bbc--2020-01-13--Taal volcano: Wedding takes place against eruption backdrop

A major volcanic emergency is taking place in the Philippines , but one couple decided not to let it get in the way of their wedding plans .
Chino Vaflor and Kat Bautista Palomar were booked to get married on Sunday at a wedding venue only a short distance from Taal , one of the country 's most active volcanoes .
As the ceremony was about to get under way , it was clear that Taal was also coming to life , belching steam and ash many kilometres into the air .
Wedding photographer Randolf Evan told the BBC they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' that something was about to happen .
`` We noticed white smoke coming out of Taal during preparations around 2pm and from then on we knew something unusual was already going on with the volcano , '' he said .
'Everyone was calm and relaxed' Later on Sunday , Philippine authorities raised their alert to the second-highest level , warning an `` explosive eruption '' could taken place in `` hours to days '' .
People within a 14km radius of the volcano were told to leave .
An estimated 450,000 live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was only about 10km from the volcano , but Mr Evan said they all felt they were `` definitely safe as the venue was on higher ground and not directly around the volcano 's vicinity '' .
Not only did the wedding go ahead , but the after party as well .
Guests have shared photos on social media of people casually digging into the buffet under a marquee draped in lights , with the growing cloud of steam in the background .
Some of their videos show lighting strikes inside the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We could feel the ash raining on our clothes , '' said Mr Evan .
`` But it did n't feel alarming until night time came when it became a bit heavier and mud-like . ''
Despite that , no-one decided to skip the celebrations and head to safe territory , he said .
`` Surprisingly everyone was calm and relaxed .
It was an intimate wedding so guests were mostly the couple 's family and close friends , and thus nobody really left . ''
On Monday , the nature of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as fountains of lava were seen spewing from it .
Mr Evan told the BBC that everyone was now safely out of the danger zone .
He said he had been a professional wedding photographer for eight years , and `` this one is definitely a story to tell '' .
`` It 's a mixture of thrill and sheer amazement on how it has unfolded for us .
In the end , I 'm just grateful to have experienced such a unique moment in my career . ''

Not only did the wedding go ahead, but the after party as well. Guests have shared photos on social media of people casually digging into the buffet under a marquee draped in lights, with the growing cloud of steam in the background.


bbc--2020-01-13--Hevrin Khalaf: Death of a peacemaker

Hevrin Khalaf: Death of a peacemaker

A BBC Arabic investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting the Syrian-Kurdish political leader , Hevrin Khalaf , was executed by @ @ @ @ @ Syrian National Army .
Rebel group Ahrar al-Sharqiya , which fights for the SNA , @ @ @ @ @ , but has told the BBC it is not responsible for the politician 's death @ @ @ @ @ members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya , as well as Hevrin Khalaf 's family , former colleagues @ @ @ @ @ using open source investigation tools , the BBC has discovered a different story about what @ @ @ @ @ .
The Turkish government , which backs the Syrian National Army , has not responded @ @ @ @ @ .
Video produced by : Nader Ibrahim , Rosie Garthwaite and Mustafa Khalili .
Graphics @ @ @ @

A BBC Arabic investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting the Syrian-Kurdish political leader, Hevrin Khalaf, was executed by a faction of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.
Rebel group Ahrar al-Sharqiya, which fights for the SNA, is accused of her murder, but has told the BBC it is not responsible for the politician's death.
But by speaking to members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, as well as Hevrin Khalaf's family, former colleagues and an eyewitness, plus using open source investigation tools, the BBC has discovered a different story about what happened on 12 October 2019.
The Turkish government, which backs the Syrian National Army, has not responded to BBC requests for comment.
Video produced by: Nader Ibrahim, Rosie Garthwaite, Manisha Ganguly and Mustafa Khalili. Graphics by Jasmine Bonshor.


bbc--2020-01-12--Can Australia's PM Scott Morrison recover from the fires?

'The leadership of this country has a lot to answer for' Evacuees from Australia talk about what it was like @ @ @ @ @ crisis .

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced mounting criticism over his government's response to the bushfires and its climate policy.
Mr Morrison expressed regret over his handling of the bushfire crisis ravaging the country.
Journalist: James Wignall


bbc--2020-01-13--Hired by Weinstein to spy on celebrities

In 2016 , Harvey Weinstein hired a private intelligence firm to spy on a long list of people - including @ @ @ @ @ to accuse him of sexual assault .
Seth Freedman was one of the operatives on @ @ @ @ @ a journalist , he called high-profile people like actress Rose McGowan to extract information that @ @ @ @ @ .
He spoke to the BBC in his first filmed interview about his work for @ @ @ @ @ # MeToo .
The allegations against Harvey Weinstein include rape and sexual assault relating to @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein denies all charges against him and insists and sexual encounters were consensual .

In 2016, Harvey Weinstein hired a private intelligence firm to spy on a long list of people - including those accusing him of sexual assault.
Seth Freedman was one of the operatives on that mission.
Posing as a journalist, he called high-profile people like actress Rose McGowan to extract information that he fed back to Weinstein.
He spoke to the BBC in his first filmed interview about his work for Weinstein and his thoughts on #MeToo.
The allegations against Harvey Weinstein include rape and sexual assault relating to two unnamed accusers.
Mr Weinstein denies all charges against him and insists and sexual encounters were consensual.
Filmed and edited by: Eleanor Layhe
Additional filming: James Stewart
Senior Journalist: Chloe Hadjimatheou
Researcher: Tom Wright
Commissioning Editor: Kimberley Rowell


bbc--2020-01-13--Harry and Meghan: What's on the agenda for the 'Sandringham summit'?

The Queen has called an urgent meeting of senior royals at Sandringham to discuss a new role for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex .
Monday 's gathering - being described as the `` Sandringham summit '' - will see her meet the Prince of Wales , the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry , while Meghan is expected to join over the phone from Canada , as they weigh up what Buckingham Palace calls `` complicated issues '' .
But what questions will they have to consider ?
Will their existing funding be cut ?
The couple say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They have proposed giving up the Sovereign Grant , paid annually by the government to support the Royal Family in its official duties .
The duke and duchess say it currently accounts for about 5 % of their current staff costs , which they will need to find elsewhere .
Their remaining costs come from income produced by the Duchy of Cornwall , Prince Charles ' £1bn estate .
Statements on the Sussexes ' website suggest the couple expect this will continue .
They say they already pay the costs of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of private jets last year , they say that wherever possible this will be by `` commercial air carriers , local trains and fuel-efficient vehicles '' .
Official visits are carried out at the request of the Foreign Office and are paid out of the Sovereign Grant - and it seems that the duke and duchess anticipate that this will not change .
How will they earn money ?
By most people 's standards Prince Harry and Meghan are already very wealthy .
David McClure , author of Royal Legacy , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says the duke inherited £7m when his mother died , while Meghan was a successful actress when they met .
`` Together , they might well be worth £10m to 15m , '' he says .
• Why Meghan and Harry have Canada in their sights • How could the couple make money ?
But the couple could turn to the private sector to earn more money .
Mr McClure says senior royals are aware that working in the commercial sector can be a `` potential minefield '' .
And BBC royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has always been that if you are a working royal , you do n't really do paid work , especially if it could cause a conflict of interest .
The Earl and Countess of Wessex faced such allegations when they tried to run a TV company and PR firm , respectively .
Nearly any employment they might embark on would open the duke and duchess up to criticism that they were exploiting or monetising the royal brand , our correspondent adds .
Will they keep their royal titles ?
There has been no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to renounce their titles .
When Archie was born , his parents decided that he would have no title - he is simply Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor .
Harry 's mother , Princess Diana , gave up the title `` Her Royal Highness '' when she divorced Prince Charles .
However , commentators have suggested the Palace is unlikely to go down this road again given the criticism it faced following this move .
In December it was also revealed that the couple had made an application to trademark their Sussex Royal brand across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendars , clothing and charitable fundraising - and renouncing their royal titles could mean they lose some of the status this brand is built on .
The meeting is unlikely to consider the issue of succession : it would take an act of Parliament to alter the line of succession , where Prince Harry currently stands in sixth place .
Where will they live ?
The proposal from the duke and duchess is that they divide their time between the UK and North America .
Canada , where the couple spent a six-week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a possible base for the couple .
Meghan lived and worked in Toronto for seven years during her time starring in the US legal drama Suits and has several Canadian friends .
The Daily Mail 's royal correspondent , Rebecca English , has suggested the couple may eventually settle in Los Angeles , the city where she grew up and her mother still lives - but not until President Trump 's time in the White House is over .
How much time they spend in the UK may be a crucial question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applying to be a British citizen , which requires that she only spends 90 days abroad each year .
And as Archie - currently only eight months old - grows up , where he attends school could determine where the duke and duchess have their main home .
Will they keep Frogmore Cottage ?
The couple plan to continue to use the Grade II-listed house in Windsor , which was refurbished with £2.4m in taxpayer funds .
Keeping it will ensure they `` will always have a place to call home in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they acknowledge that this depends on the permission of the Queen , who owns the property .
How will they conduct their tax affairs ?
If the couple choose to base themselves outside the UK for any length of time , there are likely to be tax implications , according to BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell .
Under the Canadian tax system , anyone who lives in the country for 183 days or more a year must pay tax on their global income , regardless of where it is earned or received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the limit is 90 days .
Harry has been warned he risks facing a `` double tax '' on his income if he divides his time between the two countries , according to the Mail on Sunday .
Will they still carry out royal duties ?
The duke and duchess said in their statement on Wednesday that they intend to continue `` to honour our duty to the Queen , the Commonwealth , and our patronages '' .
One of the tasks facing the meeting of senior royals will be to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's not at all clear how much in the way of royal duties the prince and Meghan see themselves doing , '' says the BBC 's Jonny Dymond .
Former Buckingham Palace press officer Dickie Arbiter said any attempt to step back from their royal duties would pose problems .
`` You 're either a royal or you 're not a royal - you ca n't have one leg in one camp and another leg in another camp , '' he said .
According to tables compiled each year by retired insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 201 engagements last year - his second-highest number since he committed to full-time public duties - while the duchess had 83 engagements .
That is some way below the number of the busiest royal , Prince Charles , who attended 521 functions - although Mr Donovan stresses that the effort and preparation for each varies .
What will their foundation do ?
In April , the Sussexes intend to launch a new foundation , which they say will `` advance the solutions the world needs most '' through `` local and global community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researched the work of many well-known and lesser-known foundations in developing their plan .
The Sunday Telegraph says they may try to model their foundation on organisations like those run by Barack and Michelle Obama , Bill and Melinda Gates and George and Amal Clooney .
The paper says the couple have obtained a UK trademark for The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex .
But it says that if they want to attract wealthy US-based donors , they may also need to set up a stateside `` friends of '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax-breaks .
How will they handle the media ?
The Sussexes ' handling of media relations has already caused controversy within the Royal Family .
A source told the BBC that Prince William was `` furious '' after the couple 's ITV interview in October .
With the duke and duchess proposing major changes in their PR operation , other royals will have an opportunity to raise concerns at the meeting .
Part of their plan is to withdraw from the royal rota , which gives some UK publications privileged access to royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quotes with other publications .
The couple say they are concerned about `` frequent misreporting '' .
They also say they want to connect with the public more directly through social media , adding that the rota system can restrict them from publishing new images themselves .
Will their security be downgraded ?
The couple say their security as `` internationally protected people '' , provided by armed Metropolitan Police officers , is mandated by the Home Office .
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said this arrangement should continue .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the security of Harry and Meghan and their family as they do for former ministers , '' she told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show , highlighting Prince Harry 's Afghanistan service .
Home Secretary Priti Patel said `` safety was always a priority '' for the Royal Family , although she said she would not discuss the arrangements for protected individuals .
But the Sunday Times said the Metropolitan Police is considering replacing expensive firearms officers with guards armed with Tasers for several VIPs , in order to cut costs .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davies saying the move would be `` nonsensical '' , however , because of the Taser 's short range and one-shot limit .

