bbc--2020-01-27--The man teaching 300 million people a new language

The BBC 's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world .
This week we speak to Luis von Ahn , co-founder and chief executive of language learning app Duolingo .
If anyone ever doubts the positive impact of immigration tell them about Luis von Ahn .
A 41-year-old from the Central American nation of Guatemala , he went to the US in 1996 , aged 18 , to do a maths degree at Duke University in North Carolina .
After that he studied computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh .
Luis went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialising in `` human-based computation '' , which in very simple terms is how humans and computers can best work together to solve complicated tasks .
For his pioneering work in that field he was awarded the US 's prestigious MacArthur Fellows Program award .
This is colloquially known as the `` genius grant '' , because you are said to have to be one to get it .
Luis then became a multimillionaire by his early 30s , after selling not one but two businesses to Google .
The technology he sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by all of us , as will be explained later .
Fast forward to today , and Luis is the co-founder and boss of Pittsburgh-based Duolingo , the world 's most popular language-learning app , which has more than 300 million users around the globe .
Soft-spoken and bespectacled , Luis modestly says that the much of his success is down to the fact that he was lucky enough to be taught English as a child .
A native Spanish speaker , he says that his doctor mother insisted that he learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His middle class family then had enough money to send him to a private English language school in the capital Guatemala City .
Luis says this obviously put him in a very privileged position compared to most Guatemalans - almost half of the country 's population live in poverty , according to the World Bank , with 9 % in extreme poverty .
Many have limited access to education .
The inspiration behind Duolingo was to create a language learning app that was free for people to use - be it in Guatemala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they could gain the economic advantages that often come with being at least partially bilingual .
`` I wanted to do something that would give equal access to education to everyone , '' says Luis .
`` And then I focused on languages because growing up in Guatemala I saw that everyone wants to learn English .
`` And knowledge of English in a non-English speaking country can usually mean that your income potential is doubled .
I mean , you literally make twice as much money if you know English .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea came from to have a free way to learn languages , and that was Duolingo . ''
Luis and co-founder Severin Hacker started work on the app in 2009 .
At the time Luis was a professor at Carnegie Mellon , and Severin was one of his students .
Bringing on board linguistics and language retention experts , Duolingo launched in 2012 , initially offering a handful of languages , including English , French and Spanish .
`` When we launched I was lucky enough to be able to give a TED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , so that gave Duolingo a good initial base of users , '' says Luis .
`` But from then until 2019 our growth was solely due to positive word of mouth , we did n't do any advertising or marketing at all . ''
Today Duolingo offers more than 100 courses across 28 different languages .
While the most popular languages are English , Spanish and French , you can study everything from Arabic to Ukrainian .
Duolingo also has a special focus on promoting minority languages , with courses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Sylvia Warnecke , a senior lecturer in languages at The Open University in Scotland , says that she was very pleased to see Duolingo work with leading Gaelic speakers to launch that course last year .
`` Duolingo gets criticism from some that you can not learn enough to be come proficient in a language ... but it is a wonderful way of getting people started , '' she says .
`` For lots of people learning a language is a slog , and they do n't have the time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a weekly basis .
Apps like Duolingo are a valuable alternative . ''
Duolingo now has annual revenues of $ 90m ( £69m ) .
Some $ 15m of this comes from the adverts included on the free , standard app , while $ 75m is from the 2 % of users who pay for the advertisement-free premium version .
`` If you use Duolingo heavily and you are relatively wealthy then you should pay us , that is my sense , '' says Luis .
`` But if you are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very much money , then the free version is for you .
That 's how I feel about it . ''
Now with 200 employees , Luis hopes that Duolingo can float on the stock market in 2021 .
He is said to have a substantial , but minority stake in the business , which already has some outside investors .
• Dan Aykroyd : From battling spirits to selling them • The billionaire retailer whose shops had no stock Going back in time , the two businesses Luis sold to Google were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which stands for Extra Sensory Perception , was an online game in which two people , who could not communicate with each other , had to pick words to describe a photograph .
When they used the same word they each got a point , and were presented with another photo .
Since 2006 Google has used this technology to improve its image search software .
Meanwhile , Recaptcha is the now widely used system whereby a Google-linked website asks you to type out words that are written in squiggly handwriting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a so-called `` bot '' or malicious software .
An estimated 200 million people have to do this every day , and Luis invented it .
Recaptcha , which was solely owned by Luis , was bought by Google in 2009 for an undisclosed eight-figure sum .
What is little known is that the words you have to write out are not chosen at random .
Instead they are words from old physical books that Google is digitising , and its software is struggling to decipher .
So every time you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unpaid Google worker .
If , say , 10,000 people all agree on a certain spelling , then Google accepts that as correct .
Back at Duolingo , Luis says he is proud to be helping so many people learn a new language .
`` We are giving free language education to everyone , '' he says .

What is little known is that the words you have to write out are not chosen at random. Instead they are words from old physical books that Google is digitising, and its software is struggling to decipher. So every time you do one of those security tests you are an unpaid Google worker. If, say, 10,000 people all agree on a certain spelling, then Google accepts that as correct.


bbc--2020-01-27--Angola's Joao Lourenço - the man taking on Isabel dos Santos

Joao Lourenço was supposed to be a relatively safe pair of hands .
A liberation party stalwart , a veteran of Angola 's long wars , an ambitious but unremarkable Soviet-trained artillery general hand-picked by other generals , a man who would , surely , do nothing to rock the boat .
That , at least , appeared to be the plan .
When he took over as president of the oil-rich country in 2017 - and soon after as leader of the governing MPLA - the expectation was that he would shake things up a little , introduce cautious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a way that would not scare too many wealthy generals , seek to revive the reputation of his ageing party , and leave his predecessor , Jose Eduardo dos Santos and his family , to enjoy their various business empires in peace .
Instead , in office , President Lourenço , 65 , has turned out to be - or at least aspires to be - more of a `` Gorbachev '' figure , throwing caution and precedent to the wind , dragging Angola out of its sluggish , authoritarian past and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks both exciting and precarious .
`` He 's a bulldozer .
Nothing he does is discreet .
He goes for the jugular , '' political analyst and Angola expert Paula Roque told the BBC .
The first , and most prominent , target of that bulldozing instinct has been the Dos Santos family .
Much to the surprise and delight of many Angolans , who had grown tired of watching the former president 's family grow staggeringly wealthy , at least in part from government contracts , and who had long feared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dynasty , President Lourenço - or JLo , as he 's known to all Angolans - moved fast and aggressively against the former `` first family '' .
Isabel dos Santos was brusquely removed from her job running the giant state oil company , Sonangol .
Her half-brother received similar treatment at the state 's sovereign wealth fund , and soon afterwards found himself in custody and is now on trial for allegedly trying to smuggle some $ 500m ( £380m ) out of the country .
Jose Filomeno dos Santos has denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a genuine animus between the two families , '' said Ms Roque , of JLo 's actions .
Then came a series of even more dramatic steps , as Ms Dos Santos ' business assets in Angola were frozen by a local court , financial documents from within her empire were leaked to investigative journalists , leading to fresh allegations of corruption and damning global headlines .
That was followed , this week , by an announcement that an international arrest warrant would be issued if she did not return home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Dos Santos has called allegations revealed by leaked documents entirely false and said that the Angolan government was engaged in a politically motivated witch-hunt .
In a statement she said that they showed they were part of a `` very concentrated , orchestrated and well-co-ordinated political attack , ahead of elections in Angola next year '' .
• Educated in the UK , where she currently lives • Reported to be Africa 's richest woman , with a fortune of some $ 2bn • Has stakes in oil and mobile phone companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portugal '' Going after the Dos Santos family initially seemed like an obvious vote-winner , '' said Ricardo Soares di Oliviera , an Oxford professor and expert on African politics .
The UK ambassador in Luanda , Jessica Hand , said last year the anti-corruption drive seemed genuine .
`` What you have is a president who recognises that corruption is a stigma and a disincentive for foreigners to come here .
He 's tackling that… and his actions have demonstrated that in spades , '' she said .
But JLo 's moves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being overshadowed , and perhaps even derailed , by the second , key , part of his reform program - the economy .
Angola , Africa 's second biggest oil exporter and and also a major diamond producer , is currently wrestling with an abrupt economic downturn - the result , at least in part , of the tough reform package that JLo signed up to in return for a giant $ 3.7bn loan from the IMF .
`` There is a big level of discontent , socially , '' Ms dos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview , pointing to soaring unemployment , rising government debt , a currency devaluation , and increasing industrial action .
`` President Lourenço wants absolute power .
But… his track record is very , very poor when you look at what happened in Angola over the last two years . ''
The corruption allegations against her are , she said , `` an attempt of creating a diversion '' .
Ms Dos Santos ' analysis may be self-serving .
But that does n't necessarily make it wrong .
`` The economy is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-dos Santos thing because it 's the one thing he 's got , '' said Mr Di Oliviera '' But the population is becoming jaded and cynical .
His popularity is wearing off and people are asking why is he not going after others .
`` This is a very focused , targeted [ anti-corruption ] campaign .
[ Others ] who are as bad as the Dos Santos family… are not touched .
So , the hypocrisy is registering with most Angolans .
My sense is this is more effective internationally than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , Angola 's `` Gorbachev '' suddenly finds himself treading a narrow , difficult path .
• Active in MPLA struggle against Portuguese colonial rule as a teenager • Part of first group of guerrillas to enter Angolan territory from Congo-Brazzaville • Received military training and studied history from 1978 to 1982 in the former Soviet Union • General in the Angolan Armed Forces in post-independence civil war • Said to be one of the few Angolan generals and politicians free of allegations of involvement in major corruption scandals He badly needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base - now waning like that of so many African liberation parties - ahead of upcoming local and national elections .
But his own position within the party depends on him striking the right balance between a broader crackdown on corruption ( which could help stimulate the economy and lead to the repatriation of billions of dollars in stolen assets ) and protecting senior figures within the MPLA .
`` There are the protected and the persecuted - those who are politically dispensable , '' said Ms Roque .
`` People ask why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected - those who are just as corrupt , but are part of the new government system and who are necessary for one reason or another , to keep equilibrium inside the party . ''
The general assumption is that the MPLA - worn-out but still dominant , much like the ANC in South Africa - will retain control of Angola for some years to come by fair means or foul .
But JLo , like South Africa 's new President Cyril Ramaphosa , is quickly learning how hard it is to rebuild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to make any serious headway against corruption when so many key state institutions are rotten to the core .
'Like a tango in the dark' In this context , the fate of Ms dos Santos and her business empire ( so important to the Angolan economy ) could still be settled by negotiations , behind the scenes .
`` It 's hard to say if this is the endgame .
The relationship between the Dos Santos family and JLo is very complicated .
It 's like a tango in the dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eurasia Group .
`` They do need each other to varying degrees and ways , but they 're also in competition .
They 're frenemies - so to speak . ''
There 's no doubt that JLo - who once compared himself to China 's reformist leader Deng Xiaoping - has allowed the winds of change to sweep through Angola .
People are seizing the opportunity to speak out , without repercussion , and to challenge decades of repressive , inefficient rule and staggering inequality .
But , as the Soviet leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , truly radical reforms , like revolutions , tend to devour their own .

