bbc--2020-05-01--Canada announces ban on assault-style weapons

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced a long-promised ban on assault-style weapons following the country 's worst gun massacre in April .
New rules would make it illegal to sell , transport , import or use 1,500 varieties of assault weapons .
The ban is effective immediately but there will be a two-year amnesty period for law-abiding gun owners to comply .
Mr Trudeau also said he would introduce legislation , which has yet to pass , to offer a buy-back programme .
Unlike the US , gun ownership is not enshrined in Canada 's constitution , but gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural parts of the country .
Mr Trudeau made a point of saying that most gun owners are law-abiding citizens , but argued that assault-weapons serve no beneficial purpose .
`` These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only — only to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time , '' he said in a press conference on Friday .
`` You do n't need an AR-15 to bring down a deer . ''
The call to ban assault weapons was heightened after a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a mosque in Quebec , in 2018 on a commercial street in Toronto and most recently , in a rampage across the province of Nova Scotia that became the deadliest shooting in Canada 's history .
RCMP have said that the shooter was not licensed to own firearms , but had what appeared to be an assault-style weapon , as well as other guns .
The RCMP did not specify which kind , so it is unknown if it will be covered by the ban .
Mr Trudeau campaigned on the ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he said he was planning on introducing the ban in March , but it was delayed because of coronavirus .
His government had already expanded background check requirements and made it tougher to transport handguns , prior to November 's election .
More than 80,000 of these weapons are registered with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police .
The government is able to ban the weapons immediately through current regulation , but a buy-back programme would require multi-party support in parliament and would likely cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ petition against the ban started by Conservative MP Glen Motz in December has more than 175,000 e-signatures .
Many of the weapons used in violent crime in Canada were not obtained legally , and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said Mr Trudeau would do better to focus on stopping guns from coming across the border than on banning law-abiding gun owners .
The Globe and Mail reported that leaked documents show the buy-back programme would be voluntary , and licensed owners would have their guns grandfathered .
Mr Trudeau had previously promised the programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trudeau would not confirm whether buy-backs would be voluntary , but reiterated the buy-back programme would have to be supported by other parties , and be fair to everyone .
`` The next steps need to be ironed out , '' he said .

RCMP have said that the shooter was not licensed to own firearms, but had what appeared to be an assault-style weapon, as well as other guns. The RCMP did not specify which kind, so it is unknown if it will be covered by the ban.


bbc--2020-05-01--Trumplomacy: What's behind new US strategy on China?

Tensions between the US and China are longstanding but the pandemic and a looming presidential election have amplified the rivalry , and this week the war of words hit a new peak .
What 's the US strategy ?
This week President Donald J Trump turned a corner with his 2020 re-election campaign .
`` China will do anything they can to have me lose this race , '' he told the Reuters news agency .
His sharpening rhetoric against Beijing marked a new phase in an effort to reframe an election that 's been reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the already rocky relationship between the world 's two biggest economies .
The Trump campaign had planned to make America 's booming economy its centrepiece , but that has tanked .
And polls show decreasing support for the president in key battleground states amidst criticism of his corona crisis performance .
Enter China , the origin of the pandemic and accused of acting too slowly to stop its global spread .
The Republican strategy actually attacks the former vice president , Joe Biden , the presumed Democratic nominee .
• Is there any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • China and the US trade coronavirus conspiracy theories Mr Trump 's allies in the America First Action ( AFA ) political committee have been rolling out advertisements lashing `` Beijing Biden '' for `` leading the charge '' of a Washington elite too willing to accommodate a predatory China .
Mr Biden has hit back with an advert that accuses the president of trying to deflect blame for his own slow response to the pandemic , and of being too trusting of China 's initial information about the virus .
The common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that both campaigns believe it 's good politics to argue their man will be strongest in taking on Beijing .
`` If you look at the most recent Pew poll and Gallup poll , Americans ' distrust of China , whether you 're Republican or Democrat , is at an all-time high , '' roughly two-thirds of the country , says the AFA 's Kelly Sadler .
`` This is a universal issue that Republicans and Democrats can both agree on . ''
There 's certainly been a dramatic uptick in negative views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dialled up the trade war .
When it comes to Beijing 's culpability for the corona crisis , however , he has regularly wavered , at times lavishing praise on President Xi Jinping , at times lashing the `` Chinese Virus . ''
But he 's now started to adopt the hardline campaign-speak , vowing to make China pay for the damage .
The aggressive rhetoric builds on a growing fury in the administration and amongst multiple lawmakers at the Chinese government 's lack of transparency about a virus that has brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo has been out front on this .
He regularly declares that the Chinese communist party ca n't be trusted .
He focuses attention on Beijing 's inability to contain the virus shortly after it emerged , and questions the security of its laboratories , all charges that China vigorously denies .
There are concerns about China 's behaviour across the political spectrum , says Michael Green , who was an Asia advisor for President George W Bush .
But members of Mr Trump 's national security team have `` a very zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are particularly focused on preventing China from getting any advantage out of any situation . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic 's diary • HOW YOU CAN HELP : Write a diary , donate blood , read books to kids President Xi Jinping 's playbook is also `` much more aggressive '' than his predecessors , '' says Mr Green , noting a robust Chinese propaganda campaign that 's even suggested the virus came from the US military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideological and geopolitical spin on the ball coming out of China that predates Donald Trump . ''
But that nationalist authoritarian turn has clashed with the Trump administration 's America First nationalism , increasing confrontation and preventing the kind of cooperation that could combat the pandemic and prevent a new one .
Mr Green notes that before President Trump took office there were more than two dozen American and Chinese staff experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention `` working these issues '' in Beijing .
When the crisis broke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says both governments are to blame for that .
• Has US tested more than rest of world combined ?
The national security experts are countered by the `` New York globalists '' in Mr Trump 's inner circle , who argue that the United States needs China for business and trade .
`` The relationship between China and the United States is going to be very uneven going forward , '' says Gary Locke , a Chinese American who was President Barack Obama 's ambassador to Beijing .
`` It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seeking great cooperation on…the economic front , because so many American farmers depend on China ( to buy ) what they produce . ''
As the election approaches Mr Trump has signalled that he will listen more to the hawks than the doves in his coterie of conflicted advisors .
And he 'll be cheered on by a number of Republican lawmakers who 've been pushing the administration to stand up to China .
Several have introduced legislation or floated ideas that would punish Beijing for concealing or distorting information about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi have taken the unprecedented step of suing for damages .
And the party 's fiercest China critic , Senator Tom Cotton , has gone to the extreme of accusing the Chinese government of deliberately allowing the virus to escape it 's borders , `` because if they were going to suffer an economic contraction they were not going to allow the world to continue to prosper . ''
But his call to bring supply lines back to the United States will have bipartisan resonance as the pandemic has focused glaring attention on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and medical equipment .
Crucially , there 's concern that the anti-China rhetoric is reinforcing an atmosphere of xenophobia already growing because of the pandemic , resulting in an increase of verbal and physical attacks on Asian Americans .
`` Just because I 'm Chinese American does n't mean that I 'm a Chinese government official , '' Gary Locke noted wryly of his unexpected appearance in the Trump campaign 's advert bashing Joe Biden .
Mr Biden 's team has also been criticised on the left for `` out-Trumping Trump '' rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation .
Both campaigns have denied stoking xenophobia .
But China 's been placed squarely in the middle of an election at a time when voters are angry and afraid for their livelihoods .
By November they could be angrier and poorer .
Their ballots will show who they blame .

