bbc--2020-01-17--Brazil's culture minister sparks outrage by echoing Goebbels

A video in which Brazil 's culture minister uses parts of a speech by Joseph Goebbels , Nazi Germany 's propaganda boss , has sparked outrage .
In the clip posted on the ministry 's Twitter page , Roberto Alvim details an award for `` heroic '' and `` national '' art .
Lohengrin by Wagner , Hitler 's favourite composer , plays in the background .
Reacting to the controversy , Mr Alvim said the speech was a `` rhetorical coincidence '' .
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has been urged to fire him .
Mr Bolsonaro , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has frequently accused Brazil 's artists and cultural productions including schoolbooks and movies of `` left-wing bias '' .
He has not commented .
• How Brazil 's culture wars are being waged in classrooms In the six-minute video detailing the National Arts Awards , Mr Alvim says : `` The Brazilian art of the next decade will be heroic and will be national , will be endowed with great capacity for emotional involvement ... deeply linked to the urgent aspirations of our people , or else it will be nothing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a speech quoted in the book Joseph Goebbels : A Biography , by German historian Peter Longerich , who has written several works on the Holocaust .
`` The German art of the next decade will be heroic , it will be steely-romantic , it will be factual and completely free of sentimentality , it will be national with great Pathos and committed , or it will be nothing . ''
There was widespread condemnation on social media .
But there were others who praised the video .
In a post on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left was doing a fallacious remote association '' between the two speeches , and that `` there was nothing wrong with his sentence '' .
`` The whole speech was based on a nationalistic ideal for the Brazilian art and there was a coincidence with ONE sentence of a speech by Goebbels .
I did n't quote him and I 'd NEVER do it ...
But the sentence itself is perfect . ''
He did not comment on the music that plays in the video .
On Twitter , the speaker of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rodrigo Maia , said Mr Alvim had `` gone beyond all limits '' saying the video was `` inacceptable '' .
He urged Mr Bolsonaro to remove him from the post .
The Brazilian Israelite Confederation said : `` To emulate [ Goebbels ' ] view ... is a frightening sign of his vision of culture , which must be combated and contained . ''
It called for his immediate removal , adding : `` Brazil , which sent brave soldiers to combat Nazism on European soil , does n't deserve it @ @

Later, in a second post, he said "the speech had been written from various ideas linked to nationalist art that had been brought by his advisers". He did not comment on the music that played in the video in any of his posts.


bbc--2020-01-17--China tourists found dead by 1973 Iceland plane crash site

Two Chinese nationals in their early 20s have been found dead at the site of a 1973 plane crash in southern Iceland .
Police said the man and the woman were found near the Sólheimasandur crash site , which draws tourists .
A police spokesman told the BBC a post-mortem would take place early next week to establish the causes of death .
Officers had not found any signs of a `` criminal act '' by a third party , he said , adding that the bodies showed signs of hypothermia .
In 1973 , a US military plane ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beach at Sólheimasandur .
No-one was killed .
The fuselage of the plane still rests at the site , and has become a tourist attraction .
• Are too many tourists visiting Iceland ?
According to a police statement ( in Icelandic ) , officers were first called to the scene on Thursday after people found a woman 's body off a footpath leading to the crashed plane .
Officers found the man 's body a short distance away about two hours later .
A car thought to have been rented by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car park .
China 's embassy has been informed of their deaths , the statement said .
Jóhannes Thór Skúlason , head of the Icelandic Tourism Association , told Icelandic news site Ruv that his group worked with hotels and car rental agencies to warn tourists of bad weather .
`` We have been lucky in the explosion of the tourism industry in recent years , although there are a few events of this kind that we have had to deal with , '' he said .
You may also be interested in @

There is a shuttle bus that takes tourists directly to the plane - though like everything else in Iceland it isn't cheap and many holidaymakers decide to walk instead. When I visited in September, the bus driver told me the site had experienced a surge in popularity since Justin Bieber skateboarded on the wreckage in 2015.


bbc--2020-01-17--No automatic deportation for EU citizens - UK

EU citizens will not automatically be deported if they fail to sign up to the settled status scheme by the 2021 deadline , Downing Street has said .
The confirmation comes after European Parliament Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said he had been given the assurance by the UK government .
Under the settlement scheme , EU citizens living in the UK can apply to stay in the country after Brexit .
So far the number of applicants to the scheme has hit more than 2.7 million .
Nearly 2.5 million EU citizens have been told they can live and work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six `` serious or persistent '' criminals have had their applications rejected .
The deadline for applying to the scheme is 30 June 2021 .
• ' I 'm angry to be treated as second-class citizen' Mr Verhofstadt told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme he believed those who missed the deadline would still be able to apply for settled status after `` giving grounds why it was not possible to do it within the normal procedures '' .
`` There will be no automatic deportation , '' he added .
In October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis told German newspaper Die Welt : `` If EU citizens until this point of time have not registered and have no adequate reason for it , then the valid immigration rules will be applied . ''
When pressed on whether that would include those who met the legal requirements for residence but did not apply by the deadline , he replied : `` Theoretically yes .
We will apply the rules . ''
But on Friday Mr Lewis said deporting EU citizens who have not applied for settled status `` is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview for the BBC 's Politics East programme , to be shown on Sunday , he said his focus was on encouraging people to apply now .
Mr Lewis added : `` At the end of June 2021 , if people have n't applied and they 've got good reason for that , we 'll be looking at that and we 'll be looking to grant status .
`` But I do n't want to get to that place .
I want people to apply now . ''
When asked if police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June next year and escorting them out of the country if they have not applied , he said : `` That is not what we 're about , we 're saying to people who have made their home here , 'we value you we want you to stay . '
'' Mr Verhofstadt told Today he had been told that the UK government was looking at the possibility of EU citizens being able to print out documentary proof of their status .
Responding to his comments , the Home Office said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach .
It has always been the case that people could print a copy of their confirmation letter , but this ca n't be used as evidence of status . ''
It added : `` The EU settlement scheme grants people with a secure , digital status which future-proofs their rights .
Physical documents can get lost , stolen , damaged and tampered with . ''
Mr Verhofstadt also said the possibility had been raised of EU citizens sitting on the independent monitoring authority that will be in place to oversee citizens ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK could ever rejoin the EU in the future , Mr Verhofstadt said he thought it would eventually happen but `` difficult to say when '' .
`` There will be a young generation who will say , 'What have we done ?
We want to go back , ' '' he added .
Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan praised the UK government 's handling of the issue of citizens ' rights , saying : `` A system is now up and running , and it is by far the most effective and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
`` I do n't think you will find a single state among the [ other ] 27 [ EU states ] that has a system in place to grant rights to established UK nationals that is working as generously and without any cost to the people concerned , as ours is in return . ''

When asked if police could be knocking on people's in June next year and escorting them out of the country if they have not applied, he said: "That is not what we're about, we're saying to people who have made their home here, 'we value you we want you to stay.'"


bbc--2020-01-17--Wiggles singer Greg Page collapses at bushfire relief show

Greg Page , a founding member of the popular children 's music group The Wiggles , has collapsed at a bushfire relief show in Sydney .
Page - who used to perform as the yellow Wiggle - sang on stage for an hour and a half before the incident .
`` Medics were called immediately and he was taken to hospital where he is receiving treatment , '' the band tweeted .
The Wiggles were created in 1991 and have sold tens of millions of CDs and DVDs around the world .
Page was a founding member and the original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill-health in 2006 , returning briefly in 2012 before leaving again .
Reports in 2006 said Page had been diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance , an illness related to blood pressure .
According to Australian media , New South Wales Ambulance announced that a man in his 40s was taken from the venue to Westmead Hospital , and was in a serious but stable condition .
This performance was the first of two scheduled with the original Wiggles cast .
It was a sold-out , adults-only performance , with all proceeds going to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Information Rescue and Education Service ( WIRES ) .
Page - along with fellow founding members Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt - left the band in 2012 .
A new line up consisting of original member Anthony Field and new singers Lachlan Gillespie , Simon Pryce and Emma Watkins debuted at the end of that year .
Several of the group 's records have gone multi-platinum , and The Wiggles have won 14 Australian Recording Industry Association music awards for Best Children 's Album .
In 2011 , the band ranked second in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia 's top 50 entertainers , making more than A $ 28m ( £14.8m ) .

