bbc--2020-02-21--Coronavirus: South Korea 'emergency' measures as infections increase

South Korea has stepped up measures to contain the spread of the deadly new coronavirus , as confirmed infections increased sharply for a second day .
PM Chung Sye-kyun said it was now an emergency as 100 new cases and the country 's second death were confirmed .
The southern cities of Daegu and Cheongdo have been declared `` special care zones '' .
The streets of Daegu are now largely abandoned .
All military bases are in lockdown after three soldiers tested positive .
About 9,000 members of a religious group were told to self quarantine , after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The authorities suspect the current outbreak in South Korea originated in Cheongdo , pointing out that a large number of sect followers attended a funeral of the founder 's brother from 31 January to 2 February .
On Friday , a second person who contracted the coronavirus died .
They were a patient at the same mental hospital in Cheongdo as the country 's first victim .
Another 15 patients have also tested positive .
On Thursday , 53 new cases were reported .
South Korea now has a total of 204 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainland China and the cruise ship docked off Japan .
• What you need to know about the virus The new virus , which originated last year in Hubei province in China , causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19 .
What measures are being taken ?
From the 100 new cases reported on Friday , 86 were in Daegu , a city 300km ( 186 miles ) south-east of the capital Seoul , and nearly all of those were from a cluster involving the religious sect .
Reacting to the quickly deteriorating situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent further spread of the virus .
`` It is urgent to find people who have contacted infected people and cure patients , '' PM Chung said , according to news agency Yonhap .
He said the government was readying resources like sickbeds , medical equipment and health workers and warned the virus was now spreading locally .
`` The government has so far focused on curbing infections coming from outside the country .
From now on , the government will further prioritise preventing the virus from spreading locally . ''
Health Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to isolate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent any spread within medical institutions .
He also said that all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals would be checked for the virus .
The city 's biggest cluster appears to be at a branch of a religious sect which calls itself the Shincheonji Church of Jesus , Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony .
South Korean health officials believe these infections are linked to a 61-year-old woman who tested positive for the virus earlier this week .
The Shincheonji , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said it had now shut down its Daegu branch and that services in other regions would be held online or individually at home .
As of Friday , more than 400 members of the church were showing symptoms of the disease , though tests were still ongoing , the city mayor said .
Daegu is the country 's fourth-largest city , with a population of 2.5 million people .
Residents are now being asked to remain at home after authorities described the church cluster as `` super-spreading event '' .
Many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a daily basis .
Hand sanitizers have been placed at public transport stops and building entrances .
Warning government signs are everywhere .
They say : `` Three ways to prevent further infection : wear a mask at all times ; wash your hands properly with soap for more than 30 seconds ; and cover yourself when coughing . ''
Koreans have also developed several apps and websites that tell you how much risk you face where you are .
They show where the infected people are within a 10km radius .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can do is minimise contact with others and stay at home during the weekend , '' Seung-hye Lim , a Seoul resident , told the BBC .
`` I do wonder if we reacted too laxly initially or if it really is because of the specific service practices of the Shincheonji sect . ''
So-young Sung , a mother of two in Seoul , told the BBC : `` It feels like my daily life is collapsing . ''
She said she was struggling to find pharmacies that had masks .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children 's schools and kindergartens was now a daily routine for her .
What about China and elsewhere ?
The latest figures from China put the death toll from the disease at 2,236 people and total infections at more than 75,000 .
The virus has now hit the country 's prison system , with more than 500 inmates confirmed infected .
Senior officials have already been sacked for mishandling management of the outbreak .
The virus has also spread around the globe with more than 1,000 cases and several deaths in the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US and Africa .
• Watching loved ones die without care in Wuhan South Korea is now the worst affected country after mainland China and the more than 600 infections on a cruise ship docked in Japan .
Passengers of the Diamond Princess who have tested negative continue to disembark the ship in Yokohama after more than 14 days quarantined on board .
More than 150 Australian passengers have been evacuated from the ship and have already arrived in Darwin , where they will begin two more weeks of quarantine .
Australian officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported feeling unwell on arrival in Darwin and were immediately tested .
Two of those people tested positive despite having received negative tests before leaving Japan .
The first batch of people from Hong Kong have also flown back to the city , where they will similarly be quarantined .
What questions do you have about the coronavirus ?
In some cases your question will be published , displaying your name , age and location as you provide it , unless you state otherwise .
Your contact details will never be published .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ & conditions and privacy policy .
Use this form to ask your question :

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.


bbc--2020-02-21--Afghanistan war: US and Afghan Taliban to start partial truce

A seven-day `` reduction in violence '' between the US and the Afghan Taliban will begin on Saturday , officials say .
`` This is an important step on a long road to peace , '' US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday .
If successful , the two sides will then sign the first phase of a deal aimed at ending nearly two decades of conflict .
The agreement , scheduled to begin at midnight local time , comes after more than a year of talks between American and Afghan Taliban representatives .
In a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation '' would be created ahead of signing a deal they hoped would `` lay the groundwork for peace across the country with the withdrawal of all foreign forces '' .
The Afghan government , which is currently grappling with a dispute over the results of the country 's presidential elections , was not part of the negotiations .
• Where the road to peace is harder than war Under the terms of the partial week-long truce , it is understood that no major offensive operations will be launched against the Taliban , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have come to an understanding with the Taliban on a significant reduction in violence across Afghanistan , '' Mr Pompeo said in a statement .
`` Upon a successful implementation of this understanding , signing of the US-Taliban [ peace ] agreement is expected to move forward .
We are preparing for the signing to take place on 29 February , '' the statement added .
The US has spent billions of dollars since 2001 fighting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan .
President Donald Trump , who pledged during his 2016 presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan , has been pushing for the withdrawal of US troops from the country .
The BBC 's Afghanistan correspondent , Secunder Kermani , says the move is seen as an opportunity for the Taliban 's leadership to show they can control their fighters on the ground .
It could also pave the way for talks between Taliban negotiators and Afghan politicians , our correspondent adds .
How did the peace talks come about ?
In December 2018 , the Taliban announced they would meet US officials to try to find a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the militants continued to refuse to hold official talks with the Afghan government , whom they dismissed as American `` puppets '' .
Following nine rounds of US-Taliban talks in Qatar , the two sides seemed close to an agreement .
Washington 's top negotiator announced in September that the US would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks as part of a deal agreed `` in principle '' with Taliban militants .
But days later , Mr Trump said the talks were `` dead '' , after the militant group admitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They thought that they had to kill people to put themselves in a little better negotiating position '' , he told reporters , calling the attack `` a big mistake '' .
In the months since the deal collapsed , there has so far been no let-up in fighting .
The Taliban has warned that the US would `` lose the most '' by cancelling the talks .
Since 2011 , Qatar has hosted Taliban leaders who have moved there to discuss peace in Afghanistan .
It has been a difficult process .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but closed the same year amid rows over flags .
Other attempts at talks have stalled .
Qatar was also the host of a major conference in July that agreed a roadmap for Afghan peace .
Significantly it included both the Taliban and Afghan government officials , though the latter attended in a `` personal capacity '' .
What 's the background to the Afghan war ?
It began when the US launched air strikes one month following the 11 September 2001 attacks and after the Taliban had refused to hand over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laden .
• Who are the Taliban ?
• How does the Taliban make money ?
• 'We embraced ... but I 'd still kill him' The US was joined by an international coalition and the Taliban were quickly removed from power .
However , they later emerged as an insurgent force and continued deadly attacks , destabilising subsequent Afghan governments .
The international coalition ended its combat mission in 2014 , staying only to train Afghan forces .
But the US continued its own , scaled-back combat operation , including air strikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to gain momentum - in 2018 , the BBC found that Taliban militants were active across 70 % of Afghanistan .
Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion , more than 2,300 of them American .
The figures for Afghan civilians , militants and government forces are more difficult to quantify .
In a February 2019 report , the UN said that more than 32,000 civilians had died .
The Watson Institute at Brown University says 58,000 security personnel and 42,000 opposition combatants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban ?
The Taliban , or `` students '' in the Pashto language , emerged in the chaos that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989 .
They took Kabul in 1996 and were in charge of most of the country within two years , practising their own austere version of Sharia , or Islamic law .
Before being removed from power they banned TV , music and cinema , enforced strict dress codes , severely curtailed female education and introduced brutal punishments .
Mullah Omar continued to lead the Taliban after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 although the Taliban did not confirm it for two years .
The Taliban are now led by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada .

In the months since the deal collapsed, there has so far been no let-up in fighting. The Taliban has warned that the US would "lose the most" by cancelling the talks.


bbc--2020-02-21--Hanau: Germany boosts security amid far-right threat

Germany will deploy extra police to protect mosques , railway stations , airports and other sensitive sites because of a `` very high '' far-right threat following the Hanau killings , the interior minister says .
Horst Seehofer said he had agreed the measures with regional leaders , to prevent any copycat attacks .
Prosecutors say the suspected gunman , now dead , was `` deeply racist '' .
Nine people were killed in shisha bars in the western city on Wednesday .
`` The security threat from right-wing extremism , anti-Semitism and racism is very high , '' Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest security threat facing Germany '' .
Muhammed B , a wounded survivor , described from his hospital bed how the gunman took careful aim at the victims in the Arena Bar & Cafe .
`` Everyone he saw , he just shot them straight in the head .
He laid down , then he fired at all of us .
I hid behind a wall , and as I was moving to hide he shot me in the arm , '' he told a Turkish TV interviewer .
`` It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top of each other .
The guy lying under me had a hole in his neck , he said ' I ca n't breathe , I ca n't feel my tongue ' , '' Muhammad recalled through tears .
He said he told the young man to recite a final prayer , which he did .
Who were the victims ?
Investigators say all the shisha bar victims were of immigrant origin - some were German nationals , while Turkey says at least five had Turkish citizenship .
Several were reported to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included one person each from Bosnia-Herzegovina , Bulgaria and Romania .
Tens of thousands of people attended vigils for the victims on Thursday night , in Hanau and Berlin , carrying candles and white roses in silence .
The attack , attributed to a 43-year-old German named Tobias R , is being treated as an act of terrorism .
• Has Germany done enough to tackle far-right violence ?
• What we know so far In her response to the attack Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the `` poison of racism '' .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began around 22:00 ( 21:00 GMT ) on Wednesday , and the first target was the Midnight shisha bar in Hanau .
The suspect then travelled by car to the Kesselstadt neighbourhood , some 2.5km ( 1.5 miles ) away , and opened fire at the Arena Bar & Cafe .
Shisha bars are places where people gather to smoke a pipe known as shisha or hookah .
Traditionally found in Middle Eastern and Asian countries , they are also popular in many other parts of the world .
Police identified the gunman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Early on Thursday , they stormed the suspect 's apartment , near the scene of the second shooting .
The suspect and his 72-year-old mother were found , both also shot .
A gun was found next to the suspect 's body .
The investigation is now focusing on whether others knew about or helped organise the attack .
The suspect may have had far-right contacts in Germany or abroad .
Ali Can , a German-Turkish anti-racism activist , posted a photo of a friend of his cousin , saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter he said : `` We ca n't spend a peaceful evening out , we 're scared for our lives .
What is happening in Germany ?
Where is the protection ? ''
What is known about the suspect ?
Tobias R had posted videos and a kind of manifesto on his website , the federal prosecutor said .
In the document he wrote that people from more than 20 countries including Turkey and Israel should be `` destroyed '' , AFP reported .
London-based German counter-terrorism expert Peter Neumann said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme right views , with a do-it-yourself ideology cobbled together out of parts found on the internet '' .
Hesse state Interior Minister Peter Beuth said the suspect had not previously been known to the authorities .
The Bild tabloid reports he had a firearms licence , and that ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car .
Gun laws in Germany are among the most stringent in the world , and were tightened further in recent years after other mass shootings .
• October 2019 : In Halle , an attacker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synagogue , broadcasting the assault live online .
He later admits a far-right , anti-Semitic motive for the attack • June 2019 : Walter Lübcke , a pro-migrant politician , is shot in the head at close range and found dead in his garden .
A suspect with far-right links later confesses to the murder • July 2016 : An 18-year-old shoots dead nine people at a shopping mall in Munich before killing himself .
Bavarian authorities later classify the attack as `` politically motivated '' , saying the teen had `` radical @ @ @ @ @

"It was a bloodbath... We were all lying on top of each other. The guy lying under me had a hole in his neck, he said 'I can't breathe, I can't feel my tongue'," Muhammad recalled through tears. He said he told the young man to recite a final prayer, which he did.


bbc--2020-02-21--St Paul's bomb plot: IS supporter Safiyya Shaikh pleads guilty

A supporter of the banned Islamic State terror group has admitted plotting to blow herself up in a bomb attack on St Paul 's Cathedral .
Safiyya Shaikh , of Hayes , west London , went on a reconnaissance trip to scope out the London landmark and a hotel .
The 36-year-old , born Michelle Ramsden , was arrested after asking an undercover police officer to supply bombs .
At the Old Bailey she admitted preparing an act of terrorism and will be sentenced in May .
Over the two months before her arrest in October 2019 , Shaikh built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were posing as a husband and wife extremist team .
She messaged one of them via an encrypted social media app .
`` I want to kill a lot , '' she told the officer .
`` I would like to do church ... a day like Christmas or Easter good , kill more .
`` I always send threats .
But I want to make threats real . ''
She sent a picture of St Paul 's Cathedral to the officer and wrote : `` I would like to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like bomb and shoot til death ...
I really would love to destroy that place and the kaffir [ enemies of IS ] there . ''
Just over a week later she visited St Paul 's and sent videos to her contact , writing : `` I will to the bomb under the dome .
`` I will also do something in hotel , then church , then kill til I 'm dead . ''
Prosecutors say she gave two bags which she wanted to be fitted with homemade bombs to the female @ @ @

Second, a cyber operation revealed she headed a significant pro-IS social media chat platform that was pumping out propaganda and urging attacks on targets in Europe. Dutch counter-terrorism investigators linked that account to numerous threats in The Netherlands, one of which had led to the evacuation of a church.


bbc--2020-02-21--Detective stood down over car-fire 'victim blaming'

An Australian police detective investigating the murders of Hannah Clarke and her children has been stood down from the case over comments that were seen as `` victim shaming '' .
Clarke and her children died when her estranged husband Rowan Baxter set their car on fire .
He also died .
In comments to the media on Thursday , Det Insp Mark Thompson had said it could be a case of a man `` being driven too far by issues that he 's suffered '' .
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Friday that Det Insp Thompson had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` how it came out '' , and had volunteered to stand aside .
Hannah Clarke and her children were in the car in Brisbane with her estranged husband on Wednesday when it caught fire .
The three children - Laianah , aged four , Aaliyah , six , and Trey , three - died in the car .
Police say Rowan Baxter was found dead nearby from self-inflicted wounds .
Ms Clarke died in hospital later from severe burns .
Witnesses said she had jumped out of the car screaming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It later emerged that Ms Clarke - who was originally reported as going by the surname Baxter - had repeatedly sought police help over domestic violence and had secured court orders .
The reports sparked anger about some of the media treatment of the incident .
In a news conference on Thursday , Det Insp Thompson had suggested it could not be assumed the case was straight forward and that it was investigators ' job `` to keep a completely open mind '' .
He appealed for anyone with information about the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look at every piece of information and , to put it bluntly , there are probably people out there in the community that are deciding which side to take , so to speak , in this investigation , '' he said .
`` Is this an issue of a woman suffering significant domestic violence and her and her children perishing at the hands of the husband , or is this an instance of a husband being driven too far by issues that he 's suffered , by certain circumstances , into committing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carroll told ABC Radio Brisbane that the comments were `` victim-blaming at its worst '' and offered her sincere apologies to the community and victims .
`` The phraseology was completely wrong , and the words and way it was said should not have been used . ''
She said Det Insp was `` an exceptionally good police officer '' and was `` distressed '' by the impact of the comments , but that `` we want to remove the noise and concentrate on the issue '' .
`` So , the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a mother and three children who have been murdered .
And I want to concentrate on that . ''

