bbc--2020-08-16--Miocic beats Cormier in trilogy fight as O'Malley suffers first defeat

Stipe Miocic cemented his legacy as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history with a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier , who confirmed his retirement after their hotly-anticipated heavyweight title trilogy fight at UFC 252 on Saturday .
But Miocic produced a brilliant come-from-behind performance in Anaheim last August to turn the tables and stop Cormier in the rematch at UFC 241 .
And the rivals battled all the way in their third meeting , behind closed doors at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas , with Miocic , 37 , coming out on top with scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three judges .
`` Everyone talks about legacy .
The only reason I 'm happy to cement my legacy was to show my daughter , to show her that hard work pays off , '' Miocic said .
`` If you do something , you put your mind and effort into it , you can do good things . ''
A crestfallen Cormier , 41 , added : `` It sucks , being on the losing end of two big fights and trilogies - it 's a very sad position to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I 've dealt with things in the past .
`` I 'm not interested in fighting for anything but titles , and I do n't imagine there 's going to be a title in the future , so that 'll be it for me .
I 've had a long run , it 's been great . ''
Miocic said of his rival : `` I 've always had a lot of respect for the guy .
He 's an amazing fighter , I wish him all the best . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record to 20 wins and three losses , and extended two key UFC records .
He became the first fighter to win six heavyweight title fights , and complete four heavyweight title defences .
Meanwhile , Cormier retires with a career record of 15 wins and two losses , and is one of only four athletes to hold UFC titles in two weight classes simultaneously , alongside Conor McGregor , Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo .
He was also the first to successfully defend UFC titles in two different weight classes .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Marlon Vera handed hot prospect Sean O'Malley the first defeat of his MMA career with a first-round TKO after the American was injured midway through the first round of their bantamweight matchup , when he appeared to roll his ankle and collapse on his foot .
O'Malley , 25 , attempted to fight through his injury , but Vera , 27 , took full advantage of his rival 's reduced mobility as he took advantage of a second slip to land on top and unload a salvo of punishing elbows that forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vera 's victory was his sixth in his last seven fights in the UFC 's bantamweight division and improved his impressive finish rate , with each of his last eight wins coming inside the distance .

Stipe Miocic is the second fighter to win six heavyweight title fights in UFC history
Stipe Miocic cemented his legacy as the arguably greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history with a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier, who confirmed his retirement after their title trilogy fight at UFC 252.
In their first meeting at UFC 226 in July 2018, then light-heavyweight champion Cormier stunned Miocic in the first round in Las Vegas to become a two-division champion.
But Miocic produced a brilliant come-from-behind performance in Anaheim last August to turn the tables and stop Cormier in the rematch at UFC 241.
And the rivals battled all the way in their third meeting, behind closed doors at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas on Saturday, with Miocic, 37, coming out on top with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 from the three judges.
'Hard work pays off'
"Everyone talks about legacy. The only reason I'm happy to cement my legacy was to show my daughter, to show her that hard work pays off," Miocic said.
"If you do something, you put your mind and effort into it, you can do good things."
A crestfallen Cormier, 41, added: "It sucks, being on the losing end of two big fights and trilogies - it's a very sad position to be in. But I will deal with it as I've dealt with things in the past.
"I'm not interested in fighting for anything but titles, and I don't imagine there's going to be a title in the future, so that'll be it for me. I've had a long run, it's been great."
Miocic said of his rival: "I've always had a lot of respect for the guy. He's an amazing fighter, I wish him all the best."
The result improved Ohio firefighter Miocic's career record to 20 victories and three losses and he is only the second fighter to win six heavyweight title fights, alongside Randy Couture.
Meanwhile, Cormier retires with a career record of 22 wins and three losses, and is one of only four athletes to hold UFC titles in two weight classes simultaneously, alongside Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo.
He was also the first to successfully defend UFC titles in two different weight classes.
O'Malley suffers first defeat
In the night's co-main event, Ecuador's Marlon Vera handed hot prospect Sean O'Malley the first defeat of his MMA career with a first-round TKO after the American was injured midway through the first round of their bantamweight matchup, when he appeared to roll his ankle and collapse on his foot.
O'Malley, 25, attempted to fight through his injury, but Vera, 27, took full advantage of his rival's reduced mobility as he took advantage of a second slip to land on top and unload a salvo of punishing elbows that forced referee Herb Dean to step in.
Vera's victory was his sixth in his last seven fights in the UFC's bantamweight division and improved his impressive finish rate, with each of his last eight wins coming inside the distance.


bbc--2020-08-15--Wild child off the pitch but danger man on it - the Sevilla player Man Utd need to stop

When news surfaced in May that a group of Sevilla players had jeopardised La Liga 's impending restart by breaking lockdown restrictions for a joint family get-together , there were no prizes for guessing one of the culprits : Ever Banega .
The Argentine midfielder has a long-held reputation for being , to put it kindly , not quite the sharpest tool in the shed .
He demonstrated that trait again just a few weeks later , shortly before the return of the Europa League , by flouting social distancing measures in a Valencia night club where 12 employees had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both occasions Banega subsequently tested negative and he is now preparing to use his laser-like passing ability - which contrasts sharply with his off-the-pitch image - to stand between Manchester United and a place in the Europa League final .
This is Banega 's last week as a Sevilla player , after he agreed to join Saudi club Al-Shabab when this elongated season finally ends .
And the 32-year-old will be sorely missed after gradually but firmly establishing himself as one of Spanish football 's best midfielders , having first arrived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him from boyhood club Boca Juniors .
By then , he was already known as a wild child after 'celebrating ' Argentina 's triumph in the 2007 Under-20 World Cup by trashing a hotel room with some team-mates in the style of a rampaging rock band .
He was slow to settle with Valencia , not helped by an unsavoury incident involving self-exposure and a webcam , and he was loaned to Atletico Madrid for the 2008-09 season - which saw him underline his reputation as a trouble-maker by getting sent off twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tendency for self-inflicted woes peaked in 2012 , when he was sidelined for seven months after breaking his leg by running himself over with his own car at a petrol station .
Despite those misdemeanours , Banega gradually became a key player for Valencia and showed that , when he was on his game , he could match up against any opponent .
Pep Guardiola acknowledged his ability during the latter stages of his time as Barcelona manager , praising the midfielder as `` a fantastic player… we really have to concentrate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained a problem , and Banega was forced to publicly apologise to Valencia fans after reports that he turned up drunk for a training session after another late night .
His largely frustrating Valencia career came to an underwhelming end in January 2014 when he was loaned to Newell 's Old Boys in his hometown Rosario , and he appeared destined to remain an unfulfilled talent .
But redemption lay around the corner .
Sevilla 's director of football Monchi is world-renowned for his ability to cajole greatness out of under-performers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer of 2014 with the signing of Banega .
It was a second chance to thrive in Europe and , finally showing signs of maturity , Banega grabbed it with both hands .
The midfielder started to make more headlines for his performances on the field than his proclivities off it , including a man-of-the-match performance as Sevilla regained the Europa League title with a 3-2 victory over Dnipro in the 2015 final .
He was also instrumental as the Andalusians took the trophy for an unprecedented third consecutive year in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his consistent excellence earned a summer switch to Inter Milan .
The move to Italy did n't really work out , and a year later he was back in Sevilla to become the midfield fulcrum of a team that has always known how to play to his strengths .
This has been perhaps his best season yet .
Coach Julen Lopetegui 's preference for controlled possession ( Sevilla averaged 58.4 % possession , third-highest in La Liga ) perfectly suits Banega , who uses positional awareness and perceptive passing to orchestrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted 86.3 passes per 90 minutes during the league campaign , the second-highest of all midfielders in La Liga ( Sergio Busquets averaged 93.6 , with Toni Kroos on 85.2 ) .
And many of those were into the danger area - 104 of his passes resulted in shots on goal , the league 's fifth-highest tally .
Before Sunday 's semi-final , Manchester United do n't have to look far to find an example of Banega at his best : he was outstanding in Tuesday 's quarter-final victory over Wolves , capping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross for Lucas Ocampos 's late headed winner .
As usual , everything went through Banega : he had 139 touches and completed 109 passes to dwarf Wolves ' respective individual highs of 43 ( Matt Doherty ) and 26 ( Willy Boli ) .
That game showed , once again , that the midfielder 's on-pitch intelligence is the polar opposite of his off-the-field carelessness .
And the conclusion for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is simple : if you want to stop Sevilla , you have to stop Ever Banega .