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bbc--2020-01-17--Ukraine PM Honcharuk offers to quit in audiotape furore

Ukraine 's Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has tendered his resignation after a leaked audio recording apparently revealed him criticising the president .
A voice sounding like Mr Honcharuk 's , but not officially confirmed as his , says President Volodymyr Zelensky only has a `` primitive '' grasp of economics .
Mr Honcharuk also appears to admit that he himself is not good at economics .
Mr Zelensky , a TV comedian and businessman , was elected last April .
The audiotape affair comes at a difficult time for him , as his relations with President Donald Trump are under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being impeached for allegedly trying to pressure Mr Zelensky into investigating political rival Joe Biden .
It remains unclear whether Mr Honcharuk genuinely intends to step down , Reuters news agency reports , quoting him as saying `` do not jump to conclusions '' , when asked about his resignation .
The controversial audiotape was uploaded to an anonymous YouTube channel on Wednesday evening .
Mr Honcharuk , 35 , was apparently discussing the national budget during a December meeting with the finance minister and National Bank of Ukraine .
Writing on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been edited from several fragments of government meetings to create the false impression that he did not respect the president .
Mr Zelensky 's office has confirmed receiving the resignation offer and says the president will now decide whether to accept it .
He has given authorities a fortnight to track down the source of the leak .
`` I demand that in two weeks we receive the information as soon as possible who made those recordings , find those who did it and sort this out , '' the president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's unlikely that Ukraine 's president Volodymyr Zelensky is really upset about the comments made by his Prime Minister .
Mr Zelensky 's professional background is not as an economist but a comedian and a television producer .
His incredible rise to power last year was based around him being an `` everyman '' figure intent on honestly doing his best .
He never claimed to have all the answers .
What may be of more concern for the president is what the leaking of the audio of a top level meeting tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation that there are those either within the administration or in the security services determined to drive a wedge between him and a young reform minded Prime Minister .
It 's long been known that President Zelensky 's team are an uneasy mix of reformers and individuals with links to one of Ukraine 's most powerful oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky .
In a Facebook post , Mr Honcharuk wrote that Mr Zelensky was `` a model of honesty for me '' , but `` to remove any doubts about our respect and trust in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer '' .
`` He is a man in whom Ukrainians have expressed unprecedented confidence .
And he has every right to evaluate the effectiveness of every member of his team . ''
Before joining the Zelensky team Mr Honcharuk worked as a commercial lawyer .
He is the youngest prime minister in Ukraine 's history .
In the audiotape , voices resembling those of top government officials can be heard discussing Ukraine 's economic situation and the president 's supposedly distorted understanding of it .
Some Ukrainian commentators have speculated that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destabilise Mr Zelensky 's government , and there are questions about its authenticity .
'We have no plans' In an excerpt from the recording , broadcast by private news channel 112 Ukrayina , the voice attributed to Mr Honcharuk scorns the `` Sorosite '' reformers around President Zelensky - a reference to reformers backed by billionaire US financier George Soros , a major philanthropist in ex-communist eastern Europe .
`` There used to be good business managers , under whom the [ economic growth ] was 4.6 % .
Then Sorosites came , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and less .
And you can not prove anything to anyone , '' he said .
`` And all of this , together , induces in the president a feeling that the situation is uncontrollable .
We do not understand .
We have no plans . ''
That bleak assessment is , however , contradicted by some recent reports on the Ukrainian economy .
Ukraine 's state statistics service last month estimated output in 2019 at just over 3 % , the highest rate for the past eight years .
Anders Aslund , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think-tank , says the budget deficit was reduced to 2 % of GDP ( total output ) in 2019 , inflation fell to 5 % and the currency , the hryvnia , strengthened 19 % against the US dollar .
Mr Honcharuk 's government secured a $ 5.5bn ( £4.2bn ; €4.9bn ) IMF loan programme in December , but the payments depend on Ukraine 's progress in reforming the economy , especially in tackling the power of oligarchs .

"There used to be good business managers, under whom the [economic growth] was 4.6%. Then Sorosites came, and the economic growth is 2% and less. And you cannot prove anything to anyone," the speaker said.


bbc--2020-01-17--Panama: Seven people found dead after suspected exorcism

The bodies of seven people have been found in a mass grave in an indigenous area of Panama where members of a religious sect were believed to be performing exorcisms , officials say .
The victims included a pregnant woman , 32 , and five of her children , aged one to 11 .
The sixth was a neighbour , 17 .
Ten people have been arrested on suspicion of murder .
The suspects and all victims were thought to belong to the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous community .
The grave was discovered after three villagers escaped and made their way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rafael Baloyes said .
They then alerted authorities about several families being held by an indigenous-run sect .
• The 'exorcism ' that turned into murder • The job 'too scary ' for young priests • Why it is so hard to stop a cult On Wednesday , police raided the community , located in a jungle region in north-west Panama some 250km ( 155 miles ) from the capital Panama City .
`` They were performing a ritual inside the structure .
In that ritual , there were people being held against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mr Baloyes .
`` All of these rites were aimed at killing them if they did n't repent their sins '' .
Inside the makeshift church , officers found a naked woman , machetes , knives and a ritually sacrificed goat , Mr Baloyes said .
The site was controlled by a religious sect called the New Light of God , believed to have been operating in the region for about three months .
According to Mr Baloyes , the kidnapping and torture started last Saturday after one of the members claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God '' .
The victims were then kidnapped from their homes , beaten and killed .
The suspects , who include a minor , are expected to appear in court on Friday or Saturday .
One of them is the father of the pregnant woman found in the grave , located some 2km from the makeshift church .
Those rescued had bodily injuries and reportedly included at least two pregnant women and some children .
Exorcism is a religious or spiritual ritual carried out to supposedly cure people of demonic possession .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its depiction in popular culture and horror films .
In an article about exorcism for The Conversation academic website , Helen Hall , a lecturer at Nottingham Law School , says the practice `` signifies freeing a place , person or even object from some form of negative spiritual influence '' .
Beliefs and rituals of a similar description `` are found in almost all cultures and faith traditions '' , writes Ms Hall , who is also an Anglican priest .
Exorcism , meaning `` oath '' in Greek , is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian and Islamic settings .
It has `` proved to be a dark yet enduring feature of Catholic culture '' , Francis Young writes in A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity .
In 2018 , about 250 priests from 50 countries attended the Vatican 's annual exorcism course amid increasing demand for exorcisms among some of the world 's Catholic communities .
In the Catholic Church , exorcisms are performed by trained priests who recite prayers and excerpts from the Bible intended to drive out demonic entities .
Catholic Online says a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priest traces the sign of the cross over them and sprinkles them with holy water .

"They were performing a ritual inside the structure. In that ritual, there were people being held against their will, being mistreated," said Mr Baloyes. "All of these rites were aimed at killing them if they didn't repent their sins".


bbc--2020-01-17--German foreign office sorry for #SeduceSomeoneInFourWords tweet

Germany 's foreign office has apologised for tweeting a joke about its visa application process being seductive .
The joke was based on the trending hashtag # SeduceSomeoneInFourWords , where Twitter users come up with four words that could spark romance .
The @ GermanyDiplo Twitter account tacked on the hashtag to its tweet : `` Your visa got approved . ''
The joke was deleted hours later and a second tweet admitted that humour was `` not always our strong suit '' .
@ GermanyDiplo , which represents the foreign ministry 's English-language channel , said : `` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and visa decisions can deeply affect peoples ' lives . ''
It added : `` Our colleagues take these decisions very seriously . ''
Many people replied to both tweets with their frustrating , sometimes devastating experiences of applying for German visas .
Law student Mamoun wrote : `` When I had barely graduated from undergrad , I was offered an internship with the UN in Bonn , Germany .
After an extensive visa application process with delays and uncertainty , I was informed - two days prior to the beginning of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected .
Danke . ''
Criminologist Galma Akdeniz added : `` If your visa application did not make people feel less than human , it might have been funny .
But it does .
So this is gloating in your discretionary power , laughing at people who are subjected to it .
Not cool , and quite out of touch . ''
• Prince Harry and Meghan : How the internet reacted to # Sussexit But not everyone thought the tweet was offensive .
Turkish journalist Rahsan Gulsan , for example , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and sometimes humiliating to try to get visa from German Consulate , the joke is still very funny ! ''
# SeduceSomeoneInFourWords has become a popular fad , attracting jokes such as `` you hungry ?
I 'm cooking '' .
Other European government offices have tried to make jokes on the hashtag .
Belgium 's ministry of foreign affairs tweeted five words : `` Some beer , chocolate & waffles ? ''
And many people pointed out that France 's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs ' contribution - `` Hi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only three words .

Criminologist Galma Akdeniz added: "If your visa application did not make people feel less than human, it might have been funny. But it does. So this is gloating in your discretionary power, laughing at people who are subjected to it. Not cool, and quite out of touch."


bbc--2020-01-17--Eminem criticised for lyric about bomb at Ariana Grande gig

Eminem has been called `` disgusting '' and `` pathetic '' after rapping about the Manchester Arena bomb attack , which killed 22 people in 2017 .
The lyric comes in a new song , Unaccommodating , in which the star boasts about his impact on hip-hop .
At one point , he says : `` I 'm contemplating yelling 'bombs away ' on the game / Like I 'm outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting . ''
It is not the first time the 47-year-old has referenced the attack .
In a 2018 freestyle , he rapped about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grande sing her last song of the evening / And as the audience from the damn concert is leaving / Detonates the device strapped to his abdominal region . ''
Figen Murray , whose son died in the attack , voiced her disapproval after being informed of the two songs on Friday morning .
`` Feels like he is piggybacking on the fame of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber and says distasteful things about other celebrities , '' she wrote on Twitter .
`` Not clever .
Totally pointless .
And before all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am not interested and will not engage . ''
Murray 's 29-year-old son Martyn Hett was one of the 22 people who died when Salman Abedi blew himself up at the end of Ariana Grande 's concert in May 2017 .
She has since campaigned for the introduction of Martyn 's Law , which would require venues to introduce more stringent security checks .
Hett 's former partner Russell Hayward also voiced his disapproval of Eminem 's latest lyrics , writing : `` It 's disappointing but not surprising that # Eminem would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dragging the victims ' families & Ariana back into a very dark time .
`` Not sure how popular he is these days but I hope any success he gets from the back of this is worth it . ''
His comments were echoed by Grande 's fans , who described Unaccommodating as `` a pathetic attempt to get attention '' .
One fan tweeted the rapper saying : `` You 're so disgusting I hope u know that .
What u said was very uncalled for and so hurtful to so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly egregious , given that Eminem pledged his support to victims of the bombing in 2017 ; and urged fans to donate money to families who had been affected .
Unaccommodating is the opening track on the star 's 11th album , Music To Be Murdered By , which he released , unannounced , on Friday morning .
A follow-up to 2018 's Kamikaze , the 20-track album features cameos from Q-Tip , Ed Sheeran and the late Juice Wrld .
In a stark contrast to the Manchester Arena lyric , the album @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tighter gun control laws in the US .
The song and video reference the 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival shooting in Las Vegas , in which 58 people died , with Eminem playing the role of an isolated , mentally-disturbed character who plots a murderous rampage to gain notoriety .
The video ends with a montage of news reports from recent mass shootings , captioned : `` When will it end ?
When enough people care . ''
Eminem then urges fans to register to vote in the upcoming US elections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and help change gun laws in America '' .
The video also links to a website with information and links to various anti-gun violence organisations including Everytown For Gun Safety , March For Our Lives and Sandy Hook Promise .
It is not the first time the star has addressed the issue .
Performing at last year 's iHeartRadio music awards , he delivered a verse attacking the National Rifle Association 's hold over politicians , rapping : `` They love their guns more than our children . ''
At the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the criticism over Unaccommodating .
The BBC has contacted his publicists for comment .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .


bbc--2020-01-16--Prohibition: US activists fight for temperance 100 years on

It is 100 years to the day since Prohibition came into effect .
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution banned anyone in the US from selling , making , importing or even transporting alcohol .
Criminal gangs immediately took over the industry .
Speakeasies sprung up nationwide to sell illegal liquor and tens of millions flouted the legislation .
By 1933 it had been repealed - the only instance when a constitutional amendment has been overturned in this way .
Prohibition is now viewed as a failure .
No major political parties or organisations support its return , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme response in the future .
But alcohol remains controversial in the US .
The drinking age of 21 is higher than in other nations where drinking is legal .
Dry counties and dry towns - where alcohol sales are restricted or barred outright - are dotted throughout the country .
And Gallup polling from last year shows that nearly one fifth of respondents said drinking alcohol was `` morally wrong '' .
A century on , a small group of Americans are fighting to keep the dream of the so-called `` noble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think of the Prohibition Party as an exercise in living history , '' says Jim Hedges , treasurer to the party , which is the third-oldest in the US .
`` We 're trying to keep the concept alive and the history alive , '' he tells the BBC .
`` But as far as getting big enough to have influence , it 's not going to happen any time soon . ''
The US temperance movement , which sought to control or even ban alcohol sales , developed through the 19th Century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drinking as well as the health effects .
Religious groups like Methodists and later organisations like the Anti-Saloon League helped bring about the law change .
Dr Julia Guarneri , senior lecturer in US history at the University of Cambridge , tells the BBC that women 's groups - in particular the Woman 's Christian Temperance Union ( WCTU ) - were vital in bringing about prohibition .
`` They thought alcohol was one way that money went from the employer to the employee to the saloon , and never reached the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Women and children were also victims of abuse from alcoholic husbands and fathers .
As reformers pushed for women 's right to vote - ratified in the 19th Amendment , which was officially adopted just eight months after Prohibition took effect - women activists also sought to ban alcohol , seeing it as another way that women were oppressed in society .
`` There 's more of a connect between those two pieces of legislation than you might think , '' Dr Guarneri says .
`` The WCTU saw the banning of alcohol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happier and healthier , and women happier and healthier . ''
Worries about the large numbers of immigrants coming to US shores at the end of the 19th and early 20th Centuries - in particular Catholics and Jews travelling from southern and eastern Europe - were another factor .
Some European Catholics in particular brought a beer-drinking culture to the US which was alien to its Protestant populations .
But on top of this , both Catholics and Jews incorporate alcohol in their religious rituals .
While these ceremonies were still allowed during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` became a way to police and oppress those immigrant populations '' .
The start of World War I further helped the temperance movement .
Campaigners won support arguing that grains should be used for food rather than for beer during the conflict , while German immigrants or their descendants owned many of the breweries .
`` So it was very easy to paint a portrait of alcohol being un-American , '' Dr Guarneri says .
`` You name it - Pabst , Schlitz , Budweiser ... there was n't going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners of the breweries from the US . ''
But Prohibition was widely flouted .
Many Americans , particularly the wealthy and the privileged , dodged the law with ease .
President Warren Harding is said to have openly served alcohol confiscated by his government at the White House .
The law grew more and more unpopular .
Politicians also missed the tax revenue from alcohol sales after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 .
Franklin Roosevelt promised to repeal the measure in his bid for the presidency in 1932 , and within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , national prohibition was dead .
Sarah Ward , former president of the WCTU , tells the BBC that Prohibition `` probably did our organisation more harm than good after the repeal '' .
To join the WCTU , applicants must pledge to avoid alcohol and pay membership dues .
Ms Ward signed up as a teenager in the 1950s , and has kept that pledge to this day .
She spent decades teaching people about the health impact of alcohol , and says she is proud of that work .
But she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement in the US was `` very discouraging '' .
`` We can always hope that somebody will realise and a corner will be turned and that 'll be great if it happens , '' Ms Ward says - although she thinks members of the WCTU are `` more realistic '' now .
`` Today , as far as Prohibition is concerned , we will have that when each individual makes the choice that that is the best way for them to live , '' she said .
`` We ca n't get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be free and do their own thing . ''
Prohibition Party treasurer Jim Hedges agrees .
Mr Hedges was the party 's presidential candidate in 2016 when they took just 5,600 votes nationwide - albeit far more than the 518 they won in 2012 , and their best result since 1988 .
He says the party would like to see a `` sea change '' of public opinion to allow the return of national prohibition .
`` If we were to try to impose that from the top down without having public support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
Their plan this year is to focus on states which have easier rules for smaller parties to get on the ballot .
Phil Collins , the party 's 2020 nominee , hopes they can get on the ballot in Arkansas , Colorado , Louisiana , Mississippi and Tennessee .
`` Four years ago the party was on the ballot in only three states .
And this time it 'll be five states , '' he tells the BBC .
`` So I 'm sure we 'll get more votes than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and towns , and so-called `` blue laws '' - restrictions on when and where you can buy alcohol , for example on a Sunday or after a certain time at night - exist across the US .
But the general trend is for more liberalisation .
Massachusetts had about 20 wholly dry towns in the year 2000 , but several have started to allow the sale of alcohol - albeit in restricted ways .
The town of Rockport was dry from 1856 , when organiser Hannah Jumper rallied women to attack liquor-serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2005 finally granted restaurants the right to serve alcohol with meals , but it was only in 2019 - close to 162 years after the infamous `` Hatchet Gang '' raid - that the town granted its first retail licence to sell alcohol .
Jay Smith tells the BBC that after the town 's only grocery store closed , the community decided to grant a licence to the first person to open a store in Rockport .
His family opened the Whistlestop Market , which sells beer and wine at a mall by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the town has been overwhelmingly supportive , barring `` maybe one or two people [ who ] have let us know that they 're against it . ''
But ultimately , he says it is a matter of personal choice .
`` I think Prohibition was a response to the difficulties of alcohol .
Though we sell alcohol , we 're for responsible use , '' he says .
`` People can have a personal or philosophical attitude against alcohol - I ca n't argue against that .
That 's their personal choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them . ''

"Today, as far as Prohibition is concerned, we will have that when each individual makes the choice that that is the best way for them to live," she said. "We can't get restrictions on anything. Everybody wants to be free and do their own thing."


bbc--2020-01-17--Actor Laurence Fox's Question Time clash over Meghan

Harry and Meghan 's decision - what does it mean ?
BBC royal expert Simon Jones explains why Harry and @ @ @ @ @ to step back as 'senior royals ' and be more in charge of their own @ @

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to step back from royal life sparked debate on BBC's Question Time.
Actor Laurence Fox clashed with an audience member, a university lecturer and race and ethnicity researcher, who said the way Meghan Markle had been treated in the press was "racist".


bbc--2020-01-17--Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable

Apple could be forced to abandon its Lightning connector cable if European lawmakers get their way .
The cable is used to charge and sync many Apple devices , such as the iPhone .
But members of the European Parliament urged the European Commission on Monday to force tech giants to adopt a single universal charging method .
Two other charging cables - USB-C and micro-USB - are used on Android devices , and Apple has already stopped using Lightning on the 2018 iPad Pro .
European regulators will vote on the matter on a yet to be determined date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would stifle innovation and be disruptive to consumers .
How likely is this to happen ?
If the regulator enforces its proposed regulation , Apple devices sold in Europe would be required to have a new charging method .
It is likely Apple would then adopt USB-C , considering the company 's 2018 iPad Pro ditched Lightning in favour of the technology .
Another possible option would be to remove charging ports and cables entirely and use wireless charging instead .
A new cable would mark the tech giant 's third in 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones already feature USB-C ports .
Why does the EU want this change ?
The European Commission has been campaigning for a single charging method for the past decade .
There were more than 30 types of charger on the market in 2009 , but that number has since been reduced to just three .
The regulator is determined to cut down on electronic waste being created by obsolete cables , which it estimates generate more than 51,000 tonnes of waste per year .
`` This is hugely detrimental for the environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saliba .
`` A common charger should fit all mobile phones , tablets , e-book readers and other portable devices . ''
Apple , along with 10 other leading tech giants such as Nokia and Samsung , signed a memorandum of understanding in 2009 .
They pledged to provide micro-USB compatible chargers for consumers .
However , Apple took advantage of a loophole that allowed manufacturers to continue using their own chargers if they offered an adaptor .
Then , in 2014 , the EU passed the Radio Equipment Directive , which called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a common charger '' .
Apple insisted that its slimmer devices would be unable to fit the then-new USB-C technology , and it claimed it would cost up to $ 2bn ( £1.53bn ) to meet the desired standard .
Apple and many of its rivals , such as Huawei and Samsung , have already released products that charge their devices wirelessly .
Although the technology is in its infancy , new developments have meant that it is now able to compete with traditional charging methods .
Some analysts are even predicting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by releasing future iPhone and iPad models that rely solely on wireless charging .

