bbc--2020-09-29--Djokovic 'won't make same mistake twice' when he starts Paris bid

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Novak Djokovic says he wants to avoid a repeat of the incident that led to his US Open expulsion but will not hide his emotions when he begins his French Open campaign on Tuesday .
`` I will make sure I do n't make the same mistake twice , '' the top seed , 33 , said .
`` I try to keep my negative reactions as less as I can .
But I guess it happens . ''
The Serb , who will play Swede Mikael Ymer in the third match on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clay tournament two weeks after the incident at Flushing Meadows .
`` I did not feel any kind of emotional disturbance or difficulty to actually be able to play or still express my emotions in whatever way , '' he said .
The 2016 champion said he had now moved on from the events in New York , where he was seeking to win his 18th major singles title .
`` I really want to be my best version as a player , as a human being on the court , and win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Because of the care that I have for that , I sometimes express my emotions in a good way or maybe less good way .
`` I do n't think significantly it does impact me that I 'm unable now to show the fist pump or scream or something like that .
It has happened in Rome already and everything is fine .
I 'm back to normal . ''
Elsewhere in the men 's tournament , seventh seed Matteo Berrettini faces Canada 's Vasek Pospisil , while Greek fifth seed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Heather Watson will be hoping that she can progress past the second round for the first time .
The British number two is up against Italy 's Fiona Ferro in the second match on court 14 .
Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova opens up on Philippe Chatrier with her match against Mayar Sherif - the first Egyptian to make the main draw at Roland Garros .
Sherif beat American Caty McNally , who reached the US Open third round , in the qualifiers .
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin , seeded fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second match on Suzanne Lenglen .
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Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray to win the 2016 French Open title - his only success at Roland Garros
Novak Djokovic says he wants to avoid a repeat of the incident that led to his US Open expulsion but will not hide his emotions when he begins his French Open campaign on Tuesday.
The world number one's return to Grand Slam tennis comes only three weeks after he was disqualified for striking a ball at a line judge in New York.
"I will make sure I don't make the same mistake twice," the top seed, 33, said.
"I try to keep my negative reactions as less as I can. But I guess it happens."
The Serb, who will play Swede Mikael Ymer in the third match on Philippe Chatrier, won the Italian Open clay tournament two weeks after the incident at Flushing Meadows.
"I did not feel any kind of emotional disturbance or difficulty to actually be able to play or still express my emotions in whatever way," he said.
The 2016 champion said he had now moved on from the events in New York, where he was seeking to win his 18th major singles title.
"I really want to be my best version as a player, as a human being on the court, and win a tennis match," he said. "Because of the care that I have for that, I sometimes express my emotions in a good way or maybe less good way.
"I don't think significantly it does impact me that I'm unable now to show the fist pump or scream or something like that. It has happened in Rome already and everything is fine. I'm back to normal."
Elsewhere in the men's tournament, seventh seed Matteo Berrettini faces Canada's Vasek Pospisil, while Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas plays Spain's Jaume Munar.
Heather Watson will be hoping that she can progress past the second round for the first time. The British number two is up against Italy's Fiona Ferro in the second match on court 14.
Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova opens up on Philippe Chatrier with her match against Mayar Sherif - the first Egyptian to make the main draw at Roland Garros. Sherif beat American Caty McNally, who reached the US Open third round, in the qualifiers.
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, seeded fourth, faces Russian Ludmilla Samsonova in the second match on Suzanne Lenglen.


bbc--2020-09-29--'Hamilton in firing line and a bad track gives a bad race' - Palmer column

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer , who left Renault during the 2017 season , is part of the BBC team and offers insight and analysis from the point of view of the competitors .
Lewis Hamilton 's penalties killed off what could have been an intriguing battle for the race win , and there was precious little action down the field .
But a boring race on a bland track has nevertheless brought to the fore a number of key themes emerging in Formula 1 as the season heads towards its final phase .
Hamilton feels like public enemy number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , after receiving a penalty that cost him a probable race win for the second time in three races .
With his lead at the top of the championship seemingly unassailable even at this early stage , Hamilton came out after the race with the bold claim that the race stewards were `` trying to stop me '' .
The reality is that Hamilton and Mercedes have simply broken the rules both times .
In Monza , Mercedes and Hamilton pitted when the pit lane was closed and received a penalty for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giovinazzi 's Alfa Romeo was given for the same infringement .
None of Hamilton 's immediate rivals made the same mistake in Monza and nobody else in the field broke the rules by doing a practice start at the exit of the pit lane in Sochi .
The regulations stated that drivers must do practice starts on the right after the pit-lane exit lights .
Mercedes argued that there was no designated spot - in terms of anything delineated by markings - but they know the rules define a specific place , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do sympathise with Hamilton , because it is not necessarily his fault in both of these instances .
His Mercedes team let him down by telling him to pit in Monza , and when Hamilton asked on the team radio whether he could do a practice start from further down the pit lane in Russia , his race engineer Pete Bonnington gave Hamilton the green light to do it .
The problem was , Hamilton went a lot further down the pit lane than the team had expected .
It 's harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this manner , and the fact that he picked up penalties for both infringements ( doing a practice start in the wrong place on consecutive laps ) will only grate that bit more , and perhaps seem over the top .
The fact is , though , that Hamilton wanted to do a practice start there , rather than in the designated practice start box , because it was less grippy than the practice area , and therefore more like the grid slot he would be starting on in the race .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start .
If this was allowed , everyone would do it .
The practice-start box has more rubber down because that is the place drivers can practise their starts .
So every other driver who complies with the regulations does their starts there and little by little rubber from their rear tyres is deposited on to the asphalt .
Sure , it 's not always ideal for race-start preparation , but they are the rules and Hamilton was the only one to do something different .
He did it twice , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I do n't think the FIA stewards are against Hamilton , they are simply applying penalties for breaches of the rules .
Sometimes they seem harsh , but I 'm sure Haas were arguing the same in Hungary when both drivers were given the same penalty as Hamilton for being told to pit on the formation lap .
All these instances are procedural infringements which leave little wriggle room in terms of application of the rules .
In that sense , they are unlike racing incidents , which can be argued against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white .
• None 'Records must wait after Hamilton falls fouls of stewards' The Sochi Autodrom winds its way around the 2014 Winter Olympic park .
Combined with its location on the shores of the Black Sea , with mountains as a backdrop , it should create a nicely atmospheric setting .
But looks can be deceptive .
The reality is that it 's a circuit that lacks much character .
It 's almost entirely flat , and every corner seems almost the same - an approximately 90-degree turn .
The only exceptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90-degree - chicanes of Turns 13-16 .
It 's certainly not any driver 's favourite venue .
This year , Sochi followed on from the debut of Italy 's Mugello track , which I praised in my last column for its old-school characterful feel .
In that context , I 'd argue the new-school sanitised feel of Sochi did little to help the excitement .
There have been seven Russian Grands Prix at Sochi now , and it has yet to produce a properly decent race .
Overtaking is tricky and cars often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high chance of a safety car .
Statistically , that safety-car probability will be even higher next year , after first-lap crashes for McLaren 's Carlos Sainz and Racing Point 's Lance Stroll .
But the safety car on Sunday did little to spice up the action - unlike in Mugello .
Turn Two at Sochi has come under some scrutiny , specifically for the way the policing of track limits and rules about rejoining the track led to incidents and penalties .
Britain 's George Russell labelled the corner `` one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And with a combination of track-limits madness and a lack of overtaking it 's a thought that many share .
Sainz hit the wall in the run-off area trying to go too fast though the bollards before rejoining the track , and Renault 's Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull 's Alex Albon received penalties for not going through the run-off in the correct manner .
Drivers are meant to lose heaps of time by swerving left to go through the bollards next to the wall Sainz hit , even if they slide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Race director Michael Masi admitted after the race that there was room for improvement here .
At the end of Sochi 's kilometre-long main straight , a tighter corner may help overtaking and also perhaps reduce the corner-cutting issue that the following kink causes .
Several drivers have spoken about this , and perhaps a change here can produce some better Russian Grands Prix in the future .
In defence of this year 's race , without Hamilton 's penalty , it may have been set up for a good race with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we were denied a chance to see that play out .
Sergio Perez is on the back foot because his seat at Racing Point has been taken by Sebastian Vettel for next season and he is looking for a drive in 2021 .
But he is putting in some good performances in the face of adversity to solidify his reputation and plant himself firmly on the radar of other teams .
For the second race in a row , Perez has had to race a car without new upgrades , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lance Stroll following his crash in Mugello .
Despite that , Perez was best of the rest in both qualifying and the race in Russia , and well ahead of Stroll .
He beat fifth-placed Ricciardo by 22 seconds - pretty much a full pit stop .
He has had a public falling out with the team after being dropped at the end of the season , despite having a contract in place .
He has clearly felt poorly treated by a team he helped save a couple of years ago by taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Lawrence Stroll .
In spite of this , Perez is capable of delivering good results , and his fourth place is a demonstration that he does deserve a place in a decent car next season as well .
Next season ca n't come soon enough for Vettel .
Ferrari have a poor car this season and the four-time champion has never looked comfortable in it .
Team-mate Charles Leclerc has pulled a few star performances out of the Ferrari and on Sunday he finished a very credible sixth from 11th on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another weekend to forget .
He crashed in qualifying while trying to make up a 0.4-second deficit to Leclerc , and then never made an impact in the grand prix after a long first stint .
The Ferrari is certainly a handful with which Vettel is struggling to make any progress , but on top of that his relationship with the team has soured in a similar way to Perez 's at Racing Point .
There has been needle between Vettel and team principal Mattia Binotto all season long since it was confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vettel does n't seem to trust the Ferrari strategists at all this year - and this is not the first season in which that has been apparent .
He is debating and often overriding some of their in-race calls .
But more importantly he seems to have lost his usual mojo for racing and performance .
It almost looks as if he is seeing out this year in a holding pattern .
I 'm sure a fresh challenge at Aston Martin will reinvigorate Vettel and he probably ca n't wait for it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding this season , and produced another excellent drive in Russia .
When he was given a five-second penalty for exceeding the track limits at Turn Two , his radio message spoke volumes for his confidence .
`` Yeah , that 's my bad ; I 'll make up for it , '' he said , adding : `` I 'll drive faster . ''
He is driving the wheels off his Renault and has been unlucky not to be on the podium already this season with fourth places at Silverstone , Spa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very tough return season for Esteban Ocon , a young French star who has seemed destined for greatness .
Ocon was seen as a man of the future by many after beating Max Verstappen to the European Formula Three title on their way up through the ranks , and he impressed for Force India against Perez in the first phase of his F1 career .
Ricciardo is showing top-class driving in a midfield team , but if Ocon was thinking things might get easier when it was announced the Australian would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he may have been mistaken .
Fernando Alonso is returning to Renault to fill Ricciardo 's shoes in 2021 , and with the Spaniard 's recent visit to the team 's factories and insistence on being closely in the loop through the remainder of this year as well , it seems he could be at least as stiff competition for Ocon .
If Alonso comes back at somewhere near the level he left F1 a couple of years ago , then Ocon will need to raise his game in the remaining races and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind .
He only has to look at the podium interviewer last weekend to see the risks .
Stoffel Vandoorne was the man with the microphone .
He was dropped from F1 after a tough season in 2018 against Alonso Ocon has had promising moments but is yet to look fully on top of things in 2020 .