When he took over as president of the oil-rich country in 2017 - and soon after as leader of the governing MPLA - the expectation was that he would shake things up a little, introduce cautious economic reforms, root out some corruption in a way that would not scare too many wealthy generals, seek to revive the reputation of his ageing party, and leave his predecessor, Jose Eduardo dos Santos and his family, to enjoy their various business empires in peace.


bbc--2020-01-27--Basketball legend Bryant and his daughter die in helicopter crash

US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas , California .
Bryant , 41 , and Gianna , 13 , were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames .
The LA county sheriff said there were no survivors .
Bryant , a five-time NBA champion , played for the LA Lakers throughout his career and is considered one of the greatest players in the game 's history .
Tributes from celebrities and fellow sports stars have been pouring in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
Moments of silence have been observed at basketball games across the US .
Bryant was also remembered at the Grammy Awards , which were held at the Staples Center , the Los Angeles Lakers ' stadium , on Sunday night .
`` We 're all feeling crazy sadness right now , '' said host Alicia Keys .
`` Because earlier today Los Angeles , America and the whole wide world lost a hero .
We 're literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built . ''
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter , Gianna '' .
`` For 20 seasons , Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning , '' it said .
What do we know about the crash ?
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the helicopter 's manifest indicated that nine people were on board when it crashed , raising the number from five in earlier statements by officials .
Coroners have not officially named the victims .
But family members and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Orange Coast College basketball team , was among the passengers , along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant 's daughter , Gianna .
Christina Mauser , a basketball coach at Gianna 's school , was also on board , her husband wrote on Facebook .
In a statement on Sunday afternoon , the City of Calabasas said it heard the news `` with great sadness '' .
`` The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' it added .
• Reaction and tributes as NBA legend dies in helicopter crash Gavin Masak , who lives nearby , told CBS News of the moment the helicopter crashed .
`` It was n't exactly like an explosion sound but it was like a loud boom .
It sounded like a helicopter , but it sounded like a jet , like it was loud , so I went inside and told my dad what was happening .
So when I came out I saw smoke on the hill but it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smoke , it was just grey , '' he said .
Other eyewitnesses told celebrity news site TMZ they heard the helicopter 's engine sputtering before it went down .
The LA County Sheriff 's Department shared pictures from the scene of the accident , showing a fire truck and smoke emerging from the hills .
The National Transportation Safety Board identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76B and said it was sending a team to investigate the crash .
Police have asked people to stay away from the crash site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Bryant was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles .
Why was Kobe Bryant so famous ?
Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers .
He retired in April 2016 .
His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) and two-time NBA Finals ' MVP .
He was also NBA scoring champion twice and a two-time Olympic champion .
He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 , the second-highest single-game total in NBA history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball , a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015 .
Bryant and his wife , Vanessa , have three other daughters , Natalia , Bianca and Capri .
Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman working at a Colorado resort .
He denied the allegation , saying the two had consensual sex .
The case was dropped after the accuser refused to testify in court .
He later apologised , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and does not view this incident the same way I did . ''
A subsequent civil suit was settled out of court .
What has the reaction been ?
Tributes for the sports star poured in on social media following news of the crash .
Shaquille O'Neal , who played alongside Bryant at the Lakers between 1996 and 2004 , said there were `` no words to express the pain I 'm going through '' .
`` I love you and you will be missed , '' he wrote on Instagram alongside a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kits .
Deron Williams , who won an Olympic gold alongside Bryant , said he was lost for words .
He described Bryant as `` the greatest competitor I have ever gone up against and played with '' .
Former basketball player Tony Parker said he was `` heartbroken '' .
`` Terrible news , '' tweeted US President Donald Trump .
`` He loved his family so much , and had such strong passion for the future .
The loss of his beautiful daughter , Gianna , makes this moment even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama described Bryant as `` a legend on the court '' and said he was `` just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act '' .
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt said he could not believe the news .
Rapper Kanye West tweeted his appreciation for `` the life you 've lived and all the inspiration you gave '' .
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling wrote `` rest easy legend '' in a tweet accompanied by a black-and-white photo of the sports star .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numb , '' American actress and model Chrissy Teigen tweeted .
Pop star Mariah Carey said she was in shock .
Fans gathered at a makeshift memorial for Bryant in front of the Staples Center sports and entertainment arena in Los Angeles , laying flowers and basketballs in memory of the star .
Did you ever meet Kobe Bryant ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & conditions and privacy policy

Kobe Bryant: Basketball legend dies in helicopter crash Published 27 January 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, This video has been removed for rights reasons
US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California.
Bryant, 41, and Gianna, 13, were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames.
The LA county sheriff said there were no survivors.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, played for the LA Lakers throughout his career and is considered one of the greatest players in the game's history.
Tributes from celebrities and fellow sports stars have been pouring in, many expressing shock at his sudden death. Moments of silence have been observed at basketball games across the US.
Bryant was also remembered at the Grammy Awards, which were held at the Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers' stadium, on Sunday night.
"We're all feeling crazy sadness right now," said host Alicia Keys. "Because earlier today Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero. We're literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Alicia Keys and Lizzo lead tributes to Kobe Bryant at the Grammys
The National Basketball Association issued a statement saying it was "devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna".
"For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning," it said.
What do we know about the crash?
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the helicopter's manifest indicated that nine people were on board when it crashed, raising the number from five in earlier statements by officials.
Coroners have not officially named the victims. But family members and colleagues said John Altobelli, coach of the Orange Coast College basketball team, was among the passengers, along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant's daughter, Gianna.
Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Gianna's school, was also on board, her husband wrote on Facebook.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirms there were no survivors in the helicopter crash
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the City of Calabasas said it heard the news "with great sadness".
"The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt," it added.
Gavin Masak, who lives nearby, told CBS News of the moment the helicopter crashed.
"It wasn't exactly like an explosion sound but it was like a loud boom. It sounded like a helicopter, but it sounded like a jet, like it was loud, so I went inside and told my dad what was happening. So when I came out I saw smoke on the hill but it wasn't like a big, black cloud of smoke, it was just grey," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Site where basketball legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash
Other eyewitnesses told celebrity news site TMZ they heard the helicopter's engine sputtering before it went down.
The LA County Sheriff's Department shared pictures from the scene of the accident, showing a fire truck and smoke emerging from the hills.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by LA County Sheriffs Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by LA County Sheriffs
The National Transportation Safety Board identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76B and said it was sending a team to investigate the crash.
Police have asked people to stay away from the crash site in order not to interfere with the investigation.
Bryant was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles.
Why was Kobe Bryant so famous?
Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in April 2016.
His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals' MVP. He was also NBA scoring champion twice and a two-time Olympic champion.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers
He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.
He also won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball, a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015.
Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri.
Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman working at a Colorado resort. He denied the allegation, saying the two had consensual sex. The case was dropped after the accuser refused to testify in court.
He later apologised, saying he recognised that "she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did." A subsequent civil suit was settled out of court.
What has the reaction been?
Tributes for the sports star poured in on social media following news of the crash.
Shaquille O'Neal, who played alongside Bryant at the Lakers between 1996 and 2004, said there were "no words to express the pain I'm going through".
"I love you and you will be missed," he wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair in their Lakers kits.
Deron Williams, who won an Olympic gold alongside Bryant, said he was lost for words. He described Bryant as "the greatest competitor I have ever gone up against and played with".
This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by dwill8 Allow Instagram content? This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of instagram post by dwill8
Former basketball player Tony Parker said he was "heartbroken".
"Terrible news," tweeted US President Donald Trump. "He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating."
Former US President Barack Obama described Bryant as "a legend on the court" and said he was "just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act".
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt said he could not believe the news.
Rapper Kanye West tweeted his appreciation for "the life you've lived and all the inspiration you gave".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by ye Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by ye
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling wrote "rest easy legend" in a tweet accompanied by a black-and-white photo of the sports star.
"This is absolutely terrible. Everyone is numb," American actress and model Chrissy Teigen tweeted.
Pop star Mariah Carey said she was in shock.
Fans gathered at a makeshift memorial for Bryant in front of the Staples Center sports and entertainment arena in Los Angeles, laying flowers and basketballs in memory of the star.