Banega has provided three assists in five Europa League games for Sevilla this season
When news surfaced in May that a group of Sevilla players had jeopardised La Liga's impending restart by breaking lockdown restrictions for a joint family get-together, there were no prizes for guessing one of the culprits: Ever Banega.
The Argentine midfielder has a long-held reputation for being, to put it kindly, not quite the sharpest tool in the shed.
He demonstrated that trait again just a few weeks later, shortly before the return of the Europa League, by flouting social distancing measures in a Valencia night club where 12 employees had received positive Covid-19 tests.
Fortunately, on both occasions Banega subsequently tested negative and he is now preparing to use his laser-like passing ability - which contrasts sharply with his off-the-pitch image - to stand between Manchester United and a place in the Europa League final.
Wild child and self-inflicted woes
This is Banega's last week as a Sevilla player, after he agreed to join Saudi club Al-Shabab when this elongated season finally ends.
And the 32-year-old will be sorely missed after gradually but firmly establishing himself as one of Spanish football's best midfielders, having first arrived in the country in 2008 when Valencia signed him from boyhood club Boca Juniors.
By then, he was already known as a wild child after 'celebrating' Argentina's triumph in the 2007 Under-20 World Cup by trashing a hotel room with some team-mates in the style of a rampaging rock band.
He was slow to settle with Valencia, not helped by an unsavoury incident involving self-exposure and a webcam, and he was loaned to Atletico Madrid for the 2008-09 season - which saw him underline his reputation as a trouble-maker by getting sent off twice in five league starts.
Banega's tendency for self-inflicted woes peaked in 2012, when he was sidelined for seven months after breaking his leg by running himself over with his own car at a petrol station.
Despite those misdemeanours, Banega gradually became a key player for Valencia and showed that, when he was on his game, he could match up against any opponent.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged his ability during the latter stages of his time as Barcelona manager, praising the midfielder as "a fantastic player… we really have to concentrate to limit his effectiveness".
But indiscipline remained a problem, and Banega was forced to publicly apologise to Valencia fans after reports that he turned up drunk for a training session after another late night.
His largely frustrating Valencia career came to an underwhelming end in January 2014 when he was loaned to Newell's Old Boys in his hometown Rosario, and he appeared destined to remain an unfulfilled talent.
But redemption lay around the corner.
Finally flourishing with Sevilla
Banega has three goals and seven assists in La Liga this season
Sevilla's director of football Monchi is world-renowned for his ability to cajole greatness out of under-performers, and one of his landmark successes came in the summer of 2014 with the signing of Banega.
It was a second chance to thrive in Europe and, finally showing signs of maturity, Banega grabbed it with both hands.
The midfielder started to make more headlines for his performances on the field than his proclivities off it, including a man-of-the-match performance as Sevilla regained the Europa League title with a 3-2 victory over Dnipro in the 2015 final.
He was also instrumental as the Andalusians took the trophy for an unprecedented third consecutive year in 2016 by beating Liverpool 3-1 in the final, and his consistent excellence earned a summer switch to Inter Milan.
The move to Italy didn't really work out, and a year later he was back in Sevilla to become the midfield fulcrum of a team that has always known how to play to his strengths.
This has been perhaps his best season yet. Coach Julen Lopetegui's preference for controlled possession (Sevilla averaged 58.4% possession, third-highest in La Liga) perfectly suits Banega, who uses positional awareness and perceptive passing to orchestrate his team's attacking play.
Banega attempted 86.3 passes per 90 minutes during the league campaign, the second-highest of all midfielders in La Liga (Sergio Busquets averaged 93.6, with Toni Kroos on 85.2). And many of those were into the danger area - 104 of his passes resulted in shots on goal, the league's fifth-highest tally.
Before Sunday's semi-final, Manchester United don't have to look far to find an example of Banega at his best: he was outstanding in Tuesday's quarter-final victory over Wolves, capping a man-of-the-match performance by delivering a pinpoint cross for Lucas Ocampos's late headed winner.
As usual, everything went through Banega: he had 139 touches and completed 109 passes to dwarf Wolves' respective individual highs of 43 (Matt Doherty) and 26 (Willy Boli).
That game showed, once again, that the midfielder's on-pitch intelligence is the polar opposite of his off-the-field carelessness.
And the conclusion for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is simple: if you want to stop Sevilla, you have to stop Ever Banega.


bbc--2020-08-16--Manchester United: Tahith Chong training with Werder Bremen before loan move

Manchester United 's Dutch winger Tahith Chong is training with Werder Bremen before completing a 10-month loan move to the @ @ @ @ @ signed a new contract in March , running until June 2022 .
The Netherlands Under-21 @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 from Feyenoord and made his senior debut in July 2018 .
`` Although @ @ @ @ @ move are yet to be agreed , Chong has been given permission to train with @ @ @ @ @ Bundesliga club said .
Chong has seen his first-team appearances limited at United and last @ @ @ @ @ the bench in the victory over LASK in the Europa League last-16 tie in July @ @ @ @ @ currently in a pre-season training for the new Bundesliga campaign , which is set to @ @ @ @ @ Florian Kohfeldt 's side finished 16th last season but avoided going down after winning the @ @ @ @ @ side Heidenheim on the away goals rule .

Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Tahith Chong's last appearance for Manchester United came as a second-half substitute in the Europa League last-16 win over LASK at Old Trafford in July
Manchester United's Dutch winger Tahith Chong has joined German side Werder Bremen on loan for the 2020-21 season.
The 20-year-old signed a new contract at Old Trafford in March, running until June 2022.
The Netherlands Under-21 player joined United's academy in 2016 from Feyenoord and made his senior debut in July 2018.
"Chong is set to gain valuable first-team experience by joining Bremen," his club announced in a statement.
"Everyone at United wishes Tahith the best of luck with his season-long loan spell."
Chong has seen his first-team appearances limited at United and last played when he came off the bench in the victory over LASK in the Europa League last-16 tie in July.
The Bremen squad are currently in a pre-season training for the new Bundesliga campaign, which is set to start on 18 September.
Florian Kohfeldt's side finished 16th last season but avoided going down after winning the relegation play-off against Bundesliga 2 side Heidenheim on the away goals rule.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbc--2020-08-16--Belarus: Mass protest eclipses defiant Belarus leader's rally

Tens of thousands of opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have gathered in Minsk to protest against disputed elections .
The `` March for Freedom '' in the centre of the capital comes amid growing anger over alleged poll-rigging and police violence at subsequent protests .
Meanwhile , in an address to a smaller crowd of several thousand , Mr Lukashenko blasted opponents as `` rats '' .
He called on supporters to defend their country and independence .
The rival rallies were taking place after Russia agreed to offer security assistance in the case of external military threats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had twice spoken to President Vladimir Putin over the weekend .
The long-time Belarus leader also voiced concerns over Nato military exercises taking place in neighbouring Poland and Lithuania and launched into a tirade against the Western military alliance .
Nato - who sent four battle groups led by Britain , Canada , Germany and the US to the Baltic countries after Moscow 's annexation of Crimea in Ukraine - rejected allegations of a build-up in the region .
The unrest in Belarus erupted after Mr Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has been condemned amid widespread allegations of vote-rigging .
• 'If you croak we do n't care ' : Brutality in Belarus • Five things you may not know about the country The Central Election Commission says Mr Lukashenko , who has been in power since 1994 , won 80.1 % of the vote and the main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10.12 % .
But Ms Tikhanovskaya insists that where votes were properly counted , she won support ranging from 60 % to 70 % .
Russian TV news bulletins have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine 2014 .
Ukraine 's pro-Western revolution led to Moscow sending in its special operations forces to annex Crimea and Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine .
Six years on , could Russia 's military intervene in Belarus ?
On paper , at least , such a move would appear counter-productive .
The opposition movement in Belarus is not anti-Russia/pro-Europe - it is anti-Lukashenko .
If Russia were to send in troops to shore up the Belarusian leader , it risks alienating the Belarusian people and creating anti-Moscow sentiment .
True , Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sees as Russia 's sphere of influence .
The Kremlin 's ultimate goal is deeper integration with its neighbour - a fully-fledged union state ( with Vladimir Putin at the helm ) .
It could still achieve this through political leverage .
The Kremlin has a pathological fear of `` coloured revolution '' on its doorstep .
But Minsk 2020 is not Kyiv 2014 .
Belarus is not choosing between East and West .
The Belarusian people are outraged by the brutality of their security forces .
So much so that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state factory workers - are deserting him .
What is happening in Minsk ?
Local media reports suggest that around 31,000 people took part in the pro-government rally , though the Ministry of Internal Affairs estimated that the number was closer to 65,000 .
Speaking to supporters , Mr Lukashenko said he did not like rallies and did not need anyone to defend him .
He said it was not his fault that he had to ask for their help .
Rejecting calls for a re-run of the presidential election he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' if that happened .
`` You came here so that for the first time in a quarter-century you could defend your country , your independence , your wives , sisters and children , '' he said .
He added that the opposition would `` crawl like rats out of a hole '' if they were not suppressed this time .
`` This will be the beginning of your end - you will go down on your knees like in Ukraine and other countries and pray , God knows to whom . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being forced to attend or face the threat of losing their jobs .
For days , workers at state-run factories have staged walkouts and many have joined street marches against the president .
As the president spoke , around 220,000 of anti-Lukashenko protesters gathered near the Stela Minsk Hero City World War Two memorial in central Minsk , according to news website Tut.by .
They had answered a call for weekend rallies from Ms Tikhanovskaya .
The opposition leader had gone into exile in Lithuania after she registered a complaint with electoral authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maria Kolesnikova , a former member of Ms Tikhanovskaya 's team , addressed the crowds .
`` You are incredible , I love you '' , she said , before appealing to officials , security officials and judges .
`` Guys , this is the last chance .
Take the side of the good and the people .
We are in the majority .
We are power . ''
Supporters also turned out in other cities .
The mayor of Brest was booed by protesters when he tried to speak to crowds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag of Belarus from the city 's flagpole and replaced it with the red and white flag of the opposition .
Belarusian footballer Ilya Shkurin announced he would not play for his country until President Lukashenko stepped down and then scored his first goal for Russian premier league team CSKA Moscow .
As the unrest continued , Mr Lukashenko sought help from Russian President Vladimir Putin .
Mr Lukashenko said President Putin had promised to provide what he called comprehensive assistance in the event of external military threats to Belarus .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which the Kremlin said they discussed `` the situation in Belarus , taking into consideration the pressure the republic was being put under from outside '' .
Mr Putin told Mr Lukashenko Russia was ready to assist Belarus `` in accordance with the collective military pact if necessary '' .
EU foreign ministers agreed on Friday to prepare new sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for `` violence , repression and the falsification of election results '' .
The US has also condemned the election as `` not free and fair '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ republics - Latvia , Lithuania and Estonia - later `` expressed deep concern at the violent crackdown ... and the political repression of the opposition by the authorities '' .
Lithuania and Latvia have previously said they are prepared to mediate in Belarus , provided the authorities stopped violence against protesters and formed a national council with members of civil society .
They warned that the alternative was sanctions .
The leaders said the presidential election was `` neither free nor fair '' and called for a `` transparent '' vote `` with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More about the protests in Belarus • LETTER FROM MINSK : Shocked by violence , people lose their fear Ms Tikhanovskaya left for Lithuania following the election after she publicly denounced the results .
She had sent her children to Lithuania for safety before the vote .
Some 6,700 people were arrested in the wake of the election , and many have spoken of torture at the hands of the security services .

