bbc--2020-06-01--Tiananmen: Police ban Hong Kong vigil for victims of 1989 crackdown

Hong Kong police have banned a vigil marking the Tiananmen Square crackdown for the first time in 30 years .
Authorities said the decision was due to health concerns over coronavirus .
However , there are fears this may end the commemorations , as China seeks to impose a new law making undermining its authority a crime in the territory .
Currently , Hong Kong and Macau are the only places in Chinese territory where people can commemorate the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters .
In mainland China , the authorities have banned even oblique references the events of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mass demonstrations that were tolerated by the government .
Whether the commemoration will be allowed to go ahead in Hong Kong next year - when the new law targeting what Beijing considers to be terrorism and subversion in the territory will most likely be in force - is unclear .
The proposed law has come under widespread international criticism , with seven former UK foreign secretaries urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to form a global alliance to coordinate the response to what they called `` flagrant breach '' of Sino-British agreements .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from British control in 1997 under the `` one country , two systems '' model .
Lee Cheuk Yan , the chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China , said the `` unreasonable '' ban on this year 's vigil means the end to Hong Kong 's `` one country , two systems '' .
• China 's new law : Why is Hong Kong worried ?
• The background you need on Hong Kong 's protests The vigil in Hong Kong is a large event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people came together in the city 's Victoria Park .
Police put the number of attendees at under 40,000 .
The alliance said people could come to the Victoria Park in a group of eight people - allowed under coronavirus regulations - and hold candles while observing social distancing .
Lee also urged the people to commemorate the crackdown in different parts of the city , and the alliance will also organise an online event around the globe .
What happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989 ?
Pro-democracy protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations in communist China 's history .
They lasted six weeks , with as many as a million people taking part .
On the night of 3 June tanks moved in and troops opened fire , killing and injuring many unarmed people in and around Tiananmen Square .
Afterwards the authorities claimed no-one had been shot dead in the square itself .
Estimates of those killed in the crackdown range from a few hundred to several thousand .
China has never given an official figure for how many people died .

Whether the commemoration will be allowed to go ahead in Hong Kong next year - when the new law targeting what Beijing considers to be terrorism and subversion in the territory will most likely be in force - is unclear.


bbc--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: Queen pictured outside for first time since lockdown

The Queen has been photographed riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle - the first time she has been seen outside since the coronavirus lockdown began .
The 94-year-old monarch was pictured on a 14-year-old Fell Pony called Balmoral Fern over the weekend .
She regularly rides in the grounds of Windsor , which is said to be her favourite royal residence .
The Queen has been isolating there with her husband , the Duke of Edinburgh , 98 , and a small number of staff .
• Queen : 'We will succeed ' in fight against virus • Streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Queen The last public picture of the Queen was taken as she was driven away from Buckingham Palace to her Berkshire home on 19 March .
One of her two Dorgis - named Candy and Vulcan - could be seen next to her as they both looked out of the car window .
A Dorgi is a cross between a Corgi and a Dachshund .
The Queen carried out official duties the day before her planned departure , but held her weekly face-to-face audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse lover and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses .
Wearing a colourful headscarf and smartly dressed in a tweed jacket , jodhpurs , white gloves and boots , the Queen can be seen in the new photographs taken by the Press Association riding during the weekend 's sunny weather .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Queen has made two rare televised addresses to the nation during the lockdown .
In the first , she said the UK `` will succeed '' in its fight against the virus and thanked people for following government rules to stay at home .
It came less than a week after her son , the Prince of Wales , came out of self-isolation , following his coronavirus diagnosis .
In the second , she gave a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day , praising Britain 's response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets with `` love '' .
Members of Royal Family have also been sending messages of thanks and support to key workers and the public during the lockdown .
The Queen and senior royals - including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - video-called healthcare workers around the world to mark International Nurses Day .
The monarch spent her birthday on 21 April in lockdown with Prince Philip .
A number of annual events that mark the occasion had to be cancelled due to the pandemic - including Trooping the Colour , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
Members of the Royal Family , including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex , telephoned and video-called the monarch to deliver their birthday wishes .
• CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL : Take a look behind the scenes of the NHS

One of her two Dorgis - named Candy and Vulcan - could be seen next to her as they both looked out of the car window.


bbc--2020-06-01--UK ex-foreign secretaries urge HK alliance

Seven former UK foreign secretaries have urged Boris Johnson to form a global alliance to co-ordinate the response to the China-Hong Kong crisis .
China is facing mounting criticism over a planned security law for Hong Kong which would make it a crime to undermine Beijing 's authority .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK would not turn a blind eye .
Hong Kong was handed back to China from British control in 1997 but under a unique agreement .
The former British colony enjoys some freedoms not seen in mainland China - and these are set out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are fears the proposed law , which has sparked protests in Hong Kong , could compromise some of the freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law .
• China 's new law : Why is Hong Kong worried ?
• The background you need on Hong Kong 's protests In their letter to the prime minister , the cross-party group of former cabinet ministers says the UK government must be seen to lead the international response , as many countries take their cue from Britain over its former colony .
Jeremy Hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ William Hague , Malcolm Rifkind , David Owen and Margaret Beckett all expressed their concern at what they call China 's `` flagrant breach '' of Sino-British agreements by imposing tough national security laws on Hong Kong .
They urged Mr Johnson to set up an `` international contact group '' of allies to coordinate any joint action , similar to that set up in 1994 to try to end the conflict in the former Yugoslavia .
A Downing Street spokesman insisted the government was already playing a leading role with international partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Raab said the new security legislation `` very clearly violates '' the autonomy that is guaranteed under Chinese law as well as that in the 1997 agreement .
He confirmed the UK will allow those who hold British National ( Overseas ) ( BNO ) passports to come to the UK and apply to study and work for an extendable 12-month period .
This will in turn `` provide a path to citizenship '' , he told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday .
BNO passports were granted to Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1997 and while they allow the holder some protection from the UK foreign service they do not give the right to live or work in Britain .
• Why the UK risks angering China over HK ’ s special passport Mr Raab said up to three million people registered as a British national ( overseas ) in Hong Kong could be eligible for UK citizenship if China presses ahead with the law .
Meanwhile , the chairman of Commons foreign affairs committee , Tom Tugendhat , said the government must realise that China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of government '' and should rethink the partnership between the two .

In their letter to the prime minister, the cross-party group of former cabinet ministers says the UK government must be seen to lead the international response, as many countries take their cue from Britain over its former colony.


bbc--2020-06-01--Autistic Palestinian shot by Israeli police buried amid revenge call

Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of an autistic Palestinian man who was shot dead by Israeli police .
Iyad Halaq , 32 , was killed on Saturday in occupied East Jerusalem while he walked to his special needs school .
Israel 's police force said officers suspected Mr Halaq was carrying a weapon and that they opened fire when he failed to obey orders to stop .
He was later found to have been unarmed .
`` We are sorry about the incident in which Iyad Halaq was shot , and we of course share in the grief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this issue will be quickly investigated and conclusions will be drawn , '' he told a cabinet meeting on Sunday .
Mr Gantz added that Israeli security forces would `` make every effort to use necessary force with the intention of reducing casualties as much as possible '' .
Tensions have risen in recent weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would press ahead with a plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
The Palestinian Authority has responded by saying it is no longer bound by agreements with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backs Israel keeping part of the West Bank - including those relating to security .
• Trump 's 'deal of the century ' is huge gamble • What does Trump ’ s Mid-East plan say on key issues ?
Iyad Halaq would walk every day from his home in Jerusalem 's Wadi al-Joz area to the Old City to go to the Elwyn El Quds centre , which provides services for children and adults with disabilities .
Mr Halaq 's cousin , Dr Hatem Awiwi , said he was on the low-functioning end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had trouble communicating with people .
`` He did n't know what a police officer is , '' Dr Awiwi told Israel 's Haaretz newspaper .
`` He saw a stranger and fled , and then they shot him . ''
An Israeli police statement said units on patrol in the Old City `` spotted a suspect with a suspicious object that looked like a pistol '' .
`` They called upon him to stop and began to chase after him on foot .
During the chase , officers also opened fire at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' it added .
`` No weapon was found at the scene after the area was searched . ''
An autopsy carried out on Sunday found Mr Halaq was shot twice in the chest .
`` The findings increase the suspicion that the policemen committed crimes , and we expect those responsible for the investigation to move it forward and put the policemen on trial , '' the Halaq family 's lawyer , Jad Qadmani , said .
The secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation ( PLO ) , Saab Erekat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be met with impunity unless the world stops treating Israel as a state above the law '' .
He drew parallels with the killing of George Floyd in the US , which has sparked widespread protests .
Palestinians and Israelis protested against the killing of Mr Halaq in Jerusalem , Tel Aviv and Jaffa on Saturday and Sunday .
Some carried posters saying `` Justice for Iyad '' and `` Palestinian lives matter '' .