Mr Green notes that before President Trump took office there were more than two dozen American and Chinese staff experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "working these issues" in Beijing. When the crisis broke out there were three or four, although he says both governments are to blame for that.


bbc--2020-05-01--Kayleigh McEnany promises not to lie as White House press secretary

Kayleigh McEnany is the fourth person to hold the role since President Donald Trump took office in 2017 .
Her @ @ @ @ @ Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders , had been accused of deliberately misleading the press .
@ @ @ @ @ would never lie to them , adding that she planned on holding more press briefings @ @ @ @

Kayleigh McEnany is the fourth person to hold the role since President Donald Trump took office in 2017.
Her predecessors, who include Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, had been accused of deliberately misleading the press.
McEnany assured reporters that she would never lie to them, adding that she planned on holding more press briefings in the future.


bbc--2020-05-01--Elon Musk tweet wipes $14bn off Tesla's value

Tesla 's founder Elon Musk wiped $ 14bn off the carmaker 's value after tweeting that its share price was too high .
The tweet also knocked $ 3bn off Mr Musk 's own stake in Tesla as investors promptly bailed out of the company .
`` Tesla stock price too high imo , '' he said , one of several tweets that included a vow to sell his possessions .
In other tweets , he said his girlfriend was mad at him , while another simply read : `` Rage , rage against the dying of the light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet about Tesla 's future on the New York stock market led to regulators fining him $ 20m and agreeing to have all further posts on the platform pre-screened by lawyers .
The Wall Street Journal reported it had asked the billionaire if he was joking about the share price tweet and whether it had been vetted , receiving the reply `` No '' .
Tesla 's share price has surged this year , putting the electric carmaker 's value at close to $ 100bn , a mark that would trigger a bonus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the entrepreneur .
`` We view these Musk comments as tongue in cheek and it 's Elon being Elon .
It 's certainly a headache for investors for him to venture into this area as his tweeting remains a hot button issue and [ Wall ] Street clearly is frustrated , '' Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives told Reuters news agency .
In 2018 , Mr Musk tweeted that he may have secured funding to possibly remove Tesla from the stock market and take it private , which again led to swings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Exchange Commission judged it a market-moving comment , fined him and forced Tesla to put in place checks to ensure it did not happen again .
But last month , a federal judge said Tesla and Musk must face a lawsuit by shareholders over the going-private tweet , including a claim that Mr Musk intended to defraud them .
Earlier this week he tweeted to his 33.4 million followers some strong criticism of US stay-at-home restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In 2019 he found himself in court last year after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` pedo guy '' .
Mr Musk said the promise to sell his possessions included his house , formerly owned by actor and producer Gene Wilder , and bought in 2013 .
`` One stipulation on sale , '' he tweeted , `` I own Gene Wilder 's old house .
It can not be torn down or lose any of its soul . ''

In 2018, Mr Musk tweeted that he may have secured funding to possibly remove Tesla from the stock market and take it private, which again led to swings in the share price. The Securities and Exchange Commission judged it a market-moving comment, fined him and forced Tesla to put in place checks to ensure it did not happen again.


bbc--2020-05-01--Duchess of Sussex: Mail on Sunday wins first round in Meghan privacy case

The Mail on Sunday has won the first round of a legal battle against the Duchess of Sussex over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father .
The duchess is suing for breach of privacy and copyright infringement after articles reproduced parts of a letter she sent Thomas Markle .
On Friday it won its bid to have parts of Meghan 's claim struck out .
Her lawyers said the ruling did not change `` the core elements of this case '' .
What happened at the ruling ?
At a hearing held remotely last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mail on Sunday , Daily Mail and MailOnline - asked for parts of Meghan 's case to be dismissed .
Judge Mr Justice Warby agreed and on Friday struck out parts of Meghan 's claim , including her allegations the publisher acted `` dishonestly '' by leaving out certain parts of the letter .
He also dismissed Meghan 's allegations that the publisher deliberately `` dug up '' issues between Meghan and her father , and that it had an `` agenda '' of publishing intrusive or offensive stories about her .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out do not go to the `` heart of the case '' , and that they may be brought back at a later stage if they are put on a proper legal basis .
What does the ruling mean ?
This is a very good day for Associated Newspapers and a very bad one for the Duchess of Sussex and her legal team .
It is however , an early skirmish in what is looking like a long , expensive and brutal legal battle .
The duchess has had parts of her claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those parts relate to allegations Associated acted with dishonesty and malice , that it deliberately `` stirred up '' issues between the duchess and her father , and that it had an agenda to paint her in a false and damaging light .
Actions for breach of privacy do not have to include allegations of this kind .
At trial , the case will turn on whether the duchess had a reasonable expectation that the letter written to her father would remain private and there was no overriding public interest in publishing it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter written to a relative concerning a family relationship is by definition private , no matter who the author is or what rank they hold .
However , Associated argue that the duchess did not expect the letter to remain private , anticipated that it would be published , and that publication was in the public interest .
The battle is far from over .
What is the case about ?
Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers over five articles , two in the Mail on Sunday and three on MailOnline , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles reproduced parts of a handwritten letter she sent to her father Thomas Markle , six months before in August 2018 .
The headline in the Mail on Sunday carried the headline : `` Revealed : The letter showing true tragedy of Meghan 's rift with a father she says has 'broken her heart into a million pieces ' . ''
Meghan claims the letter was `` private and confidential '' and `` detailed her intimate thoughts and feelings about her father 's health and her relationship with him at that time '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misuse of private information , copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act .
Associated Newspapers wholly denies the allegations and says it will hotly contest the case .
It argues the Duchess of Sussex had no reasonable expectation of privacy and anticipated publication of the letter .
In January , it filed its defence documents which claimed the duchess was more worried about the `` unflattering '' effect of the publication of the letter , rather than any breach of her data protection rights .
• Will the real Meghan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Meghan and Harry to her father revealed How has Meghan responded to the ruling ?
Lawyers for Schillings , the firm representing Meghan , said the ruling did not change `` the core elements of this case '' .
`` The duchess 's rights were violated ; the legal boundaries around privacy were crossed , '' a spokesperson said .
They said they respect the judge 's decision and `` the strong case against Associated will continue to focus on the issue of a private , intimate and handwritten letter from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Mail on Sunday '' .
`` This gross violation of any person 's right to privacy is obvious and unlawful , and the Mail on Sunday should be held to account for their actions . ''
BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said : `` Lawyers who are experienced in this field are starting to wonder whether the duchess 's legal advisers have 'over-egged ' the case in their determination to satisfy the Sussexes ' longing to teach the tabloids a lesson .
`` Neither side shows any inclination to withdraw , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will therefore have to be decided in the High Court at a date still to be decided . ''

The duchess has had parts of her claim for invasion of privacy struck out. Those parts relate to allegations Associated acted with dishonesty and malice, that it deliberately "stirred up" issues between the duchess and her father, and that it had an agenda to paint her in a false and damaging light.


bbc--2020-05-01--Joe Biden denies sexually assaulting staff assistant Tara Reade

US Democratic candidate Joe Biden has flatly denied sexually assaulting a former staff assistant , Tara Reade , nearly 30 years ago .
`` I 'm saying unequivocally : it never , never happened , '' he said of the allegations during a TV interview on Friday .
He asked for a search of the Senate archives for any record of a complaint Ms Reade allegedly filed at the time .
She said she was a victim of sexual assault without naming Mr Biden .
The police complaint , she said , was filed `` for safety reasons only '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim had expired .
Mr Biden is running against Republican President Donald Trump , who has been accused of sexual misconduct by some 25 women .
The Democrat put out his statement before speaking on Morning Joe , a show on US cable channel MSNBC .
She was working as a staff assistant to Mr Biden from 1992-93 , when he was a senator for the US state of Delaware .
Ms Reade , now 56 , says that in 1993 he forced her up against a wall in the halls of Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirt and skirt , penetrating her with a finger .
`` I remember him saying , first , as he was doing it 'Do you want to go somewhere else ? '
and then him saying to me , when I pulled away ... he said 'Come on man , I heard you liked me , ' '' she told podcast host Katie Halper in March .
`` That phrase stayed with me . ''
Ms Reade says records of Mr Biden 's 36-year career as a US senator will contain evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The records are being held at the University of Delaware , which has said it will not release any papers until two years after Mr Biden leaves public life .
It appears there were no witnesses to the alleged assault but three people have backed Ms Reade 's account .
Her brother , a former neighbour and a former colleague have all said that they heard her give it shortly after the alleged incident .
Former neighbour Lynda LaCasse told Business Insider : `` This happened , and I know it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` I remember her saying , here was this person that she was working for and she idolised him , '' Ms LaCasse said .
`` I remember the skirt .
I remember the fingers .
I remember she was devastated . ''
Ms Reade is one of more than half a dozen women who have forward over the last year to accuse him of inappropriate touching , hugging or kissing , though none described his actions as sexual assault at the time .
What did Biden say ?
Speaking to MSNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice-president denied any sexual misconduct against Tara Reade outright .
`` It did not happen .
Period , '' he said .
Brezezinski pressed Mr Biden on his former statements suggesting that women should be believed when coming forward with their stories of sexual violence .
In 2018 , when now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford , Mr Biden was joined by a chorus of top Democrats in supporting Dr Ford 's claims , and insisting that she be heard .
`` For a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of focus , nationally , you 've got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she 's talking about is real , whether or not she forgets the facts , whether or not it 's been made worse or better over time , '' Mr Biden told reporters at the time .
`` Are women to be believed unless it pertains to you ? ''
Brezezinski asked Mr Biden on Friday .
`` Women are to be believed , given the benefit of the doubt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to look at the circumstances and the facts . ''
Mr Biden refused to speculate on Ms Reade 's motives , saying she had a right to come forward `` and say whatever she wants to say .
But I have a right to say : 'Look at the facts . '
'' But the former vice-president said that his files housed at the University of Delaware contained no personnel information that would pertain to Ms Reade .
Despite repeated questioning from Brezezinski , Mr Biden insisted those 1,800 boxes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would be used as political `` fodder '' for his ongoing presidential campaign .
Shortly after his MSNBC interview , Mr Biden wrote a letter to the secretary of the US Senate asking the office to check its files for any record of Ms Reade 's complaint .
Mr Biden asks in the letter for `` assistance in determining whether 27 years ago a staff member in my United States Senate office filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment '' and whether it is located in the US National Archives .
The letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public and that `` the public release include not only a complaint if one exists , but any and all other documents in the records that relate to the allegation '' .
They are trying to be the political party that champions women and survivors of sexual assault , and yet their 2020 presidential candidate-apparent himself has been caught up in controversy over how he treats women .
Though Mr Biden has insisted that the allegation that he assaulted his former staff assistant Tara Reade 27 years ago is `` unequivocally '' false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - are finding it hard to avoid the accusation that there is a whiff of hypocrisy over the whole affair .
Conservatives have pointed out the relative silence over Ms Reade 's allegation compared to the outcry over sexual assault claims made by Christine Blasey Ford , who accused Brett Kavanaugh , President Trump 's most recent Supreme Court appointment .
In September 2018 , while the Kavanaugh hearing was unfolding , Ford 's name came up 1,898 times on CNN and nearly as often on MSNBC , according to RealClearPolitics .
Until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name was barely mentioned .
Mr Biden himself said Ms Ford and other women who come forward with sexual assault claims should be presumed to be telling the truth .
He is having trouble answering questions now over why it should not be the case with Ms Reade .
That has posed a particular problem for senior Democratic women backing Mr Biden - some of whom are being whispered as possible names for the Biden 2020 ticket .
The senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren , former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become his vice-presidential candidate .
But with the sexual misconduct claims , an offer from Biden will be a `` poisoned chalice '' , says Rebecca Traister in New York Magazine : Once one of these women accepts his offer and runs as his vice-presidential candidate , they will be tied to Biden 's `` historical shortcomings '' and could imperil themselves and their own political future .
It is a fine mess for progressive women to fall into , with no easy way out .
Some Republicans are seizing on the Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who only defend women who allege wrongdoing against conservatives , the Associated Press reports .
President Trump 's campaign derided Mr Biden 's interview .
The Democrat `` once again demonstrated that he believes he should be held to a different standard than he has set for others '' , a Trump campaign spokeswoman said .
But given the longstanding allegations against Donald Trump , a man who once boasted of grabbing women by the genitals , the Republican camp may struggle to make political capital from Mr Biden 's troubles .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set themselves up as the party of moral purity , on gender as well as race .
The party 's politicians are inevitably held to a different standard .
And women are a core constituency for the party , traditionally giving more votes to Democratic candidates than Republicans .