"We need to look at every piece of information and, to put it bluntly, there are probably people out there in the community that are deciding which side to take, so to speak, in this investigation," he said.


bbc--2020-02-21--Quaden Bayles: Australian boy in bullying video receives global support

People around the world have rallied behind a nine-year-old Australian boy after a video of his deep distress over being bullied went viral .
Yarraka Bayle posted the clip of her son , Quaden , crying after he was targeted at school for his dwarfism .
`` This is what bullying does , '' she says in the video , in which her son also says he wants to end his life .
The clip , viewed over 14 million times , has triggered an outpouring of support and # WeStandWithQuaden messages .
Celebrities including actor Hugh Jackman and basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while parents in other countries have shared video messages from their children .
Jackman told Quaden `` you are stronger than you know , mate '' and called on everyone to `` be kind '' .
In the confronting six-minute video , posted on Tuesday , Quaden 's mother describes the relentless bullying experienced by her son every day .
The family , who are Aboriginal Australian , live in Queensland .
`` I 've just picked my son up from school , witnessed a bullying episode , rang the principal , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , educators , teachers - this is the effect that bullying has , '' Ms Bayle says as her son sobs .
`` Every single ... day , something happens .
Another episode , another bullying , another taunt , another name-calling .
`` Can you please educate your children , your families , your friends ? ''
The words # StopBullying were trending on Friday as people described their own experiences and urged Quaden to `` stay strong '' .
Children in different countries have also posted messages of friendship .
US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same dwarfism condition of Achondroplasia , said he had raised more than $ 130,000 ( £100,000 ) in less than a day to send the family to Disneyland .
`` This is n't just for Quaden , this is for anyone who has been bullied in their lives and told they were n't good enough , '' he wrote on the fundraising page .
`` Let 's show Quaden and others , that there is good in the world and they are worthy of it . ''
Eric Trump , the son of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` absolutely heartbreaking '' .
Meanwhile basketball star Enes Kanter tweeted `` the world is behind you '' and invited the family to an NBA game .
Sports teams in Australia have also rallied behind Quaden , with the indigenous rugby league side inviting him to be lead the team at a match this weekend .
If you or someone you know needs support for issues around this story , in Australia you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 .
In the UK these @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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bbc--2020-02-21--'What was that all about?': Donald Trump mocks Oscars winner Parasite

US President Donald Trump has hit out at the Oscars for awarding Best Picture to Parasite , a dark South @ @ @ @ @ and wealth inequality .
It is in Korean , and has been screened internationally with @ @ @ @ @ `` can we get Gone With the Wind back please ? ''
- a reference @ @ @ @ @ during the US Civil War , which at the time set a record for Oscar @ @ @ @ @ for its racist stereotypes and nostalgia for slavery .
Responding to the president 's criticism @ @ @ @ @ : `` Understandable , he ca n't read . ''

US President Donald Trump has hit out at the Oscars for awarding Best Picture to Parasite, a dark South Korean comedy about class struggle and wealth inequality.
It is in Korean, and has been screened internationally with English subtitles.
He asked "can we get Gone With the Wind back please?" - a reference to the 1939 film set during the US Civil War, which at the time set a record for Oscar wins but has been criticised for its racist stereotypes and nostalgia for slavery.
Responding to the president's criticism, Parasite distributor Neon tweeted: "Understandable, he can't read."


bbc--2020-02-21--Iran elections: Hardliners set to sweep parliamentary polls

Iranians are voting in elections in an exercise widely expected to result in a more hardline parliament loyal to the country 's supreme leader .
It is the first such poll since the US renewed sanctions over Iran 's nuclear programme , battering its economy .
Thousands of moderate would-be candidates were barred from running for not meeting strict election criteria .
Observers say authorities will be hoping for a high voter turnout as a sign of support for the regime .
Critics of Iran 's rulers have called on citizens to boycott the polls as a way of showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread repression of human rights and intolerance of dissent .
The field of candidates running in the election is dominated by conservatives and hardliners , with the outcome likely to politically weaken President Hassan Rouhani , a relative moderate .
More than 7,000 candidates are vying for 290 seats in the parliament , known as the Majlis .
It is part of Iran 's mixed system of democratic and theocratic governance , under which the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say in the most important matters .
More than 16,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the current Majlis - were disqualified from standing by the Guardian Council , a vetting committee loyal to Mr Khamenei .
• How sanctions affect Iran - in five objects On Thursday the US imposed sanctions on five members of Council for `` preventing the Iranian people from freely choosing their leaders '' .
One of those blacklisted , Abasali Kadkhodai , responded mockingly .
He said he felt `` honoured to be sanctioned by America '' - Iran 's foremost foe - the Iranian national broadcaster Irib reported , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at loggerheads with the US and much of the West since a revolution in 1979 brought a radical Shia Muslim leadership to power .
Mr Khamenei said voting in the parliamentary elections was a `` religious duty '' which would show steadfastness in the face of US efforts to isolate and pressurise the country into changing .
Tensions between Iran and the US have soared since 2018 when President Donald Trump abandoned a multi-country agreement , which lifted sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran 's nuclear programme .
Foreign powers suspect Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although Iran insists its nuclear activities are for purely peaceful purposes .
Divisions over the elections have become increasingly crystallised on social media , with Iranians expressing pro- and anti-government positions .
It is unclear how many Iranians will heed calls to vote , with many disenchanted by the state of the economy , as well as the Iranian president 's failure to deliver on promises of improving civil liberties .
Recent crackdowns on anti-government protesters have also deepened opposition to the ruling classes .
Supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei have been posting under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I take part because '' , with one user tweeting `` each vote is a bullet in the eye of the enemy '' .
Anti-establishment Iranians , meanwhile , have been commenting under hashtags `` I do not vote '' and `` no vote '' .
`` If our opinion was really important and it could change something , they would never ask for our opinion , '' one critic tweeted .

More than 7,000 candidates were vying for 290 seats in the parliament, known as the Majlis. It is part of Iran's mixed system of democratic and theocratic governance, under which the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say in the most important matters.


bbc--2020-02-21--Future Forward: Thai pro-democracy party dissolved over loan

A popular pro-democracy party in Thailand has been dissolved over a loan it received from its leader .
The constitutional court ruled a loan of around $ 6m ( £4.6m ) to Future Forward from Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was a donation , and therefore illegal .
Mr Thanathorn , a wealthy young businessman who is critical of the government , established the party in 2018 to contest last year 's election .
It performed unexpectedly well , winning more than six million votes .
Future Forward had garnered the third largest share of seats in parliament with 80 MPs .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been banned from politics for 10 years and will lose their MP status , Thai TV said .
The party 's remaining 70 MPs have 60 days to switch to a new party in order to preserve their MP status , it added .
Mr Thanathorn argues the party was given no other opportunity to raise funds to fight the election .
Mr Thanathorn and his party have been hit with multiple lawsuits , which he says are politically motivated , reports the BBC 's Jonathan Head in Bangkok .
Last year 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and saw the emergence in June last year of a coalition led by Prime Minister Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha , the former junta leader who first took power in a 2014 coup .
At 41 , he is the young and charismatic head of the Future Forward Party .
Mr Thanathorn , who is heir to a car parts business , has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the prime minister .
Last year , he faced charges of sedition .
His party won seats on a radical platform that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving it a sizeable voice in the first post-coup parliament .
It promised sweeping reforms , in particular of the military , which has seized power a dozen times in the past 70 years .
It has since joined a `` democratic alliance '' to try to prevent Prime Minister Prayuth from staying in power .
Thailand has been buffeted by political instability for years , largely a battle between supporters of the military and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra .

Last year's poll ended five years of military rule, and saw the emergence in June last year of a coalition led by Prime Minister Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former junta leader who first took power in a 2014 coup.


bbc--2020-02-21--Russia meddling to help Trump win re-election, US lawmakers hear

US intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is attempting to help President Donald Trump get re-elected in November , US media report .
The comments came in a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee on 13 February , officials told US outlets .
President Trump was reportedly enraged , complaining that Democrats would use the information against him .
He replaced his acting intelligence chief , Joseph Maguire , on Thursday .
The New York Times reported that Mr Trump was particularly angry that Adam Schiff , the Democrat who led the impeachment proceedings against him , was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , was acquitted after a two-week trial in the Republican-controlled Senate .
During the House intelligence briefing , Mr Trump 's supporters argued that the president had taken a hard stance with Russia , and that European ties and security had been strengthened as a result , the newspaper added .
Mr Schiff later tweeted that if Mr Trump was in any way `` interfering '' with the sharing of information between US intelligence agencies and Congress regarding foreign interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` jeopardising '' attempts to stop it .
Mr Maguire was a favourite to be nominated for the permanent Director of National Intelligence ( DNI ) post , the Washington Post said .
However , the paper said the president changed his mind when he found out about the briefing , and what he called the `` disloyalty '' of his staff .
The president announced this week that Mr Maguire would be replaced by Richard Grenell , the US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist .
Two Trump administration officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement of Mr Maguire , so soon after the contentious briefing , was a coincidence .
US intelligence officials say Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Mr Trump 's campaign and cause chaos within the US electoral process .
Democrats criticised the president for appointing Mr Grenell , who has previously played down the extent of Russian interference in the last election , and has celebrated the rise of far-right politicians in Europe .
Ned Price , a former aide to Mr Trump 's predecessor Barack Obama , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has any use for intelligence '' .
`` He has just named the most political - and abrasive - US ambassador to what is supposed to be the least political - and undoubtedly delicate - role , '' he tweeted .

"Let's be clear, the Russians want to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and, unlike the current president, I stand firmly against their efforts and any other foreign power that wants to interfere in our election," Mr Sanders said.


bbc--2020-02-21--Coronavirus: Ukraine protesters attack buses carrying China evacuees

Dozens of protesters in a Ukrainian town have attacked buses carrying evacuees from coronavirus-hit China .
The evacuees were brought to a health spa in Novi Sanzhary , in the central Poltava region , where they will be held in quarantine for 14 days .
Ukraine 's security service ( SBU ) said a fake email claiming to be from the health ministry falsely said some evacuees had contracted the virus .
SBU officials are now investigating the apparent hoax , a statement said .
Ukraine has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus , which originated last year in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to know To show solidarity with the evacuees , Ukraine 's Health Minister Zoryana Skaletska said she would be joining them in quarantine and would run her ministry by Skype .
`` I hope that my presence there will calm those in Novi Sanzhary , as well as the rest of the country , '' she wrote in a Facebook post ( in Ukrainian ) .
On Thursday , 45 Ukrainians and 27 foreign nationals were flown from Wuhan in China , the epicentre of the deadly outbreak , to Kharkiv @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drove them to the health spa in Novi Sanzhary , where they were met by demonstrators lighting bonfires and hurling stones .
Armoured personnel carriers were seen deployed in the small town .
After a tense stand-off , police and the national guard manage to unblock the road to the building where the evacuees would be spending 14 days .
The country 's health ministry said none of the passengers were sick .
Ukraine 's diplomatic mission added that three Ukrainians and a resident of Kazakhstan had been left behind in China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk , Health Minister Zoryana Skaletska and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov all travelled to the city to try and calm tensions .
In footage published by local media , Mr Avakov was seen telling the protesters : `` We are not talking about infected people , we are talking about healthy people . ''
One person then replied : `` So far . ''
More on the outbreak What did President Zelensky say ?
In a statement , President Zelensky urged Ukrainians to show compassion and refrain from protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people under 30 .
They are almost like children to many of us , '' he said .
`` But there is another danger that I would like to mention .
The danger of forgetting that we are all human and we are all Ukrainians .
Each of us - including those who ended up in Wuhan during the epidemic . ''
More than 76,000 cases of the disease named Covid-19 have been reported , and 2,247 related deaths .
The vast majority of the cases and deaths have been in China .

"But there is another danger that I would like to mention. The danger of forgetting that we are all human and we are all Ukrainians. Each of us - including those who ended up in Wuhan during the epidemic."


bbc--2020-02-21--Thomas Thabane: Lesotho PM leaves country as murder charges loom

Lesotho 's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has failed to appear in court to face charges of murdering his estranged wife in 2017 .
An aide and Mr Thabane 's son say the 80-year-old leader is receiving treatment in neighbouring South Africa .
His current wife Maesaiah Thabane has already been charged with the murder .
Mr Thabane would be the first African leader to be charged with a domestic murder while in office , in a case that has shocked the tiny mountain kingdom .
He has not commented on the allegations .
• BBC Africa Live : Updates on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of Lesotho 's murder drama • A murder mystery , the prime minister and his estranged wife Police on Thursday said he would be charged with murder in court on Friday .
He was expected in court at 09:00 local time ( 07:00 GMT ) , reports the Reuters news agency .
`` He is not attending court , he has gone for a medical check up in South Africa , '' his personal secretary Thabo Thakalekoala told news agency AFP , adding that it was a `` routine '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife Lipolelo Thabane , 58 , was shot dead in the capital , Maseru , two days before Mr Thabane became prime minister in 2017 .
Mr Thabane said on state radio on Thursday that he had served the nation `` diligently '' and he would retire at the end of July .
`` I 've worked for a peaceful and stable Lesotho .
Today ... at my age , I have lost most of my energy , '' he was quoted as saying .
He did not mention the allegations against him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given him a deadline of Thursday to resign .
How did the murder take place ?
Lipolelo was gunned down at close range on the side of a dirt road while returning to her home in a small village on the outskirts of the capital , Maseru .
She was involved in bitter divorce proceedings with Mr Thabane when she was killed .
At the time , the prime minister was living with Maesaiah , 42 , as if she were his wife .
But Lipolelo had already won a separate legal battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than Maesaiah .
Maesaiah accompanied Mr Thabane to his inauguration , following his estranged wife 's death .
Two months later she and Mr Thabane got married in a Catholic ceremony held at a packed stadium in Maseru .
Maesaiah was charged with her rival 's murder on 5 February , and is out on bail of about $ 67 ( £52 ) .
She has also been charged with the attempted murder of a family friend Thato Sibolla , who was with Lipolelo at the time of the shooting and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murder case .
Maesaiah has not yet been asked to enter a plea .

His party the All Basotho Convention (ABC), the largest member in a coalition government, is scrambling behind the scenes to agree on his successor. Many within his government want him out - so that he faces the criminal charges as an ordinary citizen.


bbc--2020-02-21--Talking to your neighbours is mandatory here

You can only live in this block of flats if you are under 25 or a pensioner - and you @ @ @ @ @ 's all part of a plan to help tackle loneliness .
Part of Crossing Divides @ @ @ @ @ people together in a fragmented world .

You can only live in this block of flats if you are under 25 or a pensioner - and you have to socialise. It's all part of a plan to help tackle loneliness.
Reporter: Maddy Savage
Filmed and edited by Benoit Derrier
A film for People Fixing the World
Part of Crossing Divides, a BBC season bringing people together in a fragmented world.


bbc--2020-02-21--Fireball meteor lights up night sky over Malaysia

A dashboard camera has captured the moment a meteor illuminated the night sky in Johor Bahru , Malaysia .
The @ @ @ @ @ of a fireball , which is a meteor that appears brighter than normal .

A dashboard camera has captured the moment a meteor illuminated the night sky in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
The International Meteor Organisation received reports of a fireball, which is a meteor that appears brighter than normal.


bbc--2020-02-21--Soot in Nigeria's Port Harcourt endangers residents' health

Kalio Keturah Nicholas remembers the time she could eat fresh fish from the river behind her house in Port Harcourt @ @ @ @ @ are now a distant memory as oil spills onto the shore and everything in sight @ @ @ @ @ layer of black soot .
Residents blame illegal refining of crude oil as the leading @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere .
But for Kalio , it 's not just a question of cleanliness anymore @ @ @ @ @ are seriously affecting her health .
Precious Ede , the chairman of a government committee @ @ @ @ @ , says that the government is using military officers to crack down on illegal refining @ @ @ @ @ sensitising the public on the dangers of air pollution .

