bbc--2020-02-03--Police search London knife attacker's hostel

Police have been searching the London hostel where the Streatham attacker is believed to have been living .
Sudesh Amman , 20 , was shot dead by police on Streatham High Road after stabbing people in what police called an Islamist-related terrorist incident .
He had been released from prison about a week ago after serving half of a sentence for terror offences , and was under police surveillance .
Three people were injured but none is in a life-threatening condition .
Scotland Yard said officers were searching residential addresses in south London and Bishop 's Stortford , Hertfordshire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off a hostel in Streatham , where the manager said Amman had been living .
He added : `` I did n't have much to do with him .
`` Everyone has their own rooms in there .
The last time I saw him I was doing his radiator , setting up his heating on Friday .
He did n't speak much . ''
Amman 's mother , Haleema Faraz Khan , told Sky News that she had visited her son on Thursday , when he seemed `` normal '' , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the attack .
She fought back tears as she said her `` polite and lovely boy '' had been `` brainwashed '' by material he saw online and further radicalised by his time in the high security Belmarsh prison in south-east London .
The Met Police , whose Counter Terrorism Command officers are leading the investigation , said no arrests had been made and `` inquiries continue at pace '' .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there were about `` 70 plus '' people convicted of terrorism offences who had been released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government they were being `` properly punished and reformed '' .
• How many people are in prison for terror offences ?
• What do prisons do to deradicalise terror offenders ?
• Why do prisoners serve only half their sentence ?
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there were problems with the rehabilitation of those convicted of terrorist offences , saying : `` It 's very , very hard .
It can happen but the instances of success are really very few , we have to be frank about that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early release from prison for terror offenders , the `` difficulty is how to apply that retrospectively '' for those currently serving sentences .
How did the attack unfold ?
At about 14:00 GMT on Sunday , two people were stabbed on Streatham High Road in south London , a busy street lined with shops .
Witnesses heard gunshots as armed officers , who had been following Amman on foot , shot him dead .
Amman had what appeared to be an explosive device strapped to his body , police said , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Three people were taken to hospitals including the two stabbing victims - a woman in her 50s and a man in his 40s .
The man was initially considered to be in a life-threatening condition , but that is no longer the case .
The woman has been discharged .
Another woman in her 20s had minor injuries believed to have been caused by glass following the gun shots .
Eyewitness Dave Chawner told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme he heard the shots and then turned around to see one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` who was incredibly distressed '' .
`` He was holding his lower right quadrant and there was blood everywhere .
I happened to have a blanket in my bag and I gave it to them to help stem the bleeding . ''
Who was the attacker ?
Amman was released from prison in January , after serving half of his sentence of three years and four months .
He was jailed in December 2018 after pleading guilty to terror offences .
The Islamic State group has said Amman was a `` fighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wording IS commonly uses in the case of attacks in the West that the group appears to have inspired rather than orchestrated .
• Read more : Who was Streatham attacker ?
A teenager who knew Amman from his neighbourhood in Harrow , but who did not want to give her name , said he used to talk about being a terrorist , but she and others thought he was joking .
But Jignesh Khomani , 20 , a former neighbour of Amman , said he seemed `` a pretty average guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's release , there were concerns about the danger he might pose to the public but there were no legal mechanisms to keep him in prison , said BBC political correspondent Chris Mason .
Last November , an attack near London Bridge - in which two people died - was also carried out by a man convicted of terrorism offences but who had been released mid-way through his sentence .
Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said : `` He [ Amman ] was under surveillance quite soon after being released which begs the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
Mr Khan also told BBC Breakfast : `` Those that are out , I want to be reassured that the authorities have the resources and support that they need to ensure we are kept safe . ''
What has been the government 's response ?
Our correspondent Chris Mason said there was `` a desperate desire '' within government to be seen to be acting quickly .
Mr Johnson said on Monday the government would announce further plans for `` fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean automatic early release from prison will be scrapped for terror offenders , and there will be a minimum jail term of 14 years for serious terror offences .
Jonathan Hall QC , the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation , said the government might intend to revive post-9/11 civil powers to detain individuals .
That would mean people who were considered to be a risk but had not committed an offence could be detained , he told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire programme .
How many other people are in prison for terror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison for terror-related offences in Britain at the end of September .
The majority are Islamist extremists ( 173 ) , and there are also 38 far-right extremists .
Currently , most people convicted of terror acts will not serve all of their sentence in jail .
For almost all prison sentences ( terror-related or not ) , some of the time will be spent outside jail in order to allow some rehabilitation back into the community .
What issues has this attack raised ?
There would be inevitable questions about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Symonds .
He said : `` Preventing terrorism is all about taking difficult decisions .
Which suspects should be watched ?
What level of risk do they pose and when is the best time to make an arrest , given the need to capture real evidence ?
`` Those decisions have become harder in recent years as would-be attackers are increasingly likely to act alone and to use low-tech weapons , sometimes on a whim . ''
David Merritt , whose son Jack died in November 's London Bridge attack , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's plans for longer terrorism sentences would only allow prisoners to radicalise each other and `` build greater resentment '' .
But former military intelligence officer Philip Ingram told BBC Radio 5 Live it was `` right and proper '' that the government should assess the laws in place .
`` You have to ask the question as to whether some of them may not ever be able to be rehabilitated and , therefore , is the law we have at the moment right and proper to keep the public safe ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and footage of the incident which can be shared via www.ukpoliceimageappeal.com or on 0800 789 321 .
Do you have any information to share ?
Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
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Streatham attack: Police search homes as attacker Sudesh Amman named Published 3 February 2020
Image source, Met Police
Police have been searching the London hostel where the Streatham attacker is believed to have been living.
Sudesh Amman, 20, was shot dead by police on Streatham High Road after stabbing people in what police called an Islamist-related terrorist incident.
He had been released from prison about a week ago after serving half of a sentence for terror offences, and was under police surveillance.
Three people were injured but none is in a life-threatening condition.
Scotland Yard said officers were searching residential addresses in south London and Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.
On Monday, officers were seen cordoning off a hostel in Streatham, where the manager said Amman had been living. He added: "I didn't have much to do with him.
"Everyone has their own rooms in there. The last time I saw him I was doing his radiator, setting up his heating on Friday. He didn't speak much."
Amman's mother, Haleema Faraz Khan, told Sky News that she had visited her son on Thursday, when he seemed "normal", and that they spoke on the phone just hours before the attack.
She fought back tears as she said her "polite and lovely boy" had been "brainwashed" by material he saw online and further radicalised by his time in the high security Belmarsh prison in south-east London.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, There is a police presence at a hostel in Streatham
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Streatham High Road remained shut on Monday, with enhanced police patrols
In Bishop's Stortford, neighbours said two police vans were outside a semi-detached house in the early hours of the morning.
The Met Police, whose Counter Terrorism Command officers are leading the investigation, said no arrests had been made and "inquiries continue at pace".
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there were about "70 plus" people convicted of terrorism offences who had been released, and called for reassurances from the government they were being "properly punished and reformed".
He said prisons are "warehouses" for radicalisation, where people "learn more things from a university of crime rather than being rehabilitated".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there were problems with the rehabilitation of those convicted of terrorist offences, saying: "It's very, very hard. It can happen that the instances of success are really very few, we have to be frank about that."
He said new laws would scrap automatic early release from prison for terror offenders, the "difficulty is how to apply that retrospectively" for those currently serving sentences.
How did the attack unfold?
At about 14:00 GMT on Sunday, two people were stabbed on Streatham High Road in south London, a busy street lined with shops.
Witnesses heard gunshots as armed officers, who had been following Amman on foot, shot him dead.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Video shows moments after police shooting
Amman had what appeared to be an explosive device strapped to his body, police said, which was later discovered to be a hoax.
Three people were taken to hospitals including the two stabbing victims - a woman in her 50s and a man in his 40s. The man was initially considered to be in a life-threatening condition, but that is no longer the case. The woman has been discharged.
Another woman in her 20s had minor injuries believed to have been caused by glass following the gun shots.
Eyewitness Dave Chawner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he heard the shots and then turned around to see one of the stab victims lying on the floor "who was incredibly distressed".
"He was holding his lower right quadrant and there was blood everywhere. I happened to have a blanket in my bag and I gave it to them to help stem the bleeding."
Image source, @exsupermarket Image caption, A police officer was seen pointing a gun at a man, who was seen on the ground outside Boots
Who was the attacker?
Amman was released from prison in January, after serving half of his sentence of three years and four months.
He was jailed in December 2018 after pleading guilty to terror offences.
The Islamic State group has said Amman was a "fighter" of the group. This is the wording IS commonly uses in the case of attacks in the West that the group appears to have inspired rather than orchestrated.
A teenager who knew Amman from his neighbourhood in Harrow, but who did not want to give her name, said he used to talk about being a terrorist, but she and others thought he was joking.
But Jignesh Khomani, 20, a former neighbour of Amman, said he seemed "a pretty average guy".
At the time of Amman's release, there were concerns about the danger he might pose to the public but there were no legal mechanisms to keep him in prison, said BBC political correspondent Chris Mason.
Last November, an attack near London Bridge - in which two people died - was also carried out by a man convicted of terrorism offences but who had been released mid-way through his sentence.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, People who live locally spoke of their shock at the attack having taken place in Streatham
Mr Khan, the London Mayor, said he was "angry" because both the attack in Streatham and the one in London Bridge were "preventable and foreseeable".
He blamed the government's abolition of the Imprisonment for Public Protection regime, which meant that now "judges haven't got the tools they used to have to keep people in prison longer who are still a danger to the public".
What has been the government's response?
Our correspondent Chris Mason said there was "a desperate desire" within government to be seen to be acting quickly.
Mr Johnson said on Monday the government would announce further plans for "fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences".
The planned changes mean automatic early release from prison will be scrapped for terror offenders, and there will be a minimum jail term of 14 years for serious terror offences.
Jonathan Hall QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said the government might intend to revive post-9/11 civil powers to detain individuals.
That would mean people who were considered to be a risk but had not committed an offence could be detained, he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
How many other people are in prison for terror offences?
Overall there were 224 people in prison for terror-related offences in Britain at the end of September. The majority are Islamist extremists (173), and there are also 38 far-right extremists.
Currently, most people convicted of terror acts will not serve all of their sentence in jail.
For almost all prison sentences (terror-related or not), some of the time will be spent outside jail in order to allow some rehabilitation back into the community.
What issues has this attack raised?
There would be inevitable questions about the operation, said BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds.
He said: "Preventing terrorism is all about taking difficult decisions. Which suspects should be watched? What level of risk do they pose and when is the best time to make an arrest, given the need to capture real evidence?
"Those decisions have become harder in recent years as would-be attackers are increasingly likely to act alone and to use low-tech weapons, sometimes on a whim."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi said armed officers were in "immediate attendance" after the attack
David Merritt, whose son Jack died in November's London Bridge attack, said that without effective rehabilitation, the government's plans for longer terrorism sentences would only allow prisoners to radicalise each other and "build greater resentment".
But former military intelligence officer Philip Ingram told BBC Radio 5 Live it was "right and proper" that the government should assess the laws in place.
"You have to ask the question as to whether some of them may not ever be able to be rehabilitated and, therefore, is the law we have at the moment right and proper to keep the public safe?"
Police are appealing for information, images and footage of the incident which can be shared via www.ukpoliceimageappeal.com or on 0800 789 321.
Do you have any information to share? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:


bbc--2020-02-03--Bafta Awards 2020: Joaquin Phoenix praised for calling out 'systemic racism'

Joaquin Phoenix has received praise for using his Baftas speech to call out `` systemic racism '' in the film industry .
Phoenix collected the best actor award for Joker on Sunday , and his comments followed an outcry about the all-white acting nominations line-up .
`` I think that we send a very clear message to people of colour that you 're not welcome here , '' he said .
Actress Viola Davis and director Lulu Wang , who made The Farewell , were among those to applaud him on Twitter .
• 10 things we learned at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for best director for the seventh year in a row , Wang was at the London ceremony after The Farewell was nominated for best film not in the English language .
Davis , who won a Bafta award in 2017 for her role in Fences , thanked Phoenix for his `` honesty , solidarity and courage '' .
`` I feel very honoured and privileged to be here tonight .
The Baftas have already been very supportive of my career and I 'm deeply appreciative .
But I have to say that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my fellow actors that are deserving do n't have that same privilege .
`` I think that we send a very clear message to people of colour that you 're not welcome here .
I think that 's the message that we 're sending to people that have contributed so much to our medium and our industry and in ways that we benefit from .
`` I do n't think anybody wants a handout or preferential treatment - although that 's what we give ourselves every year .
People just want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their work .
`` This is not a self-righteous condemnation because I 'm ashamed to say that I 'm part of the problem .
I have not done everything in my power to ensure that the sets I was on are inclusive .
`` But I think it 's more than just having sets that are multi-cultural .
We have to do really the hard work to truly understand systemic racism .
`` I think it is the obligation of the people that have created and perpetuate and benefit from a system of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
So that 's on us . ''
Other figures from the film and TV industries were quick to applaud the actor for telling some hard `` facts '' .
Alma Har'el , who directed 2019 film Honey Boy , tweeted : `` Correct me if I 'm wrong but this is the first time ...
In a long time ...
I see a white man uses the stage he 's given to say what we all need to hear . ''
She added : `` We mostly hear women speak up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our work .
Thank you Joaquin . ''
Yvette Nicole Brown , known for starring in TV shows including Community , posted : `` Tell the truth then , Joaquin ! ''
followed by a series of hand-clap emojis .
Shameless and The Walking Dead writer LaToya Morgan added : `` This is how you use your time & platform .
Well said , Joaquin .
Well said . ''
British stand-up comedian Tez Ilyas wrote : `` Thank you Joaquin for articulating how many people feel and are n't able to express @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system need to change ?
Phoenix , who had previously been nominated for The Master , Gladiator and Walk the Line , is favourite to win best actor at the Oscars next Sunday .
Writer and broadcaster Hanna Ines Flint said she now wants to see him `` put his words into action '' .
The Duke of Cambridge , who is president of Bafta , also spoke at the ceremony about the need for change , noting that the organisation `` takes this issue seriously '' .
He said : `` In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in the last few years , we find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and in the awards process - that simply can not be right in this day and age . ''
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"I feel very honoured and privileged to be here tonight. The Baftas have already been very supportive of my career and I'm deeply appreciative. But I have to say that I also feel conflicted, because so many of my fellow actors that are deserving don't have that same privilege.


bbc--2020-02-03--Cycling through Europe's deadliest air

Cycling through Europe's deadliest air

Cities in parts of Europe have been suffering from some of the worst air quality in the world .
Winter @ @ @ @ @ issue in the Western Balkans .
Serbia is the country with the highest rate of @ @ @ @ @ according to the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution .
Jasna Cizler is a cycling @ @ @ @ @ , who believes two-wheeled transport holds the key to cleaner air .

Cities in parts of Europe have been suffering from some of the worst air quality in the world.
Winter smog has become a big issue in the Western Balkans.
Serbia is the country with the highest rate of pollution-related deaths in Europe, according to the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution.
Jasna Cizler is a cycling campaigner in the capital Belgrade, who believes two-wheeled transport holds the key to cleaner air.
Produced by Guy Delauney, camera and editing Delimir Babič.


bbc--2020-02-03--Turkish soldiers killed in Syrian army shelling in Idlib

Six Turkish soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in shelling by Syrian government forces in Syria 's north-western Idlib province , Turkey said .
It said up to 35 Syrian troops had been killed in retaliatory fire .
Syria 's media said there were no casualties .
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled an offensive by Syrian troops and their Russian backers against the last opposition stronghold in Idlib .
Many have moved towards the border with Turkey , which supports the opposition .
• The town with more cats than people Turkey and Russia - a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed a de-escalation deal for Idlib in 2017 , but it has been frequently violated .
What did Turkey say ?
Speaking to reporters on Monday morning , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 46 Syrian `` regime targets '' had been hit by the Turkish military .
He said that `` 30-35 Syrians on the other side have been neutralised [ killed ] .
`` Those who question our determination will soon understand they made a mistake , '' Mr Erdogan said .
He warned Russia not to get involved in Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , telling Moscow `` not to stand in our way '' .
Turkey has previously said its troops were in Idlib to prevent clashes there , and that their positions were being co-ordinated beforehand .
Mr Erdogan warned last week that Turkey would respond militarily if its soldiers in the region were threatened in any way .
Syria 's Sana state news agency said that `` no injuries or damage were reported '' in the Turkish strikes .
It said Syrian government troops were continuing their offensive in Idlib , `` liberating '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , a UK-based monitoring group , reported that six Syrian soldiers were killed in the Turkish strikes .
The strains are beginning to show in the relationship between Turkey and the Syrian regime , which in turn is souring ties between Ankara and Moscow .
This was never going to be a marriage made in heaven , Turkey having funded and armed opponents of the government from the outset of the Syrian crisis with the explicit aim of removing President Bashar al-Assad from power .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assad 's survival was assured , President Erdogan decided to change tack and sought out a better relationship with both Damascus and Moscow .
This , he believed , was the best way to secure Turkey 's own strategic interests in Syria .
But Turkey 's goals are incompatible with those of the other players .
Russia 's backing for a Syrian government offensive in Idlib province suggests that Moscow is choosing its long-time Syrian ally over Ankara .
The localised shelling between Syrian and Turkish forces indicates that the diplomatic tensions present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in outright fighting on the ground .
For endangered civilians , many of whom have been displaced by the government offensive , it makes the end game in Idlib that much more dangerous .
What 's the background to this ?
In 2017 , Turkey and Russia signed a `` de-escalation '' deal on Idlib , which came into force a year later .
The two sides agreed to jointly patrol the area to prevent clashes between the opposition and Syrian government troops .
Turkey , which has 12 military observation posts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating the agreement , a claim Moscow denies .
There are 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey , and the president has said it would not be able to handle a fresh influx of displaced people .

