bbc--2020-08-07--Hong Kong: Joshua Wong among 24 charged over Tiananmen vigil

At least 24 people in Hong Kong have been charged with taking part in a banned candlelight vigil on 4 June to mark the anniversary of China 's 1989 Tiananmen crackdown .
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was among those charged with `` taking part in an unauthorised assembly '' .
Hong Kong has long been the only place on Chinese soil where a commemoration of the crackdown is allowed .
But it was banned this year , with authorities citing coronavirus fears .
It came weeks before a controversial national security law came into force , criminalising acts of anti-Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to mainland China for trial .
It 's led to fears that the territory 's freedoms are being eroded .
Critics had earlier said that it could led to pro-democracy protesters in the region being given life sentences .
• Why people are scared of Hong Kong 's new law What charges do they face ?
Hong Kong police said in a statement that 24 people - 19 men and five women between the ages of 23-69 - had been charged with holding and knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ law came into force on 30 June .
Mr Wong and at least six other activists including Nathan Law - who has since left for London - have been charged .
Some of those charged are already facing charges of incitement over the vigil .
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai , a frequent critic of Chinese leadership , has also been charged .
`` Clearly , the regime plans to stage another crackdown on the city 's activists by all means , '' Mr Wong , who is also facing charges for another protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our voices might not be heard soon , we hope the world can continue speaking up for the city 's liberty and human rights . ''
All those charged are expected to appear in court on 15 September .
What was the Tiananmen Square crackdown ?
On 4 June 1989 , troops and tanks opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing - estimates of the dead vary from a few hundred to several thousand .
• Tens of thousands defy ban to mark Tiananmen in HK Hong Kong and Macau are the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mark the day .
In mainland China , authorities ban even oblique references the events of 4 June .
This year , Hong Kong authorities banned the vigil for the first time in 30 years , citing coronavirus measures .
Under Hong Kong 's rules then , only groups of eight people were allowed to gather .
But on 4 June , thousands of protesters defied this ban and went ahead to stage a mass vigil anyway .
Others joined in remotely .
One attendee said she was afraid it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ceremony .
`` We are afraid this will be the last time we can have a ceremony , '' Brenda Hui had said .
`` But Hong Kongers will always remember what happened on June 4 . ''

Mr Wong and at least six other activists including Nathan Law - who has since left for London - have been charged. Some of those charged are already facing charges of incitement over the vigil.


bbc--2020-08-07--Beirut explosion: Before-and-after images

The explosion at a portside warehouse in Beirut sent devastating shockwaves across the Lebanese capital , decimating seafront buildings and causing widespread destruction .
At least 137 people died and about 5,000 others have been injured .
Satellite and aerial images show the extent of the physical damage to a city more accustomed to such scenes as a result of war than accident .
The Orient Queen cruise ship was docked in Beirut a few hundred metres from the warehouse when the explosion happened .
Damage from the blast caused her to take on water and capsize .
One crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the ship 's operators Abou Merhi Cruises .
The company 's dockside offices were also wiped out by the force of the blast .
The grain silos - the large white building on the dockside - took the brunt of the blast .
Genevieve Langdon , Professor of Blast and Impact Engineering at the University of Sheffield , said the grain inside the silo would have compacted under the enormous blast pressure , but would also have absorbed and deflected some of the blast .
`` As the blast wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissipated a great deal of energy , '' she said .
`` Without the grain silos in the way , we expect the damage in the area behind them would have been even worse . ''
Aid agencies estimate that around 300,000 people have been left homeless by the explosion and there are fears of food and medicine shortages .
Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) president Mego Terzian said warehouses storing medicines and vaccines in the port were damaged , and the country 's largest dialysis centre , in central Beirut , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aftermath of the blast to destruction caused during the country 's 1975-90 civil war .
`` We lived difficult and similar experiences during the Lebanese war , '' he told AFP .
Lebanon 's maritime trade will now shift to the country 's second biggest city , Tripoli , so that the country can start to receive medical aid , foodstuffs , fuel and basic goods .
Qatar , Kuwait and Jordan are reported to be sending field hospitals .
The shopping centre , restaurants and souks in downtown Beirut , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't escape damage .
Windows and glass shopfronts were shattered by the explosion .
The city 's governor , Marwan Abboud , said repairing public property and heritage buildings was likely to cost billions of dollars .
More on the explosion in Beirut • WHAT HAPPENED : What we know so far • BACKGROUND : Why the country is in crisis • IN PICTURES : Chaos and destruction after the blast • AMMONIUM NITRATE : What is it ?
How dangerous is it ?
Worshippers at the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have started to clear the debris left by the blast .
The clean-up also started at the Saint George Maronite Church .

Damage from the blast caused her to take on water and capsize. One crew member died and another is still missing, according to the ship's operators Abou Merhi Cruises. The company's dockside offices were also wiped out by the force of the blast.


bbc--2020-08-06--Photographer captures swimming pools from above

For many people in the UK right now , the prospect of a trip to Australia or South East Asia may be out of reach , however essential that trip may be for your soul ... Handily , aerial photographer Brad Walls , aka Bradscanvas , has been to both of those parts of the world , and documented his travels in a new collection , called Pools From Above .
Walls , who is a featured artist in this year 's inaugural Aerial Photography Awards , describes the series as `` an ode to the beauty found in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pools from around the world '' .
`` I fell in love with the lines , curves and negative space of the pools , which - without alternate perspective from a drone - would have been lost , '' he said .
His work was inspired by Annie Kelly 's popular book Splash : The Art of the Swimming Pool , and you can check out some of the spectacular images below .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ @ @

For many people in the UK right now, the prospect of a trip to Australia or South East Asia may be out of reach, however essential that trip may be for your soul...


bbc--2020-08-07--Coronavirus: How India breached the two million mark

India reported 62,170 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours and with that it became only the third country to cross the two million mark .
It has added one million cases in just 20 days , faster than the US or Brazil , both of which have a higher caseload .
Given India 's dense population , the numbers are unsurprising .
But experts say the virus could have been slowed .
They blame a hasty lockdown , patchy test and trace and ineffective safety protocols .
Even as active cases appear to wane in what used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nadu and Maharashtra - they are surging elsewhere .
`` We have seen a fair amount of travel between rural and urban areas , and we are seeing the virus now entering rural areas and spreading there , '' says Dr Srinath Reddy , president of the Public Health Foundation of India and an advisor to the federal and state governments on tackling Covid-19 .
One of the states where cases have been rising fast is Bihar - millions of people from this poor northern state move to cities in search of better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is believed to have set off case numbers here .
India 's swift lockdown in March left millions of urban workers jobless and most of them returned to their villages in April and May .
Other states that also send migrant workers out in large numbers - such as Uttar Pradesh and Orissa - have also been seeing high rates of increase .
It 's hard to trace the virus ' path clearly because data is scarce and uneven , but anecdotal evidence shows that many of these states , some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively quarantine those coming from hotspot cities such as Delhi or Mumbai .
`` This is a virus that came to India on international flights - it landed in cities like Delhi and Mumbai , '' says virologist Shahid Jameel .
But `` because of the hasty lockdown '' , he adds , migrants took the virus from cities to villages .
And numbers started to grow as India began reopening in June - unable to afford the lockdown any longer - and testing increased .
People began travelling across states , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus along the way .
Dr Reddy says the spread in rural areas is relatively slower because there are `` more open spaces , you travel over longer distances '' .
But the virus has certainly arrived in rural India as can be seen from the fact that cases are rising the fastest in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh which is not home to any sprawling cities - such as Delhi , Mumbai and Chennai - that fuelled the pandemic in India initially .
Eight of the 20 districts reporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Andhra Pradesh - and all except one are rural .
The state has shot to third place in the national tally .
In the past week , its case numbers have gone up by an average of 7.8 % - nearly double that of the national average 3.4 % .
District officials told BBC Telugu that the reason for the spike was migrant workers returning home from cities as well as fishermen arriving from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu .
And although India is yet to restart international flights , repatriation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of people .
Andhra Pradesh saw many of its overseas workers returning from Gulf countries - this too , officials say , led to more positive cases .
But Andhra Pradesh was also testing a lot - at 44,000 tests per million , it has one of the highest testing rates per capita in India .
So why did it fail to contain the virus ?
'Testing is not the acid test' '' If only tests were the acid test , the US should be flying high , '' says Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates , but has also struggled to curb the virus or keep the death toll low .
`` When you are uncovering a lot of cases and death rates remain low , there is this feeling that there is n't as much to be feared from the virus , '' he adds .
The death rate from the virus is relatively low across India , although the government has been accused of undercounting Covid-19 deaths .
In Andhra Pradesh , Dr Reddy says , the state did a good job in testing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District officials did widespread fever surveillance and recruited community volunteers to enforce quarantine rules and safety measures .
But none of this proved enough as economic activities resumed and the authorities struggled to continue with the efforts .
`` After the lockdown was relaxed , people gathered for parties , weddings , birthday celebrations .
The rules are not being followed .
How can the authorities stop them ?
How many people can be prosecuted for neglecting their responsibility ? ''
Dr M Mallik , East Godavari District Medical and Health Officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is happening in many other states as well , but case numbers are not rising due to lower testing rates .
Bihar , for instance , is doing as few as 6,000-7,000 tests per million , compared to Andhra Pradesh 's 44,000 .
But India 's testing data comes with caveats as the country is increasing its use of antigen tests , which are faster but less reliable than the RT-PCR test .
India 's guidelines require that anyone who gets a negative antigen test result must be retested with an RT-PCR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often that is actually happening .
And antigen tests account for 30 % of India 's tests , according to the Indian Council of Medical Research .
`` There is a chink in our strategy , '' Dr Jameel says .
`` Testing is below par and variable across the country .
Tracing is patchy and isolation is not being followed effectively . ''
`` But there 's also the whole attitude towards the outbreak - that life can go on as usual . ''
• Why wo n't India admit how Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitude is leading to more gatherings and lesser use of masks - people have even taken to wearing them below the nose .
And the political leadership , he adds , is behaving in a way that runs counter to the message .
He points to Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's appearance this week at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a temple .
At the event too , some 300 guests sat side-by-side , dutifully masked , to watch Mr Modi perform rituals .
And outside , people gathered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooftops to watch the televised event or catch a glimpse of it in real time .
`` All this is telling the country that everything is fine but the numbers do n't say that , '' Dr Jameel says .