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, who left Renault during the 2017 season, is part of the BBC team and offers insight and analysis from the point of view of the competitors.
The Russian Grand Prix will not go down as a classic.
Lewis Hamilton's penalties killed off what could have been an intriguing battle for the race win, and there was precious little action down the field.
But a boring race on a bland track has nevertheless brought to the fore a number of key themes emerging in Formula 1 as the season heads towards its final phase.
Hamilton simply punished for breaking rules - again
Hamilton feels like public enemy number one with governing body the FIA right now, after receiving a penalty that cost him a probable race win for the second time in three races.
With his lead at the top of the championship seemingly unassailable even at this early stage, Hamilton came out after the race with the bold claim that the race stewards were "trying to stop me".
The reality is that Hamilton and Mercedes have simply broken the rules both times.
Hamilton leads Mercedes team-mate Bottas in the drivers' championship by 44 points after the Russian Grand Prix
In Monza, Mercedes and Hamilton pitted when the pit lane was closed and received a penalty for it - the same one as Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo was given for the same infringement.
None of Hamilton's immediate rivals made the same mistake in Monza and nobody else in the field broke the rules by doing a practice start at the exit of the pit lane in Sochi.
The regulations stated that drivers must do practice starts on the right after the pit-lane exit lights. Mercedes argued that there was no designated spot - in terms of anything delineated by markings - but they know the rules define a specific place, and everyone else managed to use it.
I do sympathise with Hamilton, because it is not necessarily his fault in both of these instances.
His Mercedes team let him down by telling him to pit in Monza, and when Hamilton asked on the team radio whether he could do a practice start from further down the pit lane in Russia, his race engineer Pete Bonnington gave Hamilton the green light to do it. The problem was, Hamilton went a lot further down the pit lane than the team had expected.
It's harsh for him to lose two races in this manner, and the fact that he picked up penalties for both infringements (doing a practice start in the wrong place on consecutive laps) will only grate that bit more, and perhaps seem over the top.
The fact is, though, that Hamilton wanted to do a practice start there, rather than in the designated practice start box, because it was less grippy than the practice area, and therefore more like the grid slot he would be starting on in the race. It would give him a better feel for the start.
If this was allowed, everyone would do it. The practice-start box has more rubber down because that is the place drivers can practise their starts. So every other driver who complies with the regulations does their starts there and little by little rubber from their rear tyres is deposited on to the asphalt.
Sure, it's not always ideal for race-start preparation, but they are the rules and Hamilton was the only one to do something different. He did it twice, and he was penalised accordingly.
In summary, I don't think the FIA stewards are against Hamilton, they are simply applying penalties for breaches of the rules.
Sometimes they seem harsh, but I'm sure Haas were arguing the same in Hungary when both drivers were given the same penalty as Hamilton for being told to pit on the formation lap.
All these instances are procedural infringements which leave little wriggle room in terms of application of the rules. In that sense, they are unlike racing incidents, which can be argued against as they aren't always black and white.
A bad track gives a bad race
The Sochi Autodrom winds its way around the 2014 Winter Olympic park. Combined with its location on the shores of the Black Sea, with mountains as a backdrop, it should create a nicely atmospheric setting.
But looks can be deceptive. The reality is that it's a circuit that lacks much character. It's almost entirely flat, and every corner seems almost the same - an approximately 90-degree turn. The only exceptions are the slightly trickier - but still 90-degree - chicanes of Turns 13-16.
It's certainly not any driver's favourite venue.
This year, Sochi followed on from the debut of Italy's Mugello track, which I praised in my last column for its old-school characterful feel. In that context, I'd argue the new-school sanitised feel of Sochi did little to help the excitement.
There were 30,000 fans watching on inside the Sochi Autodrom
There have been seven Russian Grands Prix at Sochi now, and it has yet to produce a properly decent race. Overtaking is tricky and cars often spread out, despite the track having a high chance of a safety car.
Statistically, that safety-car probability will be even higher next year, after first-lap crashes for McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Racing Point's Lance Stroll. But the safety car on Sunday did little to spice up the action - unlike in Mugello.
Turn Two at Sochi has come under some scrutiny, specifically for the way the policing of track limits and rules about rejoining the track led to incidents and penalties.
Britain's George Russell labelled the corner "one of the worst on the calendar". And with a combination of track-limits madness and a lack of overtaking it's a thought that many share.
Sainz hit the wall in the run-off area trying to go too fast though the bollards before rejoining the track, and Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull's Alex Albon received penalties for not going through the run-off in the correct manner. Drivers are meant to lose heaps of time by swerving left to go through the bollards next to the wall Sainz hit, even if they slide off track by only a few millimetres.
Race director Michael Masi admitted after the race that there was room for improvement here.
At the end of Sochi's kilometre-long main straight, a tighter corner may help overtaking and also perhaps reduce the corner-cutting issue that the following kink causes. Several drivers have spoken about this, and perhaps a change here can produce some better Russian Grands Prix in the future.
In defence of this year's race, without Hamilton's penalty, it may have been set up for a good race with offset tyre strategies between the Mercedes drivers, but we were denied a chance to see that play out.
Perez shining in adversity
Sergio Perez is on the back foot because his seat at Racing Point has been taken by Sebastian Vettel for next season and he is looking for a drive in 2021.
But he is putting in some good performances in the face of adversity to solidify his reputation and plant himself firmly on the radar of other teams.
For the second race in a row, Perez has had to race a car without new upgrades, after they were once again given to team-mate Lance Stroll following his crash in Mugello.
Despite that, Perez was best of the rest in both qualifying and the race in Russia, and well ahead of Stroll. He beat fifth-placed Ricciardo by 22 seconds - pretty much a full pit stop.
He has had a public falling out with the team after being dropped at the end of the season, despite having a contract in place. He has clearly felt poorly treated by a team he helped save a couple of years ago by taking them into administration and forcing a sale to Lawrence Stroll.
In spite of this, Perez is capable of delivering good results, and his fourth place is a demonstration that he does deserve a place in a decent car next season as well.
Vettel counting down the days
Sebastian Vettel is leaving Ferrari for the renamed Aston Martin team next year
Next season can't come soon enough for Vettel. Ferrari have a poor car this season and the four-time champion has never looked comfortable in it.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc has pulled a few star performances out of the Ferrari and on Sunday he finished a very credible sixth from 11th on the grid.
In contrast, Vettel had another weekend to forget. He crashed in qualifying while trying to make up a 0.4-second deficit to Leclerc, and then never made an impact in the grand prix after a long first stint.
The Ferrari is certainly a handful with which Vettel is struggling to make any progress, but on top of that his relationship with the team has soured in a similar way to Perez's at Racing Point.
There has been needle between Vettel and team principal Mattia Binotto all season long since it was confirmed Vettel hadn't retained his drive.
Vettel doesn't seem to trust the Ferrari strategists at all this year - and this is not the first season in which that has been apparent. He is debating and often overriding some of their in-race calls. But more importantly he seems to have lost his usual mojo for racing and performance. It almost looks as if he is seeing out this year in a holding pattern.
I'm sure a fresh challenge at Aston Martin will reinvigorate Vettel and he probably can't wait for it to come around already.
Ricciardo puts heat on Ocon
Ricciardo has been outstanding this season, and produced another excellent drive in Russia.
When he was given a five-second penalty for exceeding the track limits at Turn Two, his radio message spoke volumes for his confidence. "Yeah, that's my bad; I'll make up for it," he said, adding: "I'll drive faster."
He is driving the wheels off his Renault and has been unlucky not to be on the podium already this season with fourth places at Silverstone, Spa and Mugello.
Ricciardo is making it a very tough return season for Esteban Ocon, a young French star who has seemed destined for greatness.
Ocon was seen as a man of the future by many after beating Max Verstappen to the European Formula Three title on their way up through the ranks, and he impressed for Force India against Perez in the first phase of his F1 career.
Ricciardo is showing top-class driving in a midfield team, but if Ocon was thinking things might get easier when it was announced the Australian would be off to McLaren for next year, he may have been mistaken.
Fernando Alonso is returning to Renault to fill Ricciardo's shoes in 2021, and with the Spaniard's recent visit to the team's factories and insistence on being closely in the loop through the remainder of this year as well, it seems he could be at least as stiff competition for Ocon.
If Alonso comes back at somewhere near the level he left F1 a couple of years ago, then Ocon will need to raise his game in the remaining races and through the winter to not be left behind.
He only has to look at the podium interviewer last weekend to see the risks. Stoffel Vandoorne was the man with the microphone. He was dropped from F1 after a tough season in 2018 against Alonso
Ocon has had promising moments but is yet to look fully on top of things in 2020.