The strains are beginning to show in the relationship between Turkey and the Syrian regime, which in turn is souring ties between Ankara and Moscow. This was never going to be a marriage made in heaven, Turkey having funded and armed opponents of the government from the outset of the Syrian crisis with the explicit aim of removing President Bashar al-Assad from power.


bbc--2020-02-03--Iran plane downing: Iran ends co-operation with Ukraine

Iran has ceased co-operation with Ukraine in its investigation into the downing of Ukrainian passenger jet PS752 by Iranian missiles on 8 January .
It comes after Ukrainian TV aired a leaked exchange between an Iranian pilot and air traffic control , apparently recorded at the time .
The pilot allegedly states he saw a flash in the sky , similar to missile fire , and then an explosion .
Iran initially denied responsibility for the downing , which killed 176 .
At the time Iran was on high alert , having fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad .
`` We will no longer provide any documents to the Ukrainians , '' the head of the Iranian investigation team Hassan Rezaeifar told the Iranian news agency Mehr on Monday .
• Who are the victims of Iran plane crash ?
• What we know about the Iran plane crash Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the new evidence proved that Iran knew from the very first moments that the Ukraine International Airlines flight was brought down by a missile .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-operate in investigating with `` foreign experts '' .
`` There are clearly tensions over the conduct of the investigation , '' the BBC 's correspondent in Ukraine Jonah Fisher explained .
`` Ukraine wants to look at the black box flight recorders .
Iran has been stalling for weeks and is insisting on trying to extract the information in Tehran . ''
The recording is of a conversation between an Iranian pilot who was landing shortly after the doomed Ukrainian passenger jet took off , and the control tower in Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian YouTube channel , the Aseman Airlines pilot says he is seeing lights in the sky ahead that look like they 're from a missile .
A male officer in the control tower is then heard trying to contact the Ukrainian plane several times , without success .
After a few minutes , the Iranian pilot tells the control tower he has just seen a `` big light from an explosion '' .

At the time Iran was on high alert, having fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad.


bbc--2020-02-03--Climate change: Sacked climate chief 'may sue government'

The former head of this year ’ s vital climate summit may sue the UK government for sacking her , the BBC has learned .
Claire O ’ Neill , an ex-minister , was told by Downing Street that she couldn ’ t chair the Glasgow meeting because she was no longer a minister .
But sources close to Ms O ’ Neill say they think she was fired for criticising government failings .
They say the process for the climate meeting was in in disarray .
The sources said different ministers were jockeying to lead the UN meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister was out of touch .
The conference is supposed to corral governments into improving their offers to avoid dangerous climate change by cutting emissions faster .
This was always a mountain to climb , especially since President Donald Trump began the process of pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement .
A government spokesperson said preparations for the conference were going well , and that the meeting would be a success .
But I understand that some of the basics still aren ’ t in place .
It seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to London from Glasgow because security costs there are much higher .
I ’ m told the original total cost of the conference signed off by Cabinet was £250m .
It said to now be closer to £450m , with no agreed final budget .
To compound the issue , the Prime Minister infuriated the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon by reportedly telling the Conservative conference he didn ’ t want her `` anywhere near ” the meeting .
Scottish government sources insist that the venue is booked and they expect the summit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Neill has previously expressed the view that the conference needs an Olympics-style delivery body .
Compared with the huge French diplomatic effort that brought about a surprisingly positive deal in Paris in 2015 , the UK ’ s preparations are lagging .
The French had more than 200 diplomats working for years on the meeting .
The UK has scrambled just over 100 for the task .
What ’ s more , the challenge has been made more difficult because when Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary he fired many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One source close to Mrs O ’ Neill said : “ Boris doesn ’ t really know anything about climate change .
He pays lip service , but has n't got a clue .
He promised to chair a Cabinet committee on climate change – but he hasn ’ t even convened a meeting.
” I ’ m told he has only discussed climate once in Cabinet .
On that occasion , Mr Johnson didn ’ t discuss policy , according to the source , but simply said he used to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are others close to the government , though , who are unsurprised at Mrs O ’ Neill ’ s departure .
Sources said she derided some of the UK ’ s most experienced climate diplomats because she thought they were moving too slowly and were tied to old and ineffective methods .
Instead , she controversially brought in the Boston Consulting Group to advise her in meetings .
She is said to have been exasperated at the pace of progress over an issue she considers to be vitally important , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her tone .
Mrs O'Neill has previously described herself as a `` crap diplomat but someone who gets things done '' .
Some observers who oppose the UK 's climate change laws have celebrated her demise , arguing that she echoed environmental groups too closely .
But her departure leaves a big hole , with the conference set for November .
I understand that Michael Gove is keen to oversee the project .

Instead, she controversially brought in the Boston Consulting Group to advise her in meetings. She is said to have been exasperated at the pace of progress over an issue she considers to be vitally important, and is reported to have upset officials with her tone.


bbc--2020-02-03--Brexit: Boris Johnson says 'no need' for UK to follow EU rules on trade

Boris Johnson has set out his vision for a trade deal with the EU , saying there is `` no need '' for the UK to follow Brussels ' rules .
The PM called for a Canada-style free trade deal , saying the UK would return to the Withdrawal Agreement if such a deal was not reached .
But the EU 's Michel Barnier said its `` ambitious '' trade deal offer required a `` level playing field '' .
Mr Barnier also said there should be reciprocal access to fishing waters .
Under the EU-Canada deal , import tariffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two countries , though there are still customs and VAT checks .
The flow of services , such as banking - which is much more important for the UK - between Canada and the EU are much more restricted .
• Barnier : Work should start now on NI agreements Mr Johnson used his speech on `` unleashing Britain 's potential '' to raise the prospect of the UK reverting to World Trade Organisation ( WTO ) terms if EU chiefs refuse to sign off on a Canada-style free trade agreement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the PM said : `` We have often been told that we must choose between full access to the EU market , along with accepting its rules and courts on the Norway model , or an ambitious free trade agreement , which opens up markets and avoids the full panoply of EU regulation , on the example of Canada .
`` We have made our choice - we want a free trade agreement , similar to Canada 's but in the very unlikely event that we do not succeed , then our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our existing Withdrawal Agreement with the EU .
`` The choice is emphatically not 'deal or no deal ' .
The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada 's - or more like Australia 's .
`` In either case , I have no doubt that Britain will prosper mightily . ''
• Britain 'will not be aligning with EU rules ' - Raab He rejected the requirement for the UK to adopt Brussels-made rules `` on competition policy , subsidies , social protection , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules '' .
The PM added that he will seek `` a pragmatic agreement on security , protecting our citizens without trespassing on the autonomy of our respective legal systems '' .
He said the UK was ready to agree a deal on fishing with the EU and suggested that there would be annual negotiations on this .
When asked by the BBC 's Laura Kuenssberg whether he accepted that leaving the EU with no comprehensive trade deal could have significant cost for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` We 've got a deal , it 's a great deal , we 're out . ''
`` When I hear prophecies of doom I 've heard them before , I do n't believe in them , '' he added .
On the absence of the word `` Brexit '' in his speech , Mr Johnson said it was not a banned words but that `` it 's over , it 's happened '' .
`` It 's receding behind us in history and that 's the approach we should take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a speech in Brussels , Mr Barnier , the EU 's chief negotiator , offered a contrasting vision to Mr Johnson 's .
He said the EU was ready to offer a `` highly ambitious trade deal as the central pillar of this partnership '' , which included zero tariffs and zero quotas .
But , he said , this was dependent on the UK agreeing to `` specific and effective guarantees to ensure a level playing field '' to ensure competition `` is and remains open and fair '' .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fisheries that will allow `` continued reciprocal access '' , he said .
Mr Barnier said all goods coming into the EU will need to comply with its rules on health or other standards and as a result , goods entering the union `` will be subject to regulatory checks '' .
`` Businesses must adapt now for this new reality , '' he said .
The more standards the UK and EU had in common , the better the access the EU will be able to offer to its market .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Europe 's societal and regulatory model in the future or will it seek to diverge ? ''
he said .
`` The UK 's answer to this question will be fundamental . ''
The European Commission has published its draft negotiating mandate with three components : general arrangements , economic arrangements and security arrangements .
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said negotiations would be `` hard and fair and fast '' but that the closer the UK wanted to be to the bloc , the more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide by .
In 2016 the EU signed a trade agreement with Canada - and this deal could be a template for the UK 's future relationship with the EU .
The Canada deal gets rid of tariffs ( taxes ) on the majority of goods traded between the countries - some `` sensitive '' food items , including eggs and chicken , are not covered by it .
The EU/ Canada agreement means public contracts are opened up to each other 's contractors - so , Canadian companies can , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also means Canadian products going to the EU have to comply with EU standards ( for example on food and product safety ) and vice versa .
Services - a sector which makes up about 80 % of the UK economy - are only partially covered by the deal .
Importantly for the UK , this type of agreement does not cover financial services meaning UK-based banks would not be able to serve clients in the EU without licences from individual countries .
Critics hit out at Mr Johnson 's suggestion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia 's '' with acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey calling it `` no deal in all but name '' .
Sir Ed added : `` Deliberately hollowing out our trade is nothing short of a scorched earth policy for our economy . ''
In addition to a deal with the EU , the government also wants to make progress in striking free-trade agreements with countries such as the United States , Japan , Australia and New Zealand .
Trade talks between Britain and the EU are due to begin in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negotiations needs to be agreed by all 27 member states .
While the UK officially left the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday , it will remain wedded to EU rules during a transition period which ends in December this year - the PM has said it will not be extended .

