bbc--2020-01-15--Red Sox sack manager Cora for 'sign-stealing' role

The Boston Red Sox have sacked manager Alex Cora as a result of his role in the `` sign-stealing '' scandal during his time as Houston Astros bench coach .
Cora , 44 , managed the Red Sox to a World Series victory in 2018 .
But a Major League Baseball ( MLB ) investigation into the Astros found he played a key role in the use of a camera to steal signs being given by catchers to pitchers in 2017 .
A separate MLB investigation into the Red Sox is yet to conclude .
`` This is a sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sox said in a statement .
`` Given the findings and the commissioner 's ruling , we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways . ''
MLB suspended Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch for a year without pay for their role in the scandal , and the pair were subsequently fired by team owner Jim Crane .
The Astros were also fined $ 5m ( £3.8m ) , and made to surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 times in the nine-page report , MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he would defer any disciplinary action on the Boston manager until the ongoing investigation into the Red Sox - over the alleged use of their video replay room to steal signs during their 2018 title-winning season - was completed .
Cora , whose playing career included four seasons with the Red Sox , had been Hinch 's number two during 2017 , when the Astros won the World Series - before returning to Fenway as manager , where he won baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said : `` I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward .
`` My two years as manager were the best years of my life .
It was an honour to manage these teams and help bring a World Series championship back to Boston .
This is a special place .
There is nothing like it in all of baseball , and I will miss it dearly . ''
It happens when teams monitor what finger signs a catcher is using to request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , curveball or slider - from his pitcher .
MLB rules prohibit the use of electronic equipment to steal signs but otherwise the practice , while frowned upon , is not against the rules .
A report in The Athletic claimed the Astros would monitor catchers ' signals via a camera in the outfield , before banging on a rubbish bin inside the clubhouse to signal to the batter that an off-speed pitch was expected .
A subsequent story , also in The Athletic , alleged that Boston players had visited their video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team-mates on the field .
Back in September 2017 , the Red Sox were fined by MLB for using an Apple Watch to steal signs from the New York Yankees .
After that incident , MLB issued a specific warning to all 30 teams over technology .

Last updated on .From the section Baseball
Cora left the Houston Astros to manage the Boston Red Sox in 2018
The Boston Red Sox have sacked manager Alex Cora as a result of his role in the "sign-stealing" scandal during his time as Houston Astros bench coach.
Cora, 44, managed the Red Sox to a World Series victory in 2018.
But a Major League Baseball (MLB) investigation into the Astros found he played a key role in the use of a camera to steal signs being given by catchers to pitchers in 2017.
A separate MLB investigation into the Red Sox is yet to conclude.
"This is a sad day for us," the Red Sox said in a statement. "Given the findings and the commissioner's ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways."
MLB suspended Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch for a year without pay for their role in the scandal, and the pair were subsequently fired by team owner Jim Crane.
The Astros were also fined $5m (£3.8m), and made to surrender draft picks.
While Cora was mentioned 11 times in the nine-page report, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he would defer any disciplinary action on the Boston manager until the ongoing investigation into the Red Sox - over the alleged use of their video replay room to steal signs during their 2018 title-winning season - was completed.
Cora, whose playing career included four seasons with the Red Sox, had been Hinch's number two during 2017, when the Astros won the World Series - before returning to Fenway as manager, where he won baseball's biggest prize again a year later.
He said: "I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward.
"My two years as manager were the best years of my life. It was an honour to manage these teams and help bring a World Series championship back to Boston. This is a special place. There is nothing like it in all of baseball, and I will miss it dearly."
What is 'sign stealing'?
It happens when teams monitor what finger signs a catcher is using to request specific deliveries - such as a fastball, curveball or slider - from his pitcher.
MLB rules prohibit the use of electronic equipment to steal signs but otherwise the practice, while frowned upon, is not against the rules.
A report in The Athletic claimed the Astros would monitor catchers' signals via a camera in the outfield, before banging on a rubbish bin inside the clubhouse to signal to the batter that an off-speed pitch was expected.
A subsequent story, also in The Athletic, alleged that Boston players had visited their video replay room, before relaying information to team-mates on the field.
Back in September 2017, the Red Sox were fined by MLB for using an Apple Watch to steal signs from the New York Yankees.
After that incident, MLB issued a specific warning to all 30 teams over technology.


bbc--2020-01-15--Ben Stokes: England all-rounder named ICC player of the year

England all-rounder Ben Stokes been named as player of the year by the International Cricket Council .
Stokes , 28 , was man of the match as England won their first men 's World Cup in a dramatic super over against New Zealand in July .
He also scored an unbeaten 135 in England 's thrilling final-day victory over Australia at Headingley in August , though the tourists retained the Ashes .
`` The last 12 months have been the best in my career , '' Stokes said .
`` There is an incredible bond between team-mates .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together . ''
England begin the third Test against South Africa on Thursday , with the four-match series level at 1-1 .
Stokes was the only England player to be named in the ICC 's Test team of the year .
The Durham player was also included in the one-day team of the year , along with England team-mate Jos Buttler .
Australia pace bowler Pat Cummins was named Test player of the year , while India 's Rohit Sharma was the one-day player of the year .
India captain Virat Kohli was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking fans not to boo Australia batsman Steve Smith - who was returning after a year-long ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal - during the teams ' World Cup match at The Oval .
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer was named as associate player of the year .
Stokes made an emotional post on Instagram thanking people for their support after his father , Ged , fell ill in South Africa .
He wrote : `` He continues to improve day by day but it 's going to be a slow process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nails and does n't like to give in .
`` The love has been very much needed and very much appreciated . ''
• Why we should enjoy the latest ride on the England rollercoaster

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Ben Stokes was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December
England all-rounder Ben Stokes been named as player of the year by the International Cricket Council.
Stokes, 28, was man of the match as England won their first men's World Cup in a dramatic super over against New Zealand in July.
He also scored an unbeaten 135 in England's thrilling final-day victory over Australia at Headingley in August, though the tourists retained the Ashes.
"The last 12 months have been the best in my career," Stokes said.
"There is an incredible bond between team-mates. It is satisfying you can accomplish these superb highs together."
England begin the third Test against South Africa on Thursday, with the four-match series level at 1-1.
Stokes was the only England player to be named in the ICC's Test team of the year.
The Durham player was also included in the one-day team of the year, along with England team-mate Jos Buttler.
Australia pace bowler Pat Cummins was named Test player of the year, while India's Rohit Sharma was the one-day player of the year.
India captain Virat Kohli was given the Spirit of Cricket award for asking fans not to boo Australia batsman Steve Smith - who was returning after a year-long ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal - during the teams' World Cup match at The Oval.
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer was named as associate player of the year.
The women's awards had been announced in mid-December, with Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry winning the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the ICC female cricketer of the year.
Stokes made an emotional post on Instagram thanking people for their support after his father, Ged, fell ill in South Africa.
He wrote: "He continues to improve day by day but it's going to be a slow process for him but he's hard as nails and doesn't like to give in.
"The love has been very much needed and very much appreciated."


bbc--2020-01-15--Federer, Williams, Djokovic & Nadal raise bushfire appeal money

A number of tennis greats played in a charity match to take the amount of money raised for the bushfire appeal to over 4m Australian dollars .
Home player Nick Kyrgios raised A $ 1,600 ( £954 ) in aces alone at Wednesday 's Rally for Relief , while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - who between them have won 39 Grand Slams - joined together to donate A $ 250,000 ( £132,285 ) .
The firefighters in attendance were given a lengthy , standing ovation by the crowd , while one joined Nadal on court to play doubles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't even go outside .
It was emotional , '' said Kyrgios , who made the first pledge to the appeal .
`` I 'm so happy we had Roger , Rafa , Novak [ Djokovic ] - some of the greats to get behind it .
We 're doing everything we possibly can to overcome this together . ''
A number of players have pledged to donate money for each ace they hit while in Australia , including all those involved in the exhibition match .
Ongoing bushfires in the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed an estimated 10 million hectares ( 100,000 sq km ) of land .
Australian Open qualifying has also been affected by smoke in Melbourne , with the city 's air quality rated `` very poor '' on Wednesday .
The two teams for the doubles were : Kyrgios , representing Team Wozniacki , then played a singles match against Federer for Team Williams , with the Swiss winning 7-6 ( 7-4 ) .
Team Williams were also the overall winners .
American Williams , a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to meet the firefighters .
`` For 20 years , this has been my home .
We 're all here tonight to support and help out , '' she added .

