bbc--2020-05-06--England bad at penalties? Think again - say the Germans

Chris Waddle blazing one over the bar in Turin , Gareth Southgate ’ s side-foot effort parried by Andreas Kopke , Ashley Cole bested by Gianluigi Buffon - England have a long and painful history of exiting major tournaments because of missed penalties .
With football currently suspended , fans have recently been “ treated ” to either reliving or experiencing for the first time some of these defeats via televised repeats .
All in the name of `` nostalgia '' .
The Three Lions have won just three of the nine shootouts in which they have taken part at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nations League tournament - the first was over Spain in the Euro '96 quarter-finals and was their only triumph in seven attempts .
But is there cause for optimism with the last two coming in their last two victories - against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup and then over Switzerland in last year 's Nations League .
Maybe .
Maybe not .
While a new study points out England have scored 90 % of penalties taken during a game , that falls to 60 % in shootouts .
Or to put it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average , just three of the five penalties taken in a shootout when the pressure ramps up that little bit more .
England 's conversion rate during a game is above the average across all nations , but the shootout score is 10 % below par - according to the research carried out in Germany .
By way of comparison , the research also showed that England 's nemesis Germany performed 10 % better with penalties in shootouts at major tournaments ( 85.2 % ) than they did in games ( 75 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show ?
Using data gathered on the 696 penalties taken at World Cups and European Championships since 1976 ( when shootouts were introduced ) and 4,708 spot-kicks awarded in the top German , English , Spanish , Italian and Dutch leagues from 2006 to 2016 , scientists at the Sport University of Cologne have been able to compare penalty success rate with the nationality of those taking them .
What they discovered was that English players ’ success rate of 61.32 % in shootouts is below the average of all nations recorded ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversion rate for penalties during games in World Cups and European Championships ( 90 % ) and in European leagues ( 75 % ) are above the overall averages of 78.74 % and 71.01 % respectively .
Michel Brinkschulte , Philip Furley and Daniel Memmert , the study authors , conclude that such comparisons do not represent “ statistical significance ” and that “ our results implicate there are no significant differences between the success rates of penalty takers from different nations ” .
Brinkschulte told the BBC : `` The only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the player per se does not have an impact on the success rate in scored penalty kicks .
`` This is an interesting finding because now we can conclude that simply 'being an English football player ' does not affect the performance in penalty kicks .
`` In turn , the fact that England actually has lost in these shootouts does not automatically mean that they are bad at scoring penalty kicks in general . ''
So why have England lost so many shootouts ?
Well , for starters , the authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are perhaps swayed to view their country as bad at penalties because of previous high-profile and emotionally resonant shootout defeats .
The heart-wrenching semi-final losses to the Germans at the 1990 World Cup and Euro '96 , the gut-punch of the exit at the hands of Argentina in 1998 and the dream-destroying defeat by Portugal in 2004 all serve to give us a distorted view of England ’ s fallibility .
So much so that even that first success against Spain ( before meeting Germany in 1996 ) is eradicated from our minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put on players by England ’ s “ brutal ” press and the “ prevalent attitude among English coaches and players that penalty shootouts are a lottery… causing the national team to prepare inadequately ” .
Finally , they point to what is something of a `` self-fulfilling prophecy '' for England sides , who are now so ingrained with the stereotype that the nation 's players are bad at penalties that their performance reflects it .
`` I believe that the stereotype 'English players are bad at scoring penalty kicks ' is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head as they walk up to the penalty spot during a shootout in an important game , '' added Brinkschulte .
`` The stereotype has been discussed in the media so much in the past and basically everyone knows it , resulting in these thoughts automatically coming to your mind , either consciously or subconsciously .
`` In our paper , we cite research that has found that a person 's behaviour can change simply from thinking that they belong to a certain stereotype .
`` This is why I consider research like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the topic to be really important to not only get this myth out of the players ' but also out of the fans ' heads . ''
The most recent shootout successes against Colombia and Switzerland wo n't do any harm , either .

Chris Waddle blazing one over the bar in Turin, Gareth Southgate’s side-foot effort parried by Andreas Kopke, Ashley Cole bested by Gianluigi Buffon - England have a long and painful history of exiting major tournaments because of missed penalties.
With football currently suspended, fans have recently been “treated” to either reliving or experiencing for the first time some of these defeats via televised repeats. All in the name of "nostalgia".
The Three Lions have won just three of the nine shootouts in which they have taken part at a World Cup, European Championships or Nations League tournament - the first was over Spain in the Euro '96 quarter-finals and was their only triumph in seven attempts.
But is there cause for optimism with the last two coming in their last two victories - against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup and then over Switzerland in last year's Nations League.
Maybe. Maybe not.
While a new study points out England have scored 90% of penalties taken during a game, that falls to 60% in shootouts. Or to put it more simply, England score, on average, just three of the five penalties taken in a shootout when the pressure ramps up that little bit more.
England's conversion rate during a game is above the average across all nations, but the shootout score is 10% below par - according to the research carried out in Germany.
By way of comparison, the research also showed that England's nemesis Germany performed 10% better with penalties in shootouts at major tournaments (85.2%) than they did in games (75%).
England's international penalty shootouts at major tournaments
1990 World Cup semi-final - West Germany 4-3 England
1996 European Championships quarter-final - England 4-2 Spain
1996 European Championships semi-final - Germany 6-5 England
1998 World Cup last 16 - Argentina 4-3 England
2004 European Championships quarter-final - Portugal 6-5 England
2006 World Cup quarter-final - Portugal 3-1 England
2012 European Championships quarter-final - Italy 4-2 England
2018 World Cup last 16 - England 4-3 Colombia
2019 Nations League third-place play-off - England 6-5 Switzerland
What does the new research show?
Using data gathered on the 696 penalties taken at World Cups and European Championships since 1976 (when shootouts were introduced) and 4,708 spot-kicks awarded in the top German, English, Spanish, Italian and Dutch leagues from 2006 to 2016, scientists at the Sport University of Cologne have been able to compare penalty success rate with the nationality of those taking them.
What they discovered was that English players’ success rate of 61.32% in shootouts is below the average of all nations recorded (71.97%).
However, their conversion rate for penalties during games in World Cups and European Championships (90%) and in European leagues (75%) are above the overall averages of 78.74% and 71.01% respectively.
Michel Brinkschulte, Philip Furley and Daniel Memmert, the study authors, conclude that such comparisons do not represent “statistical significance” and that “our results implicate there are no significant differences between the success rates of penalty takers from different nations”.
Brinkschulte told the BBC: "The only thing we can say is that the nationality of the player per se does not have an impact on the success rate in scored penalty kicks.
"This is an interesting finding because now we can conclude that simply 'being an English football player' does not affect the performance in penalty kicks.
"In turn, the fact that England actually has lost in these shootouts does not automatically mean that they are bad at scoring penalty kicks in general."
So why have England lost so many shootouts?
Well, for starters, the authors of the study suggest that English fans are perhaps swayed to view their country as bad at penalties because of previous high-profile and emotionally resonant shootout defeats.
The heart-wrenching semi-final losses to the Germans at the 1990 World Cup and Euro '96, the gut-punch of the exit at the hands of Argentina in 1998 and the dream-destroying defeat by Portugal in 2004 all serve to give us a distorted view of England’s fallibility.
So much so that even that first success against Spain (before meeting Germany in 1996) is eradicated from our minds.
They also highlight the possible pressure put on players by England’s “brutal” press and the “prevalent attitude among English coaches and players that penalty shootouts are a lottery… causing the national team to prepare inadequately”.
Finally, they point to what is something of a "self-fulfilling prophecy" for England sides, who are now so ingrained with the stereotype that the nation's players are bad at penalties that their performance reflects it.
"I believe that the stereotype 'English players are bad at scoring penalty kicks' is in every England national team player's head as they walk up to the penalty spot during a shootout in an important game," added Brinkschulte.
"The stereotype has been discussed in the media so much in the past and basically everyone knows it, resulting in these thoughts automatically coming to your mind, either consciously or subconsciously.
"In our paper, we cite research that has found that a person's behaviour can change simply from thinking that they belong to a certain stereotype.
"This is why I consider research like this and also more positive media coverage on the topic to be really important to not only get this myth out of the players' but also out of the fans' heads."
The most recent shootout successes against Colombia and Switzerland won't do any harm, either.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus lockdown: Would you report people who break the rules?