In his speech in Greenwich, London, the PM said: "We have often been told that we must choose between full access to the EU market, along with accepting its rules and courts on the Norway model, or an ambitious free trade agreement, which opens up markets and avoids the full panoply of EU regulation, on the example of Canada.


bbc--2020-02-03--Second Mexico monarch butterfly activist found dead

A second activist campaigning for the conservation of monarch butterflies and the woods in which they hibernate has been found dead in Mexico .
Raúl Hernández worked as a tour guide at a butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán state .
His body , which bore signs of beatings and a head injury , was found two days after the funeral of Homero Gómez .
Mr Gómez managed a monarch butterfly sanctuary in the same state and had received threats , his family said .
Raúl Hernández , 44 , disappeared on Monday 27 January .
He had left work as usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a village called El Oyamel .
His body was found six days later at the top of a hill in the El Campanario monarch butterfly sanctuary .
Forensic experts said his body was covered in bruises and he had a deep wound to his head .
An investigation into his death is under way .
Conservationists fear his death may be linked to that of Homero Gómez , who disappeared in the same area on 13 January .
Mr Gómez 's body was found in a well on 29 January .
His family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the activist had received threats warning him to stop his campaign against illegal logging .
He was a tireless campaigner for the conservation of the monarch butterfly and the pine and fir forests where it hibernates .
The sanctuary he managed opened in November as part of a strategy to stop illegal logging in the area , which is a key habitat for the species .
Officials initially said his body showed no signs of violence , but a post mortem examination revealed he had suffered a blow to the head before drowning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate has risen in recent years and official figures suggest 2019 had the highest rate ever recorded , with 34,582 recorded killings .
Many are believed to be carried out by criminal gangs who kill anyone who could interfere with their illegal activities , which range from drug and human trafficking to extortion , logging and mining .
Scientists have been fascinated by the orange and black butterflies because of the vast distances they fly each year to hibernate in Mexico - the longest migration of any insect .
Researchers found that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compass to guide them during their flight from Canada and the US to the same area on the border between Michoacán and Mexico state every year .
Once they reach the mountain hillsides of the oyamel fir forests in that area , they cluster together to stay warm .
Tens of thousands of butterflies can be seen on a single tree , creating a colourful spectacle which has become a draw for tourists .
But environmentalists have warned that illegal logging poses a major risk to these forests and the butterflies which spend @ @ @ @

His body was found six days later at the top of a hill in the El Campanario monarch butterfly sanctuary. Forensic experts said his body was covered in bruises and he had a deep wound to his head. An investigation into his death is under way.


bbc--2020-02-03--Coronavirus: China shares in biggest fall in four years

Fears over the coronavirus triggered a sharp fall in Chinese shares when the market reopened after the Lunar New Year holiday .
The Shanghai Composite index closed nearly 8 % lower , its biggest daily drop for more than four years .
Manufacturing , materials , and consumer goods companies were among the hardest hit , while healthcare shares soared .
The fall came despite China 's central bank announcing new measures to ease the impact of the outbreak .
The People 's Bank of China ( PBOC ) unexpectedly lowered short term interest rates as part of its attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rapidly spreading virus .
It also pumped an extra 150 billion yuan ( $ 22bn ; £16.3bn ) into the economy on Monday , a move aimed at ensuring there is enough liquidity in the banking system .
In total , the central bank will inject 1.2 trillion yuan into the financial system , the majority of which was already planned .
The PBOC said it could make more cash available throughout the week , as Chinese financial regulators forecast the impact on the country 's already slowing economy will be `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How people are still getting food • Trump official : Coronavirus could boost US jobs The coronovirus outbreak comes as China 's economy , which is the second largest in the world after the US , is slowing , following the trade war between Washington and Beijing .
China saw economic growth of 6.1 % last year - the weakest expansion in around three decades .
A partial trade deal easing tensions was signed earlier this month , but most tariffs remain in place .
The falling share prices in China come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic in recent days .
Last week , Wall Street 's S & P 500 index notched up its worst week since October .
China 's stock markets are dominated by retail investors - that 's non-professional , though often quite wealthy , individuals , as opposed to institutional investors .
They own a whopping 80 % of A-shares on the Shanghai market , that 's shares that are mainly open to Chinese investors .
That means they have a profound effect on market movements , and what they 're telling us with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scared .
But it 's also important to remember Chinese investors are playing catch up with falls on markets elsewhere - this is the first time mainland China 's stock markets have opened for more than a week , so it is not surprising they 've taken a tumble .
Still , it 's a nuanced picture - and not a case of every company 's shares crashing .
It is a stock market divided by sectors .
So shares in companies that sell healthcare products have actually gone up by some 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the manufacturing , real estate and construction sector have fallen sharply .
The key question now is how bad the effect of coronavirus will be on China 's economy - and as a result , on the fortunes of its companies .
The truth is we just do n't know .
It is difficult to get reliable data from China ; typically during the Lunar New Year period it is challenging to gauge how many people are working , or producing things .
This year - as one analyst told me - `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data coming out of the country is scant , patchy and unreliable at best .
Already , many research houses are slashing first quarter growth forecasts for China .
We are essentially in the dark at the moment about the health of China 's economy - which is worrying because of how connected it is to the global economy .
Analysts say the impact of the virus - which has left major cities in full or partial lockdown - could harm growth if it lasts for a prolonged period .
China 's travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit over an unusually quiet Spring Festival break , while cinemas were forced to close to try to contain the virus .
Meanwhile , numerous factories have suspended production while companies have instructed employees to work from home .
Foxconn , Toyota , Starbucks , McDonald 's and Volkswagen are just a few of the corporate giants to have paused operations or shuttered outlets across China .
Analysts at Oxford Economics said they expected the economic impact of the coronavirus to be `` high , but short-lived , as during the 2003 Sars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale of the outbreak and impact is set to be worse than in the case of Sars , as the coronavirus is hitting a larger part of China and its population .
`` Moreover , we can not rule out an even more serious and longer-lasting impact due to differences in behaviour of the virus , a larger effect from government travel restrictions and firm closures , and a much more connected economy this time around . ''
More on the coronavirus outbreak : • First death from coronavirus outside China • Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @

This year - as one analyst told me - "economists are flying blind" because the data coming out of the country is scant, patchy and unreliable at best. Already, many research houses are slashing first quarter growth forecasts for China. We are essentially in the dark at the moment about the health of China's economy - which is worrying because of how connected it is to the global economy.


bbc--2020-02-03--'Australia should be ashamed': Koalas found dead on logging site

At least dozens of koalas have died at a logging site in the Australian state of Victoria , with activists @ @ @ @ @ starved to death or were killed by bulldozers .
Animal rescue workers are currently treating @ @ @ @ @ at the plantation near the town of Portland .
Some of the animals had to @ @ @ @ @ Helen Oakley posted an emotional video on social media that went viral , where she @ @ @ @ @ koalas .
The Australian state government of Victoria has launched an investigation .
Read more @ @ @ @ @ dead after logging

Dozens of koalas have died at a logging site in the Australian state of Victoria, with activists claiming that the animals either starved to death or were killed by bulldozers.
Animal rescue workers are currently treating scores of koalas found alive at the plantation near the town of Portland. Some of the animals had to be euthanised.
Local woman Helen Oakley posted an emotional video on social media that went viral, where she talked about finding the dead koalas.
The Australian state government of Victoria has launched an investigation.
Read more: Dozens of koalas found dead after logging


bbc--2020-02-03--Jennifer Lopez and Shakira sparkle at the Super Bowl

`` Let 's show the world what two little Latin girls can do , '' Jennifer Lopez told Shakira , shortly before playing the Super Bowl Half Time Show in Miami .
In the event , the duo showed they could sing , belly dance , crowd surf , knee slide , pole dance and even play drums .
It was a kinetic and sometimes dizzying set , as the Latin singers raced through 20 songs in just 12 minutes .
And after two years of under-cooked half time shows , their vibrant , kitsch spectacle was a breath of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 and Maroon 5 last year , the two performers thrashed out a focused and upbeat set-list that concentrated on their biggest hits , offset by breath-taking choreography and fistfuls of Vegas glitter .
They mostly heeded Lady Gaga 's warning that `` I better hear no lip-syncing '' at the Super Bowl , proving themselves to be accomplished live vocalists even while spinning around the stage like marionettes .
`` Hola Miami ! ''
shouted Shakira , opening the show with the disco strut of She Wolf before segueing to the grungy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few bars of Led Zeppelin 's Kashmir as she wigged out on a black sequinned guitar .
She brought out Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny to duet on a cover of Cardi B 's I Like It , and wrapped up six minutes later with her biggest hit , Hips Do n't Lie , while being carried across the audience on her back .
Throughout her segment , the Colombian singer , who was celebrating her 43rd birthday , looked like she was having an absolute blast .
At one point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waggled her tongue and trilled .
Although some viewers made fun , others pointed out the singer , whose father is Lebanese , was performing a traditional Arabic vocal celebration known as the zaghrouta .
Lopez arrived next , perched atop a replica of the Empire State Building while singing , somewhat incongruously , that she was `` still Jenny from the block '' .
Dressed in a studded leather body suit , the singer showed off her punchy , staccato dance moves ; as well as the gravity-defying pole dancing skills she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's box office smash Hustlers .
She was joined by Colombia 's J Balvin to play Que Calor and Mi Gente .
Later , her 11-year-old daughter Emme Maribel Muñiz , sang the club hit Let 's Get Loud .
During the show 's only moment of political frisson , Emme sang the chorus of Bruce Springsteen 's Born In The USA while Lopez draped herself in a Puerto Rican flag , a not-so-subtle dig at the Trump administration 's handling of aid for the island after it was devastated by two hurricanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Puerto Rican parentage , previously donated $ 1m in proceeds from her Las Vegas residency to the relief effort .
But overall , the half time show was conceived as `` an all-inclusive party , a party that integrates cultures and diversity , '' said Shakira at a pre-game press conference last week .
It certainly managed to incorporate more than half-a-dozen musical styles , from salsa and reggaeton to hip-hop and Afro-fusion ; although the break-neck pace meant several songs were over before you could sneeze .
The singers only appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of Shakira 's Waka Waka which , confusingly , was the official anthem of an entirely separate sporting event - the 2010 World Cup .
The show also incorporated a tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant , who died alongside his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash last weekend .
As Lopez 's daughter performed the opening bars of Let 's Get Loud , a giant cross illuminated the field of Miami 's Hard Rock stadium in yellow and purple , the colours of Bryant 's team , the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lopez said she had wanted to honour the athlete as soon as she learned of the tragedy from her fiance , Alex Rodriguez .
`` I was in the middle of rehearsing [ when ] Alex came to me with tears in his eyes and he 's like , 'You 're not gon na believe what happened , ' '' Lopez recalled .
`` He was devastated . ''
`` I think it 's affecting everybody so much because it 's reminding everybody how fragile life is and how we have to appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With hits like Waiting For Tonight and Whenever , Wherever in the 2000s , Shakira and Lopez helped clear a path for the stream of Latin artists who 've flooded the charts over the last few years .
At the start of their career , the prospect of a Super Bowl show sung half in Spanish would have been unimaginable - a fact that was not lost on Shakira .
`` Being at the Super Bowl is very symbolic in a way , and I feel we have a great responsibility with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told Reuters .
`` There is a lot to celebrate about our Latin culture , and it is a great opportunity to be on this very important stage . ''
The NFL says there are 30.2 million Hispanic football fans in the United States , an increase of two million since 2017 .
`` The league 's Hispanic fanbase has continued to grow rapidly , '' said an NFL spokesperson , `` and our outreach to the Hispanic community is an important year-round initiative '' .
However , they are not represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herald reporting that only 16 of the NFL 's 1,696 players in the 2018 season were of Hispanic origin .
Before Sunday 's clash between San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs began , pop star Demi Lovato ( who is also of Latin heritage ) gave a full-throated , melismatic rendition of the US national anthem .
Standing on a giant , football-shaped platform , and dressed in a simple white suit , Lovato was accompanied by Christine Sun Kim , who provided interpretation in American sign language .
Earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a soulful rendition of America The Beautiful with the Children 's Chorus of Miami .
None of the performers are paid for appearing , but the exposure is priceless .
The TV audience for the Super Bowl has never dropped below 100 million in the US , and last year 's half time performers , Maroon 5 , saw their sales jump by 488 % .
Two years earlier , downloads of Lady Gaga 's music increased by more than 1,000 % after a 12-minute tour-de-force that began with a stage dive from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stadium .
The most-watched Super Bowl show of all time was Katy Perry 's shark-infested spectacular in 2015 , which drew 120.7 million viewers .
• I Like It ( Cardi B cover , with Bad Bunny ) Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
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bbc--2020-02-03--Super Bowl 2020: James Bond, Top Gun and Black Widow trailers unveiled