Harry and Meghan: What's on the agenda for the 'Sandringham summit'? Published 13 January 2020
Image source, Reuters Image caption, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they want to be "financially independent", but how?
The Queen has called an urgent meeting of senior royals at Sandringham to discuss a new role for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Monday's gathering - being described as the "Sandringham summit" - will see her meet the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, while Meghan is expected to join over the phone from Canada, as they weigh up what Buckingham Palace calls "complicated issues".
But what questions will they have to consider?
Will their existing funding be cut?
The couple say they want to become "financially independent".
They have proposed giving up the Sovereign Grant, paid annually by the government to support the Royal Family in its official duties.
The duke and duchess say it currently accounts for about 5% of their current staff costs, which they will need to find elsewhere.
Their remaining costs come from income produced by the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince Charles' £1bn estate. Statements on the Sussexes' website suggest the couple expect this will continue.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The crisis meeting is taking place at the Queen's Sandringham estate
They say they already pay the costs of their private travel.
After criticism of their use of private jets last year, they say that wherever possible this will be by "commercial air carriers, local trains and fuel-efficient vehicles".
Official visits are carried out at the request of the Foreign Office and are paid out of the Sovereign Grant - and it seems that the duke and duchess anticipate that this will not change.
How will they earn money?
By most people's standards Prince Harry and Meghan are already very wealthy.
David McClure, author of Royal Legacy, a book about the Royal Family's finances, says the duke inherited £7m when his mother died, while Meghan was a successful actress - who also ran a lifestyle blog - when they met.
"Together, they might well be worth £10m to 15m," he says.
But the couple could turn to the private sector to earn more money. Mr McClure says senior royals are aware that working in the commercial sector can be a "potential minefield".
And BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond says the general rule has always been that if you are a working royal, you don't really do paid work, especially if it could cause a conflict of interest.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex faced such allegations when they tried to run a TV company and PR firm, respectively.
Nearly any employment they might embark on would open the duke and duchess up to criticism that they were exploiting or monetising the royal brand, our correspondent adds.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, The duke and duchess carried out a tour of Africa last year, but what royal duties will they keep moving forwards?
Will they keep their royal titles?
There has been no indication that the duke and duchess intend to renounce their titles.
Harry's mother, Princess Diana, gave up the title "Her Royal Highness" when she divorced Prince Charles. However, commentators have suggested the Palace is unlikely to go down this road again given the criticism it faced following this move.
In December it was also revealed that the couple had made an application to trademark their Sussex Royal brand across a string of items including books, calendars, clothing and charitable fundraising - and renouncing their royal titles could mean they lose some of the status this brand is built on.
The meeting is unlikely to consider the issue of succession: it would take an act of Parliament to alter the line of succession, where Prince Harry currently stands in sixth place.
Where will they live?
The proposal from the duke and duchess is that they divide their time between the UK and North America.
Canada, where the couple spent a six-week break over Christmas, has been touted as a possible base for the couple. Meghan lived and worked in Toronto for seven years during her time starring in the US legal drama Suits and has several Canadian friends.
The Daily Mail's royal correspondent, Rebecca English, has suggested the couple may eventually settle in Los Angeles, the city where she grew up and her mother still lives - but not until President Trump's time in the White House is over.
How much time they spend in the UK may be a crucial question, as Meghan is believed to be applying to be a British citizen, which requires that she only spends 90 days abroad each year.
And as Archie - currently only eight months old - grows up, where he attends school could determine where the duke and duchess have their main home.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Grade II-listed Frogmore Cottage has been refurbished with taxpayer funds
Will they keep Frogmore Cottage?
The couple plan to continue to use the Grade II-listed house in Windsor, which was refurbished with £2.4m in taxpayer funds.
Keeping it will ensure they "will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom", they said.
But they acknowledge that this depends on the permission of the Queen, who owns the property.
How will they conduct their tax affairs?
If the couple choose to base themselves outside the UK for any length of time, there are likely to be tax implications, according to BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell.
Under the Canadian tax system, anyone who lives in the country for 183 days or more a year must pay tax on their global income, regardless of where it is earned or received.
Similar rules apply in the UK, but the limit is 90 days.
Harry has been warned he risks facing a "double tax" on his income if he divides his time between the two countries, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Will they still carry out royal duties?
The duke and duchess said in their statement on Wednesday that they intend to continue "to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages".
One of the tasks facing the meeting of senior royals will be to decide what exactly this means.
"It's not at all clear how much in the way of royal duties the prince and Meghan see themselves doing," says the BBC's Jonny Dymond.
Former Buckingham Palace press officer Dickie Arbiter said any attempt to step back from their royal duties would pose problems.
"You're either a royal or you're not a royal - you can't have one leg in one camp and another leg in another camp," he said.
According to tables compiled each year by retired insurance broker Tim O'Donovan, the duke attended 201 engagements last year - his second-highest number since he committed to full-time public duties - while the duchess had 83 engagements.
That is some way below the number of the busiest royal, Prince Charles, who attended 521 functions - although Mr Donovan stresses that the effort and preparation for each varies.
Image source, EPA Image caption, The duke and duchess intend to continue "to honour our duty to the Queen"
What will their foundation do?
In April, the Sussexes intend to launch a new foundation, which they say will "advance the solutions the world needs most" through "local and global community action".
They say they have researched the work of many well-known and lesser-known foundations in developing their plan.
The Sunday Telegraph says they may try to model their foundation on organisations like those run by Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Melinda Gates and George and Amal Clooney.
The paper says the couple have obtained a UK trademark for The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
But it says that if they want to attract wealthy US-based donors, they may also need to set up a stateside "friends of" organisation so donors can benefit from local tax-breaks.
How will they handle the media?
The Sussexes' handling of media relations has already caused controversy within the Royal Family. A source told the BBC that Prince William was "furious" after the couple's ITV interview in October.
With the duke and duchess proposing major changes in their PR operation, other royals will have an opportunity to raise concerns at the meeting.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Prince Harry has said he and Prince William "are certainly on different paths at the moment"
Part of their plan is to withdraw from the royal rota, which gives some UK publications privileged access to royal engagements on condition that they share pictures and quotes with other publications.
The couple say they are concerned about "frequent misreporting". They also say they want to connect with the public more directly through social media, adding that the rota system can restrict them from publishing new images themselves.
Will their security be downgraded?
The couple say their security as "internationally protected people", provided by armed Metropolitan Police officers, is mandated by the Home Office.
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said this arrangement should continue.
"I think the British taxpayer should pay for the security of Harry and Meghan and their family as they do for former ministers," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, highlighting Prince Harry's Afghanistan service.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said "safety was always a priority" for the Royal Family, although she said she would not discuss the arrangements for protected individuals.
But the Sunday Times said the Metropolitan Police is considering replacing expensive firearms officers with guards armed with Tasers for several VIPs, in order to cut costs.