Speaking to supporters, Mr Lukashenko said he did not like rallies and did not need anyone to defend him. He said it was not his fault that he had to ask for their help. Rejecting calls for a re-run of the presidential election he said Belarus would "die as a state" if that happened.


bbc--2020-08-17--USPS: Pelosi to recall the House to 'save' the post office

Speaker Nancy Pelosi will call on the House of Representatives to return to session in the coming days to vote on a bill to protect the US Postal Service .
In a letter released on Sunday , Ms Pelosi accused President Trump of a `` campaign to sabotage the election '' .
It comes after the USPS warned that millions of mail ballots may not arrive in time to be counted in the election .
Critics blamed the new USPS head - a loyal supporter of the president - for a slowdown in deliveries .
A record number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 3 November presidential election due to the pandemic .
The president has repeatedly said mail-in ballots will lead to voting fraud and give a boost to his rival Democrat Joe Biden .
However , experts say the mail-in voting system , which Mr Trump himself uses , is safe from tampering .
• Does US postal voting lead to ‘ tremendous fraud ’ ?
• Democrats call for probe into US postal service In a letter released on Sunday , Ms Pelosi criticised plans by the USPS 's new head , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` degrade postal service , delay the mail , and - according to the Postal Service itself - threaten to deny the ability of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail in the upcoming elections in a timely fashion '' .
`` Lives , livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy are under threat from the president , '' she added .
Ms Pelosi said she would call on House representatives to vote on a new bill to prohibit the USPS from introducing any changes to the service or operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year in the coming week .
A date for the vote has not yet been announced .
She also joined a number of Democrats in calling on Mr DeJoy and another senior USPS figure to testify at an `` urgent '' hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 24 August .
Democrats , including former President Barack Obama , have accused Mr Trump of attacking postal voting and the USPS in a bid to `` undermine the election '' .
President Trump has previously told Fox News he was blocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because he opposes mail-in voting .
`` Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , '' he said .
`` Now , if we do n't make a deal , that means they do n't get the money .
That means they ca n't have universal mail-in voting , they just ca n't have it . ''

"Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," he said. "Now, if we don't make a deal, that means they don't get the money. That means they can't have universal mail-in voting, they just can't have it."


bbc--2020-08-16--Coronavirus: Hundreds gather in Madrid for anti-mask protest

Crowds of protesters gathered in the Spanish capital on Sunday to voice their opposition the mandatory use of face masks @ @ @ @ @ contain the spread of coronavirus .
People were pictured chanting slogans and holding placards in @ @ @ @ @ city centre .
The mandatory use of face masks was initially introduced in May for @ @ @ @ @ , and was later expanded to the rest of the country .
The protest comes @ @ @ @ @ introduced a swathe of new restrictions , including a ban on smoking in public .
@ @ @ @ @ in new infections since lifting its three-month lockdown in late June .
The national death @ @ @ @ @ 28,600 people .

Crowds of protesters gathered in the Spanish capital on Sunday to voice their opposition the mandatory use of face masks and other measures imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
People were pictured chanting slogans and holding placards in Plaza Colón in Madrid's city centre.
The mandatory use of face masks was initially introduced in May for those travelling on public transport, and was later expanded to the rest of the country.
The protest comes two days after the government introduced a swathe of new restrictions, including a ban on smoking in public.
Spain has seen a surge in new infections since lifting its three-month lockdown in late June. The national death toll stands at more than 28,600 people.


bbc--2020-08-16--MSC Grandiosa: First Mediterranean cruise launches after five-month pause

The first major cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean in almost five months has left from the Italian city of Genoa .
The MSC Grandiosa will stop at three Italian ports and the Maltese capital Valletta in a seven-day voyage .
Operator MSC Cruises , say all passengers and crew have been tested for coronavirus before boarding .
It comes as virus cases continue to rise around Italy , with more than 600 reported by authorities yesterday .
In response , Italian authorities have ordered the closure of all dance halls and night clubs from Monday .
Face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 06:00 local time in public spaces where social distancing is n't possible .
MSC Cruises said it will also be operating the MSC Grandiosa at around 70 % of its normal operations , with approximately 2,500 passengers onboard , to ensure safety protocols .
Its launch is seen as a first step towards rebooting an industry that generates an estimated $ 150bn ( £114bn ) for the world economy , according to the Cruise Lines International Association ( CLIA ) .
• How the UK 's ghost cruise ships became a summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , it is particularly important .
It ranks seventh among the cruise ship operating nations , carrying more than 800,000 passengers in 2018 .
Last week Italy 's government gave permission for cruise lines to resume operations in the country from 15 August .
MSC Cruises , which operates the MSC Grandiosa , will launch another cruise from the Italian port of Bari on 29 August , but has otherwise suspended its Mediterranean cruises until mid-October .
The international cruise industry has taken huge financial losses due to the pandemic .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of passengers stranded aboard ships in Asia and the US in the early months of the pandemic .
As of 11 June , 3,047 people were infected and 73 died while aboard 48 cruise ships affiliated with CLIA , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
The company said its new security protocols - including daily temperature checks for those onboard - exceed national and industry standards .
But the sailing of MSC Grandiosa represents a key test for the industry amid lingering concerns over passenger safety .
At the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hurtigruten , was forced to suspend its newly restarted service after dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for coronavirus .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • COMPARING COUNTRIES : Why it is not straightforward

The international cruise industry has taken huge financial losses due to the pandemic. Several carriers have also been criticised for leaving thousands of passengers stranded aboard ships in Asia and the US in the early months of the pandemic. As of 11 June, 3,047 people were infected and 73 died while aboard 48 cruise ships affiliated with CLIA, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.


bbc--2020-08-16--Penguin waddling in Broxtowe picked up by police

A penguin waddling through a village has been picked up by police officers on a routine patrol .
They were on patrol in Broxtowe , Nottinghamshire , when they spotted the Humboldt penguin in a village street in the early hours of Sunday .
The bird , nicknamed Po-Po , had escaped from a farm enclosure in Strelley and then managed to waddle a mile up the road .
Police stuck their beak in and the penguin was returned to its owner .
PC Gareth Philp said they nicknamed the penguin Po-Po after `` he posed for some pictures with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our officers '' .
Last year a pair of stolen penguins were rescued by officers in Strelley .
In January 2019 police acted on a tip-off and rescued the birds , and arrested a 23-year-old man from Preston on suspicion of burglary .
Native to South America , Humboldt penguins ( Spheniscus humboldti ) are named after the current of water in which they swim , which takes its name from Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt .
While not currently endangered they are listed as `` vulnerable '' by the International Union for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at immediate or imminent risk of becoming endangered .
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram .
Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

While not currently endangered they are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which means they are at immediate or imminent risk of becoming endangered.


bbc--2020-08-16--New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern delays election over coronavirus fears

The prime minister of New Zealand , Jacinda Ardern , has postponed the country 's general election by a month amid a spike in coronavirus cases .
The vote was due to take place on 19 September but will now be held on 17 October instead .
Ms Ardern said on Monday that the new date would allow parties `` to plan around the range of circumstances we will be campaigning under '' .
Earlier this week , the country 's largest city went back into lockdown .
`` This decision gives all parties time over the next nine weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to ensure an election can go ahead , '' Ms Ardern said , adding that she had `` absolutely no intention '' of allowing any further delays to the vote .
The opposition National Party has argued the election should be delayed as restrictions on campaigning mean Ms Ardern had an unfair advantage .
• How New Zealand went 'hard and early ' to beat Covid-19 Restrictions were imposed on Auckland on Wednesday after a number of new infections were identified in the city .
A total of 49 cases linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The outbreak was initially traced back to members of one family , although Ms Ardern later said that subsequent contact-tracing had found an earlier case involving a shop worker who became sick on 31 July .
A health official who knew the family told the New Zealand Herald that the family were `` shell-shocked '' and `` a little embarrassed that it had happened to them '' .
The announcement that new cases had been discovered shocked the country , which had recorded no locally transmitted cases for more than three months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' in New Zealand , and Auckland has been on Level 3 since the new measures were announced .
The rest of the country is on Level 2 .
Before the new cluster was identified , the government had lifted almost all of its lockdown restrictions , which were first imposed in March .
New Zealand has reported 1,622 infections and 22 deaths since the pandemic began , according to figures from Johns Hopkins University .
An early lockdown , tough border restrictions , effective health messaging and an aggressive test-and-trace programme had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus in the country .