Trailers for the Top Gun sequel , the new James Bond film and other keenly anticipated movies have been unveiled during this year 's Super Bowl .
Fans also got new glimpses of Black Widow and the new Minions movie .
Bill Murray , Chris Rock and Winona Ryder were a few of the Hollywood stars enlisted to star in adverts on one of the biggest nights in the US television-watching calendar .
The cost of a 30-second spot during the game can cost more than $ 5m ( £3.8m ) .
Yet that is considered a price worth paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual American Football showdown can bring to a film , TV show or product .
The 30-second trailer for No Time To Die , the 25th official Bond film , opened with a previously unseen scene showing Daniel Craig 's Bond in a hi-tech glider .
`` Have you ever flown one of these things before ? ''
he asks Lashana Lynch 's Nomi , a fellow secret agent , who responds with `` Nope '' .
The `` official game day spot '' continued with a promise that `` the 25th film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cinemas in April .
The film , billed as Craig 's final outing as Bond , will see his character return to active service to combat a new adversary , played by Bohemian Rhapsody 's Rami Malek .
• What we learned from the first James Bond trailer Two of this year 's Oscar nominees were seen joining forces in the promo for Black Widow , the latest superhero film from Marvel Studios .
Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh appear alongside Rachel Weisz in the 30-second teaser for the first stand-alone outing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` At some point we all have to choose between what the world wants you to be and who you are , '' she is heard saying amid scenes of explosive mayhem .
Johansson and Pugh were both up for prizes at Sunday 's Bafta Film Awards - two in Scarlett 's case - but each left empty-handed .
• Seven talking points from the Black Widow trailer There was more ominous voiceover work in the trailer for Top Gun : Maverick , this time emanating from actor Miles Teller .
`` My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character is heard telling Pete `` Maverick '' Mitchell , played by Tom Cruise .
`` I 'm not going to make the same mistake . ''
The long-awaited sequel to 1986 's Top Gun sees Cruise 's hotshot jet pilot become instructor to the son of his deceased former flying partner .
Dramatic scenes of Cruise in the cockpit of an F/A-18F Super Hornet pad out the trailer for the film , which lands in cinemas in July .
Other sequels to be promoted during the Super Bowl included Fast & Furious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Minions : The Rise of Gru .
The latter - another outing for the yellow helpers from the Despicable Me series - promised a check-list of elements including `` action , bad guys , snacks , explosions [ and ] nuns '' .
A similar tactic was employed by an ad for The SpongeBob Movie : Sponge on the Run , whose own itinerary included `` fast cars , robots [ and ] a wise sage '' played by Keanu Reeves .
A promo for the new Sonic the Hedgehog film , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas , Kyle Busch and Allyson Felix sing the praises of its spiny hero .
• Sonic The Hedgehog gets 'glow up of the century' Streaming giants also got in on the action during Sunday 's game , with Amazon Prime unveiling an ad for its new drama Hunters .
The series , which premieres later this month , stars Al Pacino as the head of a team of Nazi-hunters out to thwart the creation of a Fourth Reich in 1970s America .
Disney + also unveiled its own forthcoming wares , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Marvel Cinematic Universe - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , WandaVision and Loki .
Another Disney enterprise , its live action retelling of 1998 animation Mulan , was promoted by a trailer running two minutes in length .
Other Super Bowl adverts saw famous names co-opting scenes from well-known films to promote products .
They included Bill Murray , who appeared in an ad for car giant Jeep , which saw him parody scenes from his 1993 comedy Groundhog Day .
Bryan Cranston was seen wielding an axe in an advert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoofed horror classic The Shining .
Sylvester Stallone , meanwhile , recreated his iconic Rocky Balboa character as part of a series of adverts for Facebook fronted by comedian Chris Rock .
Winona Ryder could be seen travelling to the Minnesotan city of Winona in a Squarespace ad , while Jonah Hill reunited with Martin Scorsese , who directed him in 2013 's The Wolf of Wall Street , for Coca Cola , and Gal Gadot and Molly Ringwald popped up in other spots .
In between all that , the Kansas City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beat the San Francisco 49ers and lift the the Vince Lombardi Trophy .
This year 's Half Time Show in Miami saw Latin singers Jennifer Lopez and Shakira perform a sizzling 12-minute set comprising 20 different songs .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

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bbc--2020-02-02--In pictures: The Baftas red carpet in London

Graham Norton has previously hosted the TV Baftas but this was his first year fronting the film awards .
He @ @ @ @ @ the red carpet to mark his debut year

Image caption,
Graham Norton has previously hosted the TV Baftas but this was his first year fronting the film awards. He decided to colour co-ordinate with the red carpet to mark his debut year


bbc--2020-02-01--Amazon rainforest: The 90-year-old trying to stop destruction

Newsnight was given rare access to a once-in-a-generation meeting of indigenous groups trying to save the Amazon .
Environmental campaigners @ @ @ @ @ policies of Brazil 's populist leader Jair Bolsonaro have heavily contributed to the destruction of @ @ @ @ @ Chief Raoni Metuktire is visiting the UK to try and raise international support for their @ @ @ @ @ with Newsnight 's International Editor , Gabriel Gatehouse .
You can view the full Newsnight @ @

Newsnight was given rare access to a once-in-a-generation meeting of indigenous groups trying to save the Amazon.
Environmental campaigners and indigenous groups say the policies of Brazil's populist leader Jair Bolsonaro have heavily contributed to the destruction of the rainforest.
Now, Chief Raoni Metuktire is visiting the UK to try and raise international support for their plan. He sat down with Newsnight's International Editor, Gabriel Gatehouse.
You can view the full Newsnight episode here


bbc--2020-02-03--Tarantula YouTube videos help woman beat fear of spiders

A woman who spent years being terrified of spiders managed to `` desensitise '' herself by watching YouTube videos of @ @ @ @ @ sleeps with 32 of them .
Vanessa Woods , 33 , gradually introduced spiders into @ @ @ @ @ form of exposure therapy to combat her `` crippling '' arachnophobia .
A year after @ @ @ @ @ , she now shares her bedroom with dozens of the creepy critters at her home @ @ @ @ @ Ms Woods said owning tarantulas was an `` addictive '' hobby .
`` I got @ @ @ @ @ think a week later I got about three more . ''

A woman who spent years being terrified of spiders managed to "desensitise" herself by watching YouTube videos of tarantulas - and now she sleeps with 32 of them.
Vanessa Woods, 33, gradually introduced spiders into her life through her own form of exposure therapy to combat her "crippling" arachnophobia.
A year after choosing to face her fear, she now shares her bedroom with dozens of the creepy critters at her home in Wymondham, Norfolk.
Ms Woods said owning tarantulas was an "addictive" hobby. "I got my first one, I think a week later I got about three more."
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have an unusual hobby or collection - get in touch. Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk


bbc--2020-02-03--Newcastle University films grey seals clapping underwater

Researchers believe they are the first to film grey seals clapping their flippers underwater .
Dr Ben Burville from Newcastle @ @ @ @ @ trying to capture a seal producing the gunshot-like sound , which they make during the @ @ @ @ @ this footage off the Farne Islands , near Northumberland .

