bbc--2020-08-07--Jerry Falwell Jr to take leave of absence after racy photo

The president of one of the world 's largest evangelical Christian colleges has agreed to step aside after posting a photo of himself , trousers unzipped .
Jerry Falwell , a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump , said he would take an indefinite leave of absence from Liberty University in Virginia .
The college board did not provide a reason for the move .
Mr Falwell had conceded the Instagram photo was `` weird '' , but defended it as `` all in good fun '' .
• Do more people believe in God in Trump 's America ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans The university said in a statement on Friday : `` The Executive Committee of Liberty University 's Board of Trustees , acting on behalf of the full Board , met today and requested that Jerry Falwell , Jr take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as President and Chancellor of Liberty University , to which he has agreed , effective immediately . ''
The college has a strict code of conduct for how students must behave at the university , including barring premarital sex and the consumption of media either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offensive to Liberty 's standards and traditions '' , such as lewd lyrics , anti-Christian messages , sexual content and nudity .
Hairstyles and fashions are to `` avoid extremes '' and students are to dress modestly at all times .
The photo showed Mr Falwell with his arm around a woman who was not his wife .
Her shorts also appeared to be unbuttoned .
His other hand was holding a glass of dark-coloured liquid .
`` More vacation shots .
Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise that 's just black water in my glass . ''
He later deleted the post .
The image provoked outrage and charges of hypocrisy from the political right and left , with Republican lawmaker Mark Waller , chairman of the powerful House Republican Caucus , calling on Mr Falwell to step down .
`` Jerry Falwell Jr 's ongoing behaviour is appalling , '' Mr Walker , an advisory board member at the university , wrote on Twitter .
`` I 'm convinced Falwell should step down . ''
Speaking to WLNI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week , Mr Falwell acknowledged the criticism and identified the woman in the photo as his wife 's assistant .
`` Yeah , it was weird .
She 's pregnant .
She could n't get her pants zipped and I was like trying to like… I had on a pair of jeans I have n't worn in a long time and could n't get zipped either .
So , I just put my belly out like hers , '' he said .
Liberty University , a private evangelical institution based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's father in 1971 .
Upon his father 's death in 2007 , Mr Falwell was appointed as president .
Mr Falwell Jr has courted controversy throughout his tenure .
In May , he tweeted a photo of a face mask decorated with one person in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe , a reference to a racism scandal that had engulfed the Democratic governor of Virginia .
A month earlier , a Liberty student filed a class-action lawsuit against the university over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the school 's student newspaper wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post newspaper , accusing Mr Falwell of silencing students and professors `` who reject his pro-Trump politics '' .
Mr Falwell was among the earliest evangelical supporters of the current US president , often credited for helping delivery that constituency to then-candidate Trump in 2016 .

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bbc--2020-08-07--Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: South Dakota town ready to welcome 250,000 bikers

This is the 80th year of the South Dakota rally .
It could be one of the largest public gatherings @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Some worry it could be a `` super-spreader '' event .

This is the 80th year of the South Dakota rally. It could be one of the largest public gatherings since the start of the pandemic. Some worry it could be a "super-spreader" event.


bbc--2020-08-07--George W Bush to publish book of immigrant oil portraits

All good art is political , said the writer Toni Morrison , but that is perhaps more true when the art is produced by a former president .
Immigration is the political issue at heart in a forthcoming book of portraits by George W Bush .
Out of Many , One - to be published 2 March - features 43 portraits of immigrants painted by the 43rd US president .
He says he hopes it will draw attention to immigration 's `` positive impacts '' .
Mr Bush writes in the introduction to the book that immigration is an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that it is a most American subject at its heart .
`` I reject the premise that it is a partisan issue , '' he says .
`` It should be one that unites us . ''
`` My hope is that this book will help focus our collective attention on the positive impacts that immigrants are making on our country , '' he says .
The book draws its title from the motto on the US Seal .
Alongside the portraits , it will feature accompanying essays about the individuals written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeds from the book will go towards organisations that help immigrants resettle , according to the George W Bush Presidential Center .
An exhibition on `` the value of immigrants to America '' that features these portraits will also open at the centre in Dallas in March .
Mr Bush noted he did not want the book to be published during the election season .
He has not endorsed President Donald Trump or former vice-president Joe Biden thus far .
It is not the first time Mr Bush , a Republican , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , amid nationwide discussion over the Trump administration 's `` zero-tolerance '' immigration policy and migrant detentions at the border , Mr Bush said he was `` disturbed '' by the debate .
`` I think it undermines the goodness of America .
I think it does n't recognise the valuable contributions that immigrants make to our society and [ the rhetoric ] obscures the fact ... that the system is broken and needs to be fixed . ''
Last year , speaking at a naturalisation ceremony , the former president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength '' .
His presidential centre has also made immigration a key part of its policy work .
However , his legacy on immigration during his presidency was more mixed .
In 2007 , he proposed a divisive reform bill that would have granted paths to citizenship for some 12 million undocumented immigrants .
Critics said this was akin to amnesty for breaking the law , and the bill failed in the Senate .
Since leaving Washington , Mr Bush has become an avid painter and author , publishing several best-sellers , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a book about his father , former President George HW Bush .
Art critics have noted his improvements as a oil painter since his first works were leaked in 2013 - once dismissed as art by `` Forrest Gump '' , his 2017 collection was praised as much better .

Some of the proceeds from the book will go towards organisations that help immigrants resettle, according to the George W Bush Presidential Center. An exhibition on "the value of immigrants to America" that features these portraits will also open at the centre in Dallas in March.


bbc--2020-08-07--Hong Kong: US imposes sanctions on chief executive Carrie Lam

The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam , and 10 other top officials from Hong Kong and mainland China .
The sanctions were used to target those undermining Hong Kong 's autonomy , said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
`` The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong , '' Mr Mnuchin added .
The move comes weeks after China imposed a controversial national security law on Hong Kong , which critics say threatened its freedoms .
US-China tensions continue to escalate - only a few hours ago , the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese owners of the WeChat and TikTok apps..
Among those sanctioned are Hong Kong 's police commissioner and several political secretaries .
The US Treasury directly accused Ms Lam of `` implementing Beijing 's policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes '' .
`` In 2019 , Lam pushed for an update to Hong Kong 's extradition arrangements to allow for extradition to the mainland , setting off a series of massive opposition demonstrations in Hong Kong , '' the US Treasury added in a statement .
• THE US MOVE : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong sanctions ?
• RISING TENSIONS : The Hong Kong crisis and the new world order • THE NEW LAW : What it is and why Hong Kong is worried • WHAT COULD HAPPEN : Life sentences for breaking the law and more • ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION : What might happen next in the South China Sea ?
The US has strongly criticised Hong Kong 's national security law , with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling it an `` Orwellian move '' and an assault `` on the rights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
China has defended its controversial law as necessary to stop foreign interference in Hong Kong and the often violent pro-democracy protests that took place last year .
Announcing the sanctions on Friday , Mr Pompeo said : `` The Chinese Communist Party has made clear that Hong Kong will never again enjoy the high degree of autonomy that Beijing itself promised to the Hong Kong people and the United Kingdom for 50 years .
`` President Trump has made clear that the United States will therefore treat Hong Kong as 'one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action against individuals who have crushed the Hong Kong people 's freedoms . ''
The 11 sanctioned officials will have all property in the US seized and financial assets frozen .
Ms Lam has previously scoffed at the suggestion of sanctions , saying last month : `` I do not have any assets in the United States nor do I long for moving to the United States . ''
She told reporters she would `` just laugh it off '' if the US sanctioned her .
The latest sanctions were authorised by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at punished China for its role in Hong Kong 's affairs .
What else has happened with US-China relations ?
Tensions between the US and China have risen at an accelerated pace in recent months .
The White House has accused China of lying about the origins of the coronavirus , which emerged from China late last year ; of using social media apps to spy on Americans ; of `` stealing '' intellectual property and of hiding a wanted criminal within a Chinese embassy in the US - to name only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other 's consulates in major cities to close last month as tensions rose .
The US has also pressured partners in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance- Australia , Canada , New Zealand and the UK - to ban China 's Huawei 5G telecoms systems , citing national security concerns .
China has expelled journalists from major US newspapers after the US placed new restrictions on Chinese media outlets that are affiliated with the country 's communist government .
• US sanctions on Chinese over Xinjiang 'abuse' Earlier this month China issued arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American citizen .
China 's push into the South China Sea has also alarmed its neighbours as well as the US , which has increased the pace navy patrols sent into the sea to counter Chinese expansion .
The US sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials had been looming for weeks .
The actual personal impact on these Hong Kong-based officials may be limited if they have no financial interests in the US and no plans to travel there .
And Carrie Lam herself said recently that she is not afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is highly symbolic , as it 's Washington 's latest step condemning Beijing 's drive to curtail freedoms and democracy in Hong Kong .
The former British colony has become a major point of contention between the US and China .
The world 's two largest economies seem to be going through a painful `` divorce , '' with a consequential US presidential election only three months away .
What does Washington get out of this ?
By being tough on Beijing the Trump administration is trying to rally voters , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming to correct the course of the bilateral relations in which they believe China has gained more than America .
Who are the sanctioned officials ?
In addition to Ms Lam , the US also placed sanctions on Chris Tang , the commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force , and his predecessor Stephen Lo , who directed the police force until 2019 .
`` Under [ Mr Lo 's ] leadership , over 4,000 protestors were arrested and 1,600 injured in clashes , '' the US Treasury said .
Hong Kong 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Lee were also sanctioned .