Much of the world is in some form of a coronavirus lockdown .
So if you saw someone breaking the rules , would you report them ?
Is it a civic duty - or spying on your neighbours ?
And what determines this difference ?
Jenny and Veronika noticed the bar next door was open .
Like a prohibition-era speakeasy , it was letting people slip in the back , operating during the coronavirus lockdown .
They scowled at the drinkers who were flouting Chicago 's rules - a city suffering one of America 's largest outbreaks .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their door to ask about the bar , they had nothing to say .
`` He had a huge shiny silver star badge like a sheriff , '' Jenny said .
`` But when we had the chance , we decided we ai n't snitches . ''
Around the world people have obeyed orders to stay home - but many like housemates Jenny and Veronika have faced a dilemma over when , if at all , to report the rule-breakers .
Is it their civic duty - or should they mind their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have passed emergency laws to make breaking the lockdown a crime punishable by fines or jail .
Some have promoted hotlines to gather intelligence .
In the Australian state of Victoria , friends who gathered to play video games were reported to the police - and guests at an `` illegal '' dinner party were fined .
• Breaching lockdown : 'We got a dirty look and packed it in' And as infections escalated across New South Wales - while crowds flocked to the beaches - that state 's premier , Gladys Berejiklian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 5,000 calls were made to the police in the week that followed .
But some callers had the wrong end of the stick .
Police were alerted to a couple 's holiday pictures on Facebook - only for officers to discover on a doorstep visit that they were more than a year old .
In Singapore , where the law does not prize personal freedom over collective responsibility , an official app to report things like cracked footpaths has been updated to receive alerts of people out and about .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two days - the government urged the public to only tell them about things they had actually witnessed .
Outside of official hotlines - thousands have also engaged in online shaming forums .
The largest Singaporean `` Covidiot '' group on Facebook has over 26,000 members .
It 's littered with grainy pictures of alleged breaches - usually taken from some distance - the safety of one 's apartment balcony .
Is it unusual to report on others ?
So is `` dobbing in '' - how it 's known in Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is it more ethical to report or not report someone pushing the limits ?
People in their everyday lives - at the supermarket , at the park - are grappling with this , says moral philosopher Dr Hannah Tierney from the University of Sydney .
`` I do understand the impulse to talk , especially in this situation , '' says Dr Tierney .
`` Until a vaccine or treatment comes along , the only thing keeping people safe is social distancing .
`` Even if it 's just a small percentage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could well undermine everyone else 's hard work . ''
Thus it can be extremely galling , she says , if people feel that others are n't keeping their side of the bargain .
Minzheng Hou , a psychology researcher at the National University of Singapore , and his colleague , Associate Professor Lile Jia , have been studying what leads people to report their friends and families for crimes .
They 've found that a strong community conscience threads through this decision-making .
Associate Prof Jia says : `` It 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting at home , bored in quarantine , so they want to rat someone out and get someone in trouble .
`` Overwhelmingly , the people reporting are people who want to do the right thing for the group . ''
As the Australian holiday couple 's tale shows , however , there is the risk that people will project blame when they do n't know the full story .
And that was partly behind Jenny and Veronkia 's decision not to report the illegally-opening bar in Chicago : they did n't know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moral philosopher Dr Hannah Tierney says the ambiguities around what is wrong and right to report in a lockdown could also have unintended consequences for both people - and the officials charged with maintaining it .
`` I worry about the impact on vulnerable and marginalised populations in this kind of system where police are left to exercise discretion , '' she says .
This ambiguity over what is permissible has led to a hot debate in the UK - police forces have asked for reports of breaches - but there are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secondly , British policing is based on the legal concept of `` policing by consent '' - that officers only have their exceptional powers to arrest and detain because the public wish them to act on their behalf .
After some weeks of debate over whether people could go for country walks - with some rural communities demanding a stop to it - police chiefs forces clarified it was n't a crime to drive a short distance for a rural walk .
Dr Tierney says for authorities it 's always a tricky to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowerment .
`` Punishing people who violate the rules is just one way of getting compliance .
But it should n't be the only thing we have in our toolbox . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health • PUBLIC TRANSPORT : Is it safe to travel ?

As the Australian holiday couple's tale shows, however, there is the risk that people will project blame when they don't know the full story. It's partly why Jenny and Veronika chose not to report on the bar in Chicago: they didn't know for certain what was going on.


bbc--2020-05-06--STIs: Lockdown 'once in a lifetime opportunity' for sexual health

No parties .
No pulling .
No new sexual partners .
Self-isolation has meant a huge change in a lot of people 's sex lives but experts believe the fact we 're not hooking up is a `` once-in-a-lifetime opportunity '' to drive down sexually transmitted infections permanently .
They say taking STI tests at home while in lockdown could be `` a game changer '' .
That 's because people who are following lockdown rules are n't having sex with new people and passing on infections .
`` If we could test and treat everybody for their infections now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward as people slowly move towards normality , '' Dr John McSorley , a sexual health doctor and president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV ( Bashh ) , tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
He - and other sexual health professionals - want people to get tested now , even if they have no symptoms .
Due to the coronavirus outbreak , 54 % of UK sexual health services have closed , and 38 % of sexual health staff have been moved to work in other parts of the NHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting STI advice , diagnoses - and in some cases treatment - over the phone or through the post , instead of having to visit a clinic .
`` If people can keep testing going and everyone gets tested while on this break , it 's a once-in-a-lifetime event really , '' says Justin Harbottle , who works for SH:24 , which provides free home-testing kits online .
`` Even at the start of the HIV epidemic , I do n't think you had such a clean-cut period where collectively - as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new partners . ''
How HIV rates could be affected Someone is most likely to pass on HIV when they 've just caught it themselves because that 's when the virus is at its highest levels in the body .
Getting a positive HIV diagnosis during lockdown means that person is less likely to have had sex with other people during their most infectious period .
They can then start treatment straight away to bring levels of the virus in the body down to undetectable levels , meaning it ca n't be passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be less and less people around who are super-infectious , '' says Dr Gary Whitlock , who works at London 's Dean Street clinic , which diagnoses a quarter of all the HIV cases in gay men in the UK .
`` If they start treatment , or become non-infectious , they ca n't pass it to anybody so it 's a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to get people at high risk of HIV to test . ''
During lockdown , Dean Street clinic has seen people visiting the clinic for PEP prescriptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to HIV that can stop you catching it ) drop from an average of 50 per week to less than 10 .
Treatment for most STIs detected during lockdown still needs to be given by professionals , apart from chlamydia , which can be treated with tablets sent through the post .
Dr McSorely from Bashh hopes that lockdown is also an opportunity to return syphilis to the history books .
`` Earlier this year , syphilis was back at levels we have n't seen since World War Two .
I would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure that is no longer the case , '' he says .
He also believes a move to more online solutions will help people who live a long way from sexual health clinics , or previously felt they were too busy to make an appointment .
But while Dr Whitlock from Dean Street clinic believes home testing could make NHS sexual health services `` more efficient in some ways '' , he 's cautious about moving services out of clinics for some patients .
`` The difficulty with home treatment often can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do further testing .
For instance , with gonorrhoea , there 's a worry about resistance , '' he says .
`` There are other services that we offer when people come in , such as risk reduction advice , or the opportunity to have face-to-face consultations - and we need to be sure those are n't lost if we then move in that direction . ''
Everyone wants to 'blow off steam' Sexual health professionals also want people in the UK to get their sex lives back as soon as lockdown allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling that everyone 's going to go a little bit nuts afterwards - and it feels like a fairly rational response , '' says Justin .
`` If you 've been cooped up for months and months , when it ends everyone 's going to go out on the pull collectively and blow off some steam . ''
But before doing that , doctors Gary and John both say getting tested is key .
`` It 's not normal for people to be locked down in their homes .
Having a happy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what it is to be alive , '' says John .
`` Now is the time to think about sex , to think about the future .
Have you had a recent test ?
If not , then now may be the time to do that . ''
Think you 've got something ?
If you think you 've picked up an STI during lockdown , the advice is simple .
`` Have a look online for testing , if that 's something you want to do , '' says Gary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics in many parts of the UK are still open for face-to-face appointments .
`` The government is allowing people to access medical care as part of the lockdown , so you 're allowed to travel to come to get help .
`` It 's important that people know that we 're here and that we 're providing services . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

Getting a positive HIV diagnosis during lockdown means that person is less likely to have had sex with other people during their most infectious period. They can then start treatment straight away to bring levels of the virus in the body down to undetectable levels, meaning it can't be passed on.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Lockdown bites poor as France eases lockdown grip

