bbc--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris speech: What was the verdict on how she did?

The stakes could not have been higher for Kamala Harris as she made history to formally accept the Democratic vice-presidential nomination .
How did she do ?
Only three women have been on the top ticket for a major party before , and none has made it to the White House .
The California senator , who spoke in an almost empty auditorium in Delaware , is also the first African American and Asian American to be nominated .
We asked voters and experts to assess her perfomance .
'She moved me but I 'm still not sold' Before her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-time voter had n't been swayed by Harris .
`` I think that we kind of get carried away by 'firsts ' , especially as black people , by the 'first this ' and 'first that ' , it 's just seen as a gigantic milestone , '' she told the BBC last week .
`` But are you fighting for some of the values that the black community holds dear ? ''
But the 21-year-old says she was moved by Harris ' convention address .
`` Kamala 's speech was particularly moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking President Trump and more time making her case as a leader under the Biden administration .
She exuded a confidence that made you feel as though she was speaking as the current vice-president . ''
But Forte still is n't totally sold by the former prosecutor .
`` If I had one critique , it 'd be the part where she claimed that we could end this pandemic under the leadership of Joe Biden .
Sure , his response to the coronavirus would likely be much better than the current administration 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone will not eliminate this pandemic . ''
'She did a very good job' If I had to rate it , I would give it an 8/10 .
One of the things I liked about what she did was she shouted out everybody : HBCUs [ historically black colleges ] , AKAs [ an African American sorority ] , the Divine 9 [ nine historically black fraternities and sororities ] , her Indian heritage , her Jamaican heritage , her white husband .
She did n't shy from any of that .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forthright about who she is and all the things that make her who she is .
And she stood up for Joe - that 's her job and I think that 's what people are looking for her to be .
I mean , in the next 76 days they 're going to need her to drive home the messages of the Democratic Party and to help smooth those rough patches that Joe may have on the trail when him and Trump get to arguing .
But in terms of her first appearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think she did a very good job .
Debra J Saunders covers the White House and writes an opinion column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal .
She used to report on Harris in California .
Kamala Harris ' brief acceptance speech was like an elopement in place of a wedding .
Held in a makeshift stage in Delaware hotel instead of the Wisconsin Center where the Democratic National Convention is supposed to be , the venue provided six American flags and a podium for Harris , who had no audience or energy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the pandemic .
Harris , a former San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General , whom I 've covered over the years , was button down when she should have been electrically charged .
It came off as a speech written by an efficiency expert .
Or worse , a committee of efficiency experts , who wanted to check the boxes and quickly .
There was little policy discussion .
Rather than talk at length about the coronavirus and racism , Harris melded the two together `` There is no vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And who can argue with that ?
While running mates are expected to be pit bulls against the opposition , Harris meekly cited three things she did n't like about President Donald Trump - `` constant chaos , '' `` incompetence , and `` callousness . ''
No one would argue .
But there was no sound bite destined to lead in news stories .
No big rhetorical moment .
Everyone else already had said that Joe can bring the country together .
She said it too .
Harris is not afraid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be blunt .
I can only guess that she 's trying to do her job as the campaign wants her to do it .
But the campaign is clueless .
And the usually sharp Harris seemed so as well .
Kamala Harris expectedly spoke about her biracial roots at the beginning of her 20-minute speech .
She said she stood on the `` shoulders of my mother '' , who came from India when she was 19 to study in the US , fell in love with a Jamaica-born student , and tirelessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised us to be proud and strong black women and be proud of our Indian heritage '' .
Ms Harris mostly reiterated what she has already said in her 2018 memoirs - her mother instilling values about the importance of the family , and her links with her extended family in India , including her uncle and an aunt who she calls `` Chitti '' or younger mother .
Indians have been mixed in their response to Ms Harris 's ticket .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's supporters are ambivalent , partly because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move to revoke Kashmir 's autonomy , and the refusal of his foreign minister to meet a congresswoman who has been critical of the same move .
And although Indian-Americans have historically voted for Democrats for being immigration friendly , President Trump is considered a friend of India and Mr Modi .
It will be interesting to see how much support Ms Harris can garner from Indian American voters in these polarised times .
Kamala Harris has had turns in the limelight before .
She spoke to a crowd of more than 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January 2019 .
She had viral moments when sharply questioning Supreme Court justices and Trump executive appointees .
She made waves when she swiped at Joe Biden for opposing school desegregation bussing at the first Democratic debate .
This , however , was her biggest moment so far .
The now-official Democratic vice-presidential nominee had a bit of an extra challenge on Wednesday night , too , having to directly follow Obama , the party 's most beloved and rhetorically gifted politician .
What Harris offered was a bit of an amalgam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plodded .
It was part biographical introduction , part sales pitch for Biden and - most notably - part frontal attack on structural racism .
`` There is no vaccine for racism , '' she said in what will probably be her most quoted line .
`` We have got to do the work . ''
Although she 's been attacked by some on the left for her prosecutorial background , Harris tried to turn that into a benefit for a general election audience , speaking of how she always tries to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predator when I see one , '' she said at one point , pausing long enough for her fellow Democrats to fill in the blanks .
Her speech delivered with smiles and warmth , but it took place in a rather haunting environment - a room constructed to replicate a party convention hall , complete with signposts for each state delegation , but devoid of the cheering crowds .
It all had slightly post-apocalyptic feeling , which along with the vacant classrooms from which Senator Elizabeth Warren and Jill Biden early spoke , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current pandemic-stricken nation is a feeling Democrats want to highlight - and lay at Trump 's feet .