"This decision gives all parties time over the next nine weeks to campaign and the Electoral Commission enough time to ensure an election can go ahead," Ms Ardern said, adding that she had "absolutely no intention" of allowing any further delays to the vote.


bbc--2020-08-16--The Crown: Elizabeth Debicki to play Princess Diana in final series

Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki will play Diana , Princess of Wales , in the final two seasons of the hit Netflix series The Crown , it has been announced .
The Night Manager star will take over from the fourth season 's Emma Corrin .
Debicki joins Jonathan Pryce and Imelda Staunton for the final two seasons of the royal drama , which is expected to cover the 1990s and early 2000s .
The fourth season is expected to be released this autumn .
• The Crown needs extra season to cover 1990s '' Princess Diana 's spirit , her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearts of so many , '' Debicki said in a statement posted by The Crown 's official Twitter account .
`` It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series , which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one . ''
The 29-year-old actress is known for her roles in films including The Great Gatsby and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 .
The final two series will include the break-up of Princess Diana and Prince Charles ' marriage and her death in 1997 , which plunged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two series may also go on to cover the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother , seven weeks apart in 2002 , and the Queen 's Golden Jubilee that summer .
Earlier this week , the show announced that Oscar-nominated actor Jonathan Pryce would follow in the footsteps of Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies to play Prince Philip in series four and five .
Imelda Staunton , meanwhile , takes over from Olivia Colman as the monarch , while Lesley Manville will play Princess Margaret .

The final two series may also go on to cover the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, seven weeks apart in 2002, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee that summer.


bbc--2020-08-16--India rape: Two men arrested for 13-year-old's rape and murder

A 13-year-old girl has been raped and murdered in India .
Her body was found in a sugarcane field in northern Uttar Pradesh state , police said on Saturday .
Two neighbours in the village have been arrested .
Police have denied the father 's account that his daughter had had her eyes gouged out and her tongue cut .
Rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight in India since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in the capital , Delhi .
That attack led to huge protests and changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been no sign of crimes against women and girls abating .
According to recent crime figures , every fourth rape victim in India is a child .
In an overwhelming number of rape cases , the victims know the perpetrators .
• Why India 's rape crisis shows no signs of abating • Raped for money 'by her father 's friends' The latest incident occurred late on Friday in Pakaria village in the Lakhimpur Kheri district , police said .
The family went searching for their daughter after she failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fields .
They say they found her body mutilated .
But police said the post-mortem examination had concluded that she had died from strangulation after being raped - but not that her eyes had been gouged out or that her tongue had been cut .
`` There were scratches near the eyes , likely due to the sharp sugarcane leaves where the body was found , '' police spokesman Satendra Kumar said .
A senior member of the Opposition Congress Party , Jitin Prasada , condemned the attack as `` saddening '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl has put humanity to shame , '' he said , according to the Times of India newspaper .
The incident comes months after the case of a six-year-old girl who was abducted outside her home in Madhya Pradesh state and raped .
The attacker inflicted severe injuries to the child 's eyes , in an apparent attempt to stop her identifying him .
In February , a 25-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl on the premises of the US embassy in Delhi .
In November last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27-year-old vet in the southern city of Hyderabad also made global headlines and triggered protests .

But police said the post-mortem examination had concluded that she had died from strangulation after being raped - but not that her eyes had been gouged out or that her tongue had been cut.


bbc--2020-08-16--Israel and UAE launch direct phone links after historic accord

Israel and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) have inaugurated direct telephone services between their countries following their agreement last week to normalise relations .
The countries ' foreign ministers called each other and `` exchanged greetings following the historic peace accord '' , a statement said .
The US-brokered deal was announced by President Donald Trump on Thursday .
It is only the third Israeli-Arab peace treaty in the Middle East .
The international community has mostly welcomed the move , although Palestinians , Iran and Turkey have denounced it .
Under the terms of the deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
• What does Trump ’ s Mid-East plan say on key issues ?
Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi - who held a call with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan - tweeted on Sunday that the two sides `` decided together on the establishment of a direct communication channel ahead of the signing of the normalisation agreement between the two countries and ... to meet soon '' .
Israel 's communications ministry said telecoms providers in the UAE had unblocked calls to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I congratulate the United Arab Emirates on the unblocking , '' said Israeli communications minister Yoaz Hendel .
`` Many economic opportunities will now open up and these trust-building steps are important for advancing the countries ' interests . ''
The two sides are expected the sign the accord in Washington in three weeks ' time .
Normalising relations will include opening embassies on each other 's territory .
In another sign of the new , closer relationship , the two countries signed an agreement on Saturday relating to Covid-19 research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries .
But shared concerns over Iran have led to unofficial contacts between them .
President Trump 's chief adviser , Jared Kushner , told CBS he and President Trump had been working on a deal between Israel and the UAE since Mr Trump came to office .
The agreement reportedly took Palestinian leaders by surprise .
A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounted to `` treason '' .
Since Israel 's declaration of independence in 1948 it has only signed peace deals with two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jordan in 1994 .
Mauritania , a member of the Arab League in north-west Africa , established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1999 but severed ties in 2010 .
Mr Trump has said he expects more Arab and Muslim countries to sign treaties with Israel .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had `` delayed '' West Bank annexation plans , but those plans remained `` on the table '' .
Annexation would make some West Bank areas officially part of Israel , dealing a blow for Palestinian plans for a @ @ @ @ @

Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi - who held a call with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan - tweeted on Sunday that the two sides "decided together on the establishment of a direct communication channel ahead of the signing of the normalisation agreement between the two countries and... to meet soon".


bbc--2020-08-16--Mogadishu attack: Somali troops end deadly siege at Elite Hotel

Somali special forces say they have ended a siege at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu that was stormed by armed al-Shabab militants .
At least 10 people are reported to have been killed at the Elite Hotel in the Lido beach area , plus an unknown number of militants .
The attackers detonated a car bomb outside the hotel on Sunday before storming it and seizing hostages .
The recently built hotel is owned by an MP and is popular with officials .
Witnesses said that the initial blast was heard across Mogadishu and there was chaos as people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the hotel and exchanged fire with the gunmen inside .
Four hours later , government spokesman Ismael Mukhtaar Omar tweeted that the siege was over and all the gunmen had been killed .
It was not immediately clear how many militants had taken part in the attack .
Among the dead are reported to be a senior official from the information ministry and another official from the defence ministry .
Dozens more people were reported to be wounded .
The privately-owned Somali news website Dhacdoone described the hotel as one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An earlier statement posted online attributed to al-Shabab said : `` The mujahideen have launched an operation consisting of martyrdom [ suicide bombing ] and a commando raid against a hotel belonging to an MP from the apostate group [ Somali government ] . ''
Al-Shabab , which is linked to al-Qaeda , has been waging a brutal insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade .
It has been pushed out of Mogadishu by government and African Union troops , but the group still carries out bombings and assassinations in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the jihadist group have increased in the capital .
Last week a shootout between jailed al-Shabab members and security officers at a prison claimed at least 20 lives .
The militants - who had managed to obtain weapons - had tried to escape from a heavily guarded prison in Mogadishu .

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bbc--2020-08-16--Dublin canal: Woman pushed into water after 'racial abuse'

Gardaí ( Irish police ) are investigating an `` alleged racially motivated incident '' after a woman was pushed into the Royal Canal in Dublin .
A video , which was widely shared on social media , showed two boys pushing the woman into the canal .
RTÉ said Xuedan Xiong , who lives in Castleknock , pulled herself out of the water and was helped by onlookers .
She had challenged a group of young people about racial discrimination , RTÉ said .
She was not injured .
She later told the Irish Times that three people had stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A spokesman for An Garda Siochana said it takes `` hate crime seriously and each and every hate crime reported to us is professionally investigated and victims supported during the criminal justice process '' .
`` The Garda Diversity and Integration Strategy 2019-2021 has a significant focus on enhancing the identification , reporting , investigation and prosecution of hate crimes , and An Garda Siochana is taking actions to improve internal recording and encourage more reporting by the public .
He added that anyone who feels they have been the victim of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly to the police and `` not to third parties or on social media '' .
Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said there is `` no place for this in Irish society '' .
In a tweet , he said : `` Appalling & deeply upsetting .
No place for this in Irish society .
We must call out racism any time it rears it 's ( sic ) ugly , repulsive head .
No child is born a racist - we need to face up to that reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play . ''

In a tweet, he said: "Appalling & deeply upsetting. No place for this in Irish society. We must call out racism any time it rears it's (sic) ugly, repulsive head. No child is born a racist - we need to face up to that reality too. We all have a role to play."


bbc--2020-08-16--Kei Nishikori tests positive for coronavirus two weeks before US Open

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Japan 's Kei Nishikori has tested positive for coronavirus and will not play in the Cincinnati Masters , with the US Open two weeks away .
Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu have already said they will not compete at Flushing Meadows .
`` This morning while still in Florida , I got tested for Covid-19 and tested positive , '' said the world number 31 .
`` I will have to pull out of the Cincinnati tournament at this time .
Me and my team will get tested again on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update . ''
America 's public health authority states that those who test positive must isolate for 10 days .
Under those rules Nishikori 's isolation would end on 26 August , five days before the US Open begins in New York .
World number one Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play at the major , but five-time winner Roger Federer is recovering from knee surgery .
Women 's world number one Ashleigh Barty , Elina Svitolina , Kiki Bertens and Nick Kyrgios have also withdrawn , while Andy Murray is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• None Alerts : Get tennis news sent to your phone

Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Kei Nishikori was runner-up at the 2014 US Open
Japan's Kei Nishikori has tested positive for coronavirus and will not play in the Cincinnati Masters, with the US Open two weeks away.
The 2014 US Open runner-up, 30, says he is "feeling well" but will now isolate and get tested again on Friday.
Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu have already said they will not compete at Flushing Meadows.
"This morning while still in Florida, I got tested for Covid-19 and tested positive," said the world number 31.
"I will have to pull out of the Cincinnati tournament at this time. Me and my team will get tested again on Friday at which point I will have another update."
America's public health authority states that those who test positive must isolate for 10 days.
Under those rules Nishikori's isolation would end on 26 August, five days before the US Open begins in New York.
World number one Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play at the major, but five-time winner Roger Federer is recovering from knee surgery.
Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Nick Kyrgios have also withdrawn, while Andy Murray is expected to compete after being granted a wildcard.