"We are sorry about the incident in which Iyad Halaq was shot, and we of course share in the grief of his family. I am sure this issue will be quickly investigated and conclusions will be drawn," he told a cabinet meeting on Sunday.


bbc--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: South Africans cheer as alcohol goes back on sale

Long queues have formed outside shops selling alcohol in South Africa after restrictions on its sale , imposed two months ago as part of measures to fight Covid-19 were lifted .
Social media posts showed people , who had braved the morning chill , cheering as buyers emerged with their bottles .
The alcohol ban was to allow police and hospitals to better focus on tackling the coronavirus , the authorities said .
Doctors and police say the ban has had a dramatic impact , contributing to a sharp drop in casualty admissions .
But the country 's brewers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being driven out of business .
The government has also lost a fortune in tax revenue , reports the BBC 's Andrew Harding in Johannesburg .
• Africa Live : Updates on this and other stories The authorities are now in the process of easing one of the toughest lockdowns in the world .
As part of this latest step - known as level three - President Cyril Ramaphosa said that from 1 June the sale of alcohol would resume , but only between 09:00 and 17:00 and not on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol can only be drunk at home rather than where it was bought .
The authorities had warned customers not to rush to the shops but rather stagger their purchases throughout the week to avoid crowds and to reduce the risk of infection , the BBC 's Vumani Mkhize in Johannesburg reports .
On Twitter , `` Tops '' , the name of a liquor store , and `` level three '' are the top trending topics in South Africa , with people sharing pictures of celebrating - some singing - the return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people are estimated to have gone back to work on Monday as most sectors of the economy have resumed operations .
The opening of schools has , however , been delayed for another week as the authorities work on making the premises safe for teachers and students .
Despite the easing of restrictions , infection rates for coronavirus continue to rise .
Cape Town is currently experiencing a sharp spike and other major cities are expected to follow suit .
South Africa is also grappling with a serious shortage of testing equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the symptoms ?
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?

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bbc--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: Lockdown eased in Moscow after nine weeks

Authorities in Moscow have eased lockdown restrictions , even as case numbers continue to rise .
Parks and shopping centres in the Russian capital reopened and people were allowed out for walks and limited exercise for the first time in nine weeks .
President Vladimir Putin announced last week the country had passed the peak of its outbreak .
But infections are still rising , and some question lifting restrictions .
Russia reported another 9,035 confirmed cases and 162 deaths on Monday .
In total the country has recorded 414,878 infections - the third highest number in the world after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll of 4,855 .
Officials say the low numbers of dead is due to high testing numbers .
Critics however fear the true number is far higher .
A number of other European nations are also easing restrictions on Monday : • Restaurants , cafes and museums open in the Netherlands , with bars serving customers again in Norway • The Colosseum in Rome is once again allowing visitors , while the Grand Bazaar and Fatih mosque reopen in Istanbul How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
Moscow has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he feared the capital 's case number could be three times higher than reported .
Now , Mr Sobyanin has ordered a swathe of businesses to reopen in the city from Monday - including car dealerships , book shops , launderettes and shopping malls .
Parks too are allowing visitors , with new exercise rules announced .
Mr Sobyanin said people would be allowed out for walks three times a week between 09:00 and 21:00 local time , using a rota system determined by their home address .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside for exercise , but only between 05:00 and 09:00 , and only if they wear a face mask .
However , authorities said a ban on public gatherings would remain in place until at least 14 June .
Some have mocked the tight rules on exercise .
Comedian Maxim Galkin published a video on Instagram in which he impersonates the mayor and President Putin discussing a `` breathing schedule '' for Muscovites , which has been viewed more than six million times .
At one point Russia reported more than 10,000 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Moscow alone was accounting for up to 6,000 of those cases at its peak .
The rate of infections has started to slow nationwide .
On Sunday , Moscow recorded 2,595 infections .
Still , some question the decision to further lift restrictions with new case numbers still so high .
The move comes after authorities doubled Moscow 's official death toll for the month of April .
Journalists in the city had been accused of fake news and distortion for saying that the figure was far higher than reported .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 11 May , saying that although `` danger remains '' it was in everyone 's interest for the economy `` to return to normal quickly '' .
Since then , Mr Putin has also rescheduled the annual Victory Day parade to 24 June .
Originally scheduled for 9 May , it was cancelled due to coronavirus fears .
The president is widely expected to announce a new date for a vote on constitutional reforms - also cancelled due to the outbreak - which could scrap a ban on Mr Putin running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE BODY ?
Doctors on the front line explain • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

But officials here insist that the worst has passed and Vladimir Putin certainly wants to move on. He's already rescheduled the 75th anniversary Victory Day parade for later this month. He has now announced that a key vote on constitutional reforms, which would allow him another two terms in office, will take place on 1 July.


bbc--2020-06-01--India coronavirus: Huge crowds as some train services resume

India has partially restored train services amid reports of chaos and overcrowding at some stations .
At least 145,000 people will travel in trains on Monday as the country starts to reopen after a prolonged lockdown .
Two hundred trains will now start operations - up from the existing 30 that are currently running .
But maintaining social distancing and cleanliness is proving to be a difficult task as huge crowds gathered outside some stations .
The ministry of home affairs has issued specific guidelines for the smooth operation of train services .
They say that all passengers will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be followed at the station and in trains and only passengers who have confirmed tickets will be allowed to travel .
But some stations reported chaotic scenes as officials struggled to enforce these guidelines .
BBC Telugu reported that people were standing much too close to each other at Secunderabad railway station in the southern state of Telangana .
`` Railway staff and police did n't allow passengers to go inside the station until at least one hour before the scheduled departure , citing physical distancing measures .
This led to some chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of passengers had gathered and there was no physical distance maintained .
Police later arrived and organised the queues , '' BBC Telugu 's Sharath Behara says .
Reporting from Delhi , BBC Hindi 's Salman Ravi said strict social distancing was being followed when passengers boarded trains , and all of them wore masks .
`` But the same was not observed at ticket booking counters .
Many people who did not have tickets also turned up at the station and that caused crowding , '' he added .
Train services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown on 24 March to stop the spread of coronavirus .
This left millions of daily-wage workers stranded as they desperately tried to go back to their villages from cities .
Many of them decided to walk long distances - in some cases more than 1,000 kilometres .
As pressure and criticism mounted , the government started running special trains to ferry migrants .
Some 30 trains restarted on 12 May , since then there has been a consistent demand to reopen more routes .
Getting the train @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's wider strategy to slowly reopen the economy .
Millions have lost jobs and factories are struggling to reopen as demand is likely to be sluggish in the coming weeks .
But serious questions have been raised over the strategy as India 's coronavirus caseload is consistently increasing .
Experts say if safety norms are not followed , the situation could quickly become worse .

The ministry of home affairs has issued specific guidelines for the smooth operation of train services. They say that all passengers will have to be screened, social distancing must be followed at the station and in trains and only passengers who have confirmed tickets will be allowed to travel.