So I'm glad that she was very forthright about who she is and all the things that make her who she is. And she stood up for Joe - that's her job and I think that's what people are looking for her to be.


bbc--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris: Where does she stand on key issues?

Even President Donald Trump and his Republican allies seem undecided about how to define the California senator ahead of November 's election .
During the Democratic party 's contest to pick its challenger to Mr Trump , Ms Harris ran to the left of the eventual winner Joe Biden , for whom she is now the running mate .
Amid speculation about whether Mr Biden , 77 , could pledge to serve only one term in office , her political positions are coming under intense scrutiny .
GovTrack , an independent nonpartisan website , lists her as the most liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times labels her a pragmatic moderate ; Fox News hosts call her a radical .
Here 's a look at Ms Harris ' stance on five key issues .
• What do black voters make of historic VP pick Ms Harris - the only black woman in the US Senate - is broadly aligned with the rest of her party in supporting law enforcement reforms .
But rather than openly call for defunding of police departments , as many liberal Democrats desire , she has spoken of `` reimagining how we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden says he does not support defunding police .
Ms Harris has described herself as a `` progressive prosecutor '' and `` top cop '' in her previous roles in California , but her record rankled both liberals and conservatives .
As San Francisco district attorney in 2004 she infuriated police by declining to seek the death penalty for a gang member who had gunned down an officer .
In 2014 , she outraged progressives as state attorney general by appealing against a judge 's ruling that the death penalty was unconstitutional .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to ensure incidents of police deadly force in California were independently investigated , or that all officers should wear body cameras .
Ms Harris has more recently supported legalising marijuana at the national level - something Mr Biden opposes .
But critics point out her San Francisco office oversaw over 1,900 cannabis convictions .
• How Kamala Harris could help - or hurt - Joe Biden • Where did it go wrong for Kamala Harris ?
Ms Harris ' shifting opinion on this issue damaged her presidential campaign .
She was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Bernie Sanders ' 2017 Medicare for All bill to provide government-run medical insurance for every American .
But after professing support for eliminating private health insurance companies , she swiftly backtracked .
Mr Biden does not back Medicare for All - and has called instead for bolstering President Barack Obama 's landmark Affordable Care Act .
Ms Harris was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal , a policy paper that advocates overhauling the US economy to tackle climate change .
Conservatives decry it as a `` socialist manifesto '' .
Recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill with self-described democratic socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that seeks to rate how environmental laws affect lower-income communities .
Ms Harris opposes fracking and has called for federal legal action against the fossil fuel industry .
In her presidential campaign , she outlined a $ 10tn climate plan for net-zero emissions by 2045 .
During her White House bid , Ms Harris promised to use executive action to enact stricter gun control if she became president .
Like most Democrats , she supported more regulation of gun manufacturers , mandatory background checks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons .
She also said she was open to the idea of going even further and supporting a `` mandatory buyback '' , compelling owners of assault weapons to forfeit those guns .
After her selection as running mate , the National Rifle Association said Ms Harris backed `` extreme gun control agendas '' .
During the Democratic primary , Ms Harris supported highly contentious taxpayer-funded abortions , arguing they would save the lives of lower-income women .
So did all the other contenders ( including Mr Biden after a flip flop - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a live TV debate ) .
Ms Harris also proposed providing all workers with six months paid family leave for personal or medical issues , including those related to domestic violence .
It was a far more generous policy than left-wing Democratic contenders Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders , who backed a three-month paid leave bill .
Ms Harris also suggested during her campaign that large companies should be required to be `` equal pay certified '' to close the gender pay gap , or face fines .
Like all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - the child of immigrants herself - pledged to offer a path to citizenship to the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US .
And like most of the other candidates , she supported decriminalising border crossings by undocumented immigrants and providing taxpayer-funded healthcare for those crossing the US border without papers .
In a 2018 Senate hearing , Ms Harris outraged conservatives by drawing parallels between the Ku Klux Klan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement , an agency within the US Department of Homeland Security .

She has sidestepped questions about whether she favours expanding the size of the Supreme Court, but in her own White House campaign last year said she was "open" to discussing the highly controversial idea.


bbc--2020-08-20--US election 2020 polls: Who is ahead - Trump or Biden?