bbc--2020-08-16--Zimbabwe rejects Catholic bishops' criticism of corruption and abuse

Zimbabwe 's government has dismissed a letter by Roman Catholic bishops highlighting corruption , poverty and human rights abuses .
`` There is no crisis , political or otherwise , '' said Information Secretary Nick Mangwana .
He accused the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop 's Conference ( ZCBC ) of joining groups seeking `` to manufacture crises '' .
The bishops had called for an urgent resolution to the country 's economic and political challenges .
`` The struggle in Zimbabwe , has resulted in a multi-layered crisis of convergence of economic collapse , deepening poverty , food insecurity and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Zimbabwe 's main cities and towns in a letter released on Friday .
`` Corruption in the country has reached alarming levels , '' they added .
Zimbabweans have been protesting against alleged government corruption and a deepening economic crisis with inflation running at more than 700 % .
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has , however , blamed his political opponents of working with foreigners to try to destabilise the country .
He called them `` bad apples '' and warned that he will `` flush '' them out .
His government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crackdown targeting anti-government protesters which has resulted in several people being assaulted and arrested .
• Seven babies die in one night at Zimbabwe hospital • 'Our only radiotherapy machine broke during my treatment' Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin'ono was charged last month with inciting public violence .
He is still in detention after being denied bail .
He had exposed alleged corruption in the health ministry during the purchase of medical supplies to tackle the coronavirus pandemic .
Images of police assaulting protesters have been shared online sparking a global campaign using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Celebrities like rappers Ice Cube , AKA and Lecrae and actresses Thandie Newton and Pearl Thusi have expressed support .
What else did the bishops say ?
`` Fear runs down the spine of many of our people today .
The crackdown of dissent in unprecedented , '' the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop 's Conference said in their letter .
`` Voices of various governments , the European Union , the African Union , and the UN on the desperate situation in Zimbabwe have not only confirmed the seriousness of the human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rally behind # ZimbabweanLivesMatter , '' they said .
But writing in the state-owned The Herald newspaper , Mr Mangwana defended the government .
`` Zimbabwe , like most countries in the world , is currently grappling with challenges attendant to illegal sanctions , drought and the coronavirus pandemic , '' he said .
He said President Mnangagwa had demonstrated his commitment to fight corruption , highlighting the arrest of high profile individuals and strengthening of anti-corruption bodies .
The information secretary also said the bishops had ignored the impact that close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had on the country .
However , his senior colleague , Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa , was scathing in her criticism of the church leaders , particularly of ZCBC 's president Archbishop Robert Ndlovu from the minority Ndembele ethnic group .
She described him as `` evil minded '' , and accused him of fanning ethnic division and made comparisons to the role of the Church in the 1994 Rwandan genocide .
`` The singling out of a Ndebele archbishop ... is discrimination on tribal grounds , '' tweeted MDC-Alliance spokeswoman Fadzayi Mahere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's `` history of genocide '' .
In the 1980s thousands of civilians - mainly ethnic Ndebeles - were killed when the late ex-president Robert Mugabe led a military-style crackdown on alleged militants known as Gukurahundi .
The Ndebeles were perceived to be backing the opposition , while Mugabe was from the majority Shona ethnic group .
Several people commenting on Twitter have termed Ms Mutsvangwa comments as dangerous hate speech .

"Voices of various governments, the European Union, the African Union, and the UN on the desperate situation in Zimbabwe have not only confirmed the seriousness of the human rights breaches by government agents but the need to rally behind #ZimbabweanLivesMatter," they said.


bbc--2020-08-16--The last meals of US prisoners on death row

`` What is it like to request a last meal before you are executed for a crime that you may or may not have committed ? ''
asks the American photographer in an art statement on the project .
Last statement : `` I hope that one day we can look back on the evil that we 're doing right now like the witches we burned at the stake .
I want everybody to know that I hold nothing against them .
I forgive them all .
I hope everybody I 've done anything to will forgive me .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ the victim 's ] wife to drive the bitterness from her heart because that bitterness that 's in her heart will send her to hell just as surely as any other sin .
I 'm sorry for everything I 've ever done to anybody .
I hope they 'll forgive me . ''
Last statement : `` I would like to say to the family how truly sorry I am in my soul and in my heart of hearts for the pain and misery that I have caused from my actions ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the men on death row who have showed me love throughout the years .
`` I hope that by donating my body to science that some parts of it can be used to help someone ... That is all I have to say , warden .
Oh , I would like to say , in closing , what about those Cowboys ? ''
Last statement : `` I am sorry for the pain .
I am sorry for the life I took from you .
I ask God for forgiveness .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know it may be hard .
But I 'm sorry for what I did .
`` To my family , I love each and every one of you .
Be strong .
Know my love is always with you , always .
I know I am going home to be with the Lord .
Shed tears of happiness for me . ''
Last statement : `` I apologise for your loss and your pain .
But I did n't kill those people .
Hopefully , we will all learn something about ourselves and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the cycle of hate and vengeance and come to value what is really going on in this world .
Last statement : `` I want to start out by acknowledging the love that I 've had in my family .
No man in this world has had a better family than me .
I had the best parents in the world .
I 've had the most wonderful life any man could have ever had .
I 've never been more proud of anyone than I have of my daughter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] couple of matters I want to talk about since this is one of the few times people will listen to what I have to say .
The United States has gotten [ to a place ] now where [ there is ] zero respect for human life .
My death is just a symptom of a bigger illness .
At some point , the government has got to wake up and stop doing things to destroy other countries and killing innocent children .
The ongoing embargo and sanctions against places like Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - they are not doing anything to change the world and they are hurting innocent children .
`` Perhaps more important in a lot of ways is what we are doing to the environment is even more devastating because as long as we keep going the direction we 're going the end result is it wo n't matter how we treat other people because everybody on the planet will be on their way out .

"[There are a] couple of matters I want to talk about since this is one of the few times people will listen to what I have to say. The United States has gotten [to a place] now where [there is] zero respect for human life. My death is just a symptom of a bigger illness. At some point, the government has got to wake up and stop doing things to destroy other countries and killing innocent children. The ongoing embargo and sanctions against places like Iran and Iraq, Cuba and other places - they are not doing anything to change the world and they are hurting innocent children.


bbc--2020-08-16--Beirut explosion: The story of Platoon Five

Nine firefighters and paramedic Sahar Fares were the first on the scene when a large fire was reported at Beirut @ @ @ @ @ the city 's northern Mediterranean coast .
The team was unaware that almost 3,000 tonnes @ @ @ @ @ the building .

Nine firefighters and paramedic Sahar Fares were the first on the scene when a large fire was reported at Beirut's Warehouse 12, on the city's northern Mediterranean coast.
The team was unaware that almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was inside the building.
They stood no chance.
Reporter: Nafiseh Kohnavard. Produced by: BBC Arabic Documentaries in collaboration with BBC Persian.


bbc--2020-08-16--US conventions: What happens? And what's different in 2020?

Balloons .
Dancing .
Speeches .
Music .
It 's convention season in the US election , but this year @ @ @ @ @ ones .
First , the Democratic National Convention starts with four days of party events @ @ @ @ @ event : naming the presidential nominee .
Then the Republican National Convention will follow a @ @ @ @ @ due to run from 24 August to 27 August .
But first , what is @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus affect this ?

Balloons. Dancing. Speeches. Music. It's convention season in the US election, but this year won't be like previous ones.
First, the Democratic National Convention starts with four days of party events leading up to the main event: naming the presidential nominee.
Then the Republican National Convention will follow a similar format, and is due to run from 24 August to 27 August.
But first, what is a convention and how will coronavirus affect this?
Video by: Marianna Brady, Ameer Ahmed, Terry Saunders and Kate Forbes


bbc--2020-08-16--Sepsis: Boy learns to walk again after losing legs

A four-year-old boy who lost his legs to sepsis has learned to walk again .
William , from Sutton-in-Ashfield , @ @ @ @ @ he developed the condition .
His mum , Gemma , now wants to raise awareness @ @ @ @ @ .

A four-year-old boy who lost his legs to sepsis has learned to walk again.
William, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, almost died after he developed the condition.
His mother, Gemma, now wants to raise awareness of the signs of sepsis.
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.


bbc--2020-08-16--Body positivity campaigners: 'It’s not just about eat less, move more’

A new government strategy to tackle obesity is urging the country to lose weight to help beat coronavirus .
But @ @ @ @ @ , from Waltham Forest , and Lauren Talulah Smeets , from Hillingdon , think the @ @ @ @ @ part mental health can play in people ’ s eating habits .