bbc--2020-06-01--Pupils return in some primary schools in England

Primary pupils are back in some schools in England - but surveys suggest half of parents might have kept their children at home .
There is a very mixed local picture in how schools are reopening , and in some areas schools remain shut .
Children in Reception , Years 1 and 6 are able to return , with many having been out of school for 10 weeks .
It comes as lockdown measures are eased in England , including groups of six people being allowed to meet outside .
Schools have remained open throughout the coronavirus restrictions for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - but from Monday many more pupils are able to return .
But there have been fears about safety from teachers ' unions and some local authorities and many schools are not yet taking back more pupils - or not bringing back all the year groups set out by the government .
• In pictures : the first day back at school • Which children will be going back to school ?
• How could all children fit in school with 15 pupils per classroom ?
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said children needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at school they `` will be with their teachers and friends again '' .
The view from the first morning back '' You look like you 've grown , '' says teacher Catherine Hughes to a reception pupil who has n't been in school since March .
`` Are you excited to be back ? ''
Helen Frostick head of St Mary Magdalen 's Catholic primary school in West London asks another .
About half of those who could have returned have taken up their places , alongside 15 children of key workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the lockdown .
The classrooms have been completely reorganised , with desks in rows , facing forwards , instead of pushed together into big tables .
There 's lots of hand washing and the windows are open to let in fresh air .
The school has split each class into two separate bubbles with one half in on Monday and Tuesday and the other on Thursday and Friday , which allows for a deep clean on Wednesdays .
In the Reception class each table is separate , with its own tray of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to get out of their seats so much , says teaching assistant , Clare Gordon .
`` It really is best for the family , '' says mum Sophia as she brings her two sons to school .
She has managed to do some home schooling with the boys over the past few weeks but it has n't always been easy .
`` I was 10 % worried but 90 % thinking it was the right thing to do , '' says Julia , who has just dropped off her son .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for his mental health .
He needs the interaction with his friends .
He 's been begging to come back , '' she says .
But many families are keeping their children at home suggests a survey from the National Foundation for Educational Research , based on the views of 1,200 school leaders .
• 46 % of parents will keep children at home • 50 % of parents in schools in disadvantaged areas will keep children at home • 25 % of teachers are likely to be absent because of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jane Reid , a parent from York , said it was still not safe for her son to go back to school , saying : `` It 's a definite no from me .
`` Plus , the contradictory information is infuriating .
I can take him to school , but ca n't get his hair cut . ''
`` How can I send them to school now , knowing it will be impossible for teachers to implement social distancing rules properly ? ''
asked Valerie Brooker from Haslemere in Surrey .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shielding since lockdown began 10 weeks ago will be allowed outdoors with a family member or to meet one other friend • Groups of up to six people from different households can meet in parks and private gardens , as long as they remain two metres apart • People can exercise outside with up to five others from different households • Domestic competitive sport will be allowed behind closed doors • Outdoor markets and car showrooms can reopen , provided they have Covid-related measures in place • People are banned from staying at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a specified reason , such as work or attending a funeral .
But they can leave their homes without needing a `` reasonable excuse '' • The Association of Directors of Public Health , which represents council health figures , warned in the Guardian that restrictions were being relaxed too quickly as `` the public is not keeping to social distancing as it was '' .
In Wales , people from two different households can meet each other outdoors .
Groups of four to six people who are not in the same household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in Scotland members of two different households are already allowed to meet outdoors .
• In Wales schools are not going back on 1 June , with no date set • In Scotland and Northern Ireland schools are going back from August • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do we get out of this mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been taken out of their hands .
Lancashire County Council is among those saying it is not yet safe to open schools .
A mother in Lancashire , who wanted to remain anonymous , has described this as a relief as she did not want her child to go back , although her husband did .
The way that schools are bringing back pupils has many local variations - spread out over the next couple of weeks and with many schools making their own arrangements over which year groups return and for how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will look very different for those pupils who do return - with staggered drop-off times and children staying in small groups of no more than 15 pupils .
Ministers say opening schools will help with childcare for parents returning to work - and to help children catch up with missed lessons .
From 15 June secondary pupils will start to return , in Years 10 and 12 - and there are plans for all primary years to go back for the last month of term .
• 'Virus could be here for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurseries and early years ' providers are also opening , and a survey of 4,500 parents with young children , carried out by the Early Years Alliance , indicated a divided picture on take-up .
• 65 % of nurseries and childcare settings will be open from 1 June • 45 % of parents are planning to take up places The biggest reason for parents not sending in their children was concern about safety .
Chief executive Neil Leitch warned the row over the prime minister 's adviser Dominic Cummings travelling during lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety measures .
The concern was echoed by the Royal Society of Arts which published a survey of more than 2,000 adults in the UK showing 49 % think the government is too caught up in the `` Dominic Cummings affair '' to be making the right decisions about schools .
Tulip Siddiq , Labour 's shadow minister for children and early years , said the lower demand for childcare places would be nurseries under `` extraordinary financial pressure '' - and that `` millions of childcare places could be lost in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has continued to warn there is a lack of certainty about the safety of the return to school .
• CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL : Take a look behind the scenes of the NHS How do you feel about your children heading back at school today ?
Are you a grandparent who is expecting to see your grandchild for the first time since lockdown began ?
How are you responding to the lifting of some restrictions ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

The concern was echoed by the Royal Society of Arts which published a survey of more than 2,000 adults in the UK showing 49% think the government is too caught up in the "Dominic Cummings affair" to be making the right decisions about schools.


bbc--2020-06-01--Black, young British people react to Floyd death

The death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody has sparked protests across the US - and in the @ @ @ @ @ BBC 's Shamaan Freeman-Powell speaks to black British people to find out how the shocking @ @ @ @ @ Read more : Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests

The death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody has sparked protests across the US - and in the UK as well.
The BBC's Shamaan Freeman-Powell speaks to black British people to find out how the shocking death has affected them.
Read more: Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests


bbc--2020-06-01--Obituary: Christo Javacheff, the artist who wrapped the world

Once a penniless painter on the boulevards of Paris , nobody did art like Christo .
The charismatic Eastern European refugee became world famous for monumental installations , covering huge objects in miles of fabric and rope .
Every project was preposterous in concept , taking decades to design , finance and deliver .
He wrapped enormous buildings , avenues of trees , entire coastlines and island chains .
Each one cost millions with official permission almost impossible to get .
Yet , when finally completed , they were gone again in a matter of weeks .
It was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see them through never dimmed .
Even in his eighties , he was working on a scheme to rival the pharaohs .
A vast stairway to heaven in the deserts of Abu Dhabi , made from 410,000 brightly coloured oil barrels .
A final , grand statement larger than the Great Pyramid itself .
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born on 13 June 1935 in Gabrovo , a small town in the Bulgarian mountains .
His father Ivan was a chemist who ran a factory making fabrics .
His mother , Tzeta Dimitrova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circle was one of artists and intellectuals , the household a swirl of radical ideas questioning the boundaries of contemporary culture .
A bohemian childhood , where artistic creativity was encouraged from the start , was constantly disrupted by war .
As a boy , Christo saw his country first brutally uprooted ; first by the Nazis and then the Russians .
Politics , as well as art , shaped his early years .
In 1952 , he attended the Art Academy in Sofia .
There he was expected to join the Communist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glorifying the values of socialism .
He turned out the kind of populist propaganda pieces the system demanded .
But he found it suffocating .
`` The work of art , '' he would say , `` is a scream of freedom . ''
He moved to Prague , got into theatre design and immersed himself in the works of great artists ; Miro , Matisse , Kandinsky .
When the Hungarian revolution broke out , he saw students and intellectuals like himself dealt with ruthlessly .
So he fled .
Bribing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ train taking medicine to Austria .
He made it to Vienna but found himself officially stateless - dirt poor and unable to speak the language in a Europe awash with refugees .
A few years later , he washed up in Paris .
He scraped a living painting portraits on the street , something he likened to prostitution .
A woman saw an example at the hairdressers and liked it , inviting the struggling artist to her chateaux to paint a picture of her .
The woman 's daughter was flame-haired Jeanne-Claude .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his muse , his voice and life-long business partner and creative soul mate .
`` Mother 's brought home another stray , '' she thought at the time .
Fortunately , that first impression did n't last .
He showed her his 'real work ' .
In 1920 , Man Ray had wrapped a sewing machine with a blanket , appropriating an everyday object and making it art .
Profoundly influenced , Christo 's garret was stuffed floor-to-ceiling with similar pieces .
`` My God '' , she recalled thinking .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pregnant and married a more suitable man but walked out after three weeks .
She and Christo were never apart again .
Jeanne-Claude 's father , a four-star general in the French army , did n't speak to her for years .
What followed was an extraordinary artistic collaboration lasting more than 50 years .
At first , their work was credited to Christo alone , feeling that it was easier for one person 's name to become established .
Only latterly did Jeanne-Claude 's contribution get the equal billing it deserved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favour of the monumental .
In 1962 , reacting to the building of the Berlin Wall , they blocked off the Rue Visconti in Paris with a pile of oil drums some 4m high .
They begged the police to let it stand for a while but within hours it had gone .
They moved to New York , living in an illegal squat as undocumented migrants .
He began producing the sketches and project plans they sold to finance their creations .
She took on the logistics and gathered the necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2km of coastline in Little Bay , Australia .
In places , the cliffs soared to more than 26m high .
It took an hour to walk from one end of the installation to the other .
Next , they created a fabric fence in California - nearly 40km long and 6m high .
Nine lawyers were hired to persuade dozens of local farmers to give their blessing .
In 1983 , the couple surrounded 11 islands in Miami 's Biscayne Bay with more than 600,000 square metres of bright pink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fit each shoreline .
Four hundred people were needed to put everything into place .
Walkways were sewn into the fabric for the public .
The 'exhibit ' was up for just two weeks , then all 11km of it was taken down .
Christo and Jeanne-Claude wanted their works to be joyful and beautiful , encouraging the observer to see the familiar anew .
But they refused to give these vast creations any 'meaning ' past an immediate aesthetic impact .
The direct impact on the environment was controversial .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used .
And none of it was built to last .
Its temporary nature was a key part of the concept .
Like the rainbow , its momentary existence was what made it all so wonderful .
`` They all go away when they 're finished , '' Christo once said of his creations .
`` Only the preparatory drawings and collages are left , giving my works an almost legendary character .
I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps .
The site-specific creations might have been designed with a fleeting wow factor in mind , but as a body of work they spoke to important themes - impact on the environment , 20th Century human conflict , and the need for perseverance in defence of freedom of expression .
In 1984 , they wrapped the Pont Neuf in Paris .
It took them nine years to persuade the mayor , Jacques Chirac , to let them do it .
Forty thousand metres of golden sandstone fabric was used , chosen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Next was a $ 26m project to erect thousands of huge umbrellas - blue ones in Japan , yellow ones in southern California .
They were paid for , as always , by the sale of Christo 's drawings .
They never accepted sponsorship , which would have imposed unacceptable limitations on their art .
Three million came to look and picnic in the shade .
Years of lobbying came to fruition in 1995 , when the German parliament allowed them to spread 100,000m of fireproof material around the Reichstag .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The most difficult was the one closest to home .
Its title , The Gates , Central Park , New York 1979-2005 , referred to the years it had taken them to persuade the city to let them do it .
In February 2005 , more than 7,000 gates made from saffron coloured fabric were finally placed along the paths that wind through the Big Apple 's green lung .
Together , they formed a fluttering trail 37km long .
Five million came to be amazed .
A week later , everything was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after complications following a brain aneurysm .
For years she had been seen as little more than Christo 's business partner and PR manager .
In reality , they were two sides of the same creative coin , travelling in different planes so that , if one died , their artistic vision would survive .
Without her , Christo pushed on with their unfinished projects .
In 2016 , he installed a series of walkways on Lake Iseo near Brescia , Italy .
Visitors could walk for more than 3km , just above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the mainland to the islands of Monte Isola and San Pedro .
`` The most beautiful part , '' he said , `` is about the people walking nowhere .
It 's not like going to the shop , not going to see your friends .
It 's really going nowhere . ''
Despite his claim his work was nothing more than the impact of the aesthetic on the human senses , Christo will be remembered for a body of work that pushed artistic boundaries .
He challenged the idea that sculpture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He deliberately blurred the line between art and its natural environment .
And he did it on a truly epic scale .
His death means we will never see all his visions come to reality .
There were plenty that never made it past the drawing board .
Even decades of lobbying never let him wrap some of the skyscrapers in New York .
He cancelled a plan to cover the Colorado River , despite spending $ 14m getting permission , in protest at the election of Donald Trump .
A plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still set to go ahead next year , but who knows if his scheme in the desert will ever make it from design stage to reality in his absence ?
It is intended to be 500ft high , with a base the size of the piazza at St Peter 's in Rome .
And this one , the only one of all his projects , was designed to be permanent .
A lasting tribute to an extraordinary creative partnership whose every scheme was more innovative , ambitious and dauntingly complicated than the @ @