Voters in America will decide on 3 November whether Donald Trump remains in the White House for another four years .
The Republican president is being challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden , who is best known as Barack Obama 's vice-president but has been in US politics since the 1970s .
As election day approaches , polling companies will be trying to gauge the mood of the nation by asking voters which candidate they prefer .
We 'll be keeping track of those polls here and trying to work out what they can and ca n't tell us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How are the presidential candidates doing nationally ?
National polls are a good guide as to how popular a candidate is across the country as a whole , but they 're not necessarily a good way to predict the result of the election .
In 2016 , for example , Hillary Clinton led in the polls and won nearly three million more votes than Donald Trump , but she still lost - that 's because the US uses an electoral college system , so winning the most votes does n't always win you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden has been ahead of Donald Trump in national polls for most of the year .
He has hovered around 50 % in recent weeks and has had a 10-point lead on occasions .
By contrast , in 2016 the polls were far less clear and just a couple of percentage points separated Mr Trump and his then-rival Hillary Clinton at several points as election day neared .
• A really simple guide to the US election Which states will decide this election ?
As Mrs Clinton discovered in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less important than where you win them .
Most states nearly always vote the same way , meaning that in reality there are just a handful of states where both candidates stand a chance of winning .
These are the places where the election will be won and lost and are known as battleground states .
In the electoral college system the US uses to elect its president , each state is given a number of votes based on its population .
A total of 538 electoral college votes are up for grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 270 to win .
As the map above shows , some battleground states have a lot more electoral college votes on offer than others so candidates often spend a lot more time campaigning in them .
• What is the electoral college ?
At the moment , polls in the battleground states look good for Joe Biden , but there 's a long way to go and things can change very quickly , especially when Donald Trump 's involved .
The polls suggest Mr Biden has big leads in Michigan , Pennsylvania and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival won by margins of less than 1 % to clinch victory in 2016 .
But it 's the battleground states where Mr Trump won big in 2016 that his campaign team will be most worried about .
His winning margin in Iowa , Ohio and Texas was between 8-10 % back then but it 's looking much closer in all three at the moment .
Those poll numbers may help explain his decision to replace his re-election campaign manager in July and his regular references to `` fake polls '' .
Betting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing Mr Trump off just yet .
The latest odds still give him about a one in three chance of winning on 3 November .
• Does Trump have the power to delay the election ?
The coronavirus pandemic has dominated headlines in the US since the start of the year and the response to President Trump 's actions has been split predictably along party lines .
Support for his approach peaked in mid-March after he declared a national emergency and made $ 50 billion available to states to stop the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55 % of Americans approved of his actions , according to data from Ipsos , a leading polling company .
But any support he had from Democrats disappeared after that , while Republicans continued to back their president .
By last month , however , data suggested even his own supporters had begun to question his response as states in the south and the west of the country dealt with renewed outbreaks of the virus .
That may explain why he has been less optimistic about coronavirus in recent weeks , warning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it gets better '' He also donned a face mask for the first time and called on Americans to wear them , saying `` they 'll have an effect '' and show `` patriotism '' .
One leading model produced by experts at the University of Washington predicts the death toll will have passed 250,000 by election day .
• Why are Americans so angry about masks ?
Can we trust the polls ?
It 's easy to dismiss the polls by saying they got it wrong in 2016 and President Trump frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not entirely true .
Most national polls did have Hillary Clinton ahead by a few percentage points , but that does n't mean they were wrong , since she won three million more votes than her rival .
Pollsters did have some problems in 2016 - notably a failure to properly represent voters without a college degree - meaning Mr Trump 's advantage in some key battleground states was n't spotted until late in the race , if at all .
Most polling companies have corrected this now .
But this year there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic and the effect it 's having on both the economy and how people will vote in November , so all polls should be read with some scepticism , especially this far out from election day .
• Americast : The latest news and gossip from the campaign trail

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


bbc--2020-08-20--Premier League fixtures released - Liverpool host Leeds on opening weekend

