a US firm .
This followed an informal agreement between the neighbouring nations ' leaders in mid-April .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?

He said that the country "could not relax measures" in place to stem the spread of the virus, and instead needs to embrace a "new normal" to avoid another wave of infections.


bbc--2020-05-14--Africa's week in pictures: 8-14 May 2020

Over on the other side of the continent , on the same day , worshippers pray together for the first @ @ @ @ @ Senegal .

Image caption,
Over on the other side of the continent, on the same day, worshippers pray together for the first time as mosques reopen in Senegal.


bbc--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: How 'overreaction' made Vietnam a virus success

Despite a long border with China and a population of 97 million people , Vietnam has recorded only just over 300 cases of Covid-19 on its soil and not a single death .
Nearly a month has passed since its last community transmission and the country is already starting to open up .
Experts say that unlike other countries now seeing infections and deaths on a huge scale , Vietnam saw a small window to act early on and used it fully .
But though cost-effective , its intrusive and labour intensive approach has its drawbacks and experts say it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries to learn from its success .
`` When you 're dealing with these kinds of unknown novel potentially dangerous pathogens , it 's better to overreact , '' says Dr Todd Pollack of Harvard 's Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam in Hanoi .
Recognising that its medical system would soon become overwhelmed by even mild spread of the virus , Vietnam instead chose prevention early , and on a massive scale .
By early January , before it had any confirmed cases , Vietnam 's government was initiating `` drastic action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia which had at that point killed two people in Wuhan .
When the first virus case was confirmed on 23 January - a man who had travelled from Wuhan to visit his son in Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam 's emergency plan was in action .
`` It very , very quickly acted in ways which seemed to be quite extreme at the time but were subsequently shown to be rather sensible , '' says Prof Guy Thwaites , director of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit ( OUCRU ) in Ho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government on its infectious disease programmes .
Vietnam enacted measures other countries would take months to move on , bringing in travel restrictions , closely monitoring and eventually closing the border with China and increasing health checks at borders and other vulnerable places .
Schools were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January and remained closed until mid-May .
A vast and labour intensive contact tracing operation got under way .
`` This is a country that has dealt with a lot of outbreaks in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sars in 2003 to avian influenza in 2010 and large outbreaks of measles and dengue .
`` The government and population are very , very used to dealing with infectious diseases and are respectful of them , probably far more so than wealthier countries .
They know how to respond to these things . ''
By mid-March , Vietnam was sending everyone who entered the country - and anyone within the country who 'd had contact with a confirmed case - to quarantine centres for 14 days .
Costs were mostly covered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessarily luxurious .
One woman who flew home from Australia - considering Vietnam a safer place to be - told BBC News Vietnamese that on their first night they had `` only one mat , no pillows , no blankets '' and one fan for the hot room .
Prof Thwaites says quarantine on such a vast scale is key as evidence mounts that as many as half of all infected people are asymptomatic .
Everyone in quarantine was tested , sick or not , and he says it 's clear that 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had no idea they had the virus had they not been tested .
`` If you have that level [ of asymptomatic carriers ] the only thing you can do to control it is what Vietnam did , '' he says .
`` Unless you were locking those people up they would just be wandering around spreading the infection . ''