Behind a faded door , in a side-street near Montmartre , a long straggly queue is starting to form .
In Paris under lockdown , hotels and restaurants may be deserted but food banks are getting busier .
Women with pushchairs , men with umbrellas , everyone a metre apart ; there 's very little talking .
The government will set out on Thursday how it plans to lift restrictions on movement on Monday .
But for many the damage from one of Europe 's strictest lockdowns has been done .
This centre , one of a network run by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants of the heart ) , saw a 40 % rise in subscriptions last week .
Director François Coadour expects the numbers to keep rising and says the profile of his clients is changing .
`` We have workers , precarious workers , people who were moonlighting , and part-time workers , '' he told me .
`` These are people we did n't see before . ''
Clients here used to choose their own food from the shelves inside the centre ; now they 're simply handed a bag of goods through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young woman waiting in the queue , who introduces herself as Madame Ouattara .
Even behind her mask , her face wears a gentle smile .
She tells me she began coming here last month after the lockdown left her husband out of work .
They ate through their savings in weeks .
What will happen to France 's economy ?
France 's biggest economic players have also been badly hit by coronavirus : tourism , construction and manufacturing in particular .
The economy shrank by almost 6 % in the first part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an economist at the prestigious Sciences-Po University and an adviser to President Emmanuel Macron , says the construction industry in France was hit more harshly than in other heavily confined countries such as Italy , and that conditions for restarting work were also tougher here .
But he also questions whether financial support packages offered by the government , such as `` partial unemployment benefit '' , may have helped to slow the economy too : `` Because this system was quite generous , '' he said , `` it may have pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than keep trying to produce , because the full wages were paid by the [ government ] . ''
Others believe the high losses felt by France are a sign of its efficiency in policing the lockdown .
The impact on the future economy here is likely to be severe - the worst recession since World War Two , as the government put it .
It 's also expected to hit Italy , Spain and Greece very hard .
Germany and Austria , meanwhile , seem to have escaped relatively lightly , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create fatal cracks in the eurozone .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• HOW MIGHT UK LOCKDOWN END ?
What will be the 'new normal ' ?
• GERMANY RELAXES MEASURES : Germany says football can resume and shops reopen • TWO COUNTRIES TRY TO SAVE SUMMER : Fast on coronavirus , now they need to save summer • EUROPEAN COUNTRY WITH BIGGEST MORTALITY RATE : Why so many people are dying in Belgium Jean-Claude Trichet , who ran the European Central Bank during the last financial crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of `` stress test '' before : `` I was permanently told , 'You will explode the euro , it will evaporate , the euro area will disappear , ' '' he said .
`` We did not disappear , as you know , but on top of that , four new countries decided to enter the euro area after [ the collapse of ] Lehman Brothers .
The resilience of this historical project is very , very high , and I am absolutely convinced that will prove true in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 11 May Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will give details of the changes on Thursday .
The plan is to divide the country into red and green zones , with different rules for different places .
The map above shows a large area of orange zones , and a decision will be taken on whether they will be either green or red .
If conditions are right , the government says , most shops will be allowed to reopen from Monday , and people will be able to travel freely up to 100km @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's also suggested some small tourist sites in green areas of the country could also reopen .
But France 's borders will remain closed , as will its hotels and restaurants .
France has seen 25,809 deaths in hospitals and care homes , and reported 278 deaths in the past 24 hours on Wednesday .
Paris is likely to be classified as red .
Of more than 23,000 patients in hospital , almost 10,000 are in the Paris area .
Geneviève Rossillon runs almost a dozen tourist sites around France and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost '' from the government .
`` Obviously when you hear what Italy has been saying last week , they have been saying 'we are ready to welcome everybody from this summer ' , '' she says .
`` It 's not the message France is sending so far . ''
France 's approach to lifting the lockdown may be localised , detailed and bureaucratic but the message after almost two months of confinement is changing : do n't stay at home .
A new mantra for the nation 's economic health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France • France 's first coronavirus case 'was in December '

But he also questions whether financial support packages offered by the government, such as "partial unemployment benefit", may have helped to slow the economy too: "Because this system was quite generous," he said, "it may have pushed some firms to close down, rather than keep trying to produce, because the full wages were paid by the [government]."


bbc--2020-05-06--How are other countries trying to reopen schools?

Re-opening schools is going to be one of the biggest symbolic steps towards loosening the lockdown .
It has divided opinion about whether it can be safe - and who should go back first .
But there are places , such as Denmark and Germany , where it 's already happening .
`` There was anxiety in the community , '' says Dom Maher , head of the international section of St Josef 's school in Roskilde , on the Danish island of Zealand .
`` A large percentage of parents were in two minds , '' he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wait a few days to see . ''
But almost three weeks after re-opening , he thinks it has worked better than might have been expected .
Children were relieved to be back and parents have become more confident about safety - and numbers attending schools have steadily risen .
Primary school children have returned first in Denmark , and a system is in place to keep children in small groups and with as little contact with others as possible .
They spend their school day in a kind of virtual cocoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These micro-groups of pupils arrive at a separate time , eat their lunch separately , stay in their own zones in the playground and are taught by one teacher .
There are about a dozen pupils in these groups .
Social distancing means that 's about the maximum number who can go into one room , which requires dividing classes and teaching staff .
• Teachers warn of virus spike if return to school too early • Schools will reopen in phases , says education secretary • What will be the 'new normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are structured where you have primary and lower secondary in the same school , '' says Mr Maher .
That means there is space to spread out , with only about half of the usual thousand pupils on site .
`` We 've had enough classrooms to do that - if school opening went ahead where all students were back , it would be a real struggle , '' says the head .
`` We would n't have enough classrooms and would have to start doing morning and afternoon shifts . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge amount of hand washing and sterilising .
`` There is pretty much hourly washing going on , '' says , Mr Maher , so much so that the new problem is skin irritation and eczema .
But he says the idea of perfect social distancing with small children is not realistic .
`` Most of them are pretty good with it and mindful of space .
But they do forget , '' he says .
There are no face masks - either for pupils or teachers .
Dorte Lange , vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says this lack of personal protection has n't been an issue , because the medical advice has focused on the strategy of keeping pupils distanced , in isolated groups , and a strong emphasis on hygiene .
`` We are glad to say the re-opening up to now has been quite successful , '' the union leader told the BBC .
Teachers who have health issues , or who have family members who might be at risk , can teach online from home , she says .
Some of the Danish and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first in Denmark - older students in Germany • Smaller groups of students so social distancing can be maximised • Groups maintained for duration of the day • In Germany , face masks in communal areas in line with the national plan But she suggests the mood has shifted towards wanting to get children into school again .
`` We can see many of the older students are not thriving at home .
They really need to be back in the community of the school , '' she says .
There has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' unions , local authorities and government , says Ms Lange .
If a further opening of schools were to increase the rate of infection , she says there would have to be a change of plan .
`` But if they say it 's safe to open for older kids , we 'll make it possible . ''
There are still worries among parents , including a Facebook page with worries about not treating children as `` guinea pigs '' .
Sirin posted to say she has kept her four-year-old at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` asks me every day when she 's going to kindergarten again and that she misses her friends so much '' .
`` So I thought about sending them off in about two weeks - since I do n't think this virus will be gone for a long time and I have to start working at some point . ''
Another mother says she feels pressured into sending her child into school .
`` I 'm not comfortable with it .
And I have my grandma who 's on vacation with us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a one-way sign into a school , indicating the highly-structured nature of the Covid-19-shaped school day .
Ida Storm Jansen , an administrator in Copenhagen International School , says about 10 students are allowed per classroom .
It 's an international school but all such schools have to follow their countries ' health advice .
`` I had a great conversation with a four year old .
He said we used to sit on the carpet and now we sit on the tape marks , '' she says .
The system of isolating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practical than only relying on social distancing , she suggests .
`` Frankly it 's impossible .
When they play , of course they forget , '' she says .
But with constant hand washing and minimal contact with any other group , she says there is an effective system - and children have adapted to it very quickly .
Ms Jansen says fears of a `` big backlash from parents '' over re-opening did n't materialise - and children were relieved to be back with their friends .
When some schools opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of planning went down to individual seating plans .
Shaun Roberts , principal of the Cologne International School , says there is a fixed place for each student - so that if someone is found with the virus , the contact tracers will know exactly who was sitting nearest .
In Germany , it 's the oldest year groups which have gone back first .
The top class is revising for the Abitur , the German equivalent of A-levels , which have not been cancelled .
Exam halls are one of the few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is a one-way system in the corridors to minimise contact , break times are staggered , there is a strict cleaning regime - and face masks are worn in common areas .
`` People do what they have to do without making a fuss , '' says Mr Roberts .
But it is n't `` business as usual '' .
The school days are shorter and mixed with online lessons , so different year groups can share classrooms which might now only hold 10 pupils .
And there are staff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their health issues or because of concerns about someone in their family .
`` The great unspoken '' , he says is that schools might have re-opened , but there are limits to what can be provided .
France and The Netherlands will be the next to open schools next week - with strong opinions for and against returning .
And plans for schools in the UK will become clearer in the next few days .
Mr Roberts in Cologne describes it as a `` journey back to normality '' , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and into the autumn .
It might only be beginning - but he says , it has to start somewhere .

France and The Netherlands will be the next to open schools next week - with strong opinions for and against returning. And plans for schools in the UK will become clearer in the next few days.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: The health advice that is misleading or worse

As countries around the world grapple with the coronavirus epidemic , there 's been widespread sharing of health advice , ranging from the useless but relatively harmless to things that could be dangerous .
We 've been looking at some examples and what the science says about them .
This one has also come up regularly but is misleading and possibly harmful .
A politician has demanded the immediate opening of shops selling alcohol , closed during India 's lockdown .
`` When coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol , then drinking alcohol will surely remove the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bharat Singh , a senior member of the Congress Party , in Rajasthan state .
But there is no medical evidence for this .
And the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has made it clear drinking alcohol is not a way to stop the virus and could increase the risk of other health problems .
The only time the WHO and other official health bodies refer to using alcohol is as a component in hand-cleaning gels .
Holding you breath ca n't tell you if you have the virus The claim about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many countries .
A popular yoga guru in India , Baba Ramdev , has said you should try holding your breath for a full minute if you 're young and healthy - 30 seconds for the elderly or those with underlying conditions .
If you ca n't , he says , it indicates you have the virus .
But there is no scientific basis for this claim .
The same Indian guru also suggests putting drops of mustard oil into the nostrils while doing the breathing test , claiming - again erroneously - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the respiratory tract down into the stomach , where it is killed by acid .
The guru , one of India 's most widely followed , has a vast business empire that sells a wide range of products .
The Indian government 's own fact-checking service has debunked the claim .
Disinfectant and UV light claims have been widely shared Since US President Donald Trump raised the idea , in a press briefing last month , injecting patients with disinfectant might help treat coronavirus , it has been repeated - and often derided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many countries .
Using a disinfectant can kill viruses on surfaces .
But consuming or injecting disinfectant risk poisoning and death .
And there is no evidence it has any effect against the virus .
Mr Trump also talked of exposing patients to UV ( ultraviolet ) light .
And there is some evidence viruses do not last as long on surfaces when exposed to direct sunlight .
But it is very damaging to human tissue .
And there is no evidence UV light is an effective treatment for anyone with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