Champions Liverpool will face Championship winners Leeds United in the standout opening weekend game of the 2020-21 Premier League season .
Championship play-off winners Fulham will host Arsenal , while West Bromwich Albion , the third promoted side , are at home to Leicester City .
The opening round of fixtures will take place on the weekend of 12 September .
However , Manchester City v Aston Villa and Burnley v Manchester United will be rearranged .
Those two games will not be played on the opening weekend to give City and United 30 days since their defeats in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semi-finals of the Europa League respectively .
• How 's it turned out for your side ?
Club-by-club fixture list • Follow reaction to the Premier League fixtures being released Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers ' opening matches are both scheduled for Monday , 14 September after their slightly earlier European exits .
The Blues are at Brighton , while Wolves go to Sheffield United .
The other opening weekend fixtures are Crystal Palace v Southampton , Tottenham Hotspur v Everton and West Ham United v Newcastle United .
Exact dates and kick-off times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are made .
Matches will be played behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The English Football League fixtures are expected to be announced on Friday .
The meeting of the champions There can be little doubt over the glamour fixture of the opening weekend as the champions of the top two divisions go head to head .
Leeds , now under iconic Argentine boss Marcelo Bielsa , are back in the Premier League after 16 years away and have the toughest possible start .
Liverpool - English champions for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost a home game in the Premier League since a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace in April 2017 .
Jurgen Klopp 's side have won 25 of their past 26 league matches at Anfield .
The Reds travel to Chelsea for their second game , before a home match against FA Cup winners Arsenal .
Leeds host fellow promoted side Fulham in their second fixture .
When are the key fixtures ?
The first big derby of the season will be on Merseyside when Everton v Liverpool takes place on 17 October .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their old rivalry on 19 December , with the return game at Elland Road on 24 April .
Manchester City , who finished second last season , face title rivals Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on 7 November , with their other game on 6 February .
With the season starting a month later than usual because of the Covid-19 pandemic , the games will come thick and fast .
The upcoming campaign will be five weeks shorter than a standard season because of the late end to 2019-20 - and the winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liverpool meet in the Community Shield on 29 August , with players then going on an international break for the Nations League before the Premier League starts .
Manchester City v Aston Villa could be played on 15 September , with Burnley v Manchester United the following day - although that is yet to be confirmed .
Those are the dates Premier League clubs not in Europe enter the Carabao Cup at the second round .
Rounds two to four of that competition , which will involve top-flight sides , will be played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September .
Spurs start Europa League qualifying on 17 September and could end up with two first-team matches in the same midweek .
There are rounds of Premier League games due on 26 December , 28 December and 2 January over the festive period .
The final league fixtures will be on 23 May 2021 - eight days after the FA Cup final .
The Champions League final is on 29 May , with the delayed Euro 2020 starting on 11 June .
• Rugby Union Weekly : What 's new as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honest and hilarious takes on hot topics

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Leeds face the toughest possible start to their first Premier League campaign in 16 years
Champions Liverpool will face Championship winners Leeds United in the standout opening weekend game of the 2020-21 Premier League season.
Championship play-off winners Fulham will host Arsenal, while West Bromwich Albion, the third promoted side, are at home to Leicester City.
The opening round of fixtures will take place on the weekend of 12 September.
However, Manchester City v Aston Villa and Burnley v Manchester United will be rearranged.
Those two games will not be played on the opening weekend to give City and United 30 days since their defeats in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the Europa League respectively.
Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers' opening matches are both scheduled for Monday, 14 September after their slightly earlier European exits.
The Blues are at Brighton, while Wolves go to Sheffield United.
The other opening weekend fixtures are Crystal Palace v Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur v Everton and West Ham United v Newcastle United.
Exact dates and kick-off times will be confirmed when the television selections are made. Matches will be played behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The English Football League fixtures will be announced at 09:00 BST on Friday.
Premier League fixtures opening weekend (exact dates to change) Crystal Palace v Southampton (12 Sep) Fulham v Arsenal (12 Sep) Liverpool v Leeds United (12 Sep) Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (12 Sep) West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City (12 Sep) West Ham United v Newcastle United (12 Sep) Brighton v Chelsea (14 Sep) Sheffield United v Wolves (14 Sep) Burnley v Manchester United (later date) Manchester City v Aston Villa (later date)
The meeting of the champions
There can be little doubt over the glamour fixture of the opening weekend as the champions of the top two divisions go head to head.
Leeds, now under iconic Argentine boss Marcelo Bielsa, are back in the Premier League after 16 years away and have the toughest possible start.
Liverpool - English champions for the first time for 30 years - have not lost a home game in the Premier League since a 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace in April 2017. Jurgen Klopp's side have won 25 of their past 26 league matches at Anfield.
The Reds travel to Chelsea for their second game, before a home match against FA Cup winners Arsenal. Leeds host fellow promoted side Fulham in their second fixture.
When are the key fixtures?
The first big derby of the season will be on Merseyside when Everton v Liverpool takes place on 17 October.
Manchester United host Leeds in a renewal of their old rivalry on 19 December, with the return game at Elland Road on 24 April.
Manchester City, who finished second last season, face title rivals Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on 7 November, with their other game on 6 February.
Selected derby matches...
17 October - Everton v Liverpool
5 December - Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
12 December - Manchester United v Manchester City
16 January - Wolves v West Brom
20 February - Liverpool v Everton
6 March - Manchester City v Manchester United
13 March - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
1 May - West Brom v Wolves
All dates subject to change
Fixture congestion incoming
With the season starting a month later than usual because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the games will come thick and fast.
The upcoming campaign will be five weeks shorter than a standard season because of the late end to 2019-20 - and the winter break has been scrapped.
Arsenal and Liverpool meet in the Community Shield on 29 August, with players then going on an international break for the Nations League before the Premier League starts.
Manchester City v Aston Villa could be played on 15 September, with Burnley v Manchester United the following day - although that is yet to be confirmed.
Those are the dates Premier League clubs not in Europe enter the Carabao Cup at the second round.
Rounds two to four of that competition, which will involve top-flight sides, will be played midweek on 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30 September.
Spurs start Europa League qualifying on 17 September and could end up with two first-team matches in the same midweek.
There are rounds of Premier League games due on 26 December, 28 December and 2 January over the festive period.
The final league fixtures will be on 23 May 2021 - eight days after the FA Cup final.
The Champions League final is on 29 May, with the delayed Euro 2020 starting on 11 June.