"I remember him saying, first, as he was doing it 'Do you want to go somewhere else?' and then him saying to me, when I pulled away... he said 'Come on man, I heard you liked me,'" she told podcast host Katie Halper in March. "That phrase stayed with me."


bbc--2020-05-01--Baltimore to use planes to patrol city from the sky

The Baltimore Police Department ( BPD ) will use planes to conduct surveillance on the city 's 600,000 residents from the air .
The surveillance programme is due to begin on Friday , 1 May following a legal challenge .
Activists had sought to stop the project , arguing it violates the US Constitutional right of protection against unreasonable searches .
Last week , a US court in Maryland sided with the Baltimore Police , however .
The US Supreme Court has historically upheld `` far more intrusive '' surveillance , it said .
The programme therefore did not meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against unwarranted search and seizure .
The BPD said it will fly up to three manned aircraft at any one time to monitor the streets below in order to prevent crime .
It said the plane surveillance would run for between three and six months as part of a pilot programme measured by researchers at the University of Baltimore , New York University and the Rand Corporation think tank .
The surveillance measures will `` focus on murders , non-fatal shootings , armed robberies and car-jackings '' and people will appear as single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning that identifiable features such as ethnicity will not be captured .
It is hoped that these single dots can be tracked from a crime scene , allowing police to solve more crimes .
The city has the second highest number of murders per capita in the US , according to 2018 FBI figures .
And in 2019 , there were 348 homicides in Baltimore , the fifth year in a row with more than 300 .
Less than a third were solved .
`` I take very seriously the utilisation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of violence in our communities , '' said BPD Commissioner Michael Harrison in a statement .
`` I remain cautiously optimistic about the potential of this programme and will allow the data to show us the efficacy of this technology as a potential tool for the department in solving and reducing violent crime . ''
The BPD had previously attempted to carry out a secret surveillance programme in 2016 , but the project was aborted after it was uncovered by Bloomberg Businessweek and provoked national outrage .

The city has the second highest number of murders per capita in the US, according to 2018 FBI figures. And in 2019, there were 348 homicides in Baltimore, the fifth year in a row with more than 300. Less than a third were solved.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: WHO defends coronavirus outbreak response

The World Health Organization says it `` did n't waste time '' responding to the coronavirus after facing criticism for its handling of the outbreak .
Its head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO 's declaration of the virus as an international health emergency on 30 January gave `` enough time for the rest of the world to respond '' .
At the time there were only 82 cases outside China and no deaths .
Today there are more than 3.2m cases and 234,000 deaths recorded worldwide .
US President Donald Trump has said the WHO `` really blew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias towards China .
The US is the global health body 's largest single funder and President Trump says he will halt funding .
Speaking at a news conference on Friday Dr Tedros offered a vigorous defence of how the organisation responded .
He insisted the WHO used the time before the declaration wisely , including visiting China to learn more about the virus at its origin .
Dr Tedros confirmed that the pandemic remained a `` public health emergency of international concern '' , three months after it was declared one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` extraordinary '' event and requires a global response .
Dr Tedros described `` grave '' worries over the potential impact of the virus as it accelerates in countries with weaker health systems .
Officials said they had seen worrying increases in a number of these nations - including Haiti , Somalia and Sudan .
The WHO also urged caution among nations relaxing their social distancing measures , stressing the importance of monitoring for new jumps in infections as lockdowns are eased .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Dr Tedros was also asked again about relations with the United States , insisting the UN agency remained in `` constant contact '' with the country .
On Thursday President Trump appeared to undercut his own intelligence agencies by suggesting he had seen evidence coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory .
The WHO 's head of emergencies , Dr Michael Ryan , addressed the claim on Friday .
`` With regard to the origins of the virus in Wuhan we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists who 've looked at the ( genetic ) sequences , looked at this virus , and we are assured that this virus is natural in origin , '' he said .
• Is there any evidence for coronavirus lab release idea ?
Dr Ryan also added that it was `` important '' to learn more about the animal host and understand how the virus jumped from animals to humans .
China has rejected the lab theory and criticised the US response to Covid-19 .
In other developments around the world : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in India , has been extended another two weeks • The United Nations has warned that millions of children risk missing out on vaccines because of pandemic disruption • May Day rallies have been taking place globally , but in scaled back or socially-distanced form • The UK government says it has met a target on testing ; the opposition has called the figures misleading

"With regard to the origins of the virus in Wuhan we have listened again and again to numerous scientists who've looked at the (genetic) sequences, looked at this virus, and we are assured that this virus is natural in origin," he said.


bbc--2020-05-01--Social-distancing at airports is 'impossible', says Heathrow boss

Introducing social distancing at airports is `` physically impossible '' , the boss of Heathrow has warned .
`` Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport , let alone aviation , '' John Holland-Kaye said .
But the chief executive of Europe 's busiest airport said airports will have to introduce health-screening and passengers will have to wear masks .
However , the GMB union said the airport must enforce social-distancing to protect staff and passengers .
The union said workers fear contracting the coronavirus from passengers returning from countries where Covid-19 is prevalent .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working at Heathrow have lost their lives to the coronavirus .
In an interview with the Press Association news agency , Mr Holland-Kaye said : `` It 's just physically impossible to socially distance with any volume of passengers in an airport . ''
He said a `` better solution '' is needed to make air travel safe .
`` The constraint is not about how many people you can fit on a plane , it will be how many people you can get through an airport safely . ''
In a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holland-Kaye said that until a coronavirus vaccine could be developed , airports would have to introduce measures to minimise infection once lockdowns started to ease .
`` This might include some kind of health screening as you come into the terminal so that if you have a high temperature , you may not be allowed to fly , '' he said .
`` As you go through the airport , you will probably be wearing a face mask , as people from Asia have been doing ever since Sars ( virus ) came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed the call for temperature checks .
`` Anybody with a temperature of over 38 degrees will be refused entry , '' he told the BBC .
Meanwhile , EasyJet has suggested it could leave the middle seats on its planes empty when flights resume .
The GMB has called for urgent action to protect Heathrow airport workers after an over-crowding incident this week .
On Tuesday , two flights arrived at the same time from the same country , the union reported .
It said Heathrow allocated just one conveyor belt for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their bags .
`` No social-distancing was enforced in what was a very crowded area , '' said Trevlyn McLeod , GMB London region organiser .
`` These are not safe conditions for passengers and they are not safe working conditions for our members .
`` Enforcing social-distancing is essential if our members and airport passengers are to feel that their lives are more important than money , '' he said .