bbc--2020-01-27--Nadal beats Kyrgios to reach Australian Open quarters

Spanish top seed Rafael Nadal battled past rival Nick Kyrgios in a thrilling four-set match to reach the Australian Open @ @ @ @ @ , had not dropped a set this tournament before 23rd seed Kyrgios provided his biggest @ @ @ @ @ , who wore a Kobe Bryant basketball shirt in the warm-up , battled hard but @ @ @ @ @ 7-6 ( 8-6 ) 7-6 ( 7-4 ) .
Nadal will face Austrian fifth seed @ @ @ @ @ eight .
Nadal and Kyrgios have not always seen eye to eye with the rivalry @ @ @ @ @ a tempestuous meeting in Acapulco .
Afterwards the 19-time Grand Slam champion accused Kyrgios of @ @ @ @ @ responded by calling him `` super-salty '' .
Yet the respect for each other 's @ @ @ @ @ despite their wildly contrasting styles , has rarely been in doubt .
• Halep beats @ @ @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
2020 Australian Open Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 20 January to 2 February Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and online; Live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app; Watch highlights on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Spanish top seed Rafael Nadal battled past rival Nick Kyrgios in a thrilling four-set match to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Nadal, 33, had not dropped a set this tournament before 23rd seed Kyrgios provided his biggest test so far.
Kyrgios, who wore a Kobe Bryant basketball shirt in the warm-up, battled hard but Nadal came through 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4).
Nadal will face Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the last eight.
Nadal and Kyrgios have not always seen eye to eye with the rivalry blowing up last year after a tempestuous meeting in Acapulco.
Afterwards the 19-time Grand Slam champion said Kyrgios' behaviour "lacked respect" before the Australian responded by calling him "super-salty".
Yet the appreciation for each other's ability, despite their wildly contrasting styles, has rarely been in doubt and was typified by their firm handshake at the net following a riveting contest on Rod Laver Arena.
"When Nick is playing like he did today with this positive attitude he brings a lot of things to our sport," said Nadal, who won his only Australian Open title in 2009.
"I encourage him to keep working like this because he is one of the biggest talents of our tour."
Kyrgios overcomes subdued start to push Nadal
Kyrgios looked close to tears when he came into the Rod Laver Arena
Nadal came into the match having not dropped a set in the opening three rounds, sealing his place in the last 16 with his "best match so far" against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
Kyrgios' route was much more strenuous, having needed four-and-a-half hours to beat Russian 16th seed Karen Khachanov on Saturday night.
The effects of that gruelling match and, possibly, the death of his basketball hero Bryant seemed to contribute to a muted start from the soon-to-be Australian number one.
While Nadal was finding lines with blistering winners in the opening few games, Kyrgios' returning game was much looser and lacked fizz.
A wide backhand allowed Nadal to take his second break point for a 3-1 lead, proving pivotal as the Spaniard then breezed through the first set in 36 minutes.
As Kyrgios struggled to hold serve in the opening game of the second set it looked like Nadal could quickly run away with the match.
Kyrgios saved three break points - including one after playing a shot between his legs in a rally - before clinching a hold which proved pivotal.
In the next game he earned his first break point of the match, urging the home support to crank up the noise by punching his racquet in the air.
They responded and he responded too. A wonderful point - full of incisive forehands, punching backhands and teasing drop-shots - went Kyrgios' way with a winner which kissed the baseline.
Kyrgios celebrated by, almost poignantly, leaping into the air with a slam dunk-style basketball jump and carried the momentum throughout the set to level.
"Seems like in the beginning I was in control but you know against Nick you are never in control," Nadal said.
"If you make a mistake then it is difficult to break him."
Nadal keeps focus to see off Kyrgios revival
Kyrgios slammed his racquet into the ground as frustration got the better of him in the third set
When the pair met at Wimbledon six months ago they also shared the opening two sets 6-3 before Nadal edged the third in the tie-breaker and then took the fourth in similar fashion.
That pattern was repeated again before the match ended in almost exactly the same scoreline.
The crucial difference this time, however, was Kyrgios let his tennis do the talking in a performance which showcased his undoubted natural talent rather than the more dubious behaviour shown at the All England Club.
The quality continued to rise in a stunning third set at Melbourne Park dominated by brutal rallies and pierced by chopped returns from Kyrgios' racquet.
But his attempts to unsettle Nadal rarely worked.
Kyrgios himself had to dig deep to serve for 4-4, and again for 6-6, before a double fault at 5-5 in the tie-break left Kyrgios pointing to his head asking himself why he thumped down a 135mph second serve.
That gave Nadal a set point on his own serve, only for the usually-composed Spaniard to also cough up a double fault after he was distracted by a crying baby before serving.
However, he refocused and won the set when Kyrgios hit a backhand into the net.
Kyrgios' inspired fightback got the crowd firmly on his side
Kyrgios nuked his racquet on the way to losing the tie-break but, instead of unravelling like he has in the past, regained his composure in the fourth.
Nadal broke to love for 2-1, a slender lead which he continued to hold until he served for the match.
Kyrgios was not done yet, however.
Two break points came his way when Nadal produced another double fault, taking the second with a crushing forehand.
But, like Wimbledon and like the third set, Nadal zoned back in to nick the tie-break.
Another baseline drop-shot from Kyrgios floated into the net to give Nadal a crucial 5-3 advantage and he saw out victory to reach the Melbourne quarter-finals for a 12th time.
"Nick played a good game but I played a scary game at 5-4," Nadal said.
"But I tried to recover mentally and lift my level again."
Nadal has now won five of the eight matches he has played against Kyrgios
Emotional Kyrgios pays tribute to Bryant
It had been billed as the latest instalment of a fiery rivalry between two players with polar opposite personalities.
But the match started in a more subdued atmosphere following the shock news of the death of American basketball great Bryant.
Kyrgios is a huge basketball fan and paid tribute by wearing an LA Lakers vest bearing Bryant's name on the back as he walked out on court.
The 24-year-old Australian, who looked close to tears, kept the jersey on during the warm-up.
Bryant was a keen tennis fan and performed the coin toss before Roger Federer's US Open match against Britain's Dan Evans last year.
Nadal had also paid his own tribute earlier in the day, posting an image of Bryant on his Instagram account and telling of his "shock" at the death of "one of the world's great sportsmen".
Analysis - Kyrgios earned Nadal's respect
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Melbourne Park
This was one of the most complete performances of Kyrgios' career, and he earned Nadal's full respect on a pulsating night.
One racquet was mangled, and one line judge harangued, but if the 24-year-old is able to export this form and composure overseas, he could prove a more consistent headache for the world's best.
Nadal will be relieved to have avoided a fifth set. It was a huge surprise to see him double fault on set point in the third set tie-break, but he is in a nice groove as he prepares for a repeat of the last two French Open finals.


bbc--2020-01-27--La Liga wants Espanyol punishment after racism claims

La Liga wants the Spanish Football Association to punish Espanyol with a partial stadium closure after Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams said he was racially abused at their ground .
The incident happened in Athletic 's 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Saturday .
La Liga is attempting to identify the fans involved and bring criminal charges of hate crimes against them .
It is also working on plans to allow players to report abusive chants to a referee , who can then take action .
Espanyol said they were investigating `` incidents of a racist nature uttered by a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , the Barcelona-based club said : `` Espanyol strongly and explicitly condemns any sign of racism on soccer fields . ''
It has been reported that Williams told Athletic captain Iker Muniain about the abuse , who then informed referee Jose Sanchez Martinez .
`` No black player or any player ever wants to hear that , '' Williams told the Athletic Bilbao website after the game .
`` It 's completely out of order , people should go to matches to enjoy themselves , to support their team ; football is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a friendly atmosphere .
`` It 's a sad day because of these incidents which have no place in football . ''
• Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams says he was racially abused against Espanyol In a separate incident to that involving Williams on Saturday , there were violent clashes outside the Mestalla Stadium before Valencia 's win over Barcelona .
La Liga said in a statement it would `` study ticket sales and possible changes of how tickets are sold , especially online '' as part of new measures to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : `` La Liga wishes to express its rejection and profound concern with respect to the incidents that occurred , acknowledging that measures put in place several years ago must be improved .
`` Although there has been a decline of insults , incidents and violent attitudes in and outside football stadiums , Saturday 's events mean those measures are no longer sufficient . ''