bbc--2020-08-20--Flexible start times agreed for England v Pakistan third Test

Last updated on .From the section Cricket Flexible start times for England 's third Test against Pakistan have been agreed after the second Test was ruined by rain and bad light .
That means action could begin at 10:30 BST , rather than the usual 11:00 .
Only a day and a half 's play was possible over the five days of the second Test in Southampton .
England lead the series 1-0 and are looking for a first success over Pakistan in 10 years .
• None How do you solve a problem like bad light ?
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'addressed' Test matches in England usually make up any lost time at the end of a day , meaning play can sometimes go on as late as 19:00 or 19:30 .
Earlier start times had previously been avoided partly to allow spectators time to travel to the venue .
With matches being played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic , that is not a consideration for matches this summer .
However , the England and Wales Cricket Board says the earlier starts will also be considered for future series in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously said he would support earlier starts .
`` It makes sense to me , '' he said .
`` We have a period at the start of the day we could use , but we try to lump it at the end when light is an issue . ''

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
The second Test between England and Pakistan ended in a draw
Flexible start times for England's third Test against Pakistan have been agreed after the second Test was ruined by rain and bad light.
If time is lost on a particular day at the Ageas Bowl, officials will have the option of starting play 30 minutes earlier on the following day.
That means action could begin at 10:30 BST, rather than the usual 11:00.
Only a day and a half's play was possible over the five days of the second Test in Southampton.
England lead the series 1-0 and are looking for a first success over Pakistan in 10 years.
Test matches in England usually make up any lost time at the end of a day, meaning play can sometimes go on as late as 19:00 or 19:30.
Earlier start times had previously been avoided partly to allow spectators time to travel to the venue.
With matches being played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, that is not a consideration for matches this summer.
However, the England and Wales Cricket Board says the earlier starts will also be considered for future series in this country.
England coach Chris Silverwood had previously said he would support earlier starts.
"It makes sense to me," he said. "We have a period at the start of the day we could use, but we try to lump it at the end when light is an issue."


bbc--2020-08-19--'This is what you dream about' - Bayern's Davies on reaching Champions League final

Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies says reaching the Champions League final is `` a dream come true '' .
Davies , 19 , joined Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019 for a then Major League Soccer record £9.84m He is set to become the first Canada international to play in the final of Europe 's elite club competition .
`` Playing in the Champions League and getting to the final is everything you could ask for , '' he told BT Sport after the 3-0 semi-final win over Lyon .
German giants Bayern will be aiming to win their sixth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - who are playing in their first final - on Sunday ( 20:00 BST ) .
The Bundesliga club saw off Lyon to reach the showpiece for the 11th time - albeit for the first time in seven years - with another superb attacking display on Wednesday .
Davies , who also impressed in the 4-1 win over Chelsea in the last 16 and the 8-2 quarter-final demolition of Barcelona , says his side will be `` hungry '' to see out the season in style .
`` PSG are a good team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then we focus on the next game , '' he added .
`` It will be a good game - there will be goals in that game .
This is what you dream about as a footballer : playing with the best and against the best in Europe .
`` It is a dream come true .
Even though they [ the older players in the squad ] have won many many titles before they are still hungry to win this one . ''
A winner 's medal would also be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who asked to swap shirts with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi after their last-eight tie .
`` I asked for it [ Messi 's shirt ] .
But I think he was a little bit upset .
Next time , maybe , '' he added .
Victory on Sunday would cap a truly stellar season for Bayern , who have already posted some impressive stats : • Coach Hansi Flick 's side have now won 10 consecutive games in the Champions League , equalling the longest winning streak by a team in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madrid in 2015 and Bayern themselves in 2013 ) .
• They are on the longest unbeaten run across Europe 's top five league 's ( P29 W28 D1 L0 ) , scoring 97 goals during this run ( 3.4 per game ) and winning their past 20 .
• They are only the fourth team in Champions League history to surpass 40 goals in a single campaign .
Only Barcelona in 1999-2000 have netted more in a season in the competition ( 45 ) than Bayern 's 42 this time .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , scoring 100 goals to win their 30th Bundesliga title before also claiming the German Cup .
• Sunday 's final will be their 11th in the European Cup , equalling AC Milan 's tally .
Only Real Madrid ( 16 ) having featured in more .
• Striker Robert Lewandowski has become only the second player in the history of the Champions League to score 15 goals in a single campaign , along with Cristiano Ronaldo , who has done so three times .
• Rugby Union Weekly : What 's new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hayley Daily Honest and hilarious takes on hot topics