A new government strategy to tackle obesity is urging the country to lose weight to help beat coronavirus.
But body positivity vloggers Callie Thorpe, from Waltham Forest, and Lauren Talulah Smeets, from Hillingdon, think the strategy fails to acknowledge the part mental health can play in people’s eating habits.
Video by Tolu Adeoye and Jamie Moreland


bbc--2020-08-16--Egypt TikTok and Instagram stars pay heavy price for 'indecency'

`` We were left in utter shock .
She did nothing wrong - my sister is not a criminal , '' says Rahma al-Adham , talking of her younger sibling , a social media influencer in Egypt .
Mawada , a 22-year-old university student , was last month sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of violating Egyptian family values .
She was arrested in May after publishing videos on TikTok and Instagram where she lip-synced to famous songs and danced in fashionable clothes .
The prosecutor found her videos indecent .
Mawada has more than three million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Instagram .
`` She only wanted to be famous and popular , '' laments Rahma .
Mawada is one of five young women who were given the same prison sentence , in addition to a fine of nearly $ 20,000 ( £15,300 ; 17,000 euros ) .
The five are known as the `` TikTok girls '' .
Aside from Mawada , the group includes another social media star , Haneen Hossam , and three others who have not been named .
• How did TikTok grow to 800m users ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you money ?
Rahma says her sister was modelling on social media for a number of well-known fashion brands .
`` She was just too ambitious .
She dreamt of being an actress .
`` Why her ?
Some actresses dress in a very explicit way .
Nobody touches them , '' she asks angrily .
According to human rights group Amnesty International , prosecutors used 17 photos of Mawada against her as evidence of `` indecency '' .
Mawada said these images had been leaked from her phone after it was stolen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal on 17 August , and at the very least Rahma hopes her sister 's sentence will be reduced .
Mawada fainted when she heard the initial verdict , according to her lawyer , Ahmed Bahkiry .
`` She 's totally devastated - the charges are very vaguely worded . ''
`` Prison can not be a solution , even if some of her videos go against our social norms and traditions , '' he adds .
`` Prisons create criminals .
The authorities could have resorted to rehabilitation instead . ''
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
Some in this largely Muslim , conservative country view TikTok videos such as Mawada 's as indecent .
Others say the girls were only having fun and do not deserve prison .
Human rights groups see the girls ' arrests as a further attempt by the authorities to restrict freedom of expression and as a sign of what Amnesty called `` new repressive tactics to control cyberspace '' .
There are , campaigners say , tens of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt , including liberals , Islamists , journalists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abdul Fattah al-Sisi insists there are no prisoners of conscience in his country , while the state has questioned the credibility of critical human rights reports .
Among those calling for the girls ' release is the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms , a Cairo-based human rights organisation .
Its executive director , Mohamed Lotfy , says the case shows clear signs of gender discrimination .
`` Women are only allowed to express themselves on social media according to the state 's dictations , '' he says .
`` The girls are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but no-one has ever defined these values . ''
Even if they were to be released , Mr Lotfy says a warning has already been sent to young girls .
`` The authorities have made it clear : you are not free to say or do whatever you like , even if you are not talking politics at all .
There are lines which are not to be crossed . ''
• How did TikTok grow to 800 million users ?
In recent months , the public prosecutor 's office issued statements highlighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatening our youth via digital platforms , which are not subject to any sort of supervision '' .
It called on parents to help stop young people being `` misled into adopting a reckless and licentious lifestyle , in search of worthless fame and success '' .
`` They pursued illegal paths to make money , falsely believing this is a form of freedom of speech , '' it said .
Meanwhile , as a result of what has happened , Rahma says their mother `` barely leaves her bed now '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says .
`` Sometimes she wakes up at night and asks if Mawada is back home . ''
You may also be interested in :

"The authorities have made it clear: you are not free to say or do whatever you like, even if you are not talking politics at all. There are lines which are not to be crossed."


bbc--2020-08-16--The couple blamed for an Islamic State attack on their wedding

It should 've been the happiest day of their lives .
Instead , it was the worst .
Mirwais and Rehana 's wedding in Afghanistan 's capital Kabul last year was targeted by an IS suicide bomber , killing more than 60 of their guests .
The couple lost close family members and friends , and the attack took a heavy toll on their mental health .
This week marks the anniversary of the attack .
For the first time , Rehana , 18 , has decided to speak publicly about what happened that day .
`` Every night I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC .
`` I cry and I ca n't sleep . ''
Crowds of people make her anxious , as does travelling by car .
`` Whenever I hear gunshots or explosions it takes me back to that day , and I think something will happen to me again , '' she said .
The relatives of some of those who died that day have raised the idea of holding a protest outside the wedding hall where the attack took place , to commemorate the anniversary and call for the attackers to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't attend , he said .
His hands begin to shake at just the thought of the blast .
`` Before the wedding we were so happy , '' he said .
`` All of a sudden it was as if we had fallen from the sky to the ground .
We lost all our happiness . ''
The couple 's wedding was targeted because they are from Afghanistan 's Shia minority , which the Islamic State group considers heretical .
IS militants have launched repeated attacks on the Shia community in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trauma of the attack was exacerbated unexpectedly when some relatives and acquaintances held them responsible for the bloodshed .
`` One day I was shopping and I met a woman who had lost a relative at my wedding , '' recalled Mirwais .
`` She called me a murderer . ''
Some of the families of the victims began to see the couple as their `` enemies '' , he said .
Mirwais , a tailor , had to close his shop because of the abuse .
Rehana was also targeted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never gotten married the attack would n't have occurred .
`` Everyone blamed me for what happened , '' she said , softly .
`` I just keep quiet and say nothing . ''
IS , which claimed responsibility for the blast , is far less powerful in Afghanistan than the Taliban , but the group has carried out dozens of deadly attacks .
In May , it was blamed for a horrific assault on a maternity unit in Kabul , where militants killed 24 women , children and infants .
Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison in the eastern city of Jalalabad , freeing hundreds of inmates .
The violence comes despite the group 's loss of territory and the detention of a number of its senior leaders .
For Rehana and Mirwais , the ongoing unrest forces them to relive their own experiences .
`` A few weeks after the wedding , there was an explosion in another part of Kabul , and my wife was so afraid she fainted , '' said Mirwais .
• The girl who picked up an AK-47 to defend her family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us about solar power Rehana is now receiving rare psychological support , thanks to a Kabul-based charity , Peace of Mind Afghanistan .
She said the therapy was helping her to process the confusion and pain of the attack , and being held responsible for it .
`` It is good for me to least be able to share my problems , '' she said .
Her psychologist , Lyla Schwartz , spoke to BBC alongside the couple .
She said Rehana was making cautious progress , but `` then an explosion happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite the thousands killed or wounded every year in Afghanistan , few ever receive counselling .
In a country where access to basic healthcare is poor , mental health is often not seen as a priority .
Rehana and Mirwais , who would otherwise not be able to afford private therapy , have benefited from the work of the charity .
Speaking to a psychologist and sharing her problems had helped her immensely , Rehana said .
Mirwais agreed .
`` Afghanistan needs many more people working on mental health , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain or lost a family member . ''
Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban are expected to begin in the coming week , but fighting continues .
IS is not part of the negotiations .
Rehana no longer feels safe in Afghanistan , she said .
Ms Schwartz is hoping to raise funds to allow the couple to spend some time abroad , away from the suicide blasts , away from blame for the tragedy that befell their wedding .
Mirwais has also received some counselling for the trauma , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospects for peace .
`` Before my wedding , they were saying peace is coming .
It has been one year now , where is the peace ? ''
he said .
`` I am telling you , even after 10 years you will not see peace and stability in Afghanistan . ''

IS, which claimed responsibility for the blast, is far less powerful in Afghanistan than the Taliban, but the group has carried out dozens of deadly attacks. In May, it was blamed for a horrific assault on a maternity unit in Kabul, where militants killed 24 women, children and infants. Earlier this month, IS laid siege to a prison in the eastern city of Jalalabad, freeing hundreds of inmates. The violence comes despite the group's loss of territory and the detention of a number of its senior leaders.


bbc--2020-08-16--The two students who took on Coke and Pepsi

The BBC 's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world .
This week we speak to Mirco Wiegert , co-founder and boss of soft drinks company Fritz-Kola .
Students Mirco Wiegert and Lorenz Hampl had decided to set up their own cola company , but there was a catch - they had no idea how to make the fizzy drink .
With the confidence of youth not letting that inconvenient fact put them off , they decided to do some research .
`` We Googled for cola recipes and ingredients , '' says Mirco , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2003 .
Unfortunately , the internet was not particularly helpful in answering that question , so the two childhood friends from Hamburg , in northern Germany , had to think of a plan B .
They started phoning breweries across the country to see if one might be able to help them develop a cola recipe , and then bottle the drink for them .
But with all the brewers busy making Germany 's celebrated pilsners and other beers , Mirco says they hit `` hundreds '' of dead ends .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to why two young men were asking if they could make a soft drink .
However , eventually one said yes .
`` In the end we found a small brewery in western Germany , '' says Mirco .
`` The brew master told us , 'Come on guys , visit me , and we will get something done . '
'' Later that year Mirco and Lorenz had their first 170 crates of Fritz-Kola to sell , some 4,080 bottles .
They decided to target independent bars to begin with , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So driving a van each , they went from bar to bar in Hamburg to try to sell them directly .
Today their brand is a household name in Germany , and last year it was the second-largest seller of 330ml glass cola bottles in German shops , behind only Coca-Cola .
The figures from research group Nielsen showed that Fritz-Kola sold 71 million glass bottles of that size in 2019 , compared with 74 million at Coke , and just 337,000 at Pepsi .
While Coke and Pepsi sold many more units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles of various sizes and cans , it is quite an achievement for a company launched only 17 years ago from a student apartment .
In 2003 , Mirco and Lorenz decided to adapt a photo of their faces for their logo .
Mirco says this was because it was the cheapest option , rather than because they were vain .
With just €7,000 ( £6,300 ; $ 8,300 ) in combined savings to get the business up and running , he says it would have been much more expensive to buy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a bespoke graphic designed .
`` We paid €100 to make our faces look nice , '' says Mirco , now 44 .
`` We asked our neighbour to use Photoshop to create it , and we paid €70 for the brand registration , and we created our Fritz-Kola font . ''
The friends also chose a black and white label because printing in colour was more expensive .
To come up with the name of the brand , Mirco says they let the general public choose .
They wrote 40 possibilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside a shopping centre .
Fritz , a typical German name , won the poll .
When it came to the actual liquid , they wanted their cola to taste different to Coke and Pepsi , so they used less sugar , and added lemon juice .
They also decided to add a lot more caffeine .
`` When you drink our cola , the taste should be a bit less sweet , but with more push , like a caffeine rush , '' says Mirco .
`` So we decided we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cola [ than the market leaders ] .
Fritz-Kola contains 25mg of caffeine per 100ml , according to US news website Ozy , which says this compares with 10mg in Coke , and 32mg in Red Bull .
• 'People told me my plans for a skincare firm were crazy' • The boss who bounced her way to £3m from just £200 • ' I was standing at the wrong end of a machine gun' Mirco admits that to begin with many bars were simply not interested in stocking their product .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drink or to try another cola than the mainstream cola at the time , '' he says .
To help persuade bars to say yes , the pair told owners and managers that if they were not happy with the sales , they could return any unsold stock for a full refund .
`` We worked 24/7 almost , and we had a lot of fun , '' says Mirco .
`` We were lucky because people liked our cola brand .
They were curious - they saw these two students with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 'Let 's give it a try . '
And they liked it .
`` But it still took us about three years to hire the first employees , to look more like a business .
Until then we did n't even have an office . ''
By then sales had started to grow faster via word-of-mouth and the company 's use of irreverent advertisements , which continues to this day .
In 2017 its billboard adverts criticised Donald Trump , Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan , showing paintings of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Mensch , wach auf ! ''
( Man , wake up ! )
.
Their cola is today sold in bars and shops all round Europe .
After Germany the main markets are the Netherlands , Poland , Belgium and Austria .
Soft drinks analyst Linda Lichtmess from market research firm Euromonitor says Fritz-Cola is popular because customers see it as being authentic .
`` Its authenticity derives from its image of a company that was founded by students who wanted to offer a product with a better taste and higher caffeine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Currently Fritz-Kola outsources production to five bottling plants .
And in addition to its regular cola , it now sells a sugar-free version and a range of fruit drinks .
While the company does not release its financial data , Forbes magazine said in 2018 that the firm 's sales were €7.4m in 2015 .
Since 2016 Mirco has run the Hamburg-based business by himself , as Lorenz decided to depart that year to pursue other interests .
Mirco now owns two-thirds of the shares , with the other third being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Looking back on the past 17 years , Mirco says that at the beginning nobody believed in them .
`` They said , 'You are stupid !
You are competing with the biggest brands on earth . '
But for us it just meant even more fun , even more of a challenge .
`` Today I am responsible for 280 people .
I have enough adventure in my company , so I do n't have to do anything else , I love what I do . ''