Last updated on .From the section Football
Inaki Williams made his senior debut for Atheltic Bilbao in 2014
La Liga wants the Spanish Football Association to punish Espanyol with a partial stadium closure after Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams said he was racially abused at their ground.
After the 1-1 draw on Saturday, Williams, 25, said: "No black player or any player ever wants to hear that."
La Liga is attempting to identify the fans involved and bring criminal charges of hate crimes against them.
The Spanish FA is scheduled to discuss the issue at a meeting on Wednesday.
La Liga is also working on plans to allow players to report abusive chants to a referee, who can then take action.
Espanyol said they were investigating "incidents of a racist nature uttered by a few against Inaki Williams".
In a statement, the Barcelona-based club said: "Espanyol strongly and explicitly condemns any sign of racism on soccer fields."
It has been reported external-link that Williams told Athletic captain Iker Muniain about the abuse, who then informed referee Jose Sanchez Martinez.
"No black player or any player ever wants to hear that," Williams told the Athletic Bilbao website after the game.
"It's completely out of order, people should go to matches to enjoy themselves, to support their team; football is a team sport and should be played in a friendly atmosphere.
"It's a sad day because of these incidents which have no place in football."
The front page of Spanish sports newspaper Marca on Sunday carried the headline 'Enough of racism'
In a separate incident to that involving Williams on Saturday, there were violent clashes outside the Mestalla Stadium before Valencia's win over Barcelona.
La Liga said in a statement it would "study ticket sales and possible changes of how tickets are sold, especially online" as part of new measures to combat racism and violence at games.
It added: "La Liga wishes to express its rejection and profound concern with respect to the incidents that occurred, acknowledging that measures put in place several years ago must be improved.
"Although there has been a decline of insults, incidents and violent attitudes in and outside football stadiums, Saturday's events mean those measures are no longer sufficient."


bbc--2020-01-27--Wawrinka beats Medvedev in thriller, while Thiem also reaches last eight

Stan Wawrinka produced some of his best tennis to battle past fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals .
The Swiss 2014 champion , whose recent years have been hampered by injuries , won a see-saw encounter with the Russian 6-2 2-6 4-6 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-2 .
Wawrinka , the 15th seed , next plays either compatriot Andrey Rublev or German seventh seed Alexander Zverev .
Fifth seed Dominic Thiem also advanced with a clinical win over Gael Monfils .
The Austrian did not face a single break point in a 6-2 6-4 6-4 win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to the last eight for the first time at Melbourne Park .
He will now face the winner of Monday 's highly anticipated match between world number one Rafael Nadal and Australia 's Nick Kyrgios .
• Halep beats Mertens to reach last eight • Alerts : Get tennis news sent to your phone Wawrinka got off to a blistering start , taking a quick first set with two breaks of serve and showing much of the style that took him to three Grand Slam titles before injuries derailed his career .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medvedev in the US Open quarter-finals in September , then found himself a double break down in the second as the Russian reduced the unforced errors that cost him in the first set and began to take charge .
Medvedev had been billed as one of the main contenders to challenge the 'Big Three ' of Nadal , Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer after he took the Spaniard to five sets in September 's US Open final .
But after being taken to a tie-break in the fourth , his game began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself in frustration .
Once the match went into a final set , Medvedev 's record was against him with the Russian having never won a fifth set in five previous attempts .
He went a double break down and allowed the Swiss to serve out the match in comfort after three hours 25 minutes on Margaret Court Arena .
`` This was another amazing match , another amazing atmosphere , it was really tough to play against Daniil .
The level was super high , '' Wawrinka said .
Thiem , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two French Open finals , was in ruthless form against Monfils on Rod Laver Arena .
The Austrian controlled the match from early on , breaking in the third game .
He then consistently put pressure on the Frenchman 's serve , creating 14 break points while giving away very little on his own .
The 26-year-old dropped just four points on his serve in the third set , serving out the victory to love .
His celebrations had been briefly put on hold when he thought he had sealed the win with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show it was out .
But he took it on his second serve when Monfils netted a forehand , summing up an erratic performance by the 33-year-old Frenchman , who made 32 unforced errors and has now lost six out of six meetings with the Austrian .
`` I think I played my best match so far of this Australian Open .
A very , very good feeling , '' Thiem said .
`` The score looks way easier than the match was .
I think I was lucky to make an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was managing to hold my serve well .
I 'm so happy because I 'm for the first time in the quarter-finals here . ''

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Stan Wawrinka beat Daniil Medvedev to reach his fifth Australian Open quarter-final
2020 Australian Open Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 20 January to 2 February Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and online; Live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.
Stan Wawrinka produced some of his best tennis to battle past fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The Swiss 2014 champion, whose recent years have been hampered by injuries, won a see-saw encounter with the Russian 6-2 2-6 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
Wawrinka, the 15th seed, next plays German seventh seed Alexander Zverev after he beat Russia's Andrey Rublev.
Fifth seed Dominic Thiem also advanced with a clinical win over Gael Monfils.
The Austrian did not face a single break point in a 6-2 6-4 6-4 win over the French 10th seed that took him to the last eight for the first time at Melbourne Park.
He will now face world number one Rafael Nadal, who defeated Australia's Nick Kyrgios.
Medvedev's five-set misery continues
Wawrinka got off to a blistering start, taking a quick first set with two breaks of serve and showing much of the style that took him to three Grand Slam titles before injuries derailed his career.
But the Swiss, who lost to Medvedev in the US Open quarter-finals in September, then found himself a double break down in the second as the Russian reduced the unforced errors that cost him in the first set and began to take charge.
Medvedev had been billed as one of the main contenders to challenge the 'Big Three' of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer after he took the Spaniard to five sets in September's US Open final.
But after being taken to a tie-break in the fourth, his game began to desert him and he began muttering to himself in frustration.
Once the match went into a final set, Medvedev's record was against him with the Russian having never won a fifth set in five previous attempts.
He went a double break down and allowed the Swiss to serve out the match in comfort after three hours 25 minutes on Margaret Court Arena.
"This was another amazing match, another amazing atmosphere, it was really tough to play against Daniil. The level was super high," Wawrinka said.
Ruthless Thiem plays his 'best match'
Dominic Thiem wrapped up victory over Gael Monfils in an efficient one hour and 50 minutes
Thiem, who was beaten by Nadal in the past two French Open finals, was in ruthless form against Monfils on Rod Laver Arena.
The Austrian controlled the match from early on, breaking in the third game. He then consistently put pressure on the Frenchman's serve, creating 14 break points while giving away very little on his own.
The 26-year-old dropped just four points on his serve in the third set, serving out the victory to love.
His celebrations had been briefly put on hold when he thought he had sealed the win with an ace, only for the replay to show it was out.
But he took it on his second serve when Monfils netted a forehand, summing up an erratic performance by the 33-year-old Frenchman, who made 32 unforced errors and has now lost six out of six meetings with the Austrian.
"I think I played my best match so far of this Australian Open. A very, very good feeling," Thiem said.
"The score looks way easier than the match was. I think I was lucky to make an early break in each set and then was managing to hold my serve well. I'm so happy because I'm for the first time in the quarter-finals here."
Zverev wins in straight sets again
Alexander Zverev will be playing in the quarter-finals of a Grand slam for a third time after twice losing in the last eight at the French Open
Zverev beat childhood friend Rublev 6-4 6-4 6-4 to end the Russian's 15-match winning streak and move into the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time.
Rublev, 22, had won titles in Doha and Adelaide at the start of the season, but could not become the first player to take a set off Zverev in Melbourne this year.
"It feels amazing," said Zverev. "I have played some great matches against some great opponents. This is Andrey's first loss of the season. He's won two tournaments already, made it to the fourth round here, playing unbelievable tennis.
Zverev, who won 49 of his 54 first-service points, struck 11 aces and hit his 34th winner to complete the win in only 97 minutes - and then gave the Russian a hug after the match.
"We have been close friends since we were 10 years old and I just reminded him how far we got together," added Zverev, also 22.
"A lot of young kids would dream about playing the fourth round of a Grand Slam against one of his best friends and I told him we're going to play many more big matches."