Kalio Keturah Nicholas remembers the time she could eat fresh fish from the river behind her house in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Those times are now a distant memory as oil spills onto the shore and everything in sight is covered in a thick layer of black soot.
Residents blame illegal refining of crude oil as the leading cause of soot in the atmosphere.
But for Kalio, it's not just a question of cleanliness anymore - the oil and soot are seriously affecting her health.
Precious Ede, the chairman of a government committee tackling soot in the region, says that the government is using military officers to crack down on illegal refining of crude oil, and sensitising the public on the dangers of air pollution.
Produced by: Charles Mgbolu, Anne Okumu and Sam Agbaje


bbc--2020-02-21--Quiz of the week: On the Brits, Storm Dennis and more

It 's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what 's been going on in the @ @ @ @ @ days ?
If you can not see the quiz , follow this link .
Try @ @ @ @ @ this link .

It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world during the past seven days?


bbc--2020-02-21--Coronavirus: Pregnant nurse 'propaganda' sparks backlash

A video featuring a pregnant nurse treating patients in a hospital in the virus epicentre of Wuhan has sparked a backlash across China .
The video by state media outlet CCTV was meant to portray nine-month pregnant Zhao Yu as a hero .
But instead social media users criticised the hospital for allowing a heavily pregnant nurse to work in a highly contagious environment .
One user said the woman was being used as a `` propaganda tool '' .
More than 2,200 people have now died from the coronavirus in China , with the majority of deaths coming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In China alone , there have been more than 75,000 cases of infection .
The virus has also spread around the globe with more than 1,000 cases and several deaths worldwide .
State media outlet CCTV had last week released a video featuring Zhao Yu , who works in the emergency ward at a military hospital in Wuhan .
The video shows her walking around the hospital in a hazmat suit while heavily pregnant .
She 's seen making the rounds and testing a patient who is later sent to the fever department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to work as it is `` dangerous '' .
Zhao Yu acknowledges in the video that her family objects to her continuing to work , but adds that she hopes to do her part in fighting the virus .
But the video - which was meant to be a touching tribute to her self-sacrifice - touched a nerve , with many accusing the broadcaster of using her story as a form of `` propaganda '' .
`` Can we stop all this propaganda ?
Who made the decision that this video was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ on the frontlines ] , that 's it , '' another said .
`` What is this , a show for political purposes ?
Do n't send a woman who is nine months pregnant to do this , '' said one comment .
`` I really think that this message ... blindly advocating women to fight on the frontlines regardless of their health ... it 's really sick , '' one person said .
• Watching loved ones die without care in Wuhan And it 's not the only video that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week by state-owned media outlets in Gansu showed several female nurses weeping as they had their heads shaved .
The video explained that the head-shaving exercise took place so it would be easier for women to wear protective head gear while treating patients .
But many doubted the logic of this , asking why women could n't simply have short hair instead of shaving their heads off entirely .
Others asked why there were n't videos of men having their heads shaved .
The hashtag # SeeingFemaleWorkers - calling for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front lines - also started to go viral on Weibo .
`` Professionalism .
Faith .
Loyalty .
Strength .
These are all qualities worth being proud of .
Women are n't capable and great just because they 're shaving off their long hair , '' said one comment .
`` Why does the media always use women 's sacrifices as a tool for propaganda ?
Would n't it be equally as admirable for these women to go on the front line with their long hair ?
For women who are not pregnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentary on WeChat .
`` They must be beautiful , a mother , a partner , and then make sacrifices .
Only then will they be considered great . ''

"Why does the media always use women's sacrifices as a tool for propaganda? Wouldn't it be equally as admirable for these women to go on the front line with their long hair? For women who are not pregnant to be fighting?" said one commentary on WeChat.


bbc--2020-02-21--Africa's week in pictures: 14-20 February 2020

In northern Ethiopia 's Mekelle city on Wednesday , a man rides a horse painted in the colours of the @ @ @ @ @ mark the 45th anniversary of the launch of armed resistance against the-then Marxist regime ...

Image caption,
In northern Ethiopia's Mekelle city on Wednesday, a man rides a horse painted in the colours of the Tigray region's flag to mark the 45th anniversary of the launch of armed resistance against the-then Marxist regime...


bbc--2020-02-21--How Hollywood movies saved a gay Russian teenager

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

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


bbc--2020-02-21--The artistic wizard who brought Oz to life

Scottish artist George Gibson created the movie scenery which helped define the look of legendary films including The Wizard of Oz during Hollywood 's golden age .
Now his family hope he will finally get the wider recognition he did not receive at the time .
In the 1930s and 40s , movie backdrops had to be created on indoor sound stages by crews of scene painters who conjured up everything from cityscapes to rolling hills .
Film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) was one of the leading exponents of the art , all produced under the watchful eye of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of MGM 's scenic design department for 30 years .
The backdrops he created appeared in films such as the Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) , An American in Paris ( 1951 ) and Brigadoon ( 1954 ) .
His backdrops were as large as 60ft x 150ft ( 18m by 45m ) and so realistic that the audience often did not realise the setting was a soundstage .
Gibson was born in Edinburgh in 1904 and grew up in the shadow of the castle , before later moving to Fochabers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as tailor .
His interest in drama at school led to him discovering his talent for scene painting and he returned to Edinburgh College of Art to study fine art along with engineering .
He also studied at Glasgow School of Art with the master scenic designer William E. Glover .
Gibson 's daughter Jean says her father had wanted to work in the big theatres in London , but was having trouble getting work so he decided to pack up and head to New York .
`` The day he sailed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter offering him a job in London , '' his daughter says .
In an effort to find better weather and work in America , a friend convinced Gibson to move out west to California - where he picked up odd jobs such as illustrating storyboard art at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .
By 1938 he became head of the scenic design department , where he helped construct the MGM scene painting workshop , which was arguably the finest in the country .
He convinced the studio heads to construct a pioneering new building where all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movable frames rather than the fixed scaffolding of the soundstages .
One of the first films Gibson worked on was the Wizard of Oz , one of the first movies in full Technicolor .
These days the visual effects would be done digitally but in 1939 the whole world of Oz had to be created by using backings and hand-painted scenery .
The production required three months of painting and was done in total secrecy .
Film aficionado Mark Cousins first came across Gibson when he was director of the Edinburgh film festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an Edinburgh man ended up painting some of the most iconic images in cinema .
He thinks the image of the city 's capital inspired his imagination when drawing the famous Emerald City .
Gibson 's daughter Jean Gibson-Gorrindo was not born until 1950 , when her father was 46 , so she can not be sure of his influences .
However , she does remember him recreating the Sistine Chapel for the 1968 drama The Shoes of the Fishermen , about the election of a pope .
`` The Vatican said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hot lights and all your people , you 'll ruin it ' , '' she says .
`` So my dad got this emergency call from Italy .
They said : 'George , we need the Sistine Chapel .
You 've got to paint it ' .
`` They painted it in pieces and shipped it over to Italy and they build it and filmed it and you could n't tell that you were not in the Sistine chapel . ''
Jean added : `` My father and my mother attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Catholic bishops and cardinals behind them and he heard them say ' I thought they were n't going to let them film in the chapel ' . ''
George retired a year later but painted at home every day until he died in 2001 , at the age of 96 .
Like many scenic artists he was never credited for his work .
`` The studios did not want you to know that the actors were standing in front of a painting , '' his daughter says .
`` They wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Two years ago , a Hollywood company that had acquired backdrops from the golden age decided to cull its collection .
More than 200 were saved from the dump by the Art Directors Guild , which unrolled , photographed and catalogued each one , and then set about finding homes for them .
Six of the backdrops , including ones from Madame Curie , which starred Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon , and The Washington Story , from 1952 , have been donated to the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow .
Jean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her father might finally start to get the recognition he deserves .