Coronavirus: The health advice that is misleading or worse Published 7 May 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Oil from mustard seeds is being suggested as a treatment
As countries around the world grapple with the coronavirus epidemic, there's been widespread sharing of health advice, ranging from the useless but relatively harmless to things that could be dangerous.
We've been looking at some examples and what the science says about them.
Drinking alcohol won't stop the virus
This claim has come up regularly, but it's misleading and possibly harmful.
A politician in India recently demanded the immediate opening of shops selling alcohol, which had been closed during the country's lockdown.
"When coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol, then drinking alcohol will surely remove the virus from the throat," said Bharat Singh, a senior member of the Congress Party in Rajasthan state.
But there is no medical evidence to support this idea.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made clear that drinking alcohol is not a way to stop the virus and could increase the risk of other health problems.
The only time the WHO and other official health bodies refer to alcohol is when it's used to make up hand-cleaning gels.
Regular hand washing is recommended as a way to stop the virus spreading.
Holding your breath can't tell you if you have the virus
The claim about holding your breath has surfaced in many countries.
A popular yoga guru in India, Baba Ramdev, has said you should try holding your breath for a full minute if you're young and healthy - 30 seconds for the elderly or those with underlying conditions.
If you can't, he says, it indicates you have the virus.
But there is no scientific basis for this claim.
Mustard oil isn't an effective treatment
The same Indian guru also suggests putting drops of mustard oil into the nostrils while doing the breathing test, claiming - again erroneously - the oil forces the virus out of the respiratory tract down into the stomach, where it is killed by acid.
The guru, one of India's most widely followed, has a vast business empire that sells a wide range of products.
The Indian government's own fact-checking service has debunked the claim about mustard oil.
Disinfectant and UV light claims have been widely shared
Since US President Donald Trump raised the idea, in a press briefing last month, injecting patients with disinfectant might help treat coronavirus, it has been repeated - and often derided - in various forms on social media in many countries.
Using a disinfectant can kill viruses on surfaces.
And there is no evidence it has any effect against the virus.
Mr Trump also talked of exposing patients to UV (ultraviolet) light.
And there is some evidence that viruses do not last as long on surfaces when exposed to direct sunlight.
But UV light can be very damaging to human tissue.


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Will offices be safe for a return to work?

As lockdowns start to ease in many countries , so the tentative return to work begins , leaving people understandably concerned about how safe a space an office will be in the middle of a global pandemic .
Alongside some mouldy old food in the communal fridges , there is likely to be an increase in the amount of technology used to monitor employees .
From thermal cameras taking your temperature when you enter the building to apps or wearables to alert you if you get too close to colleagues , work could soon have the feel of the Minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was voted one of the smartest and most sustainable buildings in the world a few years ago , and it is adapting its sensor-packed offices to the new reality of living with a contagious and potentially life-threatening virus .
Coen van Oostrom , the founder of the real-estate firm that built it , told the BBC that there are a couple of `` no brainer '' changes that can happen immediately .
`` The doors can currently be opened by hand but it is a small step to be able to open them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we want to do that to make sure the virus is n't spreading that way .
`` We also have cameras that can see how many people are on a floor and with a software update they are also able to measure how far people are away from each other , and we can send a warning to people 's phones if they are too close to each other .
`` Not everyone likes it and there is a feeling that it is an intrusion on their privacy , so we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use it when everyone is back in the office . ''
The Edge , unlike most buildings , already provides employees with a phone app that allows them to see what temperature the office is and what air quality is like , as well as allowing them to order their lunch from the canteen .
Take-up has n't been huge .
While in the past no one really cared about air quality , now that the chances of the virus spreading are higher if not enough fresh air is circulating , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks Mr van Oostrom .
Seating plans will also have to change to make sure social distancing rules can be enforced but Susan Clarke , a smart buildings expert with research firm Verdantix , thinks employers are unlikely to radically alter their working practices .
`` Hot-desking will remain and given the recession we are moving into right now , most firms wo n't be able to take on more space - but it might be re-thought , so as one person checks out of a desk , a work order is assigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do some disinfecting . ''
Some lighting firms , such as Vital Vio , are offering what they describe as safe disinfection lighting , which uses violet light mixed with white light to kill some bacteria on surfaces .
While these might have a use in hotels or very high occupancy offices , the expense may not be justifiable to many businesses , thinks Ms Clarke .
Flir Technology has been making thermal cameras for use in airports and on board police helicopters for years , but has seen exponential growth in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seeing interest from factories and businesses .
`` Basically , every industry that needs to protect its workers and its customers , '' said Flir 's vice president of marketing for Flir , Ezra Merrill .
The cameras measure a five millimetre square area near the tear duct , which has been judged the best place to record skin temperature .
Users wearing spectacles have to remove them .
Its algorithms take account of a range of factors , such as time of day , whether it is sunny or raining , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a range of normal body temperature .
But the device is just one part of the puzzle , and a second step would be to take a person 's temperature using a medical grade thermometer , said Mr Merrill .
The technology was recently tested at a US factory , where reaction from employees was mixed .
`` It was a full range as you 'd expect , from people who were excited and happy to do it to those who thought they were getting a retina scan . ''
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all and it is not possible to identify people from the image , but Mr Merrill acknowledges there could be privacy issues .
And in some places it could be illegal .
`` Some countries prohibit employee health monitoring .
In Italy for example there are laws stating that you ca n't monitor health , and that includes parameters such as temperature , '' said Ms Clarke .
Lawyer Ravi Naik said businesses have to be careful they are not using `` tech for tech 's sake '' .
`` Is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and who ca n't , and if not what is the significance of it ?
Because it is such an interference with basic human rights that there has to be a high level of evidential justification to deploy this tech , and I just do n't think that is the case right now . ''
The radical , long-term solution might involve not having to go into a building at all .
Barclays Bank 's chief executive Jes Staley has said that having thousands of workers in big expensive city offices `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' as the home-working lockdown era proves many can do their jobs perfectly well at home .
He thinks we will see a hybrid model with more people working from home and employers having `` to seduce people to come into the office '' .
`` Making offices fun places to be will be more important than ever , '' he said .

"Is this to facilitate an understanding of who can work and who can't, and if not what is the significance of it? Because it is such an interference with basic human rights that there has to be a high level of evidential justification to deploy this tech, and I just don't think that is the case right now."


bbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus in Kenya: Fearing 'money heists' amid pandemic

In our series of letters from African journalists , Waihiga Mwaura writes from Kenya about concerns that money set aside for the fight against coronavirus is being misspent .
The hashtag # Money Heist has been trending on Twitter in Kenya in recent days - not because of the Netflix series which featured a memorable character called Nairobi but because of a controversial report presented by Health Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to parliament .
The report was a breakdown of how 1.3bn Kenyan shillings ( $ 12.2m ; £9.8m ) , mostly donated by the World Bank , was used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What caught the attention of the parliamentary committee and Kenyans at large was the cost of some of the items procured or leased .
It showed that 42m shillings was used to lease ambulances , 4m shillings went on tea and snacks , and 70m shillings on communication .
Kenya 's vibrant online community immediately began to question some of the expenses .
Why lease 15 ambulances at that amount instead of just purchasing new ambulances or using the existing fleet ?
Why allocate 2m shillings for mobile phone airtime when telecommunications company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against the virus a free package ?
Had the airtime previously allocated to the health ministry for the 2019/2020 financial year already been exhausted ?
Why was 70m shillings allocated for communication , bearing in mind that media houses had already contributed to airtime for coronavirus-related news updates ?
The questions became all the pertinent amid reports that the lockdown intended to curb the spread of the virus had worsened poverty , even forcing a mother to cook stones to make her eight children believe she was preparing food for them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as Ted Ed who , citing his finance background , justified the expenditure , saying he was confident that any audit would give the government `` a clean bill of health '' .
Nevertheless , the damage was done and the government was forced to defend itself .
President Uhuru Kenyatta denied that any money had been misappropriated or stolen , while Mr Kagwe dismissed the allegations as `` propaganda '' .
But shortly thereafter Mr Kagwe carried out a reshuffle in his ministry , transferring 30 senior procurement and accounting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Nation newspaper .
Was this an already scheduled reshuffle or was it a reaction to the hue and cry over the expenditure ?
What confused many was that the most senior civil servant in the ministry , Susan Mochache , tweeted a statement saying that they had not received the `` complete amount of 1 billion kshs from the World Bank and no money had been spent at all '' .
The tweet with those details was hurriedly deleted .
So why did the ministry present a report to parliament with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is possible that no money has been lost but at the least there is a lack of proper co-ordination within the ministry at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 .
Kenyans are worried because the ministry is no stranger to controversy - the auditor-general could not account for 10.9bn shillings allocated to the ministry in the 2017/18 financial year and a similar amount in the 2015/16 financial year .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• FACE MASKS : Should I be wearing one ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding one ?
• LOCKDOWNS : The different approaches in Africa Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Kenya has waded into the controversy , calling for greater transparency and accountability of Covid-19 funds .
But the problem is that the post of auditor-general remains vacant nine months after its previous occupant retired .
It is not just in Kenya where there has been a hue and cry over money allocated to fight Covid-19 .
Across the border in Uganda , the High Court ordered MPs to hand back $ 5,000 ( about £4,000 ) given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their constituencies .
The MPs had allocated themselves about $ 2.6m in total to raise public awareness about Covid-19 .
Their move was widely condemned , with President Yoweri Museveni describing it as `` morally reprehensible '' .
In South Africa , the government is under pressure from the main opposition Democratic Alliance ( DA ) to explain how 37 million rand ( $ 2,000 ; £1,600 ) could be spent on a 40km ( 25 mile ) border fence to keep people with coronavirus out .
Images circulating online show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut through , and the DA has described it as a `` washing line '' .
Meanwhile , nearly 100 civil society organizations from around the world have written to the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) urging it to include anti-corruption measures for emergency funding given to governments whose economies are reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic .
The IMF has already approved almost $ 15bn to more than 65 countries and is considering requests from at least another two dozen .
Transparency International has issued a timely reminder that about $ 6m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016 .
With social distancing rules and restrictions on gatherings , it will be more difficult for parliamentary watchdog committees to scrutinise Covid-19 spending .
However , we can ill afford a corruption pandemic on top of a health pandemic .
So , let us hope that each penny is spent wisely .
• Why some Nigerians are gloating about Covid-19 Follow us on Twitter @ BBCAfrica , on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