This also helps explain the absence of any deaths .
As most of the returning Vietnamese were students , tourists or business travellers , they tended to be younger and healthier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting the virus themselves , and were never able to put , for example , elderly relatives at risk , which meant the medical system could focus its resources on the few critical cases .
While Vietnam never had a total national lockdown , it swooped in on emerging clusters .
In February after a handful of cases in Son Loi , north of Hanoi , more than 10,000 people living in the surrounding area were sealed off .
The same would happen to 11,000 people in the Ha Loi commune near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients of a hospital .
No-one would be allowed in or out until two weeks had passed with no confirmed cases .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• FACE MASKS : Should I be wearing one ?
This localised containment - which is likely to be used again if the virus reappears - meant that Vietnam has not done a huge amount of testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it felt as though that was quite a high risk strategy , '' says Prof Thwaites .
`` But it turned out to be absolutely fine , as they were able to isolate and maintain a complete grip on those cases . ''
Even in a one-party state like Vietnam , you need to ensure the public is on board for such a sweeping strategy to work .
Dr Pollack says the government did `` a really good job of communicating to the public '' why what it was doing was necessary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the very early stages told people what they could do to protect themselves .
Vietnam made use of its ever-present propaganda machine to run a vigorous awareness campaign , drawing on wartime imagery and rhetoric to unite the public in the fight against a common enemy .
It gave the sense of `` society working together to defeat the enemy '' , says Dr Pollack .
While Vietnam 's authoritarian government is well used to demanding compliance , Dr Pollack says the public largely rallied behind the government because they `` saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do and having success , and doing whatever it cost to protect the population '' .
Can we really trust Vietnam 's data ?
The government 's data is so strikingly low that there are inevitably questions about whether it 's accurate , but the overwhelming consensus from the medical and diplomatic community is that there is no reason to doubt it .
Prof Thwaites 's team is based in the country 's main infectious diseases hospital .
He says if there had been unreported , undiagnosed or missed cases `` we would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we have n't '' .
His team has also carried out nearly 20,000 tests , and he says their results match the data the government is sharing .
Even if there were some missed cases , he says `` what there was n't was a systematic cover up of cases - I am very confident of that '' .
Vietnam 's top-down approach to leadership reaches right down to the community level , which brings its own problems .
Enforcing social distancing and quarantine relied on its entrenched system of `` loyal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reporting to superiors '' , says Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch , There were undoubtedly `` rights-violating excesses '' in the process , he told the BBC .
`` But not many people will hear about those episodes because of the government 's total control of the media , '' he adds , citing cases of people being fined or prosecuted for criticising the government response .
The huge impact on the economy and the extent to which other social and medical issues were neglected by the single-minded virus mission is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the kind of policies applied in Vietnam `` just would n't stand up '' in countries now suffering widespread infections , but for the few countries yet to be hit `` the lesson is there '' .
`` Prevention is always better than a cure and always cheaper generally , '' he says .
`` Had [ Vietnam ] had very large numbers of cases undoubtedly that system they put in place would have struggled .
`` [ But ] there is no comparison to the health-economic benefit of doing what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nguyen and Bui Thu of BBC News Vietnamese