Jean added: "My father and my mother attended the premiere of this film and there were some Catholic bishops and cardinals behind them and he heard them say 'I thought they weren't going to let them film in the chapel'."


bbc--2020-02-21--British pianist James Rhodes drives child abuse reform in Spain

Spain is about to completely overhaul its system of protection against child sexual abuse , largely thanks to a campaign by British pianist and Madrid resident James Rhodes .
Mr Rhodes , who has written about being repeatedly raped by a teacher as a London schoolboy , is proud that his contacts with the left-wing government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other parties appear to be on the verge of culminating in a law he says will become a `` global benchmark '' for child protection .
But he is also counting the personal cost of becoming an actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where not even a law on child abuse is immune from virulent battles between left and right .
Mr Rhodes , 44 , moved to Spain in 2017 , and says he immediately fell in love with the country 's beauty , culture and language .
`` But there was this one thing I could not reconcile , and it was that every week there was another story of child rape , child abuse , not just in the Church , but in schools and families , '' he told the BBC in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most was that victims in Spain are let down by a legal system he describes as `` centuries out of date '' , and which requires children to give testimony on multiple occasions in courtrooms and even in the presence of their abuser .
Mr Rhodes contacted Prime Minister Sánchez in 2018 , and the Socialist Party leader promised to take action .
But amid tension over Catalonia 's bid for independence and political instability leading to short-lived parliaments , no progress was made .
Mr Rhodes used social media and Spanish press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain 's Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias , of the Podemos party , announced earlier this month that the Rhodes Law would be one of the new left-wing coalition government 's first reforms .
`` This law must not only protect boys and girls in our country , but also become a global reference for child protection , '' Mr Iglesias said .
As well as making it easier for children to report abuse and only having to testify once before a specialised judge , the law will focus on prevention and education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of limitations so that these crimes will not expire until 15 years after the victim is 30 years old , instead of counting from the age of 18 .
The so-called Rhodes Law is just one of a number of social reforms promised by the Sánchez government , including consent-based legislation on rape and the legalisation of euthanasia .
• US warns citizens over sexual assault in Spain • Anger as men cleared of gang-raping teen in Spain But far from uniting Spaniards , these legal changes are coming to fruition in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ( PP ) and far-right Vox have accused the government of hypocrisy and a cover-up after its left-wing allies in the Balearic Islands refused to back an investigation in the regional parliament into reports of minors in care being prostituted .
PP politician Margarita Prohens said in Congress on Tuesday that ministers like Mr Iglesias were `` fighting among themselves to put a name to the child protection reform '' while `` protecting members of the administration in charge of those girls because they are from the left '' .
Mr Rhodes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection law has `` become a political football '' .
But he accuses those seeking to score points of forgetting the victims they claim to care so deeply about .
`` If there is any issue all political parties could agree on , it 's this one .
And if that had been the case , it would have been passed months ago .
Had anyone in Congress gone through what I went through , this would have been passed months ago . ''
While he regrets that the irony in some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been appreciated , such as when he described wanting to hit Vox leader Santiago Abascal with a chair , Mr Rhodes says changes that will help millions of children make the exposure more than worthwhile .
`` I 'm not a poster boy for child abuse .
I 'm a pianist .
But I can not say I want to be a citizen of this country , which I do , and look the other way when things are so barbaric . ''
According to Save the Children 's latest report on Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abusing or raping children below the age of 16 in 2018 , an increase of 40 % on the previous year .
But Save the Children 's director general in Spain , Andrés Conde , said these figures were merely the tip of an iceberg whose dimensions no one can calculate with any certainty .
`` It is becoming clearer every day that Spain has an enormous problem with violence against children , and specifically with sexual abuse against boys , girls and adolescents .
Politicians can not continue to look the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , Spain 's Catholic Church authorities have failed to respond to Pope Francis 's call for the church to deal with paedophiles amongst its ranks .
Spain 's Episcopal Conference announced it was upgrading its protocols on dealing with instances of abuse two years ago , but no progress has been reported .
According to a 2018 report by the newspaper El País covering the past three decades , Spanish criminal courts have found priests guilty of sexual assaults on 33 occasions involving 80 minors .
El País also found that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed on information on cases of abuse to the country 's criminal justice system .

As well as making it easier for children to report abuse and only having to testify once before a specialised judge, the law will focus on prevention and education. It will also change the statute of limitations so that these crimes will not expire until 15 years after the victim is 30 years old, instead of counting from the age of 18.


bbc--2020-02-21--Can computer translators ever beat speaking a foreign tongue?

Put crottin de chèvre into Google Translate , and you 'll be told it means goat dung .
So if it appeared on a menu , you might pass .
Alas , you would be ruling out a delicious cheese made of goat 's milk that is often served as a starter in France .
Such misunderstandings are why Google admits that its free tool , used by about 500 million people , is not intended to replace human translators .
Tourists might accept a few misunderstandings because the technology is cheap and convenient .
But when the stakes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or medicine , these services often fall short .
`` Using Google Translate can lead to some serious errors , especially when words have multiple meanings , which is often the case in fields such as law or engineering , '' says Samantha Langley , a former lawyer who is now a court-approved French-to-English legal translator based in Meribel , France .
That is not to say professional translators do not use computer assisted translation ( CAT ) tools .
More sophisticated applications can help them take the donkey work out of repetitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of modern language degree courses these days .
So how good are they ?
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One of the most popular new tools is the so-called translation earpiece .
Usually paired with a smartphone app , they pick up spoken foreign languages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has taken decades of research to create a framework of algorithms designed to recognise patterns in the same way as the human brain - a neural network , '' says Andrew Ochoa , chief executive of US start-up Waverly Labs , which produces translation earpieces .
`` Combining that with speech recognition technology has allowed us to make a huge leap forward in terms of accuracy . ''
There 's no doubt that CAT tools have taken some of the hard grind out of text translations like instruction manuals or questionnaires , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ translator for Wordbank , a global marketing and translation agency .
`` Survey contents are among the most repetitive ones and a good CAT tool can hugely speed up the process , '' she says .
For meetings and conferences , wearable translators like Waverly 's are undoubtedly popular .
But even this new generation tech , which combines speech recognition neural networks and internet-based translation engines , has limitations .
Users must wait at least a few seconds for a phrase to be translated , or more if the internet connection is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subtlety of human communication .
`` Translation technology is undoubtedly a useful tool for certain content such as manuals , '' says Zoey Cooper , brand and content director at Wordbank .
`` But if you want to create a relationship with the reader , you need a human translator to make it sound natural and capture the sentiment , which often involves restructuring a sentence completely . ''
`` I believe CAT tools hinder creativity , '' says Antonio Navarro Gosálvez , an English-to-Spanish translator based in Alicante , Spain .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ translation match , I find it 's actually harder to discard part of the sentence and rebuild it than to just create something from scratch . ''
Mr Ochoa thinks this problem could be resolved within the next 10 years .
`` When it comes to expressing emotion and intonation , we need sentiment analysis , which is not there yet but may well be in ten years time , '' he says .
Foreign language skills are still in demand in the labour market .
In the UK about 15 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask for a foreign language .
New research from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages shows 75 % of manufacturing companies need employees with diverse language skills .
Yet languages have fallen out of favour in UK schools .
Recent BBC analysis revealed drops of up to 50 % in foreign language learning in secondary schools since 2013 .
The UK 's Department for Education is taking measures to halt the decline .
`` We are committed to ensuring more pupils are studying languages , which is why it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all children between Years 3 and 9 , '' it said .
For Ms Cooper at least , speaking a foreign tongue remains a precious skill .
`` There are still lots of opportunities for language graduates , both in specialist translation and global marketing , '' she said .
And even if you do n't use your language professionally , it has other benefits .
`` How can you get to know a country and embrace the culture if you do n't speak the language ? ''
says Ms Cooper .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will still miss out . ''

"Using Google Translate can lead to some serious errors, especially when words have multiple meanings, which is often the case in fields such as law or engineering," says Samantha Langley, a former lawyer who is now a court-approved French-to-English legal translator based in Meribel, France.