Eight of the 20 districts reporting the highest active cases in India now are from Andhra Pradesh - and all except one are rural. The state has shot to third place in the national tally. In the past week, its case numbers have gone up by an average of 7.8% - nearly double that of the national average 3.4%.


bbc--2020-08-06--Is the US about to split the internet?

Is the US about to split the internet?

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he wants a `` clean '' internet .
What he means by that is he wants to remove Chinese influence , and Chinese companies , from the internet in the US .
But critics believe this will bolster a worrying movement towards the breaking up of the global internet .
The so called `` splinternet '' is generally used when talking about China , and more recently Russia .
The idea is that there 's nothing inherent or pre-ordained about the internet being global .
For governments that want to control what people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense to take ownership of it .
The Great Firewall of China is the best example of a nation putting up the internet equivalent of a wall around itself .
You wo n't find a Google search engine or Facebook in China .
What people did n't expect was that the US might follow China 's lead .
Yet critics believe that is the corollary of Mr Pompeo 's statement on Thursday .
Mr Pompeo said he wanted to remove `` untrusted '' applications from US mobile app stores .
`` People 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , proliferate viruses , and spread propaganda and disinformation , '' he said .
The first question that sprang to mind was : what are the Chinese apps that Mr Pompeo does trust ?
The assumption is very much that he 's talking about ALL Chinese apps .
`` It 's shocking , '' says Alan Woodward , a security expert based at the University of Surrey .
`` This is the Balkanisation of the internet happening in front of our eyes .
`` The US government has for a long time criticised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internet… and now we see the Americans doing the same thing . ''
That might be a slight exaggeration .
Mr Pompeo 's reasons for `` cleaning '' the US network of Chinese companies is very different to authoritarian government 's desire to control what is said online .
But it 's true that if Mr Pompeo were to go down this road , it would be reversing decades of US cyber-policy .
If there is one country that has championed a free internet , based on the constitutional tenets of free speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's administration has taken a different approach though , in part because of the legitimate security concerns that some Chinese companies operating in the US raise .
Alex Stamos , former chief security officer at Facebook , told me that much-mentioned TikTok was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Chinese apps to worry about .
`` TikTok is n't even in my top 10 , '' he told me .
The app Mr Stamos suggests the US should be more wary of is Tencent 's WeChat .
`` WeChat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps in the world… people run companies on We Chat , they have incredibly sensitive information . ''
Mr Pompeo has also namechecked WeChat as a potential future target .
It 's hard not to view this through the prism of the US elections in November .
Mr Trump 's anti-China rhetoric is n't limited to tech .
So is this a policy position - or simply posture ?
Mr Trump may also of course lose in November .
The Democrats would probably take a more moderate position on Chinese tech .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's vision of the US internet - an internet in the main free of China - makes it a far more divided place .
The great irony is that the internet would then look a lot more like China 's vision .
Just look at TikTok itself .
If Microsoft does buy the US arm there will be three TikToks .
A TikTok in China ( called Douyin ) .
A rest of the world TikTok .
And a TikTok in the US .
Could that be a model for the future of @ @ @

The first question that sprang to mind was: what are the Chinese apps that Mr Pompeo does trust? The assumption is very much that he's talking about ALL Chinese apps.


bbc--2020-08-07--World's remotest Irish bar: 'We will survive Covid'

It has been closed since April , you can ’ t reach it by car , and the nearest airport is a two-day hike away – but the world 's remotest Irish bar is optimistic business will pick up soon .
The Irish Pub in Namche Bazar , Nepal , is 3,450m above sea level , en route to Mount Everest .
It has been shut since 10 April , after the pandemic forced Nepal 's government to close the mountains to climbers .
Yet owner Dawa Sherpa inisists that his bar will thrive beyond coronavirus .
The government recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Himalayas ’ autumn season , which begins in September .
International flights – which were suspended in March – are due to resume in August .
And a new road , which could open next year , should make it easier to bring in beer , food , and even pool tables .
Until now , it all had to be flown to “ the world ’ s scariest airport ” – and then carried for two days along mountain paths .
Dawa , 35 , grew up in the “ small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Namche Bazar , where his parents worked in agriculture and livestock .
After studying at Khumjung – the “ school in the clouds ” built by Sir Edmund Hillary 's Himalayan Trust in 1961 – he moved to the capital Kathmandu to study business management .
Upon returning home , he briefly worked as a trekking guide , before his older brother , who ran a bakery in Namche , spotted a gap in the market .
The town was beginning to change – an increase in tourism had a “ dramatic effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only had one pub .
His brother , Phurba Tenzing , used to visit an Irish bar in Kathmandu , owned by Irish people .
It gave the brothers an idea – could they open the highest Irish bar in the world ?
They Googled it , and discovered Paddy 's bar in Cusco , Peru .
“ We worked out the elevation , ” says Dawa .
“ They were 50 metres below us.
” So , in 2011 , they proudly opened The Irish Pub – possibly the highest , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
It is not easy opening a pub in a town with no roads .
Supplies are flown in , off season , from Kathmandu to Lukla – a small airport with a short , steep runway .
From there , porters carry the goods to Namche .
The pub 's pool table was brought in this way .
“ And ours is an old , classic Indian table , with huge marble slates , ” says Dawa .
“ Three or four slates , each one weighs maybe 120kg .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the paths are too fragile .
It ’ s all carried by porters - humans - with great carefulness.
” They even import Guinness , expensively , via Singapore .
“ We don ’ t have a big [ profit ] margin on it , ” says Dawa , who charges 800 rupees ( $ 6.70 ; £5.10 ) for a pint of the black stuff .
“ But we ’ re an Irish bar - we have to sell Guinness.
” “ At the beginning , it wasn ’ t that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we tried really hard to improve the service , ambience , interior .
Gradually , we were getting there.
” Then , in April 2015 , a major earthquake hit Nepal , killing almost 9,000 people and ending the climbing season .
A landslide on Everest killed 21 people alone .
“ We had to completely shut the bar down , ” says Dawa .
“ We reopened in autumn , but that wasn ’ t good either.
” After the earthquake , an economic blockade - which began in September 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the price of goods by “ four , five , even six times ” .
Yet despite the earthquake , and the blockade , the remotest Irish bar in the world survived .
“ We recovered slowly , ” says Dawa .
“ It took us three or four years to get there , but The Irish Pub became the most happening pub in Namche.
” On an average day , customers - usually Australian , American , or European - might include “ people who just summited Everest , or people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time ” .
“ And a guy who ’ s just climbed Everest doesn ’ t mind spending money , ” says Dawa .
“ He ’ s buying drinks for sherpas , porters , friends .
People are happy.
” In 2014 , Dawa opened a second pub in the lakeside town of Pokhara , and the Namche bar is now run by Chris , his manager .
So , as they prepared for the 2020 spring season , things were looking good .
And then , in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 60 Covid-19 deaths , and 21,000 confirmed cases .
But infections are rising again – and the impact has already been huge .
The country was locked down from March until July ; remittances from Nepalis overseas slumped ; imports from China fell ; and tourism dried up .
In the mountains , more than 10,000 guides , sherpas , and other workers lost their jobs .
One trade group estimated one million people in the `` mountain belt '' would suffer .
But while the Irish Pub in Namche is down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is cautiously optimistic about tourism resuming , and is prepared to reopen for the autumn season in September , if there is demand .
Meanwhile , the new road from Kathmandu could have an even bigger impact .
Dawa hopes the highway , which is already partly open , will reach Lukla in six to eight months , although engineers tell the BBC it could take two years .
Either way , the road , when it opens , will be a boon to the businesses of Namche Bazar .
• The Mongolian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fightback • How a new map is stirring old rivalries “ Once we get the road , Nepalese and Indian tourists will be enough for us to survive , ” says Dawa .
“ You know , 80 to 90 % of Nepalese people haven ’ t seen Everest themselves , because of the lack of transportation .
We have around 55,000 tourists a year in Namche , if things are really good .
I think we will get more than 55,000 [ extra ] if we get a road.
” And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new road will mean the beer - and the pool tables - won ’ t need to be flown in .
`` The prices will drop by 50 % , ” says Dawa .
The road will only reach Lukla – meaning customers will still need to hike for two days to reach the remotest , Irish bar in the world .