bbc--2020-09-28--All you need to know about Trump v Biden debate

We 've had months of set-piece events , tightly controlled by a team of campaign staff .
Well , that 's about to end .
On the debate stage , candidates are on their own and in the whole campaign , this is the moment most fraught with risk .
Plenty can go wrong , so hold on tight .
When - and where - are the Trump v Biden debates ?
There are three presidential debates on the agenda : Vice-President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will also go head-to-head : They all take place from 21:00-22:30ET ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How can you follow the debate ?
On our live page from 08:00 EST ( 13:30 BST ) on Tuesday which you will be able to find here .
That 's a one-stop shop for pre-debate commentary , a livestream of the action from Cleveland , and all the reaction and analysis from BBC experts across the US and our panel of voters .
All the latest developments will also be tweeted @ BBCNorthAmerica while you can also see the main speeches and get analysis on BBC World News ( global ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
What 's the format for the first debate ?
Six questions in six segments , 15 minutes each .
The segments are : Mr Trump and Mr Biden will get two minutes apiece to respond to the question initially before the back-and-forth begins .
If you 've got a question for the candidates , you can tell us what it is and we 'll try to answer it for you .
There 's a form at the bottom of the page .
What should people watch out for in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality .
He seeks out and dominates in the public spotlight , and his strengths and weaknesses are familiar to most Americans .
That 's why the presidential debates will be much more focused on how Joe Biden performs in the spotlight .
Biden 's task will be to post a sure and steady performance .
He needs to make Americans , at least enough of them to win in November , comfortable with the thought of him in the Oval Office .
He needs to dispel concerns about his age and mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stumbles that have bedevilled him in the past .
Trump 's job , on the other hand , will be to trip his opponent up .
As Hillary Clinton and his primary opponents can attest , he is a destabilising , unpredictable presence on the stage - and if he can fluster Biden , it might sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of the Democrat 's less devoted supporters .
While doing so , he will also have to be prepared for Biden 's counterattacks - including criticisms about how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy and the duties of the presidency .
It has the makings of a raucous encounter .
And there could be fireworks from the moderator , right ?
The first moderator is Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace .
A lot of people might think a Fox News anchor would give President Trump an easy ride but this is no Sean Hannity .
Quite the opposite .
The president has endured some of his most awkward moments sitting across from Wallace , whose command of the detail is legendary .
An interview in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump he 'd taken the same cognitive ability test the president touted , telling him it was `` not the hardest test '' .
Mr Trump - who typically favours Fox News - has dismissed Wallace as a `` wannabe '' of his father , Mike Wallace , who was an original reporter with CBS 60 Minutes .
A registered Democrat , Wallace has said moderating debates is a serious business as it helps `` millions of people decide who we 're going to elect '' .
For the second debate , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scully moderating .
That 's a town hall format which means real people get to play a part too .
Who could forget Ken Bone from 2016 ?
Finally , NBC 's White House correspondent Kristen Welker will round out the debate season .
USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page will tackle the one and only vice-presidential debate .
What do supporters say is the worst thing that could happen ?
We asked two voters from our panel .
Trump-supporter Mike Harlow , a 30-year-old writer/YouTuber in New York City says expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' that he fears it 'll look like a stellar performance if he `` is just able to speak and stand up straight '' .
Biden 's showing is similarly a concern for Reem Sabha , a 24-year-old graduate student in Seattle .
She says she worries the Democrat 's debate performance and policy plans may not translate to actual votes .
`` I 'm concerned people will say Joe Biden does n't have the energy to be president or he 's too old to be president or he does n't have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Are you an American voter ?
But when have debates actually affected an election ?
Viewership has been on the decline , but millions of Americans still regularly tune in .
It 's both entertainment and informative - for many voters the debates help cement their candidate of choice .
The first ever televised debate in 1960 pitted young Democratic Senator John F Kennedy against the sitting vice-president , Republican Richard Nixon .
Mr Kennedy 's team made sure he looked fresh for the close-ups , while Mr Nixon , who was recovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suit and was seen wiping sweat off his brow .
The story goes that most of the 70 million TV viewers felt the youthful Mr Kennedy had won , while those who tuned in solely on radio thought it was the more experienced Mr Nixon .
Mr Kennedy did see a jump in the polls after the debates , even though we ca n't say for certain it was due to his small screen prowess .
Republican challenger Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter in their 1980 debate by keeping things short and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight policy and history , Mr Reagan used one-liners to his advantage .
He responded to one of Mr Carter 's lengthy criticisms by saying simply : `` There you go again . ''
In 2000 , Democratic candidate Al Gore 's debate performance against George Bush may have cost him the presidency .
His sighing and eye-rolling during his Republican counterpart 's responses came across as condescending to many voters ( and made it into a Saturday Night Live comedy skit ) .
What would you ask the candidates ?
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want to ask Mr Trump and Mr Biden ?
Send us your questions using the form below .
If you ca n't see the form , you may need to view the site on a desktop .

