bbc--2020-02-21--'I hated my homophobic stepdad, then he came out'

As a gay teenager in post-Soviet Russia , Wes Hurley breathed a sigh of relief when his mother married an American and they moved to the US - but he soon discovered his stepfather , James , was violently homophobic .
This led to strained relations , until James underwent an unexpected transformation .
Wes Hurley 's earliest memory is of his drunk father hitting his mother .
He was only four years old and too young to really understand what was going on , but sometimes he would daydream that he was watching a movie .
He 'd put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , imagining that through the lens he created with his fingers , his life was a movie .
`` My parents would be dancing and singing , and I 'd imagine a fun , eccentric movie version of my life .
Or they 're fighting in a fun movie way .
Not real fighting , '' Wes remembers .
His parents soon separated , and he was brought up singlehandedly by his mother , Elena , a young prison doctor .
Elena was unconventional .
She was n't shy about voicing her anti-communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her family who was n't anti-Semitic , and could n't understand the virulent hatred people around her felt towards gay people .
She always stood up for what she believed was right , and made her opinions known .
This rubbed off on her son as he grew up in the late 1980s in the port city of Vladivostok , on Russia 's Pacific coast .
`` It was a dark time , but it was a really exciting time for me too .
Our country was broken .
They were teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up and say , 'You 're teaching us lies , ' '' Wes later recalled .
Nobody had seen the break-up of the Soviet Union coming , but in 1991 , when Wes was 10 , it began to unravel , collapsing for good at the end of December .
`` It was amazing , '' Wes says .
`` I remember we were at a neighbour 's apartment .
They had a colour TV .
Everybody was just glued to TV and radios because it was like a thriller .
Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was an exciting , inspiring , scary moment . ''
At first things started to improve .
There was more freedom , more food , and to Wes and Elena 's delight , an influx of pirated American movies .
• Listen to Wes talking on Outlook , on the BBC World Service Wes remembers the night he switched on the TV and Ghost appeared on the screen - a film starring Patrick Swayze , Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg , where the ghost of a murdered man stays on Earth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect his girlfriend from danger .
`` It was unlike anything I 'd seen before , '' Wes says .
`` Russian films were mostly depressing and dark at the time .
We had n't seen anything like that that was so fun and enjoyable and escapist .
I was obsessed with Whoopi Goldberg . ''
One of the movies that inspired Wes and Elena , even though he 's embarrassed to admit it now , was Curly Sue - a `` terrible movie '' starring Jim Belushi , as a homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl he took under his wing when her mother died , and Kelly Lynch , a lawyer who gives them a temporary home .
All were dubbed by a single actor , who sounded as though he was pinching his nose - perhaps to disguise his voice so he would n't get caught .
`` It 's kind of like a reverse Cinderella story , '' says Wes .
`` And I think it really spoke to us , because they go from being really poor to living in this luxury New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice food , so it felt very ' I hope that happens to us . '
`` It made us fall in love with the US we saw in the movies , for sure .
Everything we saw was just so different from our reality .
That 's what started our dream of coming to the United States . ''
Of course , Wes and Elena knew that the movies were fictional , but the positive stories that they told became vitally important to them , giving them hope when they felt hopeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-apocalyptic landscape of unfinished construction sites , decay , extreme poverty and violence '' at least in Wes 's lifetime .
And after the fall of the Soviet Union it became even more notorious as a haven for corruption and crime .
Violent drug dealers and gang members were a perpetual danger for Wes on the city 's streets and his school was barely any less violent .
It was in this forbidding environment that he came to the realisation that he was gay .
`` At the time [ being ] gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , something that 'does n't really exist ' in Russia .
At the time I was n't even sure if gay people were real or if they were made up monsters , '' Wes says .
He did n't mention it to Elena , who was already worried enough about him .
But when he started skipping school , and even sometimes carrying a butcher 's knife for protection , she took a decision to escape to the world they saw in the movies - by becoming a mail-order bride .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dating services was developing to match women from countries like Russia with men from countries such as the US , Japan and Australia .
Elena provided profile information and some photos , as you would on a dating website today , and paid a small fee to be matched with American men .
She corresponded with a few of them over the next couple of years , and eventually travelled to the US to meet a man about 15 years older than her , called James - a wonderfully `` exotic '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vasily as he was then ) .
When she came back , she was glowing and showed Wes a ring .
Elena and James had got married , so she and Wes could finally go to America .
It was like a dream coming true .
They flew from Vladivostok , one side of the Pacific , to a new home in Seattle , on the other .
`` Obviously there was so much to learn , and our English was very very bad , but we were so excited to become American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun challenges , '' Wes says .
Going to a high school `` where you do n't think you 're going to get murdered '' was also a huge change .
Everything about their new life was different , from the food in the supermarket to the cleanliness of the city and people smiling at them on the street .
But tension soon began brewing at home .
`` James was a really conservative Christian fundamentalist .
He was a Russian Orthodox convert , and he wanted a Russian Orthodox wife .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was n't conservative or fundamentalist , '' Wes says .
Elena 's liberal beliefs were a surprise to James - and likewise James 's conservatism was a challenge for Elena .
James did n't understand how Elena could support legal abortion .
He was opposed to gay rights , did n't believe in secular schools , hated the Clintons , and was appalled by Halloween - believing it to be Satanic holiday .
Wes remembers James as being very intense - often ranting and raving .
He would be kind and caring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly into an awful rage .
At times like this he often hinted at the possibility of sending Elena and Wes back to Russia , because they were n't Christian or conservative enough for him .
They both felt extremely vulnerable .
At the same time , during their first year in the US , thanks to TV , movies , and discussions at school , Wes came to realise that he was n't the only gay person in the world .
At the age of 16 , he came out to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funny conversation because I was brooding and moody all the time .
And finally I told her I was gay and she was like , 'What , that 's it ?
Everybody 's a little gay . '
'' Wes says .
`` And I was like , 'No mum , what do you mean ? '
And she said , 'Sometimes I notice good-looking women . '
And I was like , 'Do you want to have sex with them ? '
and she said 'No ' .
And I was like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super gay . '
And she said , ' I do n't care if you 're super gay . '
`` I thought there would be more sadness or drama but she was so nonchalant about it .
It was amazing . ''
They both knew , though , that if they revealed Wes 's sexual orientation to James , he would definitely send them back to Russia - and this really bothered Wes .
`` I was already kind of moody and angry , and now learning about gay rights , thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much gay people had been erased from history , and it made me so angry .
I felt like James was pretty much the personification of this evil oppressive presence , so I really started to hate him , '' Wes says .
He would do everything that he could to avoid James , while trying not to upset him .
When he was 18 , he moved out and got a job .
And even then , he still hid his sexuality from James .
Elena 's relationship with James remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change .
One year James bought a pumpkin to carve and horror movies to watch for Halloween .
He had always denounced Halloween as Satan 's holiday , so this represented a shift .
But James had a much bigger surprise in store .
One night Wes received a phone call from his mother , and she was crying .
`` Not sad crying , just cathartic crying , '' Wes says .
`` She told me she 'd come home to find a strange woman sitting on her sofa , and after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she recognised James . ''
The woman on the sofa introduced herself to Elena as Janis .
She explained she had struggled with her assigned gender her whole life .
She had even converted to Russian Orthodoxy because she thought it would help .
Marrying a Russian woman had been part of the same plan , even though Elena - `` the least conservative woman in Russia '' , as Wes likes to call her - had n't quite been the kind of person Janis had originally had in mind .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustrated by Elena 's open-mindedness , it had also helped her build up the courage to come out as a trans woman .
`` I can not say it was easy finding out that my husband was a woman .
In some sense , he was the first real man in my life - the man I could count on .
But it was not about me .
Janis needed support and unconditional love , '' Elena says in Little Potato , an award-winning film that Wes has made about his experiences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in a fragmented world .
• What would you say to the men who killed your mum • After years searching , I found my sister next door • Two close friends who have every reason to hate each other Wes was absolutely blown away to learn about Janis .
The discovery instantly turned a `` really scary oppressive situation '' into one that was `` fun and exciting '' .
`` I was dating my first boyfriend , '' Wes remembers , `` and Janis was totally open and was hanging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had .
It was really special to see her blossom in the later years of her life . ''
Janis and her girlfriends did however become a new problem for Elena , principally because of their love for karaoke , which they asked her to film and take photographs of .
`` There was karaoke night after night after night .
That 's when I decided it was time to divorce and move out , '' Elena says in Little Potato .
`` Transgender was fine with me but karaoke ?
Nobody wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , Janis also became a devotee of Wicca , a modern pagan religion .
She remained in contact with Elena and Wes but they would only see each other occasionally .
`` Years later , I would see Janis on Facebook or she 'd come to my film screenings .
We were n't close , but she was still an important person for me , '' Wes says .
`` Janis was every bit as loony as James in many ways .
Once she became Wiccan , she would tell me how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katrina out of the way of her hometown .
She was an anti-fluoride enthusiast and was searching for towns to live in that did n't have fluoride .
`` Talking to her was always awkward because I did n't know how to react to her crazy ideas , but part of me was proud of her , for just always doing whatever she wanted to do . ''
In 2015 , Wes received a message from Janis 's daughter from a previous marriage to say that Janis , now 70 , was fading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to visit her in hospital .
`` She was n't responding because she was in a coma .
So we told her how much we loved her and that she rescued us , and how grateful we were .
We were there for a couple of hours talking to her , talking to each other and crying , thinking how much our lives had changed . ''
Wes and Elena are still extremely close , talking several times a day on the phone .
Elena is living her American dream .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnny , where Michelle Pfeiffer plays a waitress , Frankie , who resists the advances of a cook , played by Al Pacino , even though she 's lonely .
Elena would always say that if she could have Frankie 's life she would be happy without Al Pacino - `` just live in the States , have my own little apartment and job and I 'd be happy . ''
`` And that 's what she has now , and she 's happy , '' says Wes .
Wes has brought their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film-maker .
Little Potato even caught the attention of one of his biggest idols , Whoopi Goldberg , who told him she was touched by his story .
He was left struggling to find the words to respond .
`` I was like , ' I 'm so sorry I sound like an idiot , I just love you so much - you changed my life . '
'' Wes Hurley has just finished shooting a feature-length version of his film , called Potato Dreams of America .
You may also be interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious career choice for Karen and Barry Mason , and not one they could talk about openly .
Outwardly they were a respectable family , but for years the couple ran LA 's best-known gay porn shop , and distributed adult material across the US .