There were more than 30 types of charger on the market in 2009, but that number has since been reduced to just three.


bbc--2020-01-17--Australia droughts: ‘Wall of dust’ envelops town

US firefighters met with applause in Sydney US firefighters were met with applause at Sydney airport as they arrived to @ @ @ @

A dust cloud has rapidly swept across an Australian town, turning it red within minutes.
Locals in Nyngan, New South Wales, filmed the event – which was caused by storm-generated winds.


bbc--2020-01-17--The Indian TikTok star who teaches her followers English

Geet , who goes by her first name only , shot to fame after she started using TikTok to teach @ @ @ @ @ , she wanted to become an actress but an accident shattered her dream .
Years @ @ @ @ @ passion on TikTok , where she has now become a celebrity .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ videos on India 's Social Stars - ordinary people who have made it big on @ @ @

Geet, who goes by her first name only, shot to fame after she started using TikTok to teach English.
As a child, she wanted to become an actress but an accident shattered her dream.
Years later, she found her passion on TikTok, where she has now become a celebrity.
This is the second in a series of videos on India's Social Stars - ordinary people who have made it big on social media.
Video by Bushra Owaisy, Kenzul Muneer and Nikita Mandhani


bbc--2020-01-16--What it means to be mixed race in the US

As the United States becomes more racially diverse , the number of multi-racial people in the country is on the @ @ @ @ @ six people who are mixed what it 's like navigating the world as a multi-racial @ @ @ @ @ part of `` ¿Hablas Español ?
`` , a BBC road trip around the US @ @ @ @ @ the Spanish language and Latinos in the age of Trump .
You can find more @ @ @ @ @ Spanish at BBC Mundo .

As the United States becomes more racially diverse, the number of multi-racial people in the country is on the rise. The BBC asked six people who are mixed what it's like navigating the world as a multi-racial individual.
Video by Angélica M Casas, produced with Patricia Sulbarán.
This video is part of "¿Hablas Español?", a BBC road trip around the US to show the power of the Spanish language and Latinos in the age of Trump. You can find more stories from the series in Spanish at BBC Mundo.


bbc--2020-01-16--Red faces as BBC radio calls the wrong expert

But fortunately he was still very good at answering the question .
Evan Davis had been interviewing experts about the @ @ @ @ @ in Crown Courts in England and Wales for the first time .
The PM programme @ @ @ @ @ famous US lawyer who helped successfully defend OJ Simpson , to discuss the development with @ @ @ @ @ .

But fortunately he was still very good at answering the question.
Evan Davis had been interviewing experts about the news TV cameras can film in Crown Courts in England and Wales for the first time.
The PM programme had meant to book the famous US lawyer who helped successfully defend OJ Simpson, to discuss the development with a retired Supreme Court justice.
The interview began with a giggle.


bbc--2020-01-17--Quiz of the week: On Trump, Russia and the new Bond theme

It 's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what 's been going on in the @ @ @ @ @ days ?
If you can not see the quiz , follow this link .
Try @ @ @ @ @ this link .

It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world during the past seven days?


bbc--2020-01-17--Africa's week in pictures: 10-16 January 2020

In Ivory Coast 's main city Abidjan on the same day , a teacher hands back homework to children at @ @ @ @ @ boy found dead in the undercarriage of an international flight to Paris , was a @ @

Image caption,
In Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan on the same day, a teacher hands back homework to children at the school where a 14-year-old boy found dead in the undercarriage of an international flight to Paris, was a pupil.


bbc--2020-01-17--My great-granddad, Nelson Mandela, would be 'unhappy' with 2020 South Africa

`` It was the moment I realised 'wow ... my great-granddad was Nelson Mandela ' ! ''
Pumla Mandela is recalling the day , in 2013 , when she read a poem at her great-grandfather 's memorial service .
The former South African president is - for most of the world - a symbol of triumph over oppression .
But for 26 year-old Pumla he was also family .
She sat down with Radio 1 Newsbeat to share memories of the man many South Africans still call Madiba - his clan name which has become used by the wider public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poem Pumla read at the memorial said , `` you are lodged in our memories , you tower over the world like a comet . ''
But , as you might expect , most of her lasting memories are more low key .
`` He was the man who was always reading newspapers or that we 'd have lunch with with .
`` I 'd be having conversations with my younger cousins and he 'd always be silently listening and observing .
`` We always thought he pretended to have hearing problems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'd have to speak loudly and sometimes you 'd be speaking softly and he 'd just input .
`` He was a disciplinarian .
He was very strict . ''
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting for better rights for black people in South Africa .
The apartheid system in place at the time meant they were denied many of the rights granted to the white minority there .
The law ended as he became the country 's first black president .
His family tree is extensive - Pumla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingers '' to count his great-grandchildren now .
But she still gets plenty of questions : `` People would always want to know what it was like to have this great man as my grandfather . ''
It 's 30 years next month since Nelson Mandela was released from prison - he became president in 1994 .
But , today , South Africa still has more than its fair share of issues .
A higher proportion of black South Africans have historically lived in poverty compared with Asian and white South Africans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people living in poverty were black .
It also has one of the highest murder rates in the world .
So what would Nelson Mandela make of 2020 South Africa ?
`` I know he would n't be 100 % happy but I also know he predicted a lot of what is happening right now , '' says Pumla .
`` He 'd be unhappy with the level of unemployment , gender-based violence and the state of leadership in our country . ''
It 's possibly for those reasons that social media debates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are those in South Africa who believe Nelson Mandela negotiated a deal to end apartheid which was too favourable for white people .
A lot of the debate is about owning land - the people who own private land remain largely white .
Pumla 's home is littered with photos of her great-grandad .
There 's one with him and her when she was in primary school and there 's another with her family and Michelle Obama .
She 's missed out on some of those big moments though .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed out on meeting a lot of people - like Beyonce .
I will never actually forgive her for that one .
`` I had school so she never wanted to take me out of school . ''
As for now , Pumla has a job working for a tech start-up company in Johannesburg .
`` There 's a responsibility for anyone coming from any family to continue the legacy but I have enough family members already doing that which takes the pressure off me to feel like I have to do something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it 's just in my own nature .
`` The family name has opened a lot of doors for me but I have to work even harder than normal as I have to prove I did n't get here just because of my surname . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

"There's a responsibility for anyone coming from any family to continue the legacy but I have enough family members already doing that which takes the pressure off me to feel like I have to do something.


bbc--2020-01-16--US officials ground drones over espionage fears

US officials may put an end to a civilian drone programme because of their concerns about the unmanned aerial vehicles that are made in China .
The officials are apparently worried that the Chinese-made drones could be used to spy on people in the US .
After a volcano exploded in Hawaii in May 2018 , US scientists used drones to save a man from the lava : `` Follow the drone , '' they said .
He made it through the jungle .
Drones save people .
They also map terrain , survey land and inspect pipelines .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes on a daily basis , and they have bragged about their successes in the field .
Many of the aircraft are made by Chinese companies , though .
They are now grounded because of concerns about espionage .
The drones had been deployed for years by the scientists and others at the US Department of the Interior , a federal agency that manages national parks and other duties .
But the head of the federal agency , David Bernhardt , is apparently now worried that the drones could be used for espionage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian drone programme in an effort to determine whether or not it should be continued .
During this time , many of the drones are grounded , according to an agency spokeswoman , Melissa Brown .
`` Until this review is completed , the secretary has directed that drones manufactured in China or made from Chinese components be grounded , '' according to a statement she sent to the BBC .
Drones that are used to fight fires and help rescue people are still allowed to fly , she added .
News of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Financial Times .
Mr Bernhardt 's review of the drone programme reflects a growing concern among US officials about Chinese technology and espionage .
President Donald Trump has spoken in dark terms about China , saying that its leaders have `` cheated '' the US and that its intelligence agents spy on people here .
Chinese officials deny the accusations .
Despite the rhetoric , US-China relations have improved .
On Wednesday , Trump is planning to sign an initial trade deal with Chinese leaders .
Still , fundamental issues remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
US officials have said in the past that Huawei , the telecommunications company , and other Chinese companies could pose a security threat .
Some Chinese analysts say the fight is not over national security but market share .
The Chinese are better at making products , they say , and Americans are jealous .
The Chinese analysts see the US policies as a form of protectionism .
The drones are now at the centre of the US-China dispute .
Many of the drones that are used by US scientists are made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Innovations Science and Technology Company , or , DJI .
The company dominates the drone market , according to a research company , Skylogic .
US officials have in the past expressed concerns about DJI .
Agents at a US immigration office said in 2017 that the company 's drones could collect information about US sites and transmit data back to Beijing .
Rules and norms are different for private companies in China than they are in the US .
Business executives in China stay in close contact with government officials .
US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drones could collect and what might be done with the data .
The Chinese executives could pass the data on to Beijing officials , explains Sarah Cook , a senior analyst with Freedom House , a non-profit organisation .
Executives who work for DJI say their drones are trustworthy .
Michael Oldenburg , a spokesman for DJI Technology Inc , tells the BBC there is no `` credible evidence to support a broad country-of-origin restriction on drone technology '' .
Many US analysts agree with Oldenburg 's assessment .
`` I doubt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct massive surveillance , '' says David Fidler , an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations .
Fidler and others admit it is impossible to know how much information the drones are gathering , however .
Analysts emphasise that the Chinese officials pose a threat to the US and that Chinese companies should be banned from certain kinds of work .
`` I would n't want a Chinese server operating our nuclear system , '' says Paul Rosenzweig , a senior fellow at the conservative R Street Institute who served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official during the George W Bush White House years .
Yet Rosenzweig and others say that the drones seem benign .
The aircraft fly over wildlife areas and parks and are unlikely to collect sensitive data .
`` It is an acceptable risk , '' Rosenzweig says , adding : `` I do n't think drones covering Yosemite National Park are a real threat . ''
The real assessment , the one from the secretary of the interior , is yet to be announced , however .
In the meantime , scientists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fate of the drones .