While Vietnam's authoritarian government is well used to demanding compliance, Dr Pollack says the public largely rallied behind the government because they "saw that they were doing everything they could do and having success, and doing whatever it cost to protect the population".


bbc--2020-05-15--Premier League 'Project Restart' Q&A: We answer some of the key questions

The Premier League hopes for a return to action on 12 June , with matches played behind closed doors .
On Thursday , the UK government said it is `` opening the door '' for the return of professional football in England in June .
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said a meeting with the Football Association , Premier League and English Football League had `` progressed plans '' .
But where will matches be played ?
And do the players support the plans ?
We answer some of the key questions about 'Project Restart ' .
Do players and managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But concerns were expressed in meetings with both this week about the timescale for a return .
One Premier League manager has told BBC Sport many of his colleagues felt the proposed 12 June return date was too soon .
There are issues to be addressed with medical and training protocols , which are due to be voted on when the clubs meet again on Monday .
One club official said younger players were more likely to want to play than older ones , who are more likely to take a wider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't like the plan at all : `` I do n't care about the nations ' morale , '' he said on social media .
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said clubs would be liable in the event of their staff suffering Covid-19 related health issues .
`` We 've got to make sure that we take every reasonable precaution in making sure that the environment they 're being asked to return to is as safe as it can be , '' he said .
Where will games be held ?
The Premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own stadiums .
The initial pushback against an apparent government desire for matches to be played at eight to 10 neutral grounds was from the six clubs at the bottom of the table as the concept affected the 'sporting integrity ' of the league .
Now , faced with a £340m repayment to TV broadcasters even if matches go ahead , other problems have come to light that affect more clubs .
Emirates and Etihad Airlines , Amex , Vitality and King Power have spent huge sums for Premier League teams to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sponsors pay for their names to be placed on LCD advertising boards .
Clubs do n't want to be negotiating rebates .
Discussions with the authorities are on going .
What are the safety concerns around playing behind closed doors ?
The Premier League and its clubs have stressed , repeatedly , that they will only return when it is safe to do so - and have assured everyone they will not take resource away from the NHS .
However , any game requires ambulances to be present .
If the local NHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would have to be done so privately .
Greater Manchester Police are uncomfortable with the idea of matches being staged at stadiums in their locality and it will - potentially - divert resources away from areas where they are most needed .
Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium are home to two of the Premier League 's biggest clubs and suggested 'neutral venues ' if the decision was to go down that route .
What is the training protocol for players and how soon can they step it up to team training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information released to clubs , seen by the BBC , even extends to players being given a designated parking place at training grounds .
They must arrive in their kit , with their own towels and water bottles .
They will all be screened for Covid-19 symptoms every day and have been advised to wear snoods or masks at all times on the training field .
Training routines must involve players maintaining the two-metre social distancing rules and , initially , be restricted to small groups .
The hope is to move to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players and managers believe the lack of clarity around this creates uncertainty over when teams can realistically be expected to start playing competitive matches .
• Restrictions in place for team training under 'Project Restart' What is the testing programme and can it be implemented ?
All players will be screened and tested repeatedly .
It is estimated the Premier League are paying Hong Kong-based company Prenetics £4m for 40,000 home testing kits , with the information retained on a central data base .
Any player with symptoms must self-isolate for seven days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brighton have had three players so far - or has had close contact with someone who has tested positive , must self-isolate for 14 days .
Premier League clubs have some of the best medical facilities in the country .
They will feel they have all the equipment necessary to deal with the issues created by Covid-19 .
Before any player who has tested positive will be allowed to return to training , he will need to have a rigorous examination to ensure he is capable of high-intensity exercise .
This includes checking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests .
Will what happens in Germany have an impact here ?
Events around the Bundesliga resumption this weekend and beyond is bound to shape Premier League thinking .
It has been instructive that the 18 clubs have all stayed isolated in hotels this week to limit the chances of positive Covid-19 tests that would affect the resumption .
Numbers at grounds have been limited to fewer than 250 .
Outside of broadcasters , media representatives are restricted to 10 written journalists and one radio journalist .
Whether fans turn up at stadiums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which Bundesliga team should you support ?
• Augsburg boss to miss restart - because he bought toothpaste

