bbc--2020-08-19--'I need to speak to Messi' - new Barca boss Koeman

New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he does not know if he will have to `` convince '' Lionel Messi to stay at the club .
Koeman , 57 , has signed a two-year deal with Barca , two days after the club sacked Quique Setien .
Messi 's future at the Nou Camp is uncertain after they failed to win a trophy last season for the first time since 2007-08 .
`` He 's still got a contract and is still a Barcelona player , '' said Koeman .
`` At this point I need to speak to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We need to work with him and speak with various players .
We need to make some decisions but in Messi 's case I hope he stays with us .
`` I do n't know if I have to convince Messi [ to stay ] , whether it 's that or not .
He is the best player in the world and the best player in the world you want in your team , you do n't want him playing against you .
`` As a coach I would love to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If he 's at the ability and level he has always shown I 'd be more than happy for him to stay . ''
• 'Messi has never been closer to leaving ' - Guillem Balague column Koeman has left his role as Netherlands boss , with two years left on his contract , to take over at Barca .
He played for the Spanish giants between 1989 and 1995 , helping them to four league titles and the European Cup .
The Catalans finished second in La Liga last season .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final last week culminated in the dismissal of Setien on Monday .
The club also announced Ramon Planes as the new technical director .
He was the assistant to Eric Abidal , who left his role as sporting director on Tuesday .
`` What we need to do is give a different image to what we gave against Bayern , that 's not the Barca we or the fans want to see , '' said Koeman .
`` You have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You have to show that with commitment , professionalism , with everything you have inside .
If we do that , the image will be totally different to what it was last week . ''
He added : `` We 're going to work very hard to build a strong team but we 'll have to make changes because the image of the other day is not what we want .
We 'll have to work hard to recover our prestige .
`` It 's a big challenge and it wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best of you , which is the way it should be .
`` Barca are still the biggest club in the world .
Now we have to work hard to make sure Barca get back to where they should be .
There is enough quality in the team to demand the best results and to win trophies . ''
Koeman had his first taste of coaching when he was assistant to national team coach Guus Hiddink during the 1998 World Cup , before becoming Louis van Gaal 's right-hand man at the Nou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually went on to have success as a manager back in his homeland , winning league titles with Ajax and PSV .
A brief stint at Valencia in 2007 brought Copa del Rey success , but he was sacked after the side finished only two points above the relegation zone in La Liga .
After spells at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord , Koeman was appointed by Southampton in 2014 where he was a huge success , guiding the Premier League club to seventh- and sixth-place finishes , which resulted in qualification for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling in 2017 but his time at Goodison Park only lasted 16 months , Koeman departing with the club in the bottom three .
But that disappointment was soon forgotten when in February 2018 he was appointed coach of the Dutch national team , who had failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup .
Koeman led the side to the final of the Uefa Nations League and helped them qualify for Euro 2020 .

New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he does not know if he will have to "convince" Lionel Messi to stay at the club.
Koeman, 57, has signed a two-year deal with Barca, two days after the club sacked Quique Setien.
Messi's future at the Nou Camp is uncertain after they failed to win a trophy last season for the first time since 2007-08.
"He's still got a contract and is still a Barcelona player," said Koeman.
"At this point I need to speak to him because he is the captain.
"We need to work with him and speak with various players. We need to make some decisions but in Messi's case I hope he stays with us.
"I don't know if I have to convince Messi [to stay], whether it's that or not. He is the best player in the world and the best player in the world you want in your team, you don't want him playing against you.
"As a coach I would love to work with Messi because he wins matches. If he's at the ability and level he has always shown I'd be more than happy for him to stay."
Koeman has left his role as Netherlands boss, with two years left on his contract, to take over at Barca.
He played for the Spanish giants between 1989 and 1995, helping them to four league titles and the European Cup.
The Catalans finished second in La Liga last season. The five-point gap to champions Real Madrid and the humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final last week culminated in the dismissal of Setien on Monday.
The club also announced Ramon Planes as the new technical director. He was the assistant to Eric Abidal, who left his role as sporting director on Tuesday.
"What we need to do is give a different image to what we gave against Bayern, that's not the Barca we or the fans want to see," said Koeman.
"You have to be very happy to wear the Barca shirt. You have to show that with commitment, professionalism, with everything you have inside. If we do that, the image will be totally different to what it was last week."
He added: "We're going to work very hard to build a strong team but we'll have to make changes because the image of the other day is not what we want. We'll have to work hard to recover our prestige.
"It's a big challenge and it won't be easy because Barca always demands the best of you, which is the way it should be.
"Barca are still the biggest club in the world. Now we have to work hard to make sure Barca get back to where they should be. There is enough quality in the team to demand the best results and to win trophies."
Mixed fortunes for Koeman
Koeman had his first taste of coaching when he was assistant to national team coach Guus Hiddink during the 1998 World Cup, before becoming Louis van Gaal's right-hand man at the Nou Camp from 1998 to 2000.
He eventually went on to have success as a manager back in his homeland, winning league titles with Ajax and PSV. A brief stint at Valencia in 2007 brought Copa del Rey success, but he was sacked after the side finished only two points above the relegation zone in La Liga.
After spells at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, Koeman was appointed by Southampton in 2014 where he was a huge success, guiding the Premier League club to seventh- and sixth-place finishes, which resulted in qualification for the Europa League group stage.
Everton came calling in 2017 but his time at Goodison Park only lasted 16 months, Koeman departing with the club in the bottom three.
But that disappointment was soon forgotten when in February 2018 he was appointed coach of the Dutch national team, who had failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Koeman led the side to the final of the Uefa Nations League and helped them qualify for Euro 2020.
Ronald Koeman helped Barcelona beat Sampdoria to win the 1992 European Cup


bbc--2020-08-19--'Messi has never been closer to leaving'  - Balague on what Koeman faces at Barca