"We worked 24/7 almost, and we had a lot of fun," says Mirco. "We were lucky because people liked our cola brand. They were curious - they saw these two students with a strange cola, and they said, 'Let's give it a try.' And they liked it.


bbc--2020-08-15--Joe Biden: Where does the US presidential hopeful stand on key issues?

When he formally announced his entry into the 2020 presidential race , Joe Biden declared that he stood for two things - workers who `` built this country '' , and values that can bridge its divisions .
As the US faces challenges from coronavirus to racial inequity , his pitch in essence is to create new economic opportunities for workers , restore environmental protections and healthcare rights , and international alliances .
He will officially become the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday when he will deliver this message to a national audience .
Here in detail is where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Biden 's approach to tackling coronavirus , the most immediate and obvious challenge facing the country , is to provide free testing for all and hire 100,000 people to set up a national contact-tracing programme .
He says he wants to establish at least 10 testing centres in every state , call upon federal agencies to deploy resources and give firmer national guidance through federal experts .
He says all governors should mandate wearing masks .
Voters suspicious of federal authority will see this as overreach , but it lies very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ' general view on the role government should play .
To address the immediate impact of the coronavirus crisis , Mr Biden has vowed to spend `` whatever it takes '' to extend loans to small businesses and increase direct money payments to families .
Among the proposals are an additional $ 200 in Social Security payments per month , rescinding Trump-era tax cuts and $ 10,000 of student loan forgiveness for federal loans .
Mr Biden 's broader economic policies , dubbed his `` Build Back Better '' plan , tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats - young people and blue collar workers .
He supports raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 ( £11.50 ) an hour - a measure that is popular among young people and that has become something of a totem figure for the party in 2020 , and a sign of its move to the left .
He also wants a $ 2tn investment in green energy , arguing that boosting green manufacturing helps working class union workers , who perform most of those jobs .
There is also a $ 400bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American goods , alongside a wider commitment to enforce `` Buy American '' laws for new transport projects .
Mr Biden was previously criticised for backing the North American Free Trade Agreement ( Nafta ) , which critics say shipped jobs overseas .
His 2020 plan calls for the federal government to invest $ 300bn in US-made materials , services , research and technology .
In the wake of the race protests that have gripped the US this year , he said he believes that racism exists in the US and must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programmes to support minorities - and a pillar of his `` build back '' programme is to create business support for minorities through a $ 30bn investment fund .
On criminal justice , he has moved far from his much-criticised `` tough-on-crime '' position of the 1990s .
Mr Biden has now proposed policies to reduce incarceration , address race , gender and income-based disparities in the justice system , and rehabilitate released prisoners .
He would now create a $ 20bn grant programme to incentivise states to invest in incarceration reduction efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana and expunge prior cannabis convictions , and end the death penalty .
However , he has rejected calls to defund police , saying resources should instead be tied to maintaining standards .
He argues that some funding for police should be redirected to social services like mental health , and calls for a $ 300m investment into a community policing programme .
Mr Biden has called climate change an existential threat , and says he will rally the rest of the world to act more quickly on curbing emissions by rejoining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Donald Trump withdrew from , committed the US to cutting greenhouse gases up to 28 % by 2025 , based on 2005 levels .
Though he does not embrace the Green New Deal - a climate and jobs package put forward by the left wing of his party - he is proposing a $ 1.7tn federal investment in green technologies research , some of which overlaps with the funding in his economics plan , to be spent over the next 10 years , and wants the US to reach net zero emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made by more than 60 other countries last year .
China and India , the two other biggest carbon emitters , have yet to join the pledge .
The investments dovetail with his economic plan to create jobs in manufacturing `` green energy '' products .
Restore America 's reputation ... and maybe take on China Mr Biden wrote that as president , he will focus on national issues first .
That said , there is little to suggest that Mr Biden 's values on foreign policy have shifted away from multilateralism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to Mr Trump 's unabashedly isolationist one .
He has also promised to repair relationships with US allies , particularly with the Nato alliance , which Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened to undermine with funding cuts .
The former vice-president has said China should be held accountable for unfair environment and trade practices , but instead of unilateral tariffs , he has proposed an international coalition with other democracies that China `` ca n't afford to ignore '' , though he has been vague about what that means .
Mr Biden says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme passed when he was President Barack Obama 's deputy , and implement a plan to insure an estimated 97 % of Americans .
Though he stops short of the universal health insurance proposal on the wish lists of the more left-wing members of his party , Mr Biden promises to give all Americans the option to enrol in a public health insurance option similar to Medicare , which provides medical benefits to the elderly and to lower the age of eligibility for Medicare itself from 65 to 60 years old .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a non-partisan group , estimates that the total Biden plan would cost $ 2.25tn over 10 years .
In his first 100 days in office , Mr Biden promises to reverse Trump policies that separate parents from their children at the US-Mexican border , rescind limits on the number of applications for asylum and end the bans on travel from several majority-Muslim countries .
He also promises to protect the `` Dreamers '' - people brought illegally to the US as children who were permitted to stay under an Obama-era policy - as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal student aid .
In a notable shift to the left , he has endorsed several big pieces of education policy that have become popular within the party - student loan debt forgiveness , expansion of tuition-free colleges , and universal preschool access .
These would be paid using money gained back from withdrawing the Trump-era tax cuts .

Though he does not embrace the Green New Deal - a climate and jobs package put forward by the left wing of his party - he is proposing a $1.7tn federal investment in green technologies research, some of which overlaps with the funding in his economics plan, to be spent over the next 10 years, and wants the US to reach net zero emissions by 2050 - a commitment that was made by more than 60 other countries in 2019. China and India, the two other biggest carbon emitters, have yet to join the pledge. The investments dovetail with his economic plan to create jobs in manufacturing "green energy" products.


bbc--2020-08-16--Man Utd punished for missed chances as Sevilla reach Europa League final