The woman on the sofa introduced herself to Elena as Janis. She explained she had struggled with her assigned gender her whole life. She had even converted to Russian Orthodoxy because she thought it would help. Marrying a Russian woman had been part of the same plan, even though Elena - "the least conservative woman in Russia", as Wes likes to call her - hadn't quite been the kind of person Janis had originally had in mind.


bbc--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape in watershed case

Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexual assaults , including rape , capping a stunning downfall for the former Hollywood mogul and a victory for the # MeToo movement .
Weinstein , 67 , was convicted in New York City of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act .
He was cleared of the most serious count of predatory sexual assault .
He faces up to 25 years in prison .
He still faces charges in Los Angeles of assaulting two women in 2013 .
At least 80 women had accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Salma Hayek .
The allegations were at the centre of the # MeToo movement that inspired women to go public with misconduct allegations against powerful men .
The movie executive once enjoyed phenomenal success with Oscar winners such Pulp Fiction , Good Will Hunting , The King 's Speech and Shakespeare in Love .
What happened in the New York court ?
The jury of seven men and five women reached their verdict on Monday morning , the fifth day of deliberations .
Weinstein - who denied all charges - was convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann , a former aspiring actress , in 2013 .
The judge ordered him sent to jail immediately .
But the jury acquitted him on two counts of predatory sexual assault , which carried a potential life sentence , and first-degree rape of Mann .
In the minutes after the verdict , Weinstein showed no emotion as he talked to his lead lawyer Donna Rotunno .
He will be sentenced on 11 March .
The third-degree rape charge in New York is defined as engaging in sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of consent , or under age 17 , or who has not given consent for a reason other than the inability to consent .
Prosecutors portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who used his position of power in Hollywood to manipulate and attack women .
The defence team said sex between the movie executive and the accusers was consensual , and that the accusers used the relations to advance their careers .
The allegations amounted to `` regret renamed as rape '' , the defence said .
Two of the accusers kept in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him after the alleged attacks , they pointed out .
How did we get here ?
• Allegations against Weinstein began to emerge in October 2017 , when the New York Times first reported incidents dating back decades • Weinstein issued an apology acknowledging he had `` caused a lot of pain '' , but disputed the allegations • As dozens more accusations emerged , Weinstein was sacked by the board of his company and all but banished from Hollywood • A criminal investigation was launched in New York in late 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , when he turned himself in to police .
What were the allegations in this case ?
Ms Haleyi , who had worked on one of Weinstein 's television productions , said she was assaulted by the producer after he invited her to his Lower Manhattan home .
She testified that he backed her into a bedroom , held her down on the bed and forced himself on her .
Ms Mann said that she found herself in an `` extremely degrading '' relationship with him that did not involve intercourse until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City hotel room in 2013 .
She said he was a `` Jekyll and Hyde '' figure who could be charming in public but showed his dark side when they were alone .
Another one of Weinstein 's accusers , Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra , told jurors he raped her in her apartment one night in the mid-1990s .
• Weinstein accuser : 'No ' was a trigger for him Her allegation was too old to be charged as a separate crime , but prosecutors used it in an attempt to demonstrate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Following the verdict , Ms Sciorra said : `` I spoke for myself and with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart . ''
Three other also women testified they were lured to apparent work meetings with Weinstein , then sexually assaulted .
`` The fight is not over , '' Ms Rotunno told reporters outside the courthouse .
`` Harvey is unbelievably strong .
He took it like a man and he knows we will continue to fight for him and he knows that this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ client was disappointed , but `` mentally tough '' .
Rose McGowan told the BBC 's Newshour programme : `` The little girl I was when I was hurt , she 's ecstatic ...
This is a great day .
The trash has been taken out . ''
The actress , who was an early Weinstein accuser , added : `` The fact that we are white women and attractive and of some means and it still took this many of us to even get him to have one day in court - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to even be heard , period , let alone [ get ] any kind of conviction . ''
In a joint letter , actresses Ashley Judd , Lucia Evans and Rosanna Arquette and 19 other Weinstein accusers called it `` disappointing that today 's outcome does not deliver the true , full justice that so many women deserve , '' but expressed gratitude towards all the women who came forward to speak out against him .
What happens next ?
• Weinstein 's lawyer said the defence will be appealing against the conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles , and there are other cases under review , according to the county district attorney • Civil complaints against Weinstein continue to be fought • In December 2019 , lawyers said they reached a tentative $ 25m ( £19m ) deal with some accusers

The actress, who was an early Weinstein accuser, added: "The fact that we are white women and attractive and of some means and it still took this many of us to even get him to have one day in court - just tells you…how almost impossible it is to even be heard, period, let alone [get] any kind of conviction."