bbc--2020-02-21--Abandoned seafarers: Hungry, penniless and far from home

When a ship bound for east Africa was detained in Portland off the south coast of England in November , its Russian crew feared they would be stranded indefinitely .
They would have known of the fate that has befallen other seafarers in their situation - hundreds have been stuck on their vessels , some for years , when their ships ' owners have run out of money .
Sailors who leave their ships in these circumstances risk never being being paid and so feel they have to stay put .
With no income , dwindling supplies and no employer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on the kindness of strangers and the help of charities such as the Southampton-based organisation the Sailors ' Society .
In 2017 , 40 Indian seafarers aboard a flotilla of merchant ships who had been hired to transport crude oil from the UAE to Iraq were left stranded in waters just off Dubai because of a financial dispute involving the vessels ' owner .
The shipping company failed to secure permission for them to enter port and before long life on board became unbearable .
Desperate sailors began tweeting about the frightening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor physical and mental health - and all the while , bailing out seawater from their leaking vessels .
The situation on board was `` tense '' with fighting , hunger , isolation and the intense heat all taking their toll .
`` Every second on the clock felt like a year , '' said Rajesh Goli , a captain on one of the vessels .
`` We used to catch fish from morning to evening , '' he said of the 11 months he spent stranded within sight of Dubai .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to survive . ''
He said it was very hot on board , more than 50 degrees Celsius , but they had no diesel to run the generator for the air conditioner .
Sailors took to sleeping on deck because it was too hot inside .
`` The ratings sometimes fought each other , '' Capt Goli said .
`` They were all very frustrated because they had to do their duty without getting salary or food .
It was a very tense situation for me to make them understand . ''
Initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three meals a day but for the final seven months there was only enough food to eat once .
They filtered rainwater through a cloth but the unpleasant smell made it difficult to drink .
`` Everyone on board was sick - sometimes we only ate once every two days , '' Capt Goli said .
`` That affected our health a lot - everyone just dropped weight . ''
Unable to contact their families and with no clue of when they might be able to go home , many of the crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make matters worse , Capt Goli had taken out a loan to pay the agent who secured him the job .
Not only was he unable to send money home to his wife and baby son in Mumbai , the loan interest was spiralling .
After an ordeal lasting almost a year , the sailors were eventually able to return to India , and Capt Goli now works in Mumbai as a chaplain for the Sailors ' Society - a charity helping seafarers and their families all over the world .
Its chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically abandoned when the owners ran out of money to pay the crew or run the ship .
`` In many cases , the ship itself is in poor condition , the owner ca n't - or wo n't - invest the money needed to repair it and the situation spirals out of control , '' she said .
`` The crew are left powerless and penniless , often thousands of miles from home .
Returning home can be practically impossible for seafarers stranded with no fuel , no money and sometimes no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' She said that even if the owner or a charity offered to repatriate them , sailors often choose to stay until their wages are paid as they are afraid that if they leave the ship , they will lose any claims they have on their salaries .
One such vessel is the offshore supply ship PSD2 , which has been anchored off the east coast of South Africa since 2015 .
Two men , including the captain , have not been paid for nearly five years but remain on board in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A third crew member was forced to leave the vessel when his wife died of cancer .
He was repatriated to Bangladesh with the help of the Sailors ' Society , although he it did not make it home in time for the funeral .
The charity continues to supply essentials such as food , fishing equipment and medicine to the remaining two crew members .
According to International Labour Organization ( ILO ) figures , there are more than 160 active cases of vessel abandonment around the world , where crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are stranded or detained .
The abandoned seafarers database shows there are millions of dollars of wages left unpaid worldwide .
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• ' I was introduced to the idea of dying young' Since January 2017 , the ILO 's Maritime Labour Convention has required ship owners to have financial protection in place for crews in the event of abandonment , death or disability , and any ships entering ports in the 96 states where the convention is in force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rule , which guarantees four months ' wages , was devised because of abandoned sailors ' reluctance to leave their ships until they had been paid .
Brandt Wagner , head of the ILO 's transport and maritime unit , said that although most providers of financial security - usually insurers - act quickly to meet their obligations , some do not .
He said this slowed down the process of repatriation and payment , and sometimes states needed to be encouraged to intervene .
Mr Wagner said there had been an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules came into force , but it was not clear whether this was simply due to more cases being reported than had been the case .
In any event , the rules meant fewer seafarers were abandoned for long periods , he added .
According to the Sailors ' Society , long-term abandonment is very rare in the UK but , in June 2016 , England 's east coast port of Great Yarmouth became the unexpected home of the crew of the Indian-registered Malaviya Twenty when it was impounded over unpaid port fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a prohibition notice being placed on the ship .
It was eventually forcibly auctioned by the Admiralty Marshal .
While stranded , the 12 crew members were fed by local people and grew vegetables on the ship 's deck .
A replacement crew from India joined the ship in February 2017 and remained on board until September 2018 when it was bought by a Greek firm and released .
Replacement captain Nikesh Rastogi said : `` You learn to adapt , as in you read a lot more ... you try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Basically , you do that or you slide into depression . ''
The Malaviya Twenty 's sister ship , Malaviya Seven , was also sold in 2017 after being held for more than a year in Aberdeen .
The crew of that ship remained on board to ensure they would be paid .
Chief officer Bamadev Swain said at the time : `` We have gone through such a difficult time , especially our family members back in India .
Finally , God has blessed us .
We have endured so much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
For the nine Russian crewmembers who found themselves stranded in Portland in November , their ordeal was much more short-lived .
When their vessel , the MV Jireh , was detained by UK authorities for failing to meet safety and welfare standards , the Sailors ' Society stepped in to help , supplying food , a phone and even a birthday cake for the captain .
And , although the ship remains under detention , by Christmas Eve the men had all been paid and were on their way home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be named , said : `` Knowing that someone in a foreign land cares about you makes you feel safe . ''

They would have known of the fate that has befallen other seafarers in their situation - hundreds have been stuck on their vessels, some for years, when their ships' owners have run out of money. Sailors who leave their ships in these circumstances risk never being being paid and so feel they have to stay put.


bbc--2020-02-21--Hinds: The band who answered The Strokes' last-minute call

Question : what do you do when your musical heroes call you to play with them this week , but you 're 800 miles away and filled with cold ?
Answer : you say yes , of course .
Duh .
That 's the position Madrid-based indie band Hinds found themselves in on Sunday , after The Strokes invited the group to join them for a series of hastily-arranged ( and not so ) secret gigs in Paris , London and Belfast .
`` We have n't really had time to think about it but obviously when you get an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them you do n't really think , you just do it ! ''
singer and guitarist Ana Perrote says excitedly down the phone ahead of the first gig on Tuesday .
`` We 've been fans forever , '' she adds .
`` When I think about them I just think of [ bass player ] Ade crying , because they are her proper teenage love .
`` We sometimes make the joke that we created Hinds to meet our heroes , and in this case it 's finally happening , so we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's been quite a whirlwind week for the four-piece , who only found out they 'd been handpicked by the New York indie icons over the weekend .
Perrote had been feeling under the weather and was out walking when a message popped up via WhatsApp from their manager .
They then had two days to pack all of their gear , shake off the slight sickness that 's been going around the group , and get themselves on a plane to Paris .
Then on to the Eurostar the next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London .
The Madrileños have tasted the big-time before , playing Glastonbury Festival and opening up for The Libertines .
On New Year 's Eve just gone , they actually went on before The Strokes - on the recommendation of guitarist Albert Hammond Junior - at their one-off hometown NYC gig , and impressed enough to be invited back for an extended run ahead of the release of the US band 's upcoming new album , The New Abnormal .
`` The first time we met in New York , they were all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It was such a special occasion and they said they loved the show .
`` Then the [ WhatsApp ] text at the weekend was like , 'Yeah , they [ Hinds ] were super cool in New York ' - which was literally the hardest and coolest review we will ever get from anyone .
`` They made us feel really welcome and for this tour and - I do n't know if I 'm supposed to say this - they gave us a little bit of their fee , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's so expensive . ''
• Hinds : 'Rock ' n ' roll is not cool any more' • Meet Me in the Bathroom : New York was ' a safe space for debauchery' In truth , they 'd have done it for for free .
Coincidentally , the Spaniards spent a fair bit of time in the Big Apple themselves last year recording their third album The Prettiest Curse - which is released in April .
The record , produced by Jenn Decilveo ( Bat for Lashes , The Wombats , Anne-Marie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as their first two melodic , jangly indie-pop efforts , but this time with a more expansive sound .
As their confidence has grown they 've begun to experiment with different guitar and keyboard sounds , and sprinkle some more authentically Iberian flavours into the mix , to add to their US and UK rock ' n ' roll references .
`` It was cool because for the first time we had time .
We 've been pretty much touring for six years in a row , and with this one we decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , '' says Perrote .
`` Everything felt really different and exciting .
We worked with different people and there 's different instruments , like keyboards or just more Spanish [ lyrically and sonically ] .
`` A third album is supposed to be like that , you know ; we 've already done one thing so we wanted to change and test what we liked and how we are in the studio .
`` So it was a more free experience '' .
Following Wednesday 's gig at Camden 's Roundhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airport in order to catch a flight back to their home city in time to appear on Spanish radio on Thursday morning , as planned .
Then , after a quick siesta , they had to start planning their immediate return to the UK for the finale of The Strokes ' mini-tour at Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Monday evening .
And despite their newfound associations with New York , Perrote says there 's no plans for any of them to relocate from the Spanish capital to crack America just yet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
`` We really like it there and we are definitely going to spend a lot of time there - we already have two shows booked .
`` But we 're too Spanish and we love it too much . ''
The Prettiest Curse is out on 3 April Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"We haven't really had time to think about it but obviously when you get an offer from The Strokes to open for them you don't really think, you just do it!" singer and guitarist Ana Perrote says excitedly down the phone ahead of the first gig on Tuesday.