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
A number of tennis greats played in a charity match to take the amount of money raised for the bushfire appeal to over 4m Australian dollars.
Home player Nick Kyrgios raised A$1,600 (£954) in aces alone at Wednesday's Rally for Relief, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - who between them have won 39 Grand Slams - joined together to donate A$250,000 (£132,285).
The firefighters in attendance were given a lengthy, standing ovation by the crowd, while one joined Nadal on court to play doubles.
"Back home in Canberra, I couldn't even go outside. It was emotional," said Kyrgios, who made the first pledge to the appeal.
"I'm so happy we had Roger, Rafa, Novak [Djokovic] - some of the greats to get behind it. We're doing everything we possibly can to overcome this together."
A number of players external-link have pledged to donate money for each ace they hit while in Australia, including all those involved in the exhibition match.
Ongoing bushfires in the country have killed at least 28 people and destroyed an estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land.
Australian Open qualifying has also been affected by smoke in Melbourne, with the city's air quality rated "very poor" on Wednesday.
The two teams for the doubles were:
Team Serena Williams: Dominic Thiem, Petra Kvitova, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal.
Team Caroline Wozniacki: Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Naomi Osaka.
Kyrgios, representing Team Wozniacki, then played a singles match against Federer for Team Williams, with the Swiss winning 7-6 (7-4). Team Williams were also the overall winners.
American Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, said she had taken her daughter, Olympia, to meet the firefighters.
"For 20 years, this has been my home. We're all here tonight to support and help out," she added.
Rafael Nadal teamed up with one of the firefighters
Novak Djokovic played doubles with Rafael Nadal
Team Williams were the eventual victors
Stefanos Tsitsipas stood in as a ball boy
Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova have pledged money for each ace they hit in Australia
Naomi Osaka (right) is the Australian Open champion
Petra Kvitova and Rafael Nadal both reached the Australian Open final in 2019


bbc--2020-01-15--Man Utd v Wolves quiz: Which players come out on top?

Premier League rivals Manchester United and Wolves face each other in an FA Cup third-round replay at Old Trafford on @ @ @ @ @ are becoming familiar foes - with this the second of three meetings in the space @ @ @ @ @ you know all about both teams ' players ?
Test your knowledge with our quiz @

Last updated on .From the section FA Cup
Wolves and Manchester United must play again after their FA Cup third-round game on 4 January ended goalless
Premier League rivals Manchester United and Wolves face each other in an FA Cup third-round replay at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The two sides are becoming familiar foes - with this the second of three meetings in the space of four weeks.
Think you know all about both teams' players? Test your knowledge with our quiz.


bbc--2020-01-15--Trump impeachment: House sends historic case to Senate

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution to submit articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate for a trial .
The resolution passed largely along party lines by 228 votes to 193 .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed copies of the articles alongside the team of Democratic lawmakers who will prosecute the case against Mr Trump .
The House , controlled by opposition Democrats , impeached the president last month .
The Senate , controlled by Mr Trump 's Republican Party , will decide whether to convict and remove him from office .
At a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles , Mrs Pelosi said : `` Today we will make history .
When the managers walk down the hall , we will cross a threshold in history - delivering articles of impeachment against the president of the United States for abuse of power and obstruction of the House . ''
The articles were then transferred to the Senate , where Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said they would be exhibited on Thursday at noon , followed by a reading on the floor of the upper chamber .
He said the trial would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
He denies trying to pressure Ukraine 's leader during a phone call on 25 July last year to open an investigation into his would-be Democratic White House challenger Joe Biden .
Mr Trump has been touting unsubstantiated corruption claims about Mr Biden and his son , Hunter , who accepted a lucrative board position with a Ukrainian energy firm while his father handled American-Ukraine relations as US vice-president .
Mr Biden is one of a dozen candidates campaigning for the Democratic Party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be only the third of a US president in history .
Will he be removed from office ?
While Democrats control the House , Mr Trump 's fellow Republicans hold sway in the Senate 53-47 and are all but certain to acquit him .
It remains to be seen how the case could influence the president 's campaign for re-election this November .
Democrats hope the impeachment will carry symbolic weight .
Mrs Pelosi , who launched the impeachment inquiry in September , said on the House floor before the vote : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very important threshold in American history . ''
All Republicans voted against the resolution to transmit the articles of impeachment .
Only one Democrat , Collin Peterson of Minnesota , did not vote in favour .
Democrats were joined by Justin Amash of Michigan , a former Republican who left the party to become an independent .
The Republican leader in the House , Kevin McCarthy of California , said Democrats were trying to remove the president with the `` weakest case '' .
He called it a `` sad saga '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mrs Pelosi appeared earlier at a news conference with the seven `` managers '' who will prosecute the Democratic case against the Republican president .
They will be led by Adam Schiff , the chairman of the House intelligence committee .
The six others are Jerrold Nadler , head of the House judiciary committee ; Hakeem Jeffries of New York ; Zoe Lofgren of California ; Jason Crow of Colorado ; Val Demings of Florida ; and Sylvia Garcia of Texas .
The seven will ceremonially walk the articles of impeachment across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
White House lawyers Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow have been tipped to lead the president 's defence team .
The Republican leader of the Senate , Mitch McConnell , said opening statements in the trial were expected next Tuesday .
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will be sworn in to preside , and he will administer an oath to all 100 senators to deliver `` impartial justice '' as jurors .
Mr McConnell angered senior Democrats when he appeared to abandon that responsibility , saying Senate Republicans would act in lockstep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event at the White House , Mr Trump rejected the impeachment charges as a `` hoax '' .
The Senate trial could still be under way in early February when Iowa and New Hampshire hold the first contests to pick the eventual Democratic presidential candidate .
Mrs Pelosi defended her decision to hold off submitting the impeachment articles to Congress for more than three weeks as she quarrelled with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell about the trial rules , and even fellow Democrats urged her to stop stalling .
`` Time has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it has yielded incriminating evidence , more truth into the public domain , '' she told reporters .
As Mrs Pelosi spoke , Mr Trump tweeted to call the process a `` Con Job by the Do Nothing Democrats '' .
Will there be witnesses ?
One of the biggest sticking points between House Democrats and Senate Republicans is over what testimony will be allowed at the trial .
The Senate 's trial plan will guarantee votes on whether to call witnesses and hear new evidence , Republican senators Lindsey Graham and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes just 51 votes to approve rules or call witnesses , meaning four Republican senators would have to side with Democrats to insist on testimony .
The White House is understood to have identified several possible defectors in the Republican ranks , including Ms Collins and Mr Romney .
The others are Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Cory Gardner of Colorado and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee , who is retiring this year .
Ms Collins said : `` My position is that there should be a vote on whether or not witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he wants to hear from John Bolton , the former National Security Adviser , who has said he would only testify if served a legal summons .
`` I expect that barring some kind of surprise .
I 'll be voting in favour of hearing from witnesses after those opening arguments , '' Mr Romney said .
Republicans say that if witnesses are allowed , they may try to subpoena Mr Biden and his son , and the unidentified government whistleblower whose complaint about Mr Trump sparked the whole impeachment inquiry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters on Wednesday that the president would have the right to call witnesses should the Democrats do so , adding that it would be `` extraordinarily unlikely '' for the trial to run beyond two weeks .
Who are the House managers ?
Adam Schiff , 59 , ( California ) a Harvard-educated lawyer who presided over much of the House impeachment inquiry Jerry Nadler , 72 , ( New York ) , the judiciary committee chairman who has been an adversary of Mr Trump since the 1980s Zoe Lofgren , 72 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Nixon 's impeachment inquiry , she voted against President Clinton 's impeachment Hakeem Jeffries , 49 , ( New York ) , a corporate lawyer by training and chairman of the Democratic caucus Val Demings , 62 , ( Florida ) who was the first female police chief in Orlando .
She sits on the judiciary and intelligence committees Jason Crow , 40 , ( Colorado ) a former Army Ranger and Afghan and Iraq wars veteran who wrested a seat from a Republican in 2018 Sylvia Garcia , 69 , ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a judge for the Houston municipal court system Want to find out more ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : If you want a basic take , this one 's for you • GO DEEPER : Here 's a 100 , 300 and 800-word summary of the story • A STATE DIVIDED : What New Hampshire makes of it • YOUR QUESTIONS : Will Trump really testify ?
• CASE FOR & AGAINST : What legal scholars say about Trump conduct

At a press conference before the signing of the articles, Mrs Pelosi said: "Today we will make history. When the managers walk down the hall, we will cross a threshold in history - delivering articles of impeachment against the president of the United States for abuse of power and obstruction of the House."


bbc--2020-01-15--Epstein 'abuse' revealed in Virgin Islands lawsuit

Financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused girls as young as 12 on his private islands , the US Virgin Islands prosecutor has claimed .
Epstein , who died in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial for abuse dating back to 2005 , is alleged to have trafficked girls as recently as 2018 .
The lawsuit against his estate says the girls were `` lured and recruited '' to his Caribbean home and forced into sex .
This is the first lawsuit filed against Epstein in the US Virgin Islands .
The suit seeks to seize part of his $ 577m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private islands , Little Saint James and Great Saint James .
The two islands are estimated to be worth $ 86m .
• The case of Jeffrey Epstein - in 300 words '' Epstein clearly used the Virgin Islands and his residence in the US Virgin Islands at Little Saint James as a way to be able to conceal and to be able to expand his activity here , '' US Virgin Islands prosecutor Denise N George says in the suit .
`` Epstein and his associated trafficked underage girls to the Virgin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexually abused them , causing them grave physical , mental and emotional injury . ''
As recently as July 2017 , Epstein refused to allow an official to enter his Little Saint James island for routine monitoring of the registered sex offender , the lawsuit claims .
He is also accused of using fake visas to traffic women and girls , several of them aspiring models , in and out of the island territory and using a computerised database in order to track his victims ' movements on his island .
In one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-year-old girl attempted to swim away from Epstein 's island after she was forced to engage in sex acts with Epstein and others .
In that case , she was captured and had her passport confiscated by Epstein , the suit claims .
Epstein 's legal permanent residence was registered to the Virgin Islands .
In the days before his suicide in jail , he filed an updated version of his will to the US island territory .