The town was beginning to change – an increase in tourism had a “dramatic effect”, says Dawa – but it only had one pub. His brother, Phurba Tenzing, used to visit an Irish bar in Kathmandu, owned by Irish people. It gave the brothers an idea – could they open the highest Irish bar in the world? They Googled it, and discovered Paddy's bar in Cusco, Peru.


bbc--2020-08-06--The coldest computers in the world

The coldest computers in the world

Imagine the US is under attack .
An enemy aircraft , loaded with warheads , is heading towards the coast , dipping in and out of radar .
Fighter jets have been scrambled and there 's a frantic effort to pinpoint the target .
But the nation 's best defence is not an aircraft carrier or a missile system .
It 's a box of incredibly cold atoms .
`` Use the quantum computer , '' yells a general .
The atoms inside the computer can solve complex problems and , almost instantly , spit out an instruction for how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the enemy aircraft can be tracked and targeted .
One firm already getting to grips with a scenario like this is ColdQuanta .
It recently signed a contract with US defence research agency Darpa to build a quantum computer that can rapidly work out how best to reposition radar equipment in the event of a defence system partially failing .
The project relies on being able to gather together enough atoms as qubits - the building blocks of a quantum computer , which allow it to perform calculations .
To do this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making such computers the coldest in the world .
Quantum computing is much-hyped but the technology is very much in its infancy .
Firms are just beginning to build systems that they claim will one day outperform traditional , digital computers at certain useful tasks .
`` What we 're asked to do over the next 40 months is be able to have a machine that has thousands of qubits to solve a real-world defence-related problem and the one that we 're working on is a version of this radar coverage problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive of ColdQuanta , based in Colorado .
The example above is an optimisation problem , a scenario to which there may be thousands or millions of possible solutions .
The key is to choose the best one .
Besides military applications , quantum computers could have uses in drug design , investment strategies , encryption-cracking and complex scheduling problems for large fleets of vehicles .
• What you need to become an internet streaming star • Training your brain to relax on a virtual island • The stress of leading a start-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conference without a venue Mr Ewald says this is where quantum computers will have their initial impact - in finding optimal solutions to problems that would take existing computers , even the fastest supercomputers , many hours or days to resolve .
There are various types of quantum computer in development but the approach using ultra-cold neutral atoms as qubits is unusual - it 's different from the superconducting quantum computers being developed by big firms such as IBM and Google , or other projects that use charged atoms , also known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computers do n't use individual atoms as qubits , and while those systems rely on low temperatures they are not as low as those needed for ColdQuanta 's neutral atoms .
`` The superconducting folks are running at millikelvin… we 're down to microkelvin , '' he explains , proudly .
Kelvin is a measurement of temperature .
Zero kelvin , absolute zero ( -273.15C ) is the coldest anything could ever be .
And while millikelvin is cold , at 0.001 kelvin , ColdQuanta 's microkelvin atoms are much colder - at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colder , indeed , than anywhere we know about in the natural universe .
In ColdQuanta 's case rubidium atoms are gathered together inside a vacuum within a tiny , hexagonal or rectangular glass box , about an inch wide , an inch deep and two inches high .
The atoms are held aloft purely by lasers .
But why is temperature so important ?
Prof Andrew Daley at the University of Strathclyde and his colleagues are also working on ultra-cold neutral atom quantum computers .
He says it is crucial to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in place .
Shining lasers onto the atoms prompts them to release some energy and slow down .
That makes it possible to hold them almost perfectly still , which is the real point here .
They 're not cold in the sense that you or I would conceive of cold - rather , they are just greatly slowed down .
Once you 've got your ducks - atoms - in a row , you can arrange them just how you want , says Prof Daley .
This fine-grained control over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two- or three-dimensional formations , packed near to one another at the heart of a quantum computer .
That 's important because with every additional atom , the computer 's capabilities are doubled .
Prodding each neutral atom with yet another laser excites them , greatly increasing their size .
These adjustments encode information or link the atoms together via a weird phenomenon called entanglement .
Now you have a collection of qubits functioning together as a system that you can tweak in order to represent a mathematical model or problem of some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quantum computer could in theory programme this system to simulate a huge number of possibilities at once .
It 's not quite like a traditional computer processing lots of calculations in parallel , it 's stranger and less predictable than that and getting a useful answer out at the end is tricky .
`` What you want is that the quantum state at the end represents the answer to the problem you 're trying to solve , '' says Jonathan Pritchard , Prof Daley 's colleague at Strathclyde .
The quantum computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or , one particular answer to a problem .
For the right problem , it could get us a lot closer to an optimal answer , both more quickly and more efficiently , than a traditional computer .
`` We are really still waiting for a demonstration of a computing task where we can prove that these machines have done something beyond what you can do on a classical computer - for something that 's actually useful , '' says Prof Daley .
French company Pasqal is building a prototype system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pasqal 's system is for energy giant EDF , which , if it works , will come up with super-efficient schedules for charging electric vehicles .
Specifically , the goal is to minimise the total time needed to complete charging for all vehicles while also prioritising certain more important vehicles over others .
This sort of problem could be tackled by a traditional computer , admits Christophe Jurczak , chairman , but he argues a quantum system will end up being significantly quicker , doing it in an hour rather than 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem that big but if you want to update your strategy every hour , that 's a big difference , '' he says .
And it might use 100 times less electricity than a supercomputer in the process .
At the moment , all of this remains to be demonstrated for real .
But there are signs that in the next few years - faster than some expected - we will find out just how useful this breed of bewilderingly cold computer really is .

Once you've got your ducks - atoms - in a row, you can arrange them just how you want, says Prof Daley. This fine-grained control over the atoms means they can be placed in two- or three-dimensional formations, packed near to one another at the heart of a quantum computer. That's important because with every additional atom, the computer's capabilities are doubled.


bbc--2020-08-07--Anger rises as British Airways cuts start to bite

It has been dubbed `` Black Friday '' by unions .
Thousands of long-serving cabin crew at British Airways are expected to find out on Friday whether or not they will be made redundant .
Many of those who remain will suffer steep pay cuts , and significant changes to their terms and conditions .
Other workers such as engineers , ground crew and office staff are also expected to hear whether they have a future at the airline over the coming days .
British Airways says more than 6,000 staff across the business have applied for voluntary redundancy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of a major cost-cutting drive , which it insists is vital to ensure its long-term survival .
But the way in which it has done so has provoked deep resentment among a large proportion of its workforce - and threats of industrial action .
`` I 'm looking at losing 50 % of my take-home pay '' , says Vicky - a cabin crew member who works in BA 's long-haul fleet .
`` I 'm a single mother .
I ca n't afford to have half of my pay taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not her real name - is in her mid-thirties .
She has been with the company for more than 15 years .
Although she lives in the north east , she was among hundreds of staff who travelled to BA 's headquarters near Heathrow earlier this week , to vent their anger at the company 's management .
`` It 's the most stressful time I 've ever been through '' , she says .
`` I feel absolutely gutted '' .
• BA cabin crew : I wo n't earn enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other airlines , has suffered deeply from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
In the three months to the end of June it lost more than £700m .
For weeks , at the height of the lockdown , the bulk of its fleet was grounded , and it was unable to operate more than a handful of planes each day .
The company does not expect the aviation industry to recover fully until at least 2023 .
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy In April , its parent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced plans for a major restructuring of BA 's business , which it said could result in up to 12,000 redundancies .
BA then made it clear it needed to cut costs dramatically - and warned that concessions would be needed from remaining staff on pay , as well as on terms and conditions .
It said that if an agreement could not be reached with unions , it would force its plans through - by handing staff their notice , and offering them new contracts on different terms .
Some cabin crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are affected .
Unions have condemned this policy as `` fire and rehire '' .
It has also been heavily criticised by many MPs , with the chair of the transport select committee , Conservative Huw Merriman , describing it as `` the equivalent of putting a gun to someone 's head '' .
Despite significant tensions between the two sides , the pilots ' union Balpa has since managed to reach an agreement with BA , which reduced the number of possible redundancies in exchange for significant concessions on pay .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other staff - Unite and GMB - have been considerably more strained .
No deal has yet been done , and BA has pushed forward with its plans .
Those plans have major implications for BA 's cabin crew .
The company currently has different crew divisions , or 'fleets ' , which operate as separate units with their own terms and conditions .
It wants to create a single organisation , and put all crew on the same type of contract .
For lower paid staff , principally those who have joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean a modest salary increase .
For longer serving crew , who are well-paid by industry standards , it would mean a cut in basic salary of 20 % .
But because they will also lose other allowances , many say they will see their overall take-home wages drop by 40 % to 50 % .
Executives insist such changes are necessary , in the face of what IAG 's chief executive Willie Walsh described last week as the biggest crisis the airline has ever faced .
Mr Walsh told the BBC : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a temporary downturn and therefore can be fixed with temporary measures , I 'm afraid seriously misjudges what the industry is going through . ''
But many employees believe the company is deliberately exploiting the immediate crisis to justify pushing through far-reaching , irreversible changes .
`` I really love my job '' , says Vicky '' I 'm just really upset with how things have planned out .
I think it 's a permanent solution to a temporary problem .
Yet our managers are only taking temporary pay cuts . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by the changes , with the threat of compulsory redundancy hanging over them and the prospect of steep pay cuts ahead .
John - again , not his real name - is an engineer who helps maintain BA 's long-haul aircraft at Heathrow .
He wants to stay in his job , because he is worried his qualifications would not be recognised in other industries and he would struggle to find an employer willing to take him on .
`` Let 's be realistic '' , he says , `` No-one is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and train them up when they can get a 20-something instead .
It 's not going to happen . ''
John says many of his colleagues are in a similar position - and the worry is proving an unwelcome distraction at work .
`` I 've been walking around checking an aircraft prior to departure , and I find I ca n't remember what I 've been looking at - so I have to do it again '' , he says .
`` I ca n't see how you can be expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being driven by accountants , and they ca n't see further than their noses '' .
Like many other BA staff I have spoken to , John believes the company 's response to the crisis has proved catastrophic for morale - at a company once widely admired for the fierce loyalty and enthusiasm of its staff .
`` I think this will do the airline a lot of harm '' he says .
`` I ca n't see how they get out of it '' .
Although BA is still in talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cordial .
Last week the general secretary of Unite , Len McCluskey described the company 's strategy as `` despicable '' , and said the union was working towards industrial action with immediate effect .
But the airline insists it has no option .
`` Our half year results clearly show the enormous financial impact of Covid-19 on our business , '' said a spokesperson .
`` We are having to make difficult decisions and take every possible action now to protect as many jobs as possible . ''
`` And , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a position of making redundancies , over 6,000 of our colleagues have now indicated that they wish to take voluntary redundancy from BA . ''
Are you a British Airways employee who is facing possible redundancy ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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Carol - not her real name - said BA had told her if she did not accept the offer of voluntary redundancy she would have to apply for a job and if she did not get it she would only receive a statutory redundancy payout.