US election 2020: What time is the Trump v Biden presidential debate? Published 29 September 2020
We've had months of set-piece events, tightly controlled by a team of campaign staff. Well, that's about to end.
On the debate stage, candidates are on their own and in the whole campaign, this is the moment most fraught with risk.
Plenty can go wrong, so hold on tight.
Here's your handy guide.
When - and where - are the Trump v Biden debates?
There are three presidential debates on the agenda:
29 September in Cleveland, Ohio
15 October in Miami, Florida
22 October in Nashville, Tennessee
Vice-President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will also go head-to-head:
7 October in Salt Lake City, Utah
They all take place from 21:00-22:30ET (02:00-03:30BST), with no commercial interruptions.
Where can I watch the debate?
The BBC will have a livestream of all the action from the debate in Cleveland where you can also follow all the build-up on our live page here.
That's a one-stop shop for pre-debate commentary from BBC experts across the US, the debate itself and then all the reaction and analysis from our reporters and our voter panel.
All the latest developments will also be tweeted @BBCNorthAmerica while you can also see the main speeches and get analysis on BBC World News (global) and the BBC News Channel (UK).
What's the format for the first debate?
Six questions in six segments, 15 minutes each. The segments are:
Trump and Biden's records
Supreme Court
Coronavirus pandemic
Race protests and violence in cities
Election integrity
Economy
Mr Trump and Mr Biden will get two minutes apiece to respond to the question initially before the back-and-forth begins.
If you've got a question for the candidates, you can tell us what it is and we'll try to answer it for you. There's a form at the bottom of the page.
What should people watch out for in the first debate?
Donald Trump is a known quantity. He seeks out and dominates in the public spotlight, and his strengths and weaknesses are familiar to most Americans. That's why the presidential debates will be much more focused on how Joe Biden performs in the spotlight.
Biden's task will be to post a sure and steady performance. He needs to make Americans, at least enough of them to win in November, comfortable with the thought of him in the Oval Office. He needs to dispel concerns about his age and mental alacrity and avoid the kind of verbal stumbles that have bedevilled him in the past.
Trump's job, on the other hand, will be to trip his opponent up. As Hillary Clinton and his primary opponents can attest, he is a destabilising, unpredictable presence on the stage - and if he can fluster Biden, it might sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of the Democrat's less devoted supporters. While doing so, he will also have to be prepared for Biden's counterattacks - including criticisms about how he has handled the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and the duties of the presidency.
It has the makings of a raucous encounter.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, How will Trump or Biden win the debate? Anthony assesses their strengths and weaknesses
And there could be fireworks from the moderator, right?
The first moderator is Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace.
A lot of people might think a Fox News anchor would give President Trump an easy ride but this is no Sean Hannity. Quite the opposite. The president has endured some of his most awkward moments sitting across from Wallace, whose command of the detail is legendary.
An interview in July went viral when Wallace told Mr Trump he'd taken the same cognitive ability test the president touted, telling him it was "not the hardest test".
Mr Trump - who typically favours Fox News - has dismissed Wallace as a "wannabe" of his father, Mike Wallace, who was an original reporter with CBS 60 Minutes.
A registered Democrat, Wallace has said moderating debates is a serious business as it helps "millions of people decide who we're going to elect".
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, In 2016, Chris Wallace became the first Fox News host to moderate a presidential general election debate
For the second debate, we'll have C-Span's political editor Steve Scully moderating. That's a town hall format which means real people get to play a part too. Who could forget Ken Bone from 2016?
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, US Election: Internet star Ken Bone's message of hope
Finally, NBC's White House correspondent Kristen Welker will round out the debate season.
USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page will tackle the one and only vice-presidential debate.
What do supporters say is the worst thing that could happen?
We asked two voters from our panel.
Trump-supporter Mike Harlow, a 30-year-old writer/YouTuber in New York City says expectations are "so incredibly low with Biden" that he fears it'll look like a stellar performance if he "is just able to speak and stand up straight".
Biden's showing is similarly a concern for Reem Sabha, a 24-year-old graduate student in Seattle. She says she worries the Democrat's debate performance and policy plans may not translate to actual votes.
"I'm concerned people will say Joe Biden doesn't have the energy to be president or he's too old to be president or he doesn't have the character or the gravitas."
But when have debates actually affected an election?
Viewership has been on the decline, but millions of Americans still regularly tune in.
It's both entertainment and informative - for many voters the debates help cement their candidate of choice.
The first ever televised debate in 1960 pitted young Democratic Senator John F Kennedy against the sitting vice-president, Republican Richard Nixon.
Mr Kennedy's team made sure he looked fresh for the close-ups, while Mr Nixon, who was recovering from an illness, donned an ill-fitting suit and was seen wiping sweat off his brow. The story goes that most of the 70 million TV viewers felt the youthful Mr Kennedy had won, while those who tuned in solely on radio thought it was the more experienced Mr Nixon.
Mr Kennedy did see a jump in the polls after the debates, even though we can't say for certain it was due to his small screen prowess.
Republican challenger Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter in their 1980 debate by keeping things short and sweet.
Where Mr Carter tried to highlight policy and history, Mr Reagan used one-liners to his advantage. He responded to one of Mr Carter's lengthy criticisms by saying simply: "There you go again."
In 2000, Democratic candidate Al Gore's debate performance against George Bush may have cost him the presidency. His sighing and eye-rolling during his Republican counterpart's responses came across as condescending to many voters (and made it into a Saturday Night Live comedy skit).
If you were a debate moderator, what would you want to ask Mr Trump and Mr Biden?
Send us your questions using the form below. If you can't see the form, you may need to view the site on a desktop.


bbc--2020-09-29--US election 2020 polls: Who is ahead - Trump or Biden?

Voters in America will decide on 3 November whether Donald Trump remains in the White House for another four years .
The Republican president is being challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden , who is best known as Barack Obama 's vice-president but has been in US politics since the 1970s .
As election day approaches , polling companies will be trying to gauge the mood of the nation by asking voters which candidate they prefer .
We 'll be keeping track of those polls here and trying to work out what they can and ca n't tell us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National polls are a good guide as to how popular a candidate is across the country as a whole , but they 're not necessarily a good way to predict the result of the election .
In 2016 , for example , Hillary Clinton led in the polls and won nearly three million more votes than Donald Trump , but she still lost - that 's because the US uses an electoral college system , so winning the most votes does n't always win you the election .
With that caveat aside , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in most national polls since the start of the year .
He has hovered around 50 % in recent months and has had a 10-point lead on occasions .
By contrast , in 2016 the polls were far less clear and just a couple of percentage points separated Mr Trump and his then-rival Hillary Clinton at several points as election day neared .
• A really simple guide to the US election Which states will decide this election ?
As Mrs Clinton discovered in 2016 , the number of votes you win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Most states nearly always vote the same way , meaning that in reality there are just a handful of states where both candidates stand a chance of winning .
These are the places where the election will be won and lost and are known as battleground states .
In the electoral college system the US uses to elect its president , each state is given a number of votes based on how many members it sends to Congress - House and Senate .
A total of 538 electoral college votes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to hit 270 to win .
As the map above shows , some battleground states have a lot more electoral college votes on offer than others so candidates often spend a lot more time campaigning in them .
• What is the electoral college ?
At the moment , polls in the battleground states look good for Joe Biden , but there 's a long way to go and things can change very quickly , especially when Donald Trump 's involved .
The polls suggest Mr Biden is ahead in Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Republican rival won by margins of less than 1 % to clinch victory in 2016 .
But it 's the battleground states where Mr Trump won big in 2016 that his campaign team will be most worried about .
His winning margin in Iowa , Ohio and Texas was between 8-10 % back then but it 's looking much closer in all three at the moment .
Betting markets , however , are certainly not writing Mr Trump off just yet .
The latest odds give him just less than a 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which suggests some people expect the outlook to change a lot over the next few weeks .
But political analysts are less convinced about his chances of re-election .
FiveThirtyEight , a political analysis website , says Mr Biden is `` favoured '' to win the election , while The Economist says he is `` very likely '' to beat Mr Trump .
• Has Trump delivered on his promises ?
The coronavirus pandemic has dominated headlines in the US since the start of the year and the response to President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party lines .
Support for his approach peaked in mid-March after he declared a national emergency and made $ 50 billion available to states to stop the spread of the virus .
At this point , 55 % of Americans approved of his actions , according to data from Ipsos , a leading polling company .
But any support he had from Democrats disappeared after that , while Republicans continued to back their president .
By July , the data suggests his own supporters had begun to question his response - but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September .
The virus is likely to be at the forefront of voters ' minds and one leading model produced by experts at the University of Washington predicts the death toll will have risen to about 230,000 people by election day .
Mr Trump may be hoping Operation Warp Speed , his administration 's vaccine initiative , can produce an `` October surprise '' - a last-minute event that turns the election upside down .
The chief scientific adviser to the initiative has said it 's `` extremely unlikely but not impossible '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribute before 3 November .
• Trump deliberately played down virus , new book says Can we trust the polls ?
It 's easy to dismiss the polls by saying they got it wrong in 2016 and President Trump frequently does exactly that .
But it 's not entirely true .
Most national polls did have Hillary Clinton ahead by a few percentage points , but that does n't mean they were wrong , since she won three million more votes than her rival .
Pollsters did have some problems in 2016 - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a college degree - meaning Mr Trump 's advantage in some key battleground states was n't spotted until late in the race , if at all .
Most polling companies have corrected this now .
But this year there 's even more uncertainty than normal due to the coronavirus pandemic and the effect it 's having on both the economy and how people will vote in November , so all polls should be read with some scepticism , especially this far out from election day .
• Americast : The latest news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions do you have about the US election ?
The US election process can be confusing .
The BBC is here to help make sense of it .
Please put your questions below .
Written and produced by Mike Hills and Will Dahlgreen .
Design by Irene de la Torre Arenas .
Development by Katie Hassell , Marcos Gurgel , Steven Connor and Shilpa Saraf .