"Epstein clearly used the Virgin Islands and his residence in the US Virgin Islands at Little Saint James as a way to be able to conceal and to be able to expand his activity here," US Virgin Islands prosecutor Denise N George says in the suit.


bbc--2020-01-15--Russian government resigns as Vladimir Putin plans future

Russia 's government has resigned , hours after President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes that could prolong his stay in power .
If approved by the public , the proposals would transfer power from the presidency to parliament .
Mr Putin is due to step down in 2024 when his fourth term of office comes to an end .
But there is speculation he could seek a new role or hold on to power behind the scenes .
Mr Putin put forward his plans in his annual state of the nation address to lawmakers .
Later , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that the government was resigning to help facilitate the changes .
• What is Russia 's Putin up to ?
Russian government sources told the BBC that ministers did not know about the government 's resignation ahead of the announcement .
`` It was a complete surprise , '' one source said .
The Russian leader said during a speech to both chambers of parliament that there would be a nationwide vote on changes that would shift power from the presidency to parliament .
Constitutional reforms included giving the lower house of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater responsibility '' for the appointment of the prime minister and the cabinet .
Currently , the president appoints the prime minister , and the Duma approves the decision .
Mr Putin also suggested an increased role for an advisory body called the State Council .
The council , which is currently chaired by Mr Putin , comprises the heads of Russia 's federal regions .
Mr Putin said it had proved to be `` highly effective '' .
• Amending the rules that limit presidents to two consecutive terms • Strengthening laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign citizenship or foreign residency permits What was the response ?
Mr Medvedev made his announcement on state television with President Putin sitting next to him .
`` These changes , when they are adopted ... will introduce substantial changes not only to an entire range of articles of the constitution , but also to the entire balance of power , the power of the executive , the power of the legislature , the power of judiciary , '' Mr Medvedev said of Mr Putin 's proposals .
`` In this context ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigned . ''
Mr Putin thanked Mr Medvedev for his work but said `` not everything '' had been accomplished .
He asked Mr Medvedev to become deputy head of the National Security Council , which is chaired by Mr Putin .
The president later nominated tax service chief Mikhail Mishustin to replace Mr Medvedev as prime minister .
Mr Medvedev has been prime minister for several years .
He previously served as president from 2008-2012 , switching roles with Mr Putin - a close ally - after the latter served his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitution only allows presidents to serve two consecutive terms .
Even when he was prime minister , Mr Putin was widely seen as the power behind then President Medvedev .
Opposition leader and leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said he believed that any referendum on the constitutional changes would be `` fraudulent crap '' .
He said Mr Putin 's goal was to be `` sole leader for life '' .
The last time Russia held a referendum was in 1993 when it adopted the constitution under President Boris Yeltsin , Mr Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president following Mr Yeltsin 's resignation in 1999 and was formally inaugurated a year later .
He has held the reins of power - as president or prime minister - ever since .
President Putin likes stability .
It 's his thing .
So the newsflash that the entire government had resigned was a big surprise .
From the online chatter , it seems even the cabinet ministers did n't see it coming .
For a moment it was like a flashback to Russia of the 1990s , when President Yeltsin changed prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin is no Yeltsin , though , and this move looks like part of some bigger plan that 's all about consolidating - and extending - his hold on power .
Under the current rules , Mr Putin must step down as president in 2024 and it 's never been clear what he 'd do next .
That 's still true .
But the constitutional tweaks he 's proposed are hints at some options .
He 's bumped up the status of the little-known State Council , which he already heads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ now he 's slightly weakened the powers of Russia 's president .
If he is sticking around , perhaps he needs to make that palatable to people given all the social and economic problems he had to list once again in his annual address to the nation .
If Mr Putin were to blame for their woes , Russians might well wonder why they should swallow him staying on , post-2024 .
Dmitry Medvedev - so often useful to Mr Putin - for now looks like a handy scapegoat .
What else did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to parliament , the president unveiled a series of plans to increase the number of children being born in Russia .
Like several Eastern European states , Russia has been struggling with a declining birth rate .
On Wednesday he pledged state funding for new mothers in a bid to increase the number of children being born from an average of fewer than 1.5 per woman to 1.7 within four years .
So-called `` maternity capital '' has until now only been paid to families with at least two children .
Welfare benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three to seven in low-income families , and free school meals will be provided for the first four years of school .
Russia 's population has struggled to recover from a dramatic decline in the 1990s .

If he is sticking around, perhaps he needs to make that palatable to people given all the social and economic problems he had to list once again in his annual address to the nation. If Mr Putin were to blame for their woes, Russians might well wonder why they should swallow him staying on, post-2024. Dmitry Medvedev - so often useful to Mr Putin - for now looks like a handy scapegoat.


bbc--2020-01-15--What is Russia's Putin up to?

What is Russia's Putin up to?

It came out of nowhere .
Even ministers in the Russian government apparently did not see their departure coming .
Was it a case of a new working year in Moscow - out with the old and in with the new ?
But it was clear Vladimir Putin , 67 , had change in mind .
With four years to go before he leaves office , and 20 years already served , it was clear he was planning ahead .
A new government , led by Mikhail Mishustin , a technocrat who turned Russia 's hated tax service into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man who has worked hand in glove with Mr Putin since he became president .
Dmitry Medvedev even filled in as president for four years , because under the constitution Mr Putin could not .
Mr Medvedev , the unpopular head of the United Russia party , is not going away , but his new role as deputy head of Russia 's security council is far more behind the scenes .
`` It 's a golden parachute .
It means he is in reserve , as the security council is Putin 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center .
Mr Putin is coming to the same point he reached after his second term , when Dmitry Medvedev deputised for him .
But this time the president will not take a false backseat as prime minister .
It now appears that Mr Putin 's fourth term as president will be his last .
So what does he want instead ?
On the face of it , it means more powers for parliament - selecting the prime minister and approving the cabinet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't happen yet .
Mr Putin has chosen Mr Medvedev 's successor and parliament will have to ratify him .
As for any further powers for parliament , that is still unclear .
`` They 'll be the same MPs , not much will change , '' says Sergei Goryashko of BBC Russian .
What President Putin is suggesting is a public vote on changing the constitution - the first such vote since 1993 .
One of the standout proposals is making the State Council a formal government agency enshrined in the constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory body packed with 85 regional governors and other officials including political party leaders .
It is so large that when it meets it fills a hall in the Kremlin .
But Mr Putin clearly has designs on its future .
One theory is that he could become a new , powerful leader of the State Council .
`` The very fact he 's started a discussion on the State Council is that he 's maybe trying to create another place where power resides , where he can step above the presidential post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin wants to remain in power , the question is how , says Sergei Goryashko .
We are now almost sure he will not remain president after 2024 , it is which role he chooses to fill .
It could even be in his existing role as head of the security council .
Sam Greene , head of the Russia Institute at King 's College London , believes that elites looking to secure their future after 2024 will `` now have to play on at least three chess boards simultaneously '' - defining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , the State Council and Mr Putin himself .
Using a similar analogy , commentator Konstantin Eggert said it was the `` same meaningless chess designed to imitate novelty '' while ultimately preserving the status quo .
What reaction has there been ?
For Alexei Navalny , the biggest opposition threat to President Putin , this marks a return to Soviet-style politics and any vote on changes to the constitution would be a fraud .
Fellow activist Lyubov Sobol was equally scathing : `` Swapping some thieving guys for other thieving guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others compared the resignation of the widely unpopular Mr Medvedev to the fall of Mr Putin 's earlier prime minister , Mikhail Fradkov , a year before the president 's second term ended .
Although the new candidate is a respected technocrat who has reformed the tax service , he is little known .
Mr Fradkov was also replaced by an unknown , Viktor Zubkov , who lasted only a few months in the job .