He said a "better solution" is needed to make air travel safe. "The constraint is not about how many people you can fit on a plane, it will be how many people you can get through an airport safely."


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: What it's like to test yourself for Covid-19

Coronavirus testing eligibility has been expanded beyond essential workers and hospital patients .
In England , it now includes all @ @ @ @ @ , plus anyone with symptoms who is over 65 or can not work at home @ @ @ @ @ to get tested is to book one at a drive-through centre .
Heather Lamont is @ @ @ @ @ member of her household filmed her self-administering a test for coronavirus in her car .

Coronavirus testing eligibility has been expanded beyond essential workers and hospital patients.
In England, it now includes all care home staff and residents, plus anyone with symptoms who is over 65 or cannot work at home.
One of the ways to get tested is to book one at a drive-through centre.
Heather Lamont is a private carer and a member of her household filmed her self-administering a test for coronavirus in her car.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Target reached as UK tests pass 100,000 a day

The UK provided more than 122,000 coronavirus tests on the last day of April , passing the government 's target , Health Secretary Matt Hancock said .
Mr Hancock said the 100,000 target was `` audacious '' , but testing was needed to get Britain `` back on her feet '' .
The figure includes 40,000 tests sent out , including directly to people 's homes , which may not yet have been taken .
Mr Hancock set the goal on 2 April , when the UK was on 10,000 tests a day .
Some 27,510 people have now died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus .
• Why did the UK need 100,000 tests a day ?
Of the 122,347 tests provided in the 24 hours up to Friday morning , the number of people tested was fewer - at just over 70,000 - as has been the case since the testing programme began .
This is because some people need to be tested more than once to get a reliable result .
The total testing figure includes 27,497 kits which were delivered to people 's homes and also 12,872 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as hospitals and NHS sites .
However , these may not have been actually used or sent back to a lab .
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?
Labour 's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth suggested the government had been misleading .
`` This is n't a time for quibbling but actually 39,000 of these tests have simply been posted out so it 's not quite that the government have hit their commitment , '' he told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't think posting out the tests is the same as carrying out tests but nonetheless it is welcome that testing has increased . ''
Prior to 28 April , there was no reference to how tests were counted , but on 28 April guidance on the government website said home tests and satellite tests were being included .
At the daily Downing Street briefing , Prof John Newton - a scientist advising the government on testing - said there had been `` no change to the way tests are counted '' .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivering tests , we 've taken advice from officials as to how they should be counted , '' Prof Newton said .
`` So , the tests that are done within the control of the programme - which is the great majority - are counted when the tests are undertaken in our laboratories .
`` But , for any test which goes outside the control of the programme , they 're counted when they leave the programme - so that 's the tests that are mailed out to people at home and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellite . ''
The headline figures certainly look impressive - 122,000 tests in a day .
Just a week ago around 25,000 were being recorded and a month ago it stood at 10,000 .
It is testament to the hard work that has been done behind the scenes by a partnership of government , scientists and the private sector - with a helping hand from the military .
But has the government been a little creative with its counting ?
It has included home-testing kits sent out to individuals as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests sent out to care homes and other settings where there are lots of people who need testing .
Some , no doubt , will never be returned .
A week ago these made little difference to the figures - only a few thousand a day were being sent out .
But now they account for around a third of the tests .
In his opening remarks , the health secretary suggested the government 's 100,000 target had had a `` galvanising effect '' .
He said the testing capacity built since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country '' , and would `` help us to unlock the lockdown '' .
Mr Hancock said the government 's `` next mission '' was its test , track and trace operation and work was already under way to roll it out .
`` By mid-May , we will have an initial 18,000 contact tracers in place , '' he said .
`` The combination of contact tracers and new technology , through our new Covid-19 NHS app , will help tell us where the virus is spreading and help everyone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does contact tracing work and is my data safe ?
Mr Hancock added that the next phase would allow the government `` to reassert , as much as is safely possible , the liberty of us all '' .
The Department of Health established a testing network , including three `` mega labs '' to test samples , almost 50 drive-through centres , a home-testing service and mobile testing units , as part of the drive to achieve the government 's target .
Meanwhile , Mr Hancock also expanded the list of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At first , across the UK , the focus was on testing the sickest patients in hospitals , followed by health , care and emergency services staff .
As of last week , other essential workers and their families in England became eligible for testing , if they showed symptoms .
• Are the five tests for ending lockdown being met ?
• How many confirmed cases are there in your area ?
Testing was further expanded in England earlier this week to millions more people , with symptoms including over-65s , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and people living with someone in these groups .
In Scotland , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier that testing will be expanded to over-65s with symptoms and also all those in care homes where there has been an outbreak .
And on Friday , the Welsh government extended coronavirus testing to people in care homes even if they are not showing symptoms of the disease .
• Fertility clinics can open again from 11 May , Mr Hancock announced , saying he knew how `` time sensitive '' it was for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deprived areas of England and Wales are more likely to die with coronavirus than those in wealthier areas , new analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests • The boss of Heathrow Airport has said introducing social distancing at airports is `` physically impossible '' - but airports may have to introduce health screening • McDonald 's says it will reopen some restaurants for delivery only on 13 May with a limited menu • In Ireland - where 1,265 people have died with the virus - some lockdown restrictions will be eased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like gardeners being allowed back to work .

Of the 122,347 tests provided in the 24 hours up to Friday morning, the number of people tested was fewer - at just over 70,000 - as has been the case since the testing programme began. This is because some people need to be tested more than once to get a reliable result.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: India lockdown extended for two more weeks

The national coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended beyond 4 May for another two weeks .
New guidelines , outlined on Friday , update the country 's designated red , green and orange zoning system .
Red zones are considered hotspots , while considerable relaxations will be permitted in areas considered less dangerous .
India has been under lockdown measures since 24 March , with more than 35,000 cases confirmed nationally .
A new home ministry statement , outlining the extension until 18 May , said there had been `` significant gains in the Covid-19 situation '' .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases added to the nation 's official tally .
At least 1,100 are known to have died from the virus in India , but many believe the true number of infections and deaths is far higher than what has been reported .
The outbreak has caused large economic disruption across the country , with many labourers deprived of income and millions of migrant workers left stranded in economic hardship .
Areas will be classified as green zones if they have had no confirmed cases for 21 days , according to the guidelines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain classified as red zones and will stay under strict lockdown measures .
All of the zone classifications have been described as `` dynamic '' and will be updated weekly , officials say .
India 's lockdown is the largest of its kind in the world , impacting a population of 1.3 billion people .
All travel by air and rail will still be prohibited under the extension , with schools , restaurants and places of worship also remaining shut nationally .
The sudden lockdown , announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country .
On Friday some migrant labourers began to travel back to their home states on specially organised train transport .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

At least 1,100 are known to have died from the virus in India, but many believe the true number of infections and deaths is far higher than what has been reported.


bbc--2020-05-01--'Tumbleweed tornado' hits US driver

'Tumbleweed tornado' hits US driver

Matt M McKnight captured a dust devil picking up hundreds of tumbleweeds in Washington state .
Neither he nor his @ @ @ @ @ the encounter .

Matt M McKnight captured a dust devil picking up hundreds of tumbleweeds in Washington state.
Neither he nor his vehicle were seriously harmed in the encounter.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Tragic doctor's dad warns of mental health toll

The father a top NYC doctor who took her own life warns of the mental health effects of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ the father of Dr Lorna Breen , has created a fund in honour of his @ @ @ @ @ on the frontlines of coronavirus struggling with mental health .
Lorna Breen was director of @ @ @ @ @ New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital .
She died on Sunday in Charlottesville , Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ with family .