bbc--2020-01-27--'I was 90% dead': Henri's story of surviving Auschwitz

Henri Kichka knows there will be a price to pay for telling his story : sleepless nights where the horrors of the past seep back into the present .
But he knows the story must be told .
Henri is one of the dwindling handful of men and women who survived Auschwitz .
The death camp the Nazis built in occupied southern Poland during World War Two was , another survivor once told me , like a crack in the surface of the Earth through which hell could be seen .
And a crack in the surface of our common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity for enduring suffering - and inflicting it .
Ask Henri how he lived through it and his answer is simple : `` You did not live through Auschwitz .
The place itself is death , '' he tells the BBC , 75 years after it was liberated .
You had no name in the camp - just a number tattooed on to your forearm .
There is a chilling moment when Henri suddenly barks out his own number - 177789 - in German as he was required to when challenged by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to parents who had fled anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe to build new lives in the West .
When Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Belgium , they were left with nowhere to hide .
In the first week of September 1942 , they were taken from their home in the Rue Coenraets .
The German soldiers who sealed off the street in the middle of the night went from building to building shouting : `` Alle Juden raus ! ''
( All Jews out ! )
It is hard to establish now to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Netherlands and France knew the fate that awaited them in the East , but Henri can remember some of the Jewish women in his street throwing themselves from upstairs windows with their babies , killing themselves as the last desperate way to avoid the round-up .
Within a week , the family was in a convoy of cattle wagons on a railway transport heading back east - first to Germany and then , ominously , onwards to occupied Poland .
Henri and his father , Josek , were taken off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small town of Kosel .
They were to work as slave labourers , destined to be murdered in the gas chambers only when they were no longer of economic use to the Third Reich .
The women of the family - Henri 's mother , Chana , his sisters Bertha and Nicha and his Aunt Esther - were taken to Auschwitz where they were gassed and cremated as soon as they arrived .
The fate of the Kichkas captured perfectly the dual purpose of the Nazis ' vast network of camps which spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the task of exterminating the Jews of Europe - Hitler 's `` Final Solution '' to the `` Jewish Question '' .
But there was also the need to provide slaves for the factories , mines and railways on which the German war economy relied .
It is difficult to ask Henri to talk about the camps - the sheer scale of the suffering feels overwhelming .
`` It is the only concentration in the history of the world where a million people died , '' he says simply .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrible and now I am one of the last survivors . ''
There was cynicism as well as unfathomable wickedness in the way the Nazis ran the camps .
To make the incoming transports easier to handle , the fiction was maintained until the last moment that the trainloads of Jews were being taken to huge communal showers on arrival to delouse them after long journeys in cattle wagons without water or toilet facilities .
There was no water in the showers .
The camp authorities fed in a gas called Zyklon B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pesticide .
In the earlier part of the war , the Germans had experimented with a kind of `` Holocaust of Bullets '' using special squads of soldiers called Einsatzgruppen to wipe out the Jewish population of Eastern Europe by shooting them .
There was no shortage of volunteers for the work , but the sheer scale of the task made it impractical .
Auschwitz - a huge complex of low , shed-like structures grouped around an old Austro-Hungarian cavalry barracks - was the answer to that problem of scale .
It married @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory with the murderous intent of the Holocaust .
On its busiest day in 1944 , 24,000 Hungarian Jews were murdered and their bodies consumed in the fires of specially built ovens .
When the first reconnaissance units of the Soviet Red Army arrived as they drove the Nazis back west towards Germany , they found Auschwitz more or less deserted .
The Nazi guards had forced the starving , emaciated prisoners on `` death marches '' westwards , towards camps in Germany .
At this point , Henri Kichka , a tall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 85lb ) and to this day he suffers from the injuries he sustained from the long march on broken and bleeding feet through the snows of January in Eastern Europe .
`` I was 90 % dead .
I was a skeleton .
I was in a sanatorium for months and in hospital . ''
For years after the war , Henri never spoke of that suffering as though his memory was overwhelmed by darkness .
He married , opened a shop with his wife , and built a family : four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man who had cheated death drew strength from creating new life .
He started to give lectures in schools too , feeling it was worth suffering the pain of remembering himself to make sure that others did not forget .
Sixty years after the war ended , Henri published a memoir of his life in the camps , which means his voice will still be heard when he is gone .
His daughter , Irene , who helped him with the book , stresses the importance of listening to survivors like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapter as they tell their own stories .
`` It 's necessary to have books , films and documentaries .
of course , '' she says .
`` But when you hear it from someone 's own lips in their own voice , it stays in your head .
You never forget . ''
Henri Kichka despairs of the way anti-Semitism survived into the modern world in spite of the Holocaust .
`` Why make enemies of the Jews ? ''
he says .
`` We have no guns , we are innocent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate us so much . ''
As I leave , I apologise for taking him back one more time through his suffering , and for a moment , there is a distant look in his eyes as though he is seeing the past .
But he is happy , he says , to talk about the things he would prefer to forget if it means that the rest of us remember .
Find out more about Auschwitz and the Holocaust : • How Auschwitz became centre of Nazi Holocaust • The Holocaust : @ @ @ @ @ @

It is hard to establish now to what extent the Jews of countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and France knew the fate that awaited them in the East, but Henri can remember some of the Jewish women in his street throwing themselves from upstairs windows with their babies, killing themselves as the last desperate way to avoid the round-up.


bbc--2020-01-23--How the camp became centre of Nazi Holocaust

Primo Levi - one of the most famous survivors - was lying in a camp hospital with scarlet fever when the liberators arrived .
The men cast `` strangely embarrassed glances at the sprawling bodies , at the battered huts and at us few still alive '' , he would later write .
`` They did not greet us , nor did they smile ; they seemed oppressed not only by compassion but by ... the feeling of guilt that such a crime should exist . ''
`` We saw emaciated , tortured , impoverished people , '' soldier Ivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We could tell from their eyes that they were happy to be saved from this hell . ''
• The families who were n't meant to live In just over four-and-a-half years , Nazi Germany systematically murdered at least 1.1 million people at Auschwitz .
Almost one million were Jews .
Those deported to the camp complex were gassed , starved , worked to death and even killed in medical experiments .
The vast majority were murdered in the complex of gas chambers at Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp .
Six million Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe 's Jewish population .
Auschwitz was at the centre of that genocide .
What was the Holocaust ?
When the Nazis came to power in 1933 they began to strip Jewish people of all property , freedoms and rights under the law .
After the German invasion and occupation of Poland in 1939 , the Nazis started deporting Jewish people from the Third Reich to parts of Poland , where they created ghettos to separate them from the rest of the population .
In 1941 , during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazis began their campaign of extermination in earnest .
Nazis spoke about their invasion as a race war between Germany and Jewish people , as well as the Slavic population and the Roma .
Groups of German soldiers called Einsatzgruppen set out across newly conquered lands in Eastern Europe to massacre civilians .
By the end of 1941 , they had killed 500,000 people , and by 1945 they had murdered about two million - 1.3 million of whom were Jewish .
Behind the lines , Nazi commanders were experimenting with ways to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting people was too stressful for their soldiers , and so came up with more efficient means of murder .
Experimental gas vans had been used to kill mentally disabled people in Poland as early as 1939 .
Poisonous fumes were pumped into a sealed compartment to suffocate those inside .
By the winter of 1941 , the Nazis had constructed gas chambers at Auschwitz .
Nazi leaders met in January 1942 at the Wannsee Conference to coordinate the industrial slaughter - what they called a `` final solution to the Jewish question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , 11 million people , by extermination and forced labour .
Auschwitz was originally a Polish army barracks in southern Poland .
Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Poland in September 1939 , and by May 1940 turned the site into a jail for political prisoners .
This area - with the infamous lie Arbeit Macht Frei written above the entrance in German - meaning work sets you free - became known as Auschwitz I .
But as the war and the Holocaust progressed , the Nazi regime greatly developed the site .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of Polish and Soviet prisoners in September 1941 .
Work began on a new camp , Auschwitz II-Birkenau , the following month .
This became the site of the huge gas chambers where hundreds of thousands were murdered until November 1944 , and the crematoria was where their bodies were burned .
German chemicals company IG Farben built and operated a synthetic rubber factory at Auschwitz III-Monowitz .
Other private companies like Krupp and Siemens-Schuckert also ran factories nearby , to use the prisoners as slave labour .
Both Primo Levi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monowitz concentration camp .
When Auschwitz was eventually liberated , it had more than 40 camps and subcamps .
People from all over Europe were crammed into cattle wagons without windows , toilets , seats or food , and transported to Auschwitz .
There they were sorted into those who could work and those who were to be immediately killed .
The latter group were ordered to strip naked and sent to the showers for `` delousing '' - a euphemism used for the gas chambers .
Guards from the so-called `` Hygienic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas pellets into the sealed chambers , and wait for people to die .
It took about 20 minutes .
The thick walls could not hide the screams of those suffocating inside .
Then Sonderkommandos - other prisoners , usually Jews forced to work for the guards or be killed - would remove artificial limbs , glasses , hair and teeth before dragging the corpses to the incinerators .
Ashes of the bodies were buried or used as fertiliser .
Belongings of those gassed and those sent to work were taken for sorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` Canada '' - so named because the country was seen as a land of plenty .
Who were the victims ?
SS guards sought to hide their crimes as Soviet troops closed in , and tried to destroy their extensive prisoner records - making it hard to fully quantify the number of victims .
Academic studies since agree that in total close to 1.3 million people arrived at Auschwitz .
About 1.1 million of them died there .
• The Holocaust : Who are the missing million ?
Jews from all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of the victims .
Almost one million Jewish people were murdered at Auschwitz .
One specific example was Hungary 's Jewish population .
In the space of just two months , between May and July 1944 , Hungary transported 420,000 of the 437,000 Jewish people it sent to Auschwitz .
Tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews were sent to Auschwitz every day .
Three quarters of them were killed on arrival .
Some 75,000 Polish civilians , 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war , 25,000 Roma and Sinti , as well as Jehovah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also put to death by the German state at the Auschwitz complex .
What happened when Auschwitz was liberated ?
German authorities ordered a halt to gassing and the destruction of the gas chambers and crematoria in late 1944 , as Soviet troops advanced westward .
The stockpile of stolen valuables in the Canada sector was shipped to Germany shortly afterwards .
Determined to erase the evidence of their crimes , the Nazis ordered 56,000 remaining prisoners to march west to other concentration camps , such as Bergen-Belsen , Dachau and Sachsenhausen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left behind ; any who fell behind on the march itself were killed .
Soviet forces found only a few thousand survivors when they entered the camp on 27 January 1945 , along with hundreds of thousands of clothes and several tonnes of human hair .
Soldiers later recalled having to convince some survivors that the Nazis had truly gone .
Elie Wiesel later said in a speech to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation that the Nazi crimes at Auschwitz `` produced a mutation on a cosmic scale , affecting man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After Auschwitz , the human condition is no longer the same .
After Auschwitz , nothing will ever be the same . ''