bbc--2020-01-13--Egypt-Ethiopia row: The trouble over a giant Nile dam

The latest talks to resolve the dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the future of a giant hydropower project on the Nile River are due to resume in Washington later .
Last year a deadline of 15 January was set to solve the long-standing impasse but the latest round of talks , last week , ended in deadlock .
When complete , the Grand Renaissance Dam , which Ethiopia is building , will be Africa 's biggest hydroelectric power plant .
Its construction began in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary in the northern Ethiopia highlands , from where 85 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the mega dam has caused a row between Egypt and Ethiopia , with Sudan caught in between , which some fear could lead to war , and the US is now helping to mediate .
Why is it so contentious ?
At the centre of the dispute are plans to fill up the mega dam as Egypt fears the project will allow Ethiopia to control the flow of Africa 's longest river .
Hydroelectric power stations do not consume water , but the speed with which Ethiopia fills up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downstream .
The longer it takes to fill the reservoir , which is going to be bigger than Greater London with a total capacity of 74 billion cubic metres , the less impact there will be on the level of the river .
Ethiopia wants to do it in six years .
`` We have a plan to start filling on the next rainy season , and we will start generating power with two turbines on December 2020 , '' Ethiopia 's Water Minister Seleshi Bekele said in September last year .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that the level of the river does not dramatically drop , especially in the initial phase of filling the reservoir .
Three-way talks between Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia over operating the dam and filling its reservoir have made no progress in more four years - which the US has now been trying to mediate .
After the talks last week , Mr Seleshi accused Egypt of having no intention of reaching a deal .
`` I do n't think when the Egyptians came here , they came being ready to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the BBC 's Kalkidan Yibeltal .
`` And then there is a new filling timetable they prepared and brought .
That new filling timetable required filling the dam to take from 12 to 21 years .
`` This is not acceptable on any measurement , '' he said .
Egypt 's Water Minister Mohamed Abdel Aty , however , was quoted saying that parties achieved clarity on all issues , including on the filling of the dam .
Join BBC reporter Alastair Leithead and his team , travelling in 2018 from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - through Ethiopia and Sudan into Egypt .
This 360° video is a version of the first VR documentary series from BBC News .
To view the full films , click here .
Why is Egypt so upset ?
Egypt relies on the Nile for 90 % of its water .
It has historically asserted that having a stable flow of the Nile waters is a matter of survival in a country where water is scarce .
A 1929 treaty ( and a subsequent one in 1959 ) gave Egypt and Sudan rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The colonial-era document also gave Egypt veto powers over any projects by upstream countries that would affect its share of the waters .
Neither agreement made any allowance for the water needs of the other riparian states that were not parties to the deal , including Ethiopia , whose Blue Nile contributes much of the river waters .
Ethiopia has said it should not be bound by the decades-old treaty and went ahead and started building its dam at the start of the Arab Spring in March 2011 without consulting Egypt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as saying in September last year that it would never have got under way had Egypt not been distracted by the political turmoil .
One of the North African country 's main concerns is that if the water flow drops it could affect Lake Nasser , the reservoir further downriver , behind Egypt 's Aswan Dam , which produces most of Egypt 's electricity .
Ethiopia says one of the previous preconditions that Egypt had put for the agreement was that the dam should be connected to the Aswan dam .
Mr Seleshi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Egyptians that it was `` difficult to connect the two dams '' .
`` After that they had backed down a bit on the issue but they have brought the idea back today to some extent , '' he said .
Egypt also fears that the dam could restrict its already scarce supply of the Nile waters , which is almost the only water source for its citizens .
It could also affect transport on the Nile in Egypt if the water level is too low and affect the livelihood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrigation .
Why does Ethiopia want such a big dam ?
The $ 4bn ( £3bn ) dam is at the heart of Ethiopia 's manufacturing and industrial dreams .
When completed it is expected to be able to generate a massive 6,000 megawatts of electricity .
Ethiopia has an acute shortage of electricity , with 65 % of its population not connected to the grid .
The energy generated will be enough to have its citizens connected and sell the surplus power to neighbouring countries .
Ethiopia also sees the dam as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam project does not rely on external funding and relies on government bonds and private funds to pay for the project .
The country has been critical of what it considers foreign interference in the matter .
Does anyone else benefit ?
Yes .
Neighbouring countries including Sudan , South Sudan , Kenya , Djibouti and Eritrea are likely to benefit from the power generated by the dam .
Many of these countries have huge power deficits .
For Sudan there is the added advantage that the flow of the river would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be the same all-year round .
Usually the country suffers from serious flooding in August and September .
Could the dispute lead to a war ?
There have been fears that the countries could be drawn into a conflict should the dispute not be resolved .
In 2013 , there were reports of a secret recording showing Egyptian politicians proposing a range of hostile acts against Ethiopia over the building of the dam .
President Sisi has also been quoted as saying that Egypt would take all the necessary measures to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In October last year , Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told MPs that `` no force '' could stop Ethiopia from building the dam .
The International Crisis Group warned last year that the countries `` could be drawn into conflict '' over the dam .
The fact that the US intervened shows the seriousness of the situation - and the need to break the deadlock .
Egypt sought the intervention of the US on the impasse , after President Sisi requested that President Trump mediate the conflict , which Ethiopia was initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two states , which are both US allies , could draw global interest as it would put millions of civilians at risk .
It would threaten the vital international trade route through the Suez Canal and along the Horn of Africa , according to analysis by the Washington Institute .
• Why the Nile could see a 'water war' So what happens now ?
The next step will be for the water ministers , along with their countries ' foreign ministers , to try and come to a deal before the deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The timeline was set in November after a meeting between the parties and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnunchin and World Bank President David Malpass .
So the parties representing the countries at the heart of the dispute are expected to convene again in Washington later .
`` The first [ option ] is mediation , to see it with a mediator .
Second is an issue of facilitation .
`` These issues need an agreement of the three countries .
Article 10 does n't say it will be based on the desire from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister told the BBC .
If they still ca n't agree by 15 January , the negotiators will request another mediator , or refer the matter to the heads of states , as agreed in November last year .
`` What will be most appropriate for us is to present the report to our leader since there might be [ progress ] if they [ the leaders ] solve it , '' Mr Seleshi said .
On Sunday , Ethiopia 's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abiy said that , as incoming chair of the African Union , Mr Ramaphosa could help solve the problem peacefully .

"What will be most appropriate for us is to present the report to our leader since there might be [progress] if they [the leaders] solve it," Mr Seleshi said.


bbc--2020-01-13--'Why can't I find an Afro-Caribbean egg donor?'

When Natasha and her husband had difficulty conceiving a child , doctors gave her two pieces of bad news .
The first was that she would need to find a donor egg .
The second was that Afro-Caribbean eggs are rarely donated .
But she has n't given up hope .
Natasha is 38 and is struggling to have a baby .
She got married in 2011 , and started trying to conceive immediately .
Eventually it became clear there was a problem .
`` I actually had four rounds of IVF treatment and obviously none of them were successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor said , 'We doubt that your eggs are going to be any good and you probably need to consider going down the egg donation route . '
And she literally got up from her seat and said , ' I 'll give you some time with your husband to discuss , ' and she walked out the room .
And that was it . ''
Natasha 's next step was to call organisations that might help her obtain a donor egg .
One was a donation bank .
`` They basically said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be honest with you , but we do n't have many black Afro-Caribbean egg donors come forward . '
They told me straight and I appreciated the honesty rather than being sent on a goose chase . ''
Natasha then cast her net further afield .
A clinic in Spain offered her an egg donated by an African .
Many might think this was not a bad solution , but Natasha was not sure it would be right for her .
`` My heritage is Caribbean .
My grandparents on both sides of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was important to me to at least have some cultural connection with the child , and I felt that if it was from a different heritage , I may not… '' She also felt that her family , which she says `` has a big hang-up about who looks like who '' , might discriminate against a child that they knew had come from a donor .
In 2017 , about 1,900 individual donors donated eggs in the UK .
Of these only 15 were categorised as `` Black Caribbean '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority - 1,608 - were White .
As Black Caribbeans make up 1.1 % of the population according to the 2011 census , you might expect 21 out of the 1,900 donors to have come from this group .
Black Africans , meanwhile , make up 1.8 % , so if 2017 's donor eggs had been evenly distributed by race , there would have been 34 .
Dr Edmond Edi-Osagie , a reproductive medicine specialist in Cheshire says that there is `` something cultural within the black community '' that makes women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time I see an Afro-Caribbean woman over the age of 35 who walks through my clinic , the first thing I think about is , 'Are they going to need donor eggs ? '
My heart really sinks , because I know that it 's going to be a really difficult battle if they are , '' he says .
He also finds that Afro-Caribbean women are more likely to need donor eggs , than white women of a similar age .
`` The reasons for that we 're still not very clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons , but that 's what we are finding anecdotally . ''
Edi-Osagie has been to a number of black organisations and black churches to talk about the lack of donor eggs and the message always goes down well , he says .
`` I get a line of people who wait to speak to me to give me their contact details and then I get my staff , over the following weeks , to try to contact all of those people - and unfortunately , almost invariably that 's where the trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Natasha : Trying to find a black egg donor on Monday 13 January from 20:00 Part of the series My Name Is ... on BBC Radio 4 Natasha thinks that one reason so few eggs are donated could be that women do n't know there is a shortage .
`` There 's no awareness , no-one 's printed any leaflets - it 's not sitting in the waiting rooms of any hospitals , '' she says .
She also thinks it 's a taboo subject that is rarely discussed in the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned , it 's a throwaway comment like , `` Sandra up the road , she can not have a baby , '' Natasha says .
`` It 's never taken seriously about how that person must be feeling or what support they may need .
It 's just not a topic that 's ever brought up and yes it does need to change , it really does , '' she says .
`` Especially because women , no matter what cultural background , are having children later .
So I know I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person that has gone through this . ''
Natasha admits she has n't told her own family about her fertility problems .
In fact , she does n't even think her husband is aware of the toll they are taking on her .
`` He is a very practical man… all on my own . ''
She says she has to `` wear a mask '' so that people do n't see how she is feeling when something they 've said makes her emotions almost brim over .
This does n't surprise counselling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of her research into why older Afro-Caribbean women rarely seek therapy , has heard many say , `` You do n't talk your business to people . ''
She 's keen to encourage the black community to talk more about infertility , but also to encourage the health system to discuss infertility in a more inclusive way .
`` I feel that when we look at the whole landscape of infertility and the services out there , you know , it does n't represent us , '' she says .
She had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fertility Fest , which describes itself as `` the world 's first arts festival dedicated to fertility , infertility , the science of making babies and modern families '' , and found herself thinking , `` it 's kind of all white people '' .
• There is a stigma around infertility • My shock at discovering I was a donor child But in 2019 it ran a session on race , religion and reproduction , and she took part .
`` The taboo , the stigma , not talking about it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says .
`` Religion was another one… religion in terms of being angry at God , being angry at not getting what they want . ''
But she came away with the feeling that the conversation had started .
`` There was a room full of people of colour all talking about it .
People are finding their voice now . ''
You may also be interested in : When Elaine Chong found out that there was a shortage of women of colour donating eggs , she decided to do something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donate my eggs Natasha is on a waiting list for an Afro-Caribbean donated egg .
She does n't know how long she will have to wait .
`` I need to build up my inner strength to be able to go forward with this again , '' she says .
`` I know my age is against me . ''
She also wants to start raising awareness about this issue in her community in the hope that this will encourage more women to donate eggs - not just for her benefit but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority , which is aware of the shortage of certain eggs does n't try to alert the public to this fact .
The HFEA points out that it is a regulator , and that this role does n't fall within its regulatory charter .
And she thinks that more could be done to point out to women that although donating an egg is not a simple procedure - it involves numerous medical tests and you have to inject yourself with hormones twice a day - donors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I feel that I need to start the ball rolling and maybe being that voice that is knocking on the door , and actually steering this conversation further and making people more aware that this is a problem - because I 'm sure that most people would n't even consider that this problem even exists . ''