He is examining the agency's civilian drone programme in an effort to determine whether or not it should be continued. During this time, many of the drones are grounded, according to an agency spokeswoman, Melissa Brown. "Until this review is completed, the secretary has directed that drones manufactured in China or made from Chinese components be grounded," according to a statement she sent to the BBC.


bbc--2020-01-17--Australia fires: Is arson to blame?

Australia fires: Is arson to blame?

A UK government minister has been accused of using misleading figures about the number of bushfires in Australia caused by arson .
Heather Wheeler , a foreign office minister , said last week : `` Very regrettably , it is widely reported on social media that 75 % of the fires were started by arsonists . ''
Richard Drax , a Conservative MP repeated the figure in the House of Commons this week .
He said : `` In Australia 75 % of fires are caused by arson . ''
Mr Drax said he was quoting Ms Wheeler after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires started .
Kerry McCarthy , an opposition Labour MP , said the figure was `` fake news that is being spread by climate change deniers in Australia '' .
She said the true figure for arson was less than 1 % .
So do we know how many fires are started deliberately in Australia ?
At this stage we do n't have an overall number - making both sets of figures difficult to evaluate .
And often the cause remains unknown .
But we do know that in Queensland , police say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 % ) have been deliberately or recklessly lit through human involvement between September and 8 January .
Police in New South Wales , a state which has suffered some of the worst blazes , have charged 24 people for deliberately lighting a fire during the current fire season ( since 8 November ) .
Many more people have been pursued for other bushfire-related offences , such as failing to comply with a fire ban or discarding a lighted cigarette or match .
A New South Wales Rural Fire Service representative told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the majority of the larger fires we have been dealing with have been a result of fires coming out of remote areas as a result of dry lightning storms . ''
Police in Victoria state said : `` There is currently no intelligence to indicate that the fires in East Gippsland and the North-East [ the worst fires in the state ] have been caused by arson or any suspicious behaviour . ''
A 2008 study found that in Australia about 85 % of fires were triggered by human activity - this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recklessness .
According to Australia 's National Centre for Research in Bushfire and Arson , 13 % of bushfires every year are deliberate and 37 % are suspicious .
In the US state of California , 95 % of wildfires are started by people - 7 % of those by arson - according to Cal Fire , the state 's fire service .
• Why do people start bushfires during bushfires ?
Scientists have long warned that a hotter , drier climate caused by climate change will contribute to fires becoming more frequent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather patterns and higher temperatures increase the risk of bushfires , and allow them to spread faster and wider .
So where did the figures mentioned in Parliament come from ?
The UK foreign office told Reality Check that the minister was referring to reports seen on social media rather than official figures and `` at no point did the minister say these reports were accurate '' .
When asked for examples of these reports , the Foreign Office did not provide them .
A group of scientists has written a letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister 's comment , saying it ignored scientific evidence , and that arson as a main cause of the bushfires has been debunked .
The scientists say social media is `` awash with false claims about the role of arson , obscuring the link between climate change and bushfires . ''
One of them pointed out to us a Sky News Australia clip .
In it , the host Chris Smith says : `` There were 183 alleged incidences of arson which an expert told me would have stopped three-quarters of the fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the joint down . ''
This figure of 183 may have come from an article in the Australian newspaper referring to the number of cases of alleged arson since the start of 2019 , and not limited to the recent widespread outbreak of fires which began in November .
Kerry McCarthy , the Labour MP , told us the 1 % figure came from local media reports about the level of arson in the states of New South Wales and Victoria .

One of them pointed out to us a Sky News Australia clip. In it, the host Chris Smith says: "There were 183 alleged incidences of arson which an expert told me would have stopped three-quarters of the fires if they weren't trying to burn the joint down."


bbc--2020-01-17--Does your company nurture neurodiverse talent?

How do you make your workplace more welcoming to neurodiverse employees , and ensure their talent is nurtured ?
David Joseph takes off his shoes , crosses his legs and tucks himself into an armchair .
For the CEO of one of the biggest record labels in the UK - Universal Music UK - he 's unassuming .
Our interview is supposed to last 10 minutes , but nearly an hour later ( and several reminders by his assistant that he has other meetings ) , David is still talking , with pride , about diversity .
Because he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversity , especially a hidden diversity that never really gets a look in on any conversation about difference - neurodivergence .
`` A defining moment was that I got a text from this artist about three days after I saw them , '' he says .
`` This artist has unquestionably changed culture , but the words [ in the text ] were in the wrong order .
I always speak to this person , seen them a lot , worked with them for a long time , but this was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from them .
And then I realised why . ''
Neurodivergence - also known as neurodiversity - is a term many people may not be familiar with .
It refers to the community of people who have dyslexia , dyspraxia , ADHD , are on the autism spectrum , or have other neurological functions .
According to to the conciliation service ACAS , `` these are 'spectrum ' conditions , with a wide range of characteristics , but which nevertheless share some common features in terms of how people learn and process information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of them , certain ones , definitely think differently , '' says David .
He 's not just talking about Florence Welch or Billie Eilish - whose neurodiversity is well documented - he 's talking about any employee at the label who is part of the creative process .
An estimated one in seven people are neurodivergent in the UK but this is n't something that is routinely acknowledged in the workplace .
`` I need to reinforce that this is interwoven with all the other issues around diversity .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over and above all the others , '' says David .
This is n't about being nice and just giving people jobs .
`` There is an unconscious bias towards hiring people you think you 'll get on with , share similar views , and dare I say it , might not be rebellious or cause dissent .
I am a big fan of respectful outliers , '' says David .
`` I 've been allowed to grow through this company and fundamentally be myself . ''
After carrying out a fair amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team have produced a guidebook that more than 100 companies have expressed an interest in .
It 's cream coloured , to make it easier to read for people with dyslexia ( the advice is to use dark coloured text on a light - not white - background , and sufficient contrast levels between background and text ) .
It 's full of simple graphics and is n't too wordy .
The message is to stop focusing on things that neurodivergent people ca n't do and start celebrating what they are exceptional at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Direct Line , which actively recruits neurodivergent individuals , has been working on for some time .
`` There are so many different strengths that we hold , and I think it 's easy to focus on the negatives but you get so much more when you focus on the positives , '' says Yvonne Akinwande .
The 31-year-old marketing consultant says her employer recognises the need to ensure the working environment is suited to neurodiverse employees .
She says that because of her dyslexia , she mixes up certain letters and does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spelling , punctuation and grammar .
But the company has given her specific software to help with recording and writing up meeting notes .
And even simple things , from the colour of her notepads to situating her desk in a quieter part of the office , has helped create a comfortable environment .
More importantly , she feels that the more creative marketing role that she now holds suits her skill set more than the one she held previously .
`` In my previous role we would be audited monthly on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would continuously come out was my grammar and spelling mistakes .
We would need to send out formal correspondence to customers , and if they included car registrations , for instance , I would mix up letters .
`` All these things would mean I was marked down .
It made me feel negative in terms of my capabilities , which is not normal for me because I am very confident and very positive about what I can bring to the table .
`` I needed a role that highlighted and praised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be beneficial to the company . ''
Yvonne is co-lead of a neurodiversity strand that has been created within the business .
But increasingly more businesses are realising the benefits of employing neurodiverse individuals .
Intelligence agency GCHQ is proud of what it has described as its `` mix of minds '' .
`` Without neurodiversity , we would n't be GCHQ , '' it says in a statement .
It is another employer that actively recruits neurodivergent people , and has been doing so for more than 20 years .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and patterns , among other things , that is attractive about people in this community .
The spy agency , which works alongside MI5 , MI6 and law enforcement , will soon open a site in Manchester that has been designed with special adjustments to support neurodiverse staff .
It already makes things like noise-cancelling headphones and voice-to-text and text-to-voice software available .
`` Some of our most talented and creative people have a neurodiverse profile - from autism spectrum condition to dyslexia , and from dyscalculia and dyspraxia .
Our apprentices are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have dyslexia than the national average , '' the statement says .
• Having extra time to compensate for slower processing speed • Not being asked multiple questions at the same time • Using a whiteboard or flipchart to `` car park '' questions to return to later Recruitment agency Exceptional Individuals is made up of a team of neurodivergent individuals who understand the challenges that even a job interview can pose for people like themselves .
They help with CVs , filling out applications , interview prep , and maintain a relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have longevity in their job .
They also work with businesses to help them make their workplace more inclusive , and educate and inform staff on working in a neurodiverse workplace .
`` Employers are using processes that are quite dated , which is screening talent out , '' founder Matt Boyd says .
So , he says , if you are bad at spelling and get something wrong on an application form , you 're not going to be considered for the job .
`` People with autism , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview and how that 's perceived , are often not considered for the role or taken onto the next round .
`` There are lots of challenges that people with ADHD , dyslexia , dyspraxia and autism come up against just because employers do n't understand and do n't have processes in place . ''
And that process could be something as simple as how a job ad is worded .
For Direct Line 's Yvonne , key to getting her dream job was that the advert did n't specify something like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication '' .
`` I am not exceptional at written communication , '' she says .
`` But it did ask for someone who 's creative in their mind-set and likes to engage and work with other people .
Skills that I possess . ''
The Office For National Statistics does n't break down unemployment by neurodiversity , so there are no specific statistics on unemployment among neurodivergent people .
But according to the National Autistic Society , only an estimated 16 % of autistic people are in full-time employment .
Neurodiversity is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and according to the Department of Work and Pensions , an employer should make `` reasonable changes '' if someone discloses their neurodiversity .
Making those changes does n't have to be costly .
The government 's Access to Work Scheme allows employers to access money for any `` extra disability related costs of working that are beyond standard reasonable adjustments people have when starting work or maintaining employment '' .
But for David , back at Universal , as we chat , he smiles at the strides his company has made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job is to meet a lot of people .
And we sometimes sit with them and notice that that was like the same person 12 times .
They dressed the same , they talked the same .
`` And it makes me feel really proud of what we 've got here .
We really have created , without meaning to a 'come as you are and lets try and make you be the best version of yourself possible ' policy .
We 're creatively curious . ''
As singer Florence Welch wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would be wonderful if people could walk into jobs and be honest about how they move through the world . ''