What is Russia's Putin up to? Published 15 January 2020
Image source, EPA Image caption, Mr Medvedev (L) has been the president's right-hand man and will now take a backseat
It came out of nowhere. Even ministers in the Russian government apparently did not see their departure coming.
Was it a case of a new working year in Moscow - out with the old and in with the new?
But it was clear Vladimir Putin, 67, had change in mind. With four years to go before he leaves office, and 20 years already served, it was clear he was planning ahead.
A new government, led by Mikhail Mishustin, a technocrat who turned Russia's hated tax service into an efficient operation, and the end of a man who has worked hand in glove with Mr Putin since he became president.
Dmitry Medvedev even filled in as president for four years, because under the constitution Mr Putin could not.
Mr Medvedev, the unpopular head of the United Russia party, is not going away, but his new role as deputy head of Russia's security council is far more behind the scenes.
"It's a golden parachute. It means he is in reserve, as the security council is Putin's closest inner circle - his own mini-government," says Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center.
Mr Putin is coming to the same point he reached after his second term, when Dmitry Medvedev deputised for him. But this time the president will not take a false backseat as prime minister. It now appears that Mr Putin's fourth term as president will be his last.
So what does he want instead?
On the face of it, it means more powers for parliament - selecting the prime minister and approving the cabinet, for a start. But that won't happen yet. Mr Putin has chosen Mr Medvedev's successor and parliament will have to ratify him.
As for any further powers for parliament, that is still unclear. "They'll be the same MPs, not much will change," says Sergei Goryashko of BBC Russian.
What President Putin is suggesting is a public vote on changing the constitution - the first such vote since 1993.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Russians first got a sense of change in the air during Mr Putin's speech to both houses of parliament on Wednesday morning
One of the standout proposals is making the State Council a formal government agency enshrined in the constitution.
At the moment it is an advisory body packed with 85 regional governors and other officials including political party leaders. It is so large that when it meets it fills a hall in the Kremlin.
But Mr Putin clearly has designs on its future. One theory is that he could become a new, powerful leader of the State Council.
"The very fact he's started a discussion on the State Council is that he's maybe trying to create another place where power resides, where he can step above the presidential post," Mr Baunov suggests.
Mr Putin wants to remain in power, the question is how, says Sergei Goryashko. We are now almost sure he will not remain president after 2024, it is which role he chooses to fill. It could even be in his existing role as head of the security council.
Sam Greene, head of the Russia Institute at King's College London, believes that elites looking to secure their future after 2024 will "now have to play on at least three chess boards simultaneously" - defining the roles of the Duma (parliament), the State Council and Mr Putin himself.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Konstantin v. Eggert Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Konstantin v. Eggert
Using a similar analogy, commentator Konstantin Eggert said it was the "same meaningless chess designed to imitate novelty" while ultimately preserving the status quo.
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What reaction has there been?
For Alexei Navalny, the biggest opposition threat to President Putin, this marks a return to Soviet-style politics and any vote on changes to the constitution would be a fraud.
Fellow activist Lyubov Sobol was equally scathing: "Swapping some thieving guys for other thieving guys is neither reform nor regeneration."
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Mikhail Mishustin has been widely praised for reforming the tax service but is little known to most Russians
Others compared the resignation of the widely unpopular Mr Medvedev to the fall of Mr Putin's earlier prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov, a year before the president's second term ended.


bbc--2020-01-15--Harvey Weinstein trial: How do you select a jury?

Harvey Weinstein is about to go on trial - and 12 men and women in New York will be responsible for determining whether he is guilty .
Jury selection is currently under way , with the former Hollywood producer accused of five charges , including rape and predatory sexual assault relating to two alleged victims .
But finding impartial juries for such a high-profile case - one that galvanised the # MeToo movement across the world - could be difficult .
The court has summoned 2,000 potential jurors for the case - about five times more than normal - just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six alternate jurors .
And on the very first day of jury selection , a third of the potential jurors present were dismissed outright , after telling the judge they did not think they could be impartial .
`` The first few days of jury selection has already underscored just how challenging it 's going to be , '' Valerie Hans , a law professor and jury expert at Cornell University says .
`` When you have large numbers of people saying they ca n't be impartial , it 's a wakeup call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as generally fair . ''
Why is juror selection particularly difficult this time ?
Jury selection often takes no more than a few hours , or a day or two .
But the process can be much more drawn out , particularly in high-profile trials .
In the O.J .
Simpson murder trial , it took almost 11 weeks for a jury to be selected .
The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has allocated two weeks for jury selection , while the entire trial is expected to last up to two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be put off by the amount of time required .
And in this case , `` claims have been made against Weinstein by very high profile , high visibility people '' - there has been `` extensive publicity '' and a high number of claims against him , which could make jury selection even more difficult , Prof Hans said .
Xorje Olivares , who attended the court on 8 January as a prospective juror , was one of the dozens of people who ruled themselves out .
He told the BBC his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fact he knew several people who were sexual assault survivors , meant he felt he could not be impartial .
`` I personally felt nothing but disgust ... even being in the same room as him , I just felt very icky , '' Mr Olivares , who hosts a radio show , said .
`` I knew that I had these biased views , and I would bring them to the case . ''
How is the jury being selected - and what sort of jurors will Weinstein 's lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury selection , it 's actually a process of elimination .
Many prospective jurors are being dismissed from the outset - either because they say they can not be impartial , or because they have scheduling conflicts .
Those remaining are asked to complete a questionnaire , where they are asked about their education , prior jury service , whether they know people working in the entertainment industry , and whether they have been a victim of physical of sexual abuse .
• What you need to know about the trial Then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court , and get potential jurors dismissed if the judge agrees that they are not impartial - this is known as a challenge for cause .
In the US , lawyers are also allowed to remove a number of potential jurors without giving a reason ( known as a peremptory challenge ) , as long as it is n't on the basis of ethnicity or gender .
Peremptory challenges are controversial to some - the UK abolished them in 1988 - because critics believe that lawyers can try to skew juries in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury is fairer .
However , in the US , they 're considered an important part of the constitutional right to trial by an impartial jury .
In Mr Weinstein 's trial , lawyers on each side are allowed to dismiss up to 20 potential regular jurors , says Prof Hans .
Lawyers from both sides will try to establish a jury that they believe will be more favourable to their side .
The prosecution will want jurors who can relate to the alleged victims , while the defence will want jurors who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says Thaddeus Hoffmeister , a law professor at the University of Dayton .
He believes the prosecution may want to select younger jurors , due to their understanding of the # MeToo movement .
He adds that Mr Weinstein is `` in a unique position '' that `` a lot of people will have difficulty relating to '' .
`` You really would need a jury of CEOs , or people who have been in position of power . ''
What sorts of strategies could the lawyers use ?
Mr Weinstein 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expert who will assist the lawyers with jury selection , including through community surveys and developing profiles of favourable and unfavourable jurors .
They are also likely to search public social media postings from all prospective jurors to see whether they have commented on the # MeToo movement - although they are not allowed to `` friend '' jurors .
`` Each side will have an ideal juror they 're looking for , '' says Alan Tuerkheimer , a jury consultant .
However , they can not be too obvious about who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear they want a potential juror , the other side would `` probably strike them out '' .
Instead , he likens it to a `` chess game '' - where each side tries to guess which jurors are good for their opposition , and then dismiss them .
`` The defence are going to want jurors who believe women sometimes make things up to get powerful men in trouble ... the prosecution will want people who think that any questioning of the account of victims is off limits . ''
Prof Hans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research , can often help lawyers `` identify in advance people who will be close minded to their case '' .
This is particularly useful if it lets them ask the potential jurors questions that demonstrate to the judge that they are not impartial - because then they can be dismissed by a `` challenge for cause '' , without the lawyers using up one of their peremptory challenges .
Finally , with any high-profile trial , there is also the risk of `` stealth jurors '' - potential jurors with an agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell-all book afterwards .
`` If someone seems too eager to get on a jury , all parties should be careful , '' Mr Tuerkheimer says , adding that this has led to retrials in the past .
What is it like serving on a high-profile trial ?
In the US , the names of jurors are often publicly available - and former jurors have faced intense media attention , or fallen out with family and friends who disagree with their verdict .
James Matsumoto , who was jury foreman in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blagojevich , remembered that the court room was packed with journalists when he was questioned as a potential juror .
`` There must have been several hundred people on the courtroom at the time .
It was a little unnerving , because you do n't have anyone there with you in the jury box - you 're alone and handed a microphone so that everyone in the court room can hear what you have to say . ''
He believes that the high-profile nature of the trial helped focus the minds on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how important the case was .
One unexpected consequence was the fact that `` most people gained weight '' during the trial , which lasted nearly two months .
Jurors were sequestered during the day , and had to eat lunch together in court , which meant `` you 're not getting very much exercise , and it 's all fast food because you need something quick and near the court house '' .
He was surprised to find that journalists were even interested in finding out where the jury ordered lunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they were able to publish their lunch choices .
But the media attention became `` really intense '' once the trial ended - with the jury finding Blagojevich guilty on one count , but unable to reach an unanimous verdict on 23 other charges .
On his way home , he noticed `` a whole bunch of people standing in front of my house '' .
He said a reporter approached him , asking if he was James Matsumoto - and he tried to divert him by saying `` no , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - but ultimately he was still recognised .
`` That night the phone kept ringing and the answering machine became full .
My wife was n't expecting anything like that , so she was very upset with all the attention , '' he said .
Other jury members had journalists knocking at their doors - while one found a helicopter hovering over their home .
The trial made a lasting impression on Mr Matsumoto .
To this day , he says it bothers him that his jury was not able to reach a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a retrial a year later , Blagojevich was found guilty of 17 charges , and sentenced to 14 years in jail . )
Despite this , Mr Matsumoto says if asked to be a juror again , he would .
`` For me it was a good experience - I learned more about human nature than I did before , and the nature of truth . ''
`` Most Americans do n't want to serve on trials - but I think it 's our duty as citizens to be jurors . ''
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial is simple : `` Do everything the judge instructs , just pay attention , and deliberate with honesty . ''