Researchers believe they are the first to film grey seals clapping their flippers underwater.
Dr Ben Burville from Newcastle University has spent 17 years trying to capture a seal producing the gunshot-like sound, which they make during the breeding season.
He recorded this footage off the Farne Islands, near Northumberland.


bbc--2020-02-03--Nigeria's women fight back

Nigeria's women fight back

Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women , with rape and sexual assault an @ @ @ @ @ , the country 's largest city , women are breaking tradition by attending self-defence classes @ @ @ @ @ protect themselves .

Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women, with rape and sexual assault an ongoing threat.
In Lagos, the country's largest city, women are breaking tradition by attending self-defence classes, and learning how to protect themselves.


bbc--2020-02-02--Inside the hidden 'power tunnels' of London

Deep underneath London is a hidden network of tunnels powering the network .
With Londoners encouraged to buy more electric @ @ @ @ @ energy , 'power tunnels ' have been created under the city 's streets .
The @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , built 20 miles ( 32km ) of tunnels carrying high-voltage cables .
The @ @ @ @ @ start construction this year .

Deep underneath London is a hidden network of tunnels powering the network.
With Londoners encouraged to buy more electric cars and London needing more energy, 'power tunnels' have been created under the city's streets.
The first phase, completed in 2018, built 20 miles (32km) of tunnels carrying high-voltage cables. The next stage is due to start construction this year.


bbc--2020-02-03--'I sold my hair for $2 to feed my children'

The day Prema Selvam sold her hair for 150 rupees ( $ 2 ; £1.50 ) in order to feed her young children was the worst of her life .
The mother-of-three had already lost her husband after he had killed himself in a fit of desperation amid mounting debts and a failed dream .
Even then , she still had hope .
But after selling her hair , she was faced with the prospect of having nothing more of value , no way to pay the creditors demanding their money , and no food in the cupboard .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Before his death , Prema and her husband had worked in a brick kiln in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu , making just enough to scrape a living together for their young family .
But they had hoped for more .
Her husband took out a loan to start his own brick kiln , but the plans failed to take off .
In a moment of desperation last year , he killed himself .
The pressure fell solely on Prema to not only earn enough to feed , clothe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also to pay back the money they owed for the failed business venture .
And for a while she managed , taking her two youngest to work with her .
`` When I go to work I get 200 rupees ( $ 2.80 ) per day , which is enough to run our family , '' Prema explains to the BBC .
But she became ill , which meant she could n't earn as much .
`` I could n't carry a heavy load of bricks .
I stayed home for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
She was sick for three months - by the end of which the bills had mounted , and the cupboards had run bare .
`` My seven-year-old son Kaliyappan came back from school and asked for food , '' she recalls .
`` Then he started crying due to hunger . ''
Prema had no property , jewellery , valuables or kitchen utensils that could be exchanged for cash .
`` I did n't even have a 10 rupee note [ $ 0.14 ; £0.11 ] with me .
I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then she realised she did have something she could sell after all .
`` I remembered a shop which used to buy hair , '' Prema says , thinking immediately of her own hair .
India is one of the world 's top exporters of human hair , which is sold around the globe to make extensions .
Some Hindu devotees offer up their hair in temples when their prayers are answered .
`` I went there and sold my entire head of hair for 150 rupees ( $ 2 ; £1.50 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot - the money she got might only have been able to buy a lunch at a restaurant in a large city - but in her village , Prema was able to buy much more .
`` I got three packs of cooked rice , each costing 20 rupees , for my three children , '' she says .
But the respite was only temporary : Prema knew she was out of options , and her thoughts began to turn towards more drastic measures .
She went to a shop where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
But , seeing her state of distress and realising her plan , the shopkeeper refused to sell her anything .
Prema went home and decided to find another way of taking her own life .
She was saved by her sister , who lives in the neighbourhood and happened to come by in time to stop her .
And then , just a few days later , the help she so desperately needed appeared out of the blue .
Bala Murugan heard about Prema 's situation from a friend who owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck a nerve : her struggle reminded him of his family 's darkest hour .
Bala knows well how poverty can drive people to despair - at the age of 10 , his family ran out of food .
His mother sold their old books and newspapers by weight to buy rice .
And then , in a state of utter despair , Bala 's mother decided to kill herself and her children .
She changed her mind at the last moment : the family rushed their mother to a doctor , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a life a world away from the situation he grew up in .
After years of struggle , he has worked his way out of poverty and now owns a computer graphics centre .
And now , he had a chance to pay his own good fortune forward : Bala told Prema about his journey and encouraged her to find hope .
Along with his friend , Prabhu , he gave her some money to buy food .
Then Bala wrote about the family on social media .
`` Within a day I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When I told Prema about it she was very happy and said that was enough to pay back most of her loan , '' he tells the BBC .
But at Prema 's request , the fundraising was stopped .
`` She said she would get back to her work and pay the rest , '' Bala explains .
She now has to pay back about 700 rupees a month - about $ 10 - to different creditors , while district officials have stepped in and promised to help her to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is slowly getting back on her feet , but , sadly , her financial situation is far from unique .
In spite of India 's economic growth , millions like her struggle to put food on the table .
According to the World Bank , India is home to the second largest number of people living in extreme poverty - classified as those earning less than $ 1.90 per day .
Prema has another obstacle in her way : she can not read or write , like tens of millions of other Indians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unaware of government schemes which provide help to people like her .
Meanwhile , the country 's formal banking system has complex rules that make it difficult for poor communities to access credit at low interest rates .
Instead , Prema and her husband had borrowed from local money lenders and neighbours at higher rates - sending her spiralling further into debt .
But thanks to her community 's generosity , she is able to see a way out of the cycle of poverty which has kept her trapped .
Bala Murugan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his continued support .
`` Now I realise suicide was the wrong decision , '' she says .
`` I am confident about paying back the rest of the loan . ''
If you are depressed and need to ask for help , there 's advice on who to contact at BBC Action Line .
Outside of the UK , visit Befrienders International for more information about support services .

She went to a shop where she hoped to find something to end her life. But, seeing her state of distress and realising her plan, the shopkeeper refused to sell her anything. Prema went home and decided to find another way of taking her own life. She was saved by her sister, who lives in the neighbourhood and happened to come by in time to stop her.


bbc--2020-02-03--Blood on the tracks: Russian mystery of drummer's death in Siberia

He was 25 and an aspiring drummer with an eye on a career with the band he formed with his college friends .
Dmitry Fyodorov was also planning to marry his girlfriend in the Siberian city of Omsk .
But last month , police broke the news to his family that he had been decapitated by an oncoming train because he had ignored a driver 's warning signal to get off the tracks .
His friends do not believe a word of it and say he would never have taken his own life .
Before he died , Fyodorov posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by police and his fiancée says while there was some blood on the tracks , it was not enough to suggest such an appalling accident .
His case is being linked to that of a high-profile journalist who was detained and beaten by police officers who planted drugs in his rucksack .
Ivan Golunov was freed after a public outcry and street protests , and five former policemen were charged last week with falsifying evidence against him .
Fyodorov 's story resonates across Russia because one in four prisoners in Russian jails are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all down to an infamous drugs law .
Article 228 , known as the people 's article , covers all aspects of obtaining , keeping and transporting drugs .
In 2018 alone more than 70,000 people were convicted of drug-related offences .
Ten days before his death Dmitry Fyodorov described being collared by two National Guard officers ( military police ) who claimed they suspected him of selling drugs .
He posted a video on social media describing how he had disappeared for almost 24 hours in a rough part of Omsk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repost the video as widely as possible and tells his story .
`` It could happen to anyone , '' he warns .
`` One of the officers put his hand into my left pocket and then a little bundle fell on to my feet which was n't mine and could n't possibly be mine , '' he told his lawyer .
`` Then he shoved his hand again into my empty left pocket and pulled out four more little bundles just like the first one . ''
He then said police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night at a police station without the right to make a phone call or see a lawyer .
Police alleged that five one-gram packages of methylephedrine were found on him .
Lyudmila told BBC Russian that things went from bad to worse for her boyfriend that night .
She says the officers made him admit on camera to being a dealer ; they took away his phone and wanted him to sign statements that he was in that part of town to deliver drugs .
This way , they told him , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 'd go to jail .
He signed everything but they did not release him until 04:00 .
Lyudmila says they took him back to the street where they had arrested him and showed him hiding places `` where he was going to leave the drugs for collection '' and told him to remember for his trial .
Dmitry met his fiancée Lyudmila at Omsk University where they both studied advertising .
By the time of his death , everything was coming together for him .
He was about to graduate and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were about to record a mini-album .
But on 16 December 2019 , the day after his arrest , criminal proceedings began .
A lawyer assigned to his case urged him to co-operate fully and sign a statement that a search had been carried out in his flat .
That had not happened , but he signed nevertheless and found another lawyer , Igor Suslin .
His new lawyer filed complaints alleging Fyodorov had been stitched up .
They took the case to the local headquarters of the federal security service ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been planted on the young musician and went to the local court too .
• Why this Russian 's release from jail matters He celebrated his birthday on 21 December but told his lawyer he was in despair .
He had no hope of a fair trial in Russia and believed his complaints would fail .
Conviction rates in Russian courts are very high and rights activists say the police practice of forcing suspects to sign false confessions is endemic .
On 26 December Fyodorov was supposed to discuss his case with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MP .
But Fyodorov did not show up .
Igor Suslin feared he had been abducted and went to the police .
Then Fyodorov 's father received a phone call and was told he had been hit by a train .
Police held a briefing the next day and told journalists there was evidence of drug dealing on Fyodorov 's phone .
Lawyers have not been allowed to see it .
Fyodorov 's girlfriend says there was little blood on the tracks where he was said to have died .
She also believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inconsistent with a rail accident .
The prosecutor has said information can not be disclosed about the case , which is continuing .
However , a source in Russia 's investigative committee has told the BBC that the train drivers saw a man standing beside the tracks on the day .
And when they sounded and hit the brakes the man did not react .
Another case centred on Fyodorov 's allegations of falsified documents has been opened by the investigative committee .
A disciplinary investigation has begun against his first lawyer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the crowds that welcomed the release last June of journalist Ivan Golunov .
But both cases shed light on Russia 's notorious drug law , article 228 .