On his own health, 72% of respondents said that Mr Trump did not take the "risk of contracting the virus seriously enough," while the same number said he failed to take "the appropriate precautions when it came to his personal health".


bbc--2020-09-27--Voicemail from prison: How a mum and daughter rebuilt their relationship

Oh my God , I did n't realise I could get messages .
I just listened to yours they 're amazing .
It 's so , so good to hear your voice .
I did n't even know I had this [ voicemail ] until today , when they gave me the letter .
But all your news is amazing !
Your job , your tattoo , you 're in a circus metal band ?
And you 're coming to see me - oh my good God I 'm so so so so damn excited .
Um , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear your voice is just the best thing ever… My money 's going to run out but I miss you and I love you and I 'll see you soon .
Bye !
`` If she 's listening to music that she remembers from her childhood , she leaves me little song clips on it , '' she told me , speaking from inside the prison .
`` And she 'll always leave me a message saying that she loves me or just a little funny joke or something , just so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she was thinking of me .
It will just cheer me up . ''
You may also be interested in :

Oh my God, I didn't realise I could get messages. I just listened to yours they're amazing. It's so, so good to hear your voice. I didn't even know I had this [voicemail] until today, when they gave me the letter. But all your news is amazing! Your job, your tattoo, you're in a circus metal band? And you're coming to see me - oh my good God I'm so so so so damn excited. Um, it's really not that bad here, but to hear your voice is just the best thing ever… My money's going to run out but I miss you and I love you and I'll see you soon. Bye!


bbc--2020-09-29--Armenia says its fighter jet 'shot down by Turkey'

The enclave is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan , but has been run by ethnic Armenians since a 1988-94 war between the two former Soviet republics .
The fighting that started three days ago now appears to be spilling out of Nagorno-Karabakh , with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading accusations of direct fire into their territories .
What is the latest from the battlefield ?
The region 's self-proclaimed authorities said 87 of their military personnel had been killed and 120 wounded since the fighting began on Sunday , according to the Armenpress news agency .
They put the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 400 , saying that one aircraft , four helicopters and a number of tanks had been destroyed .
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan have always been strong .
When fighting erupted over Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday , Turkey immediately extended its support `` both on the field and at the negotiation table '' , in the words of its foreign minister .
They share a similar history , language and heritage and their leaders often refer to `` one nation and two states '' .
Turkey 's border with Armenia has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support over Nagorno-Karabakh .
President Erdogan has vowed to stand by Azerbaijan `` with all its resources and heart '' .
But it 's still unknown whether Turkey has supplied Azerbaijan with military experts , drones and warplanes , as Armenia alleges .
And yet it is Russia , not Turkey , that holds the key to the region .
Russia has a mutual defence pact with Armenia and a military base there .
Turkey is already at odds with Russia over Syria and Libya , and the Caucasus could open a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had soldiers killed in sporadic breaches of the ceasefire .
Landlocked Armenia has suffered severe economic problems due to the closure of borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan .
Russia , France and the US co-chair the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 's Minsk Group , which has been attempting to broker an end to the dispute .

And yet it is Russia, not Turkey, that holds the key to the region. Russia has a mutual defence pact with Armenia and a military base there. Turkey is already at odds with Russia over Syria and Libya, and the Caucasus could open a new front.


bbc--2020-09-29--Biden and Harris release tax returns before debate

US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has released his tax returns just hours ahead of the first debate with President Donald Trump .
Mr Biden and his wife Jill paid nearly $ 288,000 ( £224,000 ) in income tax last year , according to the filings .
He has called on the president to release his returns .
The move follows a report by the New York Times that Mr Trump paid just $ 750 in income tax in 2016 .
Mr Trump said the claims were `` fake news '' .
For years Mr Trump has been criticised by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public as his predecessors did .
He says his tax returns are currently being audited , and that he will not release them while an inspection is continuing .
There is no legal reason why the president can not release his returns while an audit is taking place .
• When is the Trump v Biden debate ?
• Trump 's taxes : What you need to know Mr Biden 's tax returns showed he paid $ 346,000 in federal taxes and other payments last year on an income of nearly $ 985,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47,000 they said they had overpaid .
Mr Biden 's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield described the release of the returns as a `` historic level of transparency '' , saying : `` Mr President , release your tax returns or shut up '' .
Mr Biden 's running mate Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff reported $ 3,018,127 in taxable income , most of this was from Mr Emhoff 's partnership at a law firm .
The pair paid $ 1,185,628 in taxes .
The New York Times claimed Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 18 years of tax records that were examined .
After the success of The Apprentice TV show , he did initially pay significant taxes - $ 95m over 18 years .
But he later got most of that back via a $ 72.9 million federal tax fund .
The refund remains under review .
The newspaper also alleges Mr Trump claimed tax deductions on expenses including $ 70,000 of hair styling for television .

He says his tax returns are currently being audited, and that he will not release them while an inspection is continuing. There is no legal reason why the president cannot release his returns while an audit is taking place.


bbc--2020-09-29--Chadwick Boseman gave some of his 21 Bridges salary to co-star Sienna Miller

Sienna Miller has praised late Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman for donating part of his own salary to boost her pay packet on 21 Bridges .
The pair starred as detectives in the thriller , which was released last year .
Miller told Empire : `` Everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood , but I asked for a number that the studio would n't get to .
`` And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number I had asked for . ''
She added : `` He said that that was what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Panther star Boseman , who died of cancer earlier this year , was also one of the film 's producers and had pursued Miller for the role of Frankie Burns .
`` He was a fan of my work , which was thrilling , because it was reciprocated from me to him , tenfold .
`` So he approached me to do it , he offered me this film , and it was at a time when I really did n't want to work anymore .
I 'd been working non-stop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to work with him .
`` And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time , I said , ' I 'll do it if I 'm compensated in the right way . '
'' Miller said Boseman 's action was unheard of in the film industry .
`` It was about the most astounding thing that I 've experienced , '' she said .
`` That kind of thing just does n't happen .
He said , 'You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what you 're worth . '
It 's just unfathomable to imagine another man in that town behaving that graciously or respectfully .
`` In the aftermath of this I 've told other male actor friends of mine that story and they all go very , very quiet and go home and probably have to sit and think about things for a while .
But there was no showiness , it was , 'Of course I 'll get you to that number , because that 's what you should be paid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure whether to tell the story at first but then decided she would `` because I think it 's a testament to who he was '' .
The interview appears in a special commemorative issue of Empire Magazine .
Journalist Alex Godfrey , who spoke to Miller , noted on Twitter that `` this is a story she particularly wanted to tell '' .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"In the aftermath of this I've told other male actor friends of mine that story and they all go very, very quiet and go home and probably have to sit and think about things for a while. But there was no showiness, it was, 'Of course I'll get you to that number, because that's what you should be paid.'"


bbc--2020-09-30--Joyce Echaquan: Outcry in Canada over treatment of dying indigenous woman