The White House has accused China of lying about the origins of the coronavirus, which emerged from China late last year; of using social media apps to spy on Americans; of "stealing" intellectual property; and of hiding a wanted criminal within a Chinese embassy in the US - to name only a few allegations.


bbc--2020-08-07--Kerala plane crash: 17 dead after Air India plane breaks in two at Calicut

An Air India Express plane with 190 people on board has crashed at an airport in the southern state of Kerala , killing at least 17 people , officials say .
The Boeing 737 , en route from Dubai , skidded off the runway in rain and broke in two after landing at Calicut airport , aviation officials said .
The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by the coronavirus crisis .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was `` pained by the plane accident '' .
The rescue operation at the crash site has now been completed and survivors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malappuram , according to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan .
Dozens of people were injured , 15 of them seriously , a senior police officer said .
Air India Express said the two pilots were among the dead .
What do we know about the crash ?
Flight IX 1134 was carrying 184 passengers , including 10 infants , and six crew .
The aircraft crashed at 19:40 local time ( 14:10 GMT ) on Friday , as it attempted to land for a second time at Calicut International Airport .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the heavy monsoon-season rainfall lashing Kerala .
India 's Civil Aviation Minister , Hardeep Singh Puri , tweeted that the aircraft `` overshot the runway in rainy conditions '' , then plunged down a 35ft ( 10.6m ) slope , before breaking in two .
He said a formal inquiry would be carried out by India 's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau ( AAIB ) .
The director general of India 's National Disaster Response Force , S N Pradhan , said Calicut airport had a `` table-top runway '' and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after skidding across it .
He said the impact with the bottom of the ditch caused the fuselage to break in two , and that the front half was `` very badly mangled and damaged '' .
Mr Puri told broadcaster DD News that first responders were able to rescue the passengers because the plane did not catch fire .
Several people had to be cut free .
At the time of the plane 's descent , Kerala was being battered by heavy rains , which are usual in India at this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monsoon .
Earlier on Friday , dozens of people were feared dead in Kerala 's Idukki district after monsoon-season floods triggered a landslide .
What reaction has there been ?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to express his sympathy for `` those who lost their loved ones '' in the crash .
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said : `` Very sad to know of this mishap .
All our feelings are with the passengers and their families . ''
Rahul Gandhi , who is an MP for a district in Kerala , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating news of the plane mishap in Kozhikode '' .
Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan also expressed their condolences , as did India 's cricket captain , Virat Kohli .
Have there been similar plane crashes in India ?
Plane crashes have happened before during the monsoon season , which lasts from June to September and wreaks havoc across south Asia every year .
In May 2010 , 158 people died when an Air India Express flight overshot Mangalore airport runway and crashed .
A similar incident happened in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but causing no fatalities .
Are you in the area ?
Did you witness the crash ?
If it is safe to do so please get in touch .
Email haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Kerala plane crash: 18 dead after Air India plane breaks in two at Calicut Published 7 August 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Aftermath of the Kerala plane crash shows the plane broken in two
An Air India Express plane with 190 people on board has crashed at an airport in the southern state of Kerala, killing at least 18 people, officials say.
The Boeing 737, en route from Dubai, skidded off the runway in rain and broke in two after landing at Calicut airport, aviation officials said.
The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by the coronavirus crisis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained by the plane accident".
The rescue operation at the crash site has now been completed and survivors have been taken to hospitals in Calicut and Malappuram, according to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Dozens of people were injured, 156of them seriously, officials say.
Air India Express said the two pilots were among the dead.
What do we know about the crash?
Flight IX 1134 was carrying 184 passengers, including 10 infants, and six crew.
Image source, EPA Image caption, The plane reportedly overshot the runway upon landing amid heavy rain
The aircraft crashed at 19:40 local time (14:10 GMT) on Friday, as it attempted to land for a second time at Calicut International Airport. The first attempt was aborted by the pilots because of the heavy monsoon-season rainfall lashing Kerala.
India's Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, tweeted that the aircraft "overshot the runway in rainy conditions", then plunged down a 35ft (10.6m) slope, before breaking in two.
He said a formal inquiry would be carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The director general of India's National Disaster Response Force, S N Pradhan, said Calicut airport had a "table-top runway" and that the aircraft fell into "a ditch" after skidding across it.
He said the impact with the bottom of the ditch caused the fuselage to break in two, and that the front half was "very badly mangled and damaged".
Mr Puri told broadcaster DD News that first responders were able to rescue the passengers because the plane did not catch fire. Several people had to be cut free.
Image source, EPA Image caption, Survivors have been taken to hospitals in Calicut and Malappuram
At the time of the plane's descent, Kerala was being battered by heavy rains, which are usual in India at this time of year, due to the seasonal monsoon.
Earlier on Friday, dozens of people were feared dead in Kerala's Idukki district after monsoon-season floods triggered a landslide.
What reaction has there been?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to express his sympathy for "those who lost their loved ones" in the crash.
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Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said: "Very sad to know of this mishap. All our feelings are with the passengers and their families."
Rahul Gandhi, who is an MP for a district in Kerala, said he was "shocked at the devastating news of the plane mishap in Kozhikode".
Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan also expressed their condolences, as did India's cricket captain, Virat Kohli.
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Have there been similar plane crashes in India?
Plane crashes have happened before during the monsoon season, which lasts from June to September and wreaks havoc across south Asia every year.
In May 2010, 158 people died when an Air India Express flight overshot Mangalore airport runway and crashed.
A similar incident happened in July 2019 in Mangalore, prompting an inquiry, but causing no fatalities.
Are you in the area? Did you witness the crash? If it is safe to do so please get in touch. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.


bbc--2020-08-07--Coronavirus severely restricts Antarctic science

The British Antarctic Survey is scaling back its research in the polar south because of coronavirus .
Only essential teams will head back to the continent as it emerges from winter and virtually all science in the deep field has been postponed for a year .
This includes all work on the huge , and rapidly melting , Thwaites Glacier , which has been the focus of a major joint study with the Americans .
BAS says it does n't have the capacity to treat people if they get sick .
And in consultation with international partners this past week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in place to keep the virus out of Antarctica .
`` No nation has the medical facilities to deal with people who are seriously ill , '' explained BAS director Prof Dame Jane Francis .
`` Everybody is taking very strong precautionary measures to make sure that any activity in Antarctica this year is as safe as possible , '' she told BBC News .
• NZ cuts Antarctic research to keep it virus free The key logistical challenge is the uncertainty surrounding air routes .
Many of those who go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by travelling on a plane to one of the main gateways - in South Africa , Australia/New Zealand and Chile - where they then make the hop across the Southern Ocean , either on a connecting flight or on a ship .
But with air corridors so severely disrupted at the moment , the gateways are n't functioning as they should .
UK scientists and technicians , and their supplies , will therefore travel direct from Britain to Antarctica on the Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross .
It 's possible some sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the Falklands with a refuelling stop on Ascension Island - but this is not Plan A .
With the limitations these arrangements impose , BAS has no alternative but to suspend the vast majority of its deep-field projects which send researchers into the interior of the continent to conduct their studies .
The emphasis will instead be on maintaining important climate observations made at the main stations of Rothera and Halley .
In recent years , the latter has been closed for the winter , with all its science instruments run automatically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will remain in shutdown through the summer as well - although efforts will be made to visit the base to make sure the power generation system that supports the automated set-up can continue to operate all the way through to the summer of 2021/2022 .
`` We have enough fuel at Halley to get us through the next winter .
The problem is that fuel is not in the tanks that feed the automation system ; it 's in the bigger station tanks and we have to transfer it , '' said Prof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This will only happen if BAS can get its fleet of Twin Otter aircraft from Canada , where they 've just been serviced , down to Antarctica .
But , again , flying these planes leg-by-leg through the Americas may prove impossible given the infection rates now being reported in some countries .
And if the Twin Otters do n't turn up , no-one will be able to get across to Halley from Rothera to fix the fuel issue .
The coronavirus crisis gripped the world in the middle of the 2019/2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel off the continent , and bringing them home , also proved to be a logistical headache , with some scientists and technicians enduring long waits and quarantine at Rothera , and on the Falklands , before getting a flight or ship berth home .
Even those who 'd spent weeks gathering measurements in what are some of the remotest locations on Earth had to take their place in line .
This included the expedition teams returning from far-away Thwaites Glacier .
The colossal ice stream is the subject of a five-year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is melting so fast and the impact this will have on global sea levels .
It 's the single biggest science investigation on the continent right now , but the studies are going to have to take a gap year .
Prof Vaughan told BBC News : `` We 've agreed with the National Science Foundation , our US partner , that Thwaites is postponed by one year .
We 'll do everything we can to get back in and hit the ground running in the subsequent season of 21/22 .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities are being cancelled .
It 's all just being postponed . ''
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