"I actually had four rounds of IVF treatment and obviously none of them were successful. And after the third round the doctor said, 'We doubt that your eggs are going to be any good and you probably need to consider going down the egg donation route.' And she literally got up from her seat and said, 'I'll give you some time with your husband to discuss,' and she walked out the room. And that was it."


bbc--2020-01-12--Australia fires: Aboriginal planners say the bush 'needs to burn'

For thousands of years , the Indigenous people of Australia set fire to the land .
Long before Australia was invaded and colonised by Europeans , fire management techniques - known as `` cultural burns '' - were being practised .
The cool-burning , knee-high blazes were designed to happen continuously and across the landscape .
The fires burn up fuel like kindling and leaf detritus , meaning a natural bushfire has less to devour .
Since Australia 's fire crisis began last year , calls for better reintegration of this technique have grown louder .
But it should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert .
`` The bush needs to burn , '' says Shannon Foster .
She 's a knowledge keeper for the D'harawal people - relaying information passed on by her elders - and an Aboriginal Knowledge lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney ( UTS ) .
• Can you fight fire with fire ?
Much of the ancestral information she shares relates to the bush , says Ms Foster .
`` It 's the concept of maintaining country - central to everything we do as Aboriginal people .
It 's about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just what we can take from it . ''
Country is personified within Aboriginal culture .
`` The earth is our mother .
She keeps us alive , '' Ms Foster says .
This relationship shifts priorities around precautionary burning .
While modern-day authorities do carry out hazard reduction burning , focusing on protecting lives and property , Ms Foster says it 's `` clearly not working '' .
`` The current controlled burns destroy everything .
It 's a naive way to practise fire management , and it is n't hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best .
`` Whereas cultural burning protects the environment holistically .
We 're interested in looking after country , over property and assets .
`` We ca n't eat , drink or breathe assets .
Without country , we have nothing . ''
Indigenous cultural burns work within the rhythms of the environment , attracting marsupials and mammals which Aboriginal people could hunt .
`` Cool burning replenishes the earth and enhances biodiversity - the ash fertilises and the potassium encourages flowering .
It 's a complex cycle based on cultural , spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a mosaic of ecologies , Ms Foster says , and this can lead to beneficial micro-climates .
`` Soft burning encourages rain - it warms the environment to a particular atmospheric level , and once the warm and the cool meet , condensation - rain - occurs , helping mitigate fires . ''
Her Aboriginal elders in Sydney have been assessing the overgrown bush and extremely dry kindling for some time , warning that a huge fire is coming : `` They compared it to a kid with unkempt hair , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities have forbidden them from cultural burning when they 've asked for permission .
Where cultural burning is used There 's no one-size-fits-all approach to precautionary burning because the Australian landscape is so diverse from place to place .
Nonetheless , some states do integrate cultural burning with other strategies , according to Dr Richard Thornton , CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre .
`` There 's a stark difference in northern Australia , where Indigenous cultural burning happens substantially .
In southern states , it 's sometimes done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local communities . ''
Since Australia was colonised in 1788 , cultural burning was slowly eradicated .
But recent years have seen moves to reintegrate it .
Associate Prof Noel Preece , a former national parks ranger , wrote the first fire manual for central Australian park reserves .
He says cultural burning is still practised in parts of Melbourne , but largely stopped in south-eastern Australia because vegetation built up in `` precarious areas '' where cool burns do n't work .
`` That said , Indigenous people had extremely detailed knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good burn , '' says Associate Prof Preece , now of James Cook University .
Cultural burning , Prof Preece says , can reduce fuel on the ground from 10 tons to 1 ton .
But it 's only effective protection for moderate fires , so it needs to be done in conjunction with hazard reduction burns .
Even then , it only reduces hazards : `` With the recent catastrophic conditions of humidity and high winds , nothing could stop these fires . ''
`` Aboriginal people were taken off their country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very useful and important .
But it 's still early days and by itself , it 's not enough , '' he says .
Experts agree that cultural burning has limitations , partly because colonisation led to development and human-created climate change , presenting us with a very different landscape now to hundreds of years ago .
Prof Preece has been in areas where , day after day , the conditions for cooler cultural burning were n't right .
`` It 'd be too moist , too cool , too hot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window .
And with many firefighters in Australia being volunteers , they 're working during the week , and you could go four Saturdays till the conditions are right . ''
For thicker shrub running up tree canopies , he says a hot burn is required because cool burns wo n't get rid of such layers of fuel .
In addition , Dr Thornton says individual Indigenous burns , undertaken by specific agencies such as Firesticks , absolutely have their place , but need to fit within community expectations if done on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to ensure fire does n't escape and burn down somebody 's property .
It 'd undermine community views of the entire practice so we need to ensure we operate within a safety framework which is defendable . ''
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised a `` comprehensive '' inquiry into the ongoing bushfire crisis which has so far killed 27 people and scorched more than 10 million hectares .
• Is climate change to blame for Australia 's fires ?
When it goes ahead , Dr Thornton stresses the need to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area and listen '' .
But he says not a single Indigenous person sits on the board of the national bushfire research centre he manages .
Shannon Foster is keen to work together with government agencies , but she worries about expanding development : `` It terrifies me that so much land has been decimated , developers could move in and say we might as well put this estate here ; the land is cleared . ''
`` Aboriginal people have looked after this place for so long - to see it now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for it is devastating , '' she adds .
`` It 's not like we did n't tell you so . ''

"Aboriginal people have looked after this place for so long - to see it now destroyed because nobody has allowed us to care for it is devastating," she adds.