The father a top NYC doctor who took her own life warns of the mental health effects of the pandemic.
Dr Philip Breen, the father of Dr Lorna Breen, has created a fund in honour of his daughter to help medical workers on the frontlines of coronavirus struggling with mental health.
Lorna Breen was director of the emergency department at the New York Presbyterian Allen Hospital.
She died on Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she had been staying with family.


bbc--2020-05-02--Week in pictures: 25 April - 1 May 2020

Week in pictures: 25 April - 1 May 2020

A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week as people react to the spread of the coronavirus .
Playtime in Barcelona on the day after the government eased the lockdown rules .
Children in Spain , which has had one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe , are now allowed to leave their homes - with adults - for up to an hour per day .
Gang members are rounded up during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown , ordered by El Salvador 's President Nayib Bukele , in an attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
Gloria , who 's 75 and originally from Salvador , shows how big a hug she would give Father Pedro Gonzalez as a `` thank you '' for the help she is getting through his deliveries to her home in the Bronx , New York .
Father Pedro runs a church with the help of volunteers , and has been providing food and other supplies to those who are poor , sick or unable to leave home .
In Nablus in the West Bank , a Palestinian Musharati beats a drum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal , before they start their day-long fast , during the holy month of Ramadan .
Capt Tom Moore 's grandson Benjie , in the Great Hall of Bedford School , England , where more than 120,000 birthday cards from around the world are being opened and displayed by staff .
World War Two veteran `` Captain Tom '' celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday , after raising millions of pounds for the NHS , by walking laps in his back garden in Bedfordshire .
A South African boy waits with his dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Animal Clinic in Cape Town , which is currently working under extremely difficult conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic .
All photographs belong to the copyright holders as marked .

Image caption,
Gloria, who's 75 and originally from Salvador, shows how big a hug she would give Father Pedro Gonzalez as a "thank you" for the help she is getting through his deliveries to her home in the Bronx, New York. Father Pedro runs a church with the help of volunteers, and has been providing food and other supplies to those who are poor, sick or unable to leave home.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus R0: What is the R number and why does it matter?

In the daily briefing earlier this week , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said to avoid the `` disaster '' of @ @ @ @ @ must keep the R rate below one .
But what is the R number and @ @ @ @ @ BBC health correspondent Laura Foster explains what governments are aiming for and why it matters @

Governments around the world keep talking about R0, also known as the "reproduction number" or "R number".
It's a measurement that lots of countries are using when it comes to making decisions about lifting and bringing in lockdowns, what restrictions should be kept in place, and which ones should be lifted.
There's an R number for the UK and individual nations, but also for particular areas.
But what exactly is the R number and why does it matter?
BBC health correspondent Laura Foster explains what governments are aiming for and why.
Video by Terry Saunders, Laura Foster and Tobias Chapple


bbc--2020-05-01--Harrison Ford: The ups and downs of his long flying career

The film industry loves a franchise .
And with that thought , we bring you the latest instalment in the long-running series , Harrison Ford 's Aerial Mishaps .
The Star Wars , Indiana Jones and Blade Runner actor - and keen aviator - is being investigated after US air authorities said he wrongly crossed a runway where another aircraft was landing .
It is not the first time the 77-year-old has got into trouble .
Ford first took flying lessons after leaving university but ran out of money to do more .
Once he reached his 50s , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he renewed his training in part to `` see if I could learn something new '' .
It was while training in a helicopter in 1999 that he saw his first accident , when he made an emergency landing in a dry river bed in California .
He had been practicing landing safely in an emergency .
Both Ford and his instructor walked away unhurt although the craft was badly damaged .
Ford was less lucky in 2015 , leaving in a stretcher after bringing his plane down on a golf course in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after taking off and crash-landed at a course near to the airport .
Onlookers had the presumably surprising task of pulling one of Hollywood 's biggest stars from plane wreckage .
He suffered a broken arm and head injuries .
Ford won praise from air experts and witnesses for bringing the plane down in open space rather than a built-up area .
Christian Fry of the Santa Monica Airport Association said it was `` an absolutely beautifully executed emergency landing by an unbelievably well-trained pilot '' .
In 2017 Ford escaped sanction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US airport taxiway , narrowly missing an airliner carrying more than 100 people .
Shortly after the incident the actor acknowledged his mistake in a phone call to air traffic control .
`` I 'm the schmuck who landed on the taxiway , '' he says in his unmistakeably growly voice .
The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) decided against taking action , only requiring him to take extra training .
The FAA says he was piloting a small plane that wrongly crossed a runway where another aircraft was landing .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FAA said , and a representative for the actor says he apologised .
Ford has put his skills to better use .
He has volunteered to fight wildfires and in 2001 found and rescued a 13-year-old boy scout missing in Yellowstone National Park .
Cody Clawson was missing for 19 hours and Ford joined the massive rescue operation to find him .
Ford spotted the teen and set his helicopter down on a nearby hill to collect him .
Remembering his rescue years on , Mr Clawson said : `` I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solo has just rescued me , how cool is that ' . ''
After years of real-life flying that saw near misses and dramatic rescues it is ironic that one of the most serious incidents would involve a spaceship .
While filming a new instalment of the Star Wars series in 2014 he was crushed by a hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon , the craft piloted by his character Hans Solo .
He suffered a broken leg and had to be airlifted to hospital .
A court heard that he could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on UK talk show , saying during the filming of the first series such props would be operated by pulleys .
`` Now we had lots of money and technology and so they built a [ expletive ] great hydraulic door which closed at light speed and somebody said , 'Ooh I wonder what this is ? '
'' `` And the door came down and hit me on my left hip , '' he said .

Once he reached his 50s, and with cash less of a problem, he renewed his training in part to "see if I could learn something new".


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: South Africans exercise the freedom to jog

South Africans have been taking advantage of a slight easing in the tough lockdown restrictions by taking to the streets to get exercise .
Five weeks ago , President Cyril Ramaphosa imposed strict measures , including a ban on jogging , cycling and dog-walking , to try and contain the spread of coronavirus .
Employees in certain industries have also been allowed to go back to work .
The president has said his policies have delayed the spread of the virus .
South Africa recorded its first coronavirus case on 5 March .
Seven weeks later there are more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much slower spread than seen in some other countries .
People are now allowed out to exercise between 06:00 and 09:00 , but only a few kilometres from their home .
Photographers caught some people out in Johannesburg .
People have been allowed to walk their dogs for the first time in five weeks .
Joggers were also spotted near the Union Buildings , the president 's office in the capital , Pretoria .
On the coast , in Cape Town , people came out in the early morning mist .
Dog-walkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front .
But the crowds soon built up , leading some to express concern that social distancing rules were not being observed .
South Africans have been advised to wear face masks in public and police officers have been seen telling people to put them on .
And thousands more soldiers have been deployed to make sure that the continued restrictions are being respected .
The controversial ban on alcohol and cigarette sales will remain in place , as well as some of the other tight restrictions and people are still being encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a night-time curfew .
But there is a recognition of the economic damage that a prolonged lockdown could do and people in manufacturing and construction are being allowed back to work .
Restaurants and fast food outlets can now operate but only through deliveries .
You may also be interested in : • What symptoms should I look out for ?

The controversial ban on alcohol and cigarette sales will remain in place, as well as some of the other tight restrictions and people are still being encouraged to stay at home.


bbc--2020-05-01--In pictures: May Day protests around the world

Every year May Day is used to mark many things - from the coming of spring in the Northern Hemisphere @ @ @ @ @ ' rights .
This year many rallies have been scaled back because of coronavirus lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ place on the streets and online .
Here are some of the events that have @ @ @ @ @ one of those Vienna protests , participants painted circles on the floor to keep their @ @ @ @ @ the government measures to slow down the spread of coronavirus

Every year May Day is used to mark many things - from the coming of spring in the Northern Hemisphere to the fight for workers' rights. This year many rallies have been scaled back because of coronavirus lockdowns, although some have taken place on the streets and online.


bbc--2020-05-01--Coronavirus: Virtual marriage on Animal Crossing

A couple whose wedding was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic have invited friends and family to watch them tie @ @ @ @ @ s Animal Crossing .
Janna and Stefan , from Maryland , US , walked down @ @ @ @ @ during the ceremony .
The couple , who met online six years ago , said @ @ @ @ @ of fun '' and are looking forward to a real wedding later in the year @ @ @ @ @ on the BBC 's Self Isolation Podcast on BBC Sounds .