David Joseph takes off his shoes, crosses his legs and tucks himself into an armchair. For the CEO of one of the biggest record labels in the UK - Universal Music UK - he's unassuming. Our interview is supposed to last 10 minutes, but nearly an hour later (and several reminders by his assistant that he has other meetings), David is still talking, with pride, about diversity. Because he wants change. He wants to talk about diversity, especially a hidden diversity that never really gets a look in on any conversation about difference - neurodivergence.


bbc--2020-01-16--What do Putin's plans mean for Russia?

What do Putin's plans mean for Russia?

Russia has a new prime minister , a change no-one predicted only a day ago .
The long-serving Dmitry Medvedev has been replaced by a man most people had never heard of , until now .
Not only that , President Vladimir Putin has initiated a major reform of the constitution that looks like the start of his `` transition '' : a much-anticipated plan to retain influence when he has to leave the Kremlin in 2024 .
The details of that plan are still unclear , but this week 's surprise shake-up offers curious new hints .
Why did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Medvedev 's departure was a shock - or at the least , the timing of it .
But it seems he 's become his boss 's fall guy , yet again .
He 's long been a loyal sidekick to Vladimir Putin - most controversially when he kept the Kremlin warm , as president , for four years until the constitution allowed Mr Putin back in 2012 .
Now he 's taking the rap for Russia 's economic problems .
• What is Russia 's Putin up to ?
The patriotic `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crimea has faded , and for many families there 's no replacement balm for the harsh realities of life .
Mr Putin 's state of the nation speech this year recognised that , focusing heavily on welfare instead of sabre-rattling at the West .
So he 's brought in a new man to sort out the economy , and state TV has been pumping out positive messages .
Mikhail Mishustin , Russians are told , is experienced and able .
The shake-up buys time and goodwill ahead of next year 's critical elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party , United Russia , is likely to struggle .
But it also helps buy support for Mr Putin 's bigger changes .
What exactly does Mr Putin want to do the constitution ?
Vladimir Putin is presenting his constitutional reform in the same vein as the prime minister swap .
The changes involve a rebalancing of responsibility - slightly less for the president , more for parliament .
Mr Putin has explained it as bringing power closer to the people : MPs will get more say in forming the government , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic , and will be more effective .
But most commentators see that as masking another agenda : Vladimir Putin carving out a suitable role for when he has to pack up and leave the Kremlin .
After two decades in power he has interests and allies - a whole system - to protect .
He may not want to bother himself any more with the day-to-day running of the country , but he 's unlikely to fade away altogether .
The role of the little-noticed State Council could be central to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head , and now plans to enshrine the council in the constitution .
It 's just an advisory body for now .
Souped-up , it could be a way to continue pulling the strings of power .
Think Raul Castro , stepping back from the Cuban presidency , but still the powerful Communist Party GenSec .
Or the Kazakh model , closer to home , where Nursultan Nazarbayev remained head of the security council and `` Leader of the Nation '' for life .
Vladimir Putin could be looking for his way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't he just stay on as president ?
There was speculation that Mr Putin might simply remove the two-term limit for president in the constitution .
Nothing is ever ruled out , but that would be highly controversial even in Russia 's managed-democracy .
When Mr Putin and Dmitry Medvedev did their seat-swap back in 2012 , it caused giant street protests .
There were more pro-opposition rallies this summer .
The Kremlin probably wants to avoid more of the same , especially in a tough economic climate .
It 's thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement for himself instead : Putin II .
There 's still a chance Mr Medvedev could stage a comeback for that role .
He 's been side-lined , not shamed , after all .
It 's also possible the new Prime Minister Mishustin could be president-in-waiting .
But after this week , Vladimir Putin seems more likely to surprise us .
How or when will we know about his plans ?
Mr Putin still has four years in the job , so there 's no major rush with the constitutional changes , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has set up a working group , 75-people strong , to draw up concrete proposals for the reforms , and has already given them their instructions .
Around a giant table , Mr Putin warned the team to take care over `` every letter , every comma '' , as their work concerns the fundamental law of the land .
Once the proposals are done , his vision should be clearer .
Some kind of public confirmation vote is expected before the summer .
The Kremlin has ruled out a formal referendum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite all the talk of democracy , Mr Putin would n't want his big plan - when it 's finally presented - to be rejected .

What Putin's plans mean for Russia Published 16 January 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Putin's plans: What the Russian president's surprise means
Russia has a new prime minister, a change no-one predicted only a day ago. The long-serving Dmitry Medvedev has been replaced by a man most people had never heard of, until now.
Not only that, President Vladimir Putin has initiated a major reform of the constitution that looks like the start of his "transition": a much-anticipated plan to retain influence when he has to leave the Kremlin in 2024.
The details of that plan are still unclear, but this week's surprise shake-up offers curious new hints.
Why did the prime minister have to go?
Mr Medvedev's departure was a shock - or at the least, the timing of it. But it seems he's become his boss's fall guy, yet again.
He's long been a loyal sidekick to Vladimir Putin - most controversially when he kept the Kremlin warm, as president, for four years until the constitution allowed Mr Putin back in 2012. Now he's taking the rap for Russia's economic problems.
The patriotic "blip" over the 2014 annexation of Crimea has faded, and for many families there's no replacement balm for the harsh realities of life. Mr Putin's state of the nation speech this year recognised that, focusing heavily on welfare instead of sabre-rattling at the West.
So he's brought in a new man to sort out the economy, and state TV has been pumping out positive messages. Mikhail Mishustin, Russians are told, is experienced and able.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, The previously unknown Mikhail Mishustin has been named as Russia's new prime minister
The shake-up buys time and goodwill ahead of next year's critical elections to parliament, where the main pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, is likely to struggle.
But it also helps buy support for Mr Putin's bigger changes.
What exactly does Mr Putin want to do the constitution?
Vladimir Putin is presenting his constitutional reform in the same vein as the prime minister swap.
The changes involve a rebalancing of responsibility - slightly less for the president, more for parliament. Mr Putin has explained it as bringing power closer to the people: MPs will get more say in forming the government, for example.
He argues it's more democratic, and will be more effective.
But most commentators see that as masking another agenda: Vladimir Putin carving out a suitable role for when he has to pack up and leave the Kremlin. After two decades in power he has interests and allies - a whole system - to protect. He may not want to bother himself any more with the day-to-day running of the country, but he's unlikely to fade away altogether.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, How ordinary Russians have taken to appealing directly to Putin to solve their problems
The role of the little-noticed State Council could be central to his future.
Mr Putin is already its head, and now plans to enshrine the council in the constitution. It's just an advisory body for now. Souped-up, it could be a way to continue pulling the strings of power. Think Raul Castro, stepping back from the Cuban presidency, but still the powerful Communist Party GenSec. Or the Kazakh model, closer to home, where Nursultan Nazarbayev remained head of the security council and "Leader of the Nation" for life.
Vladimir Putin could be looking for his way to become Russia's supreme leader.
Can't he just stay on as president?
There was speculation that Mr Putin might simply remove the two-term limit for president in the constitution. Nothing is ever ruled out, but that would be highly controversial even in Russia's managed-democracy.
When Mr Putin and Dmitry Medvedev did their seat-swap back in 2012, it caused giant street protests. There were more pro-opposition rallies this summer.
The Kremlin probably wants to avoid more of the same, especially in a tough economic climate.
Image source, EPA Image caption, Dmitry Medvedev has long been loyal to President Putin
It's thought that Mr Putin is looking for a pliable replacement for himself instead: Putin II. There's still a chance Mr Medvedev could stage a comeback for that role. He's been side-lined, not shamed, after all. It's also possible the new Prime Minister Mishustin could be president-in-waiting. But after this week, Vladimir Putin seems more likely to surprise us.
How or when will we know about his plans?
Mr Putin still has four years in the job, so there's no major rush with the constitutional changes, although events have moved unusually fast lately.
He has set up a working group, 75-people strong, to draw up concrete proposals for the reforms, and has already given them their instructions. Around a giant table, Mr Putin warned the team to take care over "every letter, every comma", as their work concerns the fundamental law of the land.
Image source, AFP Image caption, The newly formed working group is in charge of amending the constitution
Once the proposals are done, his vision should be clearer. Some kind of public confirmation vote is expected before the summer. The Kremlin has ruled out a formal referendum, though. It would be risky.


