bbc--2020-01-08--Iran targets US troops with missile strikes

Iran has carried out a ballistic missile attack on air bases housing US forces in Iraq , in retaliation for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani .
More than a dozen missiles launched from Iran struck two air bases in Irbil and Al Asad , west of Baghdad .
It is unclear if there have been any casualties .
The initial response from Washington has been muted .
President Trump tweeted that all was well and said casualties and damage were being assessed .
• ANALYSIS : Is there more to come from Iran ?
• EXPLAINED : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two Iraqi bases housing US and coalition troops were targeted , one at Al Asad and one in Irbil , at about 02:00 local time on Wednesday ( 22:30 GMT on Tuesday ) .
It came just hours after the burial of Soleimani , who controlled Iran 's proxy forces across the Middle East .
Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was `` a slap in the face '' for the US and called for an end to the US presence in the Middle East .
Echoing him , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer '' to Soleimani 's assassination would be to `` kick all US forces out of the region '' .
Iraq 's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Iran warned him just after midnight local time that an attack was imminent and only areas with US troops would be targeted .
There were no reports of Iraqi casualties , he said .
Just hours after the missile strikes a Ukrainian airliner crashed in Iran shortly after take-off .
There is no evidence that the two incidents are linked .
Several airlines have announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airspace amid the rising tension .
Is this the end of the escalation ?
This is the most direct assault by Iran on the US since the seizing of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 .
Iran 's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was in retaliation for the death of Soleimani on Friday - killed in a missile strike outside Baghdad airport on the orders of President Trump - and warned US allies that their bases could also be targeted .
Iran 's Defence Minister Amir Hatami said Iran 's response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US action .
But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the attack was self-defence and denied seeking to escalate the situation into war .
The BBC 's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen in Baghdad says the tweets appear to suggest that Iran wishes to draw a line under its retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani and is putting the onus on the US as to whether the situation escalates .
Given the significance of General Soleimani and the passions that his killing aroused - Iran 's military strike against US bases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The attack was clearly timed to cause as few casualties as possible .
Both the US and Iran - for all their rhetoric - do not want a wider conflict .
So maybe a line can be drawn under this matter for now .
Is this the end of Iran 's retaliation ?
Time will tell .
But it is hard to see Iranian policy changing .
It is presumably still going to try to secure its regional goals , not least the departure of US forces from Iraq .
The Soleimani killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it was rocket attacks from Iran 's proxies - local Shia militia - against US bases that formed the prelude to this recent crisis .
Has the US established any measure of deterrence ?
And if not , will Iranian-inspired attacks resume in due course ?
What is the status of US troops in Iraq ?
The US has around 5,000 troops in Iraq tasked with preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State group ( IS ) there .
President Trump said on Tuesday a US withdrawal of troops from Iraq would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His comments came in the wake of a letter , which the US military said had been sent in error , to Iraq 's prime minister , which suggested that the US would be `` repositioning '' forces in the country .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would strike back hard against any attack and said President Trump should be congratulated for acting `` swiftly , boldly and resolutely '' in assassinating Soleimani .
While Iraq 's prime minister , Abdul Mahdi , urged restraint on all sides and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating all-out war in Iraq , the region and the world '' .
The UK foreign office told the BBC : `` We are urgently working to establish the facts on the ground .
Our first priority is the security of British personnel . ''
The UK has put the Royal Navy and military helicopters on standby amid rising tensions in the Middle East , Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said earlier .
How did we get here ?
The assassination of Soleimani - head of the Revolutionary Guards ' elite Quds Force and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - on 3 January was a major escalation in already deteriorating relations between Iran and the US .
The general was regarded as a terrorist by the US government , which says he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops and was plotting `` imminent '' attacks .
Mr Trump , meanwhile , warned the US would respond in the event of retaliation `` perhaps in a disproportionate manner '' .
`` He was a monster .
And he 's no longer a monster .
He 's dead , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He was planning a big attack , a bad attack for us .
I do n't think anyone can complain about it . ''
• Why huge crowds turned out for Soleimani 's funeral • Voices from Iran : 'Qasem Soleimani did not deserve such a fate' Millions of Iranians turned out for the commander 's funeral , with mourners chanting `` death to America '' and `` death to Trump '' .
A stampede at the burial in Soleimani 's hometown Kerman killed 50 people and injured 200 more on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Iranian officials renewed their threats of revenge .
`` The martyr Qasem Soleimani is more powerful ... now that he is dead , '' the Revolutionary Guards ' commander-in-chief , Maj Gen Hossein Salami , told the crowds .
How does Iraq fit into this ?
Iran supports a variety of Shia militia groups in neighbouring Iraq .
On Friday , Soleimani had just arrived at Baghdad airport and was travelling in a convoy alongside officials from such groups when their cars were hit by several US missiles .
Iraq now finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally both of Iran and of the US .
Thousands of US troops remain in the country to assist in the broader struggle against the Sunni Islamic State ( IS ) group but Iraq 's government insists the US has acted beyond the terms of this agreement .
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi labelled the missile strike that killed Soleimani as a `` brazen violation of Iraq 's sovereignty and a blatant attack on the nation 's dignity '' .
What is your question about Iran-US relations ?
Use the form below to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading this page on the BBC News app , you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic .

Iran attack: US troops targeted with ballistic missiles Published 8 January 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, This footage, reportedly of the missile attack, was shown on Iranian state TV
Iran has carried out a ballistic missile attack on air bases housing US forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani.
More than a dozen missiles launched from Iran struck two air bases in Irbil and Al Asad, west of Baghdad.
It is unclear if there have been any casualties.
The initial response from Washington has been muted. President Trump tweeted that all was well and said casualties and damage were being assessed.
Two Iraqi bases housing US and coalition troops were targeted, one at Al Asad and one in Irbil, at about 02:00 local time on Wednesday (22:30 GMT on Tuesday). It came just hours after the burial of Soleimani, who controlled Iran's proxy forces across the Middle East.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was "a slap in the face" for the US and called for an end to the US presence in the Middle East.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, This is the most direct assault by Iran on the US since 1979
Echoing him, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran's "final answer" to Soleimani's assassination would be to "kick all US forces out of the region".
Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Iran warned him that an attack was imminent and only areas with US troops would be targeted. There were no reports of Iraqi casualties, he said.
Just hours after the missile strikes a Ukrainian airliner crashed in Iran shortly after take-off. There is no evidence that the two incidents are linked.
Several airlines have announced they are avoiding both Iranian and Iraqi airspace amid the rising tension.
Is this the end of the escalation?
This is the most direct assault by Iran on the US since the seizing of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the attack was in retaliation for the death of Soleimani on Friday - killed in a missile strike outside Baghdad airport on the orders of President Trump - and warned US allies that their bases could also be targeted.
Iran's Defence Minister Amir Hatami said Iran's response to any US retaliation would be proportional to the US action.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the attack was self-defence and denied seeking to escalate the situation into war.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Javad Zarif Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Javad Zarif
The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen in Baghdad says the tweets appear to suggest that Iran wishes to draw a line under its retaliation for the assassination of Soleimani and is putting the onus on the US as to whether the situation escalates.
Given the significance of General Soleimani and the passions that his killing aroused, Iran's military strike against US bases in Iraq was a modest response.
The attack was clearly timed to cause as few casualties as possible. Both the US and Iran - for all their rhetoric - do not want a wider conflict. So maybe a line can be drawn under this matter for now.
Is this the end of Iran's retaliation? Time will tell.
But it is hard to see Iranian policy changing. It is presumably still going to try to secure its regional goals, not least the departure of US forces from Iraq.
The Soleimani killing has weakened the US position there. But it was rocket attacks from Iran's proxies - local Shia militia - against US bases that formed the prelude to this recent crisis.
Has the US established any measure of deterrence? And if not, will Iranian-inspired attacks resume in due course?
What is the status of US troops in Iraq?
The US has around 5,000 troops in Iraq tasked with preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State group (IS) there.
President Trump said on Tuesday a US withdrawal of troops from Iraq would be the worst thing for the country.
His comments came in the wake of a letter, which the US military said had been sent in error, to Iraq's prime minister, which suggested that the US would be "repositioning" forces in the country.
What other reaction has there been?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would strike back hard against any attack and said President Trump should be congratulated for acting "swiftly, boldly and resolutely" in assassinating Soleimani.
While Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi urged restraint on all sides and warned that the crisis threatened a "devastating all-out war in Iraq, the region and the world".
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Iran not to repeat the "reckless and dangerous" attacks. The UK's defence ministry said it was "urgently working to establish the facts on the ground" but said there had been no British casualties.
France, the United Arab Emirates and the Nato defence alliance also called for de-escalation.
How did we get here?
The assassination of Soleimani - head of the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force and architect of Iranian policy in the region - on 3 January was a major escalation in already deteriorating relations between Iran and the US.
The general was regarded as a terrorist by the US government, which says he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops and was plotting "imminent" attacks.
Iran vowed "severe revenge" for his death.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Who was Qasem Soleimani?
Mr Trump, meanwhile, warned the US would respond in the event of retaliation "perhaps in a disproportionate manner".
"He was a monster. And he's no longer a monster. He's dead," Mr Trump said, defending his decision. "He was planning a big attack, a bad attack for us. I don't think anyone can complain about it."
Millions of Iranians turned out for the commander's funeral, with mourners chanting "death to America" and "death to Trump".
A stampede at the burial in Soleimani's hometown Kerman killed 50 people and injured 200 more on Tuesday.
Image source, EPA Image caption, Iran says the attack was in retaliation for killing the country's top commander Qasem Soleimani
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Use the form below to submit your question:


bbc--2020-01-08--Canadians among Ukrainian plane crash victims

A Ukrainian Boeing-737 carrying 176 people has crashed in Iran and officials say there is no chance of finding survivors .
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv went down after taking off from Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran at 06:12 local time ( 02:42 GMT ) .
The majority of passengers were from Iran and Canada .
Ukraine 's Tehran embassy initially blamed engine failure but later removed the statement .
It said any comment regarding the cause of the accident prior to a commission 's inquiry was not official .
Iranian media blamed technical problems and quoted an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been declared .
Debris and engine parts from the Boeing 737-800 NG plane were found some 10km ( 6 miles ) from the airport and rescue workers with face masks searched the wreckage for victims .
Throughout the morning , Red Crescent workers laid out a long line of body bags .
Hours before the plane came down Iran carried out a ballistic missile attack on two air bases housing US forces in Iraq .
There is no evidence that the two incidents were linked .
A series of airlines announced on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraqi airspace .
Air France and KLM said they would use alternative routes while Lufthansa said it was also cancelling its daily flight to Tehran .
Qantas , Air India , Japan Airlines , Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines were among other airlines taking action .
Who was on board ?
Among the victims were 82 Iranians , 63 Canadians , 11 Ukrainians including all nine crew , 10 Swedes , four Afghans , three Britons and three Germans , Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said .
Ukrainian officials said that 169 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two had not boarded the plane .
It was unclear why such a large number of Canadians were on board , however the airline provides relatively inexpensive flights via Kyiv to Toronto .
Sweden 's foreign ministry said its embassy in Tehran was seeking further information about the crash .
Foreign Minister Ann Linde said she had spoken to Mr Prystaiko .
• Three British nationals among dead in plane crash Iran 's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian .
That would suggest that 65 of the foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelensky said he was cutting short a trip to Oman and flying back to Kyiv .
He warned against `` speculation or unchecked theories regarding the catastrophe '' until official reports were ready .
`` My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of all passengers and crew , '' he said in a statement .
Ukraine International Airlines has suspended flights to Tehran indefinitely .
The airline said that the Boeing 737-800 was built in 2016 and had its last scheduled maintenance on Monday .
There was no sign of any problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airline 's president said it had an `` excellent , reliable crew '' .
UIA has never had a fatal crash before .
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine 's entire civil aviation fleet would be checked for airworthiness and criminal proceedings would be opened into the disaster .
Rescue teams have been sent to the crash site but the head of Iran 's Red Crescent told state media that it was `` impossible '' for anyone to have survived the crash .
Rescue workers had found one of the airliner 's black boxes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special planes to fly to Iran to take back the bodies of those killed , pending Iran 's agreement , Mr Zelensky said .
This type of Boeing is one of the most widely-used commercial airliners in the world .
Aviation safety analyst Todd Curtis told the BBC : `` The airplane was heavily fragmented which means either there was an intense impact on the ground or something happened in the sky , '' he said .
Flight data from the Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is openly available online .
It shows that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tehran .
It reached nearly 8,000ft ( 2,400m ) before the aircraft 's data suddenly disappears .
This is unusual and would suggest some type of catastrophic incident on board the plane .
We have no evidence at this stage to tell us what caused the incident .
According to a former air crash investigator , any suggestion of engine failure feels premature .
This possibility ca n't be ruled out at this early stage but an airliner such as the Boeing 737-800 is designed to keep flying if there is an engine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a failure then we would normally expect the flight data to show the plane 's climb becoming less steep .
What do we know about the airline ?
Ukraine International is a well-established private airline with a very good safety record .
The Tehran crash is its first such accident since it was founded in 1992 .
Although it is not strictly speaking a budget airline , many of its worldwide flights are keenly priced and therefore popular with travellers .
There is no Iranian community of any size in Ukraine and few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight is above all a connecting service to destinations beyond Ukraine .
The 63 Canadians killed in the crash had most likely intended to board a later flight from Kyiv to Toronto .
Canada 's biggest city is home to a large Iranian community and is even referred to by some Iranians as `` Tehran-to '' .
After the crash , Ukraine International suspended its services to and from Tehran until further notice .
There are several thousand Boeing 737-800s in operation around the world which have completed tens of millions of flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents , including this crash , where at least one passenger was killed , Mr Curtis said .
Mr Curtis said Iranian , Ukrainian , US and French authorities would all be involved in the investigation , but it was unclear how they would work together .
Iran is currently under US sanctions and there are severe tensions between the two countries .
Normally the US National Transportation Safety Board would have a role to play in the investigation .
`` From all appearances this was an airplane that had been properly cared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with respect to European authorities or American authorities so at this point there is nothing that points to a particular cause , '' Mr Curtis said .
`` And also one can not discount the possibility that something outside the aircraft , a mid-air collision or some other issue , may have been involved . ''
Have you been personally affected by this story ?
Please get in touch with us by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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The plane's engines are made by French-US firm CFM, owned by General Electric and France's Safran. Mr Curtis said Iranian, Ukrainian, US and French authorities would all be involved in the investigation, but it was unclear how they would work together. Iran is currently under US sanctions and there are severe tensions between the two countries.


bbc--2020-01-08--Aftermath of Ukrainian passenger plane crash in Iran

A Ukrainian Boeing-737 with more than 170 people on board has crashed in Iran , officials say .
Iran 's @ @ @ @ @ no chance of finding survivors .
The Ukraine International Airlines plane crashed just after take-off @ @ @ @ @ airport in Tehran , said the Fars state news agency .
The plane was flying @ @ @ @ @ .
Ukraine 's government said a crisis group was being set up to investigate the @ @ @ @ @ this story .

A Ukrainian Boeing-737 with more than 170 people on board has crashed in Iran, officials say.
Iran's Red Crescent said there was no chance of finding survivors.
The Ukraine International Airlines plane crashed just after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, said the Fars state news agency.
The plane was flying to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine's government said a crisis group was being set up to investigate the crash.
Read more on this story.


bbc--2020-01-08--Japan mass stabbing: Accused admits murders but denies guilt

A Japanese man has admitted killing 19 disabled people at a care home near Tokyo in 2016 but pleaded not guilty because he claims he is mentally ill. Satoshi Uematsu , a former employee at the care centre , is charged with numerous crimes , including murder .
In interviews , the 29-year-old has said severely disabled people are harmful to society and should be killed .
The case is one of Japan 's worst mass killings and has shocked people in a country where violent crime is rare .
The case has raised also questions about Japan 's treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the victims will not be named at the trial - apparently because their relatives fear the stigma associated with having a disabled family member .
At the opening of the trial , the former employee of the Sagamihara care home did not dispute he had stabbed his victims .
After the prosecution read out the details of charges , Mr Uematsu was asked whether `` anything in the charges differs from the facts '' and he replied `` No , there is n't '' .
Despite his admission , the defence team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's mental state .
They said he had been under the influence of drugs at the time .
`` He abused marijuana and suffered from mental illness , '' his lawyer said .
`` He was in a condition in which either he had no capacity to take responsibility or such a capacity was significantly weakened . ''
There were traces of marijuana found in the defendant 's blood after the attack .
Wednesday 's proceedings were interrupted shortly after they began when the accused appeared to try to put something in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
Mr Uematsu faces the death penalty if convicted .
The court 's verdict is expected in March .
How did the attack unfold ?
In the early hours of 26 July 2016 , Mr Uematsu drove to the Tsukui Yamayuri-en care facility , located about 50km ( 31 miles ) from Tokyo , armed with several knives , the court heard .
He entered one of the buildings by breaking a window and began attacking sleeping residents one by one in their rooms , prosecutors say .
His 19 victims were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Japanese news agency Kyodo .
Another 25 people were wounded , 20 of them seriously .
• How Japan has almost eradicated gun crime • Why some Japanese pensioners want to go to jail Soon after the attack , Mr Uematsu handed himself in at a police station .
`` When Uematsu turned himself in , he was found carrying kitchen knives and other types of knives stained with blood , '' a Kanagawa prefecture official told reporters at the time .
The facility , set in extensive grounds , had about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack , according to local officials .
Nine staff members were on duty at the time .
It later emerged that a few months before the attack Mr Uematsu had taken a letter to Japan 's parliament saying he would kill 470 severely disabled people if authorised : `` I want Japan to be a country where the disabled can be euthanised . ''
He was subsequently taken to hospital but released after two weeks .
Since his arrest , he has shown no remorse .
In an interview with Japan 's Mainichi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` no point in living '' for people with mental disabilities and that he `` had to do it for the sake of society '' .
He told Kyodo last month disabled people `` bring misfortune '' and are `` harmful '' .
The country was stunned by the Sagamihara care-home stabbings .
Japan is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world , in part because of strict gun control laws .
The attack has also raised the issue of how disabled people are treated in Japan .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those killed have not been revealed by their families , apparently because they do not want to reveal they have a disabled relative .
Before the start of the court hearing , however , one mother whose daughter was killed in the attack revealed that her first name was Miho .
`` I was proud of her as she had a lovely smile and was so adorable , '' the woman said in a letter to the press .
She said Miho , who was 19 when she died , had been autistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kyodo reports .
`` Miho was living her life to the fullest , and I would like to leave proof for that .
I want the name Miho to be remembered , '' she wrote .

The attack has also raised the issue of how disabled people are treated in Japan. To this day the identities of most of those killed have not been revealed by their families, apparently because they do not want to reveal they have a disabled relative.


bbc--2020-01-08--Ugly Betty creator Silvio Horta dies aged 45

The creator of the hit US TV sitcom Ugly Betty , Silvio Horta , has died aged 45 , his representative has confirmed .
The show 's star America Ferrera said she was `` stunned and heartbroken '' after the TV writer and executive producer was found dead on Tuesday in Miami .
Ugly Betty ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010 and was adapted from the Colombian show Yo soy Betty , la fea .
Ferrera posted a picture of the two of them together on Instagram , describing the news as `` devastating '' .
`` His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many others such joy and light , '' wrote Ferrera , who starred as Betty Suarez - an untrendy and naive Mexican-American journalist who takes a job at a high-end New York fashion magazine .
The role won the 35-year a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award .
`` I 'm thinking of his family and loved ones who must be in so much pain right now - and of the whole Ugly Betty family who feel this loss so deeply . ''
Horta 's representative confirmed he had died but refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cuban-American Horta was born in Miami and studied film at New York University , before getting his big break in 1998 , writing the screenplay for the horror-thriller Urban Legend .
He came up with two sci-fi TV shows , Jake 2.0 and The Chronicle , before Ugly Betty - which won him the Golden Globe for best comedy series in 2007 .
At the time he stated : `` Like most of us up here , Betty is an immigrant and The American Dream is alive and well and in reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • The American who turned Ugly Betty into a Russian Vanessa Williams , who played model-turned-modelling company boss Wilhelmina Slater added she was `` still in shock after hearing the tragic news '' .
Michael Urie played Slater 's assistant Marc St. James on the programme and he recalled how Horta `` gave me a huge break '' .
`` I hear from LGBTQ people all the time that the show helped them , '' he added .
`` Me too .
He and that show will always be with me . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several of Horta 's productions , said he would be `` forever grateful for his creativity , his enormous heart , and his friendship '' .
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bbc--2020-01-08--CES 2020: Ivanka Trump unfazed by critics at tech show

Ivanka Trump 's appearance at the CES tech show went smoothly , despite controversy surrounding her invitation .
Some had criticised a decision to give her a `` keynote '' slot , saying other women had more expertise in the field .
On stage , the US president 's daughter suggested Americans ' CV data should be stored and updated on their phones as a matter of course , to make it easier for them to apply for jobs .
She seemed not to want to `` ruffle feathers '' , one attendee told the BBC .
Ms Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade show delegates in Las Vegas by Gary Shapiro , chief of the Consumer Technology Association ( CTA ) , which organises CES .
`` Why ca n't you have your high school degree verified and in your phone , so an employer does n't need to call your high school ? ''
she asked him rhetorically .
Skills obtained on health and safety courses , or in manufacturing roles , she suggested , could be logged .
`` All of that should be catalogued and tracked and available and accessible , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computer of the future Last year , a white paper published by the US government described the concept - known as interoperable learning records - in detail .
Ms Trump also said that more could be done to help those without college degrees enter the workforce .
And she gained a round of applause for praising the introduction of paid parental leave for US government workers .
Critics had called for the event to be boycotted .
But a large audience packed into a hotel conference centre to see and hear Ms Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the administration that she did n't want to ruffle any feathers , '' said Adam Smith , contributing UK editor for PCMag .
He added that the atmosphere had been `` accommodating '' to Ms Trump .
`` A debate may be worthwhile on whether her presence took the place of a more experienced woman in the tech sector or the merits of her political views , but it would be difficult to fault her on the delivery of her message , '' he added .
Ms Trump and her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland as part of the White House delegation later this month .
I was n't sure what to expect from Ivanka Trump 's much-hyped CES keynote .
Would the grand Venetian Ballroom auditorium be full , or would the threatened boycott keep the crowds away ?
Would she be booed or cheered ?
It was no doubt a lucrative day to be a security guard here in Las Vegas .
Men in black wearing silver `` cop security '' badges were everywhere , and long queues of CES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No selfie sticks , no signs , no oversized bags , '' we were instructed .
The hall was soon packed out .
Ivanka Trump and Gary Shapiro emerged , a few minutes late , to enthusiastic applause .
This audience was clearly not going to heckle , and it was also apparent that Mr Shapiro had no intention of giving Ms Trump what we journalists would call a grilling .
Ms Trump was articulate and on-message about her father 's government 's strategies in tackling unemployment in the US .
She spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her diamond rings sparkling under the stage lights .
It was a very smooth performance - but it lacked any drama .
Our camerawoman Cody was at the back of the hall .
She told me that a small but steady trickle of people walked out discreetly before the end .
About 12 minutes in , I noticed the head of the gentleman on my left in the press seats slowly sink towards his chest .
He closed his eyes , appearing to snooze .
I wondered briefly whether to give him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he probably was n't going to miss any excitement .
And he did n't .
Catch up with all the BBC 's CES 2020 coverage

"A debate may be worthwhile on whether her presence took the place of a more experienced woman in the tech sector or the merits of her political views, but it would be difficult to fault her on the delivery of her message," he added.


bbc--2020-01-07--Venezuela's Guaidó storms parliament to be sworn in

In dramatic scenes , Venezuela 's opposition leader Juan Guaidó has forced his way into the National Assembly building after @ @ @ @ @ The incident occurred as his rival for the position of parliamentary speaker held a session @ @ @ @ @ sit down in the Speaker 's chair .
He and his supporters sang the national @ @ @ @ @ in as Speaker during a power cut .

In dramatic scenes, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó has forced his way into the National Assembly building after being stopped by troops. The incident occurred as his rival for the position of parliamentary speaker held a session inside.
Guaidó went on sit down in the Speaker's chair. He and his supporters sang the national anthem before he was sworn in as Speaker during a power cut.
Read more: What's behind Venezuela's political crisis?


bbc--2020-01-08--DR Congo measles: More than 6,000 dead in world's worst outbreak

The number of people killed by a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 6,000 , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has said .
The WHO says the epidemic is the world 's largest and fastest moving .
Around 310,000 suspected measles cases have been reported since the start of 2019 , the WHO says .
The Congolese government and the WHO launched an emergency vaccination programme last September .
More than 18 million children under five were vaccinated across the country in 2019 , the WHO says .
But poor infrastructure , attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to routine healthcare have all hindered efforts to stop the spread of the disease .
Every one of the country 's 26 provinces has reported cases of measles since the outbreak was declared in June last year .
DR Congo is also experiencing the second most deadly outbreak of Ebola the world has ever seen but this has killed less than half as many people as measles in the country .
`` We are doing our utmost to bring this epidemic under control , '' said Dr Matshidiso Moeti , WHO Regional Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly successful we must ensure that no child faces the unnecessary risk of death from a disease that is easily preventable by a vaccine .
We urge our donor partners to urgently step up their assistance . ''
The WHO says an extra $ 40m ( £30m ) is required to extend the vaccination to children between six and 14 years and strengthen outbreak response .
Measles is a virus that initially causes a runny nose , sneezing and fever .
A few days later it leads to a blotchy rash that starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the body .
Most people will recover , but measles can cause life-long disability .
It can be deadly , especially if it causes pneumonia in the lungs or encephalitis ( swelling in the brain ) .
It is estimated that a global total of 110,000 people die from measles each year .
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DR Congo is also experiencing the second most deadly outbreak of Ebola the world has ever seen but this has killed less than half as many people as measles in the country.


bbc--2020-01-08--Carlos Ghosn: Nissan inquiry a 'gross perversion'

Lawyers for ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn have attacked the company , accusing it of conducting a biased investigation of his leadership .
They said the inquiry , which led to his arrest in Japan , was launched with `` the specific , predetermined purpose of taking down Carlos Ghosn '' .
`` That investigation was never about finding the truth , '' they said .
The comments came ahead of a press conference that Mr Ghosn is scheduled to hold in Lebanon later today .
Nissan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claims , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made previously .
In the much anticipated news conference on Wednesday , he is expected to provide more information about how he surprised Japanese authorities by skipping bail and fleeing the country at the end of last month .
Mr Ghosn ran carmaker Nissan until he was arrested in Japan on charges of financial misconduct , including improperly reporting his compensation , in November 2018 .
In Tuesday 's statement , his defence team said that `` Nissan 's claim that it conducted ' a robust , thorough internal investigation ' is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They argue that the independence of the executives and legal teams in charge of the inquiry was compromised and complain that Mr Ghosn himself was never interviewed .
`` These are not the hallmarks of a company committed to conducting fair and impartial investigation , rather evidence that Nissan 's investigation was fundamentally flawed , biased , and lacking in independence from its inception , '' they argue .
Executives wanted to block his efforts to integrate Japan 's Nissan with France 's Renault , they added .
The comments came after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying it would still take legal action against Mr Ghosn despite him no longer being in Japan .
The carmaker also defended its decision to remove him from office , saying he was `` not fit to serve as an executive '' .
Tokyo prosecutors have separately issued an arrest warrant for his wife , Carole , who they say is suspected of making false statements to court .
She told Le Parisien that she was not aware of plans for his escape and called her husband a `` victim of an industrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nissan '' .

In the much anticipated news conference on Wednesday, he is expected to provide more information about how he surprised Japanese authorities by skipping bail and fleeing the country at the end of last month.


bbc--2020-01-08--'Child stowaway' found dead in plane's undercarriage in Paris

The body of child aged around 10 has been found in the undercarriage of plane that had arrived in Paris @ @ @ @ @ to the investigation have told French media .
Air France confirmed that `` the lifeless @ @ @ @ @ was discovered at Charles de Gaulle Airport early in the morning .
The body was @ @ @ @ @ the landing gear of the aircraft that flew in from Ivory Coast , it said @ @ @ @ @ way .
`` The airline expresses their condolences and deplores this human tragedy , '' @ @ @ @ @ tweet , without specifying the age of person found .
The Air France Boeing 777 @ @ @ @ @ , Ivory Coast 's main city , on Tuesday evening .
An Ivorian security source @ @ @ @ @ : `` Aside from the human drama , this shows a major failing of security @ @ @ @ @

The body of a child aged about 10 has been found in the undercarriage of a plane that had arrived in Paris from Abidjan, sources close to the investigation have told French media.


bbc--2020-01-08--EXPLAINER: What we know about the attacked bases

The Al Asad air base is so vast that , after the US invasion , it had cinemas , swimming pools , fast food restaurants , and - not one - but two internal bus routes .
It was built in the 1980s for the Iraqi military , in desert around 100 miles west of Baghdad .
But after the US invasion in 2003 , it became one of the biggest bases for American troops - and was quickly transformed .
`` It 's right in the middle of the desert , and surrounded on all sides by scrublands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported for the BBC in 2006 .
`` As you emerge into the American section , you come across much better roads ... in many ways they 've tried to recreate the set-up of a modern US suburban town . ''
The facilities were so impressive , some US troops even called it `` Camp Cupcake '' .
As the US withdrew from the base in 2009 and 2010 , it was handed back to the Iraqis .
But , as the Islamic State gained control of surrounding Anbar province , the base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as IS encircled - the BBC 's Quentin Somerville gained access via an Iraqi military plane .
`` Reminders of American occupation are everywhere - spent artillery shells and dusty accommodation quarters , with uneaten ration packs strewn across the floor , '' he reported .
After the US returned to Iraq to fight IS in the same year , the base was secured and rebuilt .
However , with far fewer troops , one airman noted in 2017 that `` it only offers a fraction of the comforts it once did '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump visited troops at the base .
`` The men and women stationed at Al Asad have played a vital role in the military defeat of ISIS in Iraq and in Syria , '' he told them .
But afterwards , he said he feared for his wife 's safety during the visit .
`` If you would have seen what we had to go through , '' he told reporters .
In November last year , Vice President Mike Pence also visited the base for Thanksgiving .
It 's thought there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Asad , and around 5,000 US troops in the country in total .
This week , in a non-binding vote , the Iraqi parliament voted to expel them .
In response , President Trump brought up the cost of the Al Asad air base .
`` We have a very extraordinarily expensive airbase that 's there , '' he said .
`` It cost billions of dollars to build .
Long before my time .
We 're not leaving unless they pay us back for it . ''
The other base that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital of Iraq 's relatively stable Kurdistan region .
In September , the US Army said it was home to `` more than 3,600 military and civilian personnel from 13 different nations '' .
The base is used to train local forces .
Last month , the US Central Command reported that the first female military instructors in the region had graduated from Irbil .
How long the US will stay in Iraq , though , is uncertain .
Only this week , Defence Secretary Mark Esper was forced to deny the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @

But afterwards, he said he feared for his wife's safety during the visit. "If you would have seen what we had to go through," he told reporters.


bbc--2020-01-08--IMPACT: Crude oil prices rise after attacks

Oil prices have risen after two bases hosting US troops in Iraq were hit by ballistic missiles .
Brent crude was up by 1.4 % at $ 69.21 per barrel in the middle of the Asian trade , easing back from earlier gains .
So-called safe haven assets , like gold and the Japanese yen , also rose on the news .
At the same time global stock prices were sent lower on concerns over the growing conflict in the Middle East .
Japan 's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index fell by 1.3 % , and Hang Seng in Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state television said the attack was a retaliation for the killing of the country 's top commander Qasem Soleimani .
• US airbases in Iraq hit by ballistic missiles • The US , Iran and Soleimani story explained • What is Trump 's strategy on Iran ?
The attack happened just hours after the funeral service for Soleimani , who was killed by a US drone strike on Friday .
His death had raised concerns that the conflict between the US and Iran could escalate further .
That could disrupt shipping in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Strait of Hormuz .
Around a fifth of global oil supply passes through the strait which connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea .
The Strait of Hormuz is vital for the main oil exporters in the Gulf region - Saudi Arabia , Iraq , the UAE , and Kuwait - whose economies are built around oil and gas production .
Iran also relies heavily on this route for its oil exports .
Qatar , the world 's biggest producer of liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) , exports nearly all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest attacks , the US aviation regulator banned American airlines from flying over Iraq , Iran and neighbouring countries .
The ban includes the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia .
The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) said the decision was in response to heightened military activity , and increased political tension in the region .
Before the latest guidance , the FAA had already prohibited US airlines from flying below 26,000 feet ( 7,925 metres ) over Iraq and from flying over an area of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Iran shot down an American drone in June 2019 .
At the same time Singapore Airlines has said that all of its flights would now be diverted from Iranian airspace .

While oil prices had jumped to an almost four-month high overnight, they fell back during trade on Wednesday. Brent Crude was down more than 3% to about $65.78 per barrel by mid-day in New York and West Texas International fell more than 4%.


bbc--2020-01-08--REACTION: UK condemns Iran missile strikes

Dominic Raab has condemned a ballistic missile attack by Iran on air bases in Iraq where coalition forces , including British personnel , are stationed .
The foreign secretary urged Iran not to repeat `` reckless and dangerous attacks '' after strikes on bases in Irbil in the north , and al Asad , west of Baghdad .
The Ministry of Defence said there were no UK casualties .
Iran 's Revolutionary Guard said the action was in retaliation for the death of General Qasem Soleimani on Friday .
He was killed outside Baghdad airport in a missile strike ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raab said he was concerned by reports of casualties and that a war in the Middle East would only benefit terrorist groups .
Speaking on BBC Breakfast , Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay stressed all parties in the crisis `` need to de-escalate '' .
`` It 's in no side 's interest to see war , '' he said .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will update the House of Commons later , and discuss the situation at a meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen .
Acting Lib Dem leader Sr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` dialogue and a de-escalation of this intensifying situation '' and said the strikes should be `` unequivocally condemned '' .
Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei described the attack as `` a slap in the face '' for the US .
The missile attack showed just a `` small part '' of the capabilities of the Iranian armed forces , the chief of staff the military said But Iran 's ambassador to the UK , Hamid Baeidinejad , said the attack was an act of self-defence and the country `` does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US president tweeted `` all is well '' following the strikes , adding that casualties and damage were being assessed and that he would make a statement on Wednesday morning .
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said there was provocative language used on both sides of the crisis , in Washington and Tehran .
Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire programme , he added that the attack may mark the end of Iran 's overt retaliation but there are a number of ways the country could choose to respond covertly in the coming weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran will still be baying for blood , so it 's quite provocative for Donald Trump to say 'all is well ' , '' he said .
`` There are hardliners in the Iranian deep state - the whole security , intelligence and judicial apparatus - who distrust everything that the outside world and particularly the West does .
`` They will want to carry on harassing and attacking US interest in the region until America leaves altogether . ''
More than a dozen missiles were fired from Iranian territories into Iraq at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22:30 GMT , Tuesday ) .
The al Asad airbase - located in the Anbar province of western Iraq - was hit by at least six missiles .
There are around 400 UK troops stationed in Iraq , primarily to assist Iraqi troops in defeating IS .
A Ministry of Defence spokesman added : `` We are urgently working to establish the facts on the ground .
Our first priority continues to be the security of British personnel . ''
In the UK , police are `` extremely alert '' to any impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , the Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick has said .
On Tuesday , the UK put the Royal Navy and military helicopters on standby in the Gulf amid the rising tensions in the Middle East .
The government said non-essential UK personnel had also been moved out of the Iraqi capital Baghdad .
Iran vowed `` severe revenge '' following the assassination of Soleimani on 3 January .
The general - who controlled Iran 's proxy forces across the Middle East - was regarded as a terrorist by the US government .

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bbc--2020-01-08--REALITY CHECK: How strong is Iran's military?

Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing US forces .
It had vowed to retaliate after its most powerful military commander , General Qasem Soleimani , was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad airport .
Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was `` a slap in the face '' for the US .
So what do we know about Iran 's military capabilities ?
What missiles does Iran have ?
Iran 's missile capabilities are a key part of its military prowess , given its relative lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and Saudi Arabia .
A US Defense Department report describes the country 's missile forces as the largest in the Middle East , comprising mainly short-range and medium-range missiles .
It also says Iran is testing space technology to allow it to develop inter-continental missiles , which can travel much further .
• What is the Patriot missile defence system ?
However , the long-range missile programme was stalled by Iran as part of its 2015 nuclear deal with foreign countries , according to the Royal United Services Institute ( Rusi ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it may have resumed , given the uncertainty surrounding that deal .
In any case , many targets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf would be within range of Iran 's current short and medium-range missiles , and possibly targets in Israel .
In May last year , the US deployed a Patriot anti-missile defence system to the Middle East as tensions with Iran increased .
This is meant to counter ballistic missiles , cruise missiles and advanced aircraft .
There are an estimated 523,000 active Iranian personnel in a range of military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Strategic Studies , a UK-based think tank .
This includes 350,000 in the regular army , and at least 150,000 in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) .
There are a further 20,000 service personnel in the IRGC 's naval forces .
This group operates a number of armed patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz , the site of several confrontations involving foreign-flagged tankers in 2019 .
The IRGC also controls the Basij unit , a volunteer force which has helped suppress internal dissent .
This unit can potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The IRGC was set up 40 years ago to defend the Islamic system in Iran and has become a major military , political and economic force in its own right .
• Top Iranian general killed by US in Iraq Despite having fewer troops than the regular army , it is considered the most authoritative military force in Iran .
The Quds Force , which was led by General Soleimani , conducts secret operations abroad for the IRGC and reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong .
The unit has been deployed to Syria , where it advised military elements loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and armed Shia militias fighting with them .
In Iraq , it has supported a Shia-dominated paramilitary force which assisted in the defeat of the Islamic State group .
However , the US says the Quds force has a wider role by providing funding , training , weapons and equipment to organisations that Washington has designated as terrorist groups in the Middle East .
These include Lebanon 's Hezbollah movement and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions have hampered Iran 's arms imports , which are relatively small compared to those of other countries in the region .
The value of Iran 's defence imports between 2009 and 2018 was equivalent to just 3.5 % of Saudi Arabia 's imports over the same period , according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute .
Most Iranian imports come from Russia , and the rest from China .
Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapons programme , and has previously said it does not want one .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the knowledge to create a military nuclear capability .
In 2015 , the US government under President Obama estimated that Iran only needed two to three months to produce enough nuclear material to make a weapon .
The nuclear agreement that year between Tehran and six world powers - from which President Trump withdrew in 2018 - introduced limits and international checks on Iran 's nuclear activities .
It aimed to make it more difficult and time consuming to develop weapons-grade material .
Following the killing of General Soleimani by US forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be bound by these restrictions .
But it also says it will continue to co-operate with the UN 's nuclear watchdog , the IAEA .
Despite years of sanctions , Iran has also been able to develop drone capabilities .
In Iraq , Iranian drones have been used since 2016 in the fight against IS .
Iran has also entered Israeli airspace with armed drones operated from bases in Syria , according to Rusi .
In June 2019 , Iran shot down a US surveillance drone , claiming it had violated Iranian airspace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other aspect of Iran 's drone programme is its willingness to sell or transfer its drone technology to its allies and proxies in the region , says Jonathan Marcus , the BBC 's Defence and diplomatic correspondent .
In 2019 , drone and missile attacks damaged two key Saudi oil facilities .
Both the US and Saudi Arabia linked these attacks to Iran , although Tehran denied any involvement and pointed to a claim of responsibility by rebels in Yemen .
Following a major cyber-attack in 2010 on Iranian nuclear facilities , Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) is believed to have its own cyber-command , working on commercial and military espionage .
In 2012 , US officials blamed Iran for a series of cyber attacks on US banks intended to disrupt traffic to their websites .
A US military report in 2019 said Iran had also targeted aerospace companies , defence contractors , energy and natural resource companies and telecommunications firms for cyber-espionage operations around the world .
Also in 2019 , Microsoft said a hacker group that `` originates from Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' targeted a US presidential campaign and tried to break into the accounts of American government officials .

Following the killing of General Soleimani by US forces, Iran has said it will not be bound by these restrictions. But it also says it will continue to co-operate with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.


bbc--2020-01-07--EXPLAINER: The US, Iran and Soleimani

EXPLAINER: The US, Iran and Soleimani

The assassination by the US of Iran 's most powerful general caused tensions between the two countries to soar , raising fears of an all-out war .
But what lies at the root of the crisis ?
Here are the basics .
The US and Iran have long been foes .
Problems can be traced to at least 1979 , when Iran 's US-backed shah was overthrown and the country became an Islamic republic .
That year , amidst the fallout from the revolution , dozens of Americans were taken hostage inside the US embassy in the capital Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were signs of a diplomatic thaw in 2015 , when Iran agreed a landmark deal to limit its nuclear programme , allaying international concerns .
It did so in return for the lifting of tough economic sanctions .
But the election of US President Donald Trump the following year posed a challenge .
He hated the nuclear accord , which he branded `` the worst deal ever negotiated '' .
In 2018 , he abandoned it altogether and reinstated US sanctions to force Iran 's leaders to agree to a new deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian economy was sent into a deep recession .
Mr Trump stepped up the pressure in May 2019 by applying secondary sanctions on countries that continued to do business with Iran .
Relations further deteriorated when six oil tankers were sabotaged in the Gulf of Oman in May and June .
Washington accused Iran of being behind these attacks .
Iran denied this .
In July , Tehran started suspending some of the commitments it had made under the nuclear deal .
Then , in late December , the US blamed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed an American contractor in northern Iraq .
Washington retaliated by bombing bases associated with the militia in Iraq and Syria , killing at least 25 fighters .
These bombings sparked a backlash in Iraq .
The US embassy in the capital , Baghdad , was attacked by crowds of protesters .
President Trump blamed Iran for orchestrating the attack and warned it would `` pay a very big price '' .
On 3 January , Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport .
The general - who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East - was regarded as a terrorist by the Americans , who alleged he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops and was plotting `` imminent '' attacks .
Iran vowed `` severe revenge '' for his death and said two days later that it had abandoned the last limit on its enrichment of uranium imposed by the nuclear deal .
Mr Trump , meanwhile , warned the US would respond in the event of retaliation `` perhaps in a disproportionate manner '' .
Want to know more ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean WW3 ?

In 2018, he abandoned it altogether and reinstated US sanctions to force Iran's leaders to agree to a new deal - something they rejected, even as the Iranian economy was sent into a deep recession.


bbc--2020-01-07--REALITY CHECK: Soleimani's assassination and the law

US President Donald Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq but what are the legal grounds for this course of action ?
The US said : `` This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans . ''
So , what are the key issues when considering its legality , according to international law ?
What does the law say ?
The relevant law in the UN Charter allows for a state to act in self-defence `` if an armed attack occurs '' .
But this definition tends to be interpreted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the Soleimani case , the US is claiming it acted in self-defence to prevent imminent attacks , a category of action which , if in fact true , is generally seen as being permissible under the UN Charter , '' says Dapo Akande , professor of public international law at Oxford University and co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics , Law and Armed Conflict ( ELAC ) .
But Agnes Callamard , UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings .
has tweeted about the strike saying `` this test is unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report on `` targeted killings '' said there was a weighty body of scholarship that viewed the self-defence argument as having the right to use force `` against a real and imminent threat when the necessity of that self-defence is instant , overwhelming , and leaving no choice of means , and no moment of deliberation . ''
• Will his killing spark war and more of your questions The initial US Department of Defense statement omitted the word `` imminent '' and said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani was `` actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region '' .
In later statements , US officials including President Trump said Soleimani had been plotting `` imminent attacks '' .
Elizabeth Warren , a Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency , said : `` The administration can not keep its story straight . ''
So what evidence is there of planned attacks by Iran ?
The legality of the strike under international law may well depend on the US providing evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akande .
The US government has not yet shared details publicly , but the administration has said intelligence has been shared with key figures in the US Congress .
Asked by a journalist on 7 January for more details about imminent threats , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted the incidents leading up to the strike , but did not provide any evidence of impending attacks .
There are other justifications it has used in the past , according to Dr Ralph Wilde , an expert in public international law at University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US has taken a view that self-defence can be justified to prevent more longer-term attacks .
When the attack is being planned , but is not imminent .
The Obama administration used this argument to justify drone strikes . ''
And what about the issue of consent ?
The other issue is whether the US had consent from Iraq to carry out the strike there .
Iraqi MPs reacted angrily and passed a non-binding resolution calling for US troops to leave the country .
The Iraqi government has called it a `` brazen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US forces had been invited into Iraq to fight the Islamic State group and to train Iraqi forces .
The US might argue this invitation constituted some form of consent , giving them a right to protect their interests and personnel inside Iraq .
But Mr Akande argues that , in practice , the terms of the agreement to host US forces would not stretch to carrying out an attack like this .
On Sunday , Mr Trump tweeted , warning the US would target sites that were `` important to Iran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were hit .
The Iran Foreign Minister , Javad Zarif said an attack on a cultural site would amount to a war crime .
Trump 's threat `` shows callous disregard for the global rule of law '' , said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch .
The US government insisted it would behave lawfully .
But an attack on a cultural site would violate several international treaties .
The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property safeguarded cultural sites in the wake of the destruction of cultural heritage sites during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the US .
In 2017 , the UN passed a resolution in response to the Islamic State attacks which condemned `` the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage , including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts '' .
The US was among the harshest critics of the IS destruction of historic site of Palmyra in Syria in 2015 , as well as the Taliban 's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001 .
In 2016 , the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) convicted someone for the destruction of cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extremist linked to Al-Qaeda destroyed religious artefacts in Mali .
The US is not part of the ICC but it is a signatory of other agreements to protect cultural property and any attack would represent a significant reversal .

Soleimani attack: What does international law say? Published 7 January 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, President Trump said Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on American diplomats
US President Donald Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq but what are the legal grounds for this course of action?
The US said: "This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans."
So, what are the key issues when considering its legality, according to international law?
What does the law say?
The relevant law in the UN Charter allows for a state to act in self-defence "if an armed attack occurs".
But this definition tends to be interpreted by governments, say legal experts.
"In the Soleimani case, the US is claiming it acted in self-defence to prevent imminent attacks, a category of action which, if in fact true, is generally seen as being permissible under the UN Charter," says Dapo Akande, professor of public international law at Oxford University and co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC).
But Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings. has tweeted about the strike saying "this test is unlikely to be met".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Agnes Callamard Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Agnes Callamard
A 2010 UN report on "targeted killings" said there was a weighty body of scholarship that viewed the self-defence argument as having the right to use force "against a real and imminent threat when the necessity of that self-defence is instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment of deliberation."
The initial US Department of Defense statement omitted the word "imminent" and said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks and that Iran's top military leader Soleimani was "actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region".
In later statements, US officials including President Trump said Soleimani had been plotting "imminent attacks".
Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency, said: "The administration cannot keep its story straight."
So what evidence is there of planned attacks by Iran?
The legality of the strike under international law may well depend on the US providing evidence of those future attacks, according to Mr Akande.
The US government has not yet shared details publicly, but the administration has said intelligence has been shared with key figures in the US Congress.
Asked by a journalist on 7 January for more details about imminent threats, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted the incidents leading up to the strike, but did not provide any evidence of impending attacks.
There are other justifications it has used in the past, according to Dr Ralph Wilde, an expert in public international law at University College London.
"Since 9/11 the US has taken a view that self-defence can be justified to prevent more longer-term attacks. When the attack is being planned, but is not imminent. The Obama administration used this argument to justify drone strikes."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Mourners packed the streets in Tehran - and Iran's supreme leader wept as he led prayers
And what about the issue of consent?
The other issue is whether the US had consent from Iraq to carry out the strike there.
Iraqi MPs reacted angrily and passed a non-binding resolution calling for US troops to leave the country. The Iraqi government has called it a "brazen violation of Iraq's sovereignty".
US forces had been invited into Iraq to fight the Islamic State group and to train Iraqi forces.
The US might argue this invitation constituted some form of consent, giving them a right to protect their interests and personnel inside Iraq.
But Mr Akande argues that, in practice, the terms of the agreement to host US forces would not stretch to carrying out an attack like this.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Persepolis is one of Iran's most famous cultural sites
Can you target cultural sites?
On Sunday, Mr Trump tweeted, warning the US would target sites that were "important to Iran and the Iranian culture" if American assets were hit.
The Iran Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif said an attack on a cultural site would amount to a war crime.
Trump's threat "shows callous disregard for the global rule of law", said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch.
The US government insisted it would behave lawfully.
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But an attack on a cultural site would violate several international treaties.
The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property safeguarded cultural sites in the wake of the destruction of cultural heritage sites during World War Two, and was signed by the US.
In 2017, the UN passed a resolution in response to the Islamic State attacks which condemned "the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts".
The US was among the harshest critics of the IS destruction of historic site of Palmyra in Syria in 2015, as well as the Taliban's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001.
In 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted someone for the destruction of cultural heritage for the first time, after an extremist linked to Al-Qaeda destroyed religious artefacts in Mali.


bbc--2020-01-07--ANALYSIS: Why crowds turned out for Soleimani's funeral

Some of the biggest crowds ever seen for a funeral in Iran turned out for that of Qasem Soleimani , the top commander killed in a US air strike last week .
In scale , it was second only to the funeral in 1989 of Ayatollah Khomeini , the founder of the Islamic revolution .
These scenes are perhaps surprising to outsiders , and even to some of the country 's most senior leaders .
Only seven weeks ago , Iran witnessed the most violent anti-government demonstrations in decades .
Security forces killed anywhere between 330 and 1,500 protesters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thousands more were injured and arrested .
So why have so many people come out to pay homage to Soleimani ?
There is no doubt that feelings are running high .
Arguably the most important man in the country 's armed forces has been assassinated by the US , which for many is the arch-enemy of Iran .
Iran 's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif took to Twitter with a message to President Donald Trump : `` Have you seen such a sea of humanity in your life ?
... Do you still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great nation and its people ? ''
But it is also clear that the government launched a massive effort to mobilise as many people as possible .
The huge turnout sent a strong signal to President Trump that the government enjoys widespread support .
• Voices from Iran : 'Soleimani did not deserve such a fate' It also sent the message that any foreign aggression would rally Iranians behind their leaders and any war could well be long and costly .
For years , whenever they were short of answers to big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have relied on mass shows of popular support .
Historically , rallies have been to intimidate and silence opposition .
The organisers are now expert in their work .
From declaring national holidays to rallying university students or demanding that military personnel and government employees come out with their families , every method of gathering crowds has been used .
Buses , trains and trucks are provided to transport people from villages and towns across Iran to rallies that are relentless advertised by state TV .
People turn up in large numbers because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hardline organisers have powerful supporters , including in the Basij paramilitary force and in the Revolutionary Guards , who can always be relied on to do their duty .
Other factors help explain why so many ordinary Iranians closed ranks behind the country 's leaders .
Some see Soleimani as a hero who devoted his life to defending the country .
They feel he was uncorrupted and dedicated to his work , unlike many senior soldiers and officials .
He was also a commander of the Revolutionary Guards for much of the eight-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranians - in spite of Western support for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein - managed to stop Iraqi forces from overrunning their country .
• Is the Iran nuclear deal dead and buried ?
In recent years , Qasem Soleimani also helped check Islamic State ( IS ) jihadists in Iraq , who had advanced almost to the Iranian border .
For nationalist mourners , Soleimani had projected Iranian power in the Arab world .
He was seen as the architect of Iran 's presence and reach from Lebanon to Syria , Iraq and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came out of sheer anger at the assassination of an Iranian general abroad .
They felt by killing him , the US was starting a war and that it was time to close ranks in defence of the country .
Former Tehran university professor Sadegh Zibakalam tweeted from the capital that in spite of efforts by the hardliners to own Soleimani , he was a national figure .
Another factor behind the high turnout was loose talk from President Trump .
He tweeted that the US had selected 52 targets in Iran for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avenge Soleimani 's death .
He said these included a number of sites of cultural importance to Iran .
Attacking cultural centres is a war crime .
It was immediately clear that this was not the way for the US to win hearts and minds in a country proud of a history that goes back thousands of years .
• Trump under fire for threat to Iran cultural sites But many millions did not join the crowds - including those who did not see Soleimani as a force for good .
They saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppressive machine .
The reformists in Iran have not forgotten that he was one of 12 commanders who wrote to then-President Mohammad Khatami in 1999 threatening a coup unless he put an end to university unrest .
Many saw him as the architect of Iran 's misguided involvement in the regional wars .
He directed Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon in the fighting against Israel in 2006 .
He involved Iran in the civil war in Syria , where pro-Iranian forces he organised were responsible for thousands of civilian deaths .
He established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq that operated outside government control , brought instability to that country , and helped create the condition for IS to rise .
In Yemen , he involved Iran in support of Shia Houthis who had overthrown the elected government .
Billions of dollars of Iranian money that could have been spent at home to help the millions living in poverty were instead spent on faraway adventures .
Most importantly , as it is now clear , in life his activities across the region brought Iran close to a war with the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Perhaps he has brought Iran even closer to that reality in death .

Some of the biggest crowds ever seen for a funeral in Iran turned out for that of Qasem Soleimani, the top commander killed in a US air strike last week. In scale, it was second only to the funeral in 1989 of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic revolution.


bbc--2020-01-08--Chico Mendes: The Brazilian environmental activist killed for trying to save the Amazon

In December 1988 , the Brazilian environmental activist , Chico Mendes , was shot dead by cattle ranchers angered by @ @ @ @ @ exploiting land in the Amazon jungle .
The 44-year-old Mendes , leader of the local @ @ @ @ @ become a powerful symbol of the struggle to save the rainforest .
His murder sparked @ @ @ @ @ environmental issues worldwide .
Anthropologist Mary Allegretti , a close friend of Mendes , remembers @ @ @ @ @ struggle to protect the Amazon .
Witness History : The stories of our times told @ @ @ @ @ there .

In December 1988, the Brazilian environmental activist, Chico Mendes, was shot dead by cattle ranchers angered by his efforts to stop them exploiting land in the Amazon jungle.
The 44-year-old Mendes, leader of the local rubber tappers union, had become a powerful symbol of the struggle to save the rainforest.
His murder sparked outrage and renewed interest in environmental issues worldwide.
Anthropologist Mary Allegretti, a close friend of Mendes, remembers the early days of the struggle to protect the Amazon.
Witness History: The stories of our times told by the people who were there.


bbc--2020-01-08--In pictures: Skiing against a painted sky

China aims to have 300 million skiers or snowboarders by the start of the Winter Olympics and sites such as @ @ @ @ @ the northern suburbs of Guanzhou , are drawing in those looking to improve their skills @

Image caption,
China aims to have 300 million skiers or snowboarders by the start of the Winter Olympics and sites such as Sunac Snow World, in the northern suburbs of Guanzhou, are drawing in those looking to improve their skills.


bbc--2020-01-08--Bow ties give dogs in shelters a 'second chance'

When 13-year-old Sir Darius Brown ( yes , his real name ) heard about displaced dogs being euthanised after Hurricanes @ @ @ @ @ , he had an idea .
His sister had taught him how to make bow @ @ @ @ @ donate some to local animal shelters .
It helped the dogs to get adopted faster @ @ @ @ @ ties have helped around 200 dogs across the US , leading him to receive a @ @ @ @ @ President Barack Obama .

When 13-year-old Sir Darius Brown (yes, his real name) heard about displaced dogs being euthanised after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, he had an idea.
His sister had taught him how to make bow ties and he decided to donate some to local animal shelters. It helped the dogs to get adopted faster.
Now his handmade bow ties have helped around 200 dogs across the US, leading him to receive a letter of recognition from former President Barack Obama.
Video journalist: Tobias Chapple


bbc--2020-01-07--A Case of Exploding Mangoes: Urdu edition novel seized in Pakistan raids

Award-winning Pakistani journalist and novelist Mohammed Hanif says copies of his best-selling satirical novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes have been seized .
The book , which was recently translated into Urdu , pokes fun at the country 's former military dictator , General Zia ul-Haq , and others in the armed forces .
It was first published in English over a decade ago to critical acclaim .
Hanif said security agents seized stock from his Karachi publishers and bookshops in Islamabad and Lahore .
Last month , the former BBC journalist received a defamation notice from Gen Zia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents from Pakistan 's Inter-Services Intelligence ( ISI ) turned up at the offices of the Maktab-e-Danyalpublishing house on Monday , Hanif said .
`` They claimed to be from the ISI but did not produce any official ID to prove that .
They just took away all copies of the book , '' he told BBC Urdu .
`` They hurled threats at the manager of Maktab-e-Danyal , sought information about me and said they 'll come back to get lists of outlets to which the book has been supplied .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few people who still want to read old books . ''
Men had also raided a major Islamabad book store , Saeed Book Bank , as well as Fiction House in Lahore , he said .
The BBC contacted the Pakistani military but has so far received no response to allegations that members of its intelligence service were involved .
An unnamed official at the ISI told the Associated Press the claim was a `` cheap attempt to gain popularity by hurling false accusations on a national institution '' .
Hanif , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to journalism , became famous when his novel was first published in English in 2008 .
It charts the last days of Gen Zia , who was killed in a mysterious plane crash in 1988 .
The results of an investigation into the crash , which also killed the US ambassador , were never released and conspiracy theories have proliferated ever since .
Exploding Mangoes centres on a rumour that a crate of mangoes gifted to Gen Zia contained a bomb which blew the plane up .
There were glowing reviews internationally and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list .
Since then , Hanif has established himself as a leading columnist on matters in Pakistan , including criticism of the army .
But despite praise for his first book , it did not go on sale in Urdu until November last year .
By then it had been translated into major languages around the world , and many thought an Urdu edition was overdue .
However , the Urdu edition , which has been promoted at book fairs around Pakistan and is likely to have been read by a wider circle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a challenge to the military .
The last decade has seen a shrinking space for critics of the army in Pakistan , which has a history of coups .
Efforts by the military to control the public narrative have increased in recent years at the expense of elected politicians , analysts say .

"They hurled threats at the manager of Maktab-e-Danyal, sought information about me and said they'll come back to get lists of outlets to which the book has been supplied. It looks like they want to scare the few people who still want to read old books."


bbc--2020-01-08--CEO Secrets: The boss who likes to hotdesk with his workers

How would you feel if the person who set up stall next to you at work was the overall boss @ @ @ @ @ you be frozen in fear or see it as your chance to impress ?
Paolo @ @ @ @ @ Software , which has more than 1,000 employees worldwide .
Wherever he travels , he @ @ @ @ @ Find more business tips at CEO Secrets .
You can also follow the series on @ @ @ @ @ adding the topic 'CEO Secrets ' in My News .

How would you feel if the person who set up stall next to you at work was the overall boss of your company? Would you be frozen in fear or see it as your chance to impress?
Paolo Guglielmini is CEO of MSC Software, which has more than 1,000 employees worldwide. Wherever he travels, he hotdesks with his workforce.
Video by series producer Dougal Shaw
Find more business tips at CEO Secrets. You can also follow the series on the BBC News app by adding the topic 'CEO Secrets' in My News.


bbc--2020-01-08--The man who got rich on data - years before Google

Amazon , Alphabet , Alibaba , Facebook , Tencent - five of the world 's 10 most valuable companies , all less than 25 years old - and all got rich , in their own ways , on data .
No wonder it 's become common to call data the `` new oil '' .
As recently as 2011 , five of the top 10 were oil companies .
Now , only ExxonMobil clings on .
The analogy is n't perfect .
Data can be used many times , oil only once .
But data is like oil in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much use to anyone .
You have to process it to get something valuable .
You refine oil to make diesel , to put it in an engine .
With data , you need to analyse it to provide insights that can inform decisions - which advert to insert in a social media timeline , which search result to put at the top of the page .
Imagine you were asked to make just one of those decisions .
Someone is watching a video on YouTube , which is run by Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should the system suggest they watch next ?
Pique their interest , and YouTube gets to serve them another advert .
Lose their attention , and they will click away .
You have all the data you need .
Consider every other YouTube video they have ever watched - what are they interested in ?
Now , look at what other users have gone on to watch after this video .
Weigh up the options , calculate probabilities .
If you choose wisely , and they view another ad , well done - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ooh , maybe 20 cents ( 15p ) .
Clearly , relying on humans to process data would be impossibly inefficient .
These business models need machines .
In the data economy , power comes not from data alone but from the interplay of data and algorithm .
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions , ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world .
It is broadcast on the BBC World Service .
You can find more information about the programme 's sources and listen to all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast .
In the 1880s , a young German-American inventor tried to interest his family in a machine to process data more quickly than humans could manage .
Herman Hollerith had designed the machine but needed money to test it .
Picture something that looks a bit like an upright piano but instead of keys , it has a slot for cards , about the size of a dollar bill , with holes punched in them .
Facing you are 40 dials , which may or may not tick upwards after you insert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family did n't get it .
Far from rushing to invest , they laughed at him .
Hollerith evidently did not forgive - he cut them off .
His children were to grow up with no idea they had relatives on their father 's side .
Hollerith 's invention responded to a very specific problem .
Every 10 years , the US government conducted a census .
That was nothing new .
Governments through the ages have wanted to know who lives where and who owns what , to help raise taxes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to send a small army of enumerators around the country , it must be tempting to ask about an ever wider range of things .
What jobs do people do ?
Any illnesses or disabilities ?
What languages do they speak ?
Knowledge is power , as 19th Century bureaucrats understood just as well as 21st Century platform companies .
Yet with the 1880 census , the bureaucrats had swallowed more data than they could digest .
In 1870 , they 'd asked just five questions .
In 1880 , they asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the answers would take years - they 'd barely have finished this census when it would be time to start the next one .
A lucrative government contract surely awaited anyone who could speed the process up .
Young Herman had worked on the 1880 census , so he understood the problem .
He had decided to seek his fortune by inventing a new kind of brake for trains .
As it happened , a train journey helped him to solve the census problem instead .
Rail tickets were often stolen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to link them to the person who 'd bought them : a `` punch photograph '' .
Conductors used a hole-punch to select from a range of physical descriptors - as Hollerith recalled : `` Light hair , dark eyes , large nose et cetera . ''
If a dark-haired , small-nosed scoundrel stole your ticket , he would n't get far .
And after observing this system , Hollerith realised people 's answers to census questions could also be represented as holes in cards .
That could solve the problem , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines since the early 1800s - the Jacquard loom wove patterned fabric based on them .
All Hollerith needed to do was make a `` tabulating machine '' to add up the census punch cards he envisaged .
In that piano-like contraption , a set of spring-loaded pins descended on the card ; where they found a hole , they completed an electrical circuit , which moved the appropriate dial up by one .
Happily for Hollerith , the bureaucrats were more impressed than his family .
They rented his machines to count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd added yet another 20 questions .
Compared with the old system , Hollerith 's machines proved years quicker and millions of dollars cheaper .
More importantly , they made it easier to interrogate the data .
Suppose you wanted to find people aged 40 to 45 , married , and working as a carpenter .
No need to sift through 200 tonnes of paperwork - just set up the machine and run the cards through it .
More things that made the modern economy : • 'The devil 's excrement ' : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Should we dislike the `` like '' button ?
• How the humble brick built the world Governments soon saw uses far beyond the census .
`` Across the world , '' says historian Adam Tooze , `` bureaucrats were inspired to dream of omniscience . ''
America 's first social security benefits were disbursed through punched cards in the 1930s .
The following decade , punched cards notoriously helped organise the Holocaust .
Businesses , too , were quick to see the potential .
Insurers used punched cards for actuarial calculations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipping , manufacturers to keep track of sales and costs .
Hollerith 's Tabulating Machine Company did a roaring trade .
You may have heard of the company that , through mergers , it eventually became : IBM .
It remained a market leader as punched cards gave way to magnetic storage , and tabulating machines to programmable computers .
It was still on the list of the world 's 10 biggest companies a few years ago .
But if the power of data was apparent to Hollerith 's customers , why did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive ?
Because there 's something new about the kind of data that 's now being compared to oil - the likes of Google and Amazon do n't need an army of enumerators to collect it .
We trail it behind us every time we use our smartphones or ask Alexa to turn the light on .
This kind of data is not as neatly structured as the pre-defined answers to census questions precision-punched into Hollerith 's cards .
That makes it harder to make sense of .
But there 's unimaginably more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more of our lives are lived online , that bureaucratic dream of omniscience is fast becoming corporate reality .
The author writes the Financial Times 's Undercover Economist column .
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service .
You can find more information about the programme 's sources and listen to all the episodes online or subscribe to the programme podcast .

You have all the data you need. Consider every other YouTube video they have ever watched - what are they interested in? Now, look at what other users have gone on to watch after this video.


bbc--2020-01-08--Does music make exercise more effective?

Along with losing weight , one of the most popular new year 's resolutions is `` to do more exercise '' .
Although any form of exercise is better than none , `` brisk '' exercise seems to be particularly good for the heart and brain .
So if you are one of the millions who made the resolution to be more active , perhaps up-tempo music can help you achieve that beneficial `` briskness '' ?
In an experiment for Trust Me I 'm A Doctor , we looked at if it can work .
Unlike a gentle stroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase blood flow to your brain and also to lead to the release of a hormone called BDNF ( brain derived neurotrophic factor ) .
BDNF helps stimulate the production of new brain cells , something which is certainly useful as you get older .
Brisk walkers would also appear to live longer than those who prefer a more leisurely stroll .
A large study of more than 50,000 British walkers in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found those who claimed to be pacy , lived , on average , 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked at a slower pace .
But it is difficult to tease out cause and effect from such studies - because it could be that people who walk briskly are just healthier in the first place .
Two years ago I took part in a similar experiment with Rob Copeland , professor of physical activity and health at the University of Sheffield , where we recruited a group of sedentary factory workers who we then randomly allocated to doing either 10,000 steps or Active 10 ( a free NHS app that helps you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Active 10 group were asked to fit three brisk 10-minute walks into their day , rather than aiming at any particular number of steps .
We discovered that when it comes to health , short bursts of brisk walking seem to deliver more benefit and are often easier to manage , than trying to hit the 10,000 step target .
This year we wanted to revisit that experiment with more participants - but also look at whether adding music would help people pick up the pace .
One of the troubles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brisk walking '' is that few of us really know what `` brisk walking '' means .
I 've been told it means `` fast enough that you are able to talk but not able to sing '' .
Personally , I do n't find that particularly useful as I can sing however fast I am walking .
A clearer definition of `` brisk walking '' is walking at around 100 paces a minute .
And this in turn can be helped by listening to music that has a beat of at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abba or Hips Do n't Lie by Shakira .
I teamed up with Marie Murphy , professor of exercise and health at Ulster University , and we recruited 24 volunteers aged between 25 and 65 who we randomly split into two groups .
One was given pedometers and asked to try and hit 10,000 steps a day , while the other group was encouraged to walk briskly for 30 minutes a day to music we had chosen for them .
We tested everyone 's blood pressure , cholesterol and body fat at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them off to do their different regimes for five weeks before they came back to be re-tested .
Those allocated to the brisk walking certainly found the music enjoyable , but did it make any difference ?
Prof Murphy says : `` The good news is we saw positive changes in both groups , but those walking briskly to the music saw slightly bigger improvements than those who were doing the 10,000 steps . ''
The 10,000-steppers saw an average decrease in body fat of 1.8 % , while the brisk walkers decreased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The brisk walkers also saw bigger drops in blood pressure .
So the message is , if you want to keep in shape , mentally and physically , load up some pacy music and get those feet moving , one in front of the other .
Trust Me I 'm a Doctor is on BBC2 on Wednesday 8 January at 20:00 GMT and on iPlayer .

One of the troubles with telling people they should do "brisk walking" is that few of us really know what "brisk walking" means. I've been told it means "fast enough that you are able to talk but not able to sing". Personally, I don't find that particularly useful as I can sing however fast I am walking.