A nurse has been fired from a Canadian hospital after a video emerged showing a dying indigenous woman screaming in distress and being insulted by staff .
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said the nurse 's remarks were `` unacceptable '' and `` racist '' .
He said Joyce Echaquan 's death would be thoroughly investigated .
It is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised questions about systemic racism faced by Canada 's indigenous citizens .
In 2015 a report found that racism against indigenous people in Canada 's healthcare system contributed to their overall poorer health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Echaquan , a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman , had gone to the Joliette hospital about 70km ( 45 miles ) from Montreal suffering from stomach pains .
The mother of seven filmed herself in her hospital bed screaming and calling for urgent help .
A member of staff can be heard saying to her , in French : `` You 're stupid as hell . ''
Another says Ms Echaquan had made bad choices in life and asks what her children would think of her behaviour .
Ms Echaquan died soon afterwards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a history of heart trouble and was worried that she was being given too much morphine .
What has the reaction been ?
`` The nurse , what she said , is totally unacceptable , it 's racist and she was fired , '' Premier Legault told a news conference .
`` We must fight this racism . ''
He announced two investigations .
One will be conducted by regional health authorities and the other by a forensic pathologist responsible for investigating deaths in suspicious circumstances or due to negligence .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politician Perry Bellegarde said the incident showed that discrimination against indigenous people in Canada 's healthcare system remained prevalent .
The Atikamekw council of Manawan said the remarks `` clearly demonstrate racism against First Nations '' .
Ghislain Picard , Grand Chief of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador , said racism was `` very often the fruit of government policies which lead to systemic discrimination '' .
Mary Hannaburg , vice-president of Quebec Native Women , said the video was a `` very hard thing to hear and to listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The statements that are made are not going to be tolerated .
Those are of a racist nature , '' she said .
A vigil for Ms Echaquan was held outside the Joliette hospital on Tuesday evening and an online fundraising campaign has been set up to support her children .
In recent years Canada has been coming to terms with racial injustice suffered by its indigenous people .
Last year a government inquiry found that Canada was complicit in `` race-based genocide '' against indigenous women .
The report said indigenous women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed or to disappear than other women in Canada .
The inquiry said the cause was deep-rooted colonialism and state inaction .
In June this year , video of an indigenous chief Allan Adam being repeatedly punched by police while being arrested shocked the country .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada has a problem with systemic racism `` in all our institutions , including in all our police forces '' .
Also in June , health authorities in the province of British Columbia launched an investigation amid claims that some hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of indigenous patients .

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bbc--2020-09-29--Covid-19: Milestones of the global pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic began last year in a city in central China , but has since grown to affect nearly every country on earth .
The virus has put world leaders in hospital while exposing inequality .
It has asked major questions of governments and encroached on the daily lives of billions .
And it shows no signs of ending any time soon .
As the number of deaths passes one million , we take a look at some of the landmarks along the way .
January was a big month for news - it saw the US assassinate an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia and the death of basketball great Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash .
We did n't know it at the time , but the biggest story emerged from China , which the BBC first reported as a cluster of cases of a `` mysterious viral pneumonia '' in the city of Wuhan .
On 11 January , China reported its first confirmed death from the virus - a 61-year-old male resident of the city .
Chinese scientists identified the illness as a type of coronavirus , which cause different diseases from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sars ( severe acute respiratory syndrome ) .
There were early signs of the kind of response that would later be commonplace around the world - the outbreak prompted Singapore and Hong Kong to bring in screening processes for travellers from Wuhan .
There were also fears the virus could spread rapidly as hundreds of millions of people in China prepared to travel around the country for Chinese New Year .
But it was still unclear how the illness was transmitted , with health officials saying no cases of human-to-human transmission had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization ( WHO ) said it was aware of the outbreak , it was in contact with the Chinese government and it was closely monitoring the event .
By the end of the month , the toll had passed 100 , with infections rising fast .
It spread beyond Wuhan , both into other parts of China and to at least 16 countries around the world .
Some nations began to send planes to Wuhan to evacuate citizens .
Meanwhile , the US urged its nationals to `` reconsider travel '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hubei were already effectively in lockdown , with strict transport restrictions in and out of the area .
Wearing masks in public was also , by now , mandatory in some Chinese cities .
A 50-year-old man , who had travelled to Wuhan , became the first person in the capital Beijing to die with the virus .
Health officials determined that the virus had emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan and said it could indeed spread between people .
The Chinese authorities said the virus was able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before any symptoms appeared like a normal flu , making it harder to contain .
The outbreak was declared a global emergency by the WHO on 30 January .
Just two weeks later the toll reached 1,000 .
More and more countries were starting to see their first cases , but much of the world 's attention was still focused on China .
We reported that the virus had claimed the lives of 97 people in one single day there , in what was then the highest number of casualties in a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April the US reported nearly 2,000 fatalities .
At the time , the WHO said the number of new cases in China was `` stabilising '' - but warned it was too early to say whether the virus had peaked .
It sent an international mission to China to help co-ordinate a response to the outbreak .
By now , the virus had spread to at least 27 other countries and territories , but so far there were only two deaths outside of mainland China , in the Philippines and Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of passengers had tested positive for the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan , one of many cruise ships that became Covid hotspots .
A British man who had been on board the ship became the first UK national to die with the virus .
At about the same time the coronavirus was given an official name , Covid-19 .
As the number of deaths from the virus around the world passed 10,000 , concerns turned to Europe .
The continent at that point accounted for about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll in Italy - the worst affected country at the time in terms of reported fatalities - reached a total of 4,032 .
A nationwide lockdown had been imposed there earlier in the month .
Meanwhile , China reported no new domestic cases for the second consecutive day .
The number of confirmed cases around the world was at about 250,000 at this point , with more than 80,000 people said to have recovered .
On 19 March UK PM Boris Johnson said he believed the UK could `` turn the tide '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
A nationwide lockdown was imposed on 24 March , when the UK death toll had reached 335 .
• Social distancing may be needed for ‘ most of year ’ • UK 's already huge changes may just be the start By now , the world looked like a very different place from what it did three months earlier and the global death toll stood at 100,000 .
President Donald Trump warned the US could see as many as 100,000 deaths itself , but denied that his administration had acted too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York had more cases than any individual country .
By late September , the US death toll would be more than 200,000 .
Meanwhile , Europe prepared to spend the Easter weekend under lockdown .
Boris Johnson , who tested positive for the virus the previous month , came out of intensive care on 9 April .
The number of deaths in the UK had reached nearly 9,000 , with more than 70,000 confirmed cases , with London said to be the `` epicentre '' of the pandemic in the country .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milestone of 500,000 deaths was reached .
At the same time , lockdown restrictions were eased in some parts of the world , and people in the northern hemisphere turned their attention to how they would spend their summer .
The EU said it would reopen its borders to citizens from various countries from 1 July , including Australia and Canada - but not the US .
At that point , half the world 's cases had been recorded in the US and Europe , but Covid-19 was rapidly growing in the Americas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia and Africa , where it was not expected to peak until the end of July .
The WHO warned that the worst could be yet to come and urged governments to implement the right policies .
On Monday , the world reached one million recorded deaths from Covid-19 .
The US , Brazil and India now make up nearly half of the total , according to Johns Hopkins University .
However , the death toll is thought to be far higher as many cases may not have been been officially reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ records in 27 countries found another 130,000 deaths that had not featured in the daily headline figures .
So what can we expect in the future ?
We are seeing just over 5,000 recorded coronavirus deaths a day around the world at the moment , says the BBC 's head of statistics , Robert Cuffe .
If that pace continues , we can expect the daily count to pass two million in just over six months , he adds .
Health authorities have learnt a great deal about the virus since the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rise in deaths is set to continue .
`` We see no sign of slowing of the death rate , '' Nancy Baxter , an epidemiologist and head of Melbourne 's School of Population and Global Health , told the BBC .
`` There 's been over a thousand deaths per day worldwide since 18 March and what seems to happen is as Covid-19 becomes controlled in one jurisdiction it gets out of control elsewhere .
`` So I think that unfortunately we are looking at a similar number of deaths before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Wuhan and its province Hubei were already effectively in lockdown, with strict transport restrictions in and out of the area. Wearing masks in public was also, by now, mandatory in some Chinese cities. A 50-year-old man, who had travelled to Wuhan, became the first person in the capital Beijing to die with the virus.


bbc--2020-09-29--Belarus: France's Macron calls for 'peaceful transition' amid protests