bbc--2020-01-13--Naked artists in Serbia breathing life into damaged art scene

`` The fact that I do performances nude , in Belgrade and Serbia , means a lot for somebody who is queer and whose body is queer , '' Aleks Zain says .
Zain is putting his own twist on a performance piece originally created by Serbia 's most famous artist , Marina Abramovic .
Belgrade is where the world 's self-styled `` grandmother of performance art '' created her first pieces in the 1960s and 1970s and this retrospective , The Cleaner , has toured the world before finally coming home .
Zain is performing one of her early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgrade 's Museum of Contemporary Art .
The performer is naked apart from a tightly wrapped scarf covering the head .
They dance in front of a stark , white background as an indefatigable drummer beats out an unending rhythm on a djembe .
The performance continues until the dancer falls to the ground , exhausted .
As a transgender man in a socially conservative country , Zain finds Freeing The Body both nerve-wracking and liberating .
`` Freeing The Body is heavy for me - because I 'm naked and you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body for a lot of hours .
But seeing it here in a museum is different to seeing it in the street or in a medical book . ''
Some are experienced performance artists .
Others have little or no background in a discipline that places considerable demands on both mind and body .
All of them studied the Abramovic Method with the artist 's regular collaborator , Lynsey Peisinger , before The Cleaner opened in Belgrade .
Andreja Kargacin is dressed in a white lab coat , ready to perform , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ museum 's foyer .
The 20-year-old theatre student is a published novelist , visual artist and dancer , but her real passion is performance art .
`` This exhibition is my dream come true , '' she says .
`` Marina is a big part of my life artistically .
Because I 'm from this place , she 's always been a real driving force for me . ''
In a matter of minutes , Kargacin will remove her lab coat and take her place in a doorway , opposite another performer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors must squeeze between them .
The catch is that the performers are completely naked - a piece that Abramovic titled Imponderabilia .
`` I 've walked through Imponderabilia a lot of times - and I have to say that walking through it is more uncomfortable than doing it , '' says Kargacin .
`` You feel people are very vulnerable and that you 're interrupting them in something .
`` Whatever you do is an attack on that little space that 's happening between them .
And that 's not how I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm thinking the people who are walking through us are doing such a great job - it 's not easy . ''
The reperformers work in a cacophonous environment , as shrieks and slaps reverberate around the giant screens displaying videos of the original Abramovic performances .
What sounds like conga drums turns out to be an audio recording of Rhythm 10 , a piece involving 20 knives , two tape recorders and the artist 's left hand .
The accompanying photographs vividly illustrate how Abramovic suffered for her art .
Ivana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her interpretation of Freeing The Voice .
Lying on her back on a mattress , her head hanging over the edge , she literally screams herself hoarse .
As a relative veteran of Belgrade 's performance art scene , she appreciates the attention that The Cleaner is bringing to her discipline .
`` We still have an underground performance art scene .
But there comes a point after a few years where you ask yourself why you 're doing this - when there are few people coming to see you .
And most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
Five and a half hours after he started his performance of Freeing The Body , Aleks Zain can dance no more .
Time is also running out for The Cleaner , which ends its run this month .
Bringing the exhibition to Belgrade was a major coup for the Museum of Contemporary Art , which was closed for a decade before it reopened in 2017 .
But Aleks Zain says it will take more than just a blockbuster show to revive an artistic scene that was damaged by decades of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very nice to have big artists in our national museum .
But if we keep it on that level and do n't include our own scene then , practically , we have nothing .
`` If the institutions decide they want to include our own artistic scene , especially the young scene , then perhaps we can see progress in 10 years . ''
It sounds like a long time .
But when you consider it took Marina Abramovic 44 years to return , a decade may seem like the blink of an @ @

"We still have an underground performance art scene. But there comes a point after a few years where you ask yourself why you're doing this - when there are few people coming to see you. And most of them are your colleagues," she says.


bbc--2020-01-13--The billionaire retailer whose shops had no stock

The BBC 's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world .
This week we speak to Brazilian retail billionaire Luiza Trajano .
With inflation hitting a whopping 3,000 % , and new currencies being introduced and then quickly ditched , it was not easy to be a retailer in the Brazil of the early 1990s .
That was the tough economic backdrop faced by Luiza Trajano , then 40 , when she took up the top job at her family 's chain of shops selling home electronics and household appliances in 1991 .
The business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small chain in the southern state of Sao Paulo .
But Luiza had ambitious plans to expand nationwide .
And she had a cunning plan .
With inflation that high , and the Brazilian government introducing and then abandoning no fewer than four different currencies between 1989 and 1994 , it would have been risky to start opening more large stores stocking the entire range of products .
So Luiza decided to open a chain of micro shops that did n't stock anything .
Starting in 1992 , customers would instead sit down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a computerised catalogue of all the items on sale .
They would then order what they wanted , and Magazine Luiza would deliver it to their homes from a network of nationwide distribution depots .
It was a precursor to online sales , from a time before Brazil got the internet - access to the net only became available to consumers in Brazil in 1997 .
In addition to enabling Magazine Luiza to quickly and cheaply expand , the small `` electronic shops '' also meant that the company did n't have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to inflation or a new currency .
It just had to update the prices on its computer system .
Looking back , Luiza , who is now 68 , says : `` It was a big revolution , we introduced a new way of virtual sales .
It prepared us for the internet before anyone else . ''
She says that she also made sure that the company put a lot of effort into explaining the expansion plans to staff , to ensure that they were happy and motivated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We did intense work with our team , explaining our targets and how we need everyone .
We were very transparent with how they played an important role in this new movement . ''
Within three years Magazine Luiza had a few hundred of its shops across Brazil , with some large cities having as many as 58 outlets .
Today the company has more than 1,000 stores across Brazil and 30,000 employees .
Meanwhile , its website accounts for 48 % of sales and it has total annual revenues of 19.7bn real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The success of the business has made Luiza one of the richest people in Brazil .
Her net worth is $ 3.5bn ( £2.7bn ) , according to Forbes magazine .
The first Magazine Luiza shop was opened in 1957 by Luiza 's aunt and uncle , in her home city of Franca , 400km ( 250 miles ) north of the city of Sao Paulo , The word `` magazine '' was chosen as a variation of the French word for shop , `` magasin '' , while `` Luiza '' was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luiza started helping her aunt and uncle at the shop from the age of 12 , working in the afternoon and early evening after she had finished school .
`` I was a saleswoman , and it was still a very small shop [ at the time ] , '' she says .
`` I loved the experience , and it was a success . ''
When Luiza went to university to study law , she still made time to work at the shop .
And after graduating she joined the family business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she filled a number of increasingly senior roles , before coming chief executive in 1991 , as her uncle and aunt stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business .
Another innovation Luiza introduced was opening the stores very early in the morning during sales periods .
This might have long been common practice in the UK and North America , but in 1990s Brazil it was a novel development .
`` We opened the shops at 5am , something that we had never seen before in Brazil . ''
she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do the same . ''
Today the company is one of the largest retailers in Brazil .
With almost half of sales now coming online , the small non-stock shops have been replaced over the years with larger ones that do have some or all products there to take away .
The focus on staff happiness remains though , and Magazine Luiza consistently tops the list of the best Brazilian retail companies to work for .
`` We have been in first place since 2006 , '' she says .
`` It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these years . ''
While she has no plans to retire , in 2016 Luiza passed the chief executive role over to her son Frederico , while she switched to chairwoman .
• ' I slept in a cupboard for three months' When not helping to lead the company she gives regular talks on entrepreneurship .
Luiza also helps runs an organisation that promotes women in business , health and education .
This body , which she created in 2013 , is called the Brazilian Women Group and now has more than 4,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at EOLAS Business School in Sao Paulo , says Luiza is `` an icon among entrepreneurs and also an inspiring speaker '' .
`` So it is not hard to imagine her power to motivate the commercial team at Magazine Luiza . ''
Looking back on Brazil in the 1990s , Luiza says that the country `` will always face crises '' , and that companies just have to make the best of things .
`` Many people believe I 'm optimistic , '' she says .
`` But the truth is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution .
Complaining wo n't solve the problem , we have to focus on the solution . ''
She adds that whatever the economic backdrop `` there are two things in common in companies that are a success - customer service and innovation '' .

Today the company is one of the largest retailers in Brazil. With almost half of sales now coming online, the small non-stock shops have been replaced over the years with larger ones that do have some or all products there to take away. The focus on staff happiness remains though, and Magazine Luiza consistently tops the list of the best Brazilian retail companies to work for.


bbc--2020-01-13--France summit: Sahel crisis in danger of slipping out of control

France 's president and his counterparts from the Sahel region are due to meet to discuss military operations against Islamist militants in West Africa .
We look at the figures behind the conflict , which is slipping out of control .
Attacks on army positions and civilians across the region are occurring with increasing regularity , despite the presence of thousands of troops from both the countries affected and France .
Last year saw the highest annual death toll due to armed conflict in the region since 2012 .
Last week , 89 soldiers from Niger were killed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among regional armed forces .
France has also suffered significant casualties , losing 13 soldiers in a helicopter crash in Mali in November .
The Sahel region , a semi-arid stretch of land just south of the Sahara Desert , has been a frontline in the war against Islamist militancy for almost a decade .
However , it is increasingly clear that the problem facing Chad , Niger , Mali , Burkina Faso and Mauritania ( known as the G5 Sahel ) is not just the presence of armed groups , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address a worsening humanitarian crisis , climate change and development challenges .
The overarching worry is that the crisis could spread further across West Africa .
The security crisis in the region started in 2012 when an alliance of separatist and Islamist militants took over northern Mali , triggering a French military intervention to oust them as they advanced towards the capital , Bamako .
A peace deal was signed in 2015 but was never completely implemented and new armed groups have since emerged and expanded to central Mali , Burkina Faso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those countries are believed to have increased fivefold since 2016 , with over 4,000 deaths reported last year alone .
A stretch of land covering the border areas of Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger is at the centre of the insurgency and counter-terrorism operations .
Armed groups , including some linked to al-Qaeda and others the Islamic State group , have expanding their presence and capabilities .
The reasons behind their expansion are multiple : • Porous borders and little state presence in some areas • They have set up lucrative money-raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trafficking drugs , weapons and people , which help fund their activities • Soldiers fighting the militants appear to be under-trained and poorly equipped , despite the regional and international support they receive In addition to the joint G5 Sahel countries , which have an estimated 5,000-strong force battling the militants , the French have had 4,500 soldiers deployed in the Sahel since 2013 .
The UN also has over 12,000 peacekeepers in Mali , while the US has two drone bases in Niger , providing intelligence and training support throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called self-defence groups have been formed .
In Mali and Burkina Faso , these militias are believed to be behind a number of massacres .
3 .
Not just jihadists behind the violence Most attacks on civilians remain unclaimed but the main armed Islamist militant groups in the Sahel are : • Other armed groups with ethnic or political affiliations have also emerged Ethnic tensions and economic rivalries have become mixed up with the Islamist insurgency , with accusations that members of the mainly Muslim Fulani ethnic group are linked to Islamists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , expanding deserts and climate change have magnified long-standing conflicts between mainly Fulani herders and pastoralists .
All this has led to the creation of ethnic militias on both sides , which have also been responsible for a horrific cycle of tit-for-tat mass killings .
Some security forces have been accused by human rights groups of unlawful killings during counter-terrorism operations .
Last week , a coalition of NGOs said that the `` military response in the Sahel is part of the problem '' .
Action Against Hunger , the Norwegian Refugee Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Mali had forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes - about 40 % of all those displaced in the country .
More about the crisis in the Sahel : • Why France is focused on fighting jihadists in Mali • Is France losing the battle against militants in West Africa ?
• Why the Sahara is terror 's new front line As the population in the region is set to double over the next 20 years , the violence is exacerbating development challenges .
Growing enough food for everyone will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being helped by the numbers of people who have been forced to flee their homes .
In Burkina Faso , the number of people internally displaced has risen from 40,000 at the end of 2018 to more than 500,000 at the end of 2019 - that is more that 2 % of the population .
In Mali , the number has practically doubled .
The violence is also storing up problems for future generations as some of the Islamist groups deliberately target schools and teachers , leaving hundreds of thousands of children without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more vulnerable to sexual exploitation , forced labour or recruitment into armed groups .
Much of the data in this article was sourced from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project ( ACLED )