bbc--2020-01-17--Brexit relationship: EU reveals clues ahead of talks with UK

They say an army marches on its stomach .
The European Union does it with slides .
The EU negotiating team is gearing up for talks with the UK about the post-Brexit relationship by holding a series of seminars for diplomats from the 27 member states .
The presentations are being published online .
Stuffed with jargon and seriously lacking in inspirational clipart , they provide important clues about how things might play out .
Remember the Political Declaration ?
Known in Brussels as `` the PD '' , it 's the 26-page sketch of the future relationship agreed alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the terms of the UK 's departure .
The Political Declaration is often seen as a lesser document because it is n't legally binding , or as a sweetener to make the divorce terms more palatable .
• What is the Withdrawal Agreement Bill ?
It 's clear that the EU takes the document as gospel because it 's quoted at length in the slides .
At length .
Like it 's the law .
EU officials are alert for signs that the UK might be softening on commitments made in the PD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for keeping EU member states in line .
For example , some have asked for other things to be added , to be told it 's now too late .
One of the sessions for diplomats was about the centrepiece of the new relationship with the UK - the Free Trade Agreement ( FTA ) .
This presentation was full of the EU 's usual catch-phrases about this stuff : being out ca n't be as good as being in , there 's no way to replicate membership of the single market without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ etc .
In the Theresa May era , this would read like a comprehensive rejection by Brussels of requests made by the UK .
It does n't feel that way , now that there 's a new British government which is relaxed about a looser economic relationship and can live with some friction in its trade with the EU .
• What is the transition period ?
But the EU thinks the UK still has to be reminded about what it can and ca n't get .
And the message on financial services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not subject to negotiation . ''
That 's because both sides will use existing ways of monitoring each other 's regulations rather than inventing new ones .
A field with no ref , that 's the LPF Get used to another acronym - the LPF , or Level Playing Field .
This is a series of measures to manage economic competition with the UK , which the EU says is necessary to reduce the risk of it being undercut by British firms that benefit from the new free trade agreement .
The EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover taxation , labour relations and environmental policies , and government support for companies , known as `` state aid . ''
The main tool will be a promise not to fall below current shared standards known as the non-regression clause .
But the EU has introduced an extra concept via the slides - `` non-lowering '' .
At first this sounds the same as non-regression but it means that if one party raises standards then there 's a possibility they may never be allowed to be lowered again .
This goes beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brexit Stage Two may turn into a rocky ride And the EU wants the UK to stay in lock-step with European policies on the environment and state aid as they develop .
It 's described in the presentations to diplomats as an `` ambition to improve over time '' , but in negotiating parlance is called `` dynamic alignment '' .
This is a massive no-no for the British government and will likely cause a big row .
The EU negotiators think this will all have to be managed and they place great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , part of which would be a joint committee of ministers and officials .
According to the slides , one of its big tasks would be deciding how to apply new EU laws or initiatives that did n't exist when the deal was negotiated .
Another would be working out what to do when one side or the other diverged from where things started .
At the same time , the EU would develop its own tools to retaliate quickly if the UK did something deemed unacceptable .
This is at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Switzerland ( but which has n't been approved yet ) and my hunch is it 'll be at the heart of what 's negotiated with the UK .
And finally , who could forget what access the EU will get to UK waters to catch fish , and British access to the EU market to sell it , billed as the biggest flashpoint ?
The slides reiterate that a deal on trade is contingent on a deal on fish .
What 's not clear is how the two will be linked - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final agreements .
The EU says it will look at `` socio-economic '' factors - the real-world effect on fishing communities .
That might be surprising if you think this should be a purely technical , environmental matter , but it reflects the importance of the sector in the European psyche .
Another key phrase is `` relative stability '' .
This is code for agreeing the broad outlines of how many fish can be caught over a long period of time , maybe decades .
It means there might not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the UK and the EU .
There are more presentations and a lot of details still to come .
They might seem dull but today 's slides are tomorrow 's big news stories .
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This presentation was full of the EU's usual catch-phrases about this stuff: being out can't be as good as being in, there's no way to replicate membership of the single market without the free movement of people, etc etc.


bbc--2020-01-17--Harry and Meghan: How people split time between two countries

The Queen has agreed to a trial period for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to split their time between the UK and Canada .
For senior royals like Harry and Meghan , it 's an unprecedented move .
But for some people , dividing their life between two homes thousands of miles apart is normal .
Some do it for love , or spirituality .
Others describe their circumstances as `` humble '' , to look after ageing parents .
Here 's how they make it work .
Every six months , Johanna Craven and her partner Davis pack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world .
`` This will be our third year of doing it , '' she says , as she prepares to leave London and head to Melbourne , Australia , where she will stay until mid-2020 .
`` It 's funny , whenever I get to the new place it feels like I have never left , '' says the Australian-British dual national .
`` It does n't feel like I 'm going home or going away , it 's like I 'm going to another part of my life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally from Australia , had been living in the UK for seven years when they chose the new arrangement in 2017 .
`` He decided he wanted to go back to Australia , I wanted to stay .
We thought let 's try both .
`` It felt like the right thing to do , it felt like the obvious thing to try . ''
The pair have a house in Melbourne - which they let out while they 're away - and they rent a different place in London each time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; finding an appropriate and affordable place to live each year , '' says Ms Craven , 38 , who works as a composer and author .
She also had to `` start again '' with her career - before the move she had a piano teaching business in London - but now focuses on other work , like writing historical fiction .
`` I do my best to travel light .
I am getting used to living with less and less stuff , which makes me realise that I really do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Bruce Chin , 47 , who has split time between the UK and California for 25 years , he says the reasons are more `` humble '' than any stereotype of an exotic `` dual national lifestyle '' .
`` It 's very much been an evolutionary process , '' he says .
`` I never anticipated my life to turn out like this .
`` Really , the circumstances behind it are grounded in being a caretaker for my ageing parents , and being with my partner . ''
Mr Chin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to England on a student visa to the University of Oxford in 1995 and says he `` fell in love with Britain '' .
Several years - and many trips back and forth - later , Mr Chin moved to the UK permanently to be with his partner .
He now lives in Surrey but regularly travels back to San Francisco to help his father care for his mother , who has a chronic illness .
`` For the past 17 years , I go back every four months for one or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars , bank accounts , addresses and friends and family and life in both locations . ''
Mr Chin , who is a British-US dual national , says : `` I have to say , while it may have some humble origins the perks behind it are pretty incredible . ''
He gets to travel and , with a passion for maritime history , says he can indulge his hobby more in Britain .
But he adds : `` It comes at a cost .
The compromise , not being able to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like .
`` But I bring the world back to them .
I 'm like an ambassador of the world and I can use Britain really now as a lily pad to travel to all sorts of destinations I never would have ever had the privilege to .
`` I love my life so much as it is right now .
It wo n't last forever , it 's temporary , but I plan on enjoying it . ''
During the summer months , Beki Adam runs an ecological campsite in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huts to stay in .
But for the last few years , while the campsite is quiet she has spent October to March in Woodstock , New York , where she has bought a house close to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery .
`` I 'm Buddhist and there 's a network of people in a community here , '' she says .
The UK is her home , but `` it 's a spiritual home here '' .
`` It sounded nice but it comes with its challenges , '' says Ms Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand the amount of work .
It 's not to be done lightly ...
If I could have it all in one place I would prefer that for sure . ''
She says she had no experience of the American legal system so buying a house was difficult .
`` On the positive side , there 's a famous Buddhist saying - 'you see the mountain clearer when you 're standing on the plain ' .
So I find myself thinking , I love the English legal system . ''
`` And just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If you are fixing up a house , or even getting dressed , you can think ' I 've got x , y or z in a cupboard somewhere ... oh , no , it 's in America ' . ''
She adds : `` I 'm fortunate because my sister works for an airline so I can travel back cheaply . ''
And as for the environmental impact , she says her campsite is `` super ecological '' and `` I 'm letting myself off for a few transatlantic flights '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would n't split my time , '' says Canadian citizen North Munro , from his condo in Palm Springs , California , where he spends nine months of the year ( it used to be six months , but he gradually changed it ) .
The other three months are spent in Williams Lake , British Columbia .
`` I would stop doing this if it was n't for my parents , '' he says , adding that they are in their 90s .
`` I still want to spend the summers away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two sets of doctors , two sets of dentists , it 's just a hassle .
I do n't recommend it . ''
`` I 'm sure the Sussexes will get whatever they want but for average people like us it 's a challenge , '' he says .
Having doctors in both countries is difficult because they ca n't share records easily due to privacy laws , he adds , and doctors `` are afraid of liability '' so they want to run tests again themselves .
And Mr Munro , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , says despite all his income being generated in Canada , he and his husband have to declare jointly in the US - where the system is `` crazy complicated '' - for healthcare reasons .
`` It 's not as simple as having a summer place in one country and a winter place in another .
It 's the bureaucracy , '' he says .
Any tips for the royal couple ?
`` I think Canada is a wise choice , '' says Mr Munro .
`` I would just tell @ @ @ @ @ @

"But I bring the world back to them. I'm like an ambassador of the world and I can use Britain really now as a lily pad to travel to all sorts of destinations I never would have ever had the privilege to.


bbc--2020-01-17--Fake drugs: How bad is Africa’s counterfeit medicine problem?