But many countries have criticised a crackdown on mass demonstrations as well as the 9 August presidential election that the opposition says was rigged in Mr Lukashenko 's favour .
What did the French president say ?
`` We will do our best as Europeans to help mediate , '' Mr Macron told reporters .
`` Our objective is for this mediation to begin in the next few days or weeks . ''
`` The aim is a peaceful transition , the release of people who are in prison for their political opinions and the holding of free elections under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I think he will speak with the Russian side about Belarus and will do everything possible to involve Russia in these negotiations , '' she added .
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she looked to President Macron because `` he is one of the most powerful leaders in Europe '' and because `` he and France are famous for having played the role of mediators in many other cases '' .
It was a flattering reference to the French leader 's foreign policy activism , which currently appears to have gone up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Belarusian intervention , Mr Macron has also been banging government heads in Lebanon while at the same time talking tough on behalf of Greece against Turkey .
A few months ago he was sponsoring peace talks for Ukraine .
Historically , this is what France does .
Not to get involved in the big issues on the European periphery would be to admit that France is no longer the country it once was .
Whereas , with the UK leaving the EU , French foreign policy leadership is - in French eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top of that , there is the Macron factor .
The president is still the man who came to power so unexpectedly three years ago ; a man of immense self-belief who does not like to be told any mission is beyond him .
What else is happening ?
He added : `` We do n't accept the results of this rigged election .
We will hold those responsible for the thuggery deployed against the Belarusian people to account and we will stand up for our values of democracy and human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most popular news sources in the country , and it has been a major source of updates during the recent unrest for both Belarusians and foreign media .

Historically, this is what France does. Not to get involved in the big issues on the European periphery would be to admit that France is no longer the country it once was. Whereas, with the UK leaving the EU, French foreign policy leadership is - in French eyes - more pertinent than ever.


bbc--2020-09-29--WHO to probe 'sexual exploitation' by aid workers in DR Congo

The UN and aid agencies have previously promised zero tolerance of sexual abuse following similar allegations against some of their staff in other countries .
A spokesperson for the UK 's Foreign , Commonwealth and Development Office said it would scrutinise the WHO findings closely , adding : `` Sexual exploitation and abuse are completely abhorrent .
We regularly assess all of our partners against the highest safeguarding standards . ''
Who does the investigation implicate the most ?
Most of the allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation were against men , including doctors , said to be from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations against them , the news agencies reported .
Many men refused to wear condoms , and at least two women said they became pregnant as a result of the abuse , the news agencies reported .
What else did the women say ?
`` He shut the door and told me : 'There 's a condition .
We need to have sex right now ' , '' the woman said .
`` He started to take my clothes off me .
I stepped back but he forced himself against me and kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crying and told him to stop ...
He did n't stop .
So I opened the door and ran out . ''
In the lobby , she was offered a soft drink .
She said she woke up hours later , naked and alone in a hotel room , and believes she was raped .
Why were the women exploited ?
Many women said they were forced to have sex in exchange for jobs , with one describing it as a `` passport to employment '' and another said `` they hire you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also quoted one woman as saying that `` the practice of men demanding sex had become so common that it was the only way to get a job '' .
The WHO has spent this year fighting the Covid-19 pandemic , amid open hostility from the US , which has announced it will leave over allegations the WHO is too close to China .
Now come these serious accusations .
That support may now be shaken , just at the moment the world needs a global public health body beyond reproach .

"He started to take my clothes off me. I stepped back but he forced himself against me and kept pulling off my clothes. I started crying and told him to stop... He didn't stop. So I opened the door and ran out."


bbc--2020-09-29--Two-fifths of plants at risk of extinction, says report

Two-fifths of the world 's plants are at risk of extinction , scientists have warned .
Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species , before they disappear .
Plants hold huge promise as medicines , fuels and foods , says a report by the Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew .
But opportunities are being lost to use plants and fungi to address global issues such as food security and climate change .
The assessment of the State of the World 's Plants and Fungi is based on research from more than 200 scientists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the eve of a United Nations summit , which will press for action from world leaders to address biodiversity loss .
We are living in an age of extinction , said director of science at Kew , Prof Alexandre Antonelli .
`` It 's a very worrying picture of risk and urgent need for action , '' he said .
`` We 're losing the race against time because species are disappearing faster than we can find and name them .
Many of them could hold important clues for solving some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even perhaps of the emerging and current pandemics we are seeing today . ''
The report revealed that only a small proportion of existing plant species are used as foods and biofuels .
More than 7,000 edible plants hold potential for future crops , yet only a handful are used to feed a growing world population .
And some 2,500 plants exist that could provide energy for millions worldwide , while only six crops - maize , sugarcane , soybean , palm oil , rapeseed and wheat - generate the vast majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of conservation science at Kew , told BBC News : `` We 're currently utilising such a small proportion of the world 's plant and fungi , be it for food or medicines or for fuel , ignoring the potential treasure chest of wild species which we now have increasing knowledge of and the techniques to investigate for the good of humanity . ''
The scientists estimate that the extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought , with an estimated 140,000 , or 39.4 % , of vascular plants estimated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 % in 2016 .
They say the increased estimates are partly down to more sophisticated and accurate conservation assessments .
They are calling for risk assessments to be fast tracked , using technology such as artificial intelligence , and for more funding for plant conservation .
The research found 723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction , with over-harvesting a problem in some parts of the world .
And 1,942 plants and 1,886 fungi were named as new to science in 2019 , including species that might be valuable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fibres .
The report contains a chapter on UK flora , which is better studied than in most parts of the world .
However , there is no single agreed list of the UK 's flowering plants and even more uncertainty over fungi , with estimates ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 .

"We're losing the race against time because species are disappearing faster than we can find and name them. Many of them could hold important clues for solving some of the most pressing challenges of medicine and even perhaps of the emerging and current pandemics we are seeing today."


bbc--2020-09-29--Breonna Taylor case: Tapes of grand jury deliberations to be released

Tapes of the grand jury 's deliberations in the case of a black American woman killed in a police operation at her home in Kentucky are to be made public .
Breonna Taylor 's death in March has become a key issue in protests over police brutality and racism .
The jury decided no officers should be charged over her death .
Its tapes are secret , but one juror sued for release .
Kentucky 's attorney general said he was confident the tapes would show his team had presented a `` thorough case '' .
Ms Taylor , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when officers stormed her Louisville home on 13 March .
They were executing a search warrant as part of a drugs investigation , but no drugs were found in the property .
Last week one officer was charged with wanton endangerment for firing shots into an adjoining apartment , but no-one was charged in connection with Ms Taylor 's death .
Her death and the subsequent decision not to charge any officer with murder or manslaughter have led to repeated Black Lives Matter protests in Louisville and elsewhere .
Why are the tapes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cameron said in a statement that although the grand jury was meant to be a secretive body , `` it 's apparent that the public interest in this case is n't going to allow that to happen '' .
He said he was complying with a judge 's order `` to release the recording on Wednesday '' .
Mr Cameron said : `` Once the public listens to the recording , they will see that over the course of two-and-a-half-days , our team presented a thorough and complete case to the grand jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one member of the grand jury calling for the proceedings to be made public .
The unnamed grand juror sued for release of the tapes after comments made in public by Mr Cameron following the jury 's decisions .
The grand juror 's lawsuit contests some of his statements and says the jurors were used as `` a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility '' .
Breonna Taylor 's family have also demanded the release of the tapes .
A statement from the family and their lawyers on Tuesday said the grand juror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cameron had misrepresented the jury 's deliberations .
`` We urge the attorney general to release a complete and unedited copy of the recording , along with any and all evidence , '' it read .
What did the jury decide ?
Mr Cameron said he believed that evidence presented to the jury showed that officers Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were justified in opening fire because Kenneth Walker , Ms Taylor 's boyfriend , had shot at them .
He said : `` For that reason , the only charge recommended was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hankison was charged on three counts and has pleaded not guilty .
Under Kentucky law , someone is guilty of wanton endangerment if they commit an act that shows `` an extreme indifference to the value of human life '' .