bbc--2020-02-24--The women behind a Hollywood giant's downfall

As jurors were sworn in for Harvey Weinstein 's trial in New York , the judge told them in no uncertain terms that this case was not intended to be a referendum on the # MeToo movement as a whole .
But the trial , which ended in him being convicted of rape and sexual assault , at times felt like one .
You may find some of the details in this article upsetting It was a watershed moment .
More than two years after allegations started to emerge about the Hollywood producer , some of his victims finally had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twelve jurors were tasked with ruling on sex charges against Weinstein , which he denied , in a trial that saw complex questions about consent and power dynamics on the stand .
Jurors heard harrowing testimony from six women who , at times in tears , recounted their alleged assaults by the producer .
One woman , who he was later found guilty of raping , at one point had to leave court after apparently suffering a panic attack on the stand .
Weinstein 's high-powered defence team tried to flip the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manipulators in the situation : women who used Weinstein for his industry prowess and later regretted and mischaracterised their sexual encounters as non-consensual .
During weeks of testimony , jurors were witness to everything from claims about Weinstein 's genitals being deformed to nude photographs of the movie mogul himself .
Every day journalists lined up , sometimes before sunrise , to claim a place on the press benches .
Cameras were not allowed inside the trial at Manhattan Supreme Court , but the entrance was always lined with paparazzi scrambling to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had barely been seen in public for two years .
Weinstein was a giant of the movie industry in every sense .
Productions in his name became synonymous with success in Hollywood , with hundreds of Oscar nominations and 81 wins across his career .
On stage , as he accepted awards , his large frame would often hulk over the stars of his films .
The image of Weinstein at his trial was a very different one : once reportedly 300lb ( 136kg ) , he appeared frail and shuffled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunched over a metal walking frame .
The term # MeToo preceded Weinstein , but was propelled across the globe as allegations mounted against him in October 2017 .
Millions of people from all ages , backgrounds and nationalities used the hashtag to detail their experiences of harassment and abuse .
Other celebrities were implicated but it was the scale of claims against Weinstein , then arguably the most powerful man in Hollywood , that proved the most shocking .
More than 100 women came forward with allegations about him : alleging everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stars at the very top of the industry , like Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie , told of unwanted advances and upsetting interactions .
Other women described , often in graphic detail , alleged rapes by the producer .
Weinstein has consistently denied all allegations of non-consensual sex .
• Harvey Weinstein trial : What you need to know Despite dozens of allegations against him , these were the first to make it to trial .
In this time , Weinstein all but disappeared from public view .
His marriage broke up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment for sex addiction .
His business partner brother described his behaviour as `` sick and depraved '' and their production company filed for bankruptcy .
During a rare interview , reportedly given without his lawyer 's knowledge in December , Weinstein complained of feeling like a `` forgotten man '' within Hollywood .
Speaking just one day after three-hour surgery to ease compression on his spine , he told the New York Post that he deserved a pat on the back for everything he had done for women in film .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing jeans and a T-shirt , which he lifted to reveal a bandage on his back from which a tube drained blood into a container fixed to a metal walking aid .
The walking frame took on a starring role during the trial when an argument broke out when prosecutors labelled it a `` prop '' .
Weinstein 's lawyers even wanted his surgeon to testify to prove he was n't faking his injury to gain sympathy .
On the first day , a group of high-profile accusers gathered outside the court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You brought this upon yourself by hurting so many , '' actress Rose McGowan said , addressing her alleged rapist through the media .
`` You have only yourself to blame . ''
Weinstein 's legal team made repeated appeals for the trial to be moved from Manhattan , citing the `` carnival-like atmosphere '' engulfing it .
At one point , the defence complained after a flash-mob of protesters chanting lyrics including `` The rapist is you '' could be heard from inside the courtroom .
At another , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hadid , appeared as a potential juror .
About 2,000 people were reportedly summoned during the jury selection process and prosecutors accused Weinstein 's team of `` systematically eliminating '' young white women , resembling his victims , from serving on the jury .
After almost two weeks , the group of 12 was finalised with seven men and five women .
Weinstein denied five felony criminal charges relating to allegations of sexual assault and rape .
They related to incidents involving Mimi Haleyi , a former production assistant who said he forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment in 2006 , and Jessica Mann , a one-time aspiring actress who said he raped her in a New York hotel room in 2013 .
Another alleged victim , Sopranos star Annabella Sciorra , alleged he had forced his way into her New York apartment and raped her some time in the winter of 1993/4 .
The amount of time passed since the alleged incident meant it fell outside of New York 's statute of limitations and could not be charged separately , but the judge ruled her testimony could be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the indictment : for predatory sexual assault .
Three other women were also permitted by the judge to appear as `` prior bad acts '' witnesses to help establish a pattern of behaviour and common motive .
All were aspiring actresses in their 20s , hoping to break into the industry , when they described being assaulted by him .
This tactic was notably used to help secure a conviction against US comedian Bill Cosby , who was jailed in 2018 .
Kristen Gibbons Feden was a prosecutor on both his trials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act '' witnesses ' willingness to take the stand , and be open to cross-examination without the hope of direct justice for themselves , can play a `` critical '' role in undermining defence arguments and establishing the motive of repeat offenders .
`` These women who testified , all of the women who testified in Cosby 's trial , were willing to put their lives , their public sanctity and character on the line to try and assist the prosecution with putting away a serial rapist - I think that just speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Physical evidence was never likely to play a part in the trial , given how much time had passed since the alleged incidents took place .
The case would therefore rise and fall on the believability of the accusations against Weinstein : a case of he said , she said - or , in this trial , they said .
`` Obviously , any time you have a criminal trial , the goal of a defence attorney is to question the credibility of the witnesses - but particularly when the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in this case , '' Julie Rendelman , a former prosecutor turned criminal defence lawyer , told the BBC .
Sciorra was the first accuser to take the stand against Weinstein .
She alleged that he forced his way into her 17th-floor Gramercy Park apartment and raped her , shortly after offering to drive her home from a dinner they attended with others , including Pulp Fiction star Uma Thurman .
`` I felt very overpowered as he was very big , '' she told the court , who had heard he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 110-115lb ( 50kg ) at the time .
`` Then he grabbed me .
He led me into the bedroom and he shoved me on the bed .
I was punching him , I was kicking him , I was trying to take him away from me .
He took my hands and put my hands over my head , '' she said , motioning with her arms .
In turn the defence called witnesses , including Sciorra 's apartment 's building manager , to try to contradict her claims .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once under subpoena , apparently reluctant to appear and contradict the account of accusers , who in some cases were former friends .
The defence quizzed Sciorra on her acting ability and success : playing a 1997 clip from a well-known US talk show where she admitted making-up colourful lies about her life in press interviews .
They questioned why she did n't raise the alarm about what happened .
`` He was someone I knew , '' she told the court .
`` I felt at the time that rape was something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dark place by someone you did n't know . ''
They also called Professor Elizabeth Loftus , a false memory expert , who testified about her research on how recollection can become distorted and contaminated over time .
With the main accusers , the defence tried to upend the narratives of manipulation presented by the prosecution .
They said Haleyi and Mann 's ongoing , and often friendly , communication with Weinstein after their assaults was evidence the relationships were consensual .
Haleyi tearfully told the court how he lunged and physically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tampon and forcing oral sex on her when she was on her period .
`` I checked out and decided to endure it , '' she told the court .
`` That was the safest thing I could do . ''
His lawyers confronted her with messages she sent to the producer afterwards , including ones signed off `` lots of love '' and `` peace and love '' .
`` I asked for jobs from many people , including Harvey Weinstein , '' she said about contact over career opportunities .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' by her circumstances , so she decided to `` almost pretend [ the assault ] did n't happen '' .
Jessica Mann told the court that she entered in a `` degrading relationship '' with Weinstein , which included subsequent consensual acts , after her rape .
Psychologist Dr Barbara Ziv was called by the prosecution to try and push back on some of the defence 's scrutiny of his victims ' behaviour .
Dr Ziv , who also testified at Cosby 's second trial , spoke about her 20 years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispel so-called `` rape myths '' .
`` A vast majority of sexual assault victims do n't report promptly , '' she told the court .
`` The time can range from days to months to years to report an assault - to never . ''
She also said it was `` extremely common '' for victims to remain in contact with their attacker , sometimes in fear of retribution , and pointed out an overwhelming majority of assaults are committed by someone the victim knows .
`` The trial was set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what it looks like , '' Deborah Tuerkheimer , a professor at Northwestern University School of Law , told Variety .
`` Jessica Mann in particular has really been a complex witness . ''
The three-day testimony by Mann , whose identity had not been made public before the trial , provided some of its most powerful moments .
Journalists inside the court said that at one point , after being pressed to read an email which alluded to abuse earlier in her life , Mann broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after being excused from court , she could be heard screaming in another room .
When quizzed about their ongoing communication , the 34-year-old told lawyers : `` I know the history of my relationship with him ...
I know it was complicated and difficult but it does not change the fact that he raped me . ''
The point was seized upon by Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon when she closed the case on Valentine 's Day .
`` Jessica Mann could have been completely head over heels in love with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` She could have had his name tattooed on her arm .
She could have been writing him love notes every single day .
She could have been married to him .
If all of that was true , it still would n't make a difference , he still would n't be allowed to rape her . ''
This argument mirrored an earlier one by the defence who told the jury they could dislike Weinstein , but still not believe his guilt had been proven .
`` You do n't have to like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularity contest , '' lawyer Donna Rotunno said during almost five hours of closing testimony .
`` In this country it 's the unpopular people that need juries the most , '' Rotunno said .
`` The unpopular person needs you the most . ''
`` You are the last line of defence in this country from the overzealous media , from the overzealous prosecution , '' she told them .
Rotunno accused prosecutors of scripting a reality which `` strips adult women of common sense , autonomy and responsibility '' .
Illuzzi-Orbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who preyed on women he saw as `` complete disposables '' .
From her glamorous designer outfits , to her towering heels to the gold `` not guilty '' pendant she reportedly wore around her neck to court , Rotunno became the public face of the defence team .
The lawyer has built her reputation on defending men in high-profile sexual misconduct cases .
`` I have the ability to get away with a lot more in a courtroom cross-examining a female than a male lawyer does… '' she said in a 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that woman with the same venom that I do , he looks like a bully .
If I do it , nobody even bats an eyelash .
And it 's been very effective . ''
During the trial Rotunno came under fire for comments made both inside and outside the courtroom .
An interview she gave to the New York Times ' The Daily podcast drew particular scorn .
When asked if she had ever been sexually assaulted herself , Rotunno responded : `` I have not , '' before pausing and adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself in that position '' .
She also suggested men should get written consent before engaging in sex and asserted societal pressure to `` believe all women '' meant there was now `` zero '' risk for accusers to come forward and make claims .
Prosecutors complained the interview violated an order not to discuss the case publicly during the trial .
They also accused her of `` borderline jury tampering '' for writing an opinion piece imploring them to `` look past the headlines '' before they were sent out to deliberate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by survivors and activist groups , who accused them of victim-blaming and perpetuating misconceptions about rape .
In the end the jury , having earlier signalled they were divided on the predatory assault charges factoring in Sciorra , ruled not guilty on those two counts .
They took five days to reach their decision , finding Weinstein guilty of the third-degree rape of Jessica Mann and of a criminal sex act in his assault of Mimi Haleyi .
More than two years after dozens of women came out against him , turning public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a criminal court of law .
The guilty verdicts mean that , at 67 , he could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison .
He has been remanded in custody awaiting sentencing , and faces further charges in Los Angeles .
Laura Palumbo , communications director for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center , told the BBC that while the Weinstein trial was a `` significant moment '' nationally , that it was important to reflect that it did not reflect the reality of most rape cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rape , Abuse & Incest National Network ( RAINN ) show that 995 out of every 1,000 perpetrators walk free after committing a sexual assault .
They say less than one in four sexual assaults are ever reported to police , with less than 0.5 % of perpetrators jailed nationally .
`` Hopefully this will help people to understand that although there has been a shift , we still need to really improve a lot of things to create a society that responds to sexual assault survivors more effectively , '' Palumbo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verdict was announced .
`` Hopefully in the future , it does n't take dozens of survivors coming forward for their reports to be taken seriously . ''

Physical evidence was never likely to play a part in the trial, given how much time had passed since the alleged incidents took place. The case would therefore rise and fall on the believability of the accusations against Weinstein: a case of he said, she said - or, in this trial, they said. "Obviously, any time you have a criminal trial, the goal of a defence attorney is to question the credibility of the witnesses - but particularly when the only evidence is eyewitness testimony, which it is in this case," Julie Rendelman, a former prosecutor turned criminal defence lawyer, told the BBC.