Liverpool, chasing their first title for 30 years, lead the table by 25 points with nine games remaining
The Premier League hopes for a return to action on 12 June, with matches played behind closed doors.
On Thursday, the UK government said it is "opening the door" for the return of professional football in England in June.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said a meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League had "progressed plans".
But where will matches be played? And do the players support the plans? We answer some of the key questions about 'Project Restart'.
Do players and managers support the return?
Broadly, yes. But concerns were expressed in meetings with both this week about the timescale for a return.
One Premier League manager has told BBC Sport many of his colleagues felt the proposed 12 June return date was too soon.
There are issues to be addressed with medical and training protocols, which are due to be voted on when the clubs meet again on Monday.
One club official said younger players were more likely to want to play than older ones, who are more likely to take a wider view.
England defender Danny Rose doesn't like the plan at all: "I don't care about the nations' morale," he said on social media.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said clubs would be liable in the event of their staff suffering Covid-19 related health issues.
"We've got to make sure that we take every reasonable precaution in making sure that the environment they're being asked to return to is as safe as it can be," he said.
Where will games be held?
The Premier League clubs hope it will be at their own stadiums. The initial pushback against an apparent government desire for matches to be played at eight to 10 neutral grounds was from the six clubs at the bottom of the table as the concept affected the 'sporting integrity' of the league.
Now, faced with a £340m repayment to TV broadcasters even if matches go ahead, other problems have come to light that affect more clubs.
Emirates and Etihad Airlines, Amex, Vitality and King Power have spent huge sums for Premier League teams to play in stadiums named after them.
Sponsors pay for their names to be placed on LCD advertising boards. Clubs don't want to be negotiating rebates. Discussions with the authorities are on going.
What are the safety concerns around playing behind closed doors?
The Premier League and its clubs have stressed, repeatedly, that they will only return when it is safe to do so - and have assured everyone they will not take resource away from the NHS.
However, any game requires ambulances to be present. If the local NHS were not able to supply them, they would have to be done so privately.
Greater Manchester Police are uncomfortable with the idea of matches being staged at stadiums in their locality and it will - potentially - divert resources away from areas where they are most needed.
Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium are home to two of the Premier League's biggest clubs and suggested 'neutral venues' if the decision was to go down that route.
Manchester City's Etihad Stadium has been touted as a potential neutral venue, although Greater Manchester Police says officers are 'fearful' of fans turning up outside behind closed doors matches
What is the training protocol for players and how soon can they step it up to team training?
This is so detailed. The information released to clubs, seen by the BBC, even extends to players being given a designated parking place at training grounds.
They must arrive in their kit, with their own towels and water bottles. They will all be screened for Covid-19 symptoms every day and have been advised to wear snoods or masks at all times on the training field.
Training routines must involve players maintaining the two-metre social distancing rules and, initially, be restricted to small groups. The hope is to move to more group-based sessions quite quickly.
But players and managers believe the lack of clarity around this creates uncertainty over when teams can realistically be expected to start playing competitive matches.
What is the testing programme and can it be implemented?
All players will be screened and tested repeatedly. It is estimated the Premier League are paying Hong Kong-based company Prenetics £4m for 40,000 home testing kits, with the information retained on a central data base.
Any player with symptoms must self-isolate for seven days. Anyone confirmed as having coronavirus - Brighton have had three players so far - or has had close contact with someone who has tested positive, must self-isolate for 14 days.
What extra medical support is needed?
Premier League clubs have some of the best medical facilities in the country. They will feel they have all the equipment necessary to deal with the issues created by Covid-19.
Before any player who has tested positive will be allowed to return to training, he will need to have a rigorous examination to ensure he is capable of high-intensity exercise. This includes checking heart and lung function and having blood tests.
Will what happens in Germany have an impact here?
Events around the Bundesliga resumption this weekend and beyond is bound to shape Premier League thinking.
It has been instructive that the 18 clubs have all stayed isolated in hotels this week to limit the chances of positive Covid-19 tests that would affect the resumption. Numbers at grounds have been limited to fewer than 250.
Outside of broadcasters, media representatives are restricted to 10 written journalists and one radio journalist. Whether fans turn up at stadiums will be of major interest.


bbc--2020-05-15--Mike Tyson wows Donald Trump in a 'Greatest Fight' with Michael Spinks