bbc--2020-02-21--India shock favourites Australia in T20 World Cup opener

Hosts Australia were stunned by India in the opening game of the Women 's T20 World Cup in Sydney .
Chasing 133 , the defending champions were bundled out for 115 thanks chiefly to leg-spinner Poonam Yadav , who claimed 4-19 .
India 's 132-4 , anchored by 49 not out from Deepti Sharma , seemed no more than par , but they exploited the slow conditions to win by 17 runs .
England open their campaign against South Africa on Sunday .
Heather Knight 's team were runners-up to Australia two years ago , but the home side now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their final three group matches in order to reach the semi-finals .
Given Group A also includes New Zealand - along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - it is far from certain that the favourites will make the last four .
This is the first time that separate T20 World Cups for men and women have been held in the same country in the same year , with the men 's version scheduled for October and November .
The women 's event is building towards a final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest crowd for any women 's sporting event will be in attendance .
That is far more likely if Australia reach the showpiece , but for the sake of the tournament as a whole , the stunning defeat of the heavy favourites on opening night adds much greater intrigue to the two weeks that follow .
Not only that , but is a huge boost to the constantly improving India team , for whom 16-year-old opener Shafali Verma sparkled , wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatiya dazzled and leg-spinner Poonam was masterful .
After an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DJ , dancers and popular children 's music group The Wiggles , the entertainment of the cricket would not be surpassed .
Leg-spinner Poonam has long puzzled international batters , mainly because she bowls achingly slowly .
The Sydney surface was ideally suited to her style .
She was not introduced until the 10th over , by which time Australia had eased to 58-2 , and proceeded to confound the hosts with the support of wicketkeeper Bhatia .
Alyssa Healy chipped a return catch after reaching 50 with a six , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game really turned in India 's favour .
First , Rachael Haynes ran past a googly to be stumped , then Ellyse Perry was bowled by a similar delivery for a golden duck .
Poonam was denied a hat-trick when the diving Bhatia could not hold on to an edge from Jess Jonassen .
With 57 required from the final eight overs , Australia 's hopes rested on Ashleigh Gardner , but the required rate could not be controlled .
Gardner survived being bowled by Poonam off a delivery that was called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was faced with the prospect of taking 21 from the final over .
She skied a catch to bowler Shikhar Pandey and , when Molly Strano was run out off the penultimate ball of the match , a famous India win was complete .
India opener Verma is only 16 years old and once cut her hair short in order to trick her way into playing at a boys ' academy .
She gave a glimpse of her exciting talent on Friday , flaying 29 from 15 balls as India reached 40-0 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wicket in a collapse of 3-6 , after which India were squeezed by Australia 's spinners and medium-pacers .
Only three boundaries were scored in the final 16 overs of the innings .
Sharma held things together , adding 53 with Jemimah Rodrigues , but there was still the feeling that India 's lack of intent , both with their strokeplay and running between the wickets , had left them short of a winning total .
That was to discount the wizardry of Poonam , and Australia 's surprising wilt in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alex Hartley on Test Match Special : `` We 've had a low-scoring thriller , which is the perfect way for the tournament to start . ''
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on TMS : `` It 's a great feeling , you always look to win your first game as it will set the tone for you .
Poonam Yadav is always good for the team , I 'm happy for her as she 's had some injuries and made a good comeback . ''

Last updated on .From the section Women's Cricket
ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Group A, Sydney (Showground): India 132-4 (20 overs): Sharma 49*, Jonassen 2-24 Australia 115 (19.5 overs): Healy 51, Poonam 4-19 India won by 17 runs Scorecard and tables
Hosts Australia were stunned by India in the opening game of the Women's T20 World Cup in Sydney.
Chasing 133, the defending champions were bundled out for 115 thanks chiefly to leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, who claimed 4-19.
India's 132-4, anchored by 49 not out from Deepti Sharma, seemed no more than par, but they exploited the slow conditions to win by 17 runs.
England open their campaign against South Africa on Sunday.
Heather Knight's team were runners-up to Australia two years ago, but the home side now face the prospect of having to win their final three group matches in order to reach the semi-finals.
Given Group A also includes New Zealand - along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - it is far from certain that the favourites will make the last four.
Superb start in Sydney
This is the first time that separate T20 World Cups for men and women have been held in the same country in the same year, with the men's version scheduled for October and November.
The women's event is building towards a final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 8 March, when it is hoped the biggest crowd for any women's sporting event will be in attendance.
That is far more likely if Australia reach the showpiece, but for the sake of the tournament as a whole, the stunning defeat of the heavy favourites on opening night adds much greater intrigue to the two weeks that follow.
Not only that, but is a huge boost to the constantly improving India team, for whom 16-year-old opener Shafali Verma sparkled, wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatiya dazzled and leg-spinner Poonam was masterful.
After an opening ceremony that included fireworks, a DJ, dancers and popular children's music group The Wiggles, the entertainment of the cricket would not be surpassed.
Poonam puzzles Australia
Leg-spinner Poonam has long puzzled international batters, mainly because she bowls achingly slowly. The Sydney surface was ideally suited to her style.
She was not introduced until the 10th over, by which time Australia had eased to 58-2, and proceeded to confound the hosts with the support of wicketkeeper Bhatia.
Alyssa Healy chipped a return catch after reaching 50 with a six, but it was in Poonam's following over when the game really turned in India's favour.
First, Rachael Haynes ran past a googly to be stumped, then Ellyse Perry was bowled by a similar delivery for a golden duck. Poonam was denied a hat-trick when the diving Bhatia could not hold on to an edge from Jess Jonassen.
With 57 required from the final eight overs, Australia's hopes rested on Ashleigh Gardner, but the required rate could not be controlled.
Gardner survived being bowled by Poonam off a delivery that was called a no-ball for bouncing twice, yet was faced with the prospect of taking 21 from the final over.
She skied a catch to bowler Shikhar Pandey and, when Molly Strano was run out off the penultimate ball of the match, a famous India win was complete.
Verma shines, Sharma steadies
India opener Verma is only 16 years old and once cut her hair short in order to trick her way into playing at a boys' academy.
She gave a glimpse of her exciting talent on Friday, flaying 29 from 15 balls as India reached 40-0 from only four overs.
Verma was the second wicket in a collapse of 3-6, after which India were squeezed by Australia's spinners and medium-pacers. Only three boundaries were scored in the final 16 overs of the innings.
Sharma held things together, adding 53 with Jemimah Rodrigues, but there was still the feeling that India's lack of intent, both with their strokeplay and running between the wickets, had left them short of a winning total.
That was to discount the wizardry of Poonam, and Australia's surprising wilt in the pressure of the chase.
'A perfect way to start'
England spinner Alex Hartley on Test Match Special: "We've had a low-scoring thriller, which is the perfect way for the tournament to start."
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on TMS: "It's a great feeling, you always look to win your first game as it will set the tone for you. Poonam Yadav is always good for the team, I'm happy for her as she's had some injuries and made a good comeback."