bbc--2020-02-24--Kobe Bryant's widow sues helicopter firm over deaths

The widow of US basketball legend Kobe Bryant is suing the owner of the helicopter that crashed last month , killing her husband and 13-year-old daughter , Gianna .
Bryant , Gianna and seven others died when the helicopter they were in crashed in fog on 26 January .
In the lawsuit , Vanessa Bryant says the pilot was negligent for flying in such poor weather .
It was filed shortly before a memorial service held in Los Angeles .
Island Express Helicopters and the pilot , Ara George Zobayan , had a `` duty to use that degree of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot would use under the same or similar circumstances , '' the suit says .
It alleges that Zobayan - who died in the crash - did not assess weather data before taking off .
• Giant who had his controversies The suit says the pilot did not abort the flight despite the treacherous conditions .
The company authorised the flight `` with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions '' , the complaint says .
Bryant and Gianna were remembered in a `` Celebration of Life '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles on Monday .
Beyoncé opened the service with her 2013 hit XO , which she said was one of Bryant 's favourite songs .
Basketball stars Michael Jordan , Magic Johnson and Bryant 's former teammate Shaquille O'Neal were among those attending .
The Staples Center was Bryant 's home arena for much of his 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers .
Speaking at the event , Ms Bryant said of her husband : `` He was mine .
He was my everything , '' and called her daughter Gianna an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose smile took up her entire face .
What do we know about the crash ?
Island Express Helicopters was limited to operating when the pilot was able to see clearly while flying .
The aircraft - a Sikorsky S-76B - went down into a hillside outside the city of Calabasas .
Conditions were foggy when the flight took off , and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather .
The pilot asked air traffic controllers for a special clearance , known as Special Visual Flight Rules , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy , who went to the crash scene to collect evidence .
The helicopter , she added , circled in the air for 12 minutes before being given the clearance .
The pilot then asked controllers for `` flight following '' , an assistance given to helicopters to avoid collisions , but was told the craft was too low to be picked up by radar .
Minutes later , the pilot said he was `` climbing to avoid a cloud layer '' , she added .
The helicopter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to radar data , before communication was lost .
All those on board were killed .

The helicopter, she added, circled in the air for 12 minutes before being given the clearance. The pilot then asked controllers for "flight following", an assistance given to helicopters to avoid collisions, but was told the craft was too low to be picked up by radar.


bbc--2020-02-24--Watch: Beyoncé performs as fans pay tribute to Kobe

A memorial service has been held at the Staples Centre for NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter , Gianna @ @ @ @ @ killed in a helicopter crash on January 26 .
His widow Vanessa Bryant spoke candidly @ @ @ @ @ people about her loss , as did basketball legend Michael Jordan .
Beyonce and Alicia @ @ @ @ @ with and without tickets , paid their respects outside of the stadium .
Earlier , @ @ @ @ @ suing the owner of the helicopter in which her husband , her daughter and seven @ @ @ @ @ it crashed in fog .

This video has been removed for rights reasons.
A memorial service has been held at the Staples Centre for NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, 13, who were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26.
His widow Vanessa Bryant spoke candidly to the crowd of 20,000 people about her loss, as did basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Beyonce and Alicia Keys performed and fans, with and without tickets, paid their respects outside of the stadium.
Earlier, Ms Bryant announced she is suing the owner of the helicopter in which her husband, her daughter and seven other people were travelling when it crashed in fog.


bbc--2020-02-24--Coronavirus: World must prepare for pandemic, says WHO

The World Health Organization has said the world should do more to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic .
The WHO said it was too early to call the outbreak a pandemic but countries should be `` in a phase of preparedness '' .
A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world .
More cases of the virus , which causes respiratory disease Covid-19 , continue to emerge , with outbreaks in South Korea , Italy and Iran causing concern .
However , most infections are in China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where 77,000 people have the disease and nearly 2,600 have died .
The number of new cases there is now falling .
More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths .
Italy reported four more deaths on Monday , raising the total there to seven .
Worldwide stock markets saw sharp falls because of concerns about the economic impact of the virus .
China said it would postpone the annual meeting of the National People 's Congress next month , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The body , which approves decisions made by the Communist Party , has met every year since 1978 .
The proportion of infected people who die from Covid-19 appears to be between 1 % and 2 % , although the WHO cautions that the mortality rate is not known yet .
On Monday Iraq , Afghanistan , Kuwait , Oman and Bahrain reported their first cases , all involving people who had come from Iran .
Officials in Bahrain said the patient infected there was a school bus driver , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result .
• Coronavirus : Could it become a pandemic ?
• Tell us how you 've been affected by emailing .
• Some upcoming football matches in Italy 's Serie A and the Europa League will be played behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the virus , Italy 's sports minister says • Gold surged to its highest price in seven years as coronavirus fears led investors to seek a safe haven • South Korean pop group BTS asks fans to stay away from upcoming TV shows , which will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in a bid to stop the coronavirus from breaking out .
What does the WHO say ?
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Monday that the number of new cases in recent days in Iran , Italy and South Korea was `` deeply concerning '' .
However he added : `` For the moment we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus and we are not witnessing large scale severe disease or deaths .
`` Does this virus have pandemic potential ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there yet ?
From our assessment , not yet . ''
`` The key message that should give all countries hope , courage and confidence is that this virus can be contained , indeed there are many countries that have done exactly that , '' Mr Tedros said .
`` Using the word 'pandemic ' now does not fit the facts but may certainly cause fear . ''
But Mike Ryan , head of WHO 's health emergencies programme , said now was the time to make `` do everything you would do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is the coronavirus a pandemic ?
For now the WHO says no .
It argues the number of countries with outbreaks , the severity of the disease and the impact on society has not reached pandemic-level .
But some scientists - assessing the same picture - think we are already there and others say we 're on the cusp .
The surge in cases in South Korea and the deaths in Iran and Italy have dialled up concern over the past few days .
The deaths suggest there are far more cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the virus has been there for some time .
But ultimately the word pandemic is just that - a word - it will not unlock more money or give the WHO new powers .
It has already issued the highest warning it can , by declaring the virus a global emergency .
What are the symptoms ?
The main signs of infection are fever ( high temperature ) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties .
What should I do ?
Frequent hand washing with soap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are ill and not touching your eyes , nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection .
Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue , binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease .
• What is coronavirus and what are the symptoms ?
What does 'pandemic ' mean ?
• A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease • The H1N1 ( swine flu ) outbreak , which killed hundreds of thousands of people , was declared a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The WHO no longer formally labels an outbreak of disease a `` pandemic '' but says the term may be used `` colloquially '' • Its advice to countries - to limit the infections while preparing for wider spread - remains the same Which are the worst-affected countries ?
South Korea - which has the largest number of confirmed cases outside China - reported another 231 infections on Monday taking the total there to more than 830 .
Eight people have died .
Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clusters have been linked to a hospital and a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu .
• Watching loved ones die without care in Wuhan Italy has the largest number of cases in Europe , 229 , and announced a series of drastic measures over the weekend to try to contain the outbreak .
In the regions of Lombardy and Veneto , a lock-down is in place in several small towns .
For the next two weeks , 50,000 residents will not be able to leave without special permission .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools have suspended activities , and sporting events have been cancelled .
Three deaths announced on Monday were all in Lombardy , Italian media reported .
It is not yet clear how the virus entered the country , officials said .
In China , the government announced a ban on the consumption of wild animals and a crackdown on the hunting , transportation and trade of prohibited species , state media say .
It is thought that the outbreak originated at a market in the city of Wuhan selling wild animals .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bulk of which were in Wuhan .
Iran said on Sunday it had 61 confirmed cases of the virus , most of them in the holy city of Qom .
Twelve of those infected have died , the highest number of deaths outside China .
On Monday an MP in Qom accused the government of covering up the extent of the outbreak , saying there were 50 deaths in the city alone .
However , the country 's deputy health minister quickly denied the claim .

But some scientists - assessing the same picture - think we are already there and others say we're on the cusp. The surge in cases in South Korea and the deaths in Iran and Italy have dialled up concern over the past few days.


bbc--2020-02-24--Sanders unveils $1.5tn universal childcare plan ahead of South Carolina debate