Prof Vaughan told BBC News: "We've agreed with the National Science Foundation, our US partner, that Thwaites is postponed by one year. We'll do everything we can to get back in and hit the ground running in the subsequent season of 21/22. So, no project is being cancelled; no activities are being cancelled. It's all just being postponed."


bbc--2020-08-07--George Floyd: US protesters charged as 'gang' face life sentence

Protesters in Utah who splashed paint on a prosecutor 's office could be given life sentences after they were accused of acting as a `` gang '' .
Salt Lake City District Attorney Sim Gill , whose office was targeted by Black Lives Matter marchers issued the charges .
Critics , including the city 's mayor , have called the felony charges excessive .
The paint splashing occurred during a 9 July protest against racism .
According to Utah 's criminal code , the `` gang enhancements '' felonies Mr Gill filed are applied to `` offences committed in concert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to a criminal street gang '' .
In effect , prosecutors are `` calling participants in a protest gang members , '' a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union told AP .
Mr Gill , a Democrat who says he declined to charge other Black Lives Matters protesters for curfew violations , downplayed the potential serious life sentence such charges carry .
He did not think `` anyone is going to be going to prison on this , '' he said .
Plea deals are said to be often used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full sentence .
`` There 's some people who want to engage in protest , but they want to be absolved of any behaviour , '' Mr Gill said .
`` This is not about protest .
This is about people who are engaging in criminal conduct . ''
However , Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the gang upgrade , saying the `` potential punishment facing some protesters is excessive '' .
`` While I believe there should be consequences for breaking the law , the potential to spend life in prison for buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a video on her Twitter account .
You may also be interested in : • The other names we 're hearing after George Floyd 's death • What 's next after flood of racial equity donations ?
Seven suspects are face first-degree felonies for allegedly buying or transporting the paint , splashing it on the government property or breaking windows , according to the Salt Lake Tribune .
Lawyers for the accused told the newspaper the charges were retaliatory and a conflict of interest , because the protest took place at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly called him out by name .
Mr Gill agreed that it was `` not the ideal solution '' to have his office file the charges , since they are the alleged victim , but he said short-staffing due to the coronavirus pandemic required it .
He said the case will ultimately be handled by another district attorney 's office .
Madalena McNeil , 28 , one of the protesters who is facing a life sentence , said : `` I was really shocked because I just do n't think any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
She was charged for buying paint and pushing an officer .
She told CBS that she feels confident that she will not receive such a long sentence , but `` it would be silly to look at the potential of life in prison and not be scared '' .

Mr Gill, a Democrat who says he declined to charge other Black Lives Matters protesters for curfew violations, downplayed the potential serious life sentence such charges carry. He did not think "anyone is going to be going to prison on this," he said. Plea deals are said to be often used in cases such as these to avoid a full sentence.


bbc--2020-08-07--China sentences another Canadian to death on drugs charges

A Chinese court has sentenced a second Canadian citizen to death on charges of producing illegal drugs .
A court notice in the province of Guangdong said Ye Jianhui was sentenced on Friday , a day after another court sentenced Xu Weihong .
They are the third and fourth Canadians to be sentenced to death in China recently .
Relations between the countries have been tense since the arrest of a Huawei executive in Vancouver in late 2018 .
Meng Wanzhou 's detention following a request from the United States angered China and soured relations with both Canada and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the death penalty ?
No details of the cases were disclosed .
But local media say police found over 218 kilograms ( 481 pounds ) of white crystals containing MDMA , also known as ecstasy , in a room used by Ye and five other men , all Chinese nationals .
One of the other five men was sentenced to death , while the rest were given jail sentences ranging from seven years to life in prison .
On Thursday , Xu Weihong was found guilty and sentenced to death by another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the powerful tranquiliser ketamine .
China 's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said there was no connection between his case and the current state of China-Canada relations .
`` I would like to stress that China 's judicial authorities handle the relevant case independently in strict accordance with Chinese law and legal procedures , '' said Mr Wang .
`` Death sentences for drug-related crimes that are extremely dangerous will help deter and prevent such crimes . ''
Last year two other Canadian nationals were sentenced to death over drug charges .
Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smuggling after a sudden retrial .
Months later another man , Fan Wei , was given the death penalty for trafficking methamphetamine .
In December 2018 , China began detaining two Canadians , Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor , accusing them of spying .
They were formally arrested earlier this year .

No details of the cases were disclosed. But local media say police found over 218 kilograms (481 pounds) of white crystals containing MDMA, also known as ecstasy, in a room used by Ye and five other men, all Chinese nationals.


bbc--2020-08-07--US jobs growth slows in July as pandemic takes toll

Hiring in the US slowed sharply in July as the country struggled to control the coronavirus pandemic .
Employers added 1.8 million jobs last month , down from a record 4.8 million in June .
The unemployment rate fell to 10.2 % , continuing to improve from the high of 14.7 % seen in April .
The figures reignited calls for Washington to approve further economic stimulus , though the slowdown was not as bad as many economists had feared .
`` While this number exceeded our expectations , it still does not signal all is well , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Oxford Economics .
`` We 're far from a healed or good labour market . ''
The job gains reported by the US Labor Department on Friday came from many of the sectors hit hardest by shutdowns , including restaurants , bars and retail outlets .
Economists have said this kind of hiring , happening as states around the country allow establishments to reopen , represents the `` easy '' part of a long recovery ahead .
`` The initial bounce from widespread re-openings is now behind us .
Further improvement will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the course of the virus , '' said Sarah House , senior economist at Wells Fargo .
Since February , the US has lost more than 12 million jobs and seen unemployment spike from a roughly 50-year-low of 3.5 % .
In the three months to the end of June , the country 's economy suffered its sharpest quarterly contraction in more than 70 years of record-keeping , shrinking at an annual rate of 33 % or nearly 10 % year-on-year .
• The millions of Americans 'hanging by a thread' The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is higher than the worst of the 2007-2009 financial crisis , when the jobless rate peaked at 10 % .
This week , nearly 1.2 million people filed new claims for unemployment .
More than 31 million people - roughly 1 in 5 American workers - continue to collect the benefits .
Heidi Shierholz , economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute , said : `` We added 1.8 million jobs in July , but our jobs level remains in absolute crisis '' .
Economists have said the hiring slowdown last month is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American economy , as health concerns put a dampener on consumer spending and temporary measures passed in March , including bans on evictions and a $ 600 emergency boost to unemployment benefits , expire .
`` As it becomes clear that businesses will be contending with a pandemic economy for some months to come , job losses are shifting from temporary to permanent , '' Ms House said .
`` That brings us to a more dangerous phase . ''
While Washington lawmakers have been trying to negotiate further stimulus , many Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say is necessary .
`` The talks are in worse condition than we would have liked to see but I think we have to give it a bit more time , '' Ms Bostjancic said .
`` I believe the situation is so dire that both sides will have to compromise and something will get passed . ''
Republicans want a deal to include legal protections for employers against virus-related health claims from workers .
They are also pushing to reduce the $ 600 emergency supplement to unemployment benefits , which expired last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid to local governments than Democrats want .
`` The most responsible thing we can do is to take proactive measures to allow people to return to work safely , instead of continuing to lock down the economy , '' Republican Congressman Kevin Brady said after the jobs report .
The Republican has presented a challenge for US President Donald Trump , who had hoped to use a strong economy as his calling card to voters in his campaign for re-election in November .
With politicians due to leave the US capitol for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may act unilaterally to extend some aid .