bbc--2020-08-07--Woods makes solid start, Rose sits one off lead & DeChambeau breaks his driver

Tiger Woods shot his lowest opening round in a major since 2012 with a two-under-par 68 at the US PGA Championship in San Francisco .
England 's Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka , going for a third straight US PGA win , both carded four-under 66s .
They sit one behind joint leaders Jason Day and Brendon Todd .
Tom Lewis is two shots off the lead , with fellow Englishman Paul Casey - who made a double-bogey six on the 18th - and Ireland 's Open winner Shane Lowry a shot further back .
A bogey on the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level par while new world number one Justin Thomas , who played with Woods and McIlroy , opened with a one-over 71 .
The 102nd US PGA was put back from May because of the coronavirus pandemic and is being played with no spectators .
After ending his 11-year wait for a major win in 2019 , a back injury and the pandemic meant Woods spent five months out in 2020 .
In his first event after the lockdown , the 44-year-old American tied for 40th at the Memorial Tournament last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enthusiastic about the changes he has made to his game while playing at home .
Chasing a record-equalling fifth US PGA win , he is back on familiar territory having played often at Harding Park as a junior and at Stanford University .
Woods has won both the professional events he has played there - the WGC-American Express Championship in 2005 and as part of the USA team during the 2009 Presidents Cup .
The most obvious change for Woods was that he had switched to a longer putter , and he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around with this putter for the better part of over a year .
`` It 's difficult for me to bend over at times and most of the guys on the Champions Tour have gone to longer putters as they have gotten older . ''
Starting on the par-five 10th , he made a birdie before claiming another on the 13th .
They were cancelled out by bogeys either side of the turn but Woods birdied three out of four holes on the back nine to complete a solid start .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could win at Harding Park There was little doubt who Koepka was referring to when , after his round , he told Sky Sports : `` There 's no reason to be scientific with all the numbers and stuff like that , just go out and go play . ''
A physics major in college , DeChambeau has been dubbed 'The Scientist ' for trying to find innovative ways of making his game more efficient .
His latest experiment has seen him pile on more than three stones in nine months - almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With an average of 313.5 yards , Woods was the driving leader went he went into the clubhouse .
That changed once fellow American DeChambeau started his round .
The 26-year-old is the biggest hitter on the tour this year and since the lockdown he 's comfortably out-driven his rivals , averaging 350.6 yards when winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic last month .
He averaged 315.5 yards on Thursday but there was a moment of panic when he broke his driver , which he calls 'the Kraken ' , after teeing off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the base of the shaft broke as DeChambeau leaned on his driver while picking up his tee .
`` That was weird , '' he told the course marshal as a friend fetched a replacement shaft .
`` It 's all those swings I put in . ''
However , DeChambeau showed that his game is about poise as well as power , with some excellent putting helping him to four under after 10 holes .
The momentum did n't last however - he had three bogeys on the next five holes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he vowed to continue `` hitting it as straight and as far as I can '' as he bids to win his first major .
• None DeChambeau bulks up in effort to win first major 'It was there for the taking ' - what they said Jason Day is still looking for his second major triumph after winning this event back in 2015 , and the 32-year-old Australian came in off the back of three top-10 finishes after missing the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic .
`` I finally had enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` Sometimes you 've just got to pull your pants up and just move on , you know ?
`` I feel like the momentum that I 've had over the last three starts has kind of seeped into this week .
I 've been working very hard in the off-weeks to get my putting back to where it is .
I feel like the game and the confidence is slowly coming around . ''
Tiger Woods : `` This golf course is all about hitting fairways .
You get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grain , there 's no chance you can get the ball to the green .
`` I felt like I did a decent job of doing that , and the golf course is only going to get more difficult as the week goes on . ''
Rory McIlroy : `` I need to hit a few more fairways tomorrow [ Friday ] to try to attack some pins and not leave myself four and five-footers for par all day .
`` But the course was there for the taking today - Jason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a few four unders .
I feel like I could have been a few shots lower but I grounded it out .
With how I hit it on the back nine , even par actually was n't too bad . ''

Tiger Woods is playing in just his fourth PGA event of 2020 due to a back injury and the coronavirus pandemic
US PGA Championship, first round -5 J Day (Aus), B Todd (US); -4 J Rose (Eng), B Koepka, B Cauley, B Steele, S Scheffler, Schauffele, Z Johnson (all US), M Kaymer (Ger), M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) Selected others: -3 G Woodland (US), T Lewis (Eng); -2 T Woods (US), P Casey (Eng), S Lowry (Ire), B DeChambeau (US), A Scott (Aus); Level R McIlroy (NI)
Tiger Woods shot his lowest opening round in a major since 2012 with a two-under-par 68 at the US PGA Championship in San Francisco.
The 15-time major winner played alongside Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who finished level par at the year's first major at TPC Harding Park.
England's Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka, going for a third straight US PGA win, both carded four-under 66s.
They sit one behind joint leaders Jason Day and Brendon Todd.
Tom Lewis is two shots off the lead, with fellow Englishman Paul Casey - who made a double-bogey six on the 18th - and Ireland's Open winner Shane Lowry a shot further back.
A bogey on the last hole saw England's Tommy Fleetwood finish level par while new world number one Justin Thomas, who played with Woods and McIlroy, opened with a one-over 71.
The 102nd US PGA was put back from May because of the coronavirus pandemic and is being played with no spectators.
Woods back on familiar ground
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are in the same group as world number one Justin Thomas for the opening two rounds
After ending his 11-year wait for a major win in 2019, a back injury and the pandemic meant Woods spent five months out in 2020.
In his first event after the lockdown, the 44-year-old American tied for 40th at the Memorial Tournament last month, but he said on Tuesday he is enthusiastic about the changes he has made to his game while playing at home.
Chasing a record-equalling fifth US PGA win, he is back on familiar territory having played often at Harding Park as a junior and at Stanford University.
Woods has won both the professional events he has played there - the WGC-American Express Championship in 2005 and as part of the USA team during the 2009 Presidents Cup.
The most obvious change for Woods was that he had switched to a longer putter, and he said later: "I've been messing around with this putter for the better part of over a year.
"It's difficult for me to bend over at times and most of the guys on the Champions Tour have gone to longer putters as they have gotten older."
Starting on the par-five 10th, he made a birdie before claiming another on the 13th.
They were cancelled out by bogeys either side of the turn but Woods birdied three out of four holes on the back nine to complete a solid start.
Bulked-up DeChambeau breaks 'the Kraken'
DeChambeau looked dismayed after realising his driver had broken but eventually saw the funny side
There was little doubt who Koepka was referring to when, after his round, he told Sky Sports: "There's no reason to be scientific with all the numbers and stuff like that, just go out and go play."
A physics major in college, DeChambeau has been dubbed 'The Scientist' for trying to find innovative ways of making his game more efficient. His latest experiment has seen him pile on more than three stones in nine months - almost half of that during the lockdown.
With an average of 313.8 yards, Woods was the driving leader went he went into the clubhouse. That changed once fellow American DeChambeau started his round.
The 26-year-old is the biggest hitter on the tour this year and since the lockdown he's comfortably out-driven his rivals, averaging 350.6 yards when winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic last month.
He averaged 315.6 yards on Thursday but there was a moment of panic when he broke his driver, which he calls 'the Kraken', after teeing off on the seventh hole. Replays showed that the base of the shaft broke as DeChambeau leaned on his driver while picking up his tee.
"That was weird," he told the course marshal as a friend fetched a replacement shaft. "It's all those swings I put in."
However, DeChambeau showed that his game is about poise as well as power, with some excellent putting helping him to four under after 10 holes.
The momentum didn't last however - he had three bogeys on the next five holes to finish with a two-under 68. But he vowed to continue "hitting it as straight and as far as I can" as he bids to win his first major.
'It was there for the taking' - what they said
Jason Day is still looking for his second major triumph after winning this event back in 2015, and the 32-year-old Australian came in off the back of three top-10 finishes after missing the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
"I finally had enough of feeling sorry for myself," he said. "Sometimes you've just got to pull your pants up and just move on, you know?
"I feel like the momentum that I've had over the last three starts has kind of seeped into this week. I've been working very hard in the off-weeks to get my putting back to where it is. I feel like the game and the confidence is slowly coming around."
Tiger Woods: "This golf course is all about hitting fairways. You get a ball in the rough, into the grain, there's no chance you can get the ball to the green.
"I felt like I did a decent job of doing that, and the golf course is only going to get more difficult as the week goes on."
Rory McIlroy: "I need to hit a few more fairways tomorrow [Friday] to try to attack some pins and not leave myself four and five-footers for par all day.
"But the course was there for the taking today - Jason Day shot five under and there have been a few four unders. I feel like I could have been a few shots lower but I grounded it out. With how I hit it on the back nine, even par actually wasn't too bad."


bbc--2020-08-07--Racing Point fined and docked points for illegal copying

Racing Point have been docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros ( £361,000 ) for illegally copying parts of last year 's Mercedes car .
F1 's governing body the FIA upheld the protest in part in handing down the fine and points deduction .
Racing Point can appeal but have not indicated whether they will .
The ruling hangs on the stipulation in the rules that teams must design specific parts of the cars themselves .
Renault argued that the front and rear brake ducts of the Racing Point were too similar to those on the 2019 Mercedes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not have been obtained other than by a transfer of intellectual property .
Brake ducts are key parts in the aerodynamics of an F1 car , as they help control the airflow off the front wing , increasing downforce .
Mercedes admitted they had supplied information about the front and rear brake ducts of their 2019 car , but this was allowed because these were not listed parts at the time .
The FIA decided that the front brake ducts of the Racing Point were legal as , although they had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used on the 2019 car .
But a rule change between 2019 and 2020 added brake ducts to the category of so-called `` listed parts '' that teams have to design themselves .
Stewards found that Racing Point had used computer design data legally supplied by Mercedes to Racing Point in 2019 to design their rear brake ducts with `` minimal changes '' and fit them to their 2020 car .
As the parts had not been used on the 2019 car , they were not permitted to be used in 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not Racing Point 's , and had not been an integral part of last year 's car .
The FIA said that had Racing Point asked whether they could use the 2019 Mercedes rear brake ducts on their car this year , they would have been told they could not .
But they did not ask whether this was allowed .
And the FIA found that `` on a fair reading '' of the rules , the rear brake ducts on the 2020 Racing Point `` were designed in large part by Mercedes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Point `` minimised the significance of the input it received from Mercedes and overstates the amount of work it actually did .
Mercedes gave Racing Point a large proportion of their brake duct designs .
Racing Point then made relatively minor changes to them . ''
The protest covered the first four grands prix of the season , and the FIA stewards said the points deduction was `` intended to penalise the potential advantage Racing Point may have accrued in the design process '' .
Although the design process has been declared illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are able to run the brake ducts for the rest of this season .
The penalty `` covers the entire process of ( non ) -designing of the brake ducts and making them available for use during the whole 2020 season '' , even though their use `` remains an infringement '' of the regulations .
The points deduction and fine are considered to be a sufficient punishment for the offence .
• None How would you cope without electricity ?
: Take the Power Out quiz to find out

Racing Point's 15-point deduction will only affect the constructors' championship
Racing Point have been docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros (£361,000) for illegally copying parts of last year's Mercedes car.
The ruling came following a protest by Renault against the 2020 Racing Point, arguing that they had copied the brake ducts used by Mercedes in 2019.
F1's governing body the FIA upheld the protest in part in handing down the fine and points deduction.
Racing Point can appeal but have not indicated whether they will.
The ruling hangs on the stipulation in the rules that teams must design specific parts of the cars themselves.
Renault argued that the front and rear brake ducts of the Racing Point were too similar to those on the 2019 Mercedes to fit this description and that the information could not have been obtained other than by a transfer of intellectual property.
Brake ducts are key parts in the aerodynamics of an F1 car, as they help control the airflow off the front wing, increasing downforce.
Mercedes admitted they had supplied information about the front and rear brake ducts of their 2019 car, but this was allowed because these were not listed parts at the time.
The FIA decided that the front brake ducts of the Racing Point were legal as, although they had been copied from Mercedes, they had been used on the 2019 car.
But a rule change between 2019 and 2020 added brake ducts to the category of so-called "listed parts" that teams have to design themselves.
Stewards found that Racing Point had used computer design data legally supplied by Mercedes to Racing Point in 2019 to design their rear brake ducts with "minimal changes" and fit them to their 2020 car.
As the parts had not been used on the 2019 car, they were not permitted to be used in 2020, because they were a Mercedes design, not Racing Point's, and had not been an integral part of last year's car.
The FIA said that had Racing Point asked whether they could use the 2019 Mercedes rear brake ducts on their car this year, they would have been told they could not. But they did not ask whether this was allowed.
And the FIA found that "on a fair reading" of the rules, the rear brake ducts on the 2020 Racing Point "were designed in large part by Mercedes".
The FIA found that Racing Point "minimised the significance of the input it received from Mercedes and overstates the amount of work it actually did. Mercedes gave Racing Point a large proportion of their brake duct designs. Racing Point then made relatively minor changes to them."
The protest covered the first four grands prix of the season, and the FIA stewards said the points deduction was "intended to penalise the potential advantage Racing Point may have accrued in the design process".
Although the design process has been declared illegal, the stewards ruled that Racing Point are able to run the brake ducts for the rest of this season.
The penalty "covers the entire process of (non)-designing of the brake ducts and making them available for use during the whole 2020 season", even though their use "remains an infringement" of the regulations. The points deduction and fine are considered to be a sufficient punishment for the offence.
FIA head of single-seaters Nikolas Tombazis said the governing body intended to introduce new rules to prevent teams following the route Racing Point have taken in designing effective copies of other cars in the future.
Tombazis said the new rules would "prevent teams from using extensive parts of photos to copy whole portions of other cars in the way that Racing Point has done.
"We will still accept individual components to be copied in local areas, but we don't want the whole car to be fundamentally a copy of another car."


bbc--2020-08-07--Aberdeen's game with St Johnstone off at Scottish government request

Aberdeen 's Premiership match away to St Johnstone has been postponed at the request of the Scottish government after two visiting players tested positive for Covid-19 .
Six other players have been forced to self-isolate after coming within `` close proximity '' in an Aberdeen pub .
Aberdeen are due to host Hamilton Academical on Wednesday and are then away to Celtic the following Saturday .
It is yet unclear if Aberdeen face any sanction under league rules .
Saturday 's game at McDiarmid Park was part of the second weekend of Premiership fixtures after last season was halted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid cases .
What do we know ?
Initially , it had appeared that the game in Perth would go ahead despite Aberdeen being forced to cancel training on Thursday and facing the prospect of playing without eight squad members forced to self-isolate .
But Minister for public health and sport Joe Fitzpatrick had called a meeting with the Scottish FA and SPFL for Friday to discuss the situation after what a government statement called `` a clear breach of the rules '' .
Speaking ahead of the meeting , Culture secretary Fiona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mood of the discussions would be `` frank and honest '' but also `` supportive '' .
She described the club 's positive cases as `` deeply disturbing and concerning '' .
`` One of the ways we managed to get football back on a professional basis was agreement with protocols with the SFA and SPFL and it 's important that those have been adhered to - and that will be the subject of discussion later on today , '' she says .
`` In general , we have to remember that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether that 's in football , whether that 's in hospitality , or in your own home .
Covid has not gone away .
If we want to get back to activities like professional football , like hospitality , like seeing more of our friends and family , we have to be vigilant . ''
All eight Aberdeen players were in a bar linked to the city 's Covid-19 spike on Saturday following their opening-day defeat by Rangers .
One of the initial cases was confirmed by a follow-up NHS test and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both are asymptomatic but are self-isolating along with six players who were `` in close proximity '' .
In a social media post on Friday , Aberdeen chairman Cormack appealed for `` patience '' with the affected players , pointed out that everyone `` is prone to errors of judgement '' and stressed that `` it is all about how we respond to something we wish had not happened '' .

Nicola Sturgeon says Aberdeen players 'blatantly' broke the rules on coronavirus
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Aberdeen players "blatantly broke the rules" in the lead-up to Saturday's Scottish Premiership game against St Johnstone being postponed.
Two players tested positive for Covid-19 and six others are self-isolating after coming within "close proximity" in an Aberdeen bar on Saturday.
Sturgeon said she was "pretty furious" about the situation.
Aberdeen say they will not forfeit points because of the call-off.
The game has been rearranged for Thursday 20 August, with their home match against Livingston put back 24 hours to the following Sunday, but it is not yet clear if they will face any other sanction under Scottish Professional Football League rules.
They are due to host Hamilton Academical on Wednesday and are then away to Celtic the following Saturday and Scottish football's joint response group insists those are scheduled to go ahead as planned.
Saturday's game at McDiarmid Park was part of the second weekend of Premiership fixtures after last season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Initially, it had appeared that the game in Perth would go ahead despite Aberdeen being forced to cancel training on Thursday and facing the prospect of playing without eight squad members forced to self-isolate.
However, the postponement came at the request of the Scottish government after a meeting between minister for public health and sport Joe Fitzpatrick, the Scottish FA and SPFL.
"I think that is the right decision," Sturgeon said. "We are expecting members of the public to behave in a highly precautionary manner right now and, when a football club ends up with players infected with Covid - and let's remember this is not through bad luck but through clear breaches of the rules - we cannot take even the small risk that they spread the infection to other parts of the country."
Sturgeon said the Scottish government would be contacting all clubs to emphasise the importance of complying with the guidance and hoped "lessons will be learned".
"Football has been given the go-ahead on the strict condition that clubs and players abide by the guidance that has been agreed. If they don't do that, they put at risk the return of the professional game," she said. "To say this incident is deeply regrettable is an understatement.
"I'm pretty furious about this situation, because it shouldn't have happened. If that guidance is not going to be adhered to then all bets are off."
How have Aberdeen responded?
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack said he could "fully understand" the Scottish government had asked for the postponement.
"We are very grateful that the decision has been to postpone, rather than forfeit the game," he said.
"I took the opportunity yesterday to apologise to both football and health authorities and with our fellow Premiership clubs today. We are now dealing with this internally with the seriousness it deserves."
St Johnstone expressed their disappointed at the postponement but stressed that "the health and wellbeing of everybody is of paramount importance in this situation".
Aberdeen players 'full of regret' over pub visit - McInnes
All eight Aberdeen players were in a bar linked to the city's spike in Covid-19 cases on Saturday following their opening-day defeat by Rangers.
One of the initial cases was confirmed by a follow-up NHS test and the other player is awaiting further results.
Both are asymptomatic but are self-isolating along with six players who were "in close proximity".
'It's a reminder to us all'- what is everyone else saying?
Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "We made them [Celtic players] aware again this morning. Very concerned. Obviously a very unfortunate incident with serious ramifications for the game."
Hibernian head coach Jack Ross: "It's a reminder of us adhering to the guidelines. Without that adherence we run the risk of obviously situations developing as they have done the last couple of days."
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin: "We've told the lads that they need to make good choices it's as simple as that. They've got to make sure they don't find themselves in a situation where they are sitting in a pub surrounded by complete strangers."
Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer: "If it happens again next week we're all going to be in trouble. We have to put it down as a mishap from their [Aberdeen's] point of view."


bbc--2020-08-07--Arsenal closing in on deal for Chelsea's Willian

Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Chelsea midfielder Willian .
The Brazilian , who is 32 on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ once Chelsea 's Champions League campaign is over .
There is no agreement yet but @ @ @ @ @ will follow compatriot David Luiz in moving from Stamford Bridge to Arsenal .
Chelsea have @ @ @ @ @ but are unwilling to match the three-year contract understood to be on the table with @ @ @ @ @ Chelsea 's FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal last weekend and is a doubt for @ @ @ @ @ at Bayern Munich , with Chelsea trailing 3-0 from the first game .
He has @ @ @ @ @ club since signing from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for £30m in 2013 , becoming one @ @ @ @ @ at Stamford Bridge in the process .
He has won five major honours with the @ @ @ @ @ League titles and the Europa League , and won the club 's players ' player @ @ @ @ @ .

Last updated on .From the section Chelsea
Willian missed Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal through injury
Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Chelsea midfielder Willian.
The Brazilian, who is 32 on Sunday, is out of contract once Chelsea's Champions League campaign is over.
There is no agreement yet but it looks increasingly likely Willian will follow compatriot David Luiz in moving from Stamford Bridge to Arsenal.
Chelsea have offered Willian a new deal but are unwilling to match the three-year contract understood to be on the table with the Gunners.
Willian missed Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal due to injury and will not play in Saturday's last-16 second leg at Bayern Munich, with Chelsea trailing 3-0 from the first game.
He has made 339 appearances for the club since signing from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for £30m in 2013, becoming one of the most popular players at Stamford Bridge in the process.
He has won five major honours with the Blues, including two Premier League titles and the Europa League, and won the club's players' player of the year award twice.


bbc--2020-08-07--'We don't have dreams any more'

'We don't have dreams any more'

Beirut is a place I feel nostalgic about even when I 'm in it .
It 's fixed in our collective memories as a place of glamour and danger .
I 've lived here five years , and sometimes it 's hard to separate these visions of past and present .
One image , fixed in my head from childhood , is from the civil war .
It shows a bride , Areej Estephan and her groom , crossing the green line , the no-man 's land separating the factions in the war which ran from 1975 to 1990 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Areej is wearing a white rented wedding dress , her husband Abed Joumaa , a white tux .
All around them is destruction .
It 's a snap of the surreal ; beauty and dysfunction , captured in a single frame .
Thirty seven years later another bride , Dr Israa Seblani stood not far from where Areej once posed , in her own wedding dress .
She is filmed with a dazzling smile and brilliant hijab and long white train .
As the cameraman Mahmoud Nakid pans down , a few kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deadly explosion from Beirut 's port , Dr Seblani 's dress ripples with the shock wave as the dust and debris falls and she runs for cover .
• How ship 's deadly cargo ended up at Beirut port The Lebanese have tried hard to escape their past .
In October last year they took to the streets chanting `` Thawra '' or `` Revolution '' and they brought down a government .
Sick of the warlords who 've held power here since the civil war , their corruption and mismanagement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but not enough .
For months the government insulated itself from the cries for change , building reinforced concrete barriers around their parliament and official offices .
Walls to keep people out , while thousands of tonnes of ingredients for high explosives were left dangerously exposed in a ramshackle warehouse .
I arrived back here after Tuesday 's explosion and found a city of shattered glass .
The homes and faces of some friends damaged and scarred from this man-made catastrophe .
On Wednesday in Gemmazye , not far from the port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car which took the blast directly .
Its airbags had deployed , its roof was crushed as if by a great weight .
Inside the seats and footwells were covered in blood .
Nearby I spoke to a woman who showed me her destroyed shop .
She railed against Lebanon 's politicians and lamented .
`` We do n't have new horizons or something to plan for the future .
We just eat and make , give for our children education and clothes - and that 's it - we are not promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
The Lebanese are famed for their resilience - who would n't be after 15 years of civil war , and invasion and foreign occupation ?
But they 're sick of making do , only just surviving a country that was crumbling around them , even before the explosion ripped across its horizon .
More on the explosion in Beirut • AMMONIUM NITRATE : What is it ?
How dangerous is it ?
• Q & A : What we know • THE CONTEXT : Why Lebanon is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lebanon 's dysfunction than the detonation of what amounts to a homemade bomb , in the heart of its own capital ?
And so I look back at the pictures of two brides , generations apart , bright white visions against the dark chaos of a country 's dysfunction , I wonder when will Lebanon 's past break with the present , when will things get better here ?

"We don't have new horizons or something to plan for the future. We just eat and make, give for our children education and clothes - and that's it - we are not promoted. We don't have dreams anymore," she said.


bbc--2020-08-06--Beirut explosion: How ship's deadly cargo ended up at port

Lebanon 's government has blamed the huge blast that devastated parts of Beirut on the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the city 's port .
People have expressed anger and disbelief that such a large quantity of potentially explosive material was kept inside a warehouse without any safety measures for more than six years , so close to the centre of the city .
The government has not named the source of the ammonium nitrate , but the same amount of the chemical arrived in Beirut in November 2013 on a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sail that September from Batumi , Georgia , heading to Beira , Mozambique .
It was carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate , which typically comes in the form of small pellets that are widely used as agricultural fertiliser but can also be mixed with fuel oil to make explosives for the mining and construction industries .
While sailing through the eastern Mediterranean the Rhosus suffered `` technical problems '' and was forced to dock at Beirut 's port , according to a 2015 report for industry newsletter Shippingarrested.com that was written by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rhosus was inspected by port officials and `` forbidden from sailing '' , the lawyers said .
Most of the crew were repatriated , except for the Russian captain , Boris Prokoshev , and three others , who were reportedly Ukrainians .
Mr Prokoshev told Reuters news agency on Thursday that the Rhosus was leaking but seaworthy at the time , and that it was sent to Beirut by its owner to take on an additional cargo of heavy equipment because of financial difficulties .
However , the crew could not load @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship 's owner failed to pay the port fees , the Lebanese authorities impounded it , he said .
More on the explosion in Beirut • AMMONIUM NITRATE : What is it ?
How dangerous is it ?
• Q & A : What we know • THE CONTEXT : Why Lebanon is in crisis Shortly afterwards , the Rhosus was `` abandoned by her owners after charterers and cargo concern lost interest in the cargo '' , according to the lawyers .
It was also subject to legal claims from creditors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vessel were running out of food and supplies .
The lawyers said they applied to the Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut for an order authorising them to return home , emphasising `` the danger the crew was facing given the 'dangerous ' nature of the cargo '' in the ship 's holds .
The judge eventually agreed to allow the crew to disembark and in 2014 the port authorities transferred the ammonium nitrate into `` Warehouse 12 '' , next to the grain silos .
The lawyers said the cargo was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The cargo was highly explosive .
That 's why it was kept on board when we were there ... That ammonium nitrate had a very high concentration , '' Mr Prokoshev said .
He added : `` I feel sorry for the people [ killed or injured by the explosion ] .
But local authorities , the Lebanese , should be punished .
They did not care about the cargo at all . ''
The port 's general manager , Hassan Koraytem , and the director general of Lebanese Customs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they and other officials repeatedly warned the judiciary about the danger posed by the stored ammonium nitrate and the need to remove it .
Documents circulated online appeared to show that customs officials sent letters to a Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut seeking guidance on how to sell or dispose of it at least six times from 2014 to 2017 .
Mr Koraytem told local channel OTV that State Security also sent warning letters .
Public Works Minister Michel Najjar , who took office at the start of this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the presence of the ammonium nitrate in late July and that he spoke to Mr Koraytem about the matter on Monday .
A fire appears to have triggered the detonation of the ammonium nitrate the next day .
The blast killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others , while dozens are still missing .
President Michel Aoun said the failure to deal with the Rhosus ' cargo was `` unacceptable '' and promised to `` hold those responsible and those who were negligent accountable , and serve them the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ordered officials involved in storing or guarding the ammonium nitrate to be put under house arrest pending an investigation .

Meanwhile, the crew still confined to the vessel were running out of food and supplies. The lawyers said they applied to the Judge of Urgent Matters in Beirut for an order authorising them to return home, emphasising "the danger the crew was facing given the 'dangerous' nature of the cargo" in the ship's holds.


bbc--2020-08-06--Beirut explosion: ‘We still think it’s like a dream’

Residents of Beirut have been left in shock after two devastating blasts killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others on Tuesday .
Dozens are still missing .
Lebanese authorities said the explosions were caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse .
Charbel Matar told the BBC that his family home was devastated during the disaster , and his brother and friend were treated for injuries .
The explosions happened as Mr Matar was getting ready for work at the American University , where he is chief fellow of haematology-oncology at Beirut Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building to collapse , Mr Matar fled outside with others in the centre .
`` I looked to the sky and I saw this mushroom effect , this big explosion and it looked like it was coming from downtown .
• How ship 's deadly cargo ended up at Beirut port '' The first thing that came on my mind was my family , my friends , my brother , my fiancé .
I video-called my mum , it was the only thing that would connect and I saw her with my dad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bleeding but they were alive .
I tried to call my fiancé - she was working in Beirut but had left 30 minutes before .
`` Next I was trying to reach my brother who was at our family home with his friend , which is 5-10 minutes away from the explosion .
I was not able to reach him .
I tried a few times but I could n't reach him until he called me and said he was fine .
He had some injuries but his friend who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I was in a dilemma .
I should stay in the hospital and help my friends , but at the same time I should be with my brother because no one was there .
I started to walk to my house which is about 30 minutes away from my workplace .
I tried to see if someone could pick me up because my car was heavily damaged and I could not use it .
`` Someone did drive me closer to my house , and then I had to walk from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get help and transfer my injured friend and my brother to the hospital .
I rang around to try and find a hospital because the two hospitals closest to the house were also completely destroyed .
More on the explosion in Beirut • AMMONIUM NITRATE : What is it ?
How dangerous is it ?
• Q & A : What we know • THE CONTEXT : Why Lebanon is in crisis '' When I arrived home someone - I do n't know who , I 'm thankful to him - was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car and try to get them to [ hospital ] .
This stranger was driving them from emergency room to emergency room because the hospitals were out of capacity .
The only hospital that could accommodate them was half an hour away .
`` Yesterday we started to try and secure our house .
Our house was all damaged and nothing remained ; all the windows , all the doors - everything .
All the building that we live in - it 's a building of seven floors - is all damaged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors exploded ; they are all down .
There was damage and there was blood .
`` We 're still in shock ; we 're still refusing to believe that something happened .
We still think it 's like a dream or something .
It was terrifying .
It was horrible . ''

"I was in a dilemma. I should stay in the hospital and help my friends, but at the same time I should be with my brother because no one was there. I started to walk to my house which is about 30 minutes away from my workplace. I tried to see if someone could pick me up because my car was heavily damaged and I could not use it.


bbc--2020-08-06--Beirut explosion: Pianist's homage to the victims

A Beirut resident has been paying her own tribute to the warehouse explosion that killed at least 137 people and @ @ @ @ @ Pianist May Melki says her rendition of Auld Lang Syne is a homage , not @ @ @

A Beirut resident has been paying her own tribute to the warehouse explosion that killed at least 137 people and injured thousands of others.
Pianist May Melki says her rendition of Auld Lang Syne is a homage, not a farewell.


bbc--2020-08-05--Why Lebanon was already in crisis

Why Lebanon was already in crisis

Lebanon is in mourning after an explosion in the port area in the city of Beirut killed dozens of people and left thousands injured .
The blast comes at a difficult time for Lebanon which is not only trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus but is also mired in an unprecedented economic crisis .
The economic situation has pushed tens of thousands people into poverty and triggered large anti-government protests .
What went wrong with the economy ?
Even before the coronavirus pandemic at the start of this year , Lebanon seemed to be headed for a crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what a country owes compared to what it produces ) was the third highest in the world ; unemployment stood at 25 % ; and nearly a third of the population was living below the poverty line .
Late last year also saw the unravelling of what analysts said was effectively a state-sponsored pyramid , or Ponzi , scheme run by the central bank , which was borrowing from commercial banks at above-market interest rates to pay back its debts and maintain the Lebanese pound 's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were getting increasingly angry and frustrated about the government 's failure to provide even basic services .
They were having to deal with daily power cuts , a lack of safe drinking water , limited public healthcare , and some of the world 's worst internet connections .
• 'Now there is nothing ' - Lebanon pushed to brink • How did Lebanon get into such a deep crisis ?
• How Lebanon became the third most indebted nation Many blamed the ruling elite who have dominated politics for years and amassed their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sweeping reforms necessary to solve the country 's problems .
At the start of October 2019 , a shortage of foreign currency led to the Lebanese pound losing value against the dollar on a newly emerged black market for the first time in two decades .
When importers of wheat and fuel demanded to be paid in dollars , unions called strikes .
Then , unprecedented wildfires in the country 's western mountains highlighted how underfunded and underequipped the fire service was .
In mid-October , the government proposed new taxes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via messaging services such as WhatsApp to drum up more revenue , but a backlash forced it to cancel the plans .
However , the debacle unleashed a surge of discontent that had been simmering in Lebanon for years .
Tens of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets , leading to the resignation of of Western-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his unity government .
Protests cut across sectarian lines - a rare phenomenon since the country 's devastating 1975-1989 civil war ended - and brought the country to a virtual standstill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequently announced that Lebanon would default on its foreign debt for the first time in its history , saying its foreign currency reserves had hit a `` critical and dangerous '' level and that those remaining were needed to pay for vital imports .
How has the pandemic made matters worse ?
In the wake of the first Covid-19 deaths and a surge in infections , a lockdown was imposed in mid-March to curb the spread of the disease .
On the one hand , it forced anti-government protesters off the streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic crisis much worse and exposed the inadequacies of Lebanon 's social welfare system .
Many business were forced to lay off staff or put them on furlough without pay ; the gap between the Lebanese pound 's value on the official and black-market exchange rates widened ; and banks tightened capital controls .
As prices rose further , many families were unable to buy even basic necessities .
Growing economic hardship triggered fresh unrest .
In April a young man was shot dead by soldiers during a violent protest in Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government , meanwhile , finally approved a recovery plan that it hoped would end the economic crisis and win support from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) for a bailout package worth $ 10bn .
By the time the coronavirus restrictions began to be lifted in May , the prices of some foodstuffs had doubled and the prime minister warned that Lebanon was at risk of a `` major food crisis '' .
`` Many Lebanese have already stopped buying meat , fruits and vegetables , and may soon find it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote in the Washington Post .
Why is Lebanon struggling to do anything about it ?
Most analysts point to one key factor : political sectarianism , or groups looking after their own interests .
Lebanon officially recognises 18 religious communities - four Muslim , 12 Christian , the Druze sect and Judaism .
The three main political offices - president , speaker of parliament and prime minister - are divided among the three biggest communities ( Maronite Christian ; Shia Muslim ; and Sunni Muslim , respectively ) under an agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 128 seats are also divided evenly between Christians and Muslims ( including Druze ) .
It is this religious diversity that makes the country an easy target for interference by external powers , as seen with Iran 's backing of the Shia Hezbollah movement , widely seen as the most powerful military and political group in Lebanon Since the end of the civil war , political leaders from each sect have maintained their power and influence through a system of patronage networks - protecting the interests of the religious communities they represent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - financial incentives .
Lebanon ranked 137th out of 180 countries ( 180 being the worst ) on Transparency International 's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index .
The watchdog says corruption `` permeates all levels of society '' in Lebanon , with political parties , parliament and the police perceived as `` the most corrupt institutions of the country '' .
It says it is the very system of sectarian power-sharing which is fuelling these patronage networks and hindering Lebanon 's system of governance .

But the end of this government does not necessarily mean an end to the anger. Last year's protests led to the formation of the government which has now been forced to step down over the same accusations of corruption.


bbc--2020-08-07--US election 2020: China, Russia and Iran 'trying to influence' vote

China , Russia and Iran are among countries seeking to influence the US presidential election this year , a top US intelligence chief has warned .
A statement issued by the director of US counterintelligence said foreign states are using `` covert and overt influence measures '' to sway the vote .
These nations `` have a preference for who wins the election , '' it added .
US intelligence chiefs say that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Donald Trump 's campaign .
The announcement comes amid claims by Mr Trump about the dangers of mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the vote be delayed to prevent `` the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history '' , prompting a backlash even among members of his own party .
• All you need to know about US election • Does Trump have power to delay election ?
• Does US postal voting lead to ‘ tremendous fraud ’ ?
It also follows complaints by Democratic lawmakers that US intelligence agencies are not releasing information to the public about foreign interference in this year 's vote .
The Republican president Mr Trump is seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His challenger is Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden .
What does the statement say ?
William Evanina , head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center ( NCSC ) , released the statement on Friday .
Foreign countries are trying to sway voter preferences , change US policies , `` increase discord '' in the country `` and undermine the American people 's confidence in our democratic process '' , Mr Evanina said .
The counterintelligence chief however added that it would be `` difficult for our adversaries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale . ''
Many countries `` have a preference for who wins the election '' , he said , but the counterintelligence director said they were `` primarily concerned '' about China , Russia and Iran : • China `` prefers that President Trump - whom Beijing sees as unpredictable - does not win reelection '' , the statement says , and has been `` expanding its influence efforts '' ahead of the vote • Russia is seeking to `` denigrate '' Mr Biden 's candidacy and other members of a perceived `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that some other actors linked to Russia `` are also seeking to boost President Trump 's candidacy on social media and Russian television '' • Iran is trying to `` undermine US democratic institutions '' , Mr Trump , and `` divide the country '' ahead of the vote by spreading disinformation and `` anti-US content '' online .
Their efforts are driven partially by a belief a second term for the president `` would result in a continuation of US pressure on Iran in an effort to foment regime change '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the Democratic party voiced concern about attempts by foreign nations to influence the vote .
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said the intelligence about current efforts to sway the vote `` should be available to the American people '' .
In his statement , Mr Evanina said his agency `` has and will continue to provide classified election threat briefings '' to candidates and politicians .
`` The steps we have taken thus far to inform the public and other stakeholders on election threats are unprecedented for the IC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of US intelligence agencies and officials have concluded that Russia helped influence the 2016 presidential election .
Former FBI director Robert Mueller - appointed as a special counsel to investigate that vote - did not establish that Mr Trump colluded with that effort , but said the president was not exonerated by his report .
A number of people on Mr Trump 's campaign have been jailed due to a variety of charges linked to Mr Mueller 's investigation .
Charges against ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn - convicted of lying about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped in July .
An appeals court will rehear arguments later this month .
And Roger Stone , a long-time ally of Mr Trump , had his jail sentence for witness tampering and lying to Congress commuted the president in July .

At Friday's press conference, Mr Trump said Russia "could be" meddling in this year's election, but dismissed the idea the country might be trying to help him win a second term. "I think the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump," he said, saying that "nobody's been tougher on Russia than I have, ever."


bbc--2020-08-07--Congress' last-ditch talks on virus stimulus fail

Last-ditch negotiations at the US Congress to forge another stimulus package for the coronavirus-ravaged economy have collapsed in stalemate .
Democrats and Republicans remain at odds over everything from unemployment benefits to financial aid for schools to cash injections for states ' coffers .
The US unemployment rate stands at 10.2 % , above any level during the 2008 financial crisis .
Jobless benefits have expired , as did a federal moratorium on evictions .
On Friday , House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi , the most powerful elected Democrat , held a meeting in her Capitol Hill office with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff Mark Meadows .
Mrs Pelosi said in a news conference that she was willing to offer a compromise .
• US jobs growth slows in July as pandemic takes toll '' We 'll go down one trillion , you go up one trillion , '' she told reporters as she staked out her position , adding : `` We have a moral responsibility to find common ground . ''
In May , her Democratic-controlled chamber passed a $ 3.5tr ( £2.7tr ) stimulus bill .
But it was rejected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who hold sway in the Senate .
As he entered Mrs Pelosi 's office on Friday , Mr Mnuchin called her proposal `` a non-starter '' .
Republicans prefer a package closer to $ 1tr total and want any deal to include legal protections for employers against virus-related health claims from workers .
They are also pushing to reduce the $ 600 unemployment benefits , which expired last month , and want far less aid to local governments than Democrats are seeking .
• Why US is expecting an 'avalanche ' of evictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thread' In a surprise press conference on Friday evening from his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey , where he is spending the weekend , President Trump blamed Democratic congressional leaders for the impasse .
`` Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer continue to insist on radical left-wing policies that have nothing to do with the China virus , '' he said .
He added : `` If Democrats continue to hold this critical relief hostage I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief they need .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defer the payroll tax , unemployment benefits and defer student loan interest until the end of the year , as well as extend the eviction moratorium .
The White House has previously suggested the president would take unilateral action through executive order .
But it is unclear how much he can change by fiat , given that Congress controls federal spending .
After weeks of negotiations , during which federal unemployment support for millions of Americans ended and economic numbers indicate the recovery was stalling , congressional Democrats and administration officials were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both sides agreed that something has to be done to help the unemployed , provide some support to schools that are struggling to cope with the pandemic and protect those facing eviction .
The challenge was there was still at least a trillion dollars in daylight between their two plans , and neither side seemed willing to budge .
That suggests that both sides are willing to endure the political and economic fallout of a continued impasse .
Democrats may believe that Americans will blame the president or recalcitrant Senate Republicans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending .
The White House may hope that whatever unilateral actions Donald Trump can take will offer him some political protections .
The bottom line , however , is that millions of Americans will teeter closer to the edge of the financial abyss - and with Congress leaving town for summer recess , there 's little sign of substantive help from Washington anytime soon .
The US unemployment rate continued to fall in July in the US , but it was a much lower decrease than in May and June , denting hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been going on for the past two weeks , as the US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpasses 160,000 .
The US has far more Covid-19 cases by volume than any other country - more than 4.9 million - and its rate of infection has risen steadily throughout the summer .
Congress has already allocated some $ 3bn for pandemic relief so far .
Some Republicans in Congress do not wish to spend any more .
Nearly half of Republican senators say they would oppose any new relief bill at all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Schumer told reporters it was `` disappointing '' .
`` We 're asking them again to be fair , to meet us in the middle , not to have a 'my way or the highway attitude , ' which they seem to have . ''

Both sides agreed that something had to be done to help the unemployed, provide some support to schools that are struggling to cope with the pandemic and protect those facing eviction. The challenge was there was still at least a trillion dollars in daylight between their two plans, and neither side seemed willing to budge.


bbc--2020-08-07--Beirut explosion: UN warns of Lebanon humanitarian crisis

UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon after Tuesday 's devastating blast in Beirut .
Lebanon was already suffering a major economic downturn before the explosion , which left at least 154 people dead , 5,000 injured and 300,000 homeless .
The World Food Programme said the damage to Beirut 's port would interrupt food supplies and push prices up .
The World Health Organization said the health system was seriously damaged , with three hospitals out of action .
Meanwhile , Lebanese President Michel Aoun rejected calls for an international investigation into the explosion , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was triggered by `` external interference '' such as a bomb .
The leader of the militant Hezbollah movement , Hassan Nasrallah , also denied allegations that it had stored weapons or ammunition at the port .
The government has said the blast was the result of the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely at the port for six years .
The decision to keep so much explosive material in a warehouse near the city centre has been met with disbelief and fury by many Lebanese , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of corruption , neglect and mismanagement .
How bad is the humanitarian situation ?
Before Tuesday 's explosion , 75 % of Lebanese were in need of aid , 33 % had lost their jobs , and one million people were living below the poverty line .
WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters in Geneva that the organisation was concerned the severe damage to Beirut 's port - the largest in the country - could limit the flow of food supplies and push prices beyond the reach of many .
The WFP was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to feed a family of five for a month , and was planning to import wheat flour and grains , she said .
Christian Lindmeier of the WHO meanwhile warned that Lebanon 's hospitals were overwhelmed with the patients , some were damaged and some non-functional , and that 500 beds had been lost .
More on the explosion in Beirut • 'We do n't have dreams any more' • What we know about the blast • Why Lebanon is in crisis The WHO has delivered emergency trauma and surgical supply kits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is calling for $ 15m ( £11.5m ) to cover immediate needs and ensure continuity in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic .
Lebanon was also seeing a rise in cases of the coronavirus disease but 17 containers of masks , gowns and gloves , shipped to Beirut by the WHO , had been completely destroyed , Mr Lindmeier said .
The UN Refugee Agency , which normally supports Lebanon 's 1.5 million Syrian refugees , said it was releasing emergency shelter materials to all those in need .
Many countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US announcing on Friday that it planned to immediately send $ 15m worth of food and medicine .
What is happening with the investigation ?
Lebanon 's president and prime minister have said the ammonium nitrate - which is commonly used as a fertiliser but can also made into an explosive - had been stored in a warehouse at the port without any safety precautions since 2014 , when it was unloaded from an impounded cargo ship .
On Wednesday , Mr Aoun promised a transparent investigation by Lebanese authorities and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were negligent accountable , and serve them the most severe punishment '' .
However , calls for international investigation have grown since then .
The president ruled out such a move on Friday , saying : `` The goal behind calls for an international investigation into the port issue is to dilute the truth . ''
He also said the government-backed inquiry was looking into three possibilities : negligence , accident or what he called `` external interference through a rocket or bomb or other act '' .
Officials have said the explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire and there has been no evidence so far of the third possibility mentioned by Mr Aoun .
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah , Mr Aoun 's political ally , meanwhile denied any responsibility for the blast , insisting that his group did not control the port and that it had stored no weapons or ammunition there .
`` Not a weapons cache , not a missile factory , not a single missile , not a single rifle , not a single bomb , not a bullet , not nitrates .
Nothing at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , '' he declared in a speech .
BBC Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher says Mr Nasrallah 's denial is necessary because many Lebanese believe the exact opposite - he needs to shore up his position and that of his movement , which still wields decisive power in Lebanon .
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Lebanon's president and prime minister have said the ammonium nitrate - which is commonly used as a fertiliser but can also made into an explosive - had been stored in a warehouse at the port without any safety precautions since 2014, when it was unloaded from an impounded cargo ship.