Fresh off a decisive caucus win in Nevada , US Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders has unveiled a $ 1.5tn ( £1.1tn ) universal childcare plan .
It promises free childcare and early education , funded by a wealth tax .
It comes ahead of Tuesday 's Democratic debate in South Carolina - the next state to vote to choose a candidate to face Donald Trump in November .
The contest is seen as key for former vice-president Joe Biden , who trailed Mr Sanders in Nevada last week .
What does Sanders 's plan say ?
`` We know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's life are the most important years of human development , so it is unconscionable that in the wealthiest country in the world , we do not properly invest in early childhood education , '' Mr Sanders said in a statement .
• The two hours costing US parents thousands • Why is childcare so expensive ?
The Vermont senator 's plan would guarantee `` free full-day , full-week , high-quality child care from infancy through age three , regardless of income '' , as well as pre-kindergarten education from age three , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His plan would also ensure childcare and education workers earn `` a living wage '' .
Early education programmes would be paid for by the federal government but administered by the states .
`` Our current child care and early education system in the United States is an international embarrassment , '' the plan states .
`` By taxing the extreme wealth of the top 0.1 % , we can invest $ 1.5tn over the next decade on guaranteeing free , universal , quality child care and early education for all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ All plan is also pricey .
His 2016 campaign estimated it will cost $ 1.38tn per year , though opponents say it could be double that .
Mr Sanders 's more moderate rivals have often criticised his expensive policies as being unfeasible .
Mr Biden and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren have also put forth childcare proposals .
Mr Biden 's calls for universal pre-school for three- and four-year-olds .
Ms Warren 's would also use a wealth tax to subsidise childcare and early education .
Former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a decade to subsidise similar programmes .
Bernie Sanders made sweeping healthcare reform , replacing private insurance with a government-run programme , a central part of his campaign from the very beginning .
Now he 's adding another trillion-dollar promise - for government-managed childcare - to the mix .
Some of the Vermont senator 's rivals have their own plans , but - in true Sanders fashion - his is the most expansive and the costliest .
Given that childcare was one of Elizabeth Warren 's first big proposals more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch his plan now could be an attempt to peel off more of her support or prevent her from gaining any strength after a well-received debate performance in Nevada last week .
The announcement will give Sanders 's more moderate opponents another target to aim for in the days ahead , as they try to paint the now-front-runner as making expensive promises he will be hard-pressed to keep if he wins the presidency .
For many American parents , however , the high cost of early childcare - sometimes running into thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial burden .
Even the hope of help is better than nothing .
• In Sweden , which is considered one of the best places in the world for working families , parents receive childcare support from age one to five , plus tax-subsidised pre-school and parental leave • Similarly in Germany , families are entitled to childcare from birth until primary school age - and if parents can not find space in a nursery , they are able to sue the local government for lost wages • In Japan , day care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by taxes , but parents often struggle to find spots in care facilities - some 20,000 were on waiting lists in 2019 On Sunday , Mr Sanders - a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist - came under bipartisan fire for defending remarks he made in the 1980s regarding some of the policies of Fidel Castro , the late leader of Communist Cuba - a country that `` educated their kids , gave them health care , totally transformed the society '' .
Mr Sanders said on CBS News ' 60 Minutes programme that while he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of Cuba '' , it would be `` unfair to simply say everything is bad '' , pointing out Castro 's literacy programme .
`` Is that a bad thing ?
Even though Fidel Castro did it ? ''
Mr Sanders said , adding that unlike President Donald Trump , he did not consider North Korea 's Kim Jong-un or Russian President Vladimir Putin a friend .
But other lawmakers , including Florida Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell , said defending Castro 's regime was `` unacceptable '' .
Seven Democrats will take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina .
The state is the biggest thus far to vote before March , and the one with the largest percentage of African-American voters .
Mr Biden is counting on support from African-American voters - a demographic largely missing from the early contests in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada .
A poll by CBS/YouGov in the state last week found Mr Biden retains a narrow lead with 28 % , with Mr Sanders at 23 % and billionaire Tom Steyer at 18 % .
The same poll in November had put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote to Mr Sanders 's 15 % .
Mr Steyer 's numbers in South Carolina suggest he may be drawing African-American voters away from Mr Biden - something Mr Biden himself has pointed out , blaming `` the amount of money being spent by the billionaires '' .
On the heels of the South Carolina vote is Super Tuesday - 3 March - when 14 states , including California and Texas , vote .
By the end of Super Tuesday , it may be much clearer who the Democratic candidate will be .

Some of the Vermont senator's rivals have their own plans, but - in true Sanders fashion - his is the most expansive and the costliest. Given that childcare was one of Elizabeth Warren's first big proposals more than a year ago, Sanders's decision to launch his plan now could be an attempt to peel off more of her support or prevent her from gaining any strength after a well-received debate performance in Nevada last week.


bbc--2020-02-24--Canada opens door to expanding assisted dying

The Canadian government has put forward a bill to make medically-assisted death available to people who are not terminally ill .
The bill opens the door to allowing Canadians with degenerative illnesses like cerebral palsy to seek medically-assisted death .
Health minister Patty Hajdu said the proposal would protect vulnerable people while giving Canadians autonomy .
It was introduced in parliament on Monday and has cross-party support .
The legislation was precipitated by a 2019 Quebec Superior Court decision that struck down the requirement for patients to prove their natural death was `` reasonably foreseeable '' in order to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baudouin said the requirement infringed on the `` life , liberty and security of the person '' and was thus unconstitutional .
She sided with the plaintiffs , Nicole Gladu , 74 , and Jean Truchon , 51 , in the high profile case last autumn .
Both plaintiffs had degenerative illnesses that had worsened to the point that they had lost all their autonomy .
They experienced persistent and irremediable suffering , their lawyer Jean-Pierre Ménard argued .
Mr Truchon had cerebral palsy , and Ms Gladu had post-polio syndrome , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
However , advocates for people with disabilities , including the Council of Canadians with Disabilities , have said the court decision sent the message that `` having a disability is a fate worse than death '' .
They urged the government to appeal the Quebec court ruling , which it declined to do .
It would create a two-track system for determining a person 's eligibility .
One track for people who are terminally ill , and one track for people who are not .
Patients in both tracks must prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The bill would explicitly exclude eligibility for individuals suffering solely from mental illness .
The minority government will need the support of parliamentarians from other parties to pass the bill .
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has previously signalled support for expanding assisted dying .
Canada made medically-assisted death legal in September 2016 , becoming one of the few places in the world where it is legal to help sick people die .
More than 13,000 Canadians have been given a medically-assisted death , according to data provide by the justice department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited cancer as the underlying reason , followed by neurological conditions and cardiovascular or respiratory conditions .
Medically assisted deaths counted for 1.89 % of all deaths in Canada in 2019 .
The bill 's proposed changes also ease some safeguards previously put in place for people who are terminally ill , such as allowing advanced consent for people who are dying but may lose capacity for consent .
Under Canadian law , patients with diseases like dementia were eligible for a medically assisted death , but had to have it administered before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their consent .
The government said this criteria led people to end their lives earlier , `` robbing them of time '' .

More than 13,000 Canadians have been given a medically-assisted death, according to data provide by the justice department. Two-thirds of patients receiving an assisted death cited cancer as the underlying reason, followed by neurological conditions and cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.


bbc--2020-02-24--Katherine Johnson: Hidden Figures Nasa mathematician dies at 101

Pioneering African-American Nasa mathematician Katherine Johnson has died at the age of 101 .
Nasa announced her death on Twitter , saying it was celebrating her life and honouring `` her legacy of excellence that broke down racial and social barriers '' .
She was portrayed in the 2016 Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures .
The film tells the story of African-American women whose maths skills helped put US astronaut John Glenn into orbit around the Earth in 1962 .
Ms Johnson verified the calculations made by new electronic computers before his flight .
• How black women first started working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suits for the space race Ms Johnson had previously calculated the trajectory for the space flight of Alan Shepard - the first American in space .
Such was her skill and reputation that Glenn had asked for her specifically and had refused to fly unless she verified the calculations .
She also helped to calculate the trajectory for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon .
Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine described Ms Johnson as `` a leader from our pioneering days '' .
`` Ms Johnson helped our nation enlarge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of colour in the universal human quest to explore space , '' he said in a statement .
`` Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the Moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars . ''
Ms Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 .
Then-US President Barack Obama later cited her in his State of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country 's spirit of discovery .
Ms Johnson was born in a small town in West Virginia in 1918 and was fascinated by numbers from a young age .
`` I counted everything .
I counted the steps to the road , the steps up to church , the number of dishes and silverware I washed…anything that could be counted , I did , '' she once said .
She excelled academically , graduating from high school at just 14 and from university at 18 .
Nasa notes that her academic achievements were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school for African-Americans normally stopped at eighth grade for those that could indulge in that luxury '' .
After working as a teacher and being a stay-at-home mum , Ms Johnson began working for Nasa 's predecessor , the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( Naca ) , in 1953 .
There , she had the job title `` computer '' and was tasked with calculating trajectories for early US space missions .
During the space race between the US and the former Soviet Union , Ms Johnson and her African-American colleagues worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and used different toilets and dining areas .
She always said she was too busy with her work to be concerned about being treated unequally .
`` My dad taught us , 'You are as good as anybody in this town , but you 're no better , ' '' she told Nasa in 2008 .
`` I do n't have a feeling of inferiority .
Never had .
I 'm as good as anybody , but no better . ''
What has the reaction been ?
Nasa led tributes to Ms Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an `` American hero '' whose `` pioneering legacy will never be forgotten '' .
Margot Lee Shetterly , who wrote Hidden Figures , said it was her `` life 's honor '' to tell Ms Johnson 's story .
`` Her brilliance helped us to see and celebrate other # hiddenfigures in history .
You changed the narrative ... Godspeed , Katherine Johnson , '' she wrote on Twitter .
Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also paid tribute to Ms Johnson on Twitter .
`` Her calculations helped put Americans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally , on the Moon , '' she wrote .
Actress Taraji P. Henson , who played Ms Johnson in Hidden Figures , thanked the mathematician for sharing her `` intelligence , poise , grace and beauty with the world '' .
`` Because of your hard work little girls EVERYWHERE can dream as big as the MOON !
!
!
Your legacy will live on… '' she wrote on Twitter .
You might be interested in watching :

During the space race between the US and the former Soviet Union, Ms Johnson and her African-American colleagues worked in separate facilities to white workers, and used different toilets and dining areas. She always said she was too busy with her work to be concerned about being treated unequally.


bbc--2020-02-24--Donald Trump: Bear hugs, songs and dances for US president in India

US President Donald Trump was greeted with great pomp and festivities when he landed in Ahmedabad city in Gujarat , @ @ @ @ @ 's home state .
PM Modi put on a grand show for his `` good @ @ @ @ @ songs , dances and a mega reception at a brand new cricket stadium .
Around @ @ @ @ @ have attended and they gave Mr Trump a thunderous welcome .
The two leaders will @ @ @ @ @ which they are likely to address the media .