Sevilla wrecked Manchester United 's hopes of ending the season with silverware as they edged a hard-fought Europa League semi-final in Cologne .
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's side lost their third semi-final this season despite taking the lead when Bruno Fernandes scored their 22nd penalty of the season after Marcus Rashford was fouled by Diego Carlos .
Sevilla , Europa League specialists , equalised before the interval when former Liverpool forward Suso swept a finish past David de Gea at the far post .
United 's fate was sealed when they missed a succession of chances early in the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the hero , denying Anthony Martial several times .
And Sevilla , who saw off Wolves in the quarter-final , secured their place in the final when Luuk de Jong swept home a cross from Jesus Navas with 12 minutes left , United punished for poor defending which led to recriminations as Fernandes confronted Victor Lindelof in the aftermath .
• Man Utd have to take it to the next step - Maguire Manchester United 's long season came to a bitterly disappointing conclusion as they missed out on the chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this tournament under Jose Mourinho more than three years ago .
And they have only themselves to blame for a lack of killer instinct in front of goal , especially in that opening phase of the second half when Bounou denied them , especially Martial , but United simply had to take one of those chances .
It left Sevilla in the game and , as this talented side have proved before , they are experts at finding a way to win in the Europa League .
And so it proved with De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awful United defending as they switched off from Navas ' cross , with Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka culpable .
United could not respond as they looked heavy legged , Solskjaer waiting until late on before introducing a raft of chances more in hope than expectation .
Manchester United rescued their season in the second half of the campaign , fuelled by the signing of Fernandes , but losing three semi-finals in a single term is a poor effort .
Solskjaer 's season has finished respectability with a third-placed finish in the Premier League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-final , Chelsea in the FA Cup and now this defeat by Sevilla .
It will no doubt strengthen Solskjaer 's hand as he demands high-class additions in the transfer window but does nothing to disguise the disappointment or the fact that , when the pressure was really on in the big cup games this season , they failed to deliver .
• Sevilla have reached their sixth Uefa Cup/Europa League final , at least two more than any other side .
• Manchester United have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spanish opposition for the third consecutive campaign .
• Sevilla are now unbeaten in 20 games , just the fourth different side within Europe 's top five leagues this season to enjoy such a run ( also Bayern Munich , Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid ) .
• Including both their quarter-final victory over FC Copenhagen and their match with Sevilla , Manchester United had 46 shots , with 21 hitting the target - however , the Red Devils have managed just two goals from the penalty spot in those matches with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manchester United have been awarded 22 penalties in all competitions this season , the most by a side in a single campaign within Europe 's top five leagues since Barcelona in 2015-16 ( 24 ) .
• Since his Manchester United debut on 1 February , only Robert Lewandowski ( 28 ) and Lionel Messi ( 27 ) have had a direct hand in more goals in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes ( 20 - 12 goals , eight assists ) within Europe 's top five leagues .
• Bruno Fernandes has scored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken in all competitions this season , netting six for Sporting Lisbon .
• Planning a barbecue soon ?
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Last updated on .From the section European Football
Luuk de Jong's winner was his first goal in 12 games
Sevilla wrecked Manchester United's hopes of ending the season with silverware as they edged a hard-fought Europa League semi-final in Cologne.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side lost their third semi-final this season despite taking the lead when Bruno Fernandes scored their 22nd penalty of the season after Marcus Rashford was fouled by Diego Carlos.
Sevilla, Europa League specialists, equalised before the interval when former Liverpool forward Suso swept a finish past David de Gea at the far post.
United's fate was sealed when they missed a succession of chances early in the second half as Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou emerged as the hero, denying Anthony Martial several times.
And Sevilla, who saw off Wolves in the quarter-final, secured their place in the final when Luuk de Jong swept home a cross from Jesus Navas with 12 minutes left, United punished for poor defending which led to recriminations as Fernandes confronted Victor Lindelof in the aftermath.
Profligate Man Utd pay the price
Sevilla 2-1 Man Utd: ‘It’s hard to take’ - Solskjaer reflects on Europa League defeat
Manchester United's long season came to a bitterly disappointing conclusion as they missed out on the chance to lift their first trophy since they won this tournament under Jose Mourinho more than three years ago.
And they have only themselves to blame for a lack of killer instinct in front of goal, especially in that opening phase of the second half when Bounou denied them, especially Martial, but United simply had to take one of those chances.
It left Sevilla in the game and, as this talented side have proved before, they are experts at finding a way to win in the Europa League.
And so it proved with De Jong's late goal, helped by awful United defending as they switched off from Navas' cross, with Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka culpable.
United could not respond as they looked heavy legged, Solskjaer waiting until late on before introducing a raft of chances more in hope than expectation.
Man Utd triple failure shows flaws
Manchester United rescued their season in the second half of the campaign, fuelled by the signing of Fernandes, but losing three semi-finals in a single term is a poor effort.
Solskjaer's season has finished respectability with a third-placed finish in the Premier League but weaknesses were exposed by the loss to Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-final, Chelsea in the FA Cup and now this defeat by Sevilla.
It will no doubt strengthen Solskjaer's hand as he demands high-class additions in the transfer window but does nothing to disguise the disappointment or the fact that, when the pressure was really on in the big cup games this season, they failed to deliver.
Man of the match - Yassine Bounou
Yassine Bounou made six saves for Sevilla - with United counterpart David de Gea only keeping out one shot
Match stats
Sevilla have reached their sixth Uefa Cup/Europa League final, at least two more than any other side.
Manchester United have now been eliminated from European competition by Spanish opposition for the third consecutive campaign.
Sevilla are now unbeaten in 20 games, just the fourth different side within Europe's top five leagues this season to enjoy such a run (also Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid).
Including both their quarter-final victory over FC Copenhagen and their match with Sevilla, Manchester United had 46 shots, with 21 hitting the target - however, the Red Devils have managed just two goals from the penalty spot in those matches with a conversion rate of 4.4%.
Manchester United have been awarded 22 penalties in all competitions this season, the most by a side in a single campaign within Europe's top five leagues since Barcelona in 2015-16 (24).
Since his Manchester United debut on 1 February, only Robert Lewandowski (28) and Lionel Messi (27) have had a direct hand in more goals in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes (20 - 12 goals, eight assists) within Europe's top five leagues.
Bruno Fernandes has scored 100% of the 14 penalties he has taken in all competitions this season, netting six for Sporting Lisbon.


bbc--2020-08-16--Draw looms in second England-Pakistan Test after more rain

Last updated on .From the section Cricket The second Test between England and Pakistan is set to end in a draw after more rain meant there was only an hour 's play on day four at the Ageas Bowl .
Play resumed at 11:00 BST on Sunday and England finally bowled Pakistan out for 236 when Mohammad Rizwan fell to Stuart Broad for 72 .
Rory Burns was dismissed by the fourth ball of England 's reply but rain stopped play with the hosts 7-1 .
The players were taken from the field at 12:00 BST and the initial light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 15:45 but the umpires abandoned play soon after because the outfield would take at least two and a half hours to dry .
There was then a comical situation where the ground was bathed in sunshine under blue skies in the evening but no play was possible .
More rain is forecast for day five , meaning a positive result is all but impossible .
England would have bat beyond Pakistan and then bowl out the tourists cheaply to force the victory that would give them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday at the same ground .
Misery for Burns on another miserable day The real shame is that the action we have seen in this game has been very watchable .
There just has not been enough of it for a positive result .
Pakistan resumed on 223-9 and Rizwan - unbeaten on 60 overnight - charged down the pitch and swiped at James Anderson 's first delivery .
The ball moved prodigiously off the seam all morning as Pakistan added 13 in 5.2 overs before Rizwan skied a leading edge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
England 's openers emerged in the gloom with little to gain and much to lose .
The chances of an England win were already slim .
Burns edged the first ball of the innings just short of second slip .
His luck was short-lived as he was soon well taken at second slip by Asad Shafiq .
England 's openers have now amassed four ducks in five Tests this season - their joint most in an English Test summer .
Abbas was equally challenging at the other end .
There were five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the first delivery Dom Sibley faced that jagged back and hit him on the hip .
It was an entertaining period and one that showed how difficult this match could have been for England had more play been possible .
Despite the likelihood of a draw , batting consultant Jonathan Trott said England can take `` lot of momentum going into the next game '' from the final day 's play .
`` We 've taken momentum from the last game , how we finished there and the win we had , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's important we do n't just see it as a day to bat out or to walk away with a draw and still be 1-0 up .
`` There is still some work to be done against the new ball tomorrow morning to make sure we 're in a good place going into the third Test . ''

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Second Test, Ageas Bowl, Southampton (day four of five) Pakistan 223-9: Rizwan 72, Abid 60, Broad 4-56, Anderson 3-48 England 7-1: Shaheen 1-5 Scorecard
The second Test between England and Pakistan is set to end in a draw after more rain meant there was only an hour's play on day four at the Ageas Bowl.
Just 96.2 overs have been bowled in the match from a possible 360 because of rain and bad light.
Play resumed at 11:00 BST on Sunday and England finally bowled Pakistan out for 236 when Mohammad Rizwan fell to Stuart Broad for 72.
Rory Burns was dismissed by the fourth ball of England's reply but rain stopped play with the hosts 7-1.
The players were taken from the field at 12:00 BST and the initial light rain became heavier.
The rain stopped about 15:45 but the umpires abandoned play soon after because the outfield would take at least two and a half hours to dry.
There was then a comical situation where the ground was bathed in sunshine under blue skies in the evening but no play was possible.
More rain is forecast for day five, meaning a positive result is all but impossible.
England would have bat beyond Pakistan and then bowl out the tourists cheaply to force the victory that would give them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The third Test begins on Friday at the same ground.
Misery for Burns on another miserable day
The real shame is that the action we have seen in this game has been very watchable. There just has not been enough of it for a positive result.
Pakistan resumed on 223-9 and Rizwan - unbeaten on 60 overnight - charged down the pitch and swiped at James Anderson's first delivery.
The ball moved prodigiously off the seam all morning as Pakistan added 13 in 5.2 overs before Rizwan skied a leading edge to cover, giving Broad figures of 4-56.
England's openers emerged in the gloom with little to gain and much to lose. The chances of an England win were already slim.
Burns edged the first ball of the innings just short of second slip. His luck was short-lived as he was soon well taken at second slip by Asad Shafiq.
England's openers have now amassed four ducks in five Tests this season - their joint most in an English Test summer.
Abbas was equally challenging at the other end. There were five play-and-misses in his first seven balls, including the first delivery Dom Sibley faced that jagged back and hit him on the hip.
A faint inside edge spared Crawley first ball as Pakistan reviewed a not-out lbw decision.
It was an entertaining period and one that showed how difficult this match could have been for England had more play been possible.
Despite the likelihood of a draw, batting consultant Jonathan Trott said England can take "lot of momentum going into the next game" from the final day's play.
"We've taken momentum from the last game, how we finished there and the win we had," the former batsman said.
"It's important we don't just see it as a day to bat out or to walk away with a draw and still be 1-0 up.
"There is still some work to be done against the new ball tomorrow morning to make sure we're in a good place going into the third Test."