When the Nazis came to power in 1933 they began to strip Jewish people of all property, freedoms and rights under the law. After the German invasion and occupation of Poland in 1939, the Nazis started deporting Jewish people from the Third Reich to parts of Poland, where they created ghettos to separate them from the rest of the population.


bbc--2020-01-27--Photos from families ripped apart by the Holocaust

Tragic stories from the Holocaust are brought to life by Centropa , a Jewish organisation that has interviewed 1,200 elderly Jews in Central and Eastern Europe .
Centropa made copies of family photos , including more than 3,000 of relatives murdered by the Nazis .
Hundreds of them died at Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp .
Some of the photos are presented here .
Holocaust Memorial Day is 27 January - and this year it is the 75th anniversary of the camp 's liberation by Soviet troops .
Nazi Germany murdered about 1.1 million people at the vast Auschwitz-Birkenau complex , nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gringras : `` This is a photo of my younger sister Bala and my niece Giga .
It was taken in 1938 in Kielce .
`` Bala was maybe 18 at the time .
I was very fond of her , [ she was ] a very lively , intelligent girl , active , very handsome , in my view .
Nice eyes , and she had dimples .
`` The girls worked in the photography studio ; I think they spent some time learning retouching .
`` Both the girls went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Germans very quickly . ''
Irena Wygodzka : `` Estusia was my favourite cousin .
We loved each other very much .
`` Estusia was a charming , intelligent girl .
She was self-taught and very radical , progressive .
`` Her father was very religious , he had this long beard , but she sympathised with the communists .
She did n't belong to the party , but she had a whole group of friends with whom she met and discussed political issues .
`` In any case , Estusia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Auschwitz and I was told they were gassed on arrival . ''
Read more about the Holocaust : • How Auschwitz became centre of Nazi Holocaust • The Holocaust : Who are the missing million ?
Anna Hyndrakova : `` This photo was taken in Prague in October 1941 , on the wedding day of my sister Gertruda to Frantisek .
`` Frantisek was born in 1916 ; he worked as a chief clerk and was in the coal business .
By the time I met him he was no longer allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The three of us lived together .
`` I did n't like him at first , because at 13 , I was left doing the dishes every night .
But one of them must have read my diary because he started coming into the kitchen after that and said things like 'You 're my sister-in-law ' and 'Dear sister-in-law ' , so I liked him a lot then .
`` It was only a few weeks before he was deported to a work camp in Lipa and then to Terezin [ called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concentration camp ] .
`` My sister went to Terezin in December 1941 .
That 's where she and Frantisek met again and in 1943 , they had a baby , Jana Ivana .
`` We were all deported to Auschwitz at different times , including my mum and dad .
I 'm the only one who came home . ''
Toman Brod : `` [ This is ] my mother Olga Brodova and my brother Hanus .
The photo is from 1927 .
I was born two years after him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposition ... the children could romp about and yell and she would sit at the table and crack nuts .
`` But our father was somewhat more nervous , hot-tempered .
Father died young , in 1938 .
`` My mother , brother and I were deported to Terezin on 27 July 1942 .
`` My mother adapted quite well to the conditions in Terezin and worked as a nurse for mentally and physically handicapped children .
`` We left Terezin on the December transport in 1943 , for Auschwitz .
I ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberated at the end of the war .
`` As for my brother and mother , I believe they were murdered in 1944 . ''
Jiri Franek : `` This is my brother Frantisek Frischmann in 1940 .
`` Frantisek was a year older than me and he was more capable , smarter , better at school .
He was also tall and strong , a real looker .
He attracted girls from at least 20km ( 12 miles ) around .
`` Our uncle wanted to pay my brother 's way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Germans here .
He even found a guide that for a lot of money promised to lead him there .
From Switzerland he was then supposed to go to some addresses in France .
`` It was all arranged , and our family knew about it , but said : 'In any case he has to finish his studies and graduate ' .
`` But during this time the Germans occupied Paris .
And Paris was where my brother was supposed to be going .
`` So in the end my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deported to Auschwitz and did n't survive .
But it 's a testament , in this case a bitter one , to the value that was placed on education . ''
Estera Sava : `` This is my sister , Anuta Martinet .
`` My sister 's dream had always been to become a doctor .
After she graduated high school with the highest grades , she left for Iasi , to pass the admission exam at the Medical School .
`` But in Iasi , those anti-Semitic movements had already begun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go home .
We have no need for Jewish doctors ! '
`` She decided to study abroad and left for Padua , Italy .
In June 1939 the [ medical ] exams came .
She got the highest grades !
But she told our father : 'Father , I 'm not going back .
It 's not a high quality life there .
I 'm going to France ! '
We had a relative there , so she left for Montpellier .
`` She studied there , married a Catholic man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` [ It was ] for nothing .
The Germans took her and we were told she helped in various camps , even in Auschwitz .
Then they killed her . ''
Stefan Guth : `` [ This is ] Tomi Honig , my cousin .
`` He was the son of my father 's sister , Bella .
She married a Jewish man named Miklos Honig .
Miklos was the administrator of the restaurant of the fanciest hotel in Oradea and Bella was a housewife .
She had two sons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was very fond of his sister and whenever he went to Oradea , he would stay in her house .
`` When the war broke out , [ my father ] waited for them to come to Brasov .
But he waited and waited and nobody showed up .
And after a while the news came that Jews from Transylvania had been deported .
`` The only one who came back was Miklos 's brother .
He survived , and brought news that all the others were dead , including Tomi . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the younger sister of my mother Rozsi , and her daughter .
`` My mother came from a family of seven siblings .
Only one of them survived deportation to Auschwitz .
`` Bozsi married Dezso , a corn-merchant from Nagysarmas and they lived in Kolozsvar .
Bozsi and Dezso had two children , a son , Andris , and a daughter , who is in this picture .
`` The son was around five , the daughter was one and a half or maybe two years old when they were deported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1944 . ''
Elza Fulop : `` This is Tibor Szinetar , the boy of my sister Margit .
`` He was the only nephew my sisters and brother had .
You can imagine how much love he got from all of us !
`` At Tibor 's bar mitzvah ( coming of age ceremony ) he thanked his parents for raising him and when he got to my father - even now , remembering this makes me cry - the poor child was overwhelmed with emotion : 'As for you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to thank you ... ' And the child was unable to go on ; he hugged his grandfather and they were both crying , and the whole congregation was crying .
`` He lived with us in Aghiresu in the countryside .
He would stand in the courtyard and the chickens , geese and ducks would sit on his shoulder and on his head .
He knew the names of every calf or cow our neighbours had .
`` If he was in the street and saw an elderly man , he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the other side .
He was an extraordinary child !
`` When he got older , his parents took him to Cluj .
He was 15 when [ the Germans ] deported him .
They murdered him in Auschwitz . ''
Marta Feher : `` This is Bozsi and her son Imike .
`` Bozsi was the wife of my mother 's brother Nandor .
I 'm pretty sure the picture was taken in early 1944 .
`` The Germans came in 1944 .
Many men were sent to forced labour and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and children who were sent to the camps in May .
`` Bozsi and Imike were taken to Auschwitz directly . ''
Erno Schwarz : `` This is my little daughter , Rozsi Schwarz in Pesterzsebet in 1939 .
`` I met my wife when I was at the Rebenwurzl factory .
`` The wedding was in 1936 in the Kazinczy [ Street synagogue ] .
It was packed .
Both floors were full of spectators , and so many stood in the yard that some did n't fit .
All the butchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was taken with the two children .
It was the last transport , no one returned from that .
`` I do n't remember when I found out that my family was taken to Auschwitz .
I had been in forced labour . ''