What confused many was that the most senior civil servant in the ministry, Susan Mochache, tweeted a statement saying that they had not received the "complete amount of 1 billion kshs from the World Bank and no money had been spent at all". The tweet with those details was hurriedly deleted.


bbc--2020-05-06--Tracking the global outbreak

Tracking the global outbreak

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world , with more than three and a half million confirmed cases in 187 countries .
More than 250,000 people have lost their lives .
The United States alone has more than one million confirmed cases - five times as many as any other country .
This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year .
How many cases and deaths have there been ?
The virus , which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19 , was first detected in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 2019 .
It is spreading rapidly in many countries and the number of deaths is still climbing .
Note : The map and table in this page uses a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University which results in a slightly lower overall total .
The US has by far the largest number of cases , with more than one million confirmed infections , according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University .
With more than 70,000 fatalities , it also has the world 's highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain and the UK - the worst-hit European countries - have all recorded more than 25,000 deaths .
In China , the official death toll is some 4,600 from about 84,000 confirmed cases .
Numbers for deaths jumped on 17 April after what officials called `` a statistical review '' and critics have questioned whether the country 's official numbers can be trusted .
On 11 March , the outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
This is when an infectious disease is passing easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world at the same time .
More than three million people are known to have been infected worldwide , but the true figure is thought to be much higher as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted .
Globally , more than 4.5 billion people - half the world 's population - have been living under social distancing measures , according to the AFP news agency 's estimates .
Those restrictions have had a big impact on the global economy , with the International Monetary Fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
The UN World Food Programme has also warned that the pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to protect your mental health • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW : How to understand UK death toll Where are coronavirus cases still rising ?
While some regions are now starting to see confirmed cases and deaths fall following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others are only now seeing them rise .
These charts show four countries where deaths are on an upward trajectory .
The number of deaths in Brazil is much higher , but the red lines show the death tolls in Russia , Mexico and Peru following a similar pattern .
Across Latin America , where many economies are already struggling and millions live on what they can earn day-to-day , there are concerns about the strain coronavirus could put on health care systems .
On Wednesday , Brazil saw the number of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 for the first time .
Ecuador has already seen its health system collapse - thousands have died from the virus and other conditions that could not be treated because of the crisis .
The country 's official number of coronavirus deaths is around 1,500 , but the government said 6,700 people died in Guayas province in the first two weeks of April - far more than the usual 1,000 deaths there in the same period .
For this reason , the virus death toll is thought to be much higher than official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South America and elsewhere comes as other regions are beginning to ease measures brought in to slow the spread of the virus .
Much of Europe , the US , New Zealand and Australia , among others , have started to relax some of their strict lockdown restrictions .
Some US states are doing so despite still seeing new confirmed cases and deaths increasing .
New Zealand says it has effectively eliminated the threat posed by the virus after fewer than 1,500 confirmed cases and just 20 deaths .
Its authorities had brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel and activity early in the pandemic .
Australia is also about to review its lockdown having curbed the spread of the virus .
• Three continents , four lives , one day • 'We 'll starve to death if this continues' In Europe , the UK has become the first country to record more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths .
This is just ahead of Italy on 29,684 , which was the first country in the region to see a rapid increase in deaths in early March .
• Can you compare the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain and France have also recorded more than 25,000 deaths .
However , all four countries appear to have passed through the peak of the virus and the number of reported cases and deaths is falling .
Germany and Belgium have also recorded a relatively high number of deaths and are now seeing those numbers decrease , though as Belgium has a far smaller population than Germany the number of deaths per capita there has been higher .
How countries across Europe are planning to move out of lockdown varies , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach '' to lifting containment measures .
Spain has announced a four-phase plan to lift its lockdown and return to a `` new normality '' by the end of June .
In Italy , some shops and factories have now reopened and bars and cafes are being allowed to offer takeaway services .
Germany has announced that all shops will be allowed to reopen , schools will begin to open again over the summer term and , in some regions , bars and restaurants could begin to reopen from this weekend .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open again from 11 May , but not bars and restaurants .
Schools will also be reopened gradually .
Other European countries easing restrictions include Austria , Denmark , Switzerland and the Czech Republic .
In the UK , lockdown measures are still in full effect .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to reveal a `` comprehensive plan '' on Sunday for how the country will get moving again .
New York remains the epicentre of the US outbreak With more than one million cases , the US has the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country has also recorded more than 70,000 deaths - and on Monday President Donald Trump warned that the death toll may reach 100,000 , though two weeks earlier he had claimed it would be fewer than 60,000 .
The state of New York has been particularly badly affected , with about 19,000 deaths in New York City alone .
At one point , more than 90 % of the US population was under mandatory lockdown orders , but Georgia , Texas , Maine and other states have now loosened their stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Official unemployment figures show that more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March .
President Trump has said the government 's coronavirus task force will soon shift its focus to reopening the economy .
But public health authorities have warned that increasing human interaction and economic activity could spark a fresh surge of infections just as the number of new cases is beginning to ease off .

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


bbc--2020-05-07--Bank of England warns of deepest recession on record

The Bank of England has warned that the UK economy is heading towards its deepest recession on record .
The impact of coronavirus meant the economy would shrink 14 % this year , based on the lockdown being relaxed in June .
Scenarios drawn up by the Bank to illustrate the economic impact said Covid-19 was `` dramatically reducing jobs and incomes in the UK '' .
Bank governor Andrew Bailey told the BBC there would be no quick return to normality .
He described the downturn as `` unprecedented '' , and said consumers would remain cautious even when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` Not all of the economic activity comes back .
There 's quite a sharp recovery .
But we 've also factored that people will be cautious of their own choice .
`` They do n't re-engage fully , and so it 's really only until next summer that activity comes fully back . ''
• Will the government keep paying workers ' wages ?
• UK-US trade talks will not be an easy ride Also on Thursday , policymakers voted unanimously to keep interest rates at a record low of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Committee ( MPC ) that sets interest rates was split on whether to inject more stimulus into the economy .
Two of its nine members voted to increase the latest round of quantitative easing by £100bn to £300bn .
The Bank 's analysis , published on Thursday , was based on the assumption that social distancing measures are gradually phased out between June and September .
Its latest Monetary Policy Report showed the UK economy plunging into its first recession in more than a decade .
The economy shrinks by 3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed by an unprecedented 25 % decline in the three months to June .
This would push the UK into a technical recession , defined as two consecutive quarters of economic decline .
The Bank said the housing market had come to a standstill , while consumer spending had dropped by 30 % in recent weeks .
For the year as a whole , the economy is expected to contract by 14 % .
This would be the biggest annual decline on record , according to Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also be the sharpest annual contraction since 1706 , according to reconstructed Bank of England data stretching back to the 18th Century .
While UK growth is expected to rebound in 2021 to 15 % , the size of the economy is not expected to get back to its pre-virus peak until the middle of next year .
The UK government is expected to start easing lockdown restrictions next week .
The Bank stressed that the outlook for the economy was `` unusually uncertain '' at present and would depend on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• The government 's jobs retention scheme covering 80 % of wages is phased out with the lockdown .
• Companies stop or scale back their operations for some time .
Mr Bailey said he expected any permanent damage from the pandemic to be `` relatively small '' .
The economy was likely to recover `` much more rapidly than the pull back from the global financial crisis , '' he said .
He also praised the action by the government to support workers and businesses through wage subsidies , loans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these schemes and the Bank 's own stimulus meant there would be `` limited scarring to the economy '' .
`` The furloughing scheme really does enable people to come back into the economy more quickly so it 's a much quicker recovery that we 've seen in the past . ''
James Smith , research director at the Resolution Foundation , said the hit to the economy this year was equivalent to £9,000 for every family in Britain .
He said : `` Faced with this huge economic hit , both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right call in taking bold action to protect firms and families as much as possible . ''
Average weekly earnings are expected to shrink by 2 % this year , reflecting the fall in wages for furloughed workers .
The Bank said sharp increases in benefit claims were `` consistent with a pronounced rise in the unemployment rate '' , which is expected to climb above 9 % this year , from the current rate of 4 % .
Under the Bank 's scenario , inflation , as measured by the consumer prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the start of next year amid the sharp drop in energy prices.It is also expected to remain well below the Bank 's 2 % target for the next two years .
The Bank 's latest Financial Stability Report said the Bank 's scenario was consistent with a 16 % drop in house prices .
Latest figures published by UK finance show one in seven mortgage holders has taken a payment holiday due to the coronavirus .
The Bank said the number of new mortgage deals on offer had halved in just over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deluge of payment holiday requests .
This includes a huge contraction in deals for buyers with a deposit of less than 40 % of the purchase price .
The MPC also highlighted the stark drop in consumer spending .
It said spending on flights , hotels , restaurants and entertainment had dropped to a fifth of their previous levels .
Shopping at High Street retailers had dropped by 80 % , while business confidence was described as `` severely depressed '' .
The Bank warns that this is not a typical forecast and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
But these numbers provide the sharpest analysis yet of the economic challenge of the virus and its pandemic .
Nonetheless the Bank has chosen to continue with levels of economic stimulus announced last month .
The Monetary Policy Committee chose to keep base rates at their record low of 0.1 % and its bond buying quantitative easing programme at £645bn .
Two members of the nine-member MPC voted to further increase the funds pumped into the government borrowing market by £100bn , suggesting the Bank may yet do more .