The current US president demanded the ring at his Atlantic City casino be lowered so that the legendary American singer did not have to arch his neck for a view of the action .
After all that , Sinatra did not turn up on fight night - but Tyson did , with menace .
And Michael Spinks was there too , briefly .
It took 91 seconds .
Spinks never fought again .
A man with 34 straight wins , one of which had ended the 48-fight unbeaten record of Larry Holmes , was bowled over by fear , fury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpicked by Mike Costello , Steve Bunce and former world heavyweight champion David Haye as part of the new BBC Sounds Greatest Fights podcast - was the pinnacle for 'Iron Mike ' .
Thereafter a cocktail of mismanagement , distraction , defeat and prison would turn an unbeatable force into a fallible human .
Trump sat ringside .
The $ 11m he paid to stage the bout worked out at around $ 121,000 a second .
But the spotlight was on his resort and the Monday night fight allowed gamblers a full weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £282m ) in the city 's casinos , almost $ 130m ( £107m ) more than an average four-day take .
Tyson was bringing crowds - and fear - like no-one else in the fight business .
In the changing rooms , Tyson punches a hole in a wall after Spinks ' manager objects to the way his hands are gloved .
`` In the other changing room , the real story is how Spinks is falling apart , '' says Bunce .
`` Emanuel Steward said Spinks told him he was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room . ''
In his white gown , 31-year-old Spinks raises his hand in the ring .
Watching it back , Haye remarks : `` He just looked petrified , absolutely petrified .
I was about seven and remember fearing for him . ''
Tyson , three days short of his 22nd birthday , is pushed by a security-heavy entourage of around 100 through the crowds .
The eerie accompanying music conveys to the 22,000 attendees that something menacing is in the air .
Ring announcer Michael Buffer has already reeled off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sinatra may be missing but actor Jack Nicholson looks on as Muhammad Ali - who tipped Spinks to win - stands in the ring and tells his pick to hit and move .
Within 45 seconds Spinks throws a right hand and Tyson ducks it before hammering back .
If Spinks was tentative initially , such moments suck away even the faintest belief .
Tyson picked up $ 22m for beating Spinks and held the three major heavyweight belts at the time .
'Iron Mike ' had it all .
But within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heading for divorce , manager Bill Cayton was ousted and long-time trainer Kevin Rooney - who had steered Tyson 's career following the death of former trainer and father figure Cus D'Amato - was replaced .
The few elements of consistency in an otherwise chaotic life had disappeared .
Within two years his titles were gone too , surrendered to James 'Buster ' Douglas in one of sport 's greatest shocks .
A fighter who had become an icon for a generation of young would-be boxers had already seen his best days come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having that impact surely he belongs in the top 10 heavyweights of all time but the argument against that is that on those nights he was really asked to find something he did n't , '' Costello says .
Haye replies : `` I find it hard to say someone is in the top five of all time if they have never had to come back to win .
`` He was a baby in boxing terms , but at 21 he peaked .
Had he had Rooney in the corner , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he could have been number one , without a doubt . ''
Less than four years after that night in Atlantic City , Tyson was imprisoned for rape .
After his release a brief reign as world champion would be followed by losses to the likes of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis .
A career that promised everything , and delivered plenty , left behind too the disappointment of potential unfulfilled .
`` Listen kid , it 's not how good you 're doing , it 's how long you 're doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We will never know how good Tyson might have gone on to be .
But on the night in Atlantic City that Sinatra missed , he did not need long to do good .