"At Tibor's bar mitzvah (coming of age ceremony) he thanked his parents for raising him and when he got to my father - even now, remembering this makes me cry - the poor child was overwhelmed with emotion: 'As for you, Grandpa, I don't know how to thank you...' And the child was unable to go on; he hugged his grandfather and they were both crying, and the whole congregation was crying.


bbc--2020-01-27--Auschwitz 75 years on: Holocaust Day prompts new anti-Semitism warnings

Holocaust survivors and international leaders are honouring victims of the Nazis at the former Auschwitz death camp , amid calls to fight resurgent anti-Semitism .
The presidents of Israel and Poland - Reuven Rivlin and Andrzej Duda - laid wreaths together , 75 years after Soviet troops liberated the camp .
About 1.1 million people , mostly Jews , were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau .
Mr Rivlin warned of `` voices which spread hate '' and threaten democracy .
`` Our duty is to fight anti-Semitism , racism and fascist nostalgia - those sick evils , '' he said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Death Wall , where the Nazis shot thousands of prisoners .
The vast Auschwitz-Birkenau camp complex , in Nazi-occupied southern Poland , was the regime 's most notorious killing centre .
Thousands of Poles , Soviet prisoners of war , Gypsies ( Roma ) and other persecuted groups also died there .
• How Auschwitz became centre of Nazi Holocaust Nazi Germany murdered about six million Jews in its campaign to dominate other races and nations .
This may be the last major anniversary where so many survivors are able to attend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in Holocaust • Searching for traces of my grandfather at Auschwitz There is widespread concern about high levels of anti-Semitic intimidation and violence in several countries and the proliferation of hate speech on the internet .
In Paris , French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary , including additions to a wall of remembrance for 77,000 Jews deported to concentration camps from France .
The Shoah Memorial was renovated , with 175 extra names and 1,498 more birth dates added after research in Holocaust archives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just a problem for Jews .
It is a problem for all of us .
It is the Republic 's problem , '' President Macron said .
More than 200 survivors travelled to Auschwitz from across the globe to mark the 75th anniversary .
Many wore blue-and-white scarves - a reminder of the striped prison uniforms that victims wore in the concentration camps .
A woman who was born in the camp a few months before liberation , 75-year-old Jadwiga Wakulska , said `` my mother was holding me in her arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was standing in line to the gas chamber ... '' We were coming closer and closer to the gas block and one of the Germans saw me .
He looked at me and since I was a blonde baby with blue eyes he took me aside and told me I will survive .
Thanks to that we survived .
My mum says that thanks to the fact that I had a Nordic appearance , I saved her and myself . ''

"We were coming closer and closer to the gas block and one of the Germans saw me. He looked at me and since I was a blonde baby with blue eyes he took me aside and told me I will survive. Thanks to that we survived. My mum says that thanks to the fact that I had a Nordic appearance, I saved her and myself."


bbc--2020-01-27--Coronavirus: Death toll rises to 82 as China extends holiday

The number of people killed in China by the new coronavirus has risen to 82 , with almost 3,000 confirmed ill .
The national new year holiday has been extended by three days to Sunday , in an attempt to contain the spread .
The number of deaths in Hubei rose from 56 to 76 , with six deaths elsewhere .
Wuhan is in lockdown and several other cities have imposed travel bans .
At least 44 cases have been confirmed abroad , including in Germany , the United States , and Australia .
There have been no deaths outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ?
On Monday , authorities in Beijing confirmed a 50-year-old man had died - the first fatality in the Chinese capital from the virus .
In Shanghai , the government has stopped businesses from returning to work until 10 February .
The ban applies to all companies apart from utilities , medical firms , medical suppliers , and supermarkets .
Meanwhile , the director-general of the World Health Organization , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , is in Beijing to discuss the outbreak with the Chinese government and health experts .
The BBC 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main holiday of the year is a highly unusual move .
But after the pre-new year travel surge , the prospect of half a billion people getting back on trains , planes and buses and criss-crossing the country again is the last thing the government wants , he adds .
On Monday , Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan , the capital of Hubei province and centre of the outbreak .
Experts suspect many more people are infected , but actual figures are hard to ascertain due to a number of factors like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferguson , a public health expert at Imperial College , London , told the UK 's Guardian newspaper his `` best guess '' put the number at 100,000 infected , while figures put together by the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong suggest the number was closer to 43,000 .
• Wuhan : The London-sized city where the virus began • How do you quarantine a city - and does it work ?
However , the University of Hong Kong research also suggested that - without public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be infected every day when the outbreak reaches its height .
As a result of their projections , Gabriel Leung , the dean of the faculty of Medicine , was advising `` substantial , draconian measures '' to limit population mobility .
The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and there is no specific cure or vaccine .
Most of the deaths have been of elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory problems .
What is happening in Wuhan ?
Travel from the city , home to 11 million people , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been banned from the roads .
At the Hubei border , workers are checking people 's temperatures before allowing them into the province .
The local government in Wuhan said no-one from the city had left China in the past four days .
Some 4,096 tourists from Wuhan are still out of the country , while five million new year travellers left the city before the lockdown .
More than half a million medical staff have joined the province 's prevention , control and treatment operations , while two makeshift hospitals are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ?
New year celebrations were scaled back and four major cities - Beijing , Shanghai , Xian and Tianjin - have banned long-distance buses .
Schools and official institutions will remain closed for the rest of this week .
Beijing has closed the Forbidden City for tourists , as well as a section of the Great Wall .
Both Disney parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai have closed .
In Guangdong province , several cities have made face masks mandatory in public .
Hong Kong , which has eight confirmed cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools closed until 17 February .
Mongolia - which has yet to record a case of the virus - has closed its border with China .
It has also closed schools until 2 March , and banned public events .
Meanwhile , He Qinghua , a top official with China 's National Health Commission , told reporters some areas still `` lack determination in controlling the epidemic '' , according to the state-run newspaper Global Times .
He said rural villages , in particular , were failing to deal with the crisis `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , Chinese officials warned the virus was able to spread during its incubation period , believed to be between one and 14 days , making it harder to contain the illness .
What is the situation internationally ?
According to the World Health Organization and national authorities , there have been at least 47 confirmed cases outside China .
The latest case to be confirmed is in the German state of Bavaria , only the fourth so far in Europe .
In the UK , 73 people have been tested - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Almost all had recently been to Wuhan or had been in close contact with someone who had .
Where did the virus emerge ?
The virus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan .
Authorities have since temporarily banned the sale of all wildlife in China .
The virus itself is a new , or `` novel '' coronavirus - a family that normally affects animals .
'As long as we leave , they do n't mind' Police and officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provinces are now very keen to move us on wherever we arrive .
They do n't seem to mind where we go - as long as we leave their towns .
We explain that the world wants to see the important , tiring work they 're doing to combat the virus .
But they 're not interested .
It could be that they 're worried that our presence might imply to some that their patch is not handling this emergency well enough .
One police officer at the entrance to a small town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We do n't have a problem here any more so there 's no need for you to be here . ''
He said this at a checking station as cars were being pulled up behind him .
Medical staff covered head to toe in protective clothing were then screening every passenger .
They also checked the inside of all vehicles .
I 'm not sure what they were looking for - but it certainly did n't look like business as usual .
What can people do to stay safe ?
The World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard recommendations '' focusing on `` hand and respiratory hygiene '' .
That essentially means washing hands or using disinfectants , and covering one 's mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing .
The advice also suggests avoiding contact with live animals in places where there have been coronavirus cases , and not to eat raw or uncooked animal products .
Learn more about the new virus • Your questions : You asked , we answered • The story explained : How worried should we be ?
• Wuhan profiled : The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow all our coverage here Are you in China ?
Have you been affected by the lockdown in various cities ?
Email haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

We explain that the world wants to see the important, tiring work they're doing to combat the virus. But they're not interested. It could be that they're worried that our presence might imply to some that their patch is not handling this emergency well enough.


bbc--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant: Investigators work to determine cause of crash