A couple whose wedding was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic have invited friends and family to watch them tie the knot on Nintendo’s Animal Crossing.
Janna and Stefan, from Maryland, US, walked down the aisle and made vows during the ceremony.
The couple, who met online six years ago, said it was a "lot of fun" and are looking forward to a real wedding later in the year.
You can hear more on the BBC's Self Isolation Podcast on BBC Sounds.


bbc--2020-05-02--Coronavirus: The foster dad home-schooling 10 North Korean boys

The coronavirus crisis means millions of parents around the world are grappling with the challenge of home-schooling .
But one man in Seoul has a particularly tough task .
Kim Tae-hoon , 45 , homes 10 North Korean boys who defected from the repressive state without their parents .
The youngest is just 10 years old , the oldest 22 .
Usually they would be at school , or university - in the case of 22-year-old Gun-seong - but last month South Korean students began online lessons instead .
On the first morning of remote schooling , Kim , talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shepherds the boys to a large table on the second floor , where the wifi is at its strongest .
`` I think you 'd better put your earphones on because the sounds might get all mixed up during the morning assembly , '' he tells them .
As might be expected , there are teething problems .
Grappling with unfamiliar online systems via tech devices rented from the local education office is one of them .
The log-ins of two of the boys who are in the same grade have been mixed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only defected from North Korean a year ago , understandably needs more help than the others .
He 's not used to submitting assignments online .
Meanwhile , Jun-seong , the youngest of the family , is scolded for watching YouTube on his tablet .
But just two days later , Kim says the boys have settled into their new routine under his watchful eye .
Eight of Kim 's charges defected without adults , either alone or with siblings , and have no other family ties in the South .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea , including living only with grandparents too elderly to accompany them , or having parents who live apart and can not organise for the whole family to make the difficult journey .
`` They send their child to South Korea to find a better life .
If the kids are too young , they even escape from the North on the broker 's back , '' Kim explains .
According to the Ministry of Unification , there were 33,658 North Korean defectors in the South as of March 2020 , of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under .
And as of 2017 , the government reported it was aware of 96 children who had arrived in the South without their parents , according to media reports .
Kim never imagined that he would become the boys ' carer .
Fifteen years ago he was working in publishing .
He spent his spare time volunteering for Hanawon , a government-run resettlement facility in Seoul where all North Korean defectors live for three months , taking a course to prepare them for integration into society in the South .
He met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had recently left the centre with his mother .
She had managed to get a job but it was a long way from home and she had to leave her son home alone .
Ha-ryong , 10 years old at the time , asked Kim to be his babysitter , a role which he ended up taking on permanently .
Kim 's parents completely disapproved and cut all ties with him for several years .
He went on to take in more North Korean children , one by one .
The boy who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those still with him is Cheol-gwang .
He arrived in the South on Christmas Eve 2012 aged just 11 years old .
He and his sister had initially tried to escape with their mother but were caught by guards and detained .
He was released alone , and his sister was freed three months later .
But his mum never reappeared .
Eventually Cheol-gwang and his sister succeeded in escaping to the South alone .
As his family grew , Kim registered with the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare to form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Home '' - the smallest form of institution in the country which can offer children without parents or guardians an alternative family setting .
`` But my kids think of it as a real home , not a facility , '' Kim says .
And his parents have finally accepted his decision and are now his most ardent supporters , treating the boys as their adoptive grandsons .
Geum-seong admits that he was afraid of Kim at first .
`` When I first saw him , I thought he was a bad guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belly in North Korea is usually a high-ranking official , '' he says shyly , his accent still very evidently North Korean .
Kim says the logistics are challenging , but he does all the chores himself .
`` The hardest part is grocery shopping .
As they are growing boys , they eat like horses .
I load up my cart with huge amounts of food , but it 's frustrating because it 'll all be gone in just a day , '' he says .
The food is unpacked into six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day .
Kim needs to vacuum the house constantly .
But he says he does n't ask the boys for help , arguing that the most important thing is that they are nurtured .
`` I do n't ask them for anything other than to grow up with decent manners… That 's how I was raised by my parents . ''
It is so much work that Kim is unable to hold down a regular job , but he is eligible for some government benefits and corporate aid .
He says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , and so recently he has opened a small cafe in an attempt to gain some economic independence .
But it is not just financial challenges that Kim and his foster family have to overcome .
There is considerable prejudice against North Korean defectors in the South .
Kim initially had to move house fairly regularly as a result of rising rent or the need for extra space as he took in more boys .
He says whenever he did so there would be unwelcome attention .
`` Whenever we moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even sent me a message to warn me that defectors should live discreetly . ''
On one occasion Kim 's household was even visited by police .
A fellow pupil of one of Kim 's foster children had claimed his classmate was a spy for North Korea .
This was an extreme case , but nevertheless the boys are sometimes taunted , usually when they first join a new school , called names such as `` war-causing bastard . ''
`` When South Koreans hear that someone is from North Korea , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some even show hostility .
It 's so sad because my kids are still teenagers .
They should n't be viewed politically , '' Kim says .
In fact many young North Korean defectors drop out of mainstream schools as a result .
`` I 'm not saying alternative schools are bad .
We just do n't need it because I can fully support my children from home .
I believe having [ South Korean ] friends and creating memories at regular schools will be a big asset to these children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the boys , Jin-beom , decided to run for student president .
His teacher rang Kim to say he was worried the experience would prove traumatic for the boy .
Kim said Jin-beom would be even more hurt if he knew his teacher had made the call .
Despite this , he was voted in by the students .
Every year the family chooses a project to do together .
Sometimes it is an art exhibition , sometimes a musical .
Most recently it was a travel book showcasing photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenery .
`` My boys said that they were curious about two things when they were in Hanawon before entering Korean society , '' says Kim .
`` One was what [ South ] Korea looks like ... and the other was what if South Koreans do n't like me ? ''
he said .
`` So we decided to document Korean scenery while travelling around . ''
The idea is to donate copies of the book to children in Hanawon to help them lose their fear of the unknown .
As for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their futures in South Korea .
Their ambitions currently include comic book writing , architecture and athletics .
Ha-ryong , the little boy he first took in , has already left , and is in his final year of university where he is studying sociology .
But whatever happens in the future , Kim says his doors will always be open .
`` We will still be a family , '' he says .
Read more on leaving North Korea : 'The prisoner who escaped with her guard' • A SIMPLE GUIDE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW How to understand the death toll • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

He went on to take in more North Korean children, one by one. The boy who has lived with him the longest of those still with him is Cheol-gwang. He arrived in the South on Christmas Eve 2012 aged just 11 years old. He and his sister had initially tried to escape with their mother but were caught by guards and detained. He was released alone, and his sister was freed three months later. But his mum never reappeared.