So now it 's official .
Ronald Koeman is the new coach of Barcelona and Lionel Messi , the Dutchman has said , will be key to his plans .
President Josep Maria Bartomeu has spoken to Messi 's dad , who told him Koeman 's thinking was fine , but he had to speak to his son .
The club 's focus should not , perhaps , be about what Lionel Messi can do for Barcelona but rather what the new Barcelona can do for Lionel Messi .
In the very near future , Koeman , Messi and Bartomeu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Messi , on holiday and totally out of reach to all but his very close circle , is going to need a lot of convincing .
Messi is still spitting feathers after the 8-2 Champions League quarter-final humiliation by Bayern Munich .
He normally wo n't even speak to his mother after a major defeat , so the chances of him sitting around a table to discuss his immediate future with Bartomeu - one of the men , if not the main one , responsible for the dreadful situation the club finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see gone - are remote to say the least .
Barca , meanwhile , are reminding everyone his buyout clause is 700m euros ( £627.96m ) .
Bartomeu has privately considered the possibility of Messi leaving , and sees positives .
But neither he nor anyone else feels brave enough to take that course .
Quite the contrary .
There have been moments in the past when Messi 's future at Barcelona has looked uncertain .
But , make no mistake about it , he has never been closer to leaving than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story arising from what was described as a `` dressing-room leak '' claimed Messi would leave `` now '' .
The club denied they had heard that from him , but know the threat is real .
Messi 's camp have not admitted as much , but they have not denied it either .
By the time Messi 's contract ends next summer , he will have just turned 34 .
He will be the first to ask himself if he wants to be the leader of a transition that will probably take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Barcelona will not be able to compete at the highest level - or accept one of the many offers that have been out there and could return , most notably from Paris St-Germain and Manchester City .
His options could well be one last hurrah , perhaps reuniting with Neymar - his great friend and the player he enjoyed playing with the most since Ronaldinho - or maybe working once again with Pep Guardiola , unquestionably the coach who helped to make him the player he is today .
The choices facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay , sell him while they can for what they can - although with just 10 months remaining on his contract that buyout clause is the stuff of fantasy - or lose him for nothing in June next year .
Koeman and Ramon Planes , the new sporting director after Eric Abidal decided his voice did not carry enough weight , will attempt to get the Argentine to stay .
If they manage it and also renew the squad , they will deserve all kinds of accolades .
It will be not easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Messi apart , the situation facing Koeman and the Barca board is unerringly simple , although the process could prove tortuously difficult .
About 70 % of Barcelona 's revenue is being spent on first-team wages , a situation as absurd as it is unsustainable .
At a meeting with selected members of the media at the club on Tuesday , Bartomeu insisted the main problem facing the club was a 'sporting crisis ' rather than an institutional one .
That is a moot point from a president who has gone through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just six years , leaving Barcelona on the floor , in tatters and without any clear DNA in terms of their football .
Latest out of the door is Abidal , who said earlier this year that certain players had not performed for their then coach Ernesto Valverde .
`` Who ? ''
asked Messi , basically calling on Abidal to name names , or shut up .
The relationship between the players and the board broke down at that point and Abidal was once again the man it was most convenient to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only doing the board 's bidding .
Whether it is a sporting or institutional crisis is something the members will decide when they vote in presidential elections Bartomeu has called for March .
He admitted the problems the club are now facing should have been confronted earlier , probably after the Anfield debacle in May last year , when Liverpool staged their epic Champions League semi-final turnaround .
In reality , it goes back much further - and the warning signs were there when Barcelona were destroyed 4-0 at Paris St-Germain back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second leg temporarily stuck a plaster over the gaping wound .
Then there were the hurtful defeats against Roma and Liverpool .
There were enough clues .
On Tuesday , Bartomeu announced a shortlist of those players he considered vital for the regeneration of the new Barcelona , to play alongside an impressive selection coming from the academy who have not all been given their chance .
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen , Nelson Semedo ( surprisingly ) , Messi , Frenkie de Jong , Clement Lenglet , Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barcelona 's renaissance .
That , of course , means the players he did n't mention - like Gerard Pique ( contracted until June 2022 ) , Sergio Busquets ( June 2023 ) , Luis Suarez ( June 2021 , but with an option to renew for a further year ) , Jordi Alba ( June 2024 ) , Samuel Umtiti ( June 2023 ) , Ivan Rakitic ( June 2021 ) and Arturo Vidal ( June 2021 ) - are considered surplus to requirements .
The problem , of course , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford to keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed , and Busquets , and Alba via his agent , have already made it abundantly clear they are n't going anywhere unless Barcelona would like to pay up the remainder of their contracts .
Suarez has used a media outlet to anonymously say the same .
Koeman has been here before and , to be frank , it did n't go well .
Back in 2007 , he tried something very similar when at Valencia , telling the likes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Albelda ( 213 ) and Miguel Angel Angulo ( 299 ) they no longer featured in his plans .
It swiftly became a battle between him and the veterans .
He lost .
Koeman was sacked and replacement interim manager Voro instantly reinstated them into a relegation-threatened side for the remaining five games of the season .
Having said that , he did win Valencia their first Copa del Rey since 1999 , then took Southampton to their highest ever league finish ( sixth ) before joining Everton and taking them into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now at Barcelona , what is certain is Koeman and the board desperately need to rid the club of the deadwood ( more or less the description Bartomeu gave those players ) .
How 's he going to do it ?
Your guess is as good as mine .
Perhaps most bizarre of all is the fact he has been given a two-year deal , despite the fact he would have been quite happy to sign for one and that he is going to be replaced by club legend Xavi - currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's presidential elections , if Bartomeu 's chosen candidate does not get elected .
The vast majority of candidates have stated Xavi will be their man of choice if elected , so one of their first jobs will probably be to pay compensation to the outgoing Dutchman .
What are his tactics going to be ?
One player who will probably benefit most from the appointment is De Jong , who has played in a much freer role for the Netherlands under Koeman .
Under Quique Setien , Barca played a very positional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Dutchman 's natural strengths .
Koeman will certainly look to release his potential , although the way he will play De Jong tells us instantly this side is not going to be the possession-based , positionally concentrated Barcelona that people identify with .
In terms of style , Koeman has never represented that particular footballing ideology , even though he is a huge admirer of former Barca boss Johan Cruyff 's 'Total Football ' .
Koeman 's teams , wherever he has been , tend to be a little bit more traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structured , trying always to adapt to the players and not to an idea , which goes against the original principles of the club .
But who knows any more what Barcelona 's DNA is or should be ?
That is not being debated amid the chaos at the club .
If you want to use Messi to his fullest , all bets are off - he dictates the way the game is played .
The big challenge will be whether Koeman can combine the youthfulness and energy his new team will need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around him to make his impact .
We will see what happens .
Whether that evolution will involve Messi remains to be seen .

So now it's official. Ronald Koeman is the new coach of Barcelona and Lionel Messi, the Dutchman has said, will be key to his plans.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu has spoken to Messi's dad, who told him Koeman's thinking was fine, but he had to speak to his son.
The club's focus should not, perhaps, be about what Lionel Messi can do for Barcelona but rather what the new Barcelona can do for Lionel Messi.
In the very near future, Koeman, Messi and Bartomeu are going to have to discuss things. Messi, on holiday and totally out of reach to all but his very close circle, is going to need a lot of convincing.
What are Messi's options?
Messi is still spitting feathers after the 8-2 Champions League quarter-final humiliation by Bayern Munich.
He normally won't even speak to his mother after a major defeat, so the chances of him sitting around a table to discuss his immediate future with Bartomeu - one of the men, if not the main one, responsible for the dreadful situation the club finds itself in, and who he wants to see gone - are remote to say the least.
Barca, meanwhile, are reminding everyone his buyout clause is 700m euros (£627.96m).
Bartomeu has privately considered the possibility of Messi leaving, and sees positives. But neither he nor anyone else feels brave enough to take that course. Quite the contrary.
There have been moments in the past when Messi's future at Barcelona has looked uncertain. But, make no mistake about it, he has never been closer to leaving than he is at the moment.
A story arising from what was described as a "dressing-room leak" claimed Messi would leave "now". The club denied they had heard that from him, but know the threat is real. Messi's camp have not admitted as much, but they have not denied it either.
Messi looked a frustrated figure after Barcelona's Champions League exit
By the time Messi's contract ends next summer, he will have just turned 34.
He will be the first to ask himself if he wants to be the leader of a transition that will probably take a couple of years - during which time Barcelona will not be able to compete at the highest level - or accept one of the many offers that have been out there and could return, most notably from Paris St-Germain and Manchester City.
His options could well be one last hurrah, perhaps reuniting with Neymar - his great friend and the player he enjoyed playing with the most since Ronaldinho - or maybe working once again with Pep Guardiola, unquestionably the coach who helped to make him the player he is today.
The choices facing Barcelona are stark. Persuade Messi to stay, sell him while they can for what they can - although with just 10 months remaining on his contract that buyout clause is the stuff of fantasy - or lose him for nothing in June next year.
Koeman and Ramon Planes, the new sporting director after Eric Abidal decided his voice did not carry enough weight, will attempt to get the Argentine to stay.
If they manage it and also renew the squad, they will deserve all kinds of accolades. It will be not easy.
What has Koeman got to do?
Messi apart, the situation facing Koeman and the Barca board is unerringly simple, although the process could prove tortuously difficult.
About 70% of Barcelona's revenue is being spent on first-team wages, a situation as absurd as it is unsustainable.
At a meeting with selected members of the media at the club on Tuesday, Bartomeu insisted the main problem facing the club was a 'sporting crisis' rather than an institutional one.
That is a moot point from a president who has gone through four coaches and five sporting directors in just six years, leaving Barcelona on the floor, in tatters and without any clear DNA in terms of their football.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has overseen Ronald Koeman's appointment
Latest out of the door is Abidal, who said earlier this year that certain players had not performed for their then coach Ernesto Valverde.
"Who?" asked Messi, basically calling on Abidal to name names, or shut up.
The relationship between the players and the board broke down at that point and Abidal was once again the man it was most convenient to blame. In reality, he was only doing the board's bidding.
Whether it is a sporting or institutional crisis is something the members will decide when they vote in presidential elections Bartomeu has called for March.
He admitted the problems the club are now facing should have been confronted earlier, probably after the Anfield debacle in May last year, when Liverpool staged their epic Champions League semi-final turnaround.
In reality, it goes back much further - and the warning signs were there when Barcelona were destroyed 4-0 at Paris St-Germain back in February 2017.
The stunning comeback in the second leg temporarily stuck a plaster over the gaping wound. Then there were the hurtful defeats against Roma and Liverpool. There were enough clues.
Who could leave?
On Tuesday, Bartomeu announced a shortlist of those players he considered vital for the regeneration of the new Barcelona, to play alongside an impressive selection coming from the academy who have not all been given their chance.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Nelson Semedo (surprisingly), Messi, Frenkie de Jong, Clement Lenglet, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were the players he named as essential to Barcelona's renaissance.
That, of course, means the players he didn't mention - like Gerard Pique (contracted until June 2022), Sergio Busquets (June 2023), Luis Suarez (June 2021, but with an option to renew for a further year), Jordi Alba (June 2024), Samuel Umtiti (June 2023), Ivan Rakitic (June 2021) and Arturo Vidal (June 2021) - are considered surplus to requirements.
The problem, of course, is no-one is going to be able to afford to keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed, and Busquets, and Alba via his agent, have already made it abundantly clear they aren't going anywhere unless Barcelona would like to pay up the remainder of their contracts. Suarez has used a media outlet to anonymously say the same.
Koeman has been here before and, to be frank, it didn't go well.
Back in 2007, he tried something very similar when at Valencia, telling the likes of Santiago Canizares (299 appearances) , David Albelda (213) and Miguel Angel Angulo (299) they no longer featured in his plans.
It swiftly became a battle between him and the veterans. He lost. Koeman was sacked and replacement interim manager Voro instantly reinstated them into a relegation-threatened side for the remaining five games of the season.
Having said that, he did win Valencia their first Copa del Rey since 1999, then took Southampton to their highest ever Premier League finish (sixth) before joining Everton and taking them into the Europa League in his first season.
Now at Barcelona, what is certain is Koeman and the board desperately need to rid the club of the deadwood (more or less the description Bartomeu gave those players). How's he going to do it? Your guess is as good as mine.
Perhaps most bizarre of all is the fact he has been given a two-year deal, despite the fact he would have been quite happy to sign for one and that he is going to be replaced by club legend Xavi - currently managing in Qatar - after next March's presidential elections, if Bartomeu's chosen candidate does not get elected.
The vast majority of candidates have stated Xavi will be their man of choice if elected, so one of their first jobs will probably be to pay compensation to the outgoing Dutchman.
What are his tactics going to be?
One player who will probably benefit most from the appointment is De Jong, who has played in a much freer role for the Netherlands under Koeman. Under Quique Setien, Barca played a very positional game which went very much against the young Dutchman's natural strengths.
Koeman will certainly look to release his potential, although the way he will play De Jong tells us instantly this side is not going to be the possession-based, positionally concentrated Barcelona that people identify with.
In terms of style, Koeman has never represented that particular footballing ideology, even though he is a huge admirer of former Barca boss Johan Cruyff's 'Total Football'.
Koeman's teams, wherever he has been, tend to be a little bit more traditional, flexible, conservative and even less structured, trying always to adapt to the players and not to an idea, which goes against the original principles of the club.
But who knows any more what Barcelona's DNA is or should be? That is not being debated amid the chaos at the club.
If you want to use Messi to his fullest, all bets are off - he dictates the way the game is played.
The big challenge will be whether Koeman can combine the youthfulness and energy his new team will need with the pace and structure Messi requires around him to make his impact.
We will see what happens. Whether that evolution will involve Messi remains to be seen.


bbc--2020-08-19--'I'm still more a person of Jesus' - Vunipola explains decision not to kneel

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union Billy Vunipola says his Christian faith meant he was uncomfortable with the idea of taking a knee as part of the Premiership 's anti-racism protest .
`` Though I am a person of colour , I 'm still more a person of Jesus , '' he told The Good , The Bad and The Rugby .
`` What I saw in terms of that movement was not aligned with what I believe in , '' added the England number eight .
Claims that arson attacks on churches were connected to protests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are unproven .
Premiership teams marked the return of top-flight rugby for the first time since the death of American George Floyd in police custody in May with a variety of displays of support for anti-racism .
Harlequins , Leicester and Wasps knelt in a gesture that has become synonymous with the anti-racism cause and worldwide protests that followed Floyd 's death .
However , other teams opted for different gestures .
Former Harlequins and England wing Ugo Monye , who was involved in discussions over Premiership Rugby 's anti-racism response , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supportive and respectful '' of players ' and teams ' decisions .
`` There will be people that take the knee that will get scrutinised and will have negativity whether it 's print media , broadcast media or on social media , '' he said .
`` There will be people that do n't take the knee that will have the same levelled at them and that 's just not fair .
`` I would love everyone across the league to take a knee and be proud to take a knee , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear with the message in your head and you 're doing something or not doing something , in terms of my role within this , there 's nothing more that I can do . ''
South Africa Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has asked the South African Rugby Union for an explanation why several internationals from the world champion Springboks - including Sale pair Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager - elected not to kneel .

Three of the Saracens starting XV remained standing as the team took part in the anti-racism campaign
Billy Vunipola says his Christian faith meant he was uncomfortable with the idea of taking a knee as part of the Premiership's anti-racism protest.
Vunipola, 27, stood before Saracens' defeat by Bristol on Saturday, while the majority of his team-mates kneeled.
"Though I am a person of colour, I'm still more a person of Jesus," he told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby external-link .
"What I saw in terms of that movement was not aligned with what I believe in," added the England number eight.
Claims that arson attacks on churches were connected to protests in the US have been investigated by police and are unproven.
Premiership teams marked the return of top-flight rugby for the first time since the death of American George Floyd in police custody in May with a variety of displays of support for anti-racism.
Harlequins, Leicester and Wasps knelt in a gesture that has become synonymous with the anti-racism cause and worldwide protests that followed Floyd's death.
However, other teams opted for different gestures.
Former Harlequins and England wing Ugo Monye, who was involved in discussions over Premiership Rugby's anti-racism response, last week urged people to be "supportive and respectful" of players' and teams' decisions.
"There will be people that take the knee that will get scrutinised and will have negativity whether it's print media, broadcast media or on social media," he said.
"There will be people that don't take the knee that will have the same levelled at them and that's just not fair.
"I would love everyone across the league to take a knee and be proud to take a knee, but so long as you're satisfied and clear with the message in your head and you're doing something or not doing something, in terms of my role within this, there's nothing more that I can do."


bbc--2020-08-19--Mourinho wants Bale to return to Spurs - Thursday's gossip

Last updated on .From the section Gossip Jose Mourinho wants to bring Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale , 31 , back to Tottenham .
( Cuatro - in Spanish ) An inability to agree personal terms is holding up 20-year-old England winger Jadon Sancho 's move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United .
( ESPN ) Manchester United may offer Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero , 33 , to Aston Villa as part of a deal for England midfielder Jack Grealish , 24 .
( Mail ) Chelsea will complete the signing of Germany midfielder Kai Havertz , 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they and Bayer Leverkusen can reduce the £18m difference in their valuations of the player .
( Telegraph ) Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are interested in Juventus and Italy 's 26-year-old winger Federico Bernardeschi .
( Calciomercato - in Italian ) Manchester United and Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira , 24 , is a target for Benfica and Valencia .
( ESPN ) United have re-ignited their interest in Juventus and Brazil left-back Alex Sandro , 29 .
( Calciomercato - in Italian ) Leeds have made a third bid - believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ English defender Ben White , 22 .
( Sky Sports ) Wolves are willing to listen to big-money offers for Spanish winger Adama Traore despite the 24-year-old having three years left on his contract .
( Mail ) Liverpool are prepared to sell Serbia midfielder Marko Grujic , 24 , and Wales winger Harry Wilson , 23 , this summer .
( Mirror ) Tottenham want to take Liverpool 's 21-year-old English striker Rhian Brewster on loan .
( Football Insider ) West Ham want to sell English striker Jordan Hugill , 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season on loan at QPR .
( Evening Standard ) Fulham have enquired about the future of Barcelona and Spain centre-back Gerard Pique , 33 .
( Libero - in Spanish ) The Cottagers have also joined the race to sign Bournemouth and England 's 28-year-old striker Callum Wilson .
( Telegraph ) Fulham and Wolves could rival Everton for the signature of Watford 's French midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure , 27 .
( Evening Standard ) Bournemouth are preparing a bid for Wigan and Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall , 35 .
( Football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eriksson is set to become the new manager of Jamaica .
( Mirror )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho wants to bring Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale, 31, back to the Premier League club. (Cuatro - in Spanish) external-link
Paris St-Germain's 35-year-old Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva, who is leaving the French club after the Champions League final, has been offered to Chelsea. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link
Agreement on personal terms is holding up 20-year-old England winger Jadon Sancho's move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United. (ESPN) external-link
Arsenal are "closer than ever" to agreeing a deal with Lille's Brazilian defender Gabriel, 22, with the Gunners confident of announcing the £27m move this week. (L'Equipe - in French) external-link
Chelsea will sign Germany midfielder Kai Havertz, 21, on a five-year deal this week if they and Bayer Leverkusen can reduce the £18m difference in their valuations of the player. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link
'Messi has never been closer to leaving' Guillem Balague on what new manager Ronald Koeman faces at Barcelona
Manchester United may offer Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero, 33, to Aston Villa as part of a deal for England midfielder Jack Grealish, 24. (Mail) external-link
Leeds United have made a third bid - believed to be about £25m - for Brighton's English defender Ben White, 22. (Sky Sports) external-link
Wolves are willing to listen to big offers for Spanish winger Adama Traore, despite the 24-year-old having three years left on his contract at Molineux. (Mail) external-link
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are interested in Juventus and Italy's 26-year-old winger Federico Bernardeschi. (Calciomercato - in Italian) external-link
Manchester United and Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira, 24, is a target for Benfica and Valencia. (ESPN) external-link
United are once again interested in Juventus and Brazil left-back Alex Sandro, 29. (Calciomercato - in Italian) external-link
Liverpool are prepared to sell Serbia midfielder Marko Grujic, 24, and Wales winger Harry Wilson, 23, this summer. (Mirror) external-link
Wilson, who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, is a target for Aston Villa and Leeds. (Sun) external-link
Tottenham want to take Liverpool's 21-year-old England Under-21 striker Rhian Brewster on loan. (Football Insider) external-link
Southampton are leading the chase for Watford's 29-year-old England forward Danny Welbeck, who has a £5.5m release clause following the Hornets' relegation. (Sun) external-link
Fulham have joined the race to sign Bournemouth's 28-year-old England striker Callum Wilson. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link
Leeds are preparing a £10m bid for Rangers' English winger Ryan Kent, 23. (Sun) external-link
Leicester City and Aston Villa are rivalling Italian side Atalanta for 27-year-old Marseille and France winger Florian Thauvin, who had an unsuccessful spell at Newcastle United between 2015 and 2017. (Tutto Mercato - in Italian) external-link
Newcastle's English midfielder Matty Longstaff, 20, has been persuaded to sign a new contract. The 20-year-old looked set to leave this summer, with Italian club Udinese leading the chase. (Times - subscription required) external-link
Fulham and Wolves could compete with Everton for the signature of Watford's French midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, 27. (Evening Standard) external-link
West Ham want to sell English striker Jordan Hugill, 28, this summer. Hugill spent last season on loan at QPR.(Evening Standard) external-link
Bournemouth are preparing a bid for Wigan and Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall, 35. (Football Insider) external-link
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to become the manager of Jamaica. (Mirror) external-link


bbc--2020-08-18--Kamala Harris: Where does she stand on key issues?

Even President Donald Trump and his Republican allies seem undecided about how to define the California senator ahead of November 's election .
During the Democratic party 's contest to pick its challenger to Mr Trump , Ms Harris ran to the left of the eventual winner Joe Biden , for whom she is now the running mate .
Amid speculation about whether Mr Biden , 77 , could pledge to serve only one term in office , her political positions are coming under intense scrutiny .
GovTrack , an independent nonpartisan website , lists her as the most liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times labels her a pragmatic moderate ; Fox News hosts call her a radical .
Here 's a look at Ms Harris ' stance on five key issues .
• What do black voters make of historic VP pick Ms Harris - the only black woman in the US Senate - is broadly aligned with the rest of her party in supporting law enforcement reforms .
But rather than openly call for defunding of police departments , as many liberal Democrats desire , she has spoken of `` reimagining how we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden says he does not support defunding police .
Ms Harris has described herself as a `` progressive prosecutor '' and `` top cop '' in her previous roles in California , but her record rankled both liberals and conservatives .
As San Francisco district attorney in 2004 she infuriated police by declining to seek the death penalty for a gang member who had gunned down an officer .
In 2014 , she outraged progressives as state attorney general by appealing against a judge 's ruling that the death penalty was unconstitutional .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to ensure incidents of police deadly force in California were independently investigated , or that all officers should wear body cameras .
Ms Harris has more recently supported legalising marijuana at the national level - something Mr Biden opposes .
But critics point out her San Francisco office oversaw over 1,900 cannabis convictions .
• How Kamala Harris could help - or hurt - Joe Biden • Where did it go wrong for Kamala Harris ?
Ms Harris ' shifting opinion on this issue damaged her presidential campaign .
She was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Bernie Sanders ' 2017 Medicare for All bill to provide government-run medical insurance for every American .
But after professing support for eliminating private health insurance companies , she swiftly backtracked .
Mr Biden does not back Medicare for All - and has called instead for bolstering President Barack Obama 's landmark Affordable Care Act .
Ms Harris was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal , a policy paper that advocates overhauling the US economy to tackle climate change .
Conservatives decry it as a `` socialist manifesto '' .
Recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill with self-described democratic socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that seeks to rate how environmental laws affect lower-income communities .
Ms Harris opposes fracking and has called for federal legal action against the fossil fuel industry .
In her presidential campaign , she outlined a $ 10tn climate plan for net-zero emissions by 2045 .
During her White House bid , Ms Harris promised to use executive action to enact stricter gun control if she became president .
Like most Democrats , she supported more regulation of gun manufacturers , mandatory background checks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons .
She also said she was open to the idea of going even further and supporting a `` mandatory buyback '' , compelling owners of assault weapons to forfeit those guns .
After her selection as running mate , the National Rifle Association said Ms Harris backed `` extreme gun control agendas '' .
During the Democratic primary , Ms Harris supported highly contentious taxpayer-funded abortions , arguing they would save the lives of lower-income women .
So did all the other contenders ( including Mr Biden after a flip flop - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a live TV debate ) .
Ms Harris also proposed providing all workers with six months paid family leave for personal or medical issues , including those related to domestic violence .
It was a far more generous policy than left-wing Democratic contenders Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders , who backed a three-month paid leave bill .
Ms Harris also suggested during her campaign that large companies should be required to be `` equal pay certified '' to close the gender pay gap , or face fines .
Like all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - the child of immigrants herself - pledged to offer a path to citizenship to the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US .
And like most of the other candidates , she supported decriminalising border crossings by undocumented immigrants and providing taxpayer-funded healthcare for those crossing the US border without papers .
In a 2018 Senate hearing , Ms Harris outraged conservative by drawing parallels between the Ku Klux Klan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement , an agency within the US Department of Homeland Security .

She has sidestepped questions about whether she favours expanding the size of the Supreme Court, but in her own White House campaign last year said she was "open" to discussing the highly controversial idea.


bbc--2020-08-20--DNC 2020: Kamala Harris blasts Trump 'failure of leadership'

Kamala Harris has accepted her historic nomination as the US Democratic party 's vice-presidential candidate , running with Joe Biden for the White House .
In a speech to her party convention , the first US woman of colour on a major-party ticket assailed President Donald Trump 's `` failure of leadership '' .
The California senator pledged to speak `` truths '' to the American public .
Mr Biden and Ms Harris will challenge Mr Trump and his Vice-President Mike Pence in the election on 3 November .
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Democrats to abandon the cheering throngs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party convention in favour of a virtual event of pre-recorded and live speeches .
The grand finale of the four-night conference will see Mr Biden , the Democratic presidential nominee , deliver a speech on Thursday .
• What does Kamala Harris believe ?
What did Kamala Harris say ?
`` We 're at an inflection point , '' she said , speaking live from a largely empty hotel ballroom in Mr Biden 's hometown of Wilmington , Delaware .
Attacking Mr Trump , she continued : `` The constant chaos leaves us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afraid .
The callousness makes us feel alone .
It 's a lot .
`` And here 's the thing : We can do better and deserve so much more .
`` We must elect a president who will bring something different , something better , and do the important work . ''
Ms Harris - the child of immigrants from India and Jamaica - pledged that she and Mr Biden would revive a country fractured by the coronavirus pandemic and racial tension .
• How Kamala Harris could help - or hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters make of historic VP pick '' There is no vaccine for racism , '' she said .
`` We 've got to do the work . ''
She continued : `` Donald Trump 's failure has cost lives and livelihoods . ''
`` Right now , we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons , '' she added .
President Trump swiftly hit back , tweeting about Ms Harris ' previous attack on Mr Biden over his record on race issues , while they were both rivals for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came during a live TV debate last year , though Ms Harris prefaced those remarks by telling Mr Biden : `` I do not believe you are a racist . ''
Also on Wednesday , former US President Barack Obama launched his most withering direct attack yet on Mr Trump , accusing his Republican successor of treating the White House like `` one more reality show '' .
• Obama and Trump rip into each other 's record The now-official Democratic vice-presidential nominee faced a bit of a challenge , having to directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most beloved and rhetorically gifted politician .
What Ms Harris offered was a bit of an amalgam - one that sometimes connected and occasionally plodded .
It was part biographical introduction , part sales pitch for Mr Biden and - most notably - part frontal attack on structural racism .
Although she 's been attacked by some on the left for her prosecutorial background , Ms Harris tried to turn that into a benefit for a general election audience , speaking of how she always tries to fight for justice .
Her speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it took place in a rather haunting environment - a room constructed to replicate a party convention hall , but devoid of the cheering crowds .
It all had a slightly post-apocalyptic feeling , which makes it seem that the emptiness of the current pandemic-stricken nation is a feeling Democrats want to highlight - and lay at Mr Trump 's feet .
The first black woman and South Asian American on a major US presidential ticket , she said she inherited a passion for public service from her immigrant mother , Shyamala Gopalan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman , all of five feet tall , who gave birth to me .
`` On that day , she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now and speaking these words : I accept your nomination for vice-president of the United States of America . ''
Ms Harris is a former San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general who joined the Senate in 2017 .
She made headlines by grilling two Trump nominees , Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court justice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate committee hearings .
Ms Harris launched her presidential bid in January last year as a top-tier candidate , only to see her campaign fizzle amid criticism that she had struggled to articulate a coherent vision for office .
Who else spoke at the convention ?
Mr Trump 's predecessor Barack Obama launched a fierce attack on the current occupant of the White House .
Mr Obama , who has largely avoided attacks on Mr Trump since leaving office , accused him of treating the US presidency like `` one more reality show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Republican successor `` has n't grown into the job because he ca n't '' .
At the White House , Mr Trump hit back that he was only elected because of the `` horror '' Mr Obama left Americans .
On Wednesday night , Hillary Clinton , the 2016 Democratic nominee , also assailed the man who thwarted her White House ambitions .
Speaking from her home in Chappaqua , New York , she said : `` I wish Donald Trump had been a better president .
But , sadly , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giffords , the former Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head when greeting supporters in 2011 , highlighted gun violence in the US .
`` Words once came easily , but today I struggle to speak .
But I have not lost my voice , '' she said .
`` America needs all of us to speak out , even when you have to fight to find the words .
We are at a crossroads .
We can let the shooting continue , or we can act .
We can protect our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote . ''
• A simple guide to the US election • How you can be US president without winning most votes

"America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words. We are at a crossroads. We can let the shooting continue, or we can act. We can protect our families, our future. We can vote."


bbc--2020-08-20--DNC 2020: Obama blasts Trump's 'reality show' presidency

Barack Obama accused Donald Trump of treating the US presidency like `` one more reality show '' , in a withering speech to the Democratic convention .
The former US president said his Republican successor `` has n't grown into the job because he ca n't '' .
At the White House , Mr Trump hit back that he was only elected because of the `` horror '' Mr Obama left Americans .
On the third night of the Democratic conference , Kamala Harris accepted the vice-presidential nomination .
The grand finale of the four-night convention will see Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
The Biden-Harris ticket will challenge President Trump and his Vice-President Mike Pence for the White House in the election on 3 November .
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Democrats to abandon the cheering throngs and razzmatazz that are the hallmarks of the quadrennial party convention in favour of a virtual event of pre-recorded and live speeches .
What did Obama say ?
On Wednesday night , Mr Obama unleashed possibly his most scathing attack yet about Mr Trump , speaking live from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump ] shown no interest in putting in the work .
No interest in finding common ground .
`` No interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends .
`` No interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves . ''
• What Biden wants to do • How is Trump doing in the polls ?
• Who is potential US first lady Jill Biden ?
He said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` our worst impulses unleashed , our proud reputation around the world badly diminished , and our democratic institutions threatened like never before '' .
The former president lamented `` the circus of it all , the meanness and the lies and the conspiracy theories '' .
`` Do not let them take away your power , '' he implored American voters .
`` Do not let them take away your democracy . ''
Mr Obama encouraged voters to elect his former vice-president , Mr Biden , in 76 days ' time - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` a brother '' .
According to the Associated Press news agency , sources close to Mr Obama say he fully supports Mr Biden , but is concerned about engagement among younger voters and especially voters of colour .
Former US presidents mostly observe a dignified public silence about their successors .
But Mr Obama warned four years ago while still in office that he would regard it as a `` personal insult '' if Americans elected Mr Trump , then the Republican candidate and a former star of TV 's The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gradually more outspoken about his successor as he has watched him dismantle his legacy .
On Monday night at the Democratic convention , Michelle Obama delivered an impassioned attack on her husband 's successor , painting him as incompetent and `` clearly in over his head '' .
Her salvo was especially striking to many Americans because US first ladies , serving and former , tend to carefully steer clear of the political fray .
During a White House news conference on Wednesday , Mr Trump was asked about his predecessor 's remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's left us and the stupidity of the transactions he made , '' the US president said .
`` Look at how bad he was , how ineffective a president he was , he was so ineffective , so terrible .
`` Now President Obama did not do a good job , and the reason I 'm here is because of President Obama and Joe Biden . ''
He added : `` They did such a bad job that I stand before you as president . ''
In a subsequent tweet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack and Crooked Hillary .
See you on the field of battle ! ''
The president is expected to accept his re-nomination as the Republican candidate from the White House lawn next week during his party 's convention .
Who else spoke at the convention ?
On Wednesday night , Hillary Clinton , the 2016 Democratic nominee , also assailed the man who thwarted her White House ambitions .
Speaking from her home in Chappaquiddick , New York , she said : `` I wish Donald Trump had been a better president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is . ''
The former first lady and ex-secretary of state added : `` For four years , people have said to me , ' I did n't realise how dangerous he was . '
' I wish I could go back and do it over . '
Or worst , ' I should have voted . '
`` Well , this ca n't be another woulda coulda shoulda election . ''
She added : `` Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line , because they are . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama and Donald Trump are exchanging barbs in near real time now .
While the former president has offered oblique criticism in the past , in his Democratic National Convention speech he attacked the current president by name .
For more than three years , Trump has treated the 2016 election - one he narrowly won - as a full-throated repudiation of his predecessor and governed accordingly .
That has been a risky assumption , given that polls indicate Mr Obama is currently one of the most popular political figures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ net negative for most of his presidency .
Wednesday 's clash suggests that the forthcoming election between Mr Trump and Joe Biden , Americans will be more than just a choice between two men , it also will be one between two legacies - Mr Obama 's and Mr Trump 's .
And both the current and former presidents are treating it accordingly .
• A simple guide to the US election • How you can be US president without winning most votes

On Monday night at the Democratic convention, Michelle Obama delivered an impassioned attack on her husband's successor, painting him as incompetent and "clearly in over his head". Her salvo was especially striking to many Americans because US first ladies, serving and former, tend to carefully steer clear of the political fray.


bbc--2020-08-20--Alexei Navalny: Russian opposition leader 'poisoned'

Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is unconscious in hospital suffering from suspected poisoning , his spokeswoman has said .
The anti-corruption campaigner fell ill during a flight and the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , Kira Yarmysh said , adding that they suspected something had been mixed into his tea .
The hospital said Mr Navalny was in a stable but serious condition .
In June he described a vote on constitutional reforms as a `` coup '' and a `` violation of the constitution '' .
The reforms allow Mr Putin to serve another two terms in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Kira Yarmysh , the press secretary for the Anti-Corruption Foundation , which Mr Navalny founded in 2011 , tweeted : `` This morning Navalny was returning to Moscow from Tomsk .
`` During the flight , he felt ill .
The plane made an urgent landing in Omsk .
Alexei has toxic poisoning . ''
She added : `` We suspect that Alexei was poisoned by something mixed into [ his ] tea .
It was the only thing he drank since morning .
`` Doctors are saying that the toxic agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right now Alexei is unconscious . ''
Ms Yarmysh later tweeted that Mr Navalny was on a ventilator and in a coma , and that the hospital was now full of police officers .
She said doctors were initially ready to share any information but were now saying the toxicology tests were delayed and were `` clearly playing for time , and not saying what they know '' .
She said in a tweet at 14:58 local time ( 08:58 GMT ) that Mr Navalny 's condition had not changed and he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis would be `` towards evening '' .
What are the other reports from the scene ?
The Tass news agency quoted one source at the Omsk Emergency Hospital as saying : `` Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny , born in 1976 .
Poisoning intensive care . ''
However , the deputy head physician of the hospital later told media that it was not certain Mr Navalny had been poisoned , although `` natural poisoning '' was one of the diagnoses being considered .
Anatoly Kalinichenko said that doctors were `` genuinely trying to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media shows Mr Navalny being taken on a stretcher to an ambulance on the airport runway .
Other disturbing video appears to show a stricken Mr Navalny in pain on the flight .
Passenger Pavel Lebedev said : `` At the start of the flight he went to the toilet and did n't come back .
He started feeling really sick .
They struggled to bring him round and he was screaming in pain . ''
Another photograph on social media purports to show Mr Navalny drinking from a cup at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the cafe owners were checking CCTV to see if it could provide any evidence .
He made a name for himself by exposing official corruption , labelling Mr Putin 's United Russia as `` the party of crooks and thieves '' , and has served several jail terms .
In 2011 he was arrested and imprisoned for 15 days following protests over vote-rigging by Mr Putin 's United Russia party in parliamentary elections .
Mr Navalny was briefly jailed in July 2013 on embezzlement charges but denounced the sentence as political .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race but was barred because of previous fraud convictions in a case he again said was politically motivated .
Mr Navalny was also given a 30-day jail term in July 2019 after calling for unauthorised protests .
He was taken ill during that jail sentence .
Doctors diagnosed him with `` contact dermatitis '' but he said he had never had any acute allergic reactions and his own doctor suggested he might have been exposed to `` some toxic agent '' .
Mr Navalny also said he thought he may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye .
Last year his Anti-Corruption Foundation was officially declared a `` foreign agent '' , enabling the authorities to subject it to more checks .
If this is confirmed as a poisoning , previous attacks on high-profile critics of President Putin would again be thrown into the spotlight .
They include politician Boris Nemtsov and journalist Anna Politkovskaya , who were shot dead , and intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko , who died of poisoning in the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still alive but has alleged he was poisoned twice by Russian security services .

He was taken ill during that jail sentence. Doctors diagnosed him with "contact dermatitis" but he said he had never had any acute allergic reactions and his own doctor suggested he might have been exposed to "some toxic agent". Mr Navalny also said he thought he may have been poisoned.


bbc--2020-08-20--California fires: Helicopter pilot killed while battling blaze

US authorities say the pilot of a helicopter fighting fires in California has died after his aircraft crashed .
The pilot was the only person on board the water-dropping helicopter , which crashed near the city of Coalinga .
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as authorities battle hundreds of blazes .
Thousands of people have had to flee their homes in areas near San Francisco after several quick-moving wildfires swept into the region .
Most at risk is the city of Vacaville , home to about 100,000 , which lies between San Francisco and Sacramento @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frantic effort to clear homes .
According to fire officials , 50 structures have burned down in Vacaville , with another 50 damaged by the fire .
`` We are experiencing fires the likes of which we have n't seen in many , many years , '' Governor Newsom told reporters .
The blazes are thought to have been sparked by a heatwave combined with nearly 11,000 lightning strikes which have hit the state over the last three days .
Earlier this week , one of the highest ever temperatures on Earth was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Across the US western states on Wednesday , nearly 45 million people were living in areas under some form of excessive heat warning or heat advisory .
Mr Newsom said 367 known fires have been recorded so far , but noted that `` the prospect of that going up is very real '' .
`` As those lightning strikes spark , as you have a lot of smoke , you have a difficult time determining total number of fires until certain things clear and we have the opportunity to go to more remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
• Life in the 'hottest place on Earth' The group of fires in the San Francisco Bay Area was driven by winds throughout Tuesday night and has now grown to 46,000 uncontained acres .
The fire , which is larger than city of Washington DC , has injured four people and threatens about 2,000 buildings in Vacaville , authorities say .
Video on social media shows flames burning through people 's front yards in California 's famed wine-producing Napa and Sonoma counties .
Smoke also blanketed the city of San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of Vacaville , on Wednesday morning .
Fires are also burning in the southern part of the state , where officials described `` extreme fire conditions '' amid the heatwave .
Meanwhile , the state 's energy operator has pleaded with residents to use less electricity or otherwise face blackouts that would leave millions of people without power for hours at a time .
On Tuesday night more than 37,000 customers across California lost power , officials told CNN .
So far this year the US has experienced fewer wildfires than in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , around 1.4m fewer acres have burned this year , but the pace is expected to accelerate in the next month as Santa Ana winds reach the south and El Diablo winds strike in the north .

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bbc--2020-08-20--QAnon: Trump lauds bizarre conspiracy theory

The president said he did not know much about the bizarre conspiracy theory , except that its adherents like him @

The president said he did not know much about the bizarre conspiracy theory, except that its adherents like him.


bbc--2020-08-20--China clamps down on over-eating influencers

As any chef will tell you , we eat with our eyes - so for people who make a living eating on social media , the presentation of their food is key to their success .
Korean influencer Sna , known as a.bite , has amassed fans from all over the world for the way she presents and eats beautifully arranged plates of food .
And her more than six million followers on TikTok alone tune in almost daily to watch her munch and crunch her way through the enormous platters .
`` I started posting to TikTok more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says .
`` And I 've created and eaten 270 one-plate videos in the last year and a half . ''
Sna is one of a growing number of stars who straddle two huge internet trends called Mukbang and ASMR : • Mukbang originated in Korea and loosely translates as `` eating broadcast '' • Autonomous sensory meridian response ( ASMR ) is a category of video aimed at creating noises and sounds that elicit a physical response For some , the idea of watching and hearing someone eat piles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the trend , started about 10 years ago , has become extremely popular in Asia .
Now , though , the Chinese government is cracking down on the videos , which soon may be banned altogether in the country .
It all started with a comment by President Xi Jinping , who called on everyone to `` fight against food waste '' .
Food shortages are a rising concern for China , with the continuing trade war with the United States and mass flooding hitting crop growth last month .
The 'Clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Xi who also said that Covid-19 had `` sounded the alarm '' on food waste .
He added that China had to `` maintain a sense of crisis about food security '' .
And the state-run media channels quickly sprung into action .
The news network CCTV made critical reports about mukbangers , drawing attention to those that consumed mountains of food while livestreaming .
And , shortly afterwards , the social-media companies took action .
Anyone searching for terms such as `` eating show '' or `` eating livestream '' is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Users on popular app Kuaishou are being warned to `` save food ; eat properly '' and on Douyin , the Chinese sister app to TikTok , a warning pops up saying : `` Cherish food , refuse to waste , eat properly and have a healthy life . ''
Meanwhile , mukbang star Mini has fronted a promotional video on the state-run Guangming Daily , calling on people not to waste food .
In one of her ads , she says : `` Reheated dishes can be super-tasty too . ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearing on Chinese apps operating outside of China , such as TikTok .
BBC China media analyst Kerry Allen says : `` Social-media platforms in China have long been nervous about having content on their platforms that is seen as counter to what the state deems good , moral behaviour .
`` Livestreaming and vlogging has become increasingly popular .
`` But as the state is particularly nervous about the new freedoms this medium offers , many vloggers have struggled to find a niche , thanks to strict rules on livestreaming outdoors or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influencers have ended up simply either singing along to songs - or eating . ''
But now some of the most successful mukbang stars in China , the `` big-stomach kings '' who eat as much food on screen as they can , are having their videos blurred on Chinese platforms , to discourage viewers .
`` Users have started removing their eating videos manually , '' Ms Allen says .
`` But even then , they risk still being shamed online as their previous videos could be saved by others .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start naming and shaming those who were once part of the niche that has overnight been rebranded as 'wasteful ' and 'vulgar ' '' .
Most of Sna 's followers are in Korea , Vietnam and Thailand .
But she worries for her 50,000 Chinese fans , many of whom are thought to be lonely people seeking a shared experience when eating their own dinner in front of their phones or computers .
`` I 'm hoping that only the worst channels will be affected by this to allow for the beneficial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says .
`` I do n't eat much in my videos and try to eat healthy food . ''

But now some of the most successful mukbang stars in China, the "big-stomach kings" who eat as much food on screen as they can, are having their videos blurred on Chinese platforms, to discourage viewers.


bbc--2020-08-20--Thom Brennaman: Cincinnati Reds suspend broadcaster for homophobic slur

Last updated on .From the section Baseball The Cincinnati Reds baseball team have suspended commentator Thom Brennaman after he broadcasted a homophobic comment that he believed was off air .
`` If I 've hurt anyone out there , I ca n't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart , I 'm so very , very sorry . ''
After making the offensive comment at the top of the seventh inning of Game One and making his apology at the top of the fifth inning of Game Two , Brennaman was replaced on air .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the horrific , homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman , '' read a statement from the Reds .
`` We share our sincerest apologies to the LGBTQ+ community in Cincinnati , Kansas City , all across this country , and beyond .
The Reds embrace a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination of any kind . ''
`` To the LGBTQ community , just know I am with you , and whoever is against you , is against me .
I 'm sorry for what was said today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son of Marty Brennaman , who called Reds plays for 45 years before retiring at the end of last season .

Thom Brennaman was replaced on air midway through the double header at Kansas
The Cincinnati Reds baseball team have suspended commentator Thom Brennaman after he broadcasted a homophobic comment that he believed was off air.
Brennaman, who has commentated on the Major League Baseball side for 16 years, apologised later in their double header away to Kansas.
"I am deeply ashamed," Brennaman, 56, said.
"If I've hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart, I'm so very, very sorry."
After making the offensive comment at the top of the seventh inning of Game One and making his apology at the top of the fifth inning of Game Two, Brennaman was replaced on air.
"The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman," read a statement from the Reds.
"We share our sincerest apologies to the LGBTQ+ community in Cincinnati, Kansas City, all across this country, and beyond. The Reds embrace a zero-tolerance policy for bias or discrimination of any kind."
Reds pitcher Amir Garrett also condemned Brennaman's comments.
"To the LGBTQ community, just know I am with you, and whoever is against you, is against me. I'm sorry for what was said today," he tweeted. external-link
Brennaman is the son of Marty Brennaman, who called Reds plays for 45 years before retiring at the end of last season.


bbc--2020-08-20--Flint water crisis: Michigan 'agrees to pay $600m'

The US state of Michigan has agreed to pay a settlement of $ 600m to victims of the Flint water crisis , US media say .
Most of the money will go to children in the city who were exposed to drinking water poisoned with lead , reports add .
At least 12 people died after Flint switched its water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to save money .
An outbreak of Legionnaires ' disease followed , and nearly 100,000 residents were left without safe tap water .
The settlement is expected to be formally announced later this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post and Wall Street Journal say , citing sources familiar with the case .
There has been no official comment from the Michigan state government yet .
What do we know about the settlement ?
Anyone who lived in Flint between 2014 and 2016 could be eligible for the settlement money , US media say .
However , almost 80 % of the funds will go to residents who were under 18 at the time .
Experts say children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning , particularly babies and children under five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brains are fully developed .
• One in three children 'exposed to lead ' globally Flint is a majority-African American city , where over 40 % of the residents live in poverty .
Why did this happen ?
In 2014 , Flint switched its water supply away from Detroit 's system , which draws from Lake Huron , and instead used water from the Flint river .
Flint was in a financial state of emergency and the switch was meant to save the city millions of dollars .
But the water from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's water and was not treated properly , causing lead - a powerful neurotoxin - to leach from the pipes .
Residents started noticing that tap water sometimes came out blue or yellow - and many began to lose their hair , or develop rashes on their arms and face .
Despite this , local officials and leaders denied anything was wrong for over a year , even as residents complained that the water tasted and looked strange .
The city has since switched back to using Detroit 's water system .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottled water for drinking , cooking and washing , saying they no longer trust the government .
Thousands of residents filed lawsuits against the state of Michigan - and this settlement would only resolve claims against the state , not individuals including Rick Snyder who was governor at the time , or private companies , reports say .
Last year , prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against officials awaiting trial over the crisis , saying a more thorough investigation was needed .

Flint water crisis: Michigan 'agrees to pay $600m' Published 20 August 2020
Image source, Reuters
The US state of Michigan has agreed to pay a settlement of $600m to victims of the Flint water crisis, US media say.
Most of the money will go to children in the city who were exposed to drinking water poisoned with lead, reports add.
At least 12 people died after Flint switched its water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to save money.
An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease followed, and nearly 100,000 residents were left without safe tap water.
The settlement is expected to be formally announced later this week, the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal say, citing sources familiar with the case.
There has been no official comment from the Michigan state government yet.
What do we know about the settlement?
Anyone who lived in Flint between 2014 and 2016 could be eligible for the settlement money, US media say.
However, almost 80% of the funds will go to residents who were under 18 at the time.
Experts say children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, particularly babies and children under five who can experience brain damage before their brains are fully developed.
Flint is a majority-African American city, where over 40% of the residents live in poverty.
Why did this happen?
In 2014, Flint switched its water supply away from Detroit's system, which draws from Lake Huron, and instead used water from the Flint river.
Flint was in a financial state of emergency and the switch was meant to save the city millions of dollars.
But the water from the river was more corrosive than Lake Huron's water and was not treated properly, causing lead - a powerful neurotoxin - to leach from the pipes.
Residents started noticing that tap water sometimes came out blue or yellow - and many began to lose their hair, or develop rashes on their arms and face.
Despite this, local officials and leaders denied anything was wrong for over a year, even as residents complained that the water tasted and looked strange.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Aleem Maqbool on the Flint, Michigan, water crisis - and beyond
The city has since switched back to using Detroit's water system.
However, many local residents still rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking and washing, saying they no longer trust the government.
Thousands of residents filed lawsuits against the state of Michigan - and this settlement would only resolve claims against the state, not individuals including Rick Snyder who was governor at the time, or private companies, reports say.


bbc--2020-08-20--Calls for new inquiry into Belgian police custody death

The wife of a Slovak man who died in Belgian police custody has called for a fresh inquiry after shocking images of his detention emerged .
Jozef Chovanec was arrested at Charleroi airport in 2018 after causing a disturbance on his flight .
While in custody , he began banging his head on the wall of his cell to the point of bleeding .
A group of officers are later seen pinning him down .
Chovanec was taken to hospital , but fell into a coma and died the next day .
The images from the cell show several officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to give a Nazi salute .
Another is filmed sitting on Chovanec 's rib cage for 16 minutes .
His death has drawn parallels in Belgium with the case of George Floyd , who died in May after a police officer knelt on his neck during his arrest in the US .
`` I want to know what happened and why [ the police ] behaved that way , '' his wife , Henrieta , told Het Laatse Nieuws , the Belgian newspaper that obtained the footage .
Before his death in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that recruited Slovakian construction workers for projects in Belgium , and he frequently commuted between the two countries for his business .
His family said they do not know the reason for his erratic behaviour during police custody , and an autopsy revealed he had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol .
`` Something seemed to be going on with my husband , he was n't feeling well , but the police ignored my husband all night , '' said Mrs Chovancova .
`` When they saw the blood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , they sat on him with so many people .
He could n't breathe properly . ''
Two years after his death , a police investigation is continuing , and Mrs Chovancova has called for a new judge to be appointed .
A spokesperson for the Charleroi public prosecutor 's office said all officers involved in the incident had been interviewed , but added that `` due to the crisis surrounding Covid-19 , there has been a delay '' .
In the meantime , a police spokesperson told the Sudinfo website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be dismissed from 20 August .
There has been widespread revulsion at the images among Belgian politicians .
Interior Minister Pieter de Crem told Belgian media the images were `` extremely shocking '' and what had happened was `` obviously out of all proportion '' .
It was up to the police inspectorate to decide what action to take towards the officers involved , he said .
A spokesman for the VSOA police union told Flemish broadcaster VRT `` that Hitler salute and that dancing is utterly unacceptable and inappropriate '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case well enough to make accusations against the officers .

"Something seemed to be going on with my husband, he wasn't feeling well, but the police ignored my husband all night," said Mrs Chovancova. "When they saw the blood, they should have given him first aid. Instead, they sat on him with so many people. He couldn't breathe properly."


bbc--2020-08-20--Female Iraqi activist killed in Basra as gunmen target protesters

A female political activist has been shot dead in the Iraqi city of Basra , in the third such attack in a week .
Riham Yaqoob , a doctor who led local anti-government protests , was killed by unidentified assailants on Wednesday .
The killing on Friday of another activist , Tahseen Osama , saw protesters take to the streets to demand the authorities uncover those responsible .
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi dismissed Basra 's chief of police and other security officials in response .
Following the killing of Dr Yaqoob , he vowed to `` do everything necessary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` Complicity with the killers and submitting to their threats is rejected and we will do everything necessary for the ministry of interior and security agencies to carry out the task of protecting the security of society from the threats of outlaws , '' he added .
Mr Kadhimi - a former intelligence chief - took office in May , five months after his predecessor resigned in response to mass protests in the capital Baghdad , Basra and other southern cities .
Until the Covid-19 pandemic reached Iraq , thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to express their anger at endemic corruption , high unemployment , dire public services and foreign interference .
Their demands included sweeping away Iraq 's political system , which allocates positions to political parties based on ethnic and sectarian identity , encouraging patronage and corruption .
• Iraq gets new PM after months of deadlock More than 500 protesters were shot dead by security forces and gunmen suspected of links to militias during the unrest .
Thousands of others were injured .
Mr Kadhimi has pledged to hold those responsible for the killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' families $ 8,380 ( £6,340 ) in compensation .
He has also set next June as the date for early parliamentary elections .

"Complicity with the killers and submitting to their threats is rejected and we will do everything necessary for the ministry of interior and security agencies to carry out the task of protecting the security of society from the threats of outlaws," he added.


bbc--2020-08-19--Breast cancer: One-dose radiotherapy 'as effective as full course'

A single targeted dose of radiotherapy could be as effective at treating breast cancer as a full course , a long-term study suggests .
Researchers said people who received the shorter treatment were also less likely to die of other cancers and heart disease in the following five years .
But cancer specialists have raised concerns about the study 's methodology .
A fifth of patients in the study received extra doses of radiotherapy .
The study 's lead author , Prof Jayant Vaidya , said he had expected a proportion of the women to need extra radiotherapy , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more aggressive than expected .
This still left 80 % of women benefiting from a shorter course of treatment with fewer side-effects , he said .
Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy ( TARGIT-IORT ) involves a single , targeted dose of radiation inside the breast , immediately after the tumour is removed .
This type of radiotherapy , developed by doctors at University College London ( UCL ) , is delivered using a small device placed inside the breast , directly on the site of the cancer .
It means patients can receive radiation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation to have their cancer removed .
And they should n't have to return for any further treatments , which can involve 15 to 30 hospital visits for people having a standard course of radiotherapy .
This treatment is already available on the NHS in a small number of clinics that have the right equipment .
During the pandemic , NHS England has reduced the number of visits people need to make for standard radiotherapy after surgery to about five .
The TARGIT-A trial involved 2,298 women with breast cancer in 10 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a standard course of radiotherapy between 2000 and 2012 .
The study reported at the 10-year mark that a single dose of radiation during surgery was as effective as a prolonged course .
This latest study , which followed women up for five years after their treatment , confirmed that conclusion , the researchers said .
• Pandemic could cause thousands more cancer deaths And it found fewer in the group receiving the single-dose treatment had died from other causes , including heart disease , lung problems and other cancers .
UCL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also had fewer radiation-related side-effects , including pain and changes to the breast 's appearance .
Writer Marcelle Bernstein received the one-off treatment eight years ago , and has had the all-clear ever since .
`` Within two months of diagnosis I was cancer-free , '' she said .
And , having seen her mother die of breast cancer 25 years earlier , she felt it was important she `` would n't be a cancer sufferer longer than necessary '' .
`` I just liked the idea of something treating just the tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the body , '' she said .
However , 20 % of the women in the study given a single dose of radiation did go on to have further radiotherapy treatments , when tests discovered `` unsuspected higher-risk factors '' .
Joanne Haviland at the Institute of Cancer Research raised concerns about some of the definitions the researchers used in their study .
`` Conventional radiotherapy has evolved considerably since the design of the TARGIT-A trial , including shorter treatment schedules and smaller volumes of breast treated , with greatly improved patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cure at very low cost to the NHS . ''
Martin Ledwick of Cancer Research UK said : `` As the women taking part in the study received radiotherapy at the same time as having a lumpectomy , doctors were n't able to analyse their tumours in advance to see if they would need a longer course of radiotherapy until after their operation .
`` While 20 % of the women in this study did then need additional treatment , 80 % of patients were spared this . ''

Martin Ledwick of Cancer Research UK said: "As the women taking part in the study received radiotherapy at the same time as having a lumpectomy, doctors weren't able to analyse their tumours in advance to see if they would need a longer course of radiotherapy until after their operation.


bbc--2020-08-20--Thai protests: Lawyer Anon Nampa among nine arrested in sweep against activists

Thai police have arrested nine people in a sweep targeting activists involved in recent anti-government protests .
Among the nine was lawyer Anon Nampa , who was charged over a protest at which he called for reform of the monarchy .
Thailand 's monarchy has long been shielded from criticism under strict lese-majeste and other laws .
But in recent weeks , students and other activists have taken to the streets to call for reforms of the institution .
Mr Anon , 36 , was the first to openly break the taboo earlier this month , calling for reform at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the others detained after Mr Anon were activists Baramee Chairat , Suwanna Tarnlek and Korakot Saengyenpanm , and a popular rapper , Dechatorn Bamroongmuang from the group Rap for Democracy , who performed at the July protest at Bangkok 's Democracy Monument .
They have been charged with sedition and could face prison sentences of up to seven years .
Activists said they had seen a police list of 20 more facing possible arrest in the near future .
The protesters are demanding dissolution of the government headed by Prime Minister Prayuth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized power in a 2014 military coup and returned as the country 's civilian premier after a controversial election last year .
• The students risking it all to challenge the monarchy • Why young people are protesting in Thailand The anti-government rallies took an unprecedented turn earlier this month when they began to include calls for reform to the monarchy .
Thais are taught to respect , revere and love the monarchy , but also to fear the consequences of speaking about it .
Insulting the monarchy in Thailand can mean up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kingdom 's lese-majeste law .
The use of this legislation has slowed in recent years as Thai King Vajiralongkorn has let it be known he no longer wants it so widely used .
But observers say the government has used other legal routes to target dissent , including the sedition law .
Mr Anon 's arrest on Wednesday saw him charged with sedition for a second time this month .
He was earlier arrested over the July rally with another activist , Panupong Jaadnok .
This latest arrest is over the Harry Potter-themed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 August , where Mr Anon had stressed that he wanted to reform , not overthrow , the constitutional monarchy .
He focused in particular on the huge assets of the Crown Property Bureau which , under the late King Bhumibol , had been notionally held in trust for the benefit of the Thai people , but have now been declared the personal property of the king , making him by far the wealthiest person in Thailand .
Mr Anon also questioned King Vajiralongkorn 's decision to take personal command of all military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes can not be compatible with a democratic , constitutional monarchy .
`` It had to be done , '' he said of his call for accountability .
`` That 's why I chose to speak candidly , to honour my own integrity , the integrity of the audience , and out of respect for the monarchy .
Because if we do n't speak frankly about it , then we will never understand it . ''
His comments were nothing short of extraordinary in a country where few dare to openly discuss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Thailand 's monarchy who have fled to neighbouring countries have been abducted and murdered .
Thai police are cracking down on the student-led movement that has given rise to the country 's biggest rallies since the coup six years ago .
Protesters seek the resignation of the military-backed government , an end to the harassment of its critics , a new constitution and fresh elections .
`` The Thai government 's repeated promises to listen to dissenting voices have proven meaningless as the crackdown on pro-democracy activists continues unabated , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights Watch , calling for authorities to drop the charges and release all the activists .

He focused in particular on the huge assets of the Crown Property Bureau which, under the late King Bhumibol, had been notionally held in trust for the benefit of the Thai people, but have now been declared the personal property of the king, making him by far the wealthiest person in Thailand.


bbc--2020-08-20--Mali coup: UN joins global condemnation of military takeover

The United Nations has joined global condemnation of the military takeover in Mali , which saw President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta forced to resign .
The UN 's Security Council echoed similar calls by regional bodies for the immediate release of all government officials and the restoration of constitutional order .
The soldiers said they acted to prevent the country falling into further chaos .
They say they will set up a civilian government and hold new elections .
Mali , a vast country stretching into the Sahara Desert , is among the poorest in the world and has experienced several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain a wave of jihadist attacks and ethnic violence .
Mr Keïta won a second term in elections in 2018 , but since June has faced huge street protests over corruption , mismanagement of the economy and disputed legislative elections .
There has also been anger among troops about pay and the conflict with jihadists .
• Africa Live : Latest updates on this and other stories • Are coups on the rise in Africa ?
The African Union earlier suspended Mali , saying military coups were `` something of the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Whenever you have a crisis and the military people have a coup and say 'we are responding to the will of the people ' , this way of responding is not acceptable at all , '' the AU 's Commissioner for Peace and Security , Smail Chergui , told the BBC 's Focus on Africa programme .
The 15-member Economic Community of West African States ( Ecowas ) has also taken swift action against Mali - closing borders , suspending financial flows and ejecting it from decision-making bodies .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide what further action to take .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted his condemnation .
French President Emmanuel Macron also urged a return to civilian rule , saying `` the fight against terrorist groups and the defence of democracy and the rule of law are inseparable '' .
France , Mali 's former colonial ruler , has several thousand troops based in Mali fighting Islamist militant groups and its Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly tweeted that this operation would continue .
Various jihadist groups , some linked to al-Qaeda and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deserts of northern Mali , from where they have spread to neighbouring countries , especially Burkina Faso and Niger .
Who are the coup leaders ?
Colonel Assimi Goita has presented himself as leader of the new military junta , which is calling itself the National Committee for the Salvation of the People ( CNSP ) but little is known about him .
Col Goita , said to be the head of Mali 's special forces , met senior civil servants earlier on Wednesday and told them : `` We have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our objective is to rapidly transfer power .
The state will continue , we assure you of our support in order to work in tranquillity , we want to reassure you , '' the Malian newspaper Journal du Mali reports .
Other members of the junta identified in the report include Col Malick Diaw , CNSP vice-president , and Col Ismaël Wagué , the air force deputy chief of staff , who had earlier read a statement on behalf of the group .
The newspaper quotes local websites as saying four civilians were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although this has been denied by coup leaders .
What does the opposition say ?
One of the parties in the M5 opposition coalition , CMAS , said it would support the coup leader in `` developing a roadmap '' towards new elections and called for rallies on Friday `` to celebrate the Malian people 's victory '' .
After meeting the coup leaders , the head of Mali 's opposition M5 movement , conservative Imam Mahmoud Dicko , announced he would be withdrawing from politics .
No reasons were given .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures in the huge street protests calling for Mr Keïta to resign .
How did the coup take place ?
It appears that mutinying soldiers took control of the Kati army camp , about 15km ( nine miles ) from Bamako , on Tuesday .
They then marched on the capital , cheered by crowds who had gathered to demand Mr Keïta 's resignation .
The soldiers then stormed the presidential buildings , arresting Mr Keïta and his prime minister and taking them to Kati Camp .
The president 's son , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign and finance ministers were also reported to have been detained .
Appearing on TV on Tuesday night , President Keïta said he would resign as he did not want `` blood to be spilled to keep me in power '' .
Although banks and offices were closed in Bamako on Wednesday , there were signs of daily life resuming .
Some residents had gathered to celebrate the coup , while some were worried about who would now be in charge of the country , reports journalist Mohamed Salaha .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , that nudged Mali along the path to chaos .
Weapons from Libya flooded across the Sahara Desert , fuelling a separatist conflict in northern Mali , which morphed into an Islamist militant offensive , which prompted a coup in the capital Bamako .
It 's been a mess ever since , in a landlocked nation that had been a West African success story .
Today French troops , American drones , UN peacekeepers , and British helicopters are all trying - and largely failing - to strengthen security , not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region increasingly threatened by Islamist insurgencies and other conflicts .
This latest military coup in Bamako appears to be a reaction to those security challenges , but also to corruption , disputed elections , and political drift .
The coup itself seems unlikely to fix anything .
But it highlights a familiar truth - that while foreign intervention has its uses , the key to repairing a nation like Mali lies in its own hands , and with its own faltering democratic institutions .

Col Goita, said to be the head of Mali's special forces, met senior civil servants earlier on Wednesday and told them: "We have no political ambitions, we are soldiers, our objective is to rapidly transfer power. The state will continue, we assure you of our support in order to work in tranquillity, we want to reassure you," the Malian newspaper Journal du Mali reports.


bbc--2020-08-20--Cricket legend asks fans to find his first car

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has asked his fans to help him locate his first car .
The iconic player , who is passionate about cars , said the vehicle was a Maruti 800 - a small car popular with Indians in the 1990s .
He asked his fans to contact him in case they knew its whereabouts - though he did not provide much more detail .
Tendulkar retired in 2013 but continues to be one of the most popular public figures in India .
He told a web chat show that he had bought his car soon after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , he joined an entire generation of Indians for whom the Maruti 800 was more than a car - it symbolised dreams , aspirations and status .
In fact , news that Maruti decided to stop the production of the car in 2014 devastated many , leading to nostalgic recollections of what the model had meant to them .
The batsman said he sold the vehicle after he bought several new cars with the rise in his stature in international cricket .
He also talked about what inspired his lifelong love for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open drive-in movie hall near my house where people used to park their cars and watch the movie , sitting in it .
So I , along with my brother , used to stand in our balcony for hours to watch those cars , '' he said .
Tendulkar is the highest scorer in both Tests and ODIs , with 15,837 runs in 198 Tests and 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs .
He made his international debut aged 16 in November 1989 and in 2012 became the only batsman in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has scored 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86 , hitting 51 tons and 67 half centuries .
His top score was an unbeaten 248 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2004 He has scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23 .
He has scored 49 centuries ( highest score 200 ) and 96 fifties

"There was a massive open drive-in movie hall near my house where people used to park their cars and watch the movie, sitting in it. So I, along with my brother, used to stand in our balcony for hours to watch those cars," he said.


bbc--2020-08-20--DNC 2020: Kamala Harris celebrates her mother and other inspiring women

What happens at the US conventions ?
It 's convention season in the US election , but this year wo @ @ @ @ @ .

Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's vice-presidential nominee, used her acceptance speech to celebrate her late mother for shaping her passion for public service and making a difference. She called on Americans to step up and take action now.


bbc--2020-08-20--Obama and top Democrats go after Donald Trump

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