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a statement that although the grand jury was meant to be a secretive body, "it's apparent that the public interest in this case isn't going to allow that to happen".


bbc--2020-09-29--Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah dies aged 91

In July , Sheikh Sabah was flown to the United States for medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait that month .
He had ruled the oil-rich Gulf Arab state since 2006 and had overseen its foreign policy for more than 50 years .
He was dubbed the `` dean of Arab diplomacy '' for his efforts to restore relations with states that backed Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War , when Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces .
The emir also often acted as a mediator in regional disputes , including the ongoing diplomatic stand-off between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tiny , oil-rich and vulnerable , Kuwait has long been both an ally of the West and dependant on it for protection .
Britain has twice sent troops to defend it from its giant neighbour Iraq , first in 1961 and then in 1991 as part of the massive US-led Desert Storm campaign to expel Saddam Hussein 's forces .
Despite being ruled by ageing men from the long-standing Al-Sabah dynasty , Kuwait has one of the more lively political scenes in the Arab world , with elected MPs able to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes led to political paralysis .
The ruling family also took on conservative religious opinion by pushing for women to be allowed to vote and run for political office .
In recent years Kuwait has been seen as a calming , mediating force in the region , helped by the late emir 's decades of experience as foreign minister .
The succession is thought likely to be a smooth one .
`` With the utmost sadness and grief for the Kuwaiti people , the Islamic and Arab world and people of friendly nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah , the emir of Kuwait , who is now next to God '' he said .
Born in 1929 , Sheikh Sabah was the great-grandson of the founder of modern Kuwait , Mubarak al-Sabah , who signed a `` Treaty of Friendship '' with Britain in 1899 that saw it become a protectorate .
Sheikh Sabah became Kuwait 's foreign minister in 1963 - two years after Britain recognised Kuwait 's independence - and held the position until 1991 , following the end of the seven-month-long Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1992 and served until 2003 , when he was named prime minister by his half-brother Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad .
Sheikh Sabah became Kuwait 's ruler himself in 2006 , after Sheikh Jaber died and his cousin Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah stepped down just nine days into his rule as parliament moved to depose him on health grounds .

Tiny, oil-rich and vulnerable, Kuwait has long been both an ally of the West and dependant on it for protection. Britain has twice sent troops to defend it from its giant neighbour Iraq, first in 1961 and then in 1991 as part of the massive US-led Desert Storm campaign to expel Saddam Hussein's forces.


bbc--2020-09-29--Coronavirus: Hundreds of thousands of airline jobs at risk, warns industry body

Hundreds of thousands of aviation jobs are at risk without more state aid , a global industry body has warned .
The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) downgraded its 2020 traffic forecasts , after `` a dismal end to the summer travel season '' .
The association , which represents 290 airlines , says it expects traffic to be 66 % below the level it was in 2019 .
The IATA estimates that it will be at least 2024 before air traffic reaches pre-pandemic levels .
A second surge in Covid-19 cases and more government restrictions meant the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The travel industry saw a precipitous drop in business after the coronavirus developed into a pandemic .
Through the year major airlines , airports and tour firms have collectively announced thousands of job losses .
`` Absent additional government relief measures and a reopening of borders , hundreds of thousands of airline jobs will disappear , '' IATA chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said .
He called for Covid-19 tests to be routinely carried out on passengers before flights depart , to increase consumer confidence in air travel and make governments more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already shown signs of struggle this year .
Earlier this month Virgin Atlantic announced it was cutting 1,150 more jobs , on top of 3,500 jobs it had already cut earlier in the year .
The move , it said , was necessary for its survival , and was part of a £1.2bn ( $ 1.5bn ) rescue plan to secure its future for at least 18 months .
Last month , the world 's biggest airline American Airlines said it would cut 19,000 jobs in October when a government wage support scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being cut make up 30 % of its pre-pandemic workforce .
And earlier in the year , United Airlines said as many as 36,000 jobs were at risk .
Germany 's Lufthansa warned it could cut 22,000 positions , and British Airways said it was slashing up to 13,000 jobs .

And earlier in the year, United Airlines said as many as 36,000 jobs were at risk. Germany's Lufthansa warned it could cut 22,000 positions, and British Airways said it was slashing up to 13,000 jobs.


bbc--2020-09-29--Amazon One: Palm scanner launched for 'secure' payments

Its new Amazon One scanner registers an image of the user 's palm , letting them pay by hovering their hand in mid-air `` for about a second or so '' , it says .
But the company said it is `` in active discussions with several potential customers '' about rolling it out to other shops in the future .
`` In most retail environments , Amazon One could become an alternate payment or loyalty card option with a device at the checkout counter next to a traditional point of sale system , '' it said .
Amazon also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` entering a location like a stadium '' or scanning yourself into work instead of using an ID card .
`` Palm-based identification is based on capturing the vein patterns of the palm , '' explains Dr Basel Halak of the Electronics and Computer Science School at the University of Southampton .
`` These patterns are different for each finger and for each person , and as they are hidden underneath the skin 's surface , forgery is extremely difficult . ''
Dr Halak said the level of security was roughly similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used at a distance of a few inches , making it much more practical .
`` In comparison with other form of identifiers such as physical devices , this form of biometric authentication is based on physical characteristics that stay constant throughout one 's lifetime and are more difficult to fake , change or steal , '' he said .
Amazon has not detailed exactly how its version of the technology will work , beyond saying it will use `` custom-built algorithms and hardware '' and scan `` distinct features on and below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it said one of the reasons it chose palm recognition was that it is `` more private '' than some other options .
`` You ca n't determine a person 's identity by looking at an image of their palm , '' it said , possibly a reference to the controversy surrounding facial recognition .
Amazon said other reasons for the choice included the `` intentional gesture '' of holding a palm over a sensor , and the contactless nature , `` which we think customers will appreciate , especially in current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to provide biometric data in order to buy goods or services .
Amazon 's attempt to normalise biometric payment and home surveillance devices risks building a world in which we 're more easily tracked and recorded , which will inevitably disempower citizens . ''

Early adopters can only try out the first version of the technology at two Amazon Go shops - the company's experiment with a real-world supermarket that has no checkouts, but instead tracks the shopper and what they pick up.


bbc--2020-09-29--Zimbabwe: Elephants die from 'bacterial disease'

Wildlife officials in Zimbabwe say they suspect a bacterial disease is responsible for the deaths of more than 30 elephants since late August .
The elephants were found lying on their stomachs , which experts say suggests they died suddenly .
Park officials do not believe they were the victims of poaching as their tusks had not been removed .
Earlier this year hundreds of elephants were found dead in Botswana from a type of bacterial poisoning .
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ( ZPWMA ) says about 34 elephants have been found so far .
However it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not yet been found .
Post-mortem examinations of some of the elephants found they had inflamed livers and other organs .
ZPWMA Director-General Fulton Mangwanya said it is `` unlikely that this disease alone will have any serious overall impact on the survival of the elephant population '' .
`` The north-west regions of Zimbabwe have an over-abundance of elephants and this outbreak of disease is probably a manifestation of that , particularly in the hot , dry season elephants are stressed by competition for water and food resources , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week after wildlife officials in Botswana said toxins made by microscopic algae in water caused the unexplained deaths of hundreds of elephants there .
Officials say a total of 330 elephants are now known to have died from ingesting cyanobacteria .
Cyanobacteria are toxic bacteria which can occur naturally in standing water and sometimes grow into large blooms known as blue-green algae .
Scientists warn that climate change may be making these incidents - known as toxic blooms - more likely , because they favour warm water .
Zimbabwe and Botswana could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 400,000 elephants , according to experts .

"The north-west regions of Zimbabwe have an over-abundance of elephants and this outbreak of disease is probably a manifestation of that, particularly in the hot, dry season elephants are stressed by competition for water and food resources," he said.


bbc--2020-09-29--Lincolnshire Wildlife Park: Swearing parrots removed from view

Five parrots at a wildlife park have been removed from public display after they started swearing at visitors .
The African grey parrots were adopted by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Friskney in August and placed in quarantine together .
However , after being moved into the main outdoor aviaries the birds started ruffling a few feathers with their somewhat choice language .
They have now been moved into different colonies away from delicate ears .
Jess Newton said it was very entertaining working with the birds when they first arrived .
However , she said it was hoped they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were put outside .
Sadly , this did not quite go to plan , park chief executive Steve Nichols said .
The parrots `` swear to trigger reaction or a response '' so if people look shocked or laugh , it just encourages them to do it more , he said .
`` With the five , one would swear and another would laugh and that would carry on , '' he said .
`` Some visitors found it funny but with kids visiting at weekends , we decided to move them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different words within colonies - but if they teach the others bad language and I end up with 250 swearing birds , I do n't know what we 'll do , '' he added .
The birds are not the first at the park to cause a stir .
Earlier this year , Chico the parrot went viral on social media with his version of Beyonce 's 'If I Were a Boy ' .

The parrots "swear to trigger reaction or a response" so if people look shocked or laugh, it just encourages them to do it more, he said.