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Alphonso Davies (right) was born in a refugee camp in Ghana in 2000
Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies says reaching the Champions League final is "a dream come true".
Davies, 19, joined Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019 for a then Major League Soccer record £9.84m
He is set to become the first Canada international to play in the final of Europe's elite club competition.
"Playing in the Champions League and getting to the final is everything you could ask for," he told BT Sport after the 3-0 semi-final win over Lyon.
German giants Bayern will be aiming to win their sixth European Cup against French champions Paris St-Germain - who are playing in their first final - on Sunday (20:00 BST).
The Bundesliga club saw off Lyon to reach the showpiece for the 11th time - albeit for the first time in seven years - with another superb attacking display on Wednesday.
Davies, who also impressed in the 4-1 win over Chelsea in the last 16 and the 8-2 quarter-final demolition of Barcelona, says his side will be "hungry" to see out the season in style.
"PSG are a good team. Right now we celebrate a bit, then we focus on the next game," he added.
"It will be a good game - there will be goals in that game. This is what you dream about as a footballer: playing with the best and against the best in Europe.
"It is a dream come true. Even though they [the older players in the squad] have won many many titles before they are still hungry to win this one."
A winner's medal would also be a fine conclusion to the season for Davies, who asked to swap shirts with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi after their last-eight tie.
"I asked for it [Messi's shirt]. But I think he was a little bit upset. Next time, maybe," he added.
Bayern's big numbers
Victory on Sunday would cap a truly stellar season for Bayern, who have already posted some impressive stats:


bbc--2020-08-20--Everton target Allan and Doucoure for midfield rebuild

Everton are in talks with Napoli over a deal for £30m-rated midfielder Allan and have renewed their interest in Watford 's Abdoulaye Doucoure .
Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti managed Allan at Napoli and reports in Italy suggest the 29-year-old is set to reject interest from Atletico Madrid .
Doucoure , 27 , wants to leave Watford after their Premier League relegation .
Ancelotti is determined to revamp Everton 's midfield after they struggled towards the end of last season .
Brazil international Allan is seen as the ball-winning competitor the Toffees require , while Everton - then managed by Marco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frenchman Doucoure rejected last summer .
The Hornets are likely to demand at least £25m for the midfielder .
Despite being an overpopulated area of his squad - including the likes of Tom Davies , Fabian Delph , Andre Gomes and Gylfi Sigurdsson - Ancelotti wants to inject fresh life into the midfield .
The 61-year-old Italian had hoped to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton , but the Dane opted for Tottenham .
Everton director of football Marcel Brands is trying to lower the club 's wage bill after several seasons of heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more cash is laid out on signings .
Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has joined Nice , while striker Oumar Niasse left at the end of his contract and long-serving defender Leighton Baines retired but Brands wants to cut the squad and the wage bill even further .
It may mean Everton playing a long game before doing deals but it is likely Ancelotti will still want high-profile reinforcements before the Premier League season starts on the weekend of 12 September .
The Toffees had a deal lined up for Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving towards a successful conclusion , were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and the 22-year-old Brazilian is now likely to join Arsenal .
They have also held discussions with Atletico Madrid over Colombia right-back Santiago Arias , 28 .
• Rugby Union Weekly : What 's new as the Premiership returns ?
• The Hayley Daily Honest and hilarious takes on hot topics

Last updated on .From the section Everton
Allan and Doucoure are targets as part of a midfield rebuild for Everton
Everton are in talks with Napoli over a deal for £30m-rated midfielder Allan and have renewed their interest in Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti managed Allan at Napoli and reports in Italy external-link suggest the 29-year-old is set to reject interest from Atletico Madrid.
Doucoure, 27, wants to leave Watford after their Premier League relegation.
Ancelotti is determined to revamp Everton's midfield after they struggled towards the end of last season.
Brazil international Allan is seen as the ball-winning competitor the Toffees require, while Everton - then managed by Marco Silva - had a £30m bid for Frenchman Doucoure rejected last summer.
The Hornets are likely to demand at least £25m for the midfielder.
Despite being an overpopulated area of his squad - including the likes of Tom Davies, Fabian Delph, Andre Gomes and Gylfi Sigurdsson - Ancelotti wants to inject fresh life into the midfield.
The 61-year-old Italian had hoped to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton, but the Dane opted for Tottenham.
Everton director of football Marcel Brands is trying to lower the club's wage bill after several seasons of heavy, and often unsuccessful, spending before more cash is laid out on signings.
Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has joined Nice, while striker Oumar Niasse left at the end of his contract and long-serving defender Leighton Baines retired but Brands wants to cut the squad and the wage bill even further.
It may mean Everton playing a long game before doing deals but it is likely Ancelotti will still want high-profile reinforcements before the Premier League season starts on the weekend of 12 September.
The Toffees had a deal lined up for Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes earlier this year but negotiations, which were moving towards a successful conclusion, were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and the 22-year-old Brazilian is now likely to join Arsenal.
They have also held discussions with Atletico Madrid over Colombia right-back Santiago Arias, 28.