Harvey Weinstein trial: Potential juror speaks of 'disgust' Published 15 January 2020
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Hundreds of potential jurors have said they cannot be impartial in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial
Harvey Weinstein is about to go on trial - and 12 men and women in New York will be responsible for determining whether he is guilty.
Jury selection is currently under way, with the former Hollywood producer accused of five charges, including rape and predatory sexual assault relating to two alleged victims.
But finding impartial juries for such a high-profile case - one that galvanised the #MeToo movement across the world - could be difficult.
The court has summoned 2,000 potential jurors for the case - about five times more than normal - just to find 12 suitable regular jurors and six alternate jurors.
And on the very first day of jury selection, a third of the potential jurors present were dismissed outright, after telling the judge they did not think they could be impartial.
"The first few days of jury selection has already underscored just how challenging it's going to be," Valerie Hans, a law professor and jury expert at Cornell University says.
"When you have large numbers of people saying they can't be impartial, it's a wakeup call - because most people think of themselves as generally fair."
Why is juror selection particularly difficult this time?
Image source, Getty Images / Reuters Image caption, Salma Hayek and Charlize Theron have been named as possible witnesses for the trial
Jury selection often takes no more than a few hours, or a day or two.
But the process can be much more drawn out, particularly in high-profile trials. In the O.J. Simpson murder trial, it took almost 11 weeks for a jury to be selected.
The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has allocated two weeks for jury selection, while the entire trial is expected to last up to two months - which means many potential jurors will be put off by the amount of time required.
And in this case, "claims have been made against Weinstein by very high profile, high visibility people" - there has been "extensive publicity" and a high number of claims against him, which could make jury selection even more difficult, Prof Hans said.
Xorje Olivares, who attended the court on 8 January as a prospective juror, was one of the dozens of people who ruled themselves out.
He told the BBC his support for the #MeToo movement, and the fact he knew several people who were sexual assault survivors, meant he felt he could not be impartial.
"I personally felt nothing but disgust... even being in the same room as him, I just felt very icky," Mr Olivares, who hosts a radio show, said. "I knew that I had these biased views, and I would bring them to the case."
On the other hand, supermodel Gigi Hadid - who had also reported for jury duty - told the court she could remain impartial, despite having met Weinstein and actress Salma Hayek, one of the trial's potential witnesses.
Hadid, who lives in Manhattan and studied criminal psychology, told the judge she would "keep an open mind on the facts" if selected - but she was dismissed on Thursday, 16 January, as the jury pool was whittled down.
How is the jury being selected - and what sort of jurors will Weinstein's lawyers want?
Although it's known as jury selection, it's actually a process of elimination.
Many prospective jurors are being dismissed from the outset - either because they say they cannot be impartial, or because they have scheduling conflicts.
Those remaining are asked to complete a questionnaire, where they are asked about their education, prior jury service, whether they know people working in the entertainment industry, and whether they have been a victim of physical or sexual abuse.
Then, lawyers for both sides can question them in court, and get potential jurors dismissed if the judge agrees that they are not impartial - this is known as a challenge for cause.
In the US, lawyers are also allowed to remove a number of potential jurors without giving a reason (known as a peremptory challenge), as long as it isn't on the basis of ethnicity or gender.
Peremptory challenges are controversial to some - the UK abolished them in 1988 - because critics believe that lawyers can try to skew juries in a particular way and a randomly selected jury is fairer.
However, in the US, they're considered an important part of the constitutional right to trial by an impartial jury.
In Mr Weinstein's trial, lawyers on each side are allowed to dismiss up to 20 potential regular jurors, says Prof Hans. Lawyers from both sides will try to establish a jury that they believe will be more favourable to their side.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Harvey Weinstein has been attending court with a zimmer frame
The prosecution will want jurors who can relate to the alleged victims, while the defence will want jurors who "see themselves as the defendant", says Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a law professor at the University of Dayton.
He believes the prosecution may want to select younger jurors, due to their understanding of the #MeToo movement.
He adds that Mr Weinstein is "in a unique position" that "a lot of people will have difficulty relating to".
"You really would need a jury of CEOs, or people who have been in position of power."
What sorts of strategies could the lawyers use?
Mr Weinstein's team has employed a jury consultant - an expert who will assist the lawyers with jury selection, including through community surveys and developing profiles of favourable and unfavourable jurors.
They are also likely to search public social media postings from all prospective jurors to see whether they have commented on the #MeToo movement - although they are not allowed to "friend" jurors.
"Each side will have an ideal juror they're looking for," says Alan Tuerkheimer, a jury consultant. However, they cannot be too obvious about who they want - because if it's clear they want a potential juror, the other side would "probably strike them out".
Instead, he likens it to a "chess game" - where each side tries to guess which jurors are good for their opposition, and then dismiss them.
"The defence are going to want jurors who believe women sometimes make things up to get powerful men in trouble... the prosecution will want people who think that any questioning of the account of victims is off limits."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, "Why I broke my silence over Weinstein" - an accuser talks about the criminal trial
Prof Hans says the questionnaire results, and online research, can often help lawyers "identify in advance people who will be close minded to their case".
This is particularly useful if it lets them ask the potential jurors questions that demonstrate to the judge that they are not impartial - because then they can be dismissed by a "challenge for cause", without the lawyers using up one of their peremptory challenges.
Finally, with any high-profile trial, there is also the risk of "stealth jurors" - potential jurors with an agenda, or who hope to write a tell-all book afterwards.
"If someone seems too eager to get on a jury, all parties should be careful," Mr Tuerkheimer says, adding that this has led to retrials in the past.
What is it like serving on a high-profile trial?
In the US, the names of jurors are often publicly available - and former jurors have faced intense media attention, or fallen out with family and friends who disagree with their verdict.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Harvey Weinstein's trial has attracted protesters
James Matsumoto, who was jury foreman in the first corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, remembered that the court room was packed with journalists when he was questioned as a potential juror.
"There must have been several hundred people on the courtroom at the time. It was a little unnerving, because you don't have anyone there with you in the jury box - you're alone and handed a microphone so that everyone in the court room can hear what you have to say."
He believes that the high-profile nature of the trial helped focus the minds on the jury, because it made them aware of how important the case was.
One unexpected consequence was the fact that "most people gained weight" during the trial, which lasted nearly two months.
Jurors were sequestered during the day, and had to eat lunch together in court, which meant "you're not getting very much exercise, and it's all fast food because you need something quick and near the court house".
He was surprised to find that journalists were even interested in finding out where the jury ordered lunch - considering it a "coup" when they were able to publish their lunch choices.
But the media attention became "really intense" once the trial ended - with the jury finding Blagojevich guilty on one count, but unable to reach an unanimous verdict on 23 other charges.
On his way home, he noticed "a whole bunch of people standing in front of my house".
He said a reporter approached him, asking if he was James Matsumoto - and he tried to divert him by saying "no, I think he lives down the block" - but ultimately he was still recognised.
"That night the phone kept ringing and the answering machine became full. My wife wasn't expecting anything like that, so she was very upset with all the attention," he said.
Other jury members had journalists knocking at their doors - while one found a helicopter hovering over their home.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Hired by Weinstein to extract information on celebrities
The trial made a lasting impression on Mr Matsumoto. To this day, he says it bothers him that his jury was not able to reach a consensus on the charges. (At a retrial a year later, Blagojevich was found guilty of 17 charges, and sentenced to 14 years in jail.)
Despite this, Mr Matsumoto says if asked to be a juror again, he would. "For me it was a good experience - I learned more about human nature than I did before, and the nature of truth."
"Most Americans don't want to serve on trials - but I think it's our duty as citizens to be jurors."


bbc--2020-01-15--Who wins and who loses from US-China trade deal?

After more than two years of rising tension , the US and China have signed a deal aimed at calming trade frictions .
The agreement has been hard-fought , but it is unclear how much economic relief from their trade war it will offer .
Tariffs - in some cases at a lower rate - will remain in place .
Analysts say it 's unlikely that the deal will produce gains sufficient to outweigh the losses already suffered .
We take a look at the winners and losers from the deal .
Some critics say there is little substance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US President Donald Trump to put the trade war behind him and claim an achievement heading into the 2020 presidential election .
That may be a relief : Polls show that most Americans agree with the president that China trades unfairly , but they generally support free trade and oppose tariffs .
Indeed , Republicans lost several congressional seats in 2018 - a change economists have linked to the trade war .
China appears set to emerge from the signing having agreed to terms it offered early in the process , including loosening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms .
In many cases , companies from other countries are already benefiting from the changes .
While President Xi can claim he did not simply bow to America 's demands , that does n't mean the Chinese are celebrating .
The Federal Reserve estimates that China 's economy has taken a 0.25 % hit , as US demand for its goods fell by about a third .
The new deal halves tariff rates on $ 120bn worth of goods , but most of the higher duties - which affect another $ 360bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100bn worth of US exports - remain in place .
And that 's bad news for the American public .
Economists have found that the costs - more than $ 40bn so far - are being borne entirely by US companies and consumers .
And that figure does not even try to measure lost business due to retaliation .
Overall , the Congressional Budget Office estimates that tariff-related uncertainty and costs have shaved 0.3 % off of US economic growth , while reducing household income by an average of $ 580 since 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account all new tariffs imposed since January 2018 - not just those involving China - but analysts say a more limited look would yield similar findings .
The new deal commits China to boost purchases in manufacturing , services , agriculture and energy from 2017 levels by $ 200bn over two years .
Mr Trump has said that could include as $ 50bn worth of agricultural goods a year .
But the official figures are lower , analysts are sceptical those are attainable and China has said the purchases will depend on market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect on business has been pain .
• Who loses out in the US-China trade war ?
Farmers , who have been targeted by China 's tariffs , have seen bankruptcies soar , prompting a $ 28bn federal bailout .
Among manufacturers , the Federal Reserve has found employment losses , stemming from the higher import costs and China 's retaliation .
Over the long-term , American firms may reroute supply chains away from China to avoid the tariffs - but that 's an expensive prospect .
Globally , economists estimate that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % off of growth .
But some countries have benefited from the fight , which redirected an estimated $ 165bn in trade .
Analysts at Nomura identified Vietnam as the country that would gain the most , while the UN found that Taiwan , Mexico and Vietnam saw US orders ramp up last year .
The Fed found that the increased American imports boosted Mexico 's economic growth by just over 0.2 % , Some of those arrangements are likely to stick , even with a deal .
The US has said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual property , including lowering the threshold for criminal prosecution and increasing penalties .
Critically , the two sides say they have agreed to a way to resolve such disputes .
Those were among the issues that ostensibly triggered the trade war .
But analysts say it 's not clear if the new commitments are any different from promises that China has made before .
And the new deal does not address some of America 's chief complaints about China 's trade practices - such as the subsidies it provides to certain industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will tackle additional issues in a second , `` phase two '' deal but analysts say they do n't expect anything concrete anytime soon .
The administration has also discussed how to address the subsidies with Japan and Europe .