The proliferation of fake medicines in Africa is a public health crisis that can no longer be ignored , according to a UK charity .
There 's a meeting of seven African countries , in Togo , this week , to combat the problem .
Congo , Niger , Senegal , Togo , Uganda , Ghana and The Gambia will discuss measures to clamp down on trafficking in fake medicines , says the Brazzaville Foundation .
But how big a problem is counterfeit medicine in Africa , and what impact does it have ?
How many counterfeit drugs are there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pharmaceuticals is worth up to $ 200bn ( £150bn ) annually , with Africa among the regions most affected , according to industry estimates .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) says 42 % of all fake medicines reported to them between 2013 and 2017 were from Africa .
The European region and the Americas ( North and South ) accounted for 21 % each .
But how reliable are these figures ?
The WHO has a reporting mechanism that relies on national or regional regulatory authorities around the world to notify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 2013-17 is only as good as the surveillance and reporting systems in the countries or regions concerned .
The WHO has itself noted that as more officers were trained and national regulators became more aware , the numbers of drug seizure reports went up .
So it 's possible areas with weak regulation and enforcement may be under-reporting the extent of the problem .
Bright Simons , who set up a mobile system to verify drugs in Ghana , says it 's not possible to produce a precise estimate , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been several seizures in recent years , which give an indication of the size of the problem in West Africa : • Ivory Coast , Guinea-Bissau , Liberia and Sierra Leone seized 19 tonnes of counterfeit medicines in 2018 • Smugglers in Ivory Coast were intercepted trying to bring in 12 tonnes of counterfeit pharmaceuticals from Ghana in 2019 • An Interpol-led operation in seven West African countries seized more than 420 tonnes of illicit pharmaceutical products in 2017 • Nearly 19.88 tonnes of fake medicines were seized in Mali between 2015-18 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake pharmaceuticals in some countries can be as high as 70 % , in developing regions such as Africa .
The WHO estimates one out of every 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries , which includes most of Africa , is sub-standard or fake .
What harm do fake drugs do ?
Analysis by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the WHO estimates substandard and fake anti-malarial drugs could be causing 116,000 extra deaths from the disease every year in sub-Saharan Africa at a cost to patients and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
And in 2015 , a study published in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene estimated more than 122,000 children under the age of five died each year because of sub-standard anti-malarial drugs in sub-Saharan Africa .
Although these results are only estimates , the scientists say they suggest poor quality drugs are important contributors to under-five mortality rates .
Why is it hard to fight fake medicines ?
Fake medicine can often be indistinguishable from the real products , with the packaging as good if not better than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal frameworks and the lack of regulations to address sales , often carried out online or in informal locations , add to the problem , the UN says .
There 's also an issue with the cost of drugs in poorer countries .
`` If a good quality medicine from a known supplier is too expensive , people may try a cheaper one from an unlicensed supplier , '' the WHO says .
Cutting prices for licensed drugs , however , does not guarantee a solution .
Even low priced medicines can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sales volume is high enough .
But there are some technological solutions being tried out to tackle the problem , including mobile apps to help users verify medicines , using scratch stickers , barcodes and other means of identification printed on packaging .

The WHO has itself noted that as more officers were trained and national regulators became more aware, the numbers of drug seizure reports went up. So it's possible areas with weak regulation and enforcement may be under-reporting the extent of the problem.


bbc--2020-01-17--Chinese student Wu Huayan died 'after donations withheld'

Anger is increasing in China after it was revealed only a fraction of the million yuan ( $ 144,000 ; £111,000 ) donated to a severely malnourished student reached her before her death .
People across the country had given money to help Wu Huayan , whose plight emerged after she was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties last autumn .
The student , who weighed little more than 20kg ( 43lb ) , had been surviving on pennies a day for five years .
She later explained how she had watched both her father and grandmother die because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
She was determined not to let the same happen to her , with the media appeal her last chance .
And it appeared to work : the donations flooded in .
But it was n't enough to save Wu , who died on Monday aged 24 .
Those who had been rooting for her were devastated , but there was worse to come .
It transpired the money they had given - or at least the vast majority of it - never reached Wy Huayan .
Official records seem to suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £2,225 ) was paid towards her hospital bills .
It has left many asking : how on earth did the system let this young woman down - and who exactly is to blame ?
The campaign to save Wu Huayan The first pictures of Wu Huayan - her 135cm ( 4ft 5ins ) visibly emaciated - were released in October .
She and her brother , who is understood to have mental health issues , had been relying on an uncle and aunt for support , but they could only provide 300 yuan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
After her brother 's medical bills , there was only two yuan a day left for Miss Wu 's food .
Immediately , people began to donate .
The money was collected by Charity 9958 , a project under the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children ( CCAFC ) , using two different funding platforms .
It was meant to help pay for heart surgery .
But it never happened .
According to reports , Miss Wu never gained enough weight to undergo the operation .
According to official media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
Within days of her death , a scandal began to emerge .
A state-media outlet called The Cover accused 9958 of running `` a deadly scam '' .
Zheng Hehong , a prominent activist and former member of staff at 9958 , came out alleging the charity sought out particularly ill or vulnerable people , and then withheld funds as part of a ploy to keep the proceeds as long as possible .
`` They waited until the patient died so they could take the interest income , '' she told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This income , by law , can be given as a staff bonus instead of charitable aid . ''
• Where film stars and police chiefs can simply vanish • Former top Chinese official jailed for life But the charity has hit back , saying it was holding onto the money on her family 's request .
They said it had not been paid because she had not met the criteria needed to undergo the surgery - and that it had planned to release the funds afterwards .
However , one acquaintance told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even know about 400,000 yuan of the money .
Then , further complications : 9958 said it had stopped raising donations for Miss Wu after local government officials said that they would `` take care '' of the third year university student and her family .
The town has denied this , saying they had not been in contact with 9958 .
But is it all as simple as that ?
There have been a series of high profile scandals involving Chinese charities in recent years , journalist David Paulk points out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up to help girls but which gave money to boys , and one which used duplicate photos as it encouraged people to donate to impoverished children , the news editor of Sixth Tone explained in a Twitter thread .
But conversely , the CCAFC - the parent body of 9958 - was named China 's most transparent charity in 2019 `` achieving a perfect score of 100 '' .
Regardless , BBC Monitoring 's Kerry Allen says that China 's official media have acknowledged that there has been `` chaos and confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The official China Daily says that there are `` too many overlapping authorities and liabilities '' , and called for better regulation , saying that online charity fraud has become rife .
The publicity surrounding stories like Ms Wu 's has also left charities wary of taking on similar cases , for fear the repercussions of being blamed for not doing enough .
The South China Morning Post noted that Wang Fuman , an impoverished schoolboy who touched the nation 's hearts after a picture of him with frost in his hair went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending by being offered a place at a private school .
However , it was later retracted because the school could not cope with `` the intense extra scrutiny from the authorities and pressure from the media '' .
• How the country became the world 's 'economic miracle' • The deep cuts of 70 years of Communist rule China 's government media has also been wary about the potential of families exploiting their children for online fame and donations .
Wang Fuman 's father told Inkstone News that funds donated to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being `` greedy '' and distributed to other `` ice boys '' .
`` Our family only received a small amount of money , '' he told the site .
But reports contradicting a `` happy ending '' in such cases have never reached mainland China , where media is heavily regulated .
Consequently , Ms Wu 's death has angered social media users in the country , and led to suspicions that local governments are taking a cut of charity funds for themselves .
Many have noted scandals where former officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live a life of excess .
The government are likely to be keen to shift any blame away from their officials , as they have been working hard to paint them in more positive light and point towards successes in poverty alleviation .
China 's Communist Party has said it wants to eradicate extreme poverty by the end of 2020 , trumpeting success in places like Jiangsu province - which claims it has just 17 people living in poverty .
Stories like that of Ms Wu and her little brother , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see making headlines .

The South China Morning Post noted that Wang Fuman, an impoverished schoolboy who touched the nation's hearts after a picture of him with frost in his hair went viral, had been granted a happy ending by being offered a place at a private school. However, it was later retracted because the school could not cope with "the intense extra scrutiny from the authorities and pressure from the media".