A plan to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is still set to go ahead next year, but who knows if his scheme in the desert will ever make it from design stage to reality in his absence? It is intended to be 500ft high, with a base the size of the piazza at St Peter's in Rome.


bbc--2020-05-31--Libya conflict: Russia and Turkey risk Syria repeat

Libya looks to be at the end of one bleak chapter , but there is no guarantee that the next will be any better for a country that has been torn to pieces by civil war and foreign intervention since Col Muammar Gaddafi met his grisly death in 2011 .
Since last year Gen Khalifa Haftar , the strongman of eastern Libya , has been trying to capture the capital , Tripoli , in the far west of the vast country .
Intervention by Turkey in support of the Tripoli government , recognised by the United Nations , looks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with a force of several thousand Russian mercenaries , are in retreat .
But that does not mean that Libyan civilians can expect the peace they crave .
Once again they are the biggest losers .
Their country , richly endowed with oil and gas , should be able to guarantee them rights of which they can only dream : education ; healthcare and a decent standard of living .
They do n't have any of them , or safety .
Libyans who have not lost their homes have been locking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hoping they do not also become the target of artillery , drones or warplanes .
The war has destroyed most of Libya 's clinics and hospitals .
Around 200,000 civilians in western Libya have already been displaced from their homes , according to Hanan Saleh of Human Rights Watch .
In a recent webinar organised by the think-tank , Chatham House , Ms Saleh said that `` you have to look at Libya currently as an accountability-free zone and it has been that way unfortunately since 2011 '' .
All parties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment of civilians , though Gen Haftar 's side , she said , has committed more documented abuses that could potentially be crimes of war .
It is hard to believe now , but after Col Gaddafi was overthrown it looked for a while as if Libya might have a decent future .
Back in 2011 I walked with the British ambassador through the ruins of his embassy in Tripoli ; it had been attacked and torched by a mob after Nato started bombing the Gaddafi regime 's forces .
Next to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1920s billiard table , we talked about the pride that Libyans had in their revolution , their luck in not being cursed with significant sectarian differences like Syria or Iraq , and about the treasure house of oil and gas under the vast Libyan desert .
Perhaps even tourism would be possible .
Libya has 2,000 kilometres of Mediterranean beaches , and Roman archaeological sites that are the equal of anything in Italy .
But Libya was broken , and in almost a decade since that conversation it has continued to fragment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ How Africa has been frozen out of Libya peace efforts • Why is Libya so lawless ?
The militias that took on the Gaddafi regime never disbanded , and came to like their power .
Once the colonel , his sons and the family 's cronies were gone , no kind of functioning state was left .
The men who acquired the important job titles found that if there were any levers of government to pull , they came away in their hands .
Libyans who saw themselves as revolutionaries were in no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the powerful countries which had provided weapons and most importantly an air force to help them win .
In turn , the outsiders were relieved to be able to turn away , declaring the job was well done .
Removing Gaddafi was one thing .
Helping to build a country was something very different .
It did not take long for the remains of Libya to fall into even smaller pieces .
The bigger towns became city-states .
The militias had their own agendas and would not lay down their weapons .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auspices of the United Nations tried , unsuccessfully , to promote dialogue and reconciliation .
By 2014 Gen Haftar had emerged as a power in the broken land , expelling radical Islamists from Benghazi , Libya 's second city and the capital of Eastern Libya .
Gen Haftar was well known in Libya , as a general who had fallen out with Gaddafi .
In exile he had spent years plotting Gaddafi 's downfall from a new base in Langley , Virginia - the American town that is also the headquarters of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in pieces , eventually found itself with two rival governments .
Gen Haftar controlled the east from Benghazi , and set about unifying the country by marching west to attack Tripoli , the capital , aiming to unseat the internationally recognised Government of National Accord led by Fayez al Sarraj .
It was certain that foreign powers would get involved in the civil war .
Libya is a desirable prize .
It has the biggest reserves of oil and gas in Africa , with a population of less than seven million .
Strategically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hydrocarbons can be exported direct to markets in the west through the Mediterranean .
Rival producers in the Gulf need to ship their exports through potentially dangerous sea lanes .
Gen Haftar 's most important backers are Russia , the United Arab Emirates and Egypt .
Turkey is the key ally of the Sarraj government in Tripoli .
The US has sent a variety of signals out about Libya under President Donald Trump , offering encouragement at different times to Mr Sarraj and Gen Haftar , and bombing jihadist extremists when they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that Russia 's President Putin might be establishing himself in Libya in the same way that he has dug into Syria .
Libya 's war has developed disturbing similarities with Syria 's .
The arbiters of the fate and future of both are the same foreigners .
The proxy wars in Libya have become , in many ways , a continuation of the proxy wars in Syria .
Both sides have flown in Syrian militias to apply the skills they have gained in almost a decade of war in their homeland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russia 's President Vladimir Putin have applied in Libya a version of the deals they have made in Syria .
The Russian mercenaries who have fought with Gen Haftar are from an organisation known as the Wagner Group , run by Yevgeny Prigozhin , a close associate of President Putin .
The Wagner fighters have also been used in Syria .
It is significant that the Russian pullback from Tripoli has not been harassed by Turkey 's highly efficient military drones .
The Russians have also moved advanced warplanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdogan could have agreed to end Gen Haftar 's offensive against Tripoli so they can split the spoils between them , according to Wolfram Lacher , a German academic who has just published a book about the fragmentation of Libya .
In the Chatham House webinar he said : `` We are talking about two foreign powers trying to carve up spheres of influence in Libya and their ambition may well be for this arrangement to be long term . ''
He doubted whether the other powers involved in Libya , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangement .
The next big battle could be for Tarhuna , a town that lies around 90km ( 55 miles ) south-east of the capital .
It is Gen Haftar 's western stronghold , controlled by a militia known as al-Qaniyat , mainly made up of men previously loyal to the Gaddafi regime .
Troops loyal to the Tripoli government , former opponents of Gaddafi , are advancing on Tarhuna .
The fight against the old regime is still a factor in Libya 's never-ending war .