But analysts say it's not clear if the new commitments are any different from promises that China has made before. And the new deal does not address some of America's chief complaints about China's trade practices - such as the subsidies it provides to certain industries.


bbc--2020-01-15--Students escape gym as microburst tears down wall

CCTV footage of a primary school in North Carolina shows students running to safety as a microburst rips through the @ @ @ @ @ surges that move in straight lines .
One wall of the gym was torn down @ @ @ @ @ ) burst .
Three students were taken to hospital with minor injuries .

CCTV footage of a primary school in North Carolina shows students running to safety as a microburst rips through the gymnasium. Microbursts are wind surges that move in straight lines.
One wall of the gym was torn down in the 80mph (128kph) burst. Three students were taken to hospital with minor injuries.


bbc--2020-01-15--Jay-Z sues on behalf of Mississippi prisoners 'in peril'

Rapper Jay-Z has instructed his lawyers to take legal action against US prison officials on behalf of 29 inmates whose lives he says are at risk .
The action claims the men 's lives `` are in peril '' due to `` understaffing and neglect '' in Mississippi 's prisons .
Jay-Z launched the action through Team Roc , the philanthropic division of his entertainment empire Roc Nation .
It comes after five prisoners were killed in attacks in the state 's prisons in one week over the New Year .
The lawsuit alleges chronic underfunding and understaffing has resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an `` unthinkable '' spate of deaths .
`` The underfunding also forces people held in Mississippi 's prison to live in squalor , endangering their physical and mental health , '' the action continues .
It claims the prison at Parchman - where three of the five recent victims died - is subject to flooding , black mould and an infestation of mice and rats .
The lawsuit seeks damages for the inmates and an order forcing the Mississippi Department of Corrections to take action .
The case was filed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Marshal Turner , superintendent of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman .
A spokesperson for the MDOC said it `` does not discuss pending litigation '' .
The action , filed by Jay-Z 's lawyer Alex Spiro in the US District Court in Greenville , Mississippi , follows a letter sent last week to the state 's governor Phil Bryant and Commissioner Hall .
`` Roc Nation and its philanthropic arm , Team Roc , demand that Mississippi take immediate steps to remedy this intolerable situation , '' the letter read .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year thanks to such assets as a $ 75m ( £57.5m ) music catalogue and a $ 70m ( £53.7m ) stake in ride-sharing app Uber .
Born Shawn Carter in 1969 , he hit fame in 1996 with his debut album Reasonable Doubt and married fellow superstar Beyonce Knowles in 2008 .
On its official website , Team Roc says it seeks to `` raise awareness around issues of injustice '' and `` work to effect positive change '' .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

It claims the prison at Parchman - where three of the five recent victims died - is subject to flooding, black mould and an infestation of mice and rats.


bbc--2020-01-15--Meghan's father Thomas Markle 'would testify in Mail on Sunday case'

The Duchess of Sussex 's father , Thomas Markle , will testify if asked to in the court case against Meghan , the duchess ' half sister has said .
Samantha Markle - Mr Markle 's daughter from his first marriage - told the BBC : `` If he is called , he will come . ''
New court documents in the case between Meghan and the Mail on Sunday show the paper will use evidence from Mr Markle .
No date has been set for a hearing in the case , which centres on a private letter Meghan wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of misusing her private information , breaching copyright and selective editing .
The Mail on Sunday rejects the claims and says there was `` huge and legitimate '' public interest in publishing the note .
Documents submitted to the High Court by the paper laying out its defence show much of the evidence it could rely upon comes from Mr Markle .
He was at the centre of controversy in the lead up to Meghan 's marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018 .
• William and Kate make Bradford first visit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harry and Meghan questions answered The documents include text messages sent from Mr Markle to his daughter before the wedding .
`` The fact that so much of the evidence appears to come directly from him and that he appears to be co-operating with the paper presents at least the possibility of him being called to testify in court against his own daughter , '' BBC reporter John Donnison said .
The Daily Mail , the Mail on Sunday 's sister paper , reported on Wednesday that Mr Markle was `` expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case .
What is the Mail on Sunday arguing ?
The newspaper has given what BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond describes as a `` very robust '' response to Meghan 's claims .
• Analysis : Why the Royal Family rarely go to court The paper argues in legal documents that members of the Royal Family , including the duchess , `` rely on publicity about themselves and their lives in order to maintain the privileged positions they hold and promote themselves '' .
It said the duchess `` did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contents of the letter were private and would remain so '' .
`` There is a huge and legitimate public interest in the Royal Family and the activities , conduct and standards of behaviour of its members , '' it said .
`` This extends not merely to their public conduct , but to their personal and family relationships because those are integral to the proper functioning of the monarchy . ''
As evidence that it did not infringe her privacy , the paper says the letter was `` immaculately copied '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing that this care in its presentation meant she anticipated it would be seen and read by a wider audience .
What is the paper 's response to Meghan 's claims ?
The 44-page legal filing by the Mail on Sunday aims to tackle the duchess ' claims one by one : • Meghan claimed she had not courted publicity for her relationship with her father - but the paper says she has not denied authorising her friends to speak about it for an article in a US magazine • The duchess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - but the Mail on Sunday says it was not a protected `` original literary work '' but a recounting of existing facts • Meghan said it infringed her data rights - but the newspaper says the data was not sensitive and concerned topics she had put in the public domain • Accused of selective editing - the Mail on Sunday says the extracts it released accurately conveyed the tone , content and meaning of the letter .
How did the case begin ?
In October , law firm Schillings , acting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim against the Mail on Sunday and its parent company Associated Newspapers over the alleged misuse of private information , infringement of copyright and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 .
At the time , Harry said he and his wife were forced to take action against `` relentless propaganda '' .
Referring to his late mother Diana , Princess of Wales , he said : `` I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces . ''
The legal proceedings are being funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be donated to an anti-bullying charity .
When did Meghan and her father fall out ?
Mr Markle was invited to the royal couple 's 2018 wedding but had to pull out because he needed heart surgery .
In the run up to the big day , he became embroiled in a controversy over reports he had staged paparazzi photos of himself in wedding-related activities , such as being measured for a new suit .
In December that year , he told ITV he had not spoken to his daughter since she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mail on Sunday say a text message days before the wedding signed `` Love M and H '' admonished Mr Markle for talking to the press .
And that he replied : `` ...
I 'm sorry my heart attack [ is an ] inconvenience for you . ''
Where are Meghan and Harry ?
Meghan returned to Canada to be with her son Archie last week .
The duchess visited a women 's centre in Vancouver on Tuesday , in her first public appearance since she and Prince Harry said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ royals .
The Downtown Eastside Women 's Centre posted a photograph of the duchess with staff and visitors on Facebook , with the caption `` Look who we had tea with today '' .
Her visit was `` to discuss issues affecting women in the community '' , the group added .
The visit provides a sense of what the family 's future may be like in Canada , following their decision to split their time between the Commonwealth country and the UK .
Prince Harry is expected to join Meghan and Archie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is due to attend an official event at Buckingham Palace on Thursday .
He has been posting on the couple 's Instagram page - announcing that venue for the 2022 Invictus Games - the sporting event he founded for injured service personnel and veterans , which will be held in Dusseldorf , Germany .
Meanwhile , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have made their first joint engagement since Prince Harry and Meghan 's decision to `` step back '' .
William and Kate were greeted by cheers from several hundred well-wishers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a visit to the 19th-century City Hall .
What about Meghan and Prince Harry 'stepping back ' ?
Details of the Mail on Sunday 's defence come as the Royal Family seeks to redefine the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 's role after the pair issued their surprise statement a week ago .
The Queen , the Prince of Wales , the Duke of Cambridge , and Prince Harry met at Sandringham on Monday to discuss the couple 's future .
In a statement released later , the Queen said discussions had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions will `` be reached in the coming days '' .
Has this sort of case happened before ?
Yes - it is not the first time the royals have taken legal action against the press .
In 2017 , the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awarded £92,000 ( 100,000 euros ) in damages after French magazine Closer printed topless pictures of the duchess in 2012 .

"The fact that so much of the evidence appears to come directly from him and that he appears to be co-operating with the paper presents at least the possibility of him being called to testify in court against his own daughter," BBC reporter John Donnison said.


bbc--2020-01-15--Climate change: Last decade confirmed as warmest on record

The 10 years to the end of 2019 have been confirmed as the warmest decade on record by three global agencies .
According to Nasa , Noaa and the UK Met Office , last year was the second warmest in a record dating back to 1850 .
The past five years were the hottest in the 170-year series , with the average of each one more than 1C warmer than pre-industrial .
The Met Office says that 2020 is likely to continue this warming trend .
2016 remains the warmest year on record , when temperatures were boosted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's fires 'will be normal ' in warmer world • Climate change : Where we are in seven charts Today 's data does n't come as a huge surprise , with the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ) signalling at the start of last December that 2019 likely marked the end of the warmest decade on record .
The Met Office , which is involved in producing the HadCRUT4 temperature data , says that 2019 was 1.05C above the average for the period from 1850-1900 .
Last year saw two major heat waves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a new national record of 46C set in France on 28 June .
New records were also set in Germany , the Netherlands , Belgium , Luxembourg and in the UK at 38.7C .
In Australia , the mean summer temperature was the highest on record by almost a degree .
As temperatures continue to rise , efforts to contain heating gases continue to falter as science collides with politics .
The UK , for instance , fought hard to host the annual UN climate conference at the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeper emissions cuts .
And Boris Johnson says he wants the UK to lead the world on climate change .
But in the first test of his new administration he 's already being accused of abandoning his principles .
He 's promising to consider cutting the £13 tax on flights in the UK because jobs and connectivity are at stake .
This contradicts his official advice from the Climate Change Committee which says people need to fly less , so the cost of flying should go up , not down .
This sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world in coming decades as climate change presents an increasing challenge to politics-as-usual .
While the three different research agencies all have slightly different figures for the past 12 months , the WMO has carried out an analysis that uses additional data from the Copernicus climate change service and the Japan Meteorological Agency .
They conclude that in 2019 , the world was 1.1C warmer than in the pre-industrial period .
`` Our collective global temperature figures agree that 2019 joins the other years from 2015 as the five warmest years on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from the Met Office Hadley Centre .
`` Each decade from the 1980s has been successively warmer than all the decades that came before .
2019 concludes the warmest 'cardinal ' decade ( those spanning years ending 0-9 ) in records that stretch back to the mid-19th century . ''
Researchers say carbon emissions from human activities are the main cause of the sustained temperature rise seen in recent years .
`` Carbon dioxide levels are at the highest that we 've ever recorded in our atmosphere , and there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the temperature , '' said Prof Liz Bentley from the Royal Meteorological Society .
`` We are seeing the highest global temperatures in the last decade and we will see more of that .
As the CO2 continues to grow , we 'll see global temperatures increasing . ''
Having the long term data from three different agencies with different methodologies gives them confidence in the accuracy of their findings .
`` While we know that human activities are causing the globe to warm , it is important to measure this warming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prof Tim Osborn , from the University of East Anglia 's Climate Research Unit , which is involved in gathering the data .
`` We are confident that the world has warmed by about 1C since the late nineteenth century because different methods of working out the global temperature give very similar results . ''
While the figures released by the Met Office , the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( Noaa ) and Nasa show the temperature recorded on the land and sea surfaces , the amount of warming going into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels .
Data published this week showed that a record amount of heat went into the oceans last year .
This was the biggest increase in the last decade .
While natural variability means that scientists do n't expect new temperature records year-on-year , the Met Office is forecasting that 2020 will also be very hot , with the global average temperature estimated to be 1.1C above pre-industrial levels .
This suggests it will be a warmer year than the one just passed .

"While we know that human activities are causing the globe to warm, it is important to measure this warming as accurately as possible," said Prof Tim Osborn, from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit, which is involved in gathering the data.


bbc--2020-01-15--Trump impeachment: Democrats announce new evidence ahead of vote

The former US envoy to Ukraine was put under surveillance , texts unveiled as evidence for President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial suggest .
The messages indicate an associate of Mr Trump 's lawyer Rudy Giuliani received updates on ambassador Maria Yovanovitch 's location and phone use .
The US House of Representatives has released a trove of documents to bolster their case against Mr Trump .
The president is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Mr Trump was impeached by the House last month .
He denies trying to pressure Ukraine to open an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
House Democrats are voting on Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate , which will hold the president 's trial .
Democrats said they would also send over the new evidence unveiled on Tuesday .
• Why Ukraine is so important to the US • Who 's who in this story ?
House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff , who will lead the prosecution of Mr Trump , said the documents `` demonstrate that there is more evidence relevant to the president 's scheme , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new evidence ?
The letters , phone records , notes and flash drives were obtained from the Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas , a close associate of Mr Giuliani , who is the US president 's personal lawyer .
They were made available to investigators earlier this week and then sent to the House Judiciary Committee .
The documents show that Ukraine-born Mr Parnas was in regular contact with Mr Giuliani as well as Ukrainian officials , and suggest that Mr Parnas was directly involved in trying to have Ukraine 's President Volodymyr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handwritten note from Mr Parnas , who was indicted last year on conspiracy charges , states : `` Get Zalensky [ sic ] to Annouce [ sic ] that the Biden case will be investigated . ''
Also among the new materials is a screenshot of a previously undisclosed letter from Mr Giuliani to Mr Zelensky , in which he asks to arrange a meeting .
The letter from Mr Giuliani describes himself as `` personal counsel to President Trump '' and states that Mr Trump had `` knowledge and consent '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never took place as Mr Giuliani eventually cancelled his May trip to Ukraine .
Was the envoy under surveillance ?
Some of the materials also show Mr Parnas and Mr Giuliani discussing the removal of Ms Yovanovitch , the then US ambassador to Ukraine .
Several of the text messages appear to suggest the former US envoy was placed under surveillance .
Mr Parnas was apparently given updates on the ambassador 's location and mobile phone use by a man named Robert F Hyde .
Mr Hyde is a Republican congressional candidate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` She 's talked to three people .
Her phone is off .
Computer is off , '' one message reads .
`` They will let me know when she 's on the move , '' another says .
Another message from Mr Hyde to Mr Parnas said : `` They are willing to help if we/you would like a price .
Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money ... what I was told . ''
Ms Yovanovitch is calling for an investigation into the messages .
`` The notion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ her ] movements ... is disturbing , '' her lawyer said .
The veteran envoy was recalled from Ukraine in May 2019 for reasons that remain unclear .
She testified to the Trump impeachment inquiry last October that she was fired over `` false claims '' by people with `` questionable motives '' .
She also said US state department officials had told her she needed to leave Ukraine immediately out of concerns for her `` security '' .
President Trump complained following her testimony that she had refused to hang his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Want to find out more ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : If you want a basic take , this one 's for you • GO DEEPER : Here 's a 100 , 300 and 800-word summary of the story • A STATE DIVIDED : What New Hampshire makes of it • YOUR QUESTIONS : Will Trump really testify ?
• CASE FOR & AGAINST : What legal scholars say about Trump conduct

Another message from Mr Hyde to Mr Parnas said: "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price. Guess you can do anything in the Ukraine with money... what I was told."


bbc--2020-01-15--US and China sign deal to ease trade war

The US and China have signed an agreement aimed at easing a trade war that has rattled markets and weighed on the global economy .
Speaking in Washington , US President Donald Trump said the pact would be `` transformative '' for the US economy .
Chinese leaders called it a `` win-win '' deal that would help foster better relations between the two countries .
China has pledged to boost US imports by $ 200bn above 2017 levels and strengthen intellectual property rules .
In exchange , US has agreed to halve some of the new tariffs it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of the border taxes remain in place , which has prompted business groups to call for further talks .
`` There 's a lot of work to do ahead , '' said Jeremie Waterman , president of the China Center at the US Chamber of Commerce .
`` Bottom line is , they should enjoy today but not wait too long to get back to the table for phase two . ''
The US and China have engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war since 2018 , which has led to extra import @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 450bn ( £350bn ) worth of traded goods .
The ongoing dispute has disrupted trade flows , dampened global economic growth and unnerved investors .
At a signing ceremony in Washington , attended by top Republican donors and business leaders , Mr Trump said the deal sets the stage for a stronger relationship between the US and China .
`` Together we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security , '' he said .
`` Far beyond even this deal , it 's going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace , '' he added .
• China has committed to increasing its US imports by at least $ 200bn over 2017 levels , boosting purchases of agriculture by $ 32bn , manufacturing by $ 78bn , energy by $ 52bn and services by $ 38bn .
• China has agreed to take more action against counterfeiting and make it easier for companies to pursue legal action over trade secret theft • The US will maintain up to 25 % tariffs on an estimated $ 360bn worth of Chinese goods ; China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100bn worth of US products , is also expected to maintain the majority of them Chinese Vice Premier Liu He , who signed the deal on behalf of China , said the agreement was rooted in `` equality and mutual respect '' and defended his country 's economic model in his remarks .
`` China has developed a political system and a model of economic development that suits its national reality , '' he said .
`` This does n't mean that China and the US can not work together .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common commercial interests . ''
`` We hope both sides will abide by and keep the agreement in earnest . ''
It has been hailed by the White House as a breakthrough in a war that President Trump triggered to protect American jobs and companies from what he viewed as unfair competition from China .
The weapon of choice : billions of dollars of tariffs , or extra charges , on imports .
But that has hurt the very workers and businesses they were meant to protect , in both countries .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance of a president at the signing of a bilateral trade deal - this is more armistice than victory - with only a small proportion of the tariffs being reversed and relatively minor concessions granted by both sides .
Tariffs remain on around two-thirds of the goods Americans buy from China Moreover , Washington 's fundamental complaints about Chinese practices - from its approach to subsidising businesses to cybertheft - remain unresolved .
With President Trump 's ambition to rewrite the rules of global trade yet to be achieved , some fear he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - just as the UK is looking to broker an advantageous post-Brexit relationship Mr Trump has said the accord signed on Wednesday is a `` phase one '' agreement and promised that the administration will take up other issues - such as China 's state subsidies - in future negotiations .
The US accuses China of `` unfair '' business practices , such as providing subsidies for domestic businesses and administrative rules that have made it difficult for US firms to operate in the country .
Mr Trump has defended maintaining the bulk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide leverage in future talks .
But US business groups and analysts expressed concern .
`` While Phase One makes incremental progress , it remains to be seen whether it will deliver any meaningful relief for farmers like me , '' said Michelle Erickson-Jones , a Montana wheat farmer , who is affiliated with the lobby group Farmers for Free Trade .
`` The promises of lofty purchases are encouraging but farmers like me will believe it when we see it . ''
Charles Kane , a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China as a useful political scapegoat , making any serious negotiation unlikely until after the November presidential election .
`` He 's using [ the trade war ] as a political weapon , '' Mr Kane said .

"While Phase One makes incremental progress, it remains to be seen whether it will deliver any meaningful relief for farmers like me," said Michelle Erickson-Jones, a Montana wheat farmer, who is affiliated with the lobby group Farmers for Free Trade. "The promises of lofty purchases are encouraging but farmers like me will believe it when we see it."


bbc--2020-01-15--Demonstrators in Beirut target banks in continued protests

Banks in Beirut were targeted by demonstrators during what they have called a 'week of wrath ' , in protest @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Protests have been ongoing since October 2019 .
Lebanon 's commercial banks have @ @ @ @ @ to their deposits and blocking most transfers abroad for more than two months .
Protesters @ @ @ @ @ take to the streets until a new government is formed .

Banks in Beirut were targeted by demonstrators during what they have called a 'week of wrath', in protest against the country's banking crisis.
Protests have been ongoing since October 2019. Lebanon's commercial banks have been restricting savers' access to their deposits and blocking most transfers abroad for more than two months.
Protesters say they will continue to take to the streets until a new government is formed.


bbc--2020-01-15--Syria war: Air strikes kill 18 in Idlib city despite truce

At least 18 civilians are reported to have died in air strikes that hit a market and an industrial zone in the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib .
A monitoring group said Russian and Syrian government planes carried out the attacks .
The air strikes happened despite a ceasefire brokered earlier this month by Russia and Turkey .
Idlib is the capital of the north-west province of the same name and is the last stronghold of rebel groups .
Neither the Syrian government nor its Russian allies have so far commented on the latest air strikes .
The UK-based Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said bombardments had hit the busy al-Hal market and the industrial zone in Idlib city on Wednesday .
• The brutal phone videos that could show war crimes • Syrian refugees in Turkey : 'The heart of my family has died' A correspondent for AFP news agency said several cars in the industrial zone were engulfed in flames with the drivers dead inside them .
A repair shop owner , called Mustafa , told AFP he had just left his store to pick up some spare parts when the strike happened .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed and his four employees trapped beneath the rubble .
`` This is not the neighbourhood I left two minutes ago , '' Mustafa said .
SOHR said children and rescue workers were among the casualties .
Pro-opposition Step News Agency said other areas in Idlib province were also targeted .
The truce brokered by Turkey and Russia was supposed to have come into effect on Sunday .
Syria 's government has said it is determined to recapture Idlib province , where the strongest armed faction is a jihadist group that used to @ @ @ @ @

Idlib is the capital of the north-west province of the same name and is the last stronghold of rebel groups.


bbc--2020-01-15--Vatican appoints first woman to senior role in Church

Pope Francis has made an Italian lawyer the first woman to hold a management position in the Vatican 's most important office .
Francesca Di Giovanni , 66 , will serve as undersecretary for multilateral affairs in the Secretariat of State .
She will be responsible for co-ordinating the Holy See 's relations with groups including the UN .
Pope Francis has been vocal in his support for women holding greater positions of authority in the Vatican .
• Could the Pope say 'yes ' to married priests ?
• Pope Francis : It 's good to talk , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my being a woman might reflect itself positively in this task , even if they are gifts that I certainly find in my male colleagues as well , '' she told Vatican media .
Ms Di Giovanni has worked for the Vatican for 27 years and holds a law degree .
She has specialised in areas including migration and refugees , the status of women , intellectual property and tourism .
`` The Holy Father has made an unprecedented decision , certainly , which , beyond myself personally , represents an indication of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` But the responsibility is connected to the job , rather than to the fact of being a woman . ''
The appointment comes as Pope Francis - who is considered a progressive - considers easing a ban on married men serving as priests .
His predecessor Pope Benedict XVI made an appeal to defend celibacy in a new book .
For many , celibacy is a key part of being a Catholic priest , one who is supposed to devote himself to the Church and not be distracted by what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wife or a family .
Many traditionalists are concerned about the direction in which Pope Francis is taking the Church .
This has included his push for a `` healthy decentralisation '' of the Church , which some worry could lead to a break up its universal message and sow confusion among the faithful .

For many, celibacy is a key part of being a Catholic priest, one who is supposed to devote himself to the Church and not be distracted by what some consider to be worldly concerns like a wife or a family.


bbc--2020-01-15--Venezuela opposition convoy attacked outside parliament

Pro-government groups in Venezuela have attacked a convoy of opposition lawmakers outside the parliament building in central Caracas .
Opposition leader Juan Guaidó said the violence had forced him to transfer a planned meeting to a building on the outskirts of the city .
Video footage from inside one car showed supporters of President Nicolás Maduro throwing a traffic cone and a stone that broke one of the windows .
During his state of the nation address on Tuesday , Mr Maduro accused Mr Guaidó - the Speaker of the National Assembly , of helping the US to wage an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the convoy comes eight days after Mr Guaidó and 100 fellow opposition lawmakers pushed past police to enter the National Assembly .
It is the latest escalation in Venezuela 's political crisis .
A group of opposition members of the National Assembly were being driven to the legislative palace in the centre of the capital , Caracas , when their cars were set upon by a group of government supporters .
Footage published on the National Assembly Twitter account shows a man shattering the rear window of one of the cars with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palmeri said the cars were also hit with metal bars and bats , and his colleague Delsa Solórzano said the pro-government `` mob '' had opened fire on the car she was in .
`` This was done while the National Guard watched complacently , '' Mr Palmeri said .
He added that he thought a trap had been set for him and his fellow lawmakers .
`` I was surprised to find that the National Guard waved us through several checkpoints , then we were surrounded by this mob and I understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
The National Assembly is one of the few remaining institutions in Venezuela which is not controlled by the governing PSUV party .
On 23 January 2019 , Mr Guaidó , declared himself acting president of Venezuela , arguing that the election which returned Mr Maduro to power in 2018 had been fraudulent .
Mr Guaidó and his supporters claimed that the presidency was therefore vacant and invoked an article in the constitution which calls for the Speaker to step in as president .
Mr Guaidó declared himself acting president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate leader by more than 50 countries , including the US , the UK and many Latin American nations .
Since then , Mr Guaidó and Mr Maduro have been at loggerheads but the latter has maintained a firm grip on the government thanks to the support of the armed forces .
Earlier this month Mr Guaidó , who was facing an end to his term as Speaker on 5 January , went to the National Assembly to stand for re-election but was denied entry by the National Guard .
They pushed him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clamber over the railings surrounding the building .
Mr Guaidó moved the session to another location where about 100 lawmakers re-elected him as Speaker .
Two days later , he and the lawmakers loyal to him managed to gain entry to the National Assembly building by pushing through the National Guard security cordon , and Mr Guaidó was sworn in as Speaker and also renewed his oath as acting president .
President Maduro in the meantime has recognised a dissident lawmaker , Luis Parra , as Speaker .
What does it all mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Mr Guaidó was prevented from entering the National Assembly , were widely seen as showing the lack of power the opposition leader has over the National Guard .
However his success in getting into the building two days later has been hailed as a success for the opposition .
At an international level , footage of armed guards barring elected lawmakers from entering the legislative palace has shocked many democratic governments , which have reiterated their support for Mr Guaidó .
While some dissident lawmakers such as Mr Parra appear to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government lawmakers , the 100 who back Mr Guaidó appear more united than before .
However , some supporters fear that Mr Guaidó and the opposition may be worn down by the harassment they are experiencing , which is distracting them from their ultimate aim of dislodging Mr Maduro from power .
Mr Guaidó has moved Wednesday 's session to an open air theatre in El Hatillo , an opposition stronghold in Caracas .
Meanwhile , the National Constituent Assembly , a body created by President Maduro and exclusively made up by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ palace in a show of force by the government .
The stand-off between the two looks unlikely to end in the short term .
Talks between opposition and government representatives last year floundered after a few months .

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