bbc--2020-05-02--Coronavirus: A toast to my cancelled wedding

Today was supposed to be my wedding day - until Covid-19 intervened .
But that wo n't stop me delivering my groom 's speech , so make sure your glass is charged .
[ Taps prosecco flute with fork ] It 's great to see so many of you not here today .
Thank you all for not coming .
There are so many people who 've helped make today not special in any way at all .
I want to give a shout-out to our photographer for not taking any pictures ; to our florist , for not bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the staff at our reception venue for boarding up the doors and windows so no-one can get in .
My wife and I - oh , sorry , my fiancee and I - really ca n't tell you how grateful we are .
I really must pay tribute to my prospective parents-in-law .
You 've welcomed me into your family and treated me with every kindness .
I 'm so glad you 're not here today to watch me marrying your daughter .
I 'd be terrified of exposing you to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mum and dad : I owe you everything .
I 'm incredibly grateful that , on what 's meant to be the happiest day of my life , you 're hundreds of miles away in Scotland .
Seriously now , stay indoors .
I 'd raise a toast to the bridesmaids , but there were never going to be any .
Or groomsmen for that matter .
We did n't want a lot of fuss .
This was going to be a low-key , laid-back , affair - a short civil ceremony then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I think , despite everything , we 've stayed true to our original vision .
You ca n't get much more low-key and laid-back than no wedding at all .
But the most important person to mention is Kathy , the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with .
Does n't she look fantastic in her white dress ?
I ca n't tell you first-hand because I 've still never seen it .
I think she 's hidden it somewhere in the back of her wardrobe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in it , because , well , it 's her .
We met in the summer of 2016 .
At that point I was pretty disillusioned with dating .
I 'd grudgingly swipe through all the apps without much expectation of ever finding the right person .
But when Kathy agreed to meet for a drink in a pub near Borough Market , everything changed .
It was n't just that she was even more beautiful in person than in her photos .
She was funny and smart and kind and liked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most improbably of all , she liked me too .
I spent far too long saving up for an engagement ring .
I 'd read you were supposed to put aside a month 's salary - and even though we 're only talking a month 's BBC salary , that turned out to be vastly excessive .
When we went to an antique jewellery fair together to choose it , the one Kathy liked most cost £80 .
Now , I really should have predicted this .
Kathy 's hunter-gatherer instincts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothes dealer who spends her weekends at car boot sales rummaging for bargains .
As far as she 's concerned , if you 're not buying something for a knock-down price , what 's the point ?
I knew all this .
So I could and absolutely should have proposed much earlier and then we 'd have been married long before the lockdown .
Sorry , Kathy .
Anyway , after we left the jewellery fair , Kathy and I went to a cocktail bar and I put the engagement ring on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the spare cash left over from the ring , we calculated we could pay for a summer wedding ourselves .
By the end of the month , we had a date and booked a registrar , a south London venue for the ceremony and the pub for the reception .
Our closest friends and family were all going to get together and have a brilliant time .
What could possibly go wrong ?
Actually , when we were planning the wedding , there were lot of possible things we anticipated we might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at the last minute ; the Spotify playlist I 'd made for the disco going silent due to my ancient laptop breaking down ; my friends drinking the bar completely dry .
What we did n't factor into our calculations was the possibility of a global pandemic , or indeed that of the government banning weddings altogether .
But I mean , hindsight is a wonderful thing .
If anyone ever makes a biopic of my life , there will definitely be a montage sequence in which I keep smugly telling Kathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything out so quickly and painlessly , while a succession of increasingly ominous news bulletins plays in the background : '' Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into a mysterious viral pneumonia which has infected dozens of people in the central city of Wuhan… '' '' I do n't know why the wedding magazines make it sound so complicated . ''
`` South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the 'highest level ' as confirmed case numbers keep rising… '' '' Buying the prosecco on a sale-or-return basis was definitely the correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed with the coronavirus in England is the first to catch it in the UK ... '' '' Er , maybe I should have thought about wedding insurance after all . ''
As it did with most non-epidemiologists , I expect , the virus crept up on us suddenly .
One minute we were choosing readings for the ceremony and ordering confetti - the next , all that seemed to belong to an entirely vanished world .
We only really had one day of feeling properly upset .
That was Thursday 12 March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sage committee changed its advice about how to tackle the pandemic .
A lockdown began to look inevitable .
I had annual leave to use up , so we 'd booked a long weekend in the West Country .
As our train rumbled out of Paddington , I checked my Twitter feed .
It was stream of warnings about how life as we knew it was about to grind to a halt .
By the time we 'd arrived , it had begun to sink in that the wedding would n't happen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of pints and stared at them , thinking about the amazing day we 'd planned .
There were a few tears at this point .
We had n't even finished sending out the invitations .
But very quickly , we got over it .
As the implications of the virus began to sink in - the thousands of deaths , the potential collapse of the healthcare system - a cancelled wedding seemed a very trivial matter indeed .
Bereaved relatives and front-line staff working on Covid wards deserved sympathy .
We were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know of any reason why these two may not be joined in matrimony ?
Well , yes , I do , as it happens - if this wedding went ahead , we 'd be putting extra pressure on the NHS by helping the novel coronavirus to spread - oh , and we 'd potentially kill all our guests .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise We sat down at my laptop to compose an email to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` You 've probably noticed there 's a pandemic going on , '' it began .
`` It 's not quite the romantic build-up to 2 May we were hoping for . ''
We wrote that we hoped we 'd see them again another time , and asked them to stay safe .
Then we signed off .
And because our suppliers are incredibly lovely , we 've been able to rearrange everything for another date in 2021. Who knows whether weddings will be permitted again by then , and even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like .
But it 's nice to have something to be hopeful about when you 're stuck indoors on lockdown .
We held a 'not our wedding day ' celebration New York couples can now tie the knot over Zoom 'Our wedding is cancelled but we still have to pay' Today we 're going to celebrate what should have been our wedding day , even if we wo n't have a certificate to make it official .
We 'll dress up and open a bottle of sparkling wine .
Then we 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought from the supermarket .
Once we 've Zoomed with some of you we 'll dance around the living room .
And though the biggest tragedies inflicted by the virus will rightly receive the most attention , it 's worth taking note of the more mundane casualties , too .
If you have any kind of social life whatsoever , there will be some event that you were looking forward to and now wo n't happen .
Our cancelled wedding might be your cancelled christening or sports day or birthday night out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to invite you all to join us , wherever you are , while I propose a toast : to better times ahead .
You might also be interested in ...
Lately , Sue Elliott-Nicholls has been to lots of weddings where the bride and groom have been together for decades .
And last month she , too , did the deed in her 50s .
So why are all these middle-aged couples finally opting for marriage ?
Why we said ' I do ' after 30 years together ( 2018 )

We met in the summer of 2016. At that point I was pretty disillusioned with dating. I'd grudgingly swipe through all the apps without much expectation of ever finding the right person. But when Kathy agreed to meet for a drink in a pub near Borough Market, everything changed. It wasn't just that she was even more beautiful in person than in her photos. She was funny and smart and kind and liked the same wonky indie bands that I did. Most improbably of all, she liked me too.


bbc--2020-05-01--My Money: 'With love on my side, I can get through today'

My Money is a series looking at how people spend their money - and the sometimes tough decisions they have to make .
Here , Leena Yousefi from Vancouver in Canada , takes us through a week in her life , as the world goes through the coronavirus pandemic .
Leena is 37 .
She is a lawyer and the CEO of YLaw Group , a law firm located in British Columbia .
Leena has been chosen as one of the Top 25 Lawyers in Canada , and one of Vancouver 's Top 40 under 40 .
Her recent LinkedIn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'likes ' when she wrote : `` One day I will tell you about all the sleepless nights and all the mornings I woke up and kissed you as I went to Court , so you know if I can do it , you can too . ''
She lives with her husband and seven-month-old daughter and describes herself as `` a true working mom . ''
Leena 's week : Coronavirus , working from home , and trying to stay sane and grateful I wake up to a tiny face with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is my daughter and she is completely clueless about what is happening in the world .
She seems genuinely content just to lay on the bed next to me and touch my face with her tiny hands .
Another COVID-19 morning , or is it anymore ?
We are out of quarantine and my favourite coffee shop has reopened and is grateful for my morning runs to grab my latte .
Half of us are still working from home , and the other half come in and out of the office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same .
Today , I will be working from my kitchen .
Instead of jumping in the shower and doing my hair , I grab the baby and put on music .
`` Stand by Me '' plays and I dance with her all around the kitchen and living room .
She is so excited .
This has become our morning routine , and I am grateful for the experience .
I play with her as much as I can and when she naps , I get to work .
My husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to split the responsibilities half and half .
So far neither one of us is as productive , but still it 's not so bad .
We are a lot more positive and happy being around one another , as difficult as it can be sometimes having no space or alone time .
I find that when I leave home is when the reality of this situation really hits me .
I have been forced to cook most meals now that we can only do pick up or take out .
I make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts baby to sleep .
I wake up after another sleepless night with the baby .
She always greets me with a huge smile and makes me forget how hard of a time she gives me every night !
In order to get the company going and keep us connected , we have Zoom virtual meetings twice a week .
My favourite is the second time which is our 'happy hour ' at 16:00 on Fridays .
Tuesdays are mostly about getting a sense of just how much we have been hit by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the business afloat .
We talk , laugh , and come up with ideas together for an hour .
Hey , this is not so bad .
I feel like we are all learning how to cope and live with the virus instead of being in our original state of panic and fear .
We need groceries , and more importantly , I need wine .
So I put on my `` outside '' clothes and go down the grocery store .
I notice people lining up and keeping a two-metre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapes on the ground that guide them where to stand .
It feels like an apocalypse still .
It 's sad to see how sombre and stressed most people look .
The energy is just not that happy no matter how much we try to spin it .
We are concerned and uncertain ; trying to find ways to cope .
There is so much loss ; loss of work , relationships , security , human connection , the outside world , etc .
The security guard finally lets me in and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am thinking of whether I have touched something that may carry the virus .
Tonight , we have wine and I make flatbread while the baby jumps with joy in her jolly jumper .
Best thing about COVID-19 for me so far ?
Learning to exercise every day from the comfort of my home with some hot Youtube fitness girl which my husband seems to thoroughly enjoy watching nowadays !
I have rearranged our living room so I have open space to do yoga or morning exercises which means big savings ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a happy Leena , and even a happier husband .
Given that everyone I know has gained a few pounds since COVID started , this is my saving grace .
I exercise every morning no matter what .
I put the baby on the ground with her toys , and as she plays I work out .
She looks at me confused as to what is going on but quickly gets back to her toys .
Today I have to get in the car and drive down to the office to pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people on the street , more smiles , more normalcy and that gives me hope .
I stop by the gas station and my jaw drops at the cost of gas .
I do n't think I have seen these numbers in at least 20 years .
I work from a half empty office for a few hours and feel better because that has forced me to blow-dry my hair after so long , put on some nice clothes and get a much-needed break from home as my husband takes care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because well , do I have a choice ?
At least there is love at home and with love on my side , I can get through today too .
More blogs from the BBC 's My Money Series : • 'The alcohol bill has increased ... but he 's earned it ! '
• China : 'People have started leaving their houses again' • 'Poor in money but rich in friends' I wake up with messy hair that so badly needs a haircut , a face that is begging for a facial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no replacements because no , I like to try my darn clothes before paying for them and hate online shopping and returns .
In the middle of feeling ungroomed and ugly , I am pleasantly interrupted by my daughter 's smiley face reminding me of what truly matters in this life .
I get up , make coffee and dance with her and feel better .
Times like these remind me that we really do n't need much outside of food and shelter as long as our partners or family can put up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family 's spending has been reduced to levels I have not experienced since I was a student .
I must say it feels good in some ways .
Like we are all cleansing ourselves of what we do n't need and focusing on what matters .
Tonight , as I get ready to cook , I hear the birds singing over cars which is a miracle .
Perhaps it is time for birds , animals and nature to have their go on this earth and enjoy it to themselves ; even for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to dominate it again .
It 's Friday but it does n't feel like the weekend .
In fact , I did n't even notice it was Friday as days are just blurring into one another as we go about our lives doing the same things we were doing yesterday , and have not had any darn happy hour in over one-and-a-half months !
I have another virtual meeting with staff and lawyers telling me their work has slowed down .
Who has money to throw at a lawyer when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my employees it is time for us to give back and help without expecting anything in return .
We all come up with the plan to give free legal advice to whoever is confused during Coronavirus times .
I go out on the balcony and clear it out .
I put down my yoga mat and start meditating .
I then spend 30 minutes doing yoga by the sunset .
I almost forgot to look up at the sky and see its beauty in the middle of a pandemic we have not experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had some beautiful sunny days lately but no one seems to talk about that or even notice the sun .
The birds are singing again , and I feel content ; even if only for a few minutes .
The thing about Coronavirus time is that happiness and sadness come in waves .
There are a lot of good lessons learned that we will carry for the rest of our lives .
But we also ca n't help but to feel sad sometimes .
That is because we just do n't know when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to happen .
The main difference between happiness and sadness to me is hope .
I try to remember to remain hopeful , because guess what , it is going to get better .
I just do n't know when .
I wake up in a panic thinking about all the plants at the office which we all have forgotten about in the chaos of trying to figure out life .
I run down to the car and down to the office to grab them .
Our two beautiful and fragile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , plants need love .
And in the case of bonsais , a lot of love .
I put the plants in a box and bring them home .
Hubby and I immediately start bringing them back to life .
We put them in fresh air , under the sun and give them lots of water and loving touches .
I proceed to grab my phone and get on a video call with my sister and best friends .
Just four girls with a few glasses of wine on an App we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing happened .
You can talk , play games and drink as you pass the time in isolation on a Saturday night .
I miss our date nights .
On Saturdays if I was going out , I would spend anywhere from 50 to 300 dollars .
Tonight though , I am spending 0 .
Sunday .
Let 's clean and sterilise everything day .
I put the baby on her stroller and walk her around the apartment as I obsessively clean everything and feel better that maybe now there are less germs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also become a bad habit during these days .
It has become addictive to read news as we are all looking for answers , and specially what the government will do to help us pay for our personal and business expenses .
I decide to put the phone away today .
I am so tired of cooking .
Tonight we are going to order take out and I am sure the struggling restaurant appreciates the support .
Ah , so nice to just sit and eat instead of cooking once again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
That is a loaded question .
I guess like everyone else : This thing feels like an out-of-body experience ; it is uncertain , unknown , exhilarating , and challenging .
This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions .
Sometimes good , sometimes bad .
Just like everyone else , I am trying to keep my head above the water and continue to just accept the situation and not question the lessons we are to learn from it .
Yet , I have never lost so many things in such short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took for granted almost all my life and now are taken away from me , and I am choosing what to take back .
But I am grateful for the experience , for still being healthy , for being connected to the whole world as we go through this ; the rich and the poor and without any discrimination .
Maybe after all of this , we realise we are all insignificant , fragile , equal , and loved .
My friends , this too , shall pass .
We 're looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their money on .
If you 're interested , please email my.money @ bbc.co.uk or get in touch via our My Money ( World ) Facebook group , or if you live in the UK , please join our My Money ( UK ) Facebook group and we 'll aim to contact you .