bbc--2020-08-20--What to watch for on day three

What to watch for on day three

Balloons .
Confetti .
Signs .
Big hats .
It 's the moment US election enthusiasts have been waiting four years for .
It 's convention season .
We 've reached the final night of the Democratic National Convention - and Joe Biden has been crowned as the party 's presidential nominee .
Of course this year , things are looking a bit different .
Here 's everything you need to know about this year 's convention , Covid-19 changes and all .
Where and what time is the 2020 convention ?
Officially , it 's being held in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midwestern state of Wisconsin , from Monday 17 August to Thursday 20 August .
But Covid-19 restrictions and concerns mean that the only people attending in-person are those necessary to orchestrating the event .
Instead of 50,000 people gathering for the traditional calendar with days full of speeches , receptions and rallies , sessions are being streamed from the Democratic Party 's social media channels and aired live on most US news channels from 21:00 to 23:00 EDT each night .
• Appearances from several ex-2020 contenders , like former New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mayor of South Bend , Indiana • Speeches from California Governor Gavin Newsom , Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Duckworth , the first openly-gay woman elected to Congress • Performances by singer John Legend , hip hop star Common , and country pop band The Chicks What is the Democratic National Convention ?
It is where the Democratic Party comes together to formally name - and hype up - their candidates .
You may be thinking , `` was n't Joe Biden already the nominee ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention he was certainly the presumptive Democratic candidate , but it was n't until the ceremonial roll call on Tuesday that he was officially anointed .
Party members will also unveil the 2020 Democratic platform , the list of party values and policy priorities which they believe distinguish them from their rival Republicans .
How to watch the convention On Thursday evening there will be a live page from 2130 BST/ 1630 EST which you will find on the BBC News front page .
All the latest developments will also be tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeches and get analysis on BBC World News ( global ) and the BBC News Channel ( UK ) .
You can also watch the convention on the DNC website , from 21:00-23:00 ET ( 01:00-03:00 GMT the next day ) .
• A simple guide to the US election • How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
• How you can be US president without winning most votes Will Joe Biden be there ?
Mr Biden will not be in Wisconsin .
The presidential nominee will be dialling in from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 'll deliver his speech from the Chase Center , in Wilmington .
That 's also where Kamala Harris , his vice-presidential pick , gave her acceptance speech on Wednesday .
He 's already had appearances on the first two nights though .
On Monday he led a recorded conversation on race with politicians and activists , and on Tuesday he joined his wife Jill for her speech .
• Where Joe Biden stands on the key issues Who are the speakers this year ?
Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Bill Clinton was the headline act on Tuesday .
Former president Barack Obama took a primetime slot on Wednesday night , as did Hillary Clinton , Mr Obama 's former secretary of state and the Democrats ' presidential nominee in 2016 .
What to watch out for This political convention wo n't look like any we 've seen before but the stakes are as high as ever .
Here 's what I 'm looking out for : Biden as the anti-Trump : First and foremost , this is Joe Biden 's moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump not only for his policies - which he says have `` left the US in tatters '' - but for his behaviour in the White House .
Biden frames this election as a `` fight for the soul of the nation '' and will present himself as the candidate who can unite and heal America .
Signs of weakness : There have been doubts , encouraged by his political adversaries , that the 77-year-old has lost a step in recent years .
He 's traditionally been a compelling public speaker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise to the moment and put doubts to rest about his endurance and abilities .
An appeal to multiple audiences : Biden will use the convention to appeal to a national audience tuning into the campaign for the first time - especially independents and moderate Republicans - but he also needs to energise the base , including those on the left of the party .
Barack Obama was the last Democrat to build a winning coalition - with the former president , and his wife Michelle , closing out two nights , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magic rubs off .
The rising stars : While Biden 's choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate has made her an heir apparent , there are other names on the speaking schedule who might someday challenge her .
That includes a gaggle of governors , such as New York 's Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom of California , five of Biden 's 2020 campaign rivals and several members of his vice-presidential short list .
Then there 's Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who at 30 is still several cycles away from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power in the progressive wing of the party .
Will any of them follow in the steps of then-state senator Obama in 2004 , and seize the moment ?
Will it just be politicians speaking ?
Not to worry - you 'll hear from ordinary , relatable Americans too .
Planners have promised `` fewer people behind podiums - and more people in living rooms , on factory floors , at small businesses , and in schools and town squares '' .
This line-up includes educators , gun safety advocates , healthcare workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've heard from a Pennsylvania farmer , Rick Telesz , who voted for Trump in 2016 , but changed his mind after his family farm suffered amid the president 's trade war .
Another highlighted voice this year is gun safety advocate DeAndra Dycus , an Indiana mother whose 13-year-old son was shot and injured at a birthday party .
Why are Republicans on the bill ?
It 's rare , though not unprecedented , to have members of the other party show up .
This time , former Ohio Governor John Kasich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressed the convention on Monday .
Another Republican , former Secretary of State Colin Powell , spoke on Tuesday .
They represent moderate conservatives unhappy with the direction the president has taken the Republican Party .
How is the candidate chosen ?
If you 've been following along with the primary election season so far , you know why the nomination vote was a formality for Biden .
After a shaky start in the primary elections when each party picks its candidate , he convincingly won the race ahead of Bernie Sanders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the convention for the candidate that won their state 's Democratic primary election or caucus .
Usually delegates are in the convention hall when they vote , but this year it was what planners described was a `` re-imagined roll call process '' taking viewers to all 57 states and territories .
• How is Donald Trump doing in the polls ?
As for those delegates who were promised to other candidates who 've since withdrawn from the race , they 're free to vote as they will .
If you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can read about it in our guide to primaries and caucuses .
What happens next ?
Do n't worry , convention season is n't over yet .
We 've got the Republican National Convention coming up from August 24-27 , though the pandemic has upended plans for that , too .
After that , presidential campaigning will be in full force until the general election on 3 November .
Make a note in your calendars for the debates , too .
The first presidential debate is scheduled for 29 September , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US election process can be confusing .
The BBC is here to help make sense of it .
Please put your questions below .
Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy .

An appeal to multiple audiences: Biden will use the convention to appeal to a national audience tuning into the campaign for the first time - especially independents and moderate Republicans - but he also needs to energise the base, including those on the left of the party. Barack Obama was the last Democrat to build a winning coalition - with the former president, and his wife Michelle, closing out two nights, his campaign clearly hopes some of the Obama magic rubs off.


bbc--2020-08-20--Steve Bannon charged with fraud over Mexico wall funds

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border .
Mr Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the `` We Build the Wall '' campaign , which raised $ 25m ( £19m ) , the US Department of Justice ( DoJ ) said .
Mr Bannon received more than $ 1m , at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses , it alleged .
In court , he entered a not guilty plea .
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail , was a key architect of Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential election victory .
His right-wing anti-immigration ideology fuelled Mr Trump 's `` America First '' campaign .
He was arrested on a 150-foot ( 45m ) yacht called the Lady May in Connecticut by agents from the US Postal Inspection Service , which investigates fraud cases .
The yacht is owned by Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui , US media report .
Mr Bannon is the sixth former senior aide to Donald Trump to face criminal charges - after ex-Trump campaign chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone , ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen , ex-deputy campaign manager Rick Gates and ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn .
Responding to Mr Bannon 's arrest , President Trump said he felt `` very badly '' about it .
He also said he had had no involvement with `` We Build the Wall '' .
`` I said , 'This is for government ; this is n't for private people ' - and it sounded to me like showboating and I think I let my opinion be very strongly stated at the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges against Bannon ?
The `` We Build the Wall '' campaign pledged to use donations to build segments of the border barrier - whose construction was a key Trump promise during the 2016 election - on private land .
But Audrey Strauss , the acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York ( SDNY ) , said Mr Bannon , Brian Kolfage , Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea had `` defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors , capitalising on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of that money would be spent on construction '' .
Mr Bannon had received more than $ 1m through a non-profit organisation he controlled , at least some of which he used to cover `` hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bannon 's personal expenses '' , the DoJ said .
Meanwhile , Mr Kolfage - founder of `` We Build the Wall '' - covertly took $ 350,000 for his personal use , the statement said .
`` While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage , the founder and public face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be paid a cent , the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage , which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle , '' Ms Strauss said .
SDNY Inspector-in-Charge Philip R Bartlett said the four created `` sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes , showing no regard for the law or the truth '' .
`` This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law , not even a disabled war veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Mr Bannon and the three others launched the scheme in December 2018 , the DoJ said , and during the campaign Mr Kolfage said that all of the money donated would go towards construction while Mr Bannon publicly said : `` We 're a volunteer organisation . ''
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering , each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison .
Mr Bannon , 66 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours after his arrest on Thursday .
Mr Kolfage and Mr Badolato will appear in separate courts in Florida and Mr Shea will appear in Colorado .
Mr Bannon was released on bail of $ 5m , secured by $ 1.75m in cash or property .
He will not be allowed to travel on private planes or boats or to leave the country pending his criminal trial .
The line between legitimate online political fundraising and swindling is sometimes a fine one .
Federal prosecutors are now alleging that Steve Bannon , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , crossed it .
Mr Bannon was one of those fringe figures who rode Trump 's improbable rise to the presidency to national prominence .
His time in actual power at the White House was short-lived , however .
Donald Trump reportedly resented news reports painting Mr Bannon as the `` brains '' behind the president - a perception boosted by Mr Bannon 's willingness to talk with the press .
Since then he mostly has been confined to advocating for the president from the sidelines - and participating in sometimes questionable side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this indictment comes out of the Southern District of New York , the federal prosecutorial office that has handled other high-profile cases involving Trump associates , will stir greater interest in the indictment .
The district was itself the source of recent controversy when Attorney General Bill Barr abruptly fired its head , Geoffrey Berman .
After criticism , Mr Barr was forced to abandon his choice for a temporary replacement , and Mr Berman 's top deputy moved into the job , instead .
It was this woman , Audrey Strauss , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The former investment banker was the driving force behind the right-wing Breitbart News website before serving in the Trump White House as chief strategist .
His influence was discernible in key decisions such as the mid-2017 US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement .
He left the post in August 2017 and returned to Breitbart , but was again forced to step down after criticising Mr Trump 's decisions , prompting Mr Trump to say `` Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency .
When he was fired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lost his mind '' .