The Bank of England itself has minimal staff, but they have applied themselves to try to work out what is happening in the economy. They are not sufficiently confident that the numbers they have run, the charts that they have published, constitute what they would call a "forecast".


bbc--2020-05-07--India gas leak: At least 13 dead after Visakhapatnam incident

At least 13 people have been killed by a massive gas leak at a chemical plant in southern India , with hundreds of others taken to hospital .
The leak from the LG Polymers plant in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state came as people slept .
Doctors say patients have been complaining of a burning sensation in the eyes and difficulties breathing .
Areas around the plant have been evacuated .
The leak may have been due to negligence , officials say .
Reports suggest initial attempts to control the gas leak were unsuccessful but the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now under control .
LG said in a statement it was investigating the cause of the incident , and was looking at ways `` to provide speedy treatment '' for those affected .
Rajendra Reddy , a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board , told the BBC that the leaked gas was styrene , which is usually refrigerated .
The leak took place at around 03:00 local time ( 21:30 GMT Wednesday ) when plant was being re-opened for the first time since 24 March , when India went into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` All those who have been hospitalised are currently stable , '' BK Naik , a local health official , told Reuters news agency .
Some reports said patients were unconscious , or on ventilators .
The state Industries Minister Goutam Reddy told BBC Telugu that it looked as though proper procedures and guidelines were not followed when the South Korean-owned plant was being re-opened .
`` We would like the company to proactively respond to the incident and ensure that the same level of responsibility is taken if this incident were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said , adding that the incident had been reported to the Korean embassy .
Swaroop Rani , a senior police official in Visakhapatnam , told AFP that the plant had been left idle because of the lockdown .
`` [ The gas ] was left there because of the lockdown .
It led to a chemical reaction and heat was produced inside the tanks , and the gas leaked because of that . ''
Local villagers complained around 03:30 and police immediately went to the scene , but had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the news agency quoted her as saying .
`` One could feel the gas in the air and it was not possible for any of us to stay there for more than a few minutes , '' she said .
As the gas spread , residents ran out of their homes in panic .
Distressing images of people fainting and dropping unconscious on the streets are being shared on social media .
`` My eyes were itchy , and I was feeling drowsy , light-headed and slightly breathless , '' Yashwanth Saikumar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the plant , told Reuters .
Officials said the fumes had spread over a radius of about 3km ( 2 miles ) and people from surrounding areas were evacuated .
Although a large number have been admitted to hospital , most should be able to make a recovery , they added .
A loud banging on the front door woke me up at 03:30am .
My wife and I rushed to the door , and found our neighbours outside , looking agitated .
`` There has been an explosion at Polymers !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I could see people running on the road outside .
I spotted my landlord , who also asked me to leave the house as soon as I could .
Just then , I began to smell something pungent in the air .
We quickly understood what had happened .
The smell became stronger and my eyes began to burn .
My wife , son and I left the house on my motorbike .
As we drove down the street , we saw hundreds of people were fleeing their homes .
We kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 20km away .
We only stopped when we could n't smell the gas any more .
Earlier in the day , district health official Dr Naik said at least 1,000 people had been sent to hospitals and many others were feared to be unconscious in their homes .
`` There are people who were sleeping , '' AFP quoted him as saying .
`` We are working to get people to the hospital .
They need oxygenation and fresh air .
`` We are trying to understand the long-term impact of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the leak . ''
In the meantime , officials have asked people to protect themselves by covering their faces with a wet cloth .
The Indian navy has been helping supply oxygen to patients .
In 1984 , a toxic chemical leak in a pesticide plant in the central city of Bhopal killed thousands of people , in what is acknowledged to be the world 's worst industrial disaster .
More than 35 years later , victims say children are still being born with disabilities because of the effects of the methyl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how can exposure affect humans ?
• Styrene is a colourless , or light yellow , flammable liquid primarily used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins - it is used in the manufacture of containers for foodstuffs , packaging , synthetic marble , flooring , disposable tableware and moulded furniture • Breathing air contaminated with styrene vapours can cause irritation of the nose and throat , coughing and wheezing , and create a build-up of fluid in the lungs • Exposure to larger amounts can result in the onset of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and symptoms of which include headache , nausea , vomiting , weakness , tiredness , dizziness , confusion and clumsy or unsteady motion ( known collectively as central nervous system depression ) • In some cases exposure to styrene can also result in irregular heartbeats and even coma • Several epidemiologic studies suggest there may be an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma though the evidence is inconclusive Information from the PHE Centre for Radiation , Chemical and Environmental Hazards and US Environment Protection Agency

I could see people running on the road outside. I spotted my landlord, who also asked me to leave the house as soon as I could. Just then, I began to smell something pungent in the air. We quickly understood what had happened. The smell became stronger and my eyes began to burn.


bbc--2020-05-07--US Supreme Court hears toilet flush during oral arguments - a first

It 's a problem that anyone working from home will be familiar with : a colleague forgets to press mute during a conference call .
And even the US Supreme Court is not immune .
On Wednesday , oral arguments were interrupted by the sound of a flushing toilet - likely a first .
The court made history this week when it allowed arguments to be held via conference call for the first time .
Audio of the sessions is also being streamed online .
• 'The phone slipped into the bath ' : Conference call tales • Zoom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe is it ?
Lawyer Roman Martinez was addressing the court , in a case concerning the Telephone Consumer Protection Act , when the unmistakable sound was heard .
It was not clear where the sound came from - sparing the flusher 's blushes - but the head of the Federal Communications Commission , Ajit Pai , offered a humorous response .
`` To be clear , the FCC does not construe the flushing of a toilet immediately after counsel said `` what the FCC has said '' to reflect a substantive judgment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any Justice thereof , regarding an agency determination , '' Mr Pai wrote on Twitter .
The changes to the Court 's arrangements allow arguments to be streamed online .
It marks the first time the US public has been able to listen to proceedings live , although video is still not available .
The new way of online working comes as the court prepares to hear high-profile cases in new session - including a case that will decide whether subpoenas can be issued for President Donald Trump 's tax returns .

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bbc--2020-05-07--Wagner, shadowy Russian military group, 'fighting in Libya'