In Burkina Faso, the number of people internally displaced has risen from 40,000 at the end of 2018 to more than 500,000 at the end of 2019 - that is more that 2% of the population. In Mali, the number has practically doubled.


bbc--2020-01-13--The disabled teenagers whose identity crisis led them to modelling careers

Caitlin Leigh and Brinston Tchana have modelled for high street retailers including Primark and River Island but their interests in fashion were only piqued after they became disabled and felt they had lost their identities .
With more than 15,000 followers on Instagram regularly checking-in on his style , Brinston has hopes of one day modelling at New York Fashion Week .
But a few years ago , fashion could n't have been further from his mind .
At 17 , he was months away from signing up to play for a professional football club in Spain , where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
Before the big signing he went to a nightclub with his friends .
They spent the night dancing , carefree and excited about their futures and later walked home together through the dark streets laughing and chatting .
But , out of nowhere , a car came from behind and struck them .
The emergency services were called but three of the friends died that night and Brinston was left in a coma .
When the young footballer came around he was told he had been paralysed from the waist down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It changed his life completely , with his professional sporting ambition off the table and a different body and appearance to get used to .
Until then the idea that fashion could be interesting or fun had passed Brinston by .
`` My mum bought all my clothes .
I had been more focussed on football and did n't care about anything else , '' he says .
Now a wheelchair-user , he felt he had to start caring about his image because of the shift in how people perceived him .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his new home in Birmingham , England , and shivering from the cold in a thin jacket , a man approached Brinston .
`` This dude just came close to me and gave me £5 .
I was like : 'Why are you giving me £5 ? '
And he was like : 'You 're not homeless ? '
. ''
Brinston was taken aback .
He felt that , had he not been in a wheelchair , this would n't have happened .
He says he has learnt some people think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tattoos and injury are gang-related or linked to violence .
They 're not .
He feels there is sometimes a racial element to this way of thinking - `` being black in a 'white country ' with a disability is not easy , '' he says .
But over time , Brinston discovered that if he dressed stylishly , fewer unwanted assumptions would be made about him .
It also shifted how he viewed fashion and he started to adopt it as both a way to express himself and as a shield against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jackets and shoes which looked smart and elegant , but also looked good and were comfortable for him as a wheelchair-user .
`` When I 'm at home and feeling safe , I 'll put on casual stuff and I know nobody is going to judge me .
But when I 'm out , I feel like I need to show that I am not that vulnerable . ''
Like Brinston , using fashion as armour is something Caitlin Leigh identifies with and has employed since becoming disabled - she began to lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
Her symptoms initially baffled doctors .
She was diagnosed with alopecia and , after many tests it was determined that she blacked out as a result of her mind trying to block difficult situations - a condition referred to as dissociative seizures thought to be brought on from earlier episodes of depression , anxiety and stress .
The seizures happen every couple of hours and Caitlin started to use a wheelchair to ensure she was safe .
`` The minute I started losing my hair I decided to go for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I just felt like nothing in my wardrobe suited me , but over time I slowly started finding my way in fashion . ''
Previously , Caitlin 's hair had been long and she loved colouring it .
Now she describes her overall style as edgy and indie .
`` Fashion is a way for me to express myself .
Before it was my hair , now it 's my fashion .
And it just fills me with confidence .
If I feel a bit different , I feel untouchable . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and patterns she says her style helps challenge stereotypes that people have of wheelchair-users and acts as a `` gateway '' to conversations .
Caitlin loved experimenting with her hair before developing alopecia and Brinston was about to sign as a professional footballer when he was paralysed in a car crash .
Listen to the two models talk fashion , disability and redefining who they were .
`` I find people feel they can approach me more if I 'm wearing something unusual or if my hair is different , because they see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I go out and I look confident and I 'm dressed confidently , people definitely have a more confident mannerism towards me .
If I 'm just wearing normal comfy clothes , people see me as just a person in a wheelchair . ''
But it gets complex .
If you do express yourself positively it can be double-edged .
Some wheelchair-users feel that when they `` dress well '' , or in a way that challenges stereotypes , it can make people think they 're not disabled .
Brinston says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out with friends , he wore his most expensive shoes - £700 Balenciaga 's .
A man came over to him and asked if he was faking his disability .
`` Why would I be faking it ?
How I wish I could be like you , just dancing around , '' he told the man .
`` I think the negative part is that if you dress well then people think you 're faking it just to get money . ''
But that 's not to say disabled people should feel they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take time to have the confidence to think about fashion for yourself , '' Caitlin says .
`` I think that 's the biggest thing for young people growing up , that they feel like they have to dress for other people , and that 's not how fashion should be . ''
Even though fashion is an integral part of Caitlin and Brinston 's lives they say shops need to become more accessible and clothes - which remain presentable even after you 've been sitting in a wheelchair all day - need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charity Purple estimates the British high street loses about £267m a month because of this inaccessibility .
Both Caitlin and Brinston say fashion helped them accept their disabilities and neither think they would be working in the industry if they had n't become disabled .
`` Finding my style has given me the confidence I 've needed to pursue the fashion career I 'm now living , '' Caitlin says .
`` It does n't matter what your disability is , you can still look bomb . ''
After watching shows at last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's determined to be on that catwalk one day .
`` People just need to have the confidence to take that step - to book a disabled model - because we are human beings and it is really important we are represented . ''
Brinston agrees and says after spending years struggling to accept his disability , fashion also helped redefine his identity beyond football .
`` It 's given me confidence to say 'this is who I am ' . ''
For more Disability News , follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

"It does take time to have the confidence to think about fashion for yourself," Caitlin says. "I think that's the biggest thing for young people growing up, that they feel like they have to dress for other people, and that's not how fashion should be."


bbc--2020-01-13--NFL play-offs: Kansas City Chiefs beat Houston Texans after coming back from 24-0 down

The Kansas City Chiefs staged a thrilling comeback from 24-0 down to beat the Houston Texans 51-31 and advance to the AFC Championship game .
Chiefs ' Patrick Mahomes threw for four touchdowns in the second quarter to overhaul the Texans ' early lead .
Kansas City , who will now host the Tennessee Titans , scored 41 unanswered points and dominated the second half .
Meanwhile , the Green Bay Packers reached the NFC Championship game with a 28-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks .
Davante Adams starred for Green Bay , who will visit the top-seeded San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Bowl 54 from the National Football Conference after they beat the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday .
`` Adams had an unbelievable night , '' said team-mate Aaron Rodgers , who threw two touchdown passes to Adams .
`` He carried us on offense .
His route running ability was incredible . ''
'Chiefs just had to keep fighting' The Chiefs now face the Tennessee Titans , who beat the Baltimore Ravens in the other American Football Conference divisional game , for a place at the Super Bowl on Sunday , 2 February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way we wanted to - we just had to keep fighting , just go one play at a time , '' quarterback Mahomes said .
`` We know the Titans are a tough team .
We will have to play our best and find a way to win . ''
• Relive the Chiefs ' win as it happened • How to follow the NFL on BBC Sport On tight end Travis Kelce , who finished the game with a hamstring injury after taking three touchdown passes , Mahomes said : `` Travis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monster .
`` The way he came through with an injury and was still making plays all day long - he 's a special football player . ''
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson connected with Kenny Stills and Darren Fells , and Lonnie Johnson ran in a blocked punt as the visitors raced into a 21-point first-quarter lead .
But Damien Williams scored the first of his three touchdowns five minutes into the second quarter to spark a Chiefs resurgence , with Mahomes finishing with five touchdown passes , 321 passing and 56 rushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Chiefs leading 41-24 in the third quarter as Watson scored a five-yard rushing touchdown to get the margin within 10 .
But the Chiefs extended their lead , Blake Bell adding another touchdown , to leave them one game away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1970 .