Ex-world heavyweight champion David Haye speaks about Mike Tyson’s legacy
This was the greatest version of Mike Tyson, and Donald Trump wanted to make sure Frank Sinatra could see it.
The current US president demanded the ring at his Atlantic City casino be lowered so that the legendary American singer did not have to arch his neck for a view of the action.
After all that, Sinatra did not turn up on fight night - but Tyson did, with menace. And Michael Spinks was there too, briefly.
It took 91 seconds. Spinks never fought again. A man with 34 straight wins, one of which had ended the 48-fight unbeaten record of Larry Holmes, was bowled over by fear, fury and ferocity.
The 1988 bout - unpicked by Mike Costello, Steve Bunce and former world heavyweight champion David Haye as part of the new BBC Sounds Greatest Fights podcast - was the pinnacle for 'Iron Mike'.
Thereafter a cocktail of mismanagement, distraction, defeat and prison would turn an unbeatable force into a fallible human.
Trump sat ringside. The $11m he paid to stage the bout worked out at around $121,000 a second.
But the spotlight was on his resort and the Monday night fight allowed gamblers a full weekend to wager an estimated $344m (£282m) in the city's casinos, almost $130m (£107m) more than an average four-day take.
Tyson was bringing crowds - and fear - like no-one else in the fight business.
Feel the fear
Promoters Don King (left) and Butch Lewis (right) worked with Donald Trump to deliver the fight in Atlantic City
In the changing rooms, Tyson punches a hole in a wall after Spinks' manager objects to the way his hands are gloved.
"In the other changing room, the real story is how Spinks is falling apart," says Bunce. "Emanuel Steward said Spinks told him he was not going to be able to leave that room."
In his white gown, 31-year-old Spinks raises his hand in the ring. Watching it back, Haye remarks: "He just looked petrified, absolutely petrified. I was about seven and remember fearing for him."
Tyson, three days short of his 22nd birthday, is pushed by a security-heavy entourage of around 100 through the crowds. The eerie accompanying music conveys to the 22,000 attendees that something menacing is in the air.
Ring announcer Michael Buffer has already reeled off the names of around 80 celebrities at ringside. Sinatra may be missing but actor Jack Nicholson looks on as Muhammad Ali - who tipped Spinks to win - stands in the ring and tells his pick to hit and move.
Within 45 seconds Spinks throws a right hand and Tyson ducks it before hammering back. If Spinks was tentative initially, such moments suck away even the faintest belief.
"The punches Spinks are throwing are 'stay away from me' punches, 'how long can I last punches'," remarks Haye.
Actors Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty were among the famous faces ringside in Atlantic City
A left uppercut followed by a right to the body sends Spinks down for the first time as a professional. He nods, steps forward and instantly walks into a right hand that ends the show.
Brief it may have been, but Ring Magazine named it round of the year. Spinks would later admit: "Fear was knocking at my door big time."
Costello says: "It was one of the most destructive performances in the history of the heavyweight division."
Haye replies: "I think this was the best Tyson there ever was. At this stage he is as unbeatable as you can ever imagine any fighter in history ever being. Prime Lennox Lewis, prime Muhammad Ali - whoever you say, they are going to have one of the hardest nights of their life against this guy."
Tyson had 35 wins and seemed unstoppable. He used his press conference to ask journalists why they ignored his boxing ability and only gave him credit for his ferocious knockouts.
Bunce adds: "There was no-one at that time talking of what we talk about now - a great defensive boxer. All they talked about was annihilation.
"That Tyson belongs with the greatest on great nights. Unfortunately where he went after that, with each calamity and disgrace, he starts to issue himself with an exit warrant from any top list. But on that night, that was a fighter that could go anywhere."
Sinatra's advice unheeded
Tyson moved on to 35 wins from 35 fights by beating Spinks
Tyson picked up $22m for beating Spinks and held the three major heavyweight belts at the time. 'Iron Mike' had it all.
But within months he and actress Robin Givens were heading for divorce, manager Bill Cayton was ousted and long-time trainer Kevin Rooney - who had steered Tyson's career following the death of former trainer and father figure Cus D'Amato - was replaced.
The few elements of consistency in an otherwise chaotic life had disappeared. Within two years his titles were gone too, surrendered to James 'Buster' Douglas in one of sport's greatest shocks.
A fighter who had become an icon for a generation of young would-be boxers had already seen his best days come and go.
"If he is having that impact surely he belongs in the top 10 heavyweights of all time but the argument against that is that on those nights he was really asked to find something he didn't," Costello says.
Haye replies: "I find it hard to say someone is in the top five of all time if they have never had to come back to win.
"He was a baby in boxing terms, but at 21 he peaked. Had he had Rooney in the corner, people looking after him and investing his money, he could have been number one, without a doubt."
Less than four years after that night in Atlantic City, Tyson was imprisoned for rape. After his release a brief reign as world champion would be followed by losses to the likes of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. A career that promised everything, and delivered plenty, left behind too the disappointment of potential unfulfilled.
"Listen kid, it's not how good you're doing, it's how long you're doing good," Sinatra once told Tyson.
We will never know how good Tyson might have gone on to be.
But on the night in Atlantic City that Sinatra missed, he did not need long to do good.