Libya looks to be at the end of one bleak chapter, but there is no guarantee that the next will be any better for a country that has been torn to pieces by civil war and foreign intervention since Col Muammar Gaddafi met his grisly death in 2011.


bbc--2020-06-01--Odion Ighalo: Manchester United extend striker's loan to January

Forward Odion Ighalo has extended his loan deal at Manchester United until January 2021 .
Ighalo , 30 , joined United in January from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua , initially until 31 May .
There is no option for the Premier League club to buy the Nigeria international .
`` It 's been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish what he started and win a trophy with us , '' said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer .
`` Shanghai Shenua have been great towards us , allowing him to play for his dream club .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight appearances for the Old Trafford side , including a goal in the 5-0 Europa League win over LASK on 12 March , which was United 's last competitive match before the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Premier League season is set to resume on 17 June .
United are fifth in the table , three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games to play .
Solskjaer 's side are also in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and have that five-goal lead going into the second leg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LASK .

Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Odion Ighalo has scored four goals in eight appearances for United
Forward Odion Ighalo has extended his loan deal at Manchester United until January 2021.
Ighalo, 30, joined United in January from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, initially until 31 May.
There is no option for the Premier League club to buy the Nigeria international.
"It's been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish what he started and win a trophy with us," said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
"Shanghai Shenua have been great towards us, allowing him to play for his dream club."
Ighalo has scored four times in eight appearances for the Old Trafford side, including a goal in the 5-0 Europa League win over LASK on 12 March, which was United's last competitive match before the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League season is set to resume on 17 June.
United are fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with nine games to play.
Solskjaer's side are also in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and have that five-goal lead going into the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against LASK.


bbc--2020-05-31--Sancho scores first hat-trick as Dortmund thrash Paderborn

England 's Jadon Sancho scored the first hat-trick of his career on his first start since the Bundesliga resumed as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Paderborn .
After an uneventful first half , Thorgan Hazard put Dortmund ahead with a tap-in before Sancho slotted home his first goal since 29 February .
Sancho added the third after Uwe Hunemeier 's penalty reduced the bottom side 's deficit before Achraf Hakimi and Marcel Schmelzer made it 5-1 .
Sancho got his third in stoppage time .
• Could Sancho be the heir to Messi 's crown ?
The 20-year-old is the first English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Europe 's major leagues for 31 years - former Luton forward Brian Stein was the last person to achieve the feat , playing for Caen against Cannes in France 's Ligue 1 on 31 May 1989 .
After scoring his first goal , Sancho took off his shirt to reveal a `` Justice For George Floyd '' T-shirt .
Floyd died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis , Minnesota on 25 May .
The England forward was booked for removing his Dortmund top .
Sancho later wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my first career hat trick , a bittersweet moment personally as there are more important things going on in the world today that we must address and help make a change . ''
His first goal came after a pass by Julian Brandt , while the former Manchester City youth player produced a smart finish following an assist by Hazard for his second .
Sancho 's hat-trick , and his 17th Bundesliga goal of the season , arrived in the 91st minute after being played in down the right .
The win kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bundesliga title , Bayern Munich 's lead at the top now seven points with five games remaining .
Paderborn remain rooted at the bottom , eight points behind Fortuna Dusseldorf , who are 16th in a relegation play-off place .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
England's Jadon Sancho scored the first hat-trick of his career on his first start since the Bundesliga resumed as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Paderborn.
After an uneventful first half, Thorgan Hazard put Dortmund ahead with a tap-in before Sancho slotted home his first goal since 29 February.
Sancho added the third after Uwe Hunemeier's penalty reduced the bottom side's deficit before Achraf Hakimi and Marcel Schmelzer made it 5-1.
Sancho got his third in stoppage time.
The 20-year-old is the first English player to score an overseas hat-trick in one of Europe's major leagues for 31 years - former Luton forward Brian Stein was the last person to achieve the feat, playing for Caen against Cannes in France's Ligue 1 on 31 May 1989.
After scoring his first goal, Sancho took off his shirt to reveal a "Justice For George Floyd" T-shirt. Floyd died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May.
Sancho revealed a 'Justice for George Floyd' T-Shirt after scoring against Paderborn
The England forward was booked for removing his Dortmund top.
Sancho later wrote on Instagram: external-link "Delighted to get my first career hat trick, a bittersweet moment personally as there are more important things going on in the world today that we must address and help make a change."
His first goal came after a pass by Julian Brandt, while the former Manchester City youth player produced a smart finish following an assist by Hazard for his second.
Sancho's hat-trick, and his 17th Bundesliga goal of the season, arrived in the 91st minute after being played in down the right.
The win kept alive Dortmund's faint hopes of winning the Bundesliga title, Bayern Munich's lead at the top now seven points with five games remaining.
Paderborn remain rooted at the bottom, eight points behind Fortuna Dusseldorf, who are 16th in a relegation play-off place.


bbc--2020-06-01--QPR 'appalled' by Championship return on 20 June

QPR chief executive Lee Hoos says the club is `` appalled by '' and `` vehemently opposed to '' the English Football League 's plans for the Championship to return on 20 June .
Hoos says there was `` absolutely no consultation '' on the matter , claiming clubs learned of the news just before it came out at 21:00 BST on Sunday .
`` I am absolutely stunned by this announcement , '' he added .
No Championship fixtures have been played since 8 March .
`` Incredibly , there has been absolutely no consultation with individual clubs nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the divisional representatives - or anyone else in the Football League - regarding this matter , '' Hoos told the QPR website .
`` Having spoken with our director of football Les Ferdinand and our manager Mark Warburton , they share my views .
We are vehemently opposed to this schedule . ''
The EFL - which has been contacted by the BBC for a response - said the 20 June date was `` provisional '' and `` subject to the strict proviso that all safety requirements and government guidance is met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plus the play-off semi-finals and final .
`` The players have n't even returned to full-contact training at this moment and yet they are now expected to be in a position to play at a competitive level in just three weeks ' time , '' Hoos said .
`` I have made our feelings known to the EFL and , having spoken with a number of CEOs at other Championship clubs , I am not a lone voice on this matter .
Players have been back in training since 25 May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and full-contact training will begin this week .
QPR are 12th in the Championship - six points from the play-offs and 11 clear of the bottom three with nine games left .
'The news we 've been waiting for' Middlesbrough are just two points above the relegation zone but manager Jonathan Woodgate has welcomed news of the league 's return .
The club will return to contact training at Rockliffe Park later this week but will also use the Riverside Stadium to prepare , `` just to get the feel of it [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added : `` As a club we 've made no secret of the fact that we wanted to restart the season when it is deemed safe enough to do so .
`` We 'd had 20 June in mind as a possible to return and were already working towards that date . ''