I play with her as much as I can and when she naps, I get to work. My husband is also at home so we try to split the responsibilities half and half. So far neither one of us is as productive, but still it's not so bad. We are a lot more positive and happy being around one another, as difficult as it can be sometimes having no space or alone time. I find that when I leave home is when the reality of this situation really hits me.


bbc--2020-05-02--Coronavirus: Coping with lockdown on poor broadband

Households across the country are finding their broadband connections pushed to the limit as families in lockdown try to work , educate and entertain themselves online .
During a recent video-conference , MP Julie Elliott made a plea to the culture secretary for a faster rollout of fibre broadband for her Sunderland constituents .
As she was doing so , her own broadband connection failed , something the chairman of the DCMS committee described as `` ironic '' .
In theory , 95 % of premises should be able to access superfast broadband but take-up of services remains low .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ current speed sufficient for their needs , do not want to pay or simply have n't got round to upgrading .
For those wanting to upgrade now , there could be a wait .
BT told the BBC is was prioritising new broadband connections for the `` vulnerable and those most in need '' .
According to Ofcom , 189,000 properties are on speeds of 10Mbps ( megabits per second ) download and 1Mbps upload or less - for both fixed and wireless .
Adelana Carty , broadband expert at Uswitch.com , thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some video-calling services say they only require broadband speeds of 1.2Mbps , but at this level the picture quality is likely to be extremely patchy and the audio may cut in and out - especially if there are many people on the call .
`` Streaming TV services like Netflix say you need a 3Mbps connection for standard quality , and 5Mbps for HD , but you 're likely to find that the picture is constantly buffering at these speeds .
`` Connection issues also arise when multiple devices use the internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be worth setting up a rota , especially when it comes to streaming or gaming online .
Such a rota may be the only option for Sam Kirkpatrick , who lives in rural Northern Ireland , and who says the idea of sharing the internet with his wife and two teenagers is `` simply out of the question '' .
`` On a good day , my broadband runs at about 2Mbps ( not a typo - I genuinely mean two ) .
I 've seen various fibre rollout plans over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we 've not been upgraded yet .
`` We have paid for an additional 4G service for a couple of years now , which is much faster when it works but much less reliable and more prone to contention/packet dropping than the fixed line .
The quality of it has definitely degraded noticeably since lockdown started . ''
Without it the family would `` be in trouble '' , he said , but it does mean expensive monthly bills .
Mr Kirkpatrick is a software engineering manager , and is now working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my role is video calls and it struggles a bit at that stage .
Often , I 'll have to disable video and rely on audio only to save bandwidth .
Or even forget about the calls and try to use messaging instead , which just is n't the same .
Downloading large payloads , which I have to do often , is a challenge . ''
The others in the house have to rely on the 4G .
`` This gets us by for schoolwork and my wife 's work .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person streaming at any one time .
`` It 's a regular occurrence in our house to hear shouted : 'Can everybody stop using the internet for a while , please ? '
so someone can download something or watch a video .
On occasion , you do just have to give up and try again later or forget about it . ''
'Missing out on the craic' The BBC was also contacted by a woman , living in a similar part of the world .
She wanted to remain anonymous but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and schooling that was affected by poor connectivity .
`` Internet accessibility is difficult in rural Northern Ireland at the best of times but in lockdown with increased usage and reliance on the internet , connecting with family and friends is tough and we sometimes have to miss out on the craic because the infrastructure just is n't there , '' she said .
`` It 's an additional and unnecessary strain on mental health and wellbeing when we are being asked to distance ourselves for the greater good . ''
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are suffering .
Even in a city like London , people can experience problems .
• where possible do not use wi-fi - connect devices with an ethernet cable • configure the router to use different names for the two frequencies , 2.4GHz and 5GHz , and then re-teach devices the credentials for the 5GHz • check the location of the router - if it is buried on a bookcase , surrounded by books the clutter could block the signal • microwave ovens interfere with wi-fi signal so do n't cook a microwave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if everyone is trying to access the internet , consider investing in a wi-fi booster that allow the signal to travel further • mesh network add-ons may improve coverage but usually carry a monthly subscription • do n't move your office to a quiet part of the house without checking the speeds first , using an online speed checker • if speed generally is significantly lower than the speed you were promised , phone your provider to argue the case for an upgrade • download films to phones and tablets , ideally just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet Jack Maddox recently moved into a flat in the technology hub of Shoreditch , east London but says the best connection he could get installed was 15Mbps , on offer from Sky .
`` It regularly sits in the seven to 10 range .
I could n't believe the lack of fibre options after moving into this relatively new flat , '' he told the BBC .
`` It makes trying to do client video calls or even ones to family and friends infuriating .
I often end up moving closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is n't great either . ''
For some though , internet speed is not a problem at all .
Jersey already offers full fibre to all homes and now its internet providers have decided to upgrade everyone to 1Gbps ( gigabit per second ) , entirely free of charge `` for the duration of the pandemic '' .

"Much of my role is video calls and it struggles a bit at that stage. Often, I'll have to disable video and rely on audio only to save bandwidth. Or even forget about the calls and try to use messaging instead, which just isn't the same. Downloading large payloads, which I have to do often, is a challenge."