Hundreds of mercenaries from Russia 's shadowy Wagner Group are operating in Libya , a leaked UN report says .
They have been supporting renegade general Khalifa Haftar 's battle against the Tripoli-based government , it says .
Since 2014 , Libya has been split between areas controlled by the sides .
Wagner is believed to have been involved in conflicts in Ukraine , Syria and elsewhere .
The Russian government denies any state involvement in the militants group .
• The Russian guns for hire dying in Syria What does the UN report say ?
The report was compiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya sanctions committee .
It has not been made public yet but it has been seen by news agencies .
It is the first time the UN has confirmed reports of Wagner 's involvement in Libya , putting the number of operatives at between 800 and 1,000 .
The 57-page report says Wagner operatives have been in Libya since October 2018 , `` providing technical support for the repair of military vehicles and participating in combat operations '' .
• Libya in chaos as endless war rumbles on • Why is Libya so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as artillery and air observers , as well as `` providing electronic countermeasures expertise and deploying as sniper teams '' .
The personnel were mainly Russian , but there were also nationals of Belarus , Moldova , Serbia and Ukraine , the report said .
Early this year , Russian President Vladimir Putin said any nationals in Libya did not represent Moscow , nor were they paid by the state .
The UN report also says that Syrian mercenaries are fighting alongside Gen Haftar .
What 's the background to the Libyan conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time strongman Muammar Gaddafi .
There is an internationally recognised Government of National Accord based in the capital , Tripoli .
It is supported by Qatar and Turkey .
Pro-Turkish Syrians have been fighting for the GNA , which mainly controls areas in the nation 's north-west .
Ranged against it is the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) , loyal to Gen Haftar , which is based in eastern Libya but controls many other areas .
It is backed by Egypt , Russia and the UAE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital in April 2019 but has been unable to take it .
A truce brokered by Turkey and Russia in January has been repeatedly violated .
What is known about Wagner ?
It was reported to have been founded by Dmitry Utkin , believed to be a former member of a special forces brigade of Russian military intelligence , the GRU .
Media have reported Dmitry Utkin 's call sign was Wagner , given to him due to his admiration of the Nazi regime , which appropriated the composer 's work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made its presence felt first in Russia 's military takeover of Ukraine 's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 and in the pro-Russian insurgency which erupted in Ukraine 's Donetsk and Luhansk regions the following month .
How the group is run and funded is open to speculation .
Some media sources suggest the GRU secretly oversees it .
Investigations by Western journalists have linked the wealthy Russian businessman nicknamed `` Putin 's chef '' - Yevgeny Prigozhin - to the group .
Mr Prigozhin , part of Mr Putin 's elite circle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Russian government does not officially recognise the mercenaries ' existence , it can deny or play down any Russian casualties while maintaining a military presence .
Wagner has been reported as operating in a number of nations hit by conflict .
A BBC Russian investigation in 2018 highlighted the deaths of Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria .
As many as 2,500 members were serving there , with officers reportedly earning up to 300,000 roubles ( £3,800 ; $ 5,300 ) a month .
Wagner activities have also been reported in Madagascar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Three Russian journalists investigating Wagner 's involvement were shot dead in the CAR in 2018 .
What 's the latest in the Libyan conflict ?
The UN mission in Libya on Wednesday urged the two warring sides to resume talks on a lasting truce .
They have been suspended since February .
Gen Haftar , whose forces have had setbacks in recent weeks , on Wednesday called for a unilateral ceasefire for the month of Ramadan , but the GNA rejected it , saying it needed international safeguards .
The battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with more than 200,000 people displaced .
A GNA minister has also accused Gen Haftar 's forces , and Wagner in particular , of carrying out a chemical attack in the Salah al-Din area south of Tripoli .
Interior minister Fathi Bashaga said GNA forces were `` exposed to nerve gas , paralysed and then sniped '' .
There has been no independent confirmation .
There have also been reports of a rift between Wagner and Gen Haftar over unpaid fees .

It was reported to have been founded by Dmitry Utkin, believed to be a former member of a special forces brigade of Russian military intelligence, the GRU. Media have reported Dmitry Utkin's call sign was Wagner, given to him due to his admiration of the Nazi regime, which appropriated the composer's work to support its vision of Germany.


bbc--2020-05-07--Trump says coronavirus worse 'attack' than Pearl Harbor

US President Donald Trump has described the coronavirus pandemic as the `` worst attack '' ever on the United States , pointing the finger at China .
Mr Trump said the outbreak had hit the US harder than the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in World War Two , or the 9/11 attacks two decades ago .
His administration is weighing punitive actions against China over its early handling of the global emergency .
Beijing says the US wants to distract from its own response to the pandemic .
Since emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million Americans , killing more than 73,000 .
• Will we ever shake hands again ?
What did President Trump say ?
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday , Mr Trump said : `` We went through the worst attack we 've ever had on our country , this is worst attack we 've ever had .
`` This is worse than Pearl Harbor , this is worse than the World Trade Center .
There 's never been an attack like this .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've been stopped at the source .
Could 've been stopped in China .
It should 've been stopped right at the source .
And it was n't . ''
Asked later by a reporter if he saw the pandemic as an actual act of war , Mr Trump indicated the outbreak was America 's foe , rather than China .
`` I view the invisible enemy [ coronavirus ] as a war , '' he said .
`` I do n't like how it got here , because it could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the invisible enemy like a war . ''
Who else in Trump 's team is criticising China ?
The deepening rift between Washington and Beijing was further underscored on Wednesday as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed his rhetoric against China , accusing it of covering up the outbreak .
He stuck by his so far unsubstantiated charge that there is `` enormous evidence '' the coronavirus hatched in a Chinese laboratory , even while acknowledging there is still uncertainty about its origins .
`` Those statements are both true , '' America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We do n't have certainty and there is significant evidence that it came from a lab . ''
One of the most trusted US public health experts has said the best evidence indicates the virus was not made in a lab .
Dr Anthony Fauci , a member of Mr Trump 's coronavirus task force , said on Monday the illness appeared to have `` evolved in nature and then jumped species '' .
Why is the US blaming China ?
President Trump faces a tough re-election campaign in November , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been his main selling point - is currently in a coronavirus-induced coma .
A Pew opinion survey last month found that two-thirds of Americans , a historic high , view China unfavourably .
But roughly the same margin of poll respondents said they believed Mr Trump acted too slowly to contain the pandemic .
As Mr Trump found his management of the crisis under scrutiny , he began labelling the outbreak `` the China virus '' , but dropped that term last month days before speaking by phone with Chinese President Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , appear to be fastening on to China 's unpopularity as an election issue , with each accusing the other of being a patsy for America 's primary economic competitor .
As the coronavirus began spreading in the US back in January , Mr Trump signed phase one of a trade deal with China that called a truce in their tariff war .
The US president 's hopes of sealing a more comprehensive phase two deal are now in limbo because of the pandemic .
• A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic 's diary • HOW YOU CAN HELP : Write a diary , donate blood , read books to kids

As the coronavirus began spreading in the US back in January, Mr Trump signed phase one of a trade deal with China that called a truce in their tariff war. The US president's hopes of sealing a more comprehensive phase two deal are now in limbo because of the pandemic.


bbc--2020-05-07--Coronavirus: Professor Bing Liu's murder fuels wild theories

The fatal shooting of a Chinese-born coronavirus researcher on US soil has fuelled conspiracy theories around the world .
Bing Liu , a 37-year-old assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , was found dead in his house on Saturday .
Colleagues said he was close to making `` significant findings '' on his studies of Covid-19 , sparking online speculation it was an assassination .
But police say it was a murder-suicide .
He was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head , neck , torso and extremities at his home in the Pittsburgh suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The gunman was identified as 46-year-old software engineer Hao Gu .
Authorities say he took his own life after returning to his car .
Liu and Gu knew each other , homicide detectives said .
The investigation has determined it was a murder-suicide resulting from `` a lengthy dispute regarding an intimate partner '' .
They said there was `` zero evidence '' the case was linked to Liu 's research work and the current public health crisis .
• China and the US trade coronavirus conspiracy theories • Is there any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement , Liu 's colleagues describe him as an outstanding researcher who `` was on the verge of making very significant findings '' towards understanding the cellular mechanisms of Covid-19 infection .
They mourned Liu 's passing and pledged to complete his research `` in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence '' .
Liu , a native of China , earned his Bachelor 's degree and PhD in computer science in Singapore before conducting research in the US .
According to his online CV , he had collaborated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What are the conspiracy theorists saying ?
`` Oh my god , '' a user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo wrote .
`` This seems like coming straight out of Mission Impossible .
Perhaps he found out that the virus originated from an American lab . ''
Many similar comments suggested Liu was killed because he was supposedly about to unravel the mystery of coronavirus ' origin .
Chinese officials and state media had previously promoted a baseless claim that the virus originated in the US and was brought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ users said the case `` seems too coincidental '' .
`` A very unusual case .
There are likely secrets hidden in the dark , '' one remark read .
Many Weibo comments suggested Liu 's Chinese background may have put him at risk in the US , though no evidence has emerged that Liu was targeted because of his ethnicity .
Global Times , a website affiliated with the Chinese state media , published an article various speculation surrounding Liu 's death .
On Twitter , meanwhile , some have speculated on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have played a role in the case .
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic , a variety of conspiracy theories about the virus and its origins continue to be spread on online platforms .
Some unverified claims have been promoted by politicians and media outlets in both the US and China .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic 's diary • REASON TO HOPE : The good that may come out of this crisis

"Oh my god," a user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo wrote. "This seems like coming straight out of Mission Impossible. Perhaps he found out that the virus originated from an American lab."


bbc--2020-05-07--Norway mosque attack and murder trial begins in Oslo

The trial of a 22-year-old Norwegian man accused of murder and terror charges has begun in Oslo .
He then opened fire at the Al-Noor Islamic Centre west of Norway 's capital , but was quickly overpowered .
He has pleaded not guilty to the terror and murder charges against him , but has admitted the facts of the case are true .
Appearing in court on Thursday , Philip Manshaus told Judge Annika Lindstrom he was invoking `` emergency justice '' - a defence in Norway that says a person had no choice but to commit a crime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At one point he launched into a tirade of conspiracy theories , anti-Semitism and homophobia .
Journalists and spectators are watching the trial by video link due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak .
What is he accused of ?
Police accuse him of shooting his step-sister Johanne dead at the family home on 10 August .
They say there was a racist motive to the murder .
Johanne Ihle-Hansen was adopted from China when she was just two years old .
Her adoptive mother later married Philip Manshaus 's father .
The 22-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns to the Al-Noor mosque in Baerum , near his home .
Three people were inside at the time , who managed to overpower him .
The mosque 's director said the attacker had gone into the building wearing a helmet and body armour .
Several shots were fired but no-one was seriously hurt inside .
A retired Pakistani air force officer , Mohammad Rafiq , was praised for seizing the attacker , pinning him down and taking his weapons from him .
The 22-year-old told the court he was inspired by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which killed 51 people .
He said he wished he had `` planned the attack better '' , but said he was `` proud to have had the opportunity to fight '' .
The accused also spouted racist , anti-Semitic and homophobic conspiracy theories before the judge told him the courtroom was `` not a pulpit '' .
In total 30 witnesses will speak at the trial .
His father will testify , as will Johanne Ihle-Hansen 's mother .