Lee Hoos said QPR's players had not yet returned to full-contact training
QPR chief executive Lee Hoos says the club is "appalled by" and "vehemently opposed to" the English Football League's plans for the Championship to return on 20 June.
Hoos says there was "absolutely no consultation" on the matter, claiming clubs learned of the news just before it came out at 21:00 BST on Sunday.
"I am absolutely stunned by this announcement," he added.
No Championship fixtures have been played since 8 March.
"Incredibly, there has been absolutely no consultation with individual clubs nor with the Championship doctors' working group by the divisional representatives - or anyone else in the Football League - regarding this matter," Hoos told the QPR website. external-link
"Having spoken with our director of football Les Ferdinand and our manager Mark Warburton, they share my views. We are vehemently opposed to this schedule."
The EFL said on Sunday that the 20 June date was "provisional" and "subject to the strict proviso that all safety requirements and government guidance is met".
On Monday, an EFL spokesperson added: "The EFL made the decision to announce the proposed restart date of the 2019-20 season following a number of direct approaches from Championship clubs seeking clarity.
"Whilst the league notes the comments made on Monday morning, it should be recognised that there is significant support within the Championship to get back playing as soon as possible in order to finalise the current season from a sporting integrity perspective and lessen the impact on season 2020-21.
"The overall situation remains complex with a number of moving parts to work through in order to get matches in the Championship up and running again, so collectively we need to be flexible in our approach at this time.
"Importantly, we will continue to have regular dialogue and consult with our clubs in the coming days and weeks on all the operational challenges ahead of games restarting - subject, of course, to all safety requirements and government guidance being met."
There are 108 matches remaining in the second tier, plus the play-off semi-finals and final, provisionally scheduled for the end of July.
Hoos added: "The players haven't even returned to full-contact training at this moment and yet they are now expected to be in a position to play at a competitive level in just three weeks' time.
"I have made our feelings known to the EFL and, having spoken with a number of CEOs at other Championship clubs, I am not a lone voice on this matter.
"We are absolutely appalled."
Championship players have been allowed back to training since 25 May, initially while following social distancing guidelines, and full-contact training will begin this week.
QPR are 12th in the Championship - six points from the play-offs and 11 clear of the bottom three with nine games left.
'The news we've been waiting for'
Middlesbrough ended a 10-game winless run by beating Charlton in their last Championship game, on 7 March
Middlesbrough are just two points above the relegation zone but manager Jonathan Woodgate has welcomed news of the league's return.
The club will return to contact training at Rockliffe Park later this week but will also use the Riverside Stadium to prepare, "just to get the feel of it again".
Woodgate added: external-link "As a club we've made no secret of the fact that we wanted to restart the season when it is deemed safe enough to do so.
"We'd had 20 June in mind as a possible to return and were already working towards that date."
Asked by BBC Three Counties Radio if players would be ready in time for a 20 June resumption, Luton defender Sonny Bradley said: "At this football club, they will be.
"I wasn't sure what sort of shape the players would be in and how far off it they'd be but, looking at the boys last week, we looked sharp and ready to go.
"Obviously we do need a couple of weeks, like every team does, but over the past nine weeks we have been in lockdown but we have also been able to train.
"It has been limited, but on Zoom we've been doing certain training programmes and we've been able to get out, whether it's on the road or on the grass, for 45 minutes and get a training session in.
"I'm pleasantly surprised to see how good a shape that the boys are in. We'll be ready and if we have to play nine games in five weeks, I don't see that being a problem."


bbc--2020-06-01--Rory Curtis: Amateur footballer who woke from a coma speaking fluent French

When Rory Curtis awoke from his coma , he did n't know where he was .
He did n't know how he had got there .
He could n't remember his past as a promising teenage striker at Manchester United 's academy ; nor the slow demise of his football career ; nor the crash that had left him with a shattered hip , a broken elbow , a multifocal intracranial haemorrhage and a diffused brain injury .
When his eyes blinked open and he began to speak , fluent French poured out , a language he had only studied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long since been forgotten .
He spoke so fluidly , with such perfect intonation , that the nurse attending to him , a native French speaker , asked his father which part of France Curtis was from .
His Gallic tongue lasted only as long as that initial conversation , though .
Like the memory of a dream , his ability to speak French quickly vanished .
`` Hearing that , my dad did his research , '' Curtis says , `` and the Curtis family originates from Normandy , but that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on YouTube and type my name in , there are a lot of conspiracy theories , thinking the brain can hold on to knowledge of generations .
Crazy . ''
The crash happened on a rain-sodden afternoon in August 2014 .
Curtis , 22 years old at the time , was on an errand for a construction company he had begun to work for alongside playing football semi-professionally and studying for a degree in sports science and psychology .
He has no recollection of the accident and how it occurred , but witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened .
Curtis , returning from a merchant 's yard , was changing lanes through the shower and spray on the M42 motorway near Tamworth when his Transit van collided with the side of an articulated lorry .
His vehicle bore the brunt of a six-car pile-up .
No one else was seriously injured .
Trapped in the wreckage , it took firefighters 40 minutes to free Curtis .
His injuries were so severe that he was put into an induced coma at the scene and airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six days .
Once his condition was stabilised , he was moved to the nearby Mosely Hall Hospital , which offers specialist care in brain injury rehabilitation , to begin what it was thought would be a long , arduous and only partial recovery .
It was unlikely he 'd ever walk or talk properly again , his family were advised .
Curtis had confounded medical prognosis before .
When he was seven , he was diagnosed with meningitis septicaemia .
His chances of survival were rated 50-50 .
After six weeks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Hospital , he was discharged to continue his recovery at home .
The only after-effect he suffered was a slight and temporary deterioration of his eyesight .
`` I was the only child there who did n't lose a limb , '' Curtis says .
`` But the only thing that happened to me was I had to wear glasses for a year .
They could n't believe that . ''
His recovery was so comprehensive that he soon began to stand out as an athletic prospect .
Born into a family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would emulate his St Andrew 's heroes on the playing fields of Redditch , where he grew up .
Curtis was invited to train with Birmingham age 11 but was put off by the experience and did n't return .
At 13 , while impressing as a striker with local side Central Ajax in a seven-a-side tournament , he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout and began to travel to the 20-time champions ' Carrington academy every school holiday .
When Curtis expressed that he did n't yet feel ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Manchester , an agreement was struck between United and Walsall which allowed the teenager to join the Midlands club 's academy , with United retaining an option to take him back north .
At the end of his first season with Walsall , Curtis was due to join up with United 's youngsters for a European tour , but a bout of Sever 's disease - a painful inflammation of the heel common among adolescents - scuppered plans .
Later , a surreptitious trial with Newcastle was arranged by Curtis 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyrille Regis , unbeknown to Walsall and Manchester United .
'They wanted me to go back for another two to three weeks , but I could n't say I was sick for any longer than a week .
I was putting in a sick note , '' Curtis says .
He stayed with Walsall , signing scholarship forms , and began to form a profitable strike partnership with future Premier League star Troy Deeney , his goals helping Walsall 's academy side win their regional league two years running .
But injury again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the reserve team short of strikers , Deeney was instead promoted , grasping his chance as a springboard to the first team .
`` It 's all about timing , football .
Right place , right time , '' Curtis sighs .
`` I would have got my chance .
I ca n't say I 'd be where Troy is now , but we would both have got our chances . ''
As time wore on , Curtis became disenchanted with the game .
He signed professional terms with Walsall at 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already begun to feel his enthusiasm wane .
`` They were n't looking for footballers , '' he says .
`` Two or three of the lads there were absolutely quality , but then they were n't looking for that type of player .
They were looking for a big , put-a-tackle-in kind of player .
It was all 'play the way you 're facing ' .
At Manchester United , and even at Newcastle , you were taught to express yourself .
`` I kind of fell out of love with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up entirely , though .
His next few years were spent bouncing around the semi-professional clubs of the West Midlands - Stourbridge , Stourport , Evesham , Rugby , Halesowen , Willenhall - as he studied at Newman College in Birmingham and later completed strength-and-conditioning qualifications , his chosen next career step .
`` I was a bit of a cocky striker , '' Curtis admits .
`` If I was n't playing and I did n't have a good reason why , I 'd go somewhere else . ''
Playing for Stourport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a lower-back injury is the last thing Curtis remembers before the crash .
A fractured coccyx showed up on the post-accident x-rays .
In addition to his inexplicable fluency in French , another of the early phenomena Curtis experienced in the immediate aftermath of his accident was age regression .
He was convinced he was 10 years old again and would ask his mother about the family dog , only to be informed the dog had died years ago .
That realisation would kick his psychological age forward a couple more years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to the present .
`` The second she said that , I put two and two together , '' Curtis remembers .
`` I was thinking , 'Oh , yeah .
What am I on about ? '
And then I would think I was 12 .
It was tying the knots together in my brain , in my memory . ''
He also , for a time , became convinced he was Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey , and would lie in his hospital bed agitating to get back to filming his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a broken arm and a broken hip , I had to go to the loo with my mum , '' Curtis says , `` and I remember looking in the mirror and not realising who I was looking at . ''
Curtis was discharged from hospital in November 2012 , wheelchair-bound and with his short-term memory so decimated that he was required to write his every move in a diary at 15-minute intervals , reminding himself , for example , that he had already showered for the day or eaten lunch .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he says .
Despite initially being cautioned that a return to total mobility and complete brain function was improbable , and that simple tasks such as dressing himself might be beyond his capability , Curtis made a full recovery within a year .
And , incredibly , he was back playing semi-professional football with Stourport during the 2013-14 season .
`` I ca n't remember how soon I was walking , '' Curtis says , `` but [ the doctors ] were in shock .
And they were shocked that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They advised against playing football because they said I should n't have any hard hits to the head .
In my first game , I took an elbow to the face and my dad nearly jumped on to the pitch . ''
In the days after his crash , Curtis became just the second person in Britain to receive an experimental hormone treatment which , it was believed , could be highly effective in aiding recovery from traumatic brain injuries .
As part of a United States-led study entitled Synapse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steroid hormone , and his progress was tracked every three months .
In the years since , Curtis and his family have credited much of his miraculous recovery to the radical treatment he received .
`` Unfortunately that drug was not effective - no difference with placebo , '' says Dr Antonio Belli , the neurologist who oversaw Curtis 's recovery .
`` Rory would have done so well thanks to his genes and fitness , probably . ''
Although it was remarkable that Curtis was able to return to football at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself and struggled to reconcile with the fact his first touch was no longer immaculate , and that his pace , his other primary asset , had slowed half a stride .
`` I was a bit of a perfectionist , '' he says .
`` If it was n't there , I was my own worst enemy .
It affects your confidence as well , if you have a bad touch .
It helped with the decision to knock it on the head . ''
The decision to quit football was taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career Curtis began to pursue .
He had grown frustrated with the lack of opportunities in the strength-and-conditioning field , and the crash had not only given him a renewed appreciation of his family , who had been dedicated aides in his recovery , but also of the family business .
`` My mum 's got six sisters , '' Curtis explains .
`` All of them were teachers apart from my mum .
I thought , 'Get my teaching qualifications , then do barbering ' .
My parents owned Charlie Parker 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had four or five salons in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s .
It 's always been in the family , the hairdressing , so I thought I 'd mix the two - teaching from my mum 's side , and then the barbering . ''
Learning the trade meant hours upon hours in his aunt 's salon .
`` The busiest day at a barber 's shop is a Saturday , '' Curtis realised .
`` I 've got to think of my career now , not just what I love doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After attaining the relevant qualifications , Curtis became a lecturer at South and City College Birmingham , teaching barbering .
He was passionate about the craft , but , over time , came to find the teaching element too restrictive .
He decided to go it alone and , with his father 's guidance , open his own salon .
`` It was easy thinking of the name , '' he says .
Charlie Parker 's Cut Throat & Coffee opened in Worcester in 2019 .
Football , once the axis around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a supporting role .
Earlier this year , he began to play again .
`` Just a kick-about , '' is how he describes his seven-a-side games on a local all-weather pitch .
`` One of the lads there used to play for Blues .
It 's me against him , really .
`` Sometimes you think you 've still got it ; other times you think , 'No , I have n't . '
Sometimes you realise why you gave it up . ''