"One of the officers put his hand into my left pocket and then a little bundle fell on to my feet which wasn't mine and couldn't possibly be mine," he told his lawyer. "Then he shoved his hand again into my empty left pocket and pulled out four more little bundles just like the first one."


bbc--2020-02-03--Sahel crisis: Burkina Faso to arm civilians against militants

The authorities in Burkina Faso , struggling to grapple with a growing wave of Islamist militant attacks that is affecting the region , are planning to give weapons to civilians , as Louise Dewast reports .
The Burkinabe government is under pressure to take new measures to try and curtail the militants .
In January alone , at least 60 people were killed in four separate attacks in the north of the country , with another 20 killed on Sunday .
Members of parliament recently unanimously voted in favour of arming civilians in a move they said would help combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be signed into law .
The attacks by militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have significantly increased in the past year , causing more than half a million people to flee their homes .
Critics have questioned whether the new measure will make people safer , but the government insists that armed volunteers are necessary to stem the spread of violence .
The law says that the army 's capacity to fight the militants is limited in terms of numbers of soldiers and lack of appropriate training .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations have ... expressed their desire to actively engage in the defence of the homeland , '' it states .
But this is not proof of the army 's weakness , the government insisted .
Speaking to the BBC , Communication Minister Remi Dandjinou likened the future volunteers to members of the French resistance during Germany 's occupation of France in the World War Two .
But there is a concern that the new measures could heighten ethnic conflict and fuel tensions between rival hunting and farming communities .
`` The Burkinabe security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuses against suspects , '' Corinne Dufka from Human Rights Watch told the BBC .
`` That is why subcontracting any defence responsibilities to armed civilians is so potentially problematic . ''
`` It could exacerbate rising communal tensions and lead to more abuses , which would in turn push more people into the hands of the jihadists . ''
Who will be armed ?
Any national aged 18 and over can be considered for recruitment and there is no maximum age .
But recruits can not be part of any political group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and loyal and have a `` spirit of sacrifice '' which could include making the `` ultimate sacrifice '' , according to the law that the MPs backed .
But , after it was passed , Defence Minister Cheriff Sy insisted recruits would not be used as `` cannon fodder '' .
Recruitment will be carried out at a local level at an assembly where village leaders will be supervised by the army .
But the volunteers will not be a route to legitimising self-defence groups , made up of people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burkina Faso , as in Mali and Nigeria , civilians have armed themselves to defend their homes , and in some cases , gone on the offensive .
These self-defence groups are not officially sanctioned by authorities .
They are often composed on ethnic lines and have in many cases targeted rival communities .
One of the concerns raised is that parts of the country - up to one-third according to some estimates - are believed to be under the control of militant groups , making it far too dangerous and impractical to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The north and north-eastern border areas with Mali and Niger are the most affected by attacks , but so are increasingly the southern border areas .
What training will volunteers get ?
It is unclear when the recruitment will start and whether people are actually keen to sign up .
The law states that at least 10 volunteers should be recruited per village or area of residency .
Once they are recruited , the volunteers will undergo 14 days of training , which will include how to handle weapons , basic combat methods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and moral education .
It is unclear who will be providing the training and whether it will be followed up .
You may also be interested in : • How West Africa is under threat from Islamist militants • 'We 're raising our daughter as both Christian and Muslim' • The country where it ’ s too dangerous to go to school After their induction , the recruits will be given weapons , along with communication and observation equipment .
But they will not get uniforms .
While volunteers , who are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , will not be paid , the groups will receive financial support from the state for equipment and other mission-related expenses .
They are also allowed to receive donations .
They will get medical bills paid if they are injured and compensation if they are left with permanent injuries .
Funerals will be paid for if those who die in action .
Nationally , the ministry of defence will oversee the work of the civilian force , but locally the village chief will be responsible .
What is their mission ?
Volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times in their village .
They are expected to support the work of the army and police force , to help secure their village or district .
This could involve conducting surveillance and providing intelligence to the army but they are forbidden from conduct policing activities .
The volunteers will be expected to abide by a code of conduct , which for now has not been made public .

One of the concerns raised is that parts of the country - up to one-third according to some estimates - are believed to be under the control of militant groups, making it far too dangerous and impractical to hand out weapons in those areas.


bbc--2020-02-03--The medieval knight who went into space

The medieval knight who went into space

The BBC 's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world .
This week we speak to Richard Garriott , computer games veteran , and space tourism pioneer .
Blasting into space on a Russian Soyuz rocket , Richard Garriott says it was `` the most intense eight and a half minutes '' of his life .
Launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan , it took just that amount of time for the rocket to hit 28,000 km/h ( 17,000mph ) and reach orbit .
This was back in October 2008 , when Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into space as a paying traveller .
He spent 12 days on the International Space Station .
`` It was a truly profound and life-changing experience , '' says the 58-year-old .
The trip was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition for Richard , who , thanks to making a fortune in the computer games industry , could afford the price - a whopping $ 30m ( £23m ) .
It also allowed him to follow in the footsteps of his father Owen , an astronaut who twice went into space with Nasa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had wanted to join Nasa , too , as a younger man , but his ambition was blocked because his eyesight was not good enough .
Instead he started to design computer games as a teenager .
Raised near Houston , Texas , Richard remembers his high school getting its first computer in the mid-1970s .
As he was an excellent science student , he says that the teachers let him use it as often as he liked .
`` They basically said 'well , we have this computer that we do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's yours , do what you want with it ' . ''
Discovering that he was something of a natural at computer programming , he started to design his own games .
In 1979 , aged 18 , one of his games was released commercially .
Working part time in a computer store , Richard had shown his role-playing game - Akalabeth : World of Doom - to his manager .
The man was so impressed that he asked Richard to make copies that he could sell from the shop .
It caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaming distributors , who said he wanted to ship them nationwide .
Some 30,000 copies were sold , from which Richard was paid $ 150,000 in royalties `` for a few weeks of afterschool time at high school '' .
That amount of money was nearly three times his father 's annual Nasa salary .
`` I sat down with the rest of the family , who said 'well , this is a good idea , maybe you should do more of these ' , and I started my career . ''
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he still went to university , and so he enrolled on a degree at the University of Texas at Austin .
While at college he released the first instalment of his fantasy world , role-playing game series Ultima .
Think dungeons and dragons , medieval knights , and wizards .
With Ultima 1 selling 50,000 copies , Richard ultimately dropped out of college to focus on making computer games full time .
And together with his brother he set up a business called Origin Systems to release the later versions of the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell millions of units , and gained a dedicated following within the growing gaming community .
Richard would connect with devotees by going to fan conventions dressed in medieval costume , as a character from the game called Lord British .
However , on one occasion things took a dark turn when a crazed fan broke into his Texan house , and Richard had to fire off warning shots from his Uzi machine gun to defend himself before the police arrived .
In 1992 , Richard and his brother sold Origin to gaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard stayed with Electronic for eight years , before leaving to create a new business called Destination Games .
A number of other gaming firms then followed , with his current company - Portalarium - formed in 2008 .
• Dan Aykroyd : From battling spirits to selling them • The billionaire retailer whose shops had no stock Considered a pioneer within the gaming community , it is widely accepted that Richard was the first person to use the term `` avatar '' to apply to the on-screen representation of a person playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still loves working in the industry .
`` I am a very light-hearted person , '' he says .
`` I 'm a devout believer in work should be fun .
If work is not fun , you are doing the wrong work .
`` Maybe that 's idealistic , and it 's not fair to presume everyone in life can have that opportunity .
[ But ] if you can enjoy the work you 're doing , it makes life better , and so that 's one of the markers of success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' To help get himself into space , Richard co-founded a company called Space Adventures in 1998 .
Unlike the continuing efforts of Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk 's Space X , Space Adventures did n't set out to build its own spacecraft .
Instead it would arrange for its customers to hitch a ride on the flights of the Russian space agency Roscosmos .
Nasa was also asked , but said `` no '' .
The first person to get into space thanks to Space Adventures was American businessman Dennis Tito , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first space tourist .
Richard 's trip came seven years later , and although he co-owns the company he still had to pay the full price .
Space Adventures has so far put seven people into space .
Fred Schmidt , a Texan technology consultant , says that `` Richard 's number one trait in his ongoing entrepreneurial journey is how his boundless imagination plays in tandem with his insatiable curiosity '' .
Meanwhile , Richard Wiese , president of the Explorers Club , a professional society that promotes scientific exploration , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most creative person in the room '' .
He adds : `` The idea that Richard would figure a way to get himself into space when ordinary paths proved impossible speaks volumes on how he views the possible .
I often wonder if Richard gets the proper credit for being one of the first pioneers in private space . ''
Looking ahead , Richard says he wants to return to space .
`` I dream about my past and future space flights , '' he says .
`` Having travelled once to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more time there .
`` I experienced what many astronauts refer to as 'the overview effect ' , which makes your bond and care of the Earth greatly deepen . ''