"The talks are in worse condition than we would have liked to see but I think we have to give it a bit more time," Ms Bostjancic said. "I believe the situation is so dire that both sides will have to compromise and something will get passed."


bbc--2020-08-07--Canada slaps retaliatory tariffs on US aluminium goods

Canada has announced a C $ 3.6bn ( $ 2.7bn , £2.1bn ) tariff on US aluminium products a day after US President Donald Trump imposed a 10 % tariff on some Canadian aluminium products .
Canada and the US reached a deal last year to lift tariffs on steel and aluminium imports that had been imposed on grounds of `` national security '' .
Mr Trump reintroduced them on Thursday to protect the US industry .
Friday 's retaliatory tariffs by Canada will go into effect on 16 September .
The countermeasure was announced after deputy prime minister Chrystia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight .
`` At a time when we are fighting a global pandemic ... a trade dispute is the last thing anyone needs - it will only hurt the economic recovery on both sides of the border , '' she said in a news conference .
Ms Freeland called the US tariffs `` ludicrous '' and denied Canadian aluminium is a threat to US national security .
`` Any American who buys a can of beer or a soda or a car or a bike will suffer .
In fact , the washing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will get more expensive , '' she said .
The tariffs would come into force after a consultation period with Canadian businesses affected by the US levy .
Speaking in Ohio on Thursday , Mr Trump said US tariffs on Canada were necessary to defend the domestic aluminium industry because producers to the north had broken their commitment to stop flooding the US market with a cheaper product .
The step was `` absolutely necessary to defend our aluminium industry , '' he said .
As part of a 2019 agreement lifting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would monitor imports and , if a country is determined to be buying in too much , one of the other nations could request a consultation and potentially reimpose tariffs .
A 10 % tariff on imports of `` non-alloyed unwrought aluminium from Canada '' was imposed on Thursday .
What does the US say ?
In a statement on Mr Trump 's presidential proclamation , the office of the United States Trade Representative said that `` imports from Canada of the product that accounts for the largest share of Canada 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged above historical levels '' .
• What has Donald Trump actually achieved on trade ?
• What Trump wants from global trade The surge has only intensified in recent months , despite a drop in US demand , according to the statement .
Canada was exempted from the tariffs in 2019 `` on the basis of an agreement that imports of steel and aluminium products from Canada would remain at historical levels '' .
The US Chamber of Commerce is warning that a decision to bring back the tariffs could raise costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of international affairs for the industry group , told Reuters the move was `` a step in the wrong direction '' and that the measures are opposed by US aluminium manufacturers .
In late June , a group of 15 aluminium executives sent a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer calling for continued tariff exemptions for aluminium in North America .
They said they had government data discounting a `` surge '' , and argued that current import levels are largely consistent with historical trends .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have `` no justification '' .
Canada 's Chamber of Commerce said the `` tariffs were the wrong instrument when they were first imposed in 2018 , and they remain the wrong instrument now '' .
National Foreign Trade Council , a US-based pro-trade group , called imposing the new measures a `` misguided action '' , warning it could undermine the new free trade agreement between the US , Canada and Mexico , which came into force in July .
But Michael Bless , chief executive of Century Aluminum , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production of this vital strategic material and level the playing field for thousands of American aluminium workers '' , according to Reuters .

As part of a 2019 agreement lifting the measures, the US and Canada said they would monitor imports and, if a country is determined to be buying in too much, one of the other nations could request a consultation and potentially reimpose tariffs.


bbc--2020-08-07--MV Wakashio: Ship aground off Mauritius begins leaking oil

The island nation of Mauritius has declared a state of emergency after a vessel offshore began leaking oil into the ocean .
MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on 25 July and its crew was evacuated .
But the large bulk carrier has since begun leaking tons of fuel into the surrounding waters .
He also appealed to France and its President , Emmanuel Macron , saying that Mauritius `` does not have the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships '' .
The French island of Reunion lies near Mauritius in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world-renowned coral reefs , and tourism is a crucial part of the nation 's economy .
Happy Khambule of Greenpeace Africa said that `` thousands '' of animal species `` are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution , with dire consequences for Mauritius ' economy , food security and health . ''
The ship - owned by a Japanese company but registered in Panama - was empty when it ran aground , but had some 4,000 tonnes of fuel aboard .
MV Wakashio is currently lying at Pointe d'Esny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marine park .
The environment ministry reportedly said attempts to stabilise the vessel and to pump out the oil failed due to rough seas .
`` This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind , and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem , '' Fishing Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said .
Police have opened an inquiry into the spill .

In a statement, the ship's owner, Nagashiki Shipping, said that "due to the bad weather and constant pounding over the past few days, the starboard side bunker tank of the vessel has been breached and an amount of fuel oil has escaped into the sea".


bbc--2020-08-07--Ningaloo Reef: Second woman injured by whale at Australia tourist hotspot

A woman has been injured by a humpback whale in Western Australia in the second such incident in less than a week .
The woman was on a snorkelling tour at the popular Ningaloo Reef when she was struck on Thursday .
It came just days after another Australian woman suffered fractured ribs and internal bleeding after being struck by a whale at the same reef .
Officials said they were investigating the incidents .
Unconfirmed reports said the 29-year-old woman in the first incident on Saturday was trapped between two humpback whales , which can grow up to 19m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tore her hamstring after being hit by a whale 's fin .
In the latest incident , 30-year-old Alicia Ramsay said she was snorkelling near the reef as part of a whale shark tour when she was approached by a humpback whale and its calf .
• How do you stop sharks attacking ?
`` The calf decided to come check us out and ended up being between us and the mum so mum went into protective mode and swung back , '' Ms Ramsay told Nine News Perth .
`` As she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the calf her fin came out and got me . ''
Ms Ramsay was flown to the Royal Perth Hospital , where doctors said she had suffered relatively minor injuries and was expected to make a full recovery .
Western Australia 's Department of Biodiversity , Conservation and Attractions ( DBCA ) confirmed the incident .
In a statement to Australia 's Seven News network , it said it licenced commercial tours in the area , including `` in-water interactions with humpback whales and whale sharks . ''
`` DBCA is continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevant licensed tour operators to investigate the two incidents , '' it said .
Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia 's Coral Coast is known for its diversity of marine life and is one of the state 's best-known tourist spots .
Western Australia is home to the largest known population of humpback whales , which are typically regarded as safe to swim among despite their size .
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Unconfirmed reports said the 29-year-old woman in the first incident on Saturday was trapped between two humpback whales, which can grow up to 19m (62ft). Another woman reportedly tore her hamstring after being hit by a whale's fin.


bbc--2020-08-07--Beirut explosion: Families search for missing loved ones

How to spot fake news about the Beirut blast This week has seen a huge explosion in Lebanon which has @ @ @ @ @ the country .
There 's been a lot of information shared online , but how @ @ @ @ @ can trust ?

Families in Beirut are still desperately seeking news of missing loved ones.
It’s been three days since a huge explosion killed more than 150 people and left thousands injured.
For one family, inaccurate reports on social media and news sites gave them false hope that their relative was still alive.
Video by Mohamed Madi and Julien Hajj


bbc--2020-08-07--Brent Scowcroft, longtime US security adviser, dies aged 95

Lt Gen Brent Scowcroft , a statesman who steered US national security policy for decades , has died of natural causes at the age of 95 in his Virginia home .
Scowcroft was National Security Adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George HW Bush - the only person to serve two administrations in the role .
In his more than 40-year tenure in Washington , he led US policies towards Russia and during the 1991 Gulf War .
He received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 .
Scowcroft passed away on Thursday in his home in Falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scowcroft was a career public servant - a soldier-scholar with a career spanning 60 years in the military and government service .
He advised US presidents from Richard Nixon through Barack Obama , and was a friend and confidante of President George HW Bush .
His protégés include George W Bush-era Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates .
He was one of the most notable high profile Republicans to oppose the Iraq War in 2002 during the George W Bush presidency after the September 11 terrorist attacks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Scowcroft helped shape US actions after the collapse of the Soviet Union as well as the response to China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 .
He operated on a philosophy he described as `` enlightened realism '' , focusing on strategy and establishing US global leadership by working through coalitions and allies .
Scowcroft urged a US military response when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 and was behind Operation Desert Storm .
He also cautioned against ousting the Iraqi leader at the time .
Scowcroft was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work relating to the Gulf War .
He was born in Ogden , Utah in 1925 and graduated West Point in 1947 .
In 1967 , he received a doctorate in International Relations from Columbia University .
Scowcroft served a number of roles in the US Air Force , including leading the Political Science Department at the Air Force Academy , Special Assistant to the Director of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and as Military Assistant to former President Nixon .