US President Donald Trump was greeted with great pomp and festivities when he landed in Ahmedabad city in Gujarat, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state.
PM Modi put on a grand show for his "good friend", complete with songs, dances and a mega reception at a brand new cricket stadium.
Around 100,000 people are believed to have attended and they gave Mr Trump a thunderous welcome.
The two leaders will hold talks on Tuesday after which they are likely to address the media.


bbc--2020-02-24--Trump's 'wealth test' begins for US immigrants

A controversial new policy that denies legal residency to migrants who have received government assistance has come into effect in the US .
The policy , termed the `` public charge rule '' by proponents and a `` wealth test '' by critics , was cleared by the Supreme Court last week .
It means that many legal immigrants who previously had qualified for residency no longer would , studies show .
Republicans and President Donald Trump argue the rule protects US taxpayers .
The policy , which was first announced in August but delayed until now by federal courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge '' rule that immigration agents consult when considering individual cases for green cards , which grant permanent US residency .
The vaguely-defined public charge rule has been in place for over 100 years , and says that migrants who are likely to require extensive government welfare should not be admitted .
But under the new rules , some recipients of `` non-cash '' benefits including particular types of healthcare assistance , food aid and housing subsidies can also be turned down - on the basis that they are `` a public charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary required for a family of four from $ 32,000 ( £25,000 ) per year to $ 60,000 ( £46,000 ) .
The policy applies to anyone who received government welfare for 12 months at any point in the past 36 months .
The rule does not apply to refugees , asylum-seekers , or victims of crimes who are aiding US investigators .
It also exempts certain benefits from consideration by immigration agents - including emergency medical assistance , school lunch subsidies , disaster relief and government healthcare ( Medicaid ) for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost two-thirds of migrants who qualified for legal US residency between 2012 to 2016 , would not have done if these rules had been in place then , according to a study by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute .
The new policy will not apply to anyone who had applied for residency prior to 24 February .
What do critics say ?
Democrats and civil rights activists have condemned the change , pointing out that recipients of government aid tend to be people from vulnerable populations such as women , children , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centre , a think-tank , attacked it as a `` morally repugnant and legally dubious regulation '' .
The group said that nearly millions of non-citizens in the US are receiving the newly-disqualifying public services .
Democrats warn that as of Monday , when the public charge law took effect , it will be more likely that low-income immigrants will face deportation .
What does the White House say ?
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham praised the new rule after the Supreme Court on Friday lifted injunctions that kept it from taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect hardworking American taxpayers , safeguard welfare programmes for truly needy Americans , reduce the Federal deficit , and re-establish the fundamental legal principle that newcomers to our society should be financially self-reliant and not dependent on the largess of United States taxpayers , '' she said .
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli , who pushed through the rule change during his time with US Citizenship and Immigration Services , said it was intended by Mr Trump `` to make self-sufficiency matter again in a meaningful way '' .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what country wants to bring welfare problems into its society ?
We do n't want to do that , '' he told Fox News .
What 's the latest on the travel ban ?
Also on Monday , six more countries were added to the White House travel ban - bringing the number of countries affected to 13 .
Nigeria , Myanmar , Eritrea , Kyrgyzstan , Sudan and Tanzania are joining Iran , Syria , Yemen , Libya , Somalia , North Korea and Venezuela .
The ban - which has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibits anyone from those countries from seeking immigrant or non-immigrant visas , though some exemptions are made for people who have `` significant contacts '' in the US .
The new rules come as Mr Trump seeks to tout his record on immigration heading into his 2020 re-election campaign .
Since 2016 , Mr Trump has sought to curtail both legal and illegal immigration through a variety of actions including efforts to construct a US southern border wall , and requiring US asylum seekers to wait in Mexico to have their cases heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of refugees the US would allow in to 18,000 .
In 2016 - the final full year of former President Barack Obama 's second term - the refugee ceiling was set at 110,000 .

Nonetheless, almost two-thirds of migrants who qualified for legal US residency between 2012 to 2016, would not have done if these rules had been in place then, according to a study by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute.


bbc--2020-02-24--Donald Trump in India: Three killed in Delhi protest before visit

Three people have been killed in Delhi in protests over India 's controversial new citizenship law , hours before a visit by US President Donald Trump .
A policeman and two Muslim civilians died in the capital 's deadliest day since the new law was passed last year .
Vehicles were set alight in the clashes , between supporters and opponents of the law , which critics say targets India 's 200 million Muslims .
Parts of the city remain tense as Mr Trump prepares for talks on Tuesday .
On Monday the US leader , who is on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Taj Mahal with his wife Melania .
Earlier in the day they had flown in to a colourful reception by huge crowds in Gujarat , the home state of India 's Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
• What will Trump 's visit do for US-India ties ?
• What Donald Trump gets out of his trip to India The Trump visit comes at an opportune time for Mr Modi , whose government has been under pressure in recent months .
Tens of thousands of people in cities across Hindu-majority India have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( CAA ) , which grants amnesty to non-Muslim immigrants from three nearby Muslim-majority countries .
About 30 people have been killed in the protests .
Mr Modi 's Hindu nationalist government says the law is to protect persecuted minorities .
Critics say it is part of an agenda to marginalise Muslims .
The violence in Muslim-majority areas in north-east Delhi began on Sunday and continued into Monday .
It is the first time a member of the security forces has been killed in the unrest around India since it erupted late last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and led baton charges to disperse the stone-throwing crowds .
Twenty-five people were injured .
TV footage showed flames and smoke billowing from buildings .
• How Trump got his wall - in India Delhi 's freshly re-elected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal , called on the federal government to restore law and order .
The capital 's police force reports directly to the federal government , run by India 's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) .
One of its leaders had threatened a group of protesters staging a sit-in against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they would be forcibly cleared once Donald Trump had left India .
The new law has raised fears that India 's secular status is at risk .
It came after Mr Modi 's government revoked the partial autonomy of the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir in August , sparking protests in the Muslim-majority valley .
Mobile phone connections and the internet have only been partially restored , and political leaders there are still under house arrest along with hundreds of others .
The two decisions have sharply polarised India , and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Citizenship Act protests : How a colonial-era law is being used in India Mr Modi and Mr Trump , who lead the world 's two largest democracies , are to hold formal talks in the capital on Tuesday .
But amid the fanfare , a much-talked about trade deal is unlikely to happen during the Trump trip .
The US is one of India 's most important trade partners , with bilateral trade totalling $ 142.6bn ( £110.3bn ) in 2018 .
The US had a $ 25.2bn goods and services trade deficit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner in goods .
Despite growing political and strategic ties , there 's been tension over trade issues .
Mr Trump has said India 's tariffs - taxes on imports - are `` unacceptable '' , and has described India as the `` king '' of tariffs .
The US leader will raise concerns about religious freedom in India during his trip , a senior US official told reporters , calling them `` extremely important to this administration '' , AFP news agency reports .

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bbc--2020-02-24--Taj Mahal: US President Donald Trump visits India's 'monument of love'