"Maybe that's idealistic, and it's not fair to presume everyone in life can have that opportunity. [But] if you can enjoy the work you're doing, it makes life better, and so that's one of the markers of success, being able to do that."


bbc--2020-02-03--Bafta Film Awards 2020: 10 things we learned at the ceremony

It was undoubtedly 1917 's night at the Baftas , with seven awards including best film , but the ceremony 's hottest topic was diversity .
Host Graham Norton opened by saying it was `` the year when white men finally broke through ... 11 nominations for Joker - the story of a white man who makes himself even whiter '' .
He joked that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood harked back to 50 years ago when film was `` a misogynistic male-dominated industry , resistant to change '' .
The Bafta nominations were criticised for the serious lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominees were white , with no female directors nominated since 2013 .
It `` simply can not be right in this day and age '' to still be talking about diversity , said the Duke of Cambridge , while Joker star and best actor winner Joaquin Phoenix took aim at `` systemic racism '' in the film industry .
Rebel Wilson flew the flag for the lack of female directors , saying of the all-male nominees : `` I do n't think I could do what they do , honestly , I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Does current Bafta voting system need to change ?
But those who addressed the issue in the winners ' press room were more upbeat , even sounding optimistic about the future .
1 .
'Going in right direction ' on diversity Top Boy and Blue Story star Micheal Ward said : `` I feel like we 're going in the right direction . ''
He was hopeful that once `` people like me can see there 's a lot more opportunities '' , they 'll get into `` stuff like this and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korean director Bong Joon Ho also had high hopes : `` From the various efforts we 've been putting in , we will arrive where we do have diversity in this industry , whether it 's about gender , sexuality or people of colour . ''
Renee Zellweger simply felt `` grateful that there is more material out there that speaks to a wider audience '' .
`` I think it 's important that content should reflect society more completely - I agree with that , '' said the Judy star and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will no doubt be keen that their voters are listening .
Rebel Wilson drew several sharp intakes of breath for her speech , including her comments on Cats , in which of course she played Jennyanydots .
The film has performed badly with critics and at the box office , and Wilson said : `` I made this dress by sewing two old dresses together .
The red is from that one time I did n't win Miss Australia and the black is from a funeral I just went to for the feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any awards , I 'm not sure if everyone here is across the controversy , but this year there has been a distinct lack of nominations for felines . ''
The Force was with the Star Wars actor when he confidently predicted that Joker would n't sweep the board , despite having the most nominations .
As award ceremonies go , this was n't a particularly surprising one , but Boyega was still spot on .
4 .
Laura Dern kept it in the family Surely not many families can boast two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Laura Dern can lay claim to this , after winning her Bafta for Marriage Story .
Her mother , actress Diane Ladd , won in 1976 for Alice Does n't Live Here Anymore .
`` My award is a homage to my incredible mother - to be honoured in same category as her means more than I can express , I 'm so grateful , '' she said backstage .
If Robert De Niro says you do n't have to sit through all three and a half hours of Netflix 's mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be OK .
He told the BBC that as long as you can appreciate `` the meaning '' of the film , you can break it up a bit .
Phew .
Andy Serkis limped to the Baftas after `` a skiing faux pas on new year 's day '' , using a pretty sharp-looking set of black velvet and diamante crutches .
He 's 40 days into directing the shoot for Venom 2 with Tom Hardy , and told BBC News the costume team gave his crutches a makeover for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one swear-word away from an R-rating Taika Waititi , whose satirical look at World War Two won him best adapted screenplay , said he `` wants young people to see the film '' .
But he also wanted to include a particularly strong swear-word about Hitler .
`` You can have this word once in a movie , but anything above that is an automatic R-rating so that one word was really important to me , I was determined to keep it , '' he said after winning his Bafta .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK .
Had it got an R-rating in the US , anyone aged under 17 would have to be accompanied by an adult .
8 .
The small star of For Sama was very lively Every parent of young children has experienced this , where you 're trying to make a serious point to other adults - and all your child wants to do is run around , preferably with you in tow .
For Sama won best documentary for its searing portrayal of a journalist and doctor and their young daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Waad Al-Kateab had taken her daughter Sama on stage to collect the award , so by the time they got to the press room , the four-year old had some steam to let off .
Al-Kateab and her husband Hamza wisely let her run around while they spoke .
She said of her film : `` We 're trying to shed light on what 's happening and tell the governments and decision makers - I hope all of this recognition will make it stand out .
This is not about aliens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Hamza added that hospitals are being bombed , and said : `` Critics say it 's hard to watch , it 's harder that it 's happening . ''
Sama ran the length of the press stage and played with the microphones before scampering off with her parents .
Hugh Grant was on stage to present an award just after Renee Zellweger won her Bafta .
He briefly slipped back into character from Bridget Jones 's Diary , saying : `` Well done Jones .
That was a very silly little dress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book , Zellweger played the hapless and desirable Bridget , who is hotly pursued by Grant 's character Daniel Cleaver ( the cad ) and Colin Firth 's remote but honourable Mark Darcy .
Zellweger told the press room Grant 's comment was `` pretty cool , makes you feel like you 're one of the [ British ] gang and it 's quite a gang to be part of '' .
The Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit nominee wore a lot of feathers to the Baftas , so it 's not surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ceremony .
BBC News found a few after she 'd gone , and they were rather beautiful .
Let 's hope she floated home in a cloud of pink , which stayed intact for the rest of the evening .

The film has performed badly with critics and at the box office, and Wilson said: "I made this dress by sewing two old dresses together. The red is from that one time I didn't win Miss Australia and the black is from a funeral I just went to for the feature film Cats.


bbc--2020-02-03--Viewpoint: India budget raises more questions than answers

Indians are obsessed with the annual budget of the government , like no other country in the world .
After the finance minister presents the budget every year , citizens begin to ask familiar questions .
How will the budget impact me ?
What has become expensive ?
What has become cheaper ?
Do I save more on tax or do I pay more ?
This year there was more interest in the budget - presented in the parliament on Saturday - given that the economy has slowed down big time .
India 's Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced in the economy - is expected to grow by 5.7 % during the current financial year .
This is the slowest since 2012-13 , when the economy grew by 5.5 % .
This is primarily on account of a slowdown in private consumption .
During the first six months of 2019-20 , private consumption grew by just 4.1 % .
People are not spending money like they used to .
In this scenario , it was widely expected that more money will be put in the hands of people to encourage them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut personal income tax rates and also introduced a new alternate tax system .
In the current system , taxpayers get rebates on their savings and loans .
But those who opt for the new system , will have to forego these exemptions .
So taxpayers have the option of following the old system - where they pay higher tax rates but can claim deductions and exemptions - or opting for the new system - where they pay lower taxes but can not claim any exemptions .
Read more about the Indian economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a growth problem The trouble is that making this decision requires an understanding of India 's complex income tax laws .
Also , the budget has not answered the basic question that every income taxpayer has : Has my income gone up ?
This was crucial amid a slowdown .
If the finance minister had simply cut taxes , without further complicating the income tax system , taxpayers would have been certain that their income would increase .
This would also have encouraged them to spend money , helping spur economic growth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments typically drawn on British economist John Maynard Keynes .
Keynes had said that in times of economic trouble , the government should become the spender of the last resort .
He even suggested , rather rhetorically , that the government should get people to dig holes and fill them up so that this money could be spent and would help in economic recovery .
India 's equivalent of the `` dig holes and fill them up '' scheme is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS ) .
Its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of guaranteed work every year to adult members of every rural household who are willing to do unskilled manual labour .
But the allocation for this scheme this year has been cut to $ 8.6bn ( £6.5bn ) from $ 9.9bn ( £7.5bn ) .
This was the quickest way of putting money in the hands of the poorest of the poor , who have been hit hard by the slowdown .
But the finance minister decided instead to slash the budget for the scheme .
This thinking primarily appears to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has refused to acknowledge that the country is going through an economic slowdown .
At the heart of any government budget is the tax revenue that the government hopes to make in order to finance expenditure .
In 2020-21 , the government hopes to earn $ 338.5bn - 12 % more than what the government hopes to earn this year .
It 's an extremely optimistic assumption given that during 2019-20 , tax revenue is estimated to go up by just 4 % .
The government is also expecting a massive increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government makes by selling its stake in state-run companies .
In 2020-21 , it hopes to earn $ 21.3bn through disinvestment .
This is 223 % more than the money that the government hopes to earn through this route in 2019-20 .
The big news in disinvestment is that the government plans to sell a stake in Life Insurance Corporation ( LIC ) of India , the country 's largest insurance company .
This is good news at some level because it will mean that the transparency of the state-owned LIC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve .
On the flip side , this will lead to political opposition and protests , which the government will have to deal with .
Also , until now , LIC has acted as the internal financier of the government and has been used to bailout the government on multiple occasions .
So it will be interesting to see whether this equation changes in the future .
To conclude , a better effort was needed in the budget , especially given the fact that India is now growing at under 6 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth that the country has been sold over the years .
Vivek Kaul is an economist and the author of the Easy Money trilogy

On the flip side, this will lead to political opposition and protests, which the government will have to deal with. Also, until now, LIC has acted as the internal financier of the government and has been used to bailout the government on multiple occasions. So it will be interesting to see whether this equation changes in the future.