Described as soft-spoken and gentle but tough, Scowcroft helped shape US actions after the collapse of the Soviet Union as well as the response to China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.


bbc--2020-08-07--Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid: Pep Guardiola's side win 4-2 on aggregate

Manchester City finished off the job they started back in February by deservedly overcoming Real Madrid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals .
Pep Guardiola 's side will now face Lyon in the one-game knockout format in Lisbon after inflicting Zinedine Zidane 's first elimination from the Champions League , the French manager having won it three times in his three previous seasons in charge .
It was a victory City fully merited as their intense pressing game forced Real into numerous mistakes , with France World Cup-winning defender Raphael Varane in particular unable to cope with the pressing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up Raheem Sterling to score in the ninth minute but Karim Benzema 's towering header before half-time set up the possibility of a tense second period .
City , though , created the better opportunities in an excellent performance - whereas Real missed the leadership and nous of central defender Sergio Ramos , who was suspended after being sent off in the first leg .
Without Ramos alongside him , the uncomfortable Varane made another error when his headed back-pass fell short of Thibaut Courtois to allow the lurking Jesus to pounce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 68 minutes .
• Real win is just one step - Guardiola • 'This feels like Man City 's time - now they must deliver' • Football Daily : Man City masterclass but was that the 'Real ' Madrid ?
City 's superiority over Real was actually more emphatic than the scoreline suggests .
From the opening seconds , with Phil Foden in an advanced role and the Spanish champions unsettled by the mobility of Sterling and Jesus , City 's relentless pressing and intensity gave them control .
It was epitomised by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - but City had stars all over the pitch , with Kevin de Bruyne producing some brilliant passes and Kyle Walker positive in defence and attack .
Goalkeeper Ederson was faultless when called upon and there were few signs of the defensive frailties that have undermined them in the Premier League this season .
If City perform like this against Lyon they will be difficult to stop , but the French side must not be taken lightly after disposing of Juventus .
The Champions League has always eluded City and has been out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days at Barcelona - but if this quality and discipline can be maintained , this could be the season that all changes .
Real Madrid captain Ramos was a noisy presence from his seat behind the technical area as he encouraged his team-mates on the pitch - but Zidane would have given anything to have him out there alongside them .
The 34-year-old remains a magnificent defender with real presence and at the Etihad Real paid a heavy price for his red card in the first leg of this quarter-final , played at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisation and composure was badly missed with his usual central defensive partner Varane - upon whom the burden of responsibility fell in Ramos ' absence - suffering a personal nightmare .
Jesus was Varane 's tormentor in chief , robbing him of possession to set up Sterling 's opener - his 100th goal for the club - then chasing down his weak attempt at a headed back-pass to score City 's crucial second .
Real have the quality of Benzema as a constant threat in attack but Ramos is still the glue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ badly unstuck in the face of City 's desire and energy .
'We have to accept we lost to a good team ' - what they said Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane : `` We cant be happy obviously , we have lost the game and we are out .
`` We are proud of what we achieved this season , this is football .
We lost to a good team and have to accept it .
We had our chances to score .
`` I am the Real Madrid manager until something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You do n't need to ask any more question about my future .
We will all have a rest and come back again next season . ''
• Pep Guardiola is the third individual to eliminate Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League on more than one occasion , along with Marcello Lippi ( 1995-96 , 2002-03 ) and Ottmar Hitzfeld ( 2000-01 , 2006-07 ) .
• Real have been eliminated before the quarter-finals in consecutive Champions League campaigns for the first time since 2009-10 - they had reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eight seasons between 2010-11 and 2017-18 .
• City 's victory marks the first time an English side have won both legs in a Champions League knockout tie against Spanish opposition since 2008-09 , when Liverpool won 5-0 on aggregate against Real .
• Zinedine Zidane was eliminated from a Champions League knockout tie for the first time as Real boss , having progressed from each of the previous 12 .
• Raheem Sterling scored his 100th goal in all competitions for City , becoming the first Englishman to reach three figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1981 .
• City forward Gabriel Jesus is just the second player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie against Real for an English side , after Ruud van Nistelrooy with Manchester United in 2002-03 .
• Karim Benzema has scored five goals in his last six appearances in the Champions League knockout stages for Real .
• How would you cope without electricity ?
: Take the Power Out quiz to find out

Last updated on .From the section Champions League
Raheem Sterling is the sixth different Englishman to score 20 Champions League goals
Manchester City finished off the job they started back in February by deservedly overcoming Real Madrid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Pep Guardiola's side will now face Lyon in the one-game knockout format in Lisbon after inflicting Zinedine Zidane's first elimination from the Champions League, the French manager having won it three times in his three previous seasons in charge.
It was a victory City fully merited as their intense pressing game forced Real into numerous mistakes, with France World Cup-winning defender Raphael Varane in particular unable to cope with the pressing of Gabriel Jesus.
He robbed Varane to set up Raheem Sterling to score in the ninth minute but Karim Benzema's towering header before half-time set up the possibility of a tense second period.
City, though, created the better opportunities in an excellent performance - whereas Real missed the leadership and nous of central defender Sergio Ramos, who was suspended after being sent off in the first leg.
Without Ramos alongside him, the uncomfortable Varane made another error when his headed back-pass fell short of Thibaut Courtois to allow the lurking Jesus to pounce in the game's decisive moment after 68 minutes.
Relentless City too strong for Real
City's superiority over Real was actually more emphatic than the scoreline suggests.
From the opening seconds, with Phil Foden in an advanced role and the Spanish champions unsettled by the mobility of Sterling and Jesus, City's relentless pressing and intensity gave them control.
It was epitomised by Jesus - who hounded Varane into submission - but City had stars all over the pitch, with Kevin de Bruyne producing some brilliant passes and Kyle Walker positive in defence and attack.
Goalkeeper Ederson was faultless when called upon and there were few signs of the defensive frailties that have undermined them in the Premier League this season.
If City perform like this against Lyon they will be difficult to stop, but the French side must not be taken lightly after disposing of Juventus.
The Champions League has always eluded City and has been out of Guardiola's reach since his glory days at Barcelona - but if this quality and discipline can be maintained, this could be the season that all changes.
Real miss Ramos' steel
Real Madrid captain Ramos was a noisy presence from his seat behind the technical area as he encouraged his team-mates on the pitch - but Zidane would have given anything to have him out there alongside them.
The 34-year-old remains a magnificent defender with real presence and at the Etihad Real paid a heavy price for his red card in the first leg of this quarter-final, played at the Bernabeu six months ago.
His organisation and composure was badly missed with his usual central defensive partner Varane - upon whom the burden of responsibility fell in Ramos' absence - suffering a personal nightmare.
Jesus was Varane's tormentor in chief, robbing him of possession to set up Sterling's opener - his 100th goal for the club - then chasing down his weak attempt at a headed back-pass to score City's crucial second.
Real have the quality of Benzema as a constant threat in attack but Ramos is still the glue that holds this team together and they came badly unstuck in the face of City's desire and energy.
Man of the match - Gabriel Jesus (Man City)
Deputising for City legend Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus scored one and made one on the night - having scored City's equaliser in the first leg at the Bernabeu
'We have to accept we lost to a good team' - what they said
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane: "We cant be happy obviously, we have lost the game and we are out.
"We are proud of what we achieved this season, this is football. We lost to a good team and have to accept it. We had our chances to score.
"I am the Real Madrid manager until something happens out of the ordinary.
"You don't need to ask any more question about my future. We will all have a rest and come back again next season."
Guardiola joins exclusive club - the stats
Pep Guardiola is the third individual to eliminate Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League on more than one occasion, along with Marcello Lippi (1995-96, 2002-03) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (2000-01, 2006-07).
Real have been eliminated before the quarter-finals in consecutive Champions League campaigns for the first time since 2009-10 - they had reached at least the semi-finals in each of the eight seasons between 2010-11 and 2017-18.
City's victory marks the first time an English side have won both legs in a Champions League knockout tie against Spanish opposition since 2008-09, when Liverpool won 5-0 on aggregate against Real.
Zinedine Zidane was eliminated from a Champions League knockout tie for the first time as Real boss, having progressed from each of the previous 12.
Raheem Sterling scored his 100th goal in all competitions for City, becoming the first Englishman to reach three figures for the club since Dennis Tueart in 1981.
City forward Gabriel Jesus is just the second player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie against Real for an English side, after Ruud van Nistelrooy with Manchester United in 2002-03.
Karim Benzema has scored five goals in his last six appearances in the Champions League knockout stages for Real.


bbc--2020-08-07--'I still have faith my dad is going to be ok'

Tatiana Hasrouty 's father worked at the port in Beirut .
He 's been missing since Tuesday 's explosion but @ @ @ @ @ he could still be alive under the rubble .
Tatiana says they have had no @ @ @ @ @ what is happening with the search .
At least 150 people were killed in the @ @ @ @ @ and made homeless .

Tatiana Hasrouty's father worked at the port in Beirut. He's been missing since Tuesday's explosion but she and her family believe he could still be alive under the rubble.
Tatiana says they have had no communication from the authorities about what is happening with the search.
At least 150 people were killed in the blast and thousands more injured and made homeless.
Produced by Lu Yang


bbc--2020-08-07--Cambodia's 'Rubbish School' where kids pay with plastic

Usually , Kimleng Sang is a photography guide in Angkor Wat in Cambodia .
But because of the global pandemic @ @ @ @ @ so he decided to use his free time to teach local children English .
As @ @ @ @ @ them to collect plastic rubbish , so they not only learn English but also a @ @ @ @

Usually, Kimleng Sang is a photography guide in Angkor Wat in Cambodia. But because of the global pandemic there are no tourists, so he decided to use his free time to teach local children English.
As a payment, he asks them to collect plastic rubbish, so they not only learn English but also a lesson about pollution.
Video produced by Andreas Illmer.


bbc--2020-08-07--Week in pictures: 1 August-7 August 2020

All photographs belong to the copyright holders as marked .