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have visited the Taj Mahal on the first day of their trip to India .
The iconic `` monument to love '' was the second stop in a 36-hour official visit , Mr Trump 's first to India .
Earlier on Monday he landed in Gujarat , the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who greeted him along with tens of thousands of Indians .
The leaders of the world 's two largest democracies will meet on Tuesday .
No big deals are expected to be signed .
Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Agra , which included dancers dressed as peacocks and horses .
While Mr Modi was not present , he was greeted by a close ally of his , Yogi Adityanath , the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state , where Agra is located .
The Trumps then left for the Taj Mahal , a 17th-Century marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen , Mumtaz Mahal .
It is perhaps India 's most famous monument and is usually part of every visiting dignitary 's itinerary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Trump addressed a huge crowd at the Motera cricket stadium .
`` Namaste , '' he began to thunderous applause , before going on to refer to several Indian icons , from history to cricket to Bollywood .
`` India will always hold a very special place in our hearts , '' he added .
He also had words of praise for Mr Modi : `` Everybody loves him but I will tell you this , he is very tough .
You are not just the pride of Gujarat , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Indians can accomplish anything they want . ''
However , he struggled to pronounce several Indian words - from Ahmedabad , the city where he was speaking , to Swami Vivekananda , an Indian philosopher , greatly admired by Mr Modi .
He also called the Vedas - ancient Hindu texts - `` Vestas '' .
He ended his speech by saying : `` God bless India , God bless the United States of America - we love you , we love you very much . ''
He spoke after Mr Modi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US president 's speech .
Inside the arena Mr Trump was welcomed warmly , but the biggest cheers were for Prime Minister Modi - no surprise , this is his home town .
I 've been to rallies for both leaders - and while there was an energy as the two political rock stars headlined the same event , it lacked much of the excitement of their solo appearances .
There were some awkward moments as President Trump tried his best with Indian names .
In the world 's largest cricket stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of the world 's greatest cricketers , Sachin Tendulkar .
But overall , it did what both men wanted - cement the close ties they and their nations share .
Mr Trump 's visit comes at an opportune time for Mr Modi , who has been under the spotlight in recent months following controversial decisions by his government .
In December , India passed a contentious new citizenship law granting amnesty to non-Muslim immigrants from three nearby countries .
This prompted massive protests across the country , with critics accusing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 million Muslims - a charge the government denies .
• What will Trump 's visit do for US-India ties ?
• What Donald Trump gets out of his trip to India • How Trump got his wall - in India But protests are still continuing , including in Delhi , where a policeman was killed on Monday after violence broke out hours ahead of Mr Trump 's visit .
Clashes had erupted between groups protesting against the citizenship law , and those in favour of it .
In August , Mr Modi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir , sparking protests in the Muslim-majority valley .
Mobile phone connections and the internet have only been partially restored , and political leaders there are still under house arrest along with hundreds of others .
The two decisions have sharply polarised India , and have been questioned by leaders abroad .
But Mr Modi put on a grand public reception to welcome Mr Trump .
In Gujarat he was greeted with a road show as crowds lined his route to the stadium .
It featured performers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from different states .
Billboards along the route to the Motera stadium were emblazoned with pictures of the two men and carried slogans such as `` two dynamic personalities , one momentous occasion '' .
Mr Trump entered to the music of Elton John , which he is known to love , playing on the speakers .
The event is being compared to the `` Howdy , Modi ! ''
event that Mr Trump and Mr Modi held in Houston last year , which was attended by 50,000 people .
Mr Trump also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ashram , where Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi , who was born in Gujarat , lived for 13 years .
He and First Lady Melania Trump tried their hand at the charka or spinning wheel , which is used to spin cloth .
Gandhi popularised the act as a form of protest against foreign-made cloth during India 's struggle for self-rule .
But amid the fanfare , a much-talked about trade deal is unlikely to happen during the Trump trip .
The US is one of India 's most important trade partners , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £110.3bn ) in 2018 .
The US had a $ 25.2bn goods and services trade deficit with India , its ninth largest trading partner in goods .
Despite growing political and strategic ties , there 's been tension over trade issues .
Mr Trump has said India 's tariffs - taxes on imports - are `` unacceptable '' , and has described India as the `` king '' of tariffs .

He also had words of praise for Mr Modi: "Everybody loves him but I will tell you this, he is very tough. You are not just the pride of Gujarat, you are living proof that with hard work, Indians can accomplish anything they want."


bbc--2020-02-24--Car drives into carnival crowd in German town Volkmarsen

A car has been driven into a crowd at a carnival parade in the western German town of Volkmarsen .
Thirty people , a third of them children , were injured , some seriously .
A 29-year-old German citizen was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide .
Officials said a motive was currently unclear .
Authorities in the state of Hesse , where Volkmarsen is located , cancelled all carnival parades `` as a precaution '' following the incident .
The incident took place during celebrations for Rosenmontag , or Rose Monday - a carnival day celebrated in some parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Switzerland .
Schools are often closed for the day , although it is not a national holiday in Germany .
Local media report that a silver Mercedes drove through plastic barricades set up for the parade and into a group of people .
Police said the incident occurred at about 14:45 local time ( 13:45 GMT ) .
Eyewitnesses quoted in the German media say the driver accelerated toward the crowd and appeared to target children .
German news website HNA cited witnesses as saying a man drove `` at full throttle '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed it was an attack but that there was no indication of a political motive , according to German newspaper Bild .
In a statement , the Prosecutor 's Office in Frankfurt said the suspect was receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in the incident but would later be brought before an investigating judge .
Steffen Roettger said his two daughters were at the parade and called him after the incident happened .
`` My 10-year-old was pulled aside and only narrowly avoided being hit , '' he told broadcaster NTV .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' after seeing people `` lying around everywhere '' .
`` She wo n't get those images out of her head in a hurry . ''
What has the reaction been ?
Police have set up a portal for people to submit pictures or videos of the incident .
They have also created an information centre for anyone affected at the town hall .
Hesse state leader Volker Bouffier said he was `` shocked at the terrible act '' , which had left `` many innocent people seriously injured '' .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victims and their families , while urging people not to speculate about possible motives .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked police and medics for their response , and said her thoughts were with those injured and their relatives .

The incident took place during celebrations for Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday - a carnival day celebrated in some parts of Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. Schools are often closed for the day, although it is not a national holiday in Germany.


bbc--2020-02-24--Belgian city of Aalst says anti-Semitic parade 'just fun'

A Belgian city has defended as `` just fun '' a carnival featuring caricatures of Orthodox Jews wearing huge fur hats , long fake noses and ant costumes .
Israel , Jewish groups and Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès were among many who strongly condemned the costumes in Sunday 's parade in Aalst .
Some critics said likening Jews to ants was similar to Nazi anti-Semitism , which persecuted Jews as `` vermin '' .
The Aalst mayor 's spokesman told the BBC `` it 's our humour ... just fun '' .
Peter Van den Bossche said `` there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` we do n't wish harm to anyone '' .
`` It 's our parade , our humour , people can do whatever they want , '' he said .
`` It 's a weekend of freedom of speech . ''
Aalst lies 31km ( 19 miles ) northwest of Brussels - the heart of the EU - and is run by the New Flemish Alliance ( N-VA ) , a nationalist party pushing for Flanders independence .
The city drew much criticism for parading caricature Jews last year - so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's cultural heritage list in December .
After the outcry , Aalst itself had asked to be taken off the list .
Unesco - the UN 's educational and cultural agency - was also satirised in the parade on Sunday .
Other floats mocked UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit , climate activist Greta Thunberg , and Jesus Christ on the cross .
There were also people parading in Nazi SS uniform - despite the fact that , in World War Two , the Nazis deported about 25,000 Jews from occupied Belgium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most were murdered .
In Sunday 's parade some caricature Jews posed with a mock-up of the Western Wall - often called Jerusalem 's Wailing Wall , a holy site for Jews .
It was labelled `` the wailing ant '' , in Dutch `` de klaugmier '' .
The Dutch for `` wailing wall '' is `` klaagmuur '' .
`` This does n't encourage anti-Semitism ; the reaction last year was over the top , '' Mr Van den Bossche said .
`` Two hundred percent it 's not anti-Semitic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were based on news events as seen in Aalst - hence the mockery of Unesco .
When asked about the Nazi characters in Sunday 's carnival , he said : `` Those symbols - normally we do n't accept that , we condemn that .
`` We say : what can we do about it ?
Put people in prison ?
No . ''
Israel 's foreign ministry director-general Yuval Rotem tweeted that Aalst had indulged in `` despicable anti-Semitic exhibitions '' .
Belgian PM Sophie Wilmès said the pretend Jews in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country 's reputation '' .
`` The use of stereotypes stigmatising communities and groups based on their origins leads to divisions and endangers our togetherness , '' she said .
Joël Rubinfeld , head of the Belgian League against anti-Semitism , said : `` It is sad , deplorable , shameful that 50 persons are tainting an entire carnival , a popular celebration .
It gives a catastrophic image of the city of Aalst and also of our country abroad . ''


bbc--2020-02-24--Canada police move to clear rail blockade at Tyendinaga

Canadian police have moved in to clear a key blockade that has stopped rail transport across the country .
Members of the Mohawk First Nation erected the blockade in Tyendinaga , Ontario , in solidarity with another tribe 's conflict over a pipeline .
It has cut off major cross-country train routes , and led to about 1,500 temporary layoffs and supply shortages .
The conflict began over opposition to a pipeline , but it is also about broader issues like indigenous land rights .
Police are enforcing a court injunction that was ordered earlier this month on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters on Monday morning .
The blockade was erected on 6 February in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs , who had been trying to stop construction of a gas pipeline through their traditional territory in British Columbia .
On Friday , Justin Trudeau said the blockades `` must come down and the [ court ] injunctions much be obeyed and the law must be upheld '' .
Police have up until now avoided using force .
Members of the Mohawk nation met Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs on Friday , and reiterated their solidarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blockade only if the RCMP completely leave Wet'suwet'en territory .
What is the background ?
The Coastal GasLink pipeline is a 670km ( 416 miles ) project that would ship natural gas from north-eastern parts of BC to the coast .
The C $ 6.6bn ( $ 4.9bn , £3.8bn ) project , in a remote part of the province a full day 's drive from Vancouver , has been in the works since 2012 .
Coastal GasLink has reached deals with 20 elected indigenous councils along the route , including some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community investment forms part of the agreements .
But Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs oppose it and claim they hold authority over a bigger expanse of traditional lands , not just reserve land , over which the elected councils have no jurisdiction .
It 's not clear exactly how much support there is within the broader Wet'suwet'en community for the pipeline or the protests , though some have told the media there are splits within the community .
For years , protesters have erected camps along the proposed pipeline route to prevent access to construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP ) enforced a court injunction and cleared the camps , arresting people in the process .
Meanwhile , other blockades and protests have sprung up across the country in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs , including the blockade in Tyendinaga , disrupting rail lines , ports and highways .
What is the impact ?
The Tyendinaga blockade is located near Belleville , Ontario , at a key intersection for trains travelling from the east through major cities like Montreal and Toronto .
It has essentially ground Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , led to almost 1,500 temporary layoffs of rail workers and to growing concerns about supply shortages .
More broadly , there is growing concern that the demonstrations will discourage future investment from energy companies .
On Sunday , Teck Resources Ltd withdrew its application to build a C $ 20bn ( TK ) mine in Alberta 's oilsands .
The federal government was supposed to make its decision on whether to approve the project this week .
Tech 's CEO Don Lindsay citied the ongoing climate debate as the reason why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his letter to environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson .
`` Unfortunately , the growing debate around this issue has placed Frontier and our company squarely at the nexus of much broader issues that need to be resolved .
In that context , it is now evident that there is no constructive path forward for the project , '' Mr Lindsay wrote .
`` It is our hope that withdrawing from the process will allow Canadians to shift to a larger and more positive discussion about the path forward .
Ultimately , that should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