US investigators are working to determine the causes of the helicopter crash that killed basketball star Kobe Bryant in California on Sunday .
All nine people on board the helicopter died , including Bryant 's 13-year-old daughter , Gianna .
Investigators are expected to focus on the weather conditions , which were foggy , and on any mechanical failures that may have occurred .
Bryant was considered to be one of the greatest players in the game 's history .
• Giant who had his controversies • Petition calls for Kobe Bryant to be on NBA logo He was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Los Angeles Lakers , and a double Olympic gold medallist .
He retired in April 2016 .
Tributes from fans , fellow basketball players and other public figures have been pouring in from around the world .
Early on Monday morning , fans could be seen congregating at a makeshift memorial for the player in front of the Lakers ' stadium at the Staples Center in Los Angeles .
 Italy has said a minute 's silence would be observed at all basketball games `` in every category for the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his childhood in the country as his father played in the Italian basketball league .
What will investigators focus on ?
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) and the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) are gathering in the area to launch separate crash investigations , reports say .
The federal agency has a team of about 20 people in LA and will work with the FAA , the helicopters ' manufacturer and the company that made its engine , the Washington Post reports .
Investigators began searching through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is helping the NTSB 's staff document the scene , which is standard procedure , it added .
The aircraft - a Sikorsky S-76B - went down in a remote field in the city of Calabasas on Sunday morning at 10:00 ( 18:00 GMT ) , west of the city of Los Angeles .
Conditions were foggy when the flight took off , and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather .
But air traffic controllers on Sunday gave the helicopter 's pilot special clearance to fly in less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pilots can experience `` spatial disorientation '' when they fly in cloudy conditions , due to the lack of visual input , Thomas Anthony , director of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Programme , told the BBC .
`` That 's why it 's necessary to use the [ flight ] instruments , which give you an artificial horizon . ''
However , he added that it was `` never one thing that causes an aircraft accident '' , and investigators would need to look into `` what things came together to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The S-76 is a `` well evolved , sophisticated aircraft that is used widely around the world '' , he said , adding that it had two jet engines , which gave it capability even if one stopped working .
Why was Kobe Bryant travelling by helicopter ?
Bryant had been on his way to coach his daughter 's basketball team in a local youth tournament .
He was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles .
`` Los Angeles is notorious '' for traffic jams , says Professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies .
He says this is due to the lack of road pricing- as well as the fact that LA has `` the urbanisation and economy of a city , but the zoning and layout of a suburb '' - which means residents can not avoid driving , but the volume of traffic on roads is high .
According to research firm Inrix , drivers in Los Angeles lost an average of 128 hours to congestion in 2018 .
The journey , from Bryant 's home near Newport Beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , would take just over an hour without traffic - but can take more than three hours when congestion is bad .
Who else was in the helicopter ?
Coroners have not officially named the victims .
Family members and colleagues however said John Altobelli , coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team , was among the passengers , along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant 's daughter , Gianna .
Christina Mauser , a basketball coach at Gianna 's school , was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook .
US media have cited family tributes being paid to another victim , Sarah Chester , and her daughter Payton , who are said to have also been on board the helicopter ; and Ara Zobayan has also been named as the pilot .
Why was Kobe Bryant so famous ?
A five-time NBA champion , Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers before his retirement in 2016 .
His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) and two-time NBA Finals MVP .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a two-time Olympic champion .
He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 , the second-highest single-game total in NBA history .
He also won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball , a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015 .
Bryant and his wife , Vanessa , have three other daughters , Natalia , Bianca and Capri .
Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman working at a Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the two had consensual sex .
The case was dropped after the accuser refused to testify in court .
He later apologised , saying he recognised that `` she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did '' .
A subsequent civil suit was settled out of court .

He says this is due to the lack of road pricing- as well as the fact that LA has "the urbanisation and economy of a city, but the zoning and layout of a suburb" - which means residents cannot avoid driving, but the volume of traffic on roads is high.


Watch impeachment trial

Five possible twists in impeachment trial Many believe President Trump will be acquitted at the end of this process .
@ @ @ @ @ from the script ?

Live coverage from Washington DC, as President Donald Trump's impeachment trial continues in the Senate.
The impeachment is in its final stages as senators prepare to cast their final vote on Wednesday, with acquittal almost certain.


bbc--2020-01-27--Petition calls for Kobe Bryant to be added to NBA logo

More than 500,000 people have backed a petition to use Kobe Bryant 's image as a new official NBA logo .
Bryant , considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in the game 's history , died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday .
He was flying with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna , who also died .
The current logo was designed by Alan Siegel , and features the silhouette of another great LA Lakers player Jerry West , who is 81 years old .
Writing on Change.org , the petition 's founder Nick M said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalise him forever as the new NBA logo . ''
Supporters have also tweeted their own versions of the logo , mocked up with Bryant 's silhouette .
Apart from a tweak to the font in 2017 , the logo for the National Basketball Association has been the same since it was first designed in 1971 .
It is not clear whether the organisation would consider updating its logo with Bryant 's silhouette .
West , who was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is yet to comment on the campaign .
However , West did pay heartfelt tribute to Bryant after news of his death was confirmed , telling CBS News he felt as though he had lost a son .
`` This loss of Kobe , Gianna , and everyone on board , is beyond tragic and incomprehensible , '' he later said in a statement .
`` I will love Kobe forever and always cherish the time that I spent with him .
`` I watched him grow from an energetic kid into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference in so many people 's life .
He has left the world a better place . ''
Bryant was a five-time NBA champion who played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers , as well as a double Olympic gold medallist .
He retired in April 2016 .
His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) and two-time NBA Finals MVP , and was also NBA scoring champion twice .
He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 , the second-highest single-game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball , a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015 .
He leaves three other daughters , Natalia , Bianca and Capri , and his wife , Vanessa .

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bbc--2020-01-27--Prince Andrew gives 'zero co-operation' over Epstein inquiry, US prosecutor says

The Duke of York has provided `` zero co-operation '' to an inquiry into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , the prosecutor in charge of the investigation has said .
Prosecutors and the FBI have contacted his lawyers but have received no reply , said US attorney Geoffrey Berman .
Prince Andrew says he did not see , or suspect , any suspicious behaviour when visiting homes of his then friend .
Buckingham Palace said the prince 's legal team was dealing with the issue .
It said it would not be commenting further .
Convicted US sex offender Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cell in August , aged 66 , while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges .
Mr Berman , the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York , said the FBI and Southern District of New York had requested to interview the duke as part of their inquiry into Epstein 's crimes , but `` to date , Prince Andrew has provided zero co-operation '' .
Prince Andrew has come under fire for his friendship with the US financier , who was jailed in Florida in 2008 for procuring a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsnight in November that he first met Epstein in 1999 and did not regret their friendship - which lead to Epstein attending events at Windsor Castle and Sandringham - because it had `` some seriously beneficial outcomes '' .
However he admitted it was wrong of him to visit Epstein at his home in 2010 , after his conviction .
Virginia Giuffre , one of Epstein 's accusers , says she was trafficked to London by Epstein in 2001 , when she was 17 , and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sexual contact or relationship with her and says any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation .
He said he has no recollection of ever meeting the woman , who was previously known as Virginia Roberts .
'Willing to help' Prince Andrew was accused of lacking empathy for Epstein 's victims in his Newsnight interview and failing to show regret over their friendship .
Shortly after it was broadcast , the prince announced he was stepping back from royal duties for the `` foreseeable future '' because the Epstein scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Royal Family .
At the time , he said he was `` willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency '' .
He also said in the BBC interview he would consider giving evidence under oath `` if push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so '' .
The lawyer for Epstein 's victims has since said he plans to serve subpoenas for the prince to be questioned under oath .
Prince Andrew accompanied the Queen to church near Sandringham earlier this month .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duke and Duchess of Sussex were revealed to have given up their HRH titles - and the first time the prince had been seen with his mother since the week after his Newsnight interview .
Prosecutor Mr Berman made his comments at a news conference outside Epstein 's New York mansion .
He was speaking at an event to promote a new law that makes it easier for victims to sue over childhood abuse .
Before being asked about Prince Andrew , he spoke about the progress of the sex trafficking investigation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspirators '' who had worked alongside Epstein procuring girls for the financier 's sexual gratification .
`` Jeffrey Epstein could n't have done what he did without the assistance of others , and I can assure you that the investigation is moving forward , '' he said .

It was the Queen's first public appearance after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were revealed to have given up their HRH titles - and the first time the prince had been seen with his mother since the week after his Newsnight interview.


bbc--2020-01-27--Alabama fire: Eight killed as blaze engulfs 35 boats in marina

At least eight people were killed when a massive fire destroyed dozens of boats in a marina in the US state of Arizona on Monday , officials say .
The fire quickly spread as people slept at Jackson County Park in Scottsboro .
The aluminium roof of the wooden dock collapsed , and some of the boats sank .
Seven people who jumped into the water were rescued and taken to hospital .
It was not clear what caused the fire .
Rescue teams will search the water to make sure there are no other victims .
The fire started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and engulfed 35 vessels from house boats to pontoons docked on the Tennessee River .
The identities of the victims have not been released .
`` This is absolutely devastating , '' Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus told reporters .
`` [ It 's ] one of the most devastating things I 've ever seen .
I think as we learn more details , that tragedy will continue to grow . ''
Images posted on social media showed a row of boats engulfed in flames .
A witness , Mandy Durham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tanks , which probably fuelled the fire .
Ms Durham , who was staying at a nearby dock , told the Associated Press news agency that people were jumping onto a boat at the end of the dock because the blaze had engulfed the middle portion of the structure .
But that vessel was also consumed by the flames , leaving them with no other option than to jump into the water .
She said most of the boats destroyed belonged to people who lived there permanently , adding : `` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Injuries were caused by exposure to the flames or the cold water - all those affected have already been released from hospital .
The park in Scottsboro - a town of 14,000 in northern Alabama - includes a boat ramp , a swimming dock and a restaurant .
Mr Necklaus said search and recovery efforts would last at least three to four days , adding : `` Our primary objective remains to check every boat , every vessel , everything we can check , to ensure that we have accounted for @ @ @ @ @

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