Image caption,
Smoke rises above devastated buildings in Beirut, the day after a deadly explosion killed at least 137 people. A warehouse containing nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been blamed for the explosion that ripped through the port area of the Lebanese capital on 4 August.


bbc--2020-08-07--UK immigration: At sea with migrants crossing the Channel

On Friday , Simon Jones , reporting for BBC Breakfast , encountered a small boat full of migrants who had @ @ @ @ @ .
They are some of hundreds of people who have attempted the crossing in recent @ @ @ @ @ is making conditions more favourable .
A total of 235 migrants were intercepted crossing the @ @ @ @ @ the Home Office confirmed - a record for a single day .
MPs have launched @ @ @ @ @ .

On Friday, Simon Jones, reporting for BBC Breakfast, encountered a small boat full of migrants who had succeeded in reaching UK waters.
They are some of hundreds of people who have attempted the crossing in recent days. The current weather is making conditions more favourable.
A total of 235 migrants were intercepted crossing the English Channel on Thursday, the Home Office confirmed - a record for a single day. MPs have launched an inquiry into the increase.


bbc--2020-08-07--Coronavirus: Why US is expecting an 'avalanche' of evictions

As hair salons , churches and restaurants reopened across the US , so did eviction courts .
A federal moratorium on evictions has now expired and the politicians are not close to a deal on a new economic rescue package .
Advocates and experts warn that an unprecedented crush of evictions is coming , threatening millions of Americans with homelessness as the pandemic continues to spread .
This article was originally published on 19 June .
Sitting in her car parked outside of the little white house in Kansas City , Missouri , where she 'd lived for two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd worked a long shift as a machine operator the night before , at a factory where she makes detergent bottles for $ 18 an hour .
It 's good , stable work .
Nevertheless , Cole was on the brink of losing her home .
Her nerves were shot .
`` What am I supposed to do ? ''
she said .
`` I 'm tired of crying . ''
Cole said that she came home in early May to find an eviction notice affixed to her door .
She believed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had with her upstairs neighbour , but that her landlord never spoke to her about it before filing the eviction against her .
Due to the coronavirus , an eviction moratorium was in place in Kansas City , and Cole 's landlord could n't force her to move out right away .
But she said that did n't stop him from trying to make her as uncomfortable as possible , entering her apartment without her knowledge , cutting off her electricity , and unscrewing and removing a barred security door on her unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening of Missouri and states like it all over the country , the moratorium was allowed to expire .
The renter protections Cole had were gone and she was facing homelessness in the middle of the pandemic .
`` I 've been up all night , '' she said .
`` I 'm just trying to make it . ''
In Kansas City , local courts declared a moratorium on evictions after a campaign by local tenants ' rights activists .
Similar campaigns have had success nationally , and as the pandemic went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-to-late March , most places halted eviction proceedings in some form - either on the state or local level - as both a means of shoring up newly out-of-work renters and as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus .
The federal CARES Act , which passed in early April , froze evictions for renters living in federally subsidised housing or in property backed by government loans .
Surveys estimated that in the month of May , nearly a third of renters failed to pay their landlords on time , and over half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as the country begins opening up again , moratoriums are ending and 40 % of states no longer offer renters any protection .
The CARES Act protections only apply to less than one-third of the country 's 108 million renters .
Missouri is one of nine states in the US that never issued any type of statewide moratorium or stay on eviction proceedings , leaving it up to cities , counties and even individual courthouses to determine how to move forward .
As temporary protections are falling away , like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions are already under way in states like Missouri , Virginia and Texas .
That could be sending thousands to homeless shelters or to double up with family , at a time when coronavirus cases are still on the rise in many places .
`` No court anywhere should be evicting anybody until at least the pandemic has sufficiently subsided , '' said Eric Dunn , director of litigation for the National Housing Law Project .
`` Most people being evicted right now - it 's because their incomes have been disrupted during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go ?
It 's not like they have money to move somewhere else . ''
According to newly released data from Princeton University 's Eviction Lab , one of the first places in the country to post worrisome eviction numbers is Milwaukee , Wisconsin - up 37 % on last year .
In Columbus , Ohio , eviction hearings are taking place in a convention centre in order to accommodate the number of cases and adhere to social distancing guidelines .
In North Carolina , a 9,000-case backlog is set to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court Administrative Office estimated when its moratorium comes to an end this month , 75,000 evictions will be filed .
In New York City alone , a coalition of advocates estimated that 50,000 evictions will be filed once Governor Andrew Cuomo 's statewide moratorium ends .
`` Eviction was always too high in this country , but these are extreme numbers , '' said Emily Benfer , a visiting professor of law at Columbia University and a former housing lawyer .
`` The United States can expect an avalanche of evictions and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be recovering from that for generations to come without federal intervention . ''
A week after Kansas City officially opened up its courts , Tamika Cole was due to appear at 10:30am to make the case to a judge that she be allowed to stay .
She had no lawyer , and only her own documentation , her own version of events and some advice she got from a tenants ' rights non-profit .
Cole said she suffers respiratory issues .
The eviction courtrooms are on the seventh floor of a building that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can hear hundreds of cases a day , making it unclear how effectively social distancing would be maintained .
But in order to keep a roof over her head , Cole did n't have a choice - she had to go .
And once she did , she was almost certainly going to lose .
A study of eviction court outcomes in Kansas City from 2006-2016 showed that over 99 % eviction cases went against the tenant .
`` What am I supposed to do ? ''
Cole kept repeating .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move into no shelter .
I 'm going to [ have to ] live in my car . ''
Months before the global pandemic landed on US shores , Darquita Hoffman got behind on her bills and lost her car .
Without transportation , she lost her job cleaning houses .
Without an income , she lost her apartment .
After she spoke to the management at a Howard Johnson hotel in College Park , Georgia , she thought she 'd found a solution .
If Hoffman cleaned rooms for the hotel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekly rent .
She 'd be employed and housed , paying $ 250 a week for a room with a double bed for her kids , and a cot pushed up against the wall for her .
`` It 's a roof and I have a little bit of income coming in , '' she recalled thinking .
But after five months of living in the hotel , as a tidal wave of coronavirus cases was sweeping across the nation , Hoffman 's feelings about the arrangement changed .
She said that because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not by the hour , her pay cheques mostly went back to the hotel .
As tourism ground to a halt , there were fewer and fewer rooms to clean , and the cheques got even smaller .
Hoffman became nervous about cleaning strangers ' rooms , and bringing the virus home to her six-year-old and 19-year-old daughters .
So she put in her two weeks ' notice .
According to Hoffman , the hotel told her her rent would immediately go up to $ 350 a week , even before her two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owed them back rent for two weeks that she said she was told she did n't have to pay .
When she protested , she said the hotel started withholding her pay cheques altogether .
She said they cut off power to her room for three days .
Then they started calling the police .
As evictions , both legal and illegal , ramp up in the United States they are likely to disproportionately impact a population that has already been devastated by the coronavirus - African Americans .
Before the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions that take place each year ( about four per minute ) , they disproportionately impacted black families , particularly low-income , black women .
In 17 states , black women are twice as likely to be evicted as white renters , according to statistics from the American Civil Liberties Union .
`` The most common client we have is a black single mom , '' said Erica Taylor , director of the Saturday Lawyer Program at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation , which provides free legal representation to indigent clients .
Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is about 45 % black , and where there are 2,000 pending eviction cases .
Eviction Lab 's previous research found that evictions were most prevalent in cities in the southeast region of the country , and in places where the population was 30 % African American or higher .
• 'My son was also killed by police in Minneapolis' • He tried to fake his way to fame - and got caught .
Or did he ?
Georgia was one of the first states in the country to reopen its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and allow gatherings of up to 50 people .
At almost the same time that Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state would reopen , a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that took place in Georgia showed that more than four-fifths of hospitalised coronavirus patients were black .
`` That 's our clients , '' said Taylor .
`` They 're the most vulnerable . ''
Devin Q Rutan , a researcher with Eviction Lab , said that even during normal times , an eviction can be the difference between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We know that evictions have really lasting damage for household finances and health .
They precede job loss , '' he said .
`` We 're pushing people out when it 's most dangerous , on top of that , in a pandemic .
It 's already devastating the families to suffer an eviction to begin with . ''
Many landlords and property managers will not even consider a tenant with a previous eviction on her record .
But going to court is not always how evictions play out , especially during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to the BBC also reported seeing an uptick in `` self-help '' evictions , the colloquial name for illegal means that landlords can sometimes use to force their tenants to leave .
`` People changing locks and shutting off utilities and resorting to threats , '' explained Dunn .
`` Under pre-pandemic conditions it was not the rule , and now it just seems like those cases are routine . ''
Not all informal evictions are done maliciously - some landlords work out a handshake agreement with tenants to move out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants ' record , which can badly impede their ability to rent elsewhere .
But Taylor said her organisation is seeing more cases of landlords using aggressive , illegal tactics to bully renters out of the property , or conversely , proposing unconscionable deals that would allow a tenant to stay - like having sex with a landlord in exchange for rent .
`` I thought I 'd gotten to the point where I 'd seen almost everything , but in this last period of time it has been absurd and ridiculous the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landlords , '' she said .
`` With them not being able to use the court system to do their dirty work , it 's brought out the worst in people . ''
Luckily for Hoffman , when the College Park police responded to her room , the officers recognised that as a long-term renter at the hotel , Hoffman qualified under the eviction moratorium .
They put her in touch with Taylor 's organisation , who is helping her stay for the time being and fight to get her wages back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager at the hotel denied that they had intentionally cut off Hoffman 's power , but declined to comment further .
But Hoffman said she does n't trust the hotel not to throw her things out on the street while she 's gone .
She rarely leaves the room now .
`` I 've been a praying woman , '' she said , laughing gently .
`` Everybody 's like , 'It 's good you 're staying strong , ' but I know it ai n't nothing but the grace of God that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 'm doing it for my kids .
I have to get out of this situation . ''
On the day of her hearing - a cold , rainy day in Kansas City - Tamika Cole got up a few hours after her shift at the factory ended and headed to the courthouse .
When she got there , the activist group KC Tenants was preparing to stage a `` die-in '' on the courthouse steps , beneath a statue of President Andrew Jackson on horseback .
The activists hung a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - as America 's seventh president - signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 , which forced tens of thousands of Native Americans from their land and led to the `` Trail of Tears '' .
As Cole headed inside , the activists laid down - six feet apart - on the rain drenched concrete .
`` Housing was the prescription [ for coronavirus , ] '' said Tara Raghuveer , the director of KC Tenants .
`` People are going to be forced to put themselves at extraordinary health risk only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Gina Chiala , a lawyer for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom , acknowledged that so far , the number of evictions being processed in Kansas City is still way down from an average year .
`` I do n't think the full spike has hit .
I think that 's still coming , '' she said .
Even without a surge in cases , Chiala said she did n't like what she had seen inside the courthouse - that the elevators and courtroom gallery were `` troublingly crowded '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently had a client whose son worked in a factory with an outbreak , and had tested positive for the virus .
Although she 'd been exposed , Chiala still represented the woman .
`` It 's not safe for tenants .
It 's not safe for us .
But I feel like we have to , '' she said .
`` Hopefully nobody gets sick . ''
When Cole emerged from court hours later , it was with mixed news - she 'd been given a continuance , another week to bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnerved by how friendly her landlord 's lawyer had been with the judge .
`` He must have a lot of cases down there , '' she said .
In order to address safety concerns , some courts in the US are offering `` remote hearings '' where tenants can appear by phone or even video .
But advocates are split on their usefulness - it 's unclear whether tenants who ca n't pay rent will have a high speed internet connection or even a working cell phone .
And advocates on all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and landlords - are desperate for some kind of solution that can stop cases from winding up in court in the first place .
`` We would love an alternative to evicting someone , a way of getting a continued revenue stream and keeping that person housed will be a win-win for everyone , '' said Jay Martin , executive director of Community Housing Improvement Program , which represents most small , independent landlords in New York City .
Martin said his organisation fears that as more people are unable to make rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay their property taxes , utility bills and mortgages , eventually leading to foreclosures and bank takeovers of multi-family housing units .
The worst case scenario could look something like the foreclosure crisis of 2008 , with massive impact on rental property owners rather than individual homeowners , and potential cascading effects on tenants .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• MENTAL TOLL : The effect on our brains • GLOBAL TAKE : Which country has the most generous bailout ?
• THE LOST SIX WEEKS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He rejects an idea put forward by the tenant advocacy community that `` cancel the rent '' makes tenants safe , because the building itself could ultimately be bought out by a hedge fund or a bank , and tenants could lose all their rights to the building .
Benfer agreed that what is truly needed is a federal assistance package that would allow renters to remain in their homes but also makes sure that landlords and property owners also make the money they need to stay solvent .
She points to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and includes $ 100 billion in emergency rental assistance .
The $ 3 trillion package has been stalled in the Senate for weeks , where Republicans have control .
`` At the end of the day , the rent , the housing market is really a keystone to our communities .
When the rent is n't paid , property taxes are n't paid , mortgages are n't paid , maintenance employees are n't paid , '' she said .
`` All of that has ripple effects into these communities .
It affects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessities in the community .
Once that link is broken we see this chain reaction .
`` Renters are n't the only ones who will suffer . ''
The night before her final hearing in Kansas City court , Tamika Cole sounded exhausted while on break at work , the sound of equipment whirring and clattering behind her .
`` I do n't have no strategy .
I do n't know what I 'm fighting for .
I have my receipts .
I have the pictures and little videos , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
I 'm just praying this judge will buy me a little time so I can find some place to go . ''
Cole actually had lined up another place to move to , but it was n't going to be ready until 15 June .
That still left her with about 10 days without a place to stay , or anywhere to store her possessions .
Even though she has family in town , Cole said she does n't want to put herself or her family at risk of contracting Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't even want you to be there , because they do n't know who 's sick or not , '' she said .
On 4 June , Cole returned to the courthouse once again .
When she walked back out , she sounded like a completely different person .
`` It 's just over , '' she sighed .
`` It 's not going to be on my record . ''
Cole said that a tenant 's rights advocate - she was n't sure from where - was in the courtroom and heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cole approach her landlord 's lawyer directly and explain that she was willing to move out and pay back rent if she could just get an extra ten days to move out .
According to Cole , the landlord reluctantly agreed .
It was a moment of total relief , a break in the clouds .
`` That 's all I wanted was a little time to go on and move , '' she said .
`` I 'm happy .
`` I