Last updated on .From the section American football
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (left) combined with tight end Travis Kelce for three touchdowns in the second quarter
The Kansas City Chiefs staged a thrilling comeback from 24-0 down to beat the Houston Texans 51-31 and advance to the AFC Championship game.
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes threw for four touchdowns in the second quarter to overhaul the Texans' early lead.
Kansas City, who will now host the Tennessee Titans, scored 41 unanswered points and dominated the second half.
Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers reached the NFC Championship game with a 28-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Davante Adams starred for Green Bay, who will visit the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers to decide who will progress to Super Bowl 54 from the National Football Conference after they beat the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.
"Adams had an unbelievable night," said team-mate Aaron Rodgers, who threw two touchdown passes to Adams. "He carried us on offense. His route running ability was incredible."
'Chiefs just had to keep fighting'
The Chiefs now face the Tennessee Titans, who beat the Baltimore Ravens in the other American Football Conference divisional game, for a place at the Super Bowl on Sunday, 2 February.
"We didn't start the way we wanted to - we just had to keep fighting, just go one play at a time," quarterback Mahomes said.
"We know the Titans are a tough team. We will have to play our best and find a way to win."
On tight end Travis Kelce, who finished the game with a hamstring injury after taking three touchdown passes, Mahomes said: "Travis was amazing, man he's a monster.
"The way he came through with an injury and was still making plays all day long - he's a special football player."
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson connected with Kenny Stills and Darren Fells, and Lonnie Johnson ran in a blocked punt as the visitors raced into a 21-point first-quarter lead.
But Damien Williams scored the first of his three touchdowns five minutes into the second quarter to spark a Chiefs resurgence, with Mahomes finishing with five touchdown passes, 321 passing and 56 rushing yards.
The Texans stopped the rot with the Chiefs leading 41-24 in the third quarter as Watson scored a five-yard rushing touchdown to get the margin within 10.
But the Chiefs extended their lead, Blake Bell adding another touchdown, to leave them one game away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1970.


bbc--2020-01-13--Champions, top of the league - but are Barcelona in crisis?

Reigning champions , top of the league , Champions League group winners , captained by the Ballon d'Or winner ... but still in crisis ?
That might not sound like a very normal situation , but Barcelona are not a normal club .
At the Nou Camp , style is demanded as much as substance and a series of unconvincing displays has left manager Ernesto Valverde fighting for his job , despite steering his team to the top of La Liga .
The delicate situation was further complicated on Sunday with the shock news that striker Luis Suarez has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing a desperate plunge into the transfer market .
Although they won La Liga by a mile , last season ended horribly for Barca with the infamous Champions League exit at Liverpool and a Copa del Rey final loss against Valencia .
Valverde somehow clung on to his job but it was clear he had little remaining credit , and the new campaign has seen his team deliver convincing collective displays only rarely , despite the individual talent of Suarez and Lionel Messi securing sufficient wins to top the table alongside Real Madrid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly poor , with losses at Athletic Bilbao , Granada and Levante plus draws at Osasuna , Real Sociedad and Espanyol .
The biggest concern is that all those games followed a similar pattern , with Valverde unable to fix the problems that regularly leave his team looking disjointed in possession and vulnerable at the back , edging ever further from the club 's trademark incisive passing game .
After a poor performance in the pre-Christmas Clasico - a disappointing goalless home draw which Real largely dominated - Barca 's latest setback came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semi-final against Atletico Madrid , when they conceded two late goals to fall to a 3-2 defeat .
In the wake of that loss , club president Josep Maria Bartomeu appears to have decided enough is enough .
Xavi , who has just started his managerial career with Al-Sadd after spending the previous four years playing for the Qatari club , has confirmed media reports that he spoke to Barca 's sporting director Eric Abidal and chief executive Oscar Grau over the weekend .
On Saturday , Valverde 's dismissal and Xavi 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spanish media to be a formality .
But a twist came on Sunday as Xavi reportedly back-tracked , deciding to reject the club 's offer and stay with Al-Sadd - for now , at least .
Another complication - and it 's inevitable that behind-the-scenes scheming is involved at such a deeply political club - is that Xavi has been a long-time ally of businessman Victor Font , who is planning to run against the current board in next year 's presidential elections .
Rather than rejecting Barca , it 's perhaps more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected Bartomeu , preferring to bide his time until Font , if his presidential bid succeeds , steps into office .
And he 's not the only one : another iconic former skipper , Carles Puyol , turned down the sporting director role in September after also lending his support to Font in the past .
Valverde , understandably enough , is thought to be considering quitting anyway after being angered by his club 's semi-public pursuit of Xavi , and if he did stay it 's hard to see how he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past few days .
So Valverde might still be going , but if Xavi is n't coming who could replace him ?
Against such a turbulent backdrop and in the knowledge of being second-choice , perhaps it 's not surprising that Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has also reportedly turned down the job .
And the temptation for any other potential target has been further diminished by a serious injury blow .
Suarez has been in magnificent form , scoring or assisting each of his team 's past 10 league goals and continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the Uruguayan could now miss the rest of the season after having a knee operation on Sunday , with the diagnosis of a four-month absence far worse than the initial expectation that he would be out for just one .
Replacing Suarez at centre forward could be achieved by repositioning Antoine Griezmann , who has been playing in a left-wing berth since his big-money summer move from Atletico Madrid but would surely be delighted to receive the chance to play in a more central role .
That would obviously leave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be filled by an unconvincing combination of currently ( and often ) injured Ousmane Dembele , home-grown Carles Perez ( who is more comfortable on the right ) and hugely inexperienced teen starlet Ansu Fati .
But Barca could also feel compelled to bring forward their acquisition of a new centre forward to replace Suarez , which it was expected would take place at the end of the season , with Inter Milan 's all-action Argentine Lautaro Martinez a leading candidate .
Money , though , is a big problem .
Barca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would almost certainly have to sell several players to meet Martinez 's 111 million euro release clause at Inter .
That could start with Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal , who is reportedly suing Barca in a dispute over unpaid bonuses and has already attracted Inter 's interest .
Cheaper options could be former Barca trainee Dani Olmo , who has shone for Dinamo Zagreb this season , and Osasuna striker Chimy Avila , whose hard-running style and penchant for spectacular goals has won admirers across Spain .
But considering the soap opera nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should n't be surprised to see a renewed bid for a superstar who was unsuccessfully courted last summer .
Get ready for the 'Neymar back to Barca ' headlines once again .
The question , though , is this : who would be managing him ?

Valverde (centre) took over from Luis Enrique at the Nou Camp in 2017
Reigning champions, top of the league, Champions League group winners, captained by the Ballon d'Or winner... but still in crisis?
That might not sound like a very normal situation, but Barcelona are not a normal club.
At the Nou Camp, style is demanded as much as substance and a series of unconvincing displays has left manager Ernesto Valverde fighting for his job, despite steering his team to the top of La Liga.
The delicate situation was further complicated on Sunday with the shock news that striker Luis Suarez has been ruled out for four months, potentially forcing a desperate plunge into the transfer market.
Xavi wooed, Valverde to quit?
Although they won La Liga by a mile, last season ended horribly for Barca with the infamous Champions League exit at Liverpool and a Copa del Rey final loss against Valencia.
Valverde somehow clung on to his job but it was clear he had little remaining credit, and the new campaign has seen his team deliver convincing collective displays only rarely, despite the individual talent of Suarez and Lionel Messi securing sufficient wins to top the table alongside Real Madrid.
Barca's away form has been particularly poor, with losses at Athletic Bilbao, Granada and Levante plus draws at Osasuna, Real Sociedad and Espanyol.
The biggest concern is that all those games followed a similar pattern, with Valverde unable to fix the problems that regularly leave his team looking disjointed in possession and vulnerable at the back, edging ever further from the club's trademark incisive passing game.
After a poor performance in the pre-Christmas Clasico - a disappointing goalless home draw which Real largely dominated - Barca's latest setback came on Thursday in the reformatted Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid, when they conceded two late goals to fall to a 3-2 defeat.
In the wake of that loss, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu appears to have decided enough is enough.
Xavi, who has just started his managerial career with Al-Sadd after spending the previous four years playing for the Qatari club, has confirmed media reports that he spoke to Barca's sporting director Eric Abidal and chief executive Oscar Grau over the weekend.
On Saturday, Valverde's dismissal and Xavi's immediate appointment were widely considered in the Spanish media to be a formality.
But a twist came on Sunday as Xavi reportedly back-tracked, external-link deciding to reject the club's offer and stay with Al-Sadd - for now, at least.
Another complication - and it's inevitable that behind-the-scenes scheming is involved at such a deeply political club - is that Xavi has been a long-time ally of businessman Victor Font, who is planning to run against the current board in next year's presidential elections.
Rather than rejecting Barca, it's perhaps more specifically accurate to say that Xavi has rejected Bartomeu, preferring to bide his time until Font, if his presidential bid succeeds, steps into office. And he's not the only one: another iconic former skipper, Carles Puyol, turned down the sporting director role in September after also lending his support to Font in the past.
Valverde, understandably enough, is thought to be considering quitting anyway after being angered by his club's semi-public pursuit of Xavi, and if he did stay it's hard to see how he can retain his authority after his treatment in the past few days.
So Valverde might still be going, but if Xavi isn't coming who could replace him? Against such a turbulent backdrop and in the knowledge of being second-choice, perhaps it's not surprising that Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has also reportedly turned down the job. And the temptation for any other potential target has been further diminished by a serious injury blow.
Suarez will be out for four months following a knee operation
Suarez absence sparks transfer hunt
Suarez has been in magnificent form, scoring or assisting each of his team's past 10 league goals and continuing to enjoy a telepathic connection with Messi.
But the Uruguayan could now miss the rest of the season after having a knee operation on Sunday, with the diagnosis of a four-month absence far worse than the initial expectation that he would be out for just one.
Replacing Suarez at centre forward could be achieved by repositioning Antoine Griezmann, who has been playing in a left-wing berth since his big-money summer move from Atletico Madrid but would surely be delighted to receive the chance to play in a more central role.
That would obviously leave a gap on the left wing, which could be filled by an unconvincing combination of currently (and often) injured Ousmane Dembele, home-grown Carles Perez (who is more comfortable on the right) and hugely inexperienced teen starlet Ansu Fati.
But Barca could also feel compelled to bring forward their acquisition of a new centre forward to replace Suarez, which it was expected would take place at the end of the season, with Inter Milan's all-action Argentine Lautaro Martinez a leading candidate.
Money, though, is a big problem. Barca's budget is already stretched and they would almost certainly have to sell several players to meet Martinez's 111 million euro release clause at Inter.
That could start with Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal, who is reportedly suing Barca in a dispute over unpaid bonuses and has already attracted Inter's interest.
Cheaper options could be former Barca trainee Dani Olmo, who has shone for Dinamo Zagreb this season, and Osasuna striker Chimy Avila, whose hard-running style and penchant for spectacular goals has won admirers across Spain.
But considering the soap opera nature of life at Barca, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to see a renewed bid for a superstar who was unsuccessfully courted last summer.
Get ready for the 'Neymar back to Barca' headlines once again.
The question, though, is this: who would be managing him?


bbc--2020-01-13--London Marathon 2020: Women's world record holder Brigid Kosgei to defend title

Women 's marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei says she is looking forward to defending her title at this year 's London Marathon .
Kosgei broke Briton Paula Radcliffe 's 16-year-old record at the Chicago Marathon in October .
She said : `` Last year was an incredible year for me and it started by winning in London .
Coming back will be very special . ''
Kosgei 's record-breaking run came six months after winning the London Marathon for the first time .
She recorded a time of two hours 14 minutes 04 seconds in Chicago , easily inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the London Marathon in 2003 .
It was announced last month that Kosgei 's compatriot , men 's marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge , will also be returning to defend his title in London .
The women 's field is also packed with talented Kenyans , including 2018 London Marathon winner Vivian Cheruiyot , three-time Berlin Marathon champion Gladys Cherono , current world champion Ruth Chepngetich and Joyciline Jepkosgei , the 2019 New York City Marathon champion .
Jepkosgei and Kosgei are currently joint top of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series @ @ @ @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Brigid Kosgei's run of two hours 14 minutes 04 seconds in the Chicago Marathon in October knocked 1:21 off Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old world record
Women's marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei says she is looking forward to defending her title at this year's London Marathon.
Organisers announced the 25-year-old Kenyan's inclusion on Monday.
Kosgei broke Briton Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old record at the Chicago Marathon in October.
She said: "Last year was an incredible year for me and it started by winning in London. Coming back will be very special."
Kosgei's record-breaking run came six months after winning the London Marathon for the first time.
She recorded a time of two hours 14 minutes 04 seconds in Chicago, easily inside Radcliffe's mark of 2:15:25 set at the London Marathon in 2003.
It was announced last month that Kosgei's compatriot, men's marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, will also be returning to defend his title in London.
The women's field is also packed with talented Kenyans, including 2018 London Marathon winner Vivian Cheruiyot, three-time Berlin Marathon champion Gladys Cherono, current world champion Ruth Chepngetich and Joyciline Jepkosgei, the 2019 New York City Marathon champion.
Jepkosgei and Kosgei are currently joint top of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XIII with 25 points apiece.


bbc--2020-01-13--Trial of former IAAF chief Diack set to start in Paris

The trial of Lamine Diack , the disgraced former head of athletics ' world governing body the IAAF , will get under way in Paris on Monday .
The 86-year-old Senegalese faces corruption and money-laundering charges linked to the Russian doping scandal .
Diack was investigated by French authorities for four years over claims he took payments of more than 3m euros to cover up cheating .
He has been under house arrest in Paris since November 2015 .
The landmark trial is scheduled to run for the next two weeks .
Diack denies the charges , but if found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in jail .
Previously one of the most influential figures in world sport , Diack was president of the International Association of Athletics ' Federations ( now World Athletics ) , for 16 years until he was replaced by Britain 's Lord Coe in August 2015 .
At the time Coe described Diack as the `` spiritual leader of our sport '' , though he has since distanced himself from those comments .
Three months later details emerged of Diack 's alleged involvement in a conspiracy to bury positive drug tests by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His arrest plunged the IAAF into an unprecedented scandal , and has done huge damage to athletics ' credibility .
In January 2016 , a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency concluded that Diack was `` responsible for organising and enabling the conspiracy and corruption that took place in the IAAF '' .
It is also alleged by French prosecutors that Diack - a former mayor of Dakar in Senegal - used some of the payments channelled through the IAAF 's base in Monaco to fund political campaigns in his native homeland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's ex-legal aide Habib Cisse ( who faces a charge of complicity in corruption ) and former anti-doping boss Gabriel Dolle ( corruption ) for their roles in the alleged conspiracy .
Diack 's son Papa Massata Diack - who was banned for life from athletics in 2016 - is expected to be tried in his absence having been accused of playing a central role in the network of alleged corruption .
He is charged with corruption , money laundering , concealment and breach of trust .
The marketing executive , who handled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to be in Senegal having refused to leave the country despite two international arrest warrants .
The country 's authorities have said they will not extradite him .
In 2015 he told BBC Sport that he `` totally rejects '' accusations he had any role in extortion or bribery via 'Black Tidings ' - a now-defunct Singapore-based firm linked to him .
Former Russian athletics chief and IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev ( corruption and money laundering ) and Russia 's ex-middle distance coach Alexei Melnikov ( corruption ) will also be tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strenuously deny the charges .
The trial will be overseen by judge Rose-Marie Hunault .
Proceedings are expected to focus on the case of Liliya Shobukhova , the 2010 London marathon winner .
In 2016 , the IAAF banned Diack Jr , Balakhnichev and Melnikov after finding that they had conspired to `` blackmail '' the Russian athlete to cover up her doping violations by her paying them `` bribes '' of about £435,000 .
All three had their appeals against their life bans rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parquet National Financier ( PNF ) have also been investigating allegations that Diack Snr received bribes for his votes in several bidding contests for high-profile sports events , including the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics .
The former International Olympic Committee member is claimed to have controlled the votes of several African colleagues .
The scandal the Diack trial is directly linked to , resulted in Russian athletes being banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics .
The country 's whole team was then banned from the 2018 Winter Games and faces the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympics .

Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Diack has been under house arrest in Paris since November 2015
The trial of Lamine Diack, the disgraced former head of athletics' world governing body the IAAF, will get under way in Paris on Monday.
The 86-year-old Senegalese faces corruption and money-laundering charges linked to the Russian doping scandal.
Diack was investigated by French authorities for four years over claims he took payments of more than 3m euros to cover up cheating.
He has been under house arrest in Paris since November 2015.
The landmark trial is scheduled to run for the next two weeks.
Diack denies the charges, but if found guilty he could face up to 10 years in jail.
Background
Previously one of the most influential figures in world sport, Diack was president of the International Association of Athletics' Federations (now World Athletics), for 16 years until he was replaced by Britain's Lord Coe in August 2015.
At the time Coe described Diack as the "spiritual leader of our sport", though he has since distanced himself from those comments.
Three months later details emerged of Diack's alleged involvement in a conspiracy to bury positive drug tests by Russia dopers in return for money.
His arrest plunged the IAAF into an unprecedented scandal, and has done huge damage to athletics' credibility.
In January 2016, a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency concluded that Diack was "responsible for organising and enabling the conspiracy and corruption that took place in the IAAF".
It is also alleged by French prosecutors that Diack - a former mayor of Dakar in Senegal - used some of the payments channelled through the IAAF's base in Monaco to fund political campaigns in his native homeland.
Athletics faces crisis - IAAF boss Lamine Diack, speaking to BBC Sport's Dan Roan in February 2015
The five co-defendants
Also appearing in court will be Diack's ex-legal aide Habib Cisse (who faces a charge of complicity in corruption) and former anti-doping boss Gabriel Dolle (corruption) for their roles in the alleged conspiracy.
Diack's son Papa Massata Diack - who was banned for life from athletics in 2016 - is expected to be tried in his absence having been accused of playing a central role in the network of alleged corruption. He is charged with corruption, money laundering, concealment and breach of trust.
The marketing executive, who handled valuable rights for the IAAF, is believed to be in Senegal having refused to leave the country despite two international arrest warrants. The country's authorities have said they will not extradite him.
In 2015 he told BBC Sport that he "totally rejects" accusations he had any role in extortion or bribery via 'Black Tidings' - a now-defunct Singapore-based firm linked to him.
Former Russian athletics chief and IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev (corruption and money laundering) and Russia's ex-middle distance coach Alexei Melnikov (corruption) will also be tried in their absence.
All six defendants strenuously deny the charges. The trial will be overseen by judge Rose-Marie Hunault.
Proceedings are expected to focus on the case of Liliya Shobukhova, the 2010 London marathon winner. In 2016, the IAAF banned Diack Jr, Balakhnichev and Melnikov after finding that they had conspired to "blackmail" the Russian athlete to cover up her doping violations by her paying them "bribes" of about £435,000.
All three had their appeals against their life bans rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in August 2017.
Prosecutors from France's Parquet National Financier (PNF) have also been investigating allegations that Diack Snr received bribes for his votes in several bidding contests for high-profile sports events, including the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The former International Olympic Committee member is claimed to have controlled the votes of several African colleagues.
The scandal the Diack trial is directly linked to, resulted in Russian athletes being banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics. The country's whole team was then banned from the 2018 Winter Games and faces the same punishment for next year's Tokyo Olympics.