Rory Curtis, far right, is pictured with Aisling Clarkson (second left), one of the nurses who helped in his recovery
When Rory Curtis awoke from his coma, he didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had got there. He couldn't remember his past as a promising teenage striker at Manchester United's academy; nor the slow demise of his football career; nor the crash that had left him with a shattered hip, a broken elbow, a multifocal intracranial haemorrhage and a diffused brain injury.
When his eyes blinked open and he began to speak, fluent French poured out, a language he had only studied in school, all of which had long since been forgotten.
He spoke so fluidly, with such perfect intonation, that the nurse attending to him, a native French speaker, asked his father which part of France Curtis was from. His Gallic tongue lasted only as long as that initial conversation, though. Like the memory of a dream, his ability to speak French quickly vanished.
"Hearing that, my dad did his research," Curtis says, "and the Curtis family originates from Normandy, but that was in the 1800s. If you look on YouTube and type my name in, there are a lot of conspiracy theories, thinking the brain can hold on to knowledge of generations. Crazy."
The crash happened on a rain-sodden afternoon in August 2012. Curtis, 22 years old at the time, was on an errand for a construction company he had begun to work for alongside playing football semi-professionally and studying for a degree in sports science and psychology. He has no recollection of the accident and how it occurred, but witness reports allowed a piecing together of what happened. Curtis, returning from a merchant's yard, was changing lanes through the shower and spray on the M42 motorway near Tamworth when his Transit van collided with the side of an articulated lorry. His vehicle bore the brunt of a six-car pile-up. No one else was seriously injured.
Trapped in the wreckage, it took firefighters 40 minutes to free Curtis. His injuries were so severe that he was put into an induced coma at the scene and airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where he remained comatose for six days. Once his condition was stabilised, he was moved to the nearby Mosely Hall Hospital, which offers specialist care in brain injury rehabilitation, to begin what it was thought would be a long, arduous and only partial recovery.
It was unlikely he'd ever walk or talk properly again, his family were advised.
Curtis had confounded medical prognosis before. When he was seven, he was diagnosed with meningitis septicaemia. His chances of survival were rated 50-50. After six weeks on the meningitis ward at the Birmingham Children's Hospital, he was discharged to continue his recovery at home. The only after-effect he suffered was a slight and temporary deterioration of his eyesight. "I was the only child there who didn't lose a limb," Curtis says. "But the only thing that happened to me was I had to wear glasses for a year. They couldn't believe that."
His recovery was so comprehensive that he soon began to stand out as an athletic prospect. Born into a family of ardent Birmingham City supporters, he would emulate his St Andrew's heroes on the playing fields of Redditch, where he grew up.
Curtis was invited to train with Birmingham age 11 but was put off by the experience and didn't return. At 13, while impressing as a striker with local side Central Ajax in a seven-a-side tournament, he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout and began to travel to the 20-time champions' Carrington academy every school holiday.
Curtis was in demand during his teenage years
When Curtis expressed that he didn't yet feel ready to leave his parents and friends to move up to Manchester, an agreement was struck between United and Walsall which allowed the teenager to join the Midlands club's academy, with United retaining an option to take him back north.
At the end of his first season with Walsall, Curtis was due to join up with United's youngsters for a European tour, but a bout of Sever's disease - a painful inflammation of the heel common among adolescents - scuppered plans. Later, a surreptitious trial with Newcastle was arranged by Curtis's agent, the late former England striker Cyrille Regis, unbeknown to Walsall and Manchester United. 'They wanted me to go back for another two to three weeks, but I couldn't say I was sick for any longer than a week. I was putting in a sick note," Curtis says.
He stayed with Walsall, signing scholarship forms, and began to form a profitable strike partnership with future Premier League star Troy Deeney, his goals helping Walsall's academy side win their regional league two years running.
But injury again slammed the door when opportunity knocked.
With the reserve team short of strikers, Deeney was instead promoted, grasping his chance as a springboard to the first team. "It's all about timing, football. Right place, right time," Curtis sighs. "I would have got my chance. I can't say I'd be where Troy is now, but we would both have got our chances."
As time wore on, Curtis became disenchanted with the game. He signed professional terms with Walsall at 18, for £150 a week, but had already begun to feel his enthusiasm wane.
"They weren't looking for footballers," he says. "Two or three of the lads there were absolutely quality, but then they weren't looking for that type of player. They were looking for a big, put-a-tackle-in kind of player. It was all 'play the way you're facing'. At Manchester United, and even at Newcastle, you were taught to express yourself.
"I kind of fell out of love with football."
He didn't give up entirely, though. His next few years were spent bouncing around the semi-professional clubs of the West Midlands - Stourbridge, Stourport, Evesham, Rugby, Halesowen, Willenhall - as he studied at Newman College in Birmingham and later completed strength-and-conditioning qualifications, his chosen next career step. "I was a bit of a cocky striker," Curtis admits. "If I wasn't playing and I didn't have a good reason why, I'd go somewhere else."
Playing for Stourport Swifts and having to leave the field with a lower-back injury is the last thing Curtis remembers before the crash. A fractured coccyx showed up on the post-accident x-rays.
In addition to his inexplicable fluency in French, another of the early phenomena Curtis experienced in the immediate aftermath of his accident was age regression. He was convinced he was 10 years old again and would ask his mother about the family dog, only to be informed the dog had died years ago.
That realisation would kick his psychological age forward a couple more years, until another trigger again brought him closer to the present. "The second she said that, I put two and two together," Curtis remembers. "I was thinking, 'Oh, yeah. What am I on about?' And then I would think I was 12. It was tying the knots together in my brain, in my memory."
'I awoke from a coma thinking I was a child' - Curtis speaking to the BBC in 2012
He also, for a time, became convinced he was Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey, and would lie in his hospital bed agitating to get back to filming his next blockbuster. "Because I had a broken arm and a broken hip, I had to go to the loo with my mum," Curtis says, "and I remember looking in the mirror and not realising who I was looking at."
Curtis was discharged from hospital in November 2012, wheelchair-bound and with his short-term memory so decimated that he was required to write his every move in a diary at 15-minute intervals, reminding himself, for example, that he had already showered for the day or eaten lunch. "I probably filled out two diary books," he says.
Despite initially being cautioned that a return to total mobility and complete brain function was improbable, and that simple tasks such as dressing himself might be beyond his capability, Curtis made a full recovery within a year. And, incredibly, he was back playing semi-professional football with Stourport during the 2013-14 season.
"I can't remember how soon I was walking," Curtis says, "but [the doctors] were in shock. And they were shocked that I didn't have a limp as well.
"They advised against playing football because they said I shouldn't have any hard hits to the head. In my first game, I took an elbow to the face and my dad nearly jumped on to the pitch."
In the days after his crash, Curtis became just the second person in Britain to receive an experimental hormone treatment which, it was believed, could be highly effective in aiding recovery from traumatic brain injuries. As part of a United States-led study entitled Synapse, Curtis was administered progesterone, a female steroid hormone, and his progress was tracked every three months. In the years since, Curtis and his family have credited much of his miraculous recovery to the radical treatment he received.
"Unfortunately that drug was not effective - no difference with placebo," says Dr Antonio Belli, the neurologist who oversaw Curtis's recovery. "Rory would have done so well thanks to his genes and fitness, probably."
Although it was remarkable that Curtis was able to return to football at all, he still had high expectations of himself and struggled to reconcile with the fact his first touch was no longer immaculate, and that his pace, his other primary asset, had slowed half a stride.
"I was a bit of a perfectionist," he says. "If it wasn't there, I was my own worst enemy. It affects your confidence as well, if you have a bad touch. It helped with the decision to knock it on the head."
The decision to quit football was taken out of his hands by the new career Curtis began to pursue. He had grown frustrated with the lack of opportunities in the strength-and-conditioning field, and the crash had not only given him a renewed appreciation of his family, who had been dedicated aides in his recovery, but also of the family business.
Curtis always was sharp up top...
"My mum's got six sisters," Curtis explains. "All of them were teachers apart from my mum. I thought, 'Get my teaching qualifications, then do barbering'. My parents owned Charlie Parker's [barber's shop]. They had four or five salons in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s. It's always been in the family, the hairdressing, so I thought I'd mix the two - teaching from my mum's side, and then the barbering."
Learning the trade meant hours upon hours in his aunt's salon. "The busiest day at a barber's shop is a Saturday," Curtis realised. "I've got to think of my career now, not just what I love doing." Football had to be sacrificed.
After attaining the relevant qualifications, Curtis became a lecturer at South and City College Birmingham, teaching barbering. He was passionate about the craft, but, over time, came to find the teaching element too restrictive. He decided to go it alone and, with his father's guidance, open his own salon. "It was easy thinking of the name," he says. Charlie Parker's Cut Throat & Coffee opened in Worcester in 2019.
Football, once the axis around which his life revolved, now plays only a supporting role. Earlier this year, he began to play again. "Just a kick-about," is how he describes his seven-a-side games on a local all-weather pitch. "One of the lads there used to play for Blues. It's me against him, really.
"Sometimes you think you've still got it; other times you think, 'No, I haven't.' Sometimes you realise why you gave it up."