But after five months of living in the hotel, as a tidal wave of coronavirus cases was sweeping across the nation, Hoffman's feelings about the arrangement changed. She said that because she was paid by the room, not by the hour, her pay cheques mostly went back to the hotel. As tourism ground to a halt, there were fewer and fewer rooms to clean, and the cheques got even smaller. Hoffman became nervous about cleaning strangers' rooms, and bringing the virus home to her six-year-old and 19-year-old daughters. So she put in her two weeks' notice.


bbc--2020-08-07--Can a Eurovision-style song contest work in the US?

A US version of the Eurovision Song Contest is to take place next year , organisers have announced .
The 50 states will compete in The American Song Contest , which has been endorsed by the team behind the long-running European equivalent .
No broadcaster or other platform has yet signed up to air the US contest , but a spokeswoman for the project said discussions were taking place .
The Eurovision Song Contest has been running for more than six decades .
The US contest will be held in late 2021 , several months after Eurovision , organisers confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selected by US juries , made up of music industry professionals and regional TV audiences .
The representatives for each state can be either solo artists , duos or bands with up to six members .
The announcement of The American Song Contest follows the release of Netflix 's popular film Eurovision : The Story of Fire Saga .
The movie , which starred Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams , was released in June and became a hit with viewers .
Naysayers of the American Song Contest have said it will lose much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different countries showcasing their unique traditions and swerve on contemporary pop .
But that suggests America is a musical sausage factory , pumping out interchangeable ditties and monotonous tunes .
It is not .
Most states can claim some form of musical heritage , which locals take pride in or at least strongly identify with .
Take , for example , the pop studios of Los Angeles , the country stages of Nashville , the hip-hop capital Atlanta or the Latin music hub that is Miami - American music is a smorgasbord of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displayed one song after the other .
My British friends frequently define America with two colours - red and blue .
But that ignores the millions of hues in between .
State identity still matters and it regularly plays out on TV , where collegiate sports dominate .
NCAA football and basketball remain ratings juggernauts , partly because there 's a sense of bonding around a team and the place and people it represents .
The American Song Contest will tap into that .
Will Ferrell 's hugely popular Eurovision-inspired comedy has at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Song Contest and proven there 's an appetite for some version of it .
The Netflix advertising push has no doubt helped .
Ahead of its release , a friend in Los Angeles sent me a photo of two massive billboards promoting the movie on both sides of Sunset Boulevard .
Eurovision was famously founded in the aftermath of the Second World War to bring people together through song .
Given the fractious climate in the US , Americans may relish a similar opportunity .
The creative director and producer of The American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former contestant on the show himself , having represented his home country of Sweden in 1992 .
`` Eurovision has been a dream project ever since I was a child , '' he told Variety .
`` To have a chance to use everything you know about the format and redo it from the beginning and to bring it to an audience that has no history with it is such a privilege . ''
Martin Österdahl , executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest , said its `` unique legacy dates back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still rising '' .
He added : `` It 's time for America to experience this spectacle . ''
This year 's Eurovision Song Contest , which was due to be held in Rotterdam , was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
It is scheduled to return in 2021 , but participating countries will have to enter different songs to those they had submitted for this year .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Most states can claim some form of musical heritage, which locals take pride in or at least strongly identify with. Take, for example, the pop studios of Los Angeles, the country stages of Nashville, the hip-hop capital Atlanta or the Latin music hub that is Miami - American music is a smorgasbord of sounds that will make brilliant TV when displayed one song after the other.


bbc--2020-08-07--Beirut explosion: How ship's deadly cargo ended up at port

Lebanon 's government has blamed the huge blast that devastated parts of Beirut on the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the city 's port .
People have expressed anger and disbelief that such a large quantity of potentially explosive material was kept inside a warehouse without any safety measures for more than six years , so close to the centre of the city .
The government has not named the source of the ammonium nitrate , but the same amount of the chemical arrived in Beirut in November 2013 on a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sail that September from Batumi , Georgia , heading to Beira , Mozambique .
It was carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate , which typically comes in the form of small pellets that are widely used as agricultural fertiliser but can also be mixed with fuel oil to make explosives for the mining and construction industries .
While sailing through the eastern Mediterranean the Rhosus suffered `` technical problems '' and was forced to dock at Beirut 's port , according to a 2015 report for industry newsletter Shippingarrested.com that was written by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rhosus was inspected by port officials and `` forbidden from sailing '' , the lawyers said .
Most of the crew were repatriated , except for the Russian captain , Boris Prokoshev , and three others , who were reportedly Ukrainians .
Mr Prokoshev told the BBC on Friday that the Rhosus only stopped off in Beirut because its owner had money trouble .
The captain said he was told the ship needed to collect an additional cargo of heavy machinery , to fund passage through the Suez Canal .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and when the ship 's owner did not pay the port fees and fine , the Lebanese authorities impounded it , along with the ammonium nitrate , he added .
More on the explosion in Beirut • AMMONIUM NITRATE : What is it ?
How dangerous is it ?
• Q & A : What we know • THE CONTEXT : Why Lebanon is in crisis Shortly afterwards , the Rhosus was `` abandoned by her owners after charterers and cargo concern lost interest in the cargo '' , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal claims from creditors .
Meanwhile , the crew still confined to the vessel were running out of food and supplies .
The lawyers said they applied to the Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut for an order authorising them to return home , emphasising `` the danger the crew was facing given the 'dangerous ' nature of the cargo '' in the ship 's holds .
The judge eventually agreed to allow the crew to disembark and in 2014 the port authorities transferred the ammonium nitrate into `` Warehouse 12 '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers said the cargo was `` awaiting auctioning and/or proper disposal '' .
Mr Prokoshev said authorities in Beirut knew how dangerous the vessel 's cargo was and should not have stored it at the port .
`` They should have paid the ship owner to take the ship away .
A couple of hundred thousand dollars just to remove it and not have that headache there , in the port .
But they would n't release it .
Is that sensible ? ''
`` I understand - they wanted the money .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be an explosion like that , they would n't have done it . ''
The port 's general manager , Hassan Koraytem , and the director general of Lebanese Customs , Badri Daher , both said on Wednesday that they and other officials repeatedly warned the judiciary about the danger posed by the stored ammonium nitrate and the need to remove it .
Documents circulated online appeared to show that customs officials sent letters to a Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut seeking guidance on how to sell or dispose of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
Mr Koraytem told local channel OTV that State Security also sent warning letters .
Public Works Minister Michel Najjar , who took office at the start of this year , told Al Jazeera that he only learned about the presence of the ammonium nitrate in late July and that he spoke to Mr Koraytem about the matter on Monday .
A fire appears to have triggered the detonation of the ammonium nitrate the next day .
The blast killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others , while dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the failure to deal with the Rhosus ' cargo was `` unacceptable '' and promised to `` hold those responsible and those who were negligent accountable , and serve them the most severe punishment '' .
The government has ordered officials involved in storing or guarding the ammonium nitrate to be put under house arrest pending an investigation .

Meanwhile, the crew still confined to the vessel were running out of food and supplies. The lawyers said they applied to the Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut for an order authorising them to return home, emphasising "the danger the crew was facing given the 'dangerous' nature of the cargo" in the ship's holds.


bbc--2020-08-07--Coronavirus in South Africa: Why the vuvuzelas fell silent

It 's mid-winter here in South Africa 's main city of Johannesburg .
The other morning , I put on a woolly hat and scarf to take the dog for a walk .
My son came with me , in a T-shirt and flip-flops .
As it happens , we were both correctly dressed .
South African winters are strictly cloudless affairs .
For months , here on the high planes in the centre of the country , it is magnificently warm in the sunshine and bone-chilling in the shade .
And yes , there is a metaphor lurking there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nation of seemingly irreconcilable extremes .
Of hunger and excess .
Kindness and corruption .
A precarious , miraculous , juggling act of a country that somehow wobbles on .
Enter , the coronavirus .
At first South Africans seemed to rise , collectively , to the occasion .
Back in March , the government introduced some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world .
Borders and schools slammed shut .
The economy duly ground to a halt .
Even the sale of alcohol was banned .
People were told to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indefinitely .
Easy enough in the suburbs .
Not so convenient for millions living in tin shacks and in poor , over-crowded townships .
But somehow , it worked .
The infection rate dropped dramatically .
Every night you could hear the blare of vuvuzelas - as people honked their plastic horns in support of doctors and nurses .
Even the alcohol ban seemed bearable .
It led to a dramatic drop in hospital casualty admissions .
And besides , there was always home-brewed pineapple beer to try out .
But four months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help revive the economy - we are now in the thick of the pandemic .
Over half a million infections .
And the public mood has soured .
• From Our Own Correspondent has insight and analysis from BBC journalists , correspondents and writers from around the world • Listen on iPlayer , get the podcast or listen on the BBC World Service , or on Radio 4 on Saturdays at 11:30 The vuvuzelas have fallen silent .
Hunger and unemployment are soaring .
Listless men drift through the suburbs , begging for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged , indignantly , in court , and entirely ignored by most people , who simply buy their booze from a thriving black market .
And above all , a fleeting sense of national unity is being whittled away , not so much by frustration , or impatience , but by the obscene corruption of South Africa 's political class .
It 's been a problem here for years .
A bloated , politicised civil service feasting on government contracts .
Using friends and family to bid for lucrative tenders .
Looting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the corruption has come to seem not like an aberration , a flaw in the system , but rather the system itself .
So perhaps it was inevitable , when the government began pumping extra billions into the health sector - for PPE , medicine , ventilators - that some of that money would go missing .
But still , how do you explain a 900 % mark-up for surgical masks ?
Or a councillor stealing food parcels meant for the poor ?
Or contract after contract going into the pockets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Cyril Ramaphosa recently went on television here to lash out against the crooks who were profiting from disaster .
He called them a pack of hyenas circling wounded prey .
And he promised this would be a turning point , that bold , decisive action would be taken .
You may also be interested in : • How ‘ secret burials ’ could help tackle coronavirus • Deciding who lives and dies in a Cape Town township Many South Africans seem to believe their president is an honourable man .
That he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his latest announcement was greeted with , at best , hollow laughter .
The governing African National Congress ( ANC ) has been promising a clean-up for decades .
The party will renew itself , while still in power , we 're told .
Which other party has ever pulled off that little trick ?
For all the miseries I 've seen here - these past few weeks in particular - the weary doctors angry that they have no proper masks , grieving families convinced their relatives died unnecessarily , South Africa is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeating this virus .
The upward infection curves are starting to climb back down in most provinces .
The death rate appears to have stayed surprisingly low .
Out of sight - cameras are strictly forbidden in Covid-19 wards here - heroic medical staff are managing , in a very South African way , to create some order out of chaos .
And yes , we 're all wearing our masks here in public .
Almost everyone .
Almost everywhere .
No complicated exemptions .
No real argument .
It just feels like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , I stood in a vast graveyard on the edge of the tough , troubled city of Port Elizabeth .
Cows strolling lazily between the headstones .
A series of hurried burials were taking place , 15 minutes apart .
I thought , briefly , about this country - this continent 's - capacity to absorb hardship , to plough on .
And then I watched another group of mourners climb out of a minibus , and soon a snatch of song wafted over towards me .
A little muffled by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeful .
Rising up into another impossibly blue sky .
• GLOBAL TRENDS : Where are cases rising and falling ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are the symptoms of the coronavirus ?

For all the miseries I've seen here - these past few weeks in particular - the weary doctors angry that they have no proper masks, grieving families convinced their relatives died unnecessarily, South Africa is still doing a relatively impressive job at defeating this virus.