It's not clear exactly how much support there is within the broader Wet'suwet'en community for the pipeline or the protests, though some have told the media there are splits within the community.


bbc--2020-02-24--Lifestyle icon B. Smith dies at 70 after early onset Alzheimer's

Barbara `` B . ''
Smith , the groundbreaking lifestyle guru , fashion model and restaurateur has died at the age of 70 , according to her family .
The restaurateur and author suffered from early onset Alzheimer 's disease .
Smith was sometimes referred to as the `` black Martha Stewart '' due to her line of books , businesses and TV programmes .
She began suffering memory problems years before her death .
Her husband began dating before she died , attracting interest as well as critics .
The daughter of a steelworker and a maid began modeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from secondary school in the late 1960s .
She went on to sign with the prominent Wilhelmina modelling agency in New York City .
In 1976 she became only the second black model to appear on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine .
During her modelling career , she travelled world capitals tasting new dishes at high-end restaurants .
That experience led her to open several restaurants in New York .
In a 1997 interview with New York magazine , she said she did not mind the constant comparisons to Martha Stewart , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` Martha Stewart has presented herself doing the things domestics and African Americans have done for years , '' she said .
`` We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden .
This is the legacy that I was left .
Martha just got there first . ''
Smith hosted the nationally-televised programme B. Smith with Style for nearly a decade on NBC before her illness became too much of an interference .
In 1992 , she married her second husband Dan Gasby , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When her condition began to deteriorate , the two wrote a book , Before I Forget , which described what it was like to deal with the disease .
In 2018 , Mr Gasby described how he had taken a new girlfriend , who was helping him to care for his ailing wife .
The announcement led to a mixture of curiosity and criticism in the US media .
Living with someone who can not understand your love for them is `` hell without the heat '' , Mr Gasby told BBC World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

"We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden. This is the legacy that I was left. Martha just got there first."


bbc--2020-02-24--Julian Assange 'put lives at risk' by sharing unredacted files

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange revealed the names of sources who subsequently `` disappeared '' after he put them at risk , a court has heard .
A lawyer for the US government made the claim on the first day of Mr Assange 's extradition hearing in London .
Woolwich Crown Court was told Mr Assange was guilty of `` straightforward '' criminality for hacking into and publishing US military databases .
Mr Assange 's lawyer said the charges were politically motivated by the US .
Edward Fitzgerald QC , representing the Australian , said the 48-year-old would be denied a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a suicide risk .
• What is extradition and how does it work ?
Mr Assange has been held in Belmarsh prison since last September after a judge said there were `` substantial grounds '' for believing he would abscond ahead of the hearing .
He was jailed for 50 weeks in May 2019 for breaching his bail conditions after going into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for nearly seven years .
He sought asylum at the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation that he denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Opening the extradition hearing , James Lewis QC , representing the US , said the majority of the 18 charges related to `` straightforward criminal '' activity .
He denied Mr Assange was facing the charges because he had published `` embarrassing '' information the US would rather was not disclosed .
Mr Lewis said Mr Assange has been involved in a `` conspiracy to steal from and hack into '' the department of defence computer system along with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning .
`` These are ordinary criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source who hacks or attempts to gain unauthorised access to a secure system or aids and abets others to do so is guilty of computer misuse , '' Mr Lewis said .
`` Reporting or journalism is not an excuse for criminal activities or a licence to break ordinary criminal laws . ''
He also described claims that Mr Assange would face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty of the charges as `` hyperbole '' .
Mr Lewis said the dissemination of specific classified documents unredacted put dissidents in Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm , torture or even death '' .
The US identified hundreds of `` at risk and potentially at risk people '' around the world , he said , and made efforts to warn them .
`` The US is aware of sources , whose redacted names and other identifying information was contained in classified documents published by Wikileaks , who subsequently disappeared , although the US ca n't prove at this point that their disappearance was the result of being outed by Wikileaks . ''
Outlining Mr Assange 's defence , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because `` the prosecution is being pursued for political motives and not in good faith '' .
He said the delay in making the extradition request showed the political nature of the case .
`` President Trump came into power with a new approach for freedom of the press ... amounting effectively to declaring war on investigative journalists , '' he said .
`` It 's against that background Julian Assange has been made an example of . ''
He added the extradition attempt was directed at Mr Assange `` because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would be denied a fair trial in the United States .
Mr Fitzgerald also told the court that Mr Assange had not assisted whistleblower Chelsea Manning in accessing the documents , as had been claimed .
He added : `` It 's completely misleading to suggest it was Julian Assange and Wikileaks to blame for the disclosure of unredacted names .
`` Wikileaks only published the unredacted material after they had been published by others who have never faced prosecution . ''
He said that it would be '' unjust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has suffered from clinical depression `` that dates back many years '' - because he would be a high suicide risk .
Mr Assange 's mental health problems had been aggravated by his treatment in the Ecuadorian embassy in London , he said , claiming the 48-year-old and his visitors had been placed under surveillance and recorded with video and audio equipment .
Mr Fitzgerald , referring to a statement from a whistleblower , said that spies also considered `` more extreme measures '' such as kidnapping or poisoning Mr Assange while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the judge whether Mr Assange was intending to give evidence , Mr Fitzgerald replied that it was `` very unlikely '' .
Some of his supporters gathered outside the gates of the court and their protests - which included a siren , chanting and singing - could be heard inside the courtroom .
That prompted Mr Assange to address the court before the lunch break , saying : `` I 'm having difficulty concentrating .
All this noise is not helpful either . ''
`` I understand and am very grateful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disgusted ... '' But District Judge Vanessa Baraitser then stopped him from speaking and asked his lawyer to address her instead .
Mr Fitzgerald said : `` What Mr Assange is saying is he ca n't hear and ca n't concentrate because of the noise outside .
The extradition hearing will be adjourned at the end of this week of legal argument and continue with three weeks of evidence scheduled to begin on 18 May .

"The US is aware of sources, whose redacted names and other identifying information was contained in classified documents published by Wikileaks, who subsequently disappeared, although the US can't prove at this point that their disappearance was the result of being outed by Wikileaks."


bbc--2020-02-25--Brazil: Murder rate spikes in Ceará state as police strike

The authorities in Brazil say 147 people have been murdered in the north-eastern state of Ceará in the first five days of a military police strike .
The homicide rate is five times higher than usual , despite the deployment of the army to patrol the streets .
The violence has led to the cancellation of carnival festivities in several cities at what is the height of the summer holiday season .
The police began their strike on 19 February , demanding a pay rise .
Police officers are banned from going on strike under Brazilian law , and last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those defying the ban could face prison .
More than 200 striking police officers have been suspended in recent days .
On Monday , Defence Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva and Justice Minister Sergio Moro arrived in Ceará 's capital Fortaleza to oversee the army 's response to the policing crisis .
`` The situation is now under control , '' Mr Moro said .
Last week , Brazilian Senator Cid Gomes was injured after shots were fired at him during a stand-off with striking police in Ceará 's town of Sobral .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards a fence behind which a group of masked military police officers were protesting when he was hit by two bullets .
He is now in hospital in a stable condition .

The authorities in Brazil say 147 people have been murdered in the north-eastern state of Ceará in the first five days of a military police strike.


bbc--2020-02-24--World planking record set by ex-marine, aged 62

A 62-year-old former US Marine has broken the world planking record with a time of eight hours , 15 minutes and 15 seconds .
George Hood set the record for The Longest Male Abdominal Plank in Chicago , according to Guinness World Records .
He surpassed the previous record of eight hours , one minute , set by Mao Weidong in China in 2016 .
Hood says he did around 2,100 hours of planking in preparation .
He finished the event by doing 75 push ups .
After breaking the record , Hood announced his retirement from plank record attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would train for seven hours a day ahead of the event .
`` I have to totally disassociate myself from the reality of the clock .
It 's an art and a skillset that I have mastered over the years , '' he told the BBC .
Hood had rock music blaring throughout the event , something that he says helped him live out a childhood dream .
`` When I was growing up , I was fascinated with rock and roll - Van Halen , Motley Crue , Deep Purple .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and it fascinated me , '' he said .
`` I always just wished I could be a rock star , just for 24 hours to live that dream - the limo rides , the buzz , the hype , '' he added .
`` I can assure you , for those eight hours , 15 minutes and 15 seconds , I was that rock star . ''
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