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: Michael Jordan 'truly pained and plain angry'

Basketball legend Michael Jordan says he is `` deeply saddened , truly pained and plain angry '' after the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Jordan is one of a number of sports stars adding their voice to worldwide protests against racism .
`` I see and feel everyone 's pain , outrage and frustration , '' he added .
`` I stand with those calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country . ''
Jordan added : `` We have had enough . ''
• The last 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been held after Floyd , an unarmed black man , died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , who kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes to pin him down .
Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked .
Vanessa Bryant , widow of basketball legend Kobe , shared an image of her late husband wearing an `` I Ca n't Breathe '' T-shirt .
`` My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fragile .
Life is so unpredictable .
Life is too short . ''
Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford said he had been `` trying to process what is going on in the world '' .
He added : `` At a time I 've been asking people to come together , work together and be united , we appear to be more divided than ever .
`` People are hurting and people need answers .
Black lives matter .
Black culture matters .
Black communities matter .
We matter . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tweeted on Thursday : `` Racism , police brutality ... all of this is something we all have to be vocal about .
Irrespective of our race or nationality .
`` RIP George Floyd .
Heartbreaking and sickening to have to be saying RIP to another black person in these circumstances . ''
On Sunday , England footballer Jadon Sancho unveiled a `` Justice for George Floyd '' T-shirt after scoring for Borussia Dortmund against Paderborn and Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring for Borussia Moenchengladbach .
Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gauff and Naomi Osaka also spoke out about Floyd 's death .
Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc , Lando Norris , Carlos Sainz , George Russell and Daniel Ricciardo all issued anti-racism messages on social media after reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton criticised those in his industry for not speaking out .
`` I 'm one of the only people of colour and yet I stand alone , '' the Briton , 35 , who is the only black F1 driver , wrote on Instagram .
`` I would have thought by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and say something about it but you ca n't stand alongside us . ''
Leclerc said he had been `` completely wrong '' not to speak out previously , saying he had not done so because he felt `` out of place and uncomfortable '' .

Last updated on .From the section Sport
Liverpool players took a break from training at Anfield on Monday for this picture
Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The picture, featuring 29 Reds players, was posted with the caption "Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter".
Players reportedly external-link requested the picture during training on Monday.
Manchester United players Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford added their voices to worldwide protests against racism.
Protests have been held after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes to pin him down.
Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling down during the American national anthem in the summer of 2016. That gesture has since become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement.
United midfielder Pogba said in a passionate Instagram post that he felt "felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain and sadness".
The French World Cup winner added: "Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism EVERY DAY! Whether in football, at work, at school, ANYWHERE! This has to stop, once and for all. Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end TODAY!
"Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated. I can't tolerate, I won't tolerate, WE WON'T TOLERATE.
"Racism is ignorance, LOVE is intelligence, STOP the silence, STOP racism."
United team-mate Rashford said he had been "trying to process what is going on in the world".
The England striker added: "At a time I've been asking people to come together, work together and be united, we appear to be more divided than ever.
"People are hurting and people need answers. Black lives matter. Black culture matters. Black communities matter. We matter."
Numerous Liverpool players tweeted the picture of themselves kneeling at Anfield, including defenders Virgil van Dijk,Joe Gomez, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner.
German FA praises protesting players despite investigation
In Germany, Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund, Weston McKennie of Schalke, and Marcus Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach made on-field protests at the weekend
The four players are being investigated by the German Football Association (DFB) for breaching rules over making political statements on the field of play.
But DFB president Fritz Keller said he felt "respect and understanding" for them
He said: external-link "I have great respect for players who have an attitude and show their solidarity. I wish for such mature players and I am proud of them.
"Morally, I can absolutely understand the actions. What happened in the USA can leave anyone cold.
"When people are discriminated against because of the colour of their skin, this is intolerable. If they die because of their skin colour, then I am deeply shocked. The victims of racism need solidarity from us all.
"The DFB and German football as a whole, through their broad commitment, show time and again and in many forms, events and facets their clear NO to racism, discrimination and all forms of violence."
In relation to the investigation, DFB vice-president Rainer Koch said: "The rule is the immediate phase of the game should be kept free of political statements. It remains to be seen whether sanctions are necessary in the cases."
'We have had enough'
British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster and tennis stars Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka were among the sportspeople to speak out about Floyd's death.
And basketball legend Michael Jordan said he was "deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry".
"I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage and frustration," he added. external-link "I stand with those calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country.
"We have had enough."
Vanessa Bryant, widow of basketball legend Kobe, shared an image of her late husband wearing an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt.
"My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again," she wrote.
"Life is so fragile. Life is so unpredictable. Life is too short."
F1 drivers answer Hamilton's call
Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, George Russell and Daniel Ricciardo all issued anti-racism messages on social media after world champion Lewis Hamilton criticised those in his industry for not speaking out.
"I'm one of the only people of colour and yet I stand alone," the Briton, who is the only black F1 driver, wrote on Instagram.
"I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can't stand alongside us."
Leclerc said he had been "completely wrong" not to speak out previously, saying he had not done so because he felt "out of place and uncomfortable".
Hamilton's Mercedes team said in a statement they "stand with Lewis" and were "deeply saddened by the recent developments and hope to see a de-escalation soon".
They added: "Tolerance is an elementary principle of our team and we are enriched by diversity in all its forms. We welcome and encourage people from all races, cultures, religions, philosophies and lifestyles.
"We condemn every form of discrimination as we work together to drive change forward."


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: Washington DC hit by violent protests

Washington DC has seen some of the worst violence overnight , as protests continued in the US capital and cities @ @ @ @ @ death of an unarmed black man at the hands of police in the state on @ @ @ @ @ 46 , died in police custody shortly after a white officer was seen kneeling on @ @ @ @ @ down .
A fire was set in the basement of St John 's Episcopal Church @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
Every sitting US president has attended the church at least once @ @ @ @ @ 1816 .
Riot police managed to keep protesters at bay , protecting the White House @ @ @ @ @ say that on Friday President Donald Trump had to spend nearly an hour in an @ @ @ @ @ emergencies

Washington DC has seen some of the worst violence overnight, as protests continued in the US capital and cities around the country over the death of an unarmed black man at the hands of police in the state on Minnesota.