The 22-year-old has admitted then taking a number of guns to the Al-Noor mosque in Baerum, near his home. Three people were inside at the time, who managed to overpower him.


bbc--2020-05-07--Cardinal Pell 'knew of' clergy abuse, says Australian royal commission

Cardinal George Pell knew of child sexual abuse by priests in Australia as early as the 1970s but failed to take action , a landmark inquiry found .
The findings on Cardinal Pell - an ex-Vatican treasurer - come from Australia 's royal commission into child sexual abuse , which ended in 2017 .
Details were only revealed on Thursday .
A court had previously redacted the report because the cleric was facing child abuse charges at the time .
The cardinal has denied the findings .
He said he was `` surprised '' by the inquiry 's report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported by evidence . ''
Cardinal Pell was convicted of child abuse in 2018 , but last month was released from jail after Australia 's top court overturned his conviction .
What did the inquiry find about Pell ?
In over 100 pages concerning Pell 's actions , the commissioners found the cardinal knew of paedophile priests both early in his career , and as he progressed .
In particular , the commissioners dismissed the cleric 's long-stated defence that he did n't know about the actions of his former colleague Gerald Ridsdale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ridsdale is in jail for hundreds of child abuse offences - and is considered Australia 's worst convicted paedophile priest .
`` We are satisfied that in 1973 Father Pell turned his mind to the prudence of Ridsdale taking boys on overnight camps , '' the commissioners said in the report .
`` We are also satisfied that by 1973 , Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy , but he also considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it , '' the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to transfer Ridsdale , as well other suspected abusers , to different parishes , the inquiry said .
Since the 1990s , the cardinal has been criticised in Australia for his response to priest abuse within the Church .
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse was set up in 2012 , largely in response to allegations surrounding the Catholic Church .
In 2016 , when Cardinal Pell testified at the royal commission from Rome , he apologised on behalf of the church and said it had `` mucked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accept any responsibility for failing to report Ridsdale and several other suspected abusers .
He claimed he had been deceived by other senior clergymen .
But in relation to one such claim , the commissioners said : `` We do not accept that Bishop Pell was deceived , intentionally or otherwise . ''
Australia 's royal commission inquiry found that the greatest number of reported abusers were in Catholic institutions .
The inquiry heard that 7 % of the nation 's Catholic priests allegedly abused children between 1950 and 2010 .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse offences dating to the 1970s and 1990s

"We are also satisfied that by 1973, Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy, but he also considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it," the commission said.


bbc--2020-05-07--Kenya, Somalia and Rwanda hit by deadly flooding

Flooding as a result of recent heavy rains has killed more than 260 people across East Africa .
Kenya has been the hardest hit with the government recording 194 deaths .
In Rwanda , 55 people have died and floods have killed 16 in Somalia .
In Uganda high water levels have trapped an estimated 200 patients inside a hospital .
East African countries have also been hit by a locust invasion and Covid-19 .
• Africa Live : Latest updates from across the continent The authorities in Kenya have told people in some of the affected areas to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The water has also washed away 8,000 acres of crops and some vital infrastructure , the government has said .
Meteorologists predict that the heavier than usual rains will continue throughout May , reports the BBC 's Patience Atuhaire in Uganda 's capital , Kampala .
The rainy season normally lasts until June .
In Rwanda , people died as a result of landslides in the mountainous north-west of the country .
Houses , roads and crops were all destroyed and hundreds remain homeless , mayors of the affected districts have told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western Uganda , a river burst its banks causing people to flee for safety to the town of Kasese .
At the nearby Kilembe hospital , rescuers are trying to reach the trapped patients and take them to a church .
In recent weeks , water levels in Lake Victoria have reach an unprecedented height , forcing shoreline communities to abandon their homes and causing erosion along the River Nile , which is fed by the lake .
Last month , a huge floating island of loose vegetation led to a nationwide blackout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hydroelectric power station .
At the end of last year , rain-triggered disasters , including flash floods and landslides , killed at least 250 people and affected some three million people across East Africa .

In recent weeks, water levels in Lake Victoria have reach an unprecedented height, forcing shoreline communities to abandon their homes and causing erosion along the River Nile, which is fed by the lake.


bbc--2020-05-07--Was (Not Was) vocalist Hillard 'Sweet Pea' Atkinson dies aged 74

Hillard `` Sweet Pea '' Atkinson , the fedora-wearing vocalist for Was ( Not Was ) , has died at the age of 74 .
The singer was known for hits including Walk The Dinosaur and Spy In The House Of Love , and also performed with Bob Dylan , Bonnie Raitt and Iggy Pop .
He had the voice I always wished I had , '' Don Was told Billboard magazine .
`` When I was writing songs , I was always writing with him in mind . ''
The singer died of a heart attack in Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May .
Born in Oberlin , Ohio , in 1945 , Atkinson moved to Detroit when he was young and worked on the assembly line for Chrysler cars .
At night , he sang with fellow United Auto Workers members in a local band called Hi Energy , and began scoring studio sessions as a backing vocalist .
He got the name `` Sweet Pea '' because `` he was a sweet gentleman who truly cared about people , '' said his friend , the producer and writer Chris Tian .
Shortly after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My Very Special Guests , Atkinson bumped into David Weiss ( David Was ) and Don Fagenson ( Don Was ) at Detroit 's Sound Suite Studios .
`` He was the most flamboyant character I ever met , '' Was said .
`` It was three in the morning and we walked out into the hallway and he 's wearing this orange ensemble - hat , shirt , socks and shoes all matched the exact same shade of orange .
`` Coming out of that dark control room , it looked like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing him sing , the musicians recruited him to their surrealist art-rock project Was ( Not Was ) , where his gruff , soulful vocals often brought gravitas to their more outlandish musical excursions .
On the band 's self-titled debut album , he sang the stand-out ballad Where Did Your Heart Go , and a year later the group backed him on his solo album Do n't Walk Away .
Walk The Dinosaur , a song as joyfully cartoonish as its title suggests , gave Was ( Not Was ) a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocals on the track with Harry Bowens , but took centre-stage for the subsequent Top 20 smash Spy In The House Of Love .
`` He was one of a kind , '' Was ( Not Was ) guitarist Randy Jacobs told Billboard .
`` He was one of those guys who opens his mouth and it 's just there .
He did n't have to warm up to do that .
All the time I knew him , he did n't have to warm up singing .
He just opened his mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a gift . ''
After 1987 , Don Was found himself increasingly in demand as a producer , and Was ( Not Was ) disbanded after 1990 's Are You OK ?
album - on which Atkinson and Bowens delivered an updated take on The Temptations ' Papa Was A Rolling Stone , producing another UK Top 10 .
Over the next few years , Atkinson sang with The Boneshakers , and appeared on albums by Elton John , Brian Wilson , Willie Nelson , Paula Abdul , Michael McDonald and Solomon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the road with country singer Lyle Lovett , who had nothing but praise for his talent .
`` Just how natural he was and how soulful he was came through in everything he did , '' said the star .
Atkinson 's most recent release was the solo album , Get What You Deserve , in 2017 , which saw him cover soul classics by the likes of James Brown and Bobby Womack .
`` But he 's not a mimic , '' wrote the Wall Street Journal 's Jim Fusilli in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gravel-edged voice and his ability to wring the emotion out of a lyric that place him in their stellar company . ''
Atkinson is survived by three adult children , grandchildren , and a sister in Detroit .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"He was one of those guys who opens his mouth and it's just there. He didn't have to warm up to do that. All the time I knew him, he didn't have to warm up singing. He just opened his mouth, and there it was. It was a gift."


bbc--2020-05-06--Texas mall reopens: 'We were dying to get out of the house'

In states like Texas , shopping centres can currently operate at a 25 % capacity .
For some shoppers , @ @ @ @ @ get out of the house .
Throughout the United States , lockdown restrictions are being @ @ @ @

In states like Texas, shopping centres can currently operate at a 25% capacity. For some shoppers, it's a reason to get out of the house.
Throughout the United States, lockdown restrictions are being lifted in phases.
Video by Angélica M Casas. Produced by Samantha Granville.


bbc--2020-05-07--Coronavirus: Gollum actor Serkis to raise cash by reading entire Hobbit live online

Andy Serkis will give a continuous live reading of The Hobbit online , to raise money for charity .
The Gollum actor will read JRR Tolkien 's 1937 novel from start to finish with no breaks .
Serkis played the corrupted character , originally known as Smeagol , in the The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films .
Money raised from the 56-year-old 's expected 10-12-hour performance will be split between NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings .
`` So many of us are struggling in isolation during the lockdown , '' he said .
`` While times are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on one of the greatest fantasy adventures ever written , a 12-hour armchair marathon across Middle Earth whilst raising money for two amazing charities which are doing extraordinary work right now to help those most in need . ''
The British actor was awarded the Bafta film award for outstanding British contribution to cinema earlier this year for his groundbreaking motion capture work as Gollum , as well as on films like King Kong and the Planet of Apes movie series .
His reading will take place from 10:00 BST on bank holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via his Hobbitathon Covid-19 Go Fund Me Page .
So far the star has raised just over £4,000 of his £100,000 target .
Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .