bbc--2020-07-06--Ennio Morricone: Composer who changed cinema's sound

Ennio Morricone 's innovative and influential scores revolutionised the music of the film industry .
He became famous for scoring the Spaghetti Westerns directed by his friend Sergio Leone , such as A Fistful of Dollars and The Good , the Bad and the Ugly .
His sparse soundtracks were a vital component of Leone 's revolutionary take on the Western genre .
Yet this association often pained him because he was , in fact , a composer of great versatility with more than 500 film and TV scores to his credit .
Despite his Hollywood success , he remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scores for Italian cinema .
Ennio Morricone was born in Rome on 10 Nov 1928 .
His father was a jazz trumpeter , and the young Morricone took up the instrument at an early age and was writing short compositions by the time he was six .
He attended the Santa Cecilia Conservatory , where he became classmates with Leone , with whom he would later form one of the great director/composer partnerships .
His first love was scoring classical pieces but , in order to make a living , he began composing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later turned his hand to film scores , but none of them made much impact until his old college friend asked him to write the soundtrack for Per Un Pugno di Dollari ( A Fistful of Dollars ) .
With scarcely any budget , Morricone was unable to replicate the lush strings of the early Westerns , instead using electric guitars and a variety of sound effects to punctuate the often violent action on screen .
In doing so , he underlined the mythical emptiness of the surrounding landscape and the brutal realities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence Westerns for years to come .
Most famously , Morricone penned the memorable and intriguing theme to 1966 's The Good , the Bad and the Ugly , the third in the Dollars trilogy .
With the sounds of coyotes , the trotting of drum rhythms and electric guitar twangs , the track soon became a worldwide hit , reaching the number one spot in Britain in 1968 .
It also conjured up the familiar imagery of a young Clint Eastwood riding a mule over burning deserts , re-establishing the all-American genre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to become one of the most prolific composers of his era , with hundreds of film scores in his repertoire .
`` I am disturbed when people think about me as a specialist for Westerns , '' he once said .
`` They are only a relatively small percentage of the music I 've written . ''
His desire to maintain a European bulwark against a dominant US film culture was also important to him .
He even opted for handwritten scores over the newly modernised forms of computer scoring .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in bringing a certain popular style to the classical sound .
He used period jazz phrases in his score for Once Upon a Time in America , to set the right historical context .
His score for The Mission ( 1986 ) was described as so moving that rather than complementing the film , it overwhelmed it .
A no-nonsense professional , Morricone left a legacy of compositions that convey a timeless aura .
In 2007 he was , belatedly according to his many fans , awarded an honorary Academy Award , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an accolade .
His six competitive Oscar nominations from 1979 to 2016 were for Days of Heaven , The Mission , The Untouchables , Bugsy , Malena and The Hateful Eight .
He finally won for the latter , Quentin Tarantino 's revisionist Western .
It was Morricone 's first Western score for more than three decades .
Some deemed his score for Once Upon A Time in America to be his best work .
Another favourite was Giuseppe Tornatore 's Cinema Paradiso , to which Morricone 's son Andrea also contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time performing in London , Morricone conducted two symphonic concerts dedicated to his film scores at the Barbican Centre .
Similarly , for his 75th birthday in 2003 , a concert of film music at London 's Royal Albert Hall saw musicians conducted by Morricone playing music from a selection of his compelling scores .
He never bothered to learn English despite his prominent presence in Hollywood and never lost touch with his Italian roots , remaining in Rome for most of his life .
`` I was offered a free villa in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I said , 'No thank you , I prefer to live in Rome . '
'' Morricone 's desire to reflect parts of his personality throughout his carefully produced compositions enhanced and transformed the emotional impact of the films , and he successfully adapted his work to many different styles of cinema .
He once said : `` Working for the cinema has been a precious experience because it gave me the chance to experiment with my ideas , to listen to them performed by an orchestra , and then use them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

At school, his classmates included Leone - with whom he would later form one of the great director/composer partnerships. "We weren't friends, we were schoolmates," Morricone once said. "I mean, we were seven years old so we were playing together, but you can't call that a friendship."


bbc--2020-07-05--Body positivity movement: 'Why is my body not important?'

The body positivity movement has taken over social media and forced the diet industry to reinvent itself .
Its mainstream @ @ @ @ @ diversity in the beauty and fashion industries , but not all feel included .
Enam @ @ @ @ @ Nyome and Vanessa are plus-sized models and active members of the online body positivity community @ @ @ @ @ experienced exclusion and unequal pay .
They feel the movement fails to represent fat , @ @ @

The body positivity movement has taken over social media and forced the diet industry to reinvent itself.
Its mainstream success has lead to more diversity in the beauty and fashion industries, but not all feel included.
Enam, Kayela, Lyza, Nyome and Vanessa are plus-sized models and active members of the online body positivity community, who say they have experienced exclusion and unequal pay.
They feel the movement fails to represent fat, black women.
The BBC's Lorna Acquah reports
Filmed prior to the Coronavirus pandemic


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: Louvre reopens with masks and one-way system

The Louvre museum has reopened in Paris after its closure nearly four months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Masks are compulsory , a one-way system is in place and numbers of visitors will be controlled .
There will also be a spaced queue to view Leonardo Da Vinci 's famous Mona Lisa painting .
Some 10 million people come to what is thought to be the world 's most visited museum each year , the majority from abroad .
With tourism crippled by the ongoing pandemic and the EU only opening its external borders for 15 nations so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitor numbers could drop hugely .
`` We are losing 80 % of our public , '' director Jean-Luc Martinez told AFP news agency .
`` We are going to be at best 20-30 % down on last summer - between 4,000 and 10,000 visitors a day . ''
The museum closed on 13 March and has reportedly lost €40m ( $ 45m ; £36m ) in revenue since then .
• How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
• What are your potential holiday destinations ?
`` We are lucky to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martinez told the New York Times in June .
Parisian tour guides protested outside the Louvre on Monday morning , saying the government had not done enough to help people who work in the tourism industry .
French President Emmanuel Macron declared a `` first victory '' over the coronavirus in June as he continued a partial lifting of lockdown restrictions .
But the government has faced criticisms throughout the pandemic over shortages of medical equipment and how it has handled the crisis .
On Friday it was announced that the Law Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims of ministerial misconduct , will open an inquiry into the government 's response .
The country has confirmed more than 195,000 cases of the virus and 29,813 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University .

"We are losing 80% of our public," director Jean-Luc Martinez told AFP news agency. "We are going to be at best 20-30% down on last summer - between 4,000 and 10,000 visitors a day."


bbc--2020-07-06--Sir Elton John honoured by Royal Mint on £1,000 gold coin

Rock legend Elton John is to be commemorated on a £1,000 gold coin celebrating his musical legacy .
He said it was a `` fabulous honour '' and a `` truly humbling milestone '' .
The Royal Mint at Llantrisant in south Wales is to sell coins featuring Sir Elton 's glasses and straw boater hat to mark his career of more than 50 years .
Artist Bradley Morgan Johnson from Norwich used a musical note design to create round spectacles topped with hat and bow-tie on a Union flag background .
`` It really is a fabulous honour to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sir Elton .
`` The last few years have contained some of the most memorable moments of my career , and this is another truly humbling milestone on my journey . ''
The cheapest coins have a face value of £5 selling for £13 while a one-kilo gold proof coin has a face value of £1,000 - though it is priced at £68,865 .
A one-off coin will be auctioned to raise cash for the Elton John Charitable Trust .
There are a number of other editions in gold , silver and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is without a doubt a British music legend and is recognised as one of the most successful singer-songwriters of his generation , '' the Royal Mint 's Clare Maclennan said .
`` We are delighted to honour Elton 's significant contribution to British music on a UK coin . ''
In 2019 the 73-year-old star published his autobiography , and saw the release of the film biopic Rocketman , in which he was portrayed by Aberystwyth actor Taron Egerton .
Sir Elton has embarked on a final world tour - Farewell Yellow Brick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus pandemic .
The rock band Queen were the first act to be celebrated in the Royal Mint 's series of music legends with a coin issued in January .

"The last few years have contained some of the most memorable moments of my career, and this is another truly humbling milestone on my journey."


bbc--2020-07-06--What is bubonic plague?

What is bubonic plague?

A suspected case of bubonic plague has been reported to Chinese authorities .
It is not known how the patient became infected , but the country is on alert for more cases .
Plague is one of the deadliest diseases in human history - but it can now be easily treated with antibiotics .
Plague is a potentially lethal infectious disease that is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis that live in some animals - mainly rodents - and their fleas .
Bubonic plague is the most common type of the disease that people can get .
The name comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , swollen lymph nodes or 'buboes ' in the groin or armpit .
From 2010 to 2015 there were 3,248 cases reported worldwide , including 584 deaths .
Historically , it has also been called the Black Death , in reference to the gangrenous blackening and death of body parts , such as the fingers and toes , that can happen with the illness .
What does it do ?
A person usually becomes ill with bubonic plague between two and six days after being infected .
Along with the tender , enlarged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large as a chicken egg , other symptoms include fever , chills , headache , muscle aches and tiredness .
Plague can also affect the lungs , causing a cough , chest pain and difficulty breathing .
The bacteria can also enter the bloodstream and cause a condition called septicaemia or sepsis , which can lead to tissue damage , organ failure and death .
How can you catch it ?
People can catch it from : • Touching infected animals such as rats and mice Domestic cats and dogs can become infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rodents .
The infection could also enter the body through a cut in the skin if the person came in close contact with an infected animals blood .
The current alert in China forbids the hunting and eating of animals that could carry plague .
The body of someone who has died after being infected with plague can infect people who are in close contact , such as those who are preparing the body for burial .
Is there a treatment or a cure for it ?
Prompt treatment with antibiotics is vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left .
Early diagnosis , using laboratory tests on blood and other body samples , can save lives .
Could there be a new outbreak or pandemic ?
Plague still exists in many parts of the world .
In recent years there have been outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar .
Although plague has been the cause of widespread disease outbreaks in medieval times , any outbreaks today are thankfully small .
Dr Matthew Dryden , Consultant microbiologist at the University of Southampton in the UK .
said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked up and reported at an early stage because it can be isolated , treated and spread prevented .
`` Bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium and so , unlike covid-19 , is readily treated with antibiotics .
So although this might appear alarming , being another major infectious disease emerging from the east , it appears to be a single suspected case which can be readily treated . ''

Bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease that people can get. The name comes from the symptoms it causes - painful, swollen lymph nodes or 'buboes' in the groin or armpit.


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: How 'three musketeers' helped Georgia fight virus

Georgia is enjoying the distinction of being included in a list of 15 non-EU states the European Union considers safe enough to open its borders to .
It 's the only former Soviet republic to achieve that status .
Fewer than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 have been registered , and 15 people have died out of a population of 3.7 million .
A group of public scientists , dubbed the three musketeers , are being praised for steering the Caucasus state 's successful response to the pandemic .
By comparison , coronavirus has been raging in neighbouring Armenia , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases of Covid-19 are being registered there every day , the total number of infections has exceeded 26,000 and the death toll stands at nearly 500 .
How did Georgia do it ?
Georgia 's first Covid-19 case was registered at the end of February .
The government 's response was swift .
By mid-March all schools , universities and non-essential businesses were closed and public transport was suspended .
After the introduction of a state of emergency on 21 March , large gatherings and intra-city travel were banned .
Nightly curfews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia 's most important religious holiday , the authorities banned private transport and closed cemeteries .
`` We took note of the pandemic 's threat a month before the first confirmed case , '' Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia told the BBC via email .
`` Given our country 's specifics , such as our location and small size , we could not use the examples of other countries . ''
An information campaign and regular updates were led by the country 's top scientists and Georgia 's National Centre for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NCDC 's Lugar Laboratory has been a constant target of Russian disinformation , which has accused it of being part of a US secret bio-weapons programme .
But its scientists have led the country 's fight against the pandemic .
More from Georgia - and Russia 's relations with it • You 're not safe in Georgia , Russia tells its citizens Who are the 'musketeers ' ?
In Georgia , the NCDC 's scientists have become widely respected for their decision-making .
The trio included the head of the NCDC , Amiran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lugar lab , Paata Imnadze , and the main virologist , Tengiz Tsertsvadze , who is head of Tbilisi 's infectious diseases , Aids and immunology research centre .
Another popular figure was the face of the public health campaign , Marina Ezugbaia , who is medical head of Tbilisi 's infectious diseases hospital .
There are now 19 laboratories across Georgia testing for coronavirus .
And on 30 June , the head of the NCDC , Amiran Gamrekhelidze , detailed Georgia 's success .
`` By the gold standard we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our population .
The recovery rate has risen to 86 % , but unfortunately we had 15 deaths which represents 1.6 % .
Compared to global rates it is very low . ''
Why did it work ?
Georgia 's government has thanked the public for complying with its directives .
There have been heavy penalties for those caught breaking the rules during the state of emergency - $ 1,000 fines for individuals and over $ 3,000 in fines for violations by businesses .
`` Stay at Home '' warnings were digitally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone operators broadcast the same message on people 's devices .
Despite a typically high degree of political polarisation , Georgian society broadly supported efforts to combat the epidemic .
The prime minister said the co-operation of Georgians and their `` exemplary social responsibility in observing all relevant instructions and recommendations '' had helped flatten the curve of infections .
The big test came on Easter Sunday when there were fears that thousands would attend midnight mass services in churches across the country .
The country 's powerful Orthodox Church went ahead with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoons for holy communion , but most people followed the advice of the scientists and stayed home .
Armenia , which ( to date ) has registered nearly 27,000 cases of Covid-19 , started easing lockdown measures at the end of April , gradually reopening the economy in May .
Its health minister , Arsen Torosyan , told the BBC that the number of new infections was soaring , but that the country could no longer afford to stay shut .
`` We decided to live with the virus regardless of the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal to eradicate it .
Because it is impossible .
If we have to close borders for a year , close businesses for months and years we will die from other causes . ''
Neighbouring Azerbaijan also continues to register hundreds of new cases every day .
Its critics have accused the government of using authoritarian methods to fight the pandemic - without success .
Images on social media have been widely shared of police dragging people in their underpants from their homes for breaking quarantine .
Many Georgian businesses and restaurants have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obligatory in indoor public spaces and there are tight rules on distancing and restrictions on large gatherings .
The Georgian government had been hoping to open its borders for international travellers from 1 July .
That has now been postponed , so prospects for the country 's tourism sector this year are bleak .
The head of the NCDC remains cautious .
`` If Georgia looks like an island and an oasis between the surrounding countries , it does not give us the right to rest for a minute , '' Dr Gamrekhelidze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The fact that we only have daily new cases in single figures does n't give us the right to relax at all .
We need to be in a state of constant readiness . ''

"We decided to live with the virus regardless of the numbers. We don't have an end goal to eradicate it. Because it is impossible. If we have to close borders for a year, close businesses for months and years we will die from other causes."


bbc--2020-07-06--'I've shown another way to do it' - bulked up DeChambeau powers to win in Detroit

Last updated on .From the section Golf Bryson DeChambeau says he has shown there is `` another way '' to play golf after sealing a first PGA Tour win since bulking out his physique .
DeChambeau , who has purposely gained 45lbs in weight in nine months , averaged 350 yards off the tee .
`` It 's a little emotional for me , '' said DeChambeau , 26 .
`` Because I did do something a little different , I changed my body , I changed my mindset in the game , and was able to accomplish a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf .
`` I 've shown people that there 's another way to do it . ''
DeChambeau now has seven consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour .
He added 20lbs of his overall weight gain during the sport 's coronavirus shutdown and he now tops the Tour 's average drive figures for the 2020 season at 323 yards .
American Kevin Kisner , who finished third on 18 under - two shots behind Wolff and five off DeChambeau - said the winner has `` changed the entire way the game is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overnight lead held by Wolff thanks to eight birdies in his final round .
He quickly led thanks to four birdies in seven holes but after Wolff rallied to cut the lead to one , DeChambeau fired three birdies on the closing three holes to seal the sixth PGA Tour win over his career .
Elsewhere in the field English duo Danny Willett and Tyrrell Hatton finished seven shots off the lead in a four-way tie for fourth with Canada 's Adam Hadwin and American Ryan Armour on 16 under .
England 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 12th on 14 under .
• None Can we avoid the consequences of Chinese tech dependency ?

Last updated on .From the section Golf
DeChambeau collected the Rocket Mortgage Classic trophy after what was his sixth PGA Tour win
Rocket Mortgage Classic final leaderboard -23: B DeChambeau (US); -20: M Wolff (US); -18: K Kisner (US); -16: D Willett (Eng), T Hatton (Eng), A Hadwin (Can), R Armour (US). Selected others: -14: T Lewis (Eng), M Wallace (Eng); -9: L Donald (Eng) Leaderboard (external) external-link
Bryson DeChambeau says he has shown there is "another way" to play golf after sealing a first PGA Tour win since bulking out his physique.
The American produced a seven-under-par final-round 65 to beat compatriot Matthew Wolff by three shots at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
DeChambeau, who has purposely gained 45lbs in weight in nine months, averaged 350 yards off the tee.
"It's a little emotional for me," said DeChambeau, 26.
"Because I did do something a little different, I changed my body, I changed my mindset in the game, and was able to accomplish a win while playing a completely different style of golf.
"I've shown people that there's another way to do it."
DeChambeau now has seven consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.
He added 20lbs of his overall weight gain during the sport's coronavirus shutdown and he now tops the Tour's average drive figures for the 2020 season at 323 yards.
American Kevin Kisner, who finished third on 18 under - two shots behind Wolff and five off DeChambeau - said the winner has "changed the entire way the game is played."
DeChambeau overhauled a three-shot overnight lead held by Wolff thanks to eight birdies in his final round.
He quickly led thanks to four birdies in seven holes but after Wolff rallied to cut the lead to one, DeChambeau fired three birdies on the closing three holes to seal the sixth PGA Tour win over his career.
Elsewhere in the field English duo Danny Willett and Tyrrell Hatton finished seven shots off the lead in a four-way tie for fourth with Canada's Adam Hadwin and American Ryan Armour on 16 under.
England's Tom Lewis and Matt Wallace were tied for 12th on 14 under.


bbc--2020-07-06--Nemanja Matic: Manchester United midfielder signs new contract until 2023

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has extended his contract with the club until June 2023 .
The Serbia international , 31 , joined United from Chelsea in 2017 and was due to be out of contract in June of 2021 .
`` As a player , I still have a lot more to give and achieve in my career and to do that with Manchester United will be a huge honour , '' Matic said .
`` This is a really exciting team to be part of , we have a good balance of youth and experience within the squad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was `` delighted '' Matic has extended his deal , adding : `` I know his experience , professionalism and leadership will be invaluable to this young talented group .
`` Nemanja has been here for three seasons now and really understands the values of playing for Manchester United . ''
Matic has played 27 times in all competitions for the club this season .
Solskjaer 's side have not lost since January - a run of 16 games in all competitions - and sit fifth in the Premier League table .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can we avoid the consequences of Chinese tech dependency ?

Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Matic (left) joined Manchester United from Chelsea in 2017
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has extended his contract with the club until June 2023.
The Serbia international, 31, joined United from Chelsea in 2017 and was due to be out of contract in June of 2021.
"As a player, I still have a lot more to give and achieve in my career and to do that with Manchester United will be a huge honour," Matic said.
"This is a really exciting team to be part of, we have a good balance of youth and experience within the squad."
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was "delighted" Matic has extended his deal, adding: "I know his experience, professionalism and leadership will be invaluable to this young talented group.
"Nemanja has been here for three seasons now and really understands the values of playing for Manchester United."
Matic has played 27 times in all competitions for the club this season.
Solskjaer's side have not lost since January - a run of 16 games in all competitions - and sit fifth in the Premier League table.


bbc--2020-07-06--UFC 251: Jorge Masvidal steps in to face champion Kamaru Usman

Last updated on .From the section Mixed Martial Arts Jorge Masvidal will bid for his first UFC world title after stepping in at six days ' notice to face Kamaru Usman on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi .
But UFC confirmed Masvidal , 35 , will compete as long as both fighters pass a succession of tests for coronavirus .
Saturday 's event is being held on Yas Island in order to minimise any risk of spreading the virus .
Both Masvidal and Usman will need to pass tests for the virus before departing the US , upon arrival in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh-in .
Nigerian-American Usman won the welterweight title from Tyron Woodley in March 2019 and defended it against Colby Covington in December .
The 33-year-old has only one defeat - which was in 2013 - on his 17-fight mixed martial arts record .
Masvidal has become one of UFC 's most popular names and scored a notable win over Nate Diaz in November .
In July of 2019 , Masvidal secured the quickest knockout in UFC history when he stopped Ben Askren with a flying knee after just five seconds at UFC 239 @

Last updated on .From the section Mixed Martial Arts
Masvidal (right) has become one of the UFC's most popular fighters
Jorge Masvidal will bid for his first UFC world title after stepping in at six days' notice to face Kamaru Usman on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Welterweight champion Usman was slated to face Gilbert Burns at UFC 251 but the Brazilian withdrew.
But UFC confirmed Masvidal, 35, will compete as long as both fighters pass a succession of tests for coronavirus.
Saturday's event is being held on Yas Island in order to minimise any risk of spreading the virus.
Both Masvidal and Usman will need to pass tests for the virus before departing the US, upon arrival in Abu Dhabi and after Friday's scheduled weigh-in.
Nigerian-American Usman won the welterweight title from Tyron Woodley in March 2019 and defended it against Colby Covington in December.
The 33-year-old has only one defeat - which was in 2013 - on his 17-fight mixed martial arts record.
Masvidal has become one of UFC's most popular names and scored a notable win over Nate Diaz in November.
In July of 2019, Masvidal secured the quickest knockout in UFC history when he stopped Ben Askren with a flying knee after just five seconds at UFC 239.


bbc--2020-07-03--Coronavirus: Why surviving the virus may be just the beginning

The first thing Simon Farrell can remember , after being woken from a medically induced coma , is trying to tear off his oxygen mask .
He had been in intensive care for 10 days , reliant on a ventilator just to breathe .
`` I was trying to pull the mask off my face , and the nurse kept putting it back on , '' he recalls .
When doctors woke him up , his body had fought off the worst of Covid-19 but he still needed oxygen to support his damaged lungs .
And the 46-year-old father-of-two was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to deny himself the oxygen he required .
`` Try to stop me , '' he remembers saying , when nurses at Birmingham 's Queen Elizabeth Hospital said they would have to put his hands in boxing glove-sized medical mittens unless he relaxed .
`` In the end they had to tape my hands up .
I was trying to tear the mittens off , I managed to bite through them , and they had to put new mittens on . ''
It is not an unfamiliar story for anyone working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the most severely ill means patients are ventilated for longer , and require a deeper level of sedation , than the typical ICU patient .
That has produced `` a lot of delirium , confusion and agitation '' , explains Dr Kulwant Dhadwal , a consultant who runs the intensive care unit at London 's Royal Free Hospital .
`` Usually if you have a surgical procedure , or normal pneumonia patients come to ICU , you wake them up and they 're less confused and less disoriented than this . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot more difficult to wean off the ventilator . ''
Even when that process is a success , it is only the beginning of a long process of physical and psychological recovery .
And now the UK has moved past the peak of the virus , attention is turning to the huge challenge - both in the health service and in the community - of rehabilitating Covid-19 survivors .
`` Often rehabilitation is seen as a Cinderella service and not a priority , '' says Sally Singh , professor of pulmonary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But because of Covid , and the number of people that it has affected , the need is pressing .
It has become a national priority - to support people to get better . ''
Tens of thousands of people around the UK are now setting out on that journey .
Some came close to death in intensive care units , others needed less intrusive hospital treatment to help them through the worst .
All of them have had their lives changed by Covid-19 .
But for the most seriously ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well before they are woken from a coma .
Physical and psychological support has to be there from the start .
Even when a patient is asleep , nurses and therapists will move their joints and their bodies to make sure they do n't get too stiff .
`` For example , we have an in-bed bike , '' explains Kate Tantam , a specialist rehabilitation sister in intensive care at University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust .
`` Even if a patient is on multiple organ support on a ventilator , and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will still put them on a bike . ''
`` We bring it to the bed , and we can put their feet into it , and the machine can then do the work for you . ''
ICU staff will also talk constantly to patients while they are deeply sedated , telling them where they are , and what is happening to them , and reassuring them that they are safe .
It 's all part of the process of preparing them for the moment when they are woken up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , ' I remember your voice , ' '' says Kulwant Dhadwal .
`` They wake up with some kind of memory . ''
But the process with Covid-19 has proved even more delicate and difficult than normal , partly because so many ICU patients were on mechanical ventilators for extraordinarily long periods of time .
Many of them woke up profoundly weak , although some regained strength unexpectedly quickly .
`` Usually when somebody 's been asleep for 40 days or more , it takes six weeks or longer for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to be ready to even start walking or standing , '' Kulwant Dhadwal says .
`` But some of these patients were making progress within a week , which we found very unusual , very specific to this disease . ''
Another challenge in the immediate recovery from critical illness with Covid-19 is the severe inflammation .
Many patients ca n't cope with a breathing tube inserted through the mouth because the larynx and the area above the vocal cords are badly swollen as part of the illness .
That means doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , creating an opening in the neck to gain access to the windpipe , in order to remove the breathing tube that connects patents to the ventilator .
`` You 've got to look after the tracheostomy , it 's a wound in the neck , '' explains Carl Waldmann , a consultant in intensive care at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading .
`` So , it was a long , slow process getting them off the ventilator .
It might take them a week or two weeks or even longer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ human story .
Abraham Raskin 's family were told in late April that it was unlikely he would survive .
But on 12 June he finally left the Royal London Hospital after more than 50 days in intensive care , a tracheostomy , and a month in a medically induced coma .
`` The very fact that I 'm alive now is a miracle , '' he says , `` I was nearly a goner . ''
On a video call arranged by nurses on 18 May his family saw his face for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into hospital in early April .
He was n't able to say anything , but he did raise an eyebrow .
Abraham was severely delirious for some time after waking up .
`` I was talking all kinds of rubbish , '' he says .
`` Afterwards when I heard about what I was saying , I felt like I was mad or something .
It 's not pleasant . ''
But he is now back at home , still very tired , and following a basic exercise programme planned from him by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , he can get upstairs to sleep at night .
`` Some people ca n't really walk anymore when they come out of this , '' he says , `` and some take months to recover .
I hope I 'm not one of them . ''
As many as three-quarters of intensive care patients who need mechanical ventilation to help them breathe will suffer from delirium .
And the observations of many doctors suggest that delirium has been particularly acute , and hallucinations unusually vivid , for people who fall critically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by the infection itself , and the fevers which accompany it .
But it is intensified by the strong sedative drugs that have to be used to keep patients comfortable , and the unsettling environment of intensive care they find themselves in .
While patients are in a coma , and after they wake up and begin withdrawing from these drugs , they often experience frightening hallucinations , and cling to unsettling beliefs about what is going on .
`` Delirium does n't have a dreamlike quality , '' says Dorothy Wade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care at University College Hospital in London .
`` Patients always say 'it was completely real - I was just living in this terrifying alternative reality . '
'' Doctors think that chemical imbalances prompt the brain to create its own explanation for why the body ca n't move and the patient ca n't speak .
Often people think they 've been kidnapped or tortured , or they think they 're in a prison cell about to be put on trial .
`` They tend to feel that the nurses and the doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy , '' says Dorothy Wade , `` that this is all part of a conspiracy to make money out of them by selling their blood or their organs . ''
It means that psychologists like Dr Wade try to step in as early as possible .
It 's important not to argue with delirious patients , she says , but instead to try to offer reassurance about what has really been happening .
Simon Farrell left hospital relatively quickly after being taken off a ventilator , but he still recalls the vivid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I remember Elliott , my younger son , coming into the room in PPE , '' he says .
`` Now , that clearly was n't right .
No children were allowed on the ward .
The hospital was locked down .
It did n't happen . ''
In his head at the time , though , he believed it to be absolutely true .
`` You just feel it is what 's happening , '' he says .
`` And there was a lot worse than that .
That was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
The challenge of dealing with the acute delirium that accompanies Covid-19 has been heightened by the fact that family members ca n't be at the bedside when patients are trying to return to reality .
Seriously ill people wake into a world of flashing lights and machines , of disrupted sleep and hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a huge impact on patients , '' explains Krystyna Walton , a consultant in rehabilitation medicine at the Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester .
`` They are already confused , and it must be incredibly difficult . ''
`` If somebody has suffered encephalitis ( inflammation of the brain ) and they have memory problems or insight problems , they 're not aware of the way that Covid has affected the world , so they ca n't understand why there are no visitors . ''
And the social isolation imposed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and family .
Hannah Farrell , Simon 's wife , works as a neuro physiotherapist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he was a patient .
She recalls one evening when he was still severely delirious , a nurse she knew rang and suggested that hearing her voice on the phone might calm Simon down .
`` Apparently , it settled Simon , but it certainly did n't settle me , '' she says .
`` I did n't sleep all night , because Simon just did n't sound like Simon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was quite upsetting , and I 'm sure other relatives have said the same . ''
Some patients can still be delirious weeks after waking up .
And delirium , says Kate Tantam , along with other frightening early experiences , `` is the key link to post-traumatic stress , anxiety and depression '' among people who survive their time in ICU .
Roughly one in five people who pass through intensive care in normal times go on to exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number could be considerably higher .
The same goes for more general anxiety and depression after leaving hospital .
The extreme circumstances of the Covid pandemic , and the social isolation that has come with it , are likely to make things worse .
The lack of a reassuring family presence , for example , continues to pose additional problems after patients are released from acute hospital wards into care homes and rehabilitation units .
Hospitals have invested in iPads to facilitate contact , and family liaison teams make sure video calls take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not quite the same .
Krystyna Walton gives the example of one of her patients who had severe Covid pneumonia , as well as renal failure and dialysis .
The patient spent several weeks in critical care , and several more on a medical ward before being moved to a rehabilitation ward with cognitive deficits .
They have not been able to see their family for three months .
Normally in a rehabilitation unit , staff would try to personalise a patient 's surroundings and encourage them to wear their own clothes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of that .
And because family members are unable to visit , or speak to medical staff face-to-face , they often struggle to understand just how sick their relative has been .
`` There are no visitors in care homes , there are no visitors in rehabilitation in the NHS or in the independent sector , '' says Krystyna Walton .
`` And even after leaving rehab there have been restrictions that we all have had to deal with , which makes it more difficult to visit a vulnerable person in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge psychological impact . ''
So , the NHS is going to have to prepare for the possibility of a fresh wave of PTSD patients , just as it is trying to deal with a backlog of mental health ( and other ) cases which have been neglected during the worst of the pandemic .
`` We wo n't know for several months how big a problem this is going to be , '' says Dorothy Wade .
`` To begin with people are very relieved to be out of hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sometimes it can take quite a long time for them to realise that something still is n't quite right . ''
It does n't always turn out that way .
Alongside post-traumatic stress , doctors acknowledge the concept of post-traumatic growth , and point to patients who emerge from critical care with a new outlook on life .
`` There are some people who - no matter how difficult this has been - find themselves in a more positive frame of mind , '' explains Julie Highfield , a consultant clinical psychologist based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` People feel this is a chance they never thought they would have , and they are determined to live their life well . ''
Simon Farrell is certainly trying to focus on the positive and he has been recovering week by week .
But he admits it has to be tinged with realism .
`` I think people feel if they get physically stronger , they 're then mentally stronger and they 're fine .
And that 's not always the case .
The two are not aligned . ''
For many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge , particularly if they have spent weeks in intensive care .
`` Covid is a nasty , nasty disease that kicks every single system you 've got in the neck , '' says Kate Tantam .
And sometimes when people wake up from four weeks of sedation , like thousands of Covid-19 patients have done , the only thing they can move is their fingertips .
`` We have to rebuild everything with them , '' she says , `` and teach them how to do everything physically again - from being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to touch your hair , to being able to stand and being able to sit . ''
A prolonged period of recovery is not unusual after intensive care , but many Covid-19 patients have experienced particularly severe fatigue and muscle wasting .
They are exhausted - sitting in a chair for half an hour might be followed by four hours sleep .
And rebuilding muscle takes time .
`` If we do n't give patients the right level of nutritional input , they are not going to recover , '' Kate Tantam says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role to play , alongside physiotherapists , speech and language therapists and occupational therapists .
If you have just survived a multi-system disease which attacks different parts of the body in different ways , it stands to reason that you need various forms of help to recover .
Many Covid patients will return to normal life relatively quickly .
But some have suffered kidney failure and may require ongoing renal support , while others will need to be referred to cardiologists or may have developed neurological conditions that require specialist care .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to make sure that everyone gets what they need , and that the right support can be provided at the right time . ''
`` I think the greatest burden will be in the community , '' argues Krystyna Walton , `` because many of these patients will have quite subtle deficits that will only become evident to them as they start recovering physically , weeks and months after going home . ''
The most common physical challenge for recovering Covid-19 patients is shortness of breath - and that can apply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe symptoms of the disease .
`` For patients that are coming out of hospital , '' says Sally Singh , `` clearly they 're breathless because they 've had a respiratory disease .
Their lungs are temporarily damaged , but they are also deconditioned because they 've been lying in a hospital bed for so long that they 've become pretty unfit . ''
It means that simple things like going up and down stairs can become extremely challenging , especially in elderly patients .
But breathlessness is an issue that goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And a significant minority of people who 've been infected with the coronavirus are still struggling to shake it off .
Jenny Goldblatt , an infectious diseases doctor at the Royal Free Hospital , fell ill with Covid-19 in March and it has lingered ever since - returning in waves of fatigue , chest pains and breathing difficulties .
She spent a couple of days in hospital in March , where she was given a little extra oxygen .
But it was only after going home that her problems began in earnest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd start to feel a little better and I 'd start to go for longer walks , '' she says .
`` But then I 'd crash in a heap and could n't get out of bed for a week . ''
It was a month after falling ill that she first managed to walk to the end of the road and back .
A keen cyclist , her next goal is to cycle around the block .
`` I ca n't imagine when I will be able to take my bike for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about that too much it gets a bit depressing . ''
Jenny thinks she has cleared the virus , and she has `` easily detectable '' antibodies in her blood , but her body is continuing to react in unusual ways .
Post-viral fatigue is not unique to Covid-19 , but this is something more .
Jenny has suffered chest pains and breathlessness ; other patients with lingering symptoms report severe headaches or abdominal pains .
Three months after falling ill , going back to work or resuming normal life is out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting better slowly , '' she says , `` but I ca n't be too ambitious .
It is frustrating to be on this rollercoaster , with absolutely no idea how long the journey will take . ''
Previous medical experience with pneumonia suggests it can take months , or in extreme cases years , for patients to get back to where they were before .
With Covid-19 , we are still early in the cycle of rehabilitation and recovery , and every patient is different .
`` The honest answer is we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take , '' says Sally Singh .
`` People are researching that as we speak - monitoring chest x-rays , symptoms and the wellbeing of patients to help us identify what the best intervention to support these people may be . ''
The trouble is the provision of rehabilitation services across the country can be patchy , especially for people emerging from critical care .
And the NHS is already dealing with a massive backlog of non-Covid cases that have been delayed .
`` The huge challenge , '' says Krystyna Walton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in numbers . ''
At the peak of the outbreak the priority was to get patients out of acute hospital settings quickly to free up bed space .
That means in many cases the rehabilitation assessments that would normally be done in hospital would have been done in the community , or in a care home or a non-specialist rehabilitation setting .
`` And my suspicion , '' Krystyna Walton adds , `` is that many patients may have not had their needs assessed properly . ''
Carl Waldmann , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously ill patients for more than 25 years , says one of the best analogies he can think of is building a rocket , and training an astronaut .
`` You put them up into space , but you also have to think about where they 're going to land and what we 're going to do when they get back . ''
It is the same , he says , if you put a patient through the complexities of intensive care .
`` We 've had some patients who need seven specialists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , `` and unless they have all those bits of the jigsaw puzzle , there is a chance they wo n't make the recovery they could have made . ''
It is important to emphasise those rehabilitation needs do n't stop after the immediate recovery period .
Many patients will suffer from scarring of the lungs - a permanent and often debilitating condition .
Doctors also know that a significant number of people who have been critically ill have suffered cognitive deficits .
Ideally they should have screening for return to driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
`` Rehabilitation has to sort of blur into real life and getting back out into the community , '' says Krystyna Walton , `` doing what you used to do before , looking after your family , earning an income , enjoying leisure facilities and exercise . ''
`` And that is what takes time and expertise . ''
The NHS and individual hospitals are of course building rehabilitation into their Covid recovery plans , but this is a system that has been overlooked for years .
Experts in the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Covid will provide a launch pad for change .
`` Hospitals are very good at treating people , doing something to somebody to make them better , '' says Kate Tantam .
`` But what they are not always very good at is prioritising the therapeutic and rehabilitation input afterwards . ''
It is , in other words , not just about survival , it is about health-related quality of life .
`` There is no point giving somebody a massive intensive care stay , if you do n't try to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
You may also be interested in : When you talk to intensive care doctors across the UK , exhausted after weeks of dealing with the ravages of Covid-19 , one phrase emerges time after time : `` We 've never seen anything like this before . ''
They knew a new disease was coming , and they were expecting resources to be stretched by an unknown respiratory infection which had first appeared in China at the end of last year .
And as the number of cases increased , doctors up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts from colleagues in China , and then in Italy - in scientific journals and on social media - about the intensity of infection .
`` It felt in some ways like we were trying to prepare for the D-Day landings , '' says Barbara Miles , clinical director of intensive care at Glasgow Royal Infirmary , `` with three weeks to get ready and not a great deal of knowledge about what we would be facing '' .
But what arrived in the UK as winter turned into spring took even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Read how doctors on the front lines are observing things that they have never encountered before - and it 's a challenge .

At the peak of the outbreak the priority was to get patients out of acute hospital settings quickly to free up bed space. That means in many cases the rehabilitation assessments that would normally be done in hospital would have been done in the community, or in a care home or a non-specialist rehabilitation setting.


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: Fear over rise in animal-to-human diseases

Zoonotic diseases - which jump from animals to humans - are increasing and will continue to do so without action to protect wildlife and preserve the environment , UN experts have warned .
They blame the rise in diseases such as Covid-19 on high demand for animal protein , unsustainable agricultural practices and climate change .
Neglected zoonotic diseases kill two million people a year , they say .
Covid-19 is set to cost the global economy $ 9tn ( £7.2tn ) over two years .
• Why are we catching more diseases from animals ?
Ebola , West Nile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases : they started in animals , and made the jump to humans .
What did the report say ?
But that jump is not automatic .
It is driven , according to the report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute , by the degradation of our natural environment - for example through land degradation , wildlife exploitation , resource extraction and climate change .
This alters the way animals and humans interact .
`` In the last century we have seen at least six major outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andersen , under-secretary general and executive director of the UN Environment Programme .
`` Over the last two decades and before Covid-19 , zoonotic diseases caused economic damage of $ 100bn ( £80bn ) . ''
She said that `` two million people in low- and middle-income countries die each year from neglected endemic zoonotic diseases - such as anthrax , bovine tuberculosis and rabies '' .
`` These are often communities with complex development problems , high dependence on livestock and proximity to wildlife . ''
Meat production , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 50 years , Ms Andersen said .
`` We have intensified agriculture , expanded infrastructure and extracted resources at the expense of our wild spaces , '' she explained .
`` Dams , irrigation and factory farms are linked to 25 % of infectious diseases in humans .
Travel , transport and food supply chains have erased borders and distances .
Climate change has contributed to the spread of pathogens . ''
The report offers governments strategies on how to prevent future outbreaks , such as incentivizing sustainable land management , improving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The science is clear that if we keep exploiting wildlife and destroying our ecosystems , then we can expect to see a steady stream of these diseases jumping from animals to humans in the years ahead , '' Ms Andersen said .
`` To prevent future outbreaks , we must become much more deliberate about protecting our natural environment . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • ENDGAME : How do we get out of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more deaths have been prevented ?
• WITHOUT SYMPTOMS : The mystery of 'silent spreaders '

But that jump is not automatic. It is driven, according to the report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Livestock Research Institute, by the degradation of our natural environment - for example through land degradation, wildlife exploitation, resource extraction and climate change. This alters the way animals and humans interact.


bbc--2020-07-07--Coronavirus: Spanish study casts doubt on herd immunity

A Spanish study has cast doubt on the prospect of herd immunity as a way of tackling the coronavirus pandemic .
The study of more than 60,000 people estimates that around just 5 % of the Spanish population has developed antibodies , the medical journal the Lancet reported .
Herd immunity is achieved when enough people become infected with a virus to stop its spread .
Around 70 % to 90 % of a population needs to be immune to protect the uninfected .
The prevalence of Covid-19 antibodies was below 3 % in coastal regions , but higher in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report said .
`` Despite the high impact of Covid-19 in Spain , prevalence estimates remain low and are clearly insufficient to provide herd immunity , '' the study 's authors said in the report .
`` In this situation , social distance measures and efforts to identify and isolate new cases and their contacts are imperative for future epidemic control . ''
The study is thought to be the largest of its kind on the coronavirus in Europe .
There have been studies of a similar kind in China and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these representative cohorts is that most of the population appears to have remained unexposed '' to the coronavirus , `` even in areas with widespread virus circulation , '' the Lancet article said .
The country has recorded more than a quarter of a million cases and at least 28,385 deaths .
But daily fatalities have been in the single figures for most of the past three weeks .
However , officials in the north-western region of Galicia have re-imposed restrictions on an area of 70,000 people following an outbreak .
Officials linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Capacity in bars and restaurants have been limited to 50 % .
There are now 258 cases of Covid-19 in Galicia , including 117 in Lugo province , authorities say .
On Saturday the autonomous government of Catalonia re-imposed controls on an area of 210,000 residents after a sharp rise in infections there .
Catalan President Quim Torra said no-one would be allowed to enter or leave Segrià , a district west of Barcelona that includes the city of Lleida .

Herd immunity can be reached either by widespread vaccination or if enough of the population is exposed to an infection and recovers. If enough people are immune to a disease, it is unlikely to keep spreading from person to person. Letting the coronavirus infection run and risking lots of people getting very sick with it is not an option - it would put too many lives in danger.


bbc--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: Disease detectives track an invisible culprit

Disease detectives are trying desperately to beat the clock and find those who have been exposed to the virus .
Can they move fast enough to stop the pandemic ?
As a public-health director in Savannah , Georgia , Cristina Pasa Gibson spent her time in an office filled with calorie counters and yoga mats and the scent of jasmine tea .
Then she started working on contact tracing , a no-holds-barred effort to stop the pandemic , and her office and her life were turned upside down .
`` I felt like I was in a Vegas casino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know what time it was , what day it was , who I was . ''
She and her colleagues in Savannah and her counterparts in other cities across the country have been working frantically to trace the path of the infection and to find those who may have been exposed to the virus .
They talk to patients , asking for names of individuals they have spent time with , and chase down those individuals and to tell them to remain isolated so they do not infect others .
The pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense .
`` I basically lived in my office , '' says Gibson , describing the early days .
`` It was Groundhog Day over and over . ''
Today their role is even more important .
The US now has the highest number of cases and deaths in the world .
Gibson is grappling with the pandemic , and she and her colleagues are trying to use contact tracing as a way to contain the virus .
Her counterparts in New Haven , Connecticut , a city that lies almost 900 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feverishly to track the disease .
Yale University student Tyler Shelby , 26 , the son of a Kansas police detective and a fan of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes ( played by Benedict Cumberbatch in a BBC version ) , helped to organise an investigative squad and coordinates dozens of volunteers .
Cristina Pasa Gibson of Savannah and Tyler Shelby of New Haven are struggling with life-or-death matters in a country where people are deeply divided in their views of the pandemic and how the government should manage the health crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia , Florida , Texas and other states where governors tried to reinforce Trump 's message about the nation 's economic comeback .
Meanwhile the number of cases in Connecticut , New York and other northern states , places initially hit hard by the virus , has gone down .
The contact-tracing initiatives in New Haven and Savannah are far from perfect .
But they have been recognised by experts in the field as programmes that were started early and run with vigour .
Taken together , these two programmes offer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing and show how the system is being put in place in both the northern and the southern parts of the country .
Gibson spoke recently on the phone in her Savannah office with someone who had tested positive : `` He asked me : 'Am I going to die ? '
That 's a terrible question to be faced with because so much is unknown .
I could not give that person a definite answer . ''
Talking to people on the phone when they are scared and anxious is hard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact tracing have to find out key information from those who have gotten sick .
Investigators and contact tracers try to find out whom the patients spoke to during a two-day period before they became ill and for the period of time beyond that - until they isolated themselves from others .
That means recalling anyone they saw for more than 15 minutes and who stood or sat within six feet of them .
Did you see a movie , take an Uber or go to church ?
If so - did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may ask , according to a government report on contact-tracing programmes .
The challenges are immense : `` You 're asking people to think back , '' says Yale student Tyler Shelby .
This raises the possibility for potentially awkward conversations : `` You do n't necessarily need to specify who they slept with .
It 's really just anybody that meets that criteria '' , or the guidelines that define close contact as anyone within six feet of you .
• What 's behind alarming new US outbreaks ?
• Is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The conversations with a patient on the phone can be tough , with long silences .
`` Definitely people can have hesitation , '' Shelby says .
`` My first call - I was really nervous , '' says Yale student Paulina Luna Martinez , who is 27 .
She soon found it easy to speak with the people , though , and spends about a half-hour with each : `` They talk about their lives . ''
She and the other volunteers send back the lists of contacts they have compiled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the individuals on these lists , men and women who have been exposed to the virus .
One of the most important aspects of contact tracing is helping those who are struggling .
People who test positive need to stay separated from others , but they may need help .
Those who have been exposed to the virus but remain healthy may not have enough money to see them through two weeks of isolation .
As Columbia University 's Patrick Kachur , explains , offering help to those who are sick and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the most important aspects of contact tracing .
`` People think : 'This has to work because this is a key to getting back our lives , '' he says .
`` But it 's more than just counting cases and closing investigations .
It 's putting people in touch with the services they need . ''
In New Haven and Savannah , the investigators and contact tracers help people contact officials with social-service agencies if they need a place to stay during quarantine or would like someone to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casalotti , a spokeswoman for the National Association of County and City Health Officials , they feed their horses .
Contact tracing has a long history - the system was used to stop the spread of syphilis in the US in the 1930s .
More recently , tracers ferreted out cases of Ebola in West Africa and other countries and helped beat back the disease .
Yet contact tracing has never been used on a virus as ferocious as Covid-19 , on such a broad scale , and these factors have helped to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In England , the inefficiencies of the NHS Test and Trace , as the contact tracing programme is known , have been exposed by the BBC and other media .
• What went wrong with the coronavirus app ?
Analysts at the Center for Health Security say that the cost of the contact tracing , if done properly across the nation , would be steep : $ 3.6b USD .
Yet only some of the resources are available .
According to NPR , about 37,000 tracers have so far been assigned to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the same size .
New Haven has a population of about 130,000 , and Savannah has a population of 145,000 .
But Cristina Pasa Gibson and Tyler Shelby and others who live in these two cities have experienced the pandemic in different ways .
New Haven , a city once known for its manufacturing industry and now for its university , Yale , is close to the New York epicentre .
For many New Yorkers , New Haven is the end of the line , the place where they step off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials were reporting 20-35 new cases each week per 10,000 people , according to DataHaven , a nonprofit organisation , a spike that was caused partly by people from New York .
By late June , more than 1,070 people had died of the disease in New Haven and the surrounding county .
Savannah is a port city far from the coronavirus hotspots .
In April , while Cristina Pasa Gibson and her colleagues were organising their team , they had fewer cases to manage .
Officials in Savannah and the surrounding Chatham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases each week per 10,000 people , according to DataHaven .
By late June , 37 people in Chatham County had died .
The number of cases in New Haven started to drop in the springtime .
Slowly , though , cases in Savannah and Chatham County began to climb .
The explanation for the disparity in infection rates between New Haven and Savannah are varied and complex .
Geography plays a role , but so do decisions made by political leaders .
The Republican governor of Georgia and the leaders of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country rushed to restart their economies .
The Democratic governor of Connecticut and leaders of other northern states waited .
New Haven embodies the northern model - investigators and tracers were quickly deployed in large numbers ( more than 150 were put in rotation , and they have since merged with a statewide group of several hundred ) .
Savannah reflects the southern model of contact tracing and review of cases : their 49-member team is leaner .
Albert Ko , a professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health who serves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connecticut Advisory Group , says the New Haven team is doing an above-average job .
Experts have also praised the efforts in Savannah .
In both cities , though , investigators are struggling to contact people fast enough .
They are floundering in other ways too .
The Savannah team members often find themselves without a Spanish speaker and rely on a Spanish-language phone line .
In New Haven , they only managed to conduct interviews with 64 % of the individuals they tried to contact , according to an epidemiologist with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracers should be able to contact 90 % of patients within a day of hearing that they have the virus , according to the industry standard .
Still , says Patrick Kachur , a Columbia University professor who used to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , a programme like the one in New Haven has value .
`` It 's two-thirds of the way to 90 % , '' Kachur says .
`` Even if it ca n't be done perfectly , it 's still worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is studying for both a Yale medical degree and a public-health doctorate , was working at a cubicle decorated with potted vines and getting ready to go to Uganda on a Fulbright scholarship .
Then he started seeing news about Covid-19 on Reddit .
`` I thought : I 'm needed right here , '' he says .
He began working with his colleagues on a contact-tracing programme .
Soon the number of cases shot up .
Shelby and others on his team dug in and became specialists in US-based `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health official , Daniel Daltry , puts it .
Their heroes are amateur sleuths on true-crime podcasts and legendary figures such as Watson , the sidekick to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes .
Watson could always `` go with the flow '' , says Shelby : `` He puts up with Holmes , but he 's observant himself . ''
The disease detectives are a diverse lot : working with Shelby , Yale medical student Paulina Luna Martinez began calling patients from her group house in New Haven .
Maritza Bond , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat map of her old neighbourhood , Fair Haven , an area filled with Puerto Rican families that became a Covid hot spot , and epidemiologist Brian Weeks tracked data ( `` I like to make sense of things , '' he says ) .
Savannah epidemiologist Meredith Avery started working in a small-town pharmacy at 16 , and Cristina Pasa Gibson used to take care of laboratory monkeys .
The successes or failures of the disease detectives in the two cities hold lessons for those around the world .
During her morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about an hour 's drive from Savannah , Avery listens to Crime Junkie .
She has a keen interest in investigations , both criminal and epidemiological , and says that she felt uneasy in the early days of the pandemic and a bit excited too .
`` You learn about these things in school , '' says 30-year-old Avery .
`` And you think it 's never going to happen here . ''
Contact tracers in Singapore used CCTV footage to track down people who were exposed to the virus .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around individuals to protect others from the virus , according to the Hill .
• How Singapore stayed one step ahead of the virus But most people in the US baulk at contact-tracing apps , according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll , because of privacy concerns .
Thurmond Neill Tillman , a pastor at First African Baptist Church in Savannah , says he understands the need for contact tracing : three people in his congregation have become ill with the virus .
But he is concerned about the system 's invasive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be very troubling , '' he says .
`` I probably would have hated it as a teenager . ''
Detectives are good listeners .
They try to win the trust of people , and the ability to put yourself in someone else 's shoes is helpful .
Cristina Pasa Gibson , 50 , says she learned about cultural differences as a five-year-old while visiting her cousin in Manila .
They came across an illustration of an egg basket in a colouring book , and her cousin painted one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an egg soaked in slaked lime , a snack in the Philippines .
`` I said : 'There 's no such thing as a purple egg , ' and I hit her , '' Gibson says .
`` I was such a spoiled brat .
That began my introspective journey . ''
Outside of Manila , Gibson saw families living in poverty , with ramshackle huts as homes , and decided in college to work in public health .
The experience she had as a child have helped her in her work fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone sees the world in the same way , and they are fighting the virus in different ways too .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• MEETING FRIENDS : How can I do that safely ?
• GLOBAL TAKE : Which country has the most generous bailout ?
• THE LOST SIX WEEKS : Missed chances for US to contain outbreak Disease detectives are now settling into their roles .
Yet the future of the nation and the trajectory of the disease remains unclear .
The president is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and activists are continuing to protest against policy brutality .
These mass gatherings pose problems for investigators and contact tracers , who struggle to get in touch with people who have joined the gatherings and may be infected .
Disease detectives are now settling into their roles .
Yet the future of the nation and the trajectory of the disease remains unclear .
The president is planning to hold rallies this summer , and activists are continuing to protest against policy brutality .
These mass gatherings pose problems for investigators and contact tracers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people who have joined the gatherings and may be infected .
The people who are working on the contact-tracing programmes are honest about their limitations .
`` From the beginning one of our mantras was : 'We 'll do as much as we can for as long as we can , ' '' says Yale student Tyler Shelby : `` Everything was unclear and nobody knew what was around the corner .
We just accepted that uncertainty .
We figured that we 're not going to be able to resolve everything , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can . ''
In Savannah , Cristina Pasa Gibson has been calling people to tell them about their Covid-19 test results , a departure from the traditional purview of contact tracing but part of the larger fight against the pandemic .
She jokes with her colleagues about setting up metal bells in the office so they can ding them whenever someone on the phone calls out : `` Thank you , Jesus . ''
The person on the phone has escaped the virus , marking a victory for them and for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mark the occasion .

Investigators and contact tracers try to find out whom the patients spoke to during a two-day period before they became ill and for the period of time beyond that - until they isolated themselves from others. That means recalling anyone they saw for more than 15 minutes and who stood or sat within six feet of them. Did you see a movie, take an Uber or go to church? If so - did you stop for donuts? an investigator may ask, according to a government report on contact-tracing programmes.


bbc--2020-07-06--Bubba Wallace: Nascar driver's defiant tweet over Trump's 'hate'

African-American Nascar driver Bubba Wallace has sent out a tweet condemning words of `` hate from the president of the United States '' .
Wallace is the sole full-time black driver in the US racing organisation and was instrumental in it banning the Confederate flag from races .
A noose was later found in his garage but an FBI inquiry determined `` no federal crime was committed '' .
President Trump called the story a hoax and suggested Wallace should apologise .
Wallace has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement , which has come to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis in May .
The movement has sparked a campaign to remove symbols associated with slavery , imperialism and the Confederacy .
President Trump has strongly defended the monuments as part of US history .
The noose is a particularly evocative symbol of hate connected to lynching .
One was found in the garage assigned to Wallace at the Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama .
Wallace , 26 , received messages of solidarity from fellow Nascar drivers and sports stars around the world after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FBI investigation found that the noose was in that garage as early as October 2019 and `` nobody could have known Mr Wallace would be assigned the garage ... last week '' .
Wallace rejected suggestions the noose was a door handle , saying `` what was hanging in my garage is not a garage pull '' .
But President Trump on Monday tweeted : `` Has Bubba Wallace apologized to all of those great Nascar drivers & officials who came to his aid , stood by his side , & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX . ''
He did not elaborate on his allegation .
He said the noose incident and the removal of the flag had caused Nascar 's `` lowest ratings ever '' .
Later , White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said the president was making `` a broader point that this rush to judgment on the facts before the facts are out is not acceptable '' .
In his tweet , which he said was being sent to `` the next generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , Wallace wrote : `` You will always have people testing you .
Seeing if they can knock you off your pedestal .
I encourage you to keep your head high and walk proudly on the path you have chosen . ''
He added : `` Always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE !
... Love should come naturally as people are TAUGHT to hate .
Even when it 's HATE from the POTUS . ''
In a statement , Nascar said : `` We are proud to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we commend his courage and leadership .
Nascar continues to stand tall with Bubba , our competitors and everyone who makes our sport welcoming and inclusive for all racing fans . ''

In his tweet, which he said was being sent to "the next generation and little ones following my foot steps", Wallace wrote: "You will always have people testing you. Seeing if they can knock you off your pedestal. I encourage you to keep your head high and walk proudly on the path you have chosen."


bbc--2020-07-06--Iran's female gamers face challenges to stay online

In Iran , online video gaming was popular even before the pandemic , and with so many people staying at @ @ @ @ @ games and streaming them online has jumped .
The country 's government says a third @ @ @ @ @ and for some of Iran ’ s female professional gamers , the pandemic has made @ @ @ @ @ are face more acute .

In Iran, online video gaming was popular even before the pandemic, and with so many people staying at home the popularity of video games and streaming them online has jumped.
The country's government says a third of gamers are women, and for some of Iran’s female professional gamers, the pandemic has made the hurdles and challenges they are face more acute.
Journalist/Reporter: Sheida Hooshmandi


bbc--2020-07-06--Charge filed against woman who called police on black birdwatcher

A white woman in New York is facing a criminal charge for calling 911 on a black man after he asked her to put her dog on a lead in Central Park .
Amy Cooper , who was shown calling police in a viral video , is accused of filing a false report , punishable by up to one year in jail .
Ms Cooper lost her job and dog after the incident , and publicly apologised .
Video of the exchange shows Ms Cooper claiming that the black man , who was bird watching , threatened her .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same day that unarmed African-American man George Floyd died in police custody , triggering weeks of national and global anti-racism protests .
`` Today our office initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for falsely reporting an incident in the third degree , '' said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance on Monday .
`` We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable , '' Mr Vance said .
He also encouraged `` anyone who has been the target of false reporting '' to contact the district attorney 's office .
Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York bird watching community , filmed his encounter with Ms Cooper , 41 , after he asked her to put her dog on a lead to keep it from scaring away birds .
Mr Cooper , 57 , said he offered the dog treats , as a way to convince Ms Cooper , who is not related to him , to contain her dog .
In response , Ms Cooper called emergency services .
She told them : `` I 'm in the Ramble , '' - a wooded area in Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , African American , he has a bicycle helmet and he is recording me and threatening me and my dog , '' as her tone rose in apparent distress .
`` I am being threatened by a man in the Ramble , please send the cops immediately ! ''
she said .
Ms Cooper 's actions were widely condemned as racist .
She was fired by the investment firm where she managed an insurance portfolio .
The pet adoption agency that gave her the dog seen in the video took it back after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collar seemed to strangle it .
She is due to appear before a judge on 14 October .

Christian Cooper, who is prominent in the New York bird watching community, filmed his encounter with Ms Cooper, 41, after he asked her to put her dog on a lead to keep it from scaring away birds. Mr Cooper, 57, said he offered the dog treats, as a way to convince Ms Cooper, who is not related to him, to contain her dog.


bbc--2020-07-06--Charlie Daniels: Country and southern rock legend dies at age 83

Country Music Hall of Fame musician Charlie Daniels died on Monday at the age of 83 .
The prolific singer , songwriter and instrumentalist died in a Nashville hospital after a haemorrhagic stroke , his publicist said in a statement .
His hit , The Devil Went Down to Georgia , is an American classic and won his only Grammy Award in 1979 .
He was best known for his fiddle playing , as well as his outspoken brand of conservative patriotism .
News of Daniels ' death was met with a flood of tributes .
Sharing a photo of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Luke Bryan paid tribute to a `` great man '' and `` hero '' .
`` A true patriot , and country music icon , '' Bryan wrote .
`` Thank you for all your contributions on and off the stage .
God bless you Charlie Daniels . ''
`` I am heartbroken to hear that Charlie Daniels passed away , '' country singer Jason Aldean wrote on Twitter .
`` He was one of the nicest/kindest people I have ever met . ''
The singer , guitarist and fiddler started his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina before moving to Nashville in 1967 .
As a session musician , Daniels played on three of Bob Dylan 's records , including the Nashville Skyline album , as well as recordings for Leonard Cohen and Ringo Starr .
Though a Southern country rock musician , he bilked being easily labelled as such , pointing out that he had played with the likes of the Rolling Stones as well as Willy Nelson .
Starting in the early 1970s , his five-piece eponymous band toured constantly , sometimes doing 250 shows in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country music - and its message of hope • Female artists speak out about racism in music and TV '' I have never played those notes perfectly .
I 've never sung every song perfectly , '' Daniels said in 1998 of his frequent shows .
`` I 'm in competition to be better tonight than I was last night and to be better tomorrow than tonight '' .
Through his decades long career , Daniels played at the White House , the Super Bowl , and for US troops stationed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform , he said , was `` anywhere with a good crowd and a good paycheque '' .
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016 .
Daniels was a vocal advocate of veterans ' causes and an ardent supporter of the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) , calling former-President Obama a `` fresh-faced flower-child president and his weak-kneed , Ivy League friends '' in an advert for the organisation .
Last month , criticising the anti-racist protesters taking to the streets , Daniels wrote on his website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing of a black man '' were not simple protests , `` but a revolutionary street battle against America and everything we stand for '' .
`` Gun sales are through the roof and America is locked and loaded to protect their families and their neighbourhoods , '' he said Daniels had previously suffered from a mild stroke in January 2010 .
He had a pacemaker implanted in 2013 but continued to take the stage to perform .
He is survived by his wife , Hazel , and son , Charlie Daniels , @ @

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-07-06--Hong Kong: Chinese ambassador warns UK over 'interference'

China has warned the UK not to interfere with Hong Kong following the imposition by Beijing of a sweeping new national security law .
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said the UK 's offer of a path to citizenship for up to three million Hong Kongers amounted to `` gross interference '' .
Opponents of the new law say it erodes Hong Kong 's freedoms as a semi-autonomous region .
Earlier , the Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong issued a plea for the world to stand in solidarity with the territory .
• Why people are scared of Hong Kong 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poster boy the for Hong Kong protests Ambassador Liu said he hoped the UK would reconsider its citizenship offer .
`` The UK government keeps making irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs , '' he told a virtual news conference .
The ambassador said a decision on exactly how Beijing intended to respond would be made once it knew the details .
Mr Liu also warned the UK that if it decided against using Chinese tech giant Huawei 's technology to build its 5G network , this would send a `` very bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Why Huawei 's days in the UK could be numbered The UK has argued that China has reneged on an agreement that took effect in 1997 , which offered certain freedoms to Hong Kong for 50 years in return for handing the territory back to Beijing .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab insisted the plan to allow millions of British Nationals ( Overseas ) to come to the UK did not represent interference in China 's domestic affairs .
`` We want a positive relationship with China ... but the real issue here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China can be trusted to live up to its international obligations and its international responsibilities , '' he said .
`` That 's the message that we are telegraphing along with many of our allies , and indeed many international partners around the world . ''
Earlier , a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged China not to interfere if Hong Kongers sought to come to the UK .
He added : `` We are currently assessing the national security law and its legal ramifications in terms of extradition with Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguards in the UK .
The courts are required to bar a person 's extradition to any country if it would be incompatible with their human rights or if the request appears to be motivated by their political opinion . ''
Also on Monday , Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp said they had `` paused '' processing requests for information from the Hong Kong government and law enforcement agencies `` pending further assessment of the impact of the national security law '' .
The assessment will include `` formal human rights due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , according to a statement .
Ambassador Liu is never anything less than robust .
His condemnations of what Beijing regards as British interference in China 's internal affairs are familiar .
But with Britain and China now at loggerheads over at least two major issues - Hong Kong and Huawei - the sense of a fraying relationship is stronger than ever .
All efforts to thwart the will of 1.4 billion Chinese people , Mr Liu warned , were doomed to failure .
When the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationships would inevitably suffer `` setbacks , even retrogression '' .
And when it comes to Huawei , Boris Johnson 's suggestion last week that China might now be seen as a `` hostile state vendor '' is clearly taken as a serious affront .
Chinese officials , the ambassador said , had never described Britain this way .
The ambassador did not spell out in any detail the consequences of Britain changing course on Huawei , or of Britain 's offer of citizenship to British National ( Overseas ) passport holders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed to former US National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski - `` If we make China an enemy , China will become an enemy '' - was a barely veiled warning .
Numerous other countries , including the US , Canada , Japan and Australia , have also expressed concern over the imposition of the law .
The new law , which was brought in last week , targets secession , subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison .
Opponents like Mr Wong say it effectively ends freedom of speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who appeared in court on Monday with two other activists on charges related to last year 's civil unrest in the territory , said the law was already having a chilling effect .
Education officials in Hong Kong have reportedly ordered the removal from schools of all books that violate the law .
According to a statement sent to Reuters news agency , officials say schools should not provide such reading material unless it is used it to `` positively teach '' students about the issue .
Books by Mr Wong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ libraries over the weekend .
Mr Wong said he was determined to keep fighting such moves .
`` We know now it 's an uphill battle , but no matter we have our friends in the global community continue their international advocacy , '' he told reporters outside court .
`` In Hong Kong , we still urge people to vote in the upcoming primary election scheduled on this weekend .
`` We also encourage more people in Hong Kong or in the global community to continue to let Beijing aware [ sic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not an option and we must stand up and fight . ''
At the court hearing , Mr Wong and fellow activist Ivan Lam pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting , organising and taking part in an unlawful assembly in June 2019 .
Another activist , Agnes Chow , pleaded guilty to two charges .
The first person charged under the new security law was denied bail at another hearing on Monday .
Tong Ying-kit is accused of driving a motorbike into police while carrying a sign saying `` Liberate Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What is the security law ?
The law is wide-ranging , and gives Beijing powers that it has never had before to shape life in Hong Kong .
The law makes it an offence to incite hatred of China 's central government and Hong Kong 's regional government .
It also allows for closed-door trials , wire-tapping of suspects and the potential for suspects to be tried on the Chinese mainland .
Acts including damaging public transport facilities - which often happened during the 2019 protests - can be considered terrorism .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published additional details about the law in an official gazette .
During an investigation into a possible offence of endangering national security , a senior police commander may authorise officers to enter properties without a warrant to search for evidence `` in urgent situations '' , the gazette says .
Police officers may also ask a magistrate to require a suspect to surrender their travel document in order to stop them from leaving Hong Kong .
The secretary for security may freeze someone 's property if they have `` reasonable grounds '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security offence .


bbc--2020-07-06--US to withdraw visas for foreign students if classes moved fully online

Foreign students will not be allowed to stay in the US this autumn if their universities have moved classes fully online , unless they switch to a course with in-person tuition .
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agency said people could face deportation if they do not comply with the rules .
Many universities are moving classes online due to the coronavirus pandemic .
It is not clear how many students will be affected .
Large numbers of foreign students travel to the US to study every year and are a significant source of revenue for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Should I go to university this year ?
Harvard has announced all course instruction will be delivered online when students return for the new academic year , including those living at the university .
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program , which is run by ICE , had permitted foreign students to continue with their spring and summer 2020 courses online while remaining in the country .
But Monday 's announcement said foreign students who remain in the US while enrolled in online courses and fail to switch to in-person courses could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not limited to , the initiation of removal proceedings '' .
The rule applies to holders of F-1 and M-1 visas , which are for academic and vocational students .
The State Department issued 388,839 F visas and 9,518 M visas in the fiscal year 2019 , according to the agency 's data .
According to the US Commerce Department , international students contributed $ 45 billion ( £36 billion ) to the country 's economy in 2018 .

But Monday's announcement said foreign students who remain in the US while enrolled in online courses and fail to switch to in-person courses could face "immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings".


bbc--2020-07-06--UK imposes sanctions against human rights abusers

The UK is imposing sanctions on 49 people and organisations behind the most `` notorious '' human rights abuses of recent years .
Individuals implicated in the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 will have their UK assets frozen and banned from entering the country .
And Saudi Arabian officials involved in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are also being targeted .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the move sent a `` clear message '' .
Speaking in the Commons , the foreign secretary said the UK was taking action against the `` thugs of despots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as stopping those trying to launder their `` blood-drenched ill-gotten gains '' .
Russia has threatened to retaliate with reciprocal measures and said the sanctions were `` pointless '' .
`` Russia reserves the right to respond to today 's unfriendly decision by the UK on the basis of reciprocity , '' the Russian embassy in London said in a statement , adding that the move `` will not improve Russian-British relations '' .
• What are sanctions and why do countries use them ?
The sanctions are the first taken independently by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN and EU .
Those individuals and organisations subject to immediate sanctions are : • 25 Russian nationals involved in the mistreatment and death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky , who uncovered widespread corruption by a group of Russian tax and police officials • 20 Saudi nationals involved in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul • Two high-ranking Myanmar military generals involved in the systematic and brutal violence against the Rohingya people and other ethnic minorities • Two organisations involved in forced labour , torture and murder in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those targeted had been involved in extra-judicial killings , including political assassinations , torture , degrading treatment , forced labour and servitude .
Those on the list , which includes a former minister in the Russian interior department and the former deputy head of the Saudi intelligence services , will be stopped from entering the UK , channelling money into the country or profiting from the British economy , through property or other assets they own .
`` Today this government and this house sends a very clear message on behalf of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hands , the thugs of despots , the henchman of dictators will not be free to waltz into this country , '' Mr Raab told Parliament .
`` The powers enable us to target a wider network of perpetrators including those who facilitate , incite , promote or support any of these crimes and this extends beyond state officials to non-state actors as well . ''
The UK 's new sanctions ' regime is significant .
It marks the first time Britain has had its own independent scheme focused entirely on tackling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has almost always had to act in concert with the EU .
The government wants the UK to be seen as a leading defender of international rules and human rights .
These sanctions are a central part of that policy .
One key test will be whether it can get support from other countries .
The United States and Canada have similar schemes , the EU is working on its own version .
Sanctions are always more powerful if imposed collectively .
What was announced today was merely the first wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and MPs are keen to see some Chinese names on the list .
The sanctions may well come at a cost to trade and investment if countries object to seeing their nationals targeted .
What is also unclear is how effective they will be in actually deterring human rights abuses .
Many of those 47 individuals and two organisations named in the first listing are already subject to US sanctions .
We do n't know what assets they actually have in London or how often they have come to the UK .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and finance , and officials hope the restrictions will have an impact in the long term .
Mr Raab told the BBC the list would be kept under `` constant review '' , and the government was `` working already on the on further designations that can be made in due course '' .
Asked about if it could damage the UK 's trading relationship with Saudi Arabia , the foreign secretary said it was `` a matter of moral duty '' , adding : `` We ca n't turn a blind eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We will apply these designations in the countries which we 've designated today… for countries where we have a relationship , whether it 's an ally or other countries that we need to engage with , because that 's the world we live in . ''
But asked if he was avoiding another clash with China by excluding them for the list , Mr Raab said : `` It 's pretty clear… that we are willing to stand up for our vital national interests .
But the regime that we have set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we want a positive relationship with China… the real issue here is one of trust and whether China can be trusted to live up to its international obligations , and its international responsibilities .
`` And that 's a message that we 're telegraphing , along with many of our allies and indeed , many international partners around the world to Beijing , particularly in relation to what we 've seen in Hong Kong . ''
Many MPs have long been pushing for a tougher domestic sanctions regime against foreign states accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 US Magnitsky Act .
Magnitsky , a Moscow lawyer and auditor , died in police custody after accusing Russian tax officials of defrauding Hermitage Capital Management , a British investment firm he was advising .
Magnitsky spent 11 months in police custody , during which he sustained injuries which human rights campaigners say were consistent with him being beaten and tortured .
His maltreatment has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights , which found in 2019 that he had been deprived of important medical care and the authorities had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
Russian officials subject to sanctions include Aleksey Vasilyevich Anichin , a former interior minister and Oleg Silchenko , a member of the ministry 's investigative team who was involved in questioning Magnitsky and who is accused of forced him to retract his allegations of corruption .
Mr Raab said he would be meeting Magnitsky 's widow Natalia and two children later on Monday to express the UK 's `` solidarity '' with them and the nightmare they had been through .
Bill Browder , co-founder and chief executive of Hermitage Capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge milestone in our 10 year campaign for justice '' .
Mr Khashoggi , a prominent critic of the Saudi government , was killed by a team of Saudi agents in what the Saudi authorities described as a `` rogue operation '' that went wrong .
In December 2019 , a court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death and jailed three others but the process was condemned by foreign governments and the UN , which said it represented `` the antithesis of justice '' .
Among those targeted by the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former deputy head of the Saudi intelligence services and Saud Abdullah Al Qahtani , a former advisor to Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud , who is said to have `` planned and directed the killing '' .
Also on the list is Salah Muhammed Al Tubaigy , a government doctor present at the time of the killing and a number of intelligence officers also present in Istanbul said to have concealed evidence about the killing .
Labour , which has been critical of the UK 's relationship with Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war in Yemen , said it welcomed action against those responsible for the `` appalling '' murder .
The UK is also taking action against two senior generals in the Myanmar army , over the state 's suppression of the minority Muslim Rohingya population in Rakhine state , a campaign of violence in 2017 and 2019 that campaigners have said amounts to attempted genocide .
They are Min Aung Hlaing , Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and his deputy Soe Win , who the UK says carry ultimate responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and systematic rape .
The North Korea organisations targeted are the Ministry of State Security Bureau 7 and the Ministry of People 's Security Correctional Bureau , which have responsibility for running prison camps .
The Foreign Office said its new sanctions regime , underpinned by legislation passed in 2018 , could be extended in future to encompass individuals and governments guilty of corruption .
The UK is required by law to enforce existing EU sanctions it is a party to until the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these after that date and also existing UN sanctions .

But asked if he was avoiding another clash with China by excluding them for the list, Mr Raab said: "It's pretty clear… that we are willing to stand up for our vital national interests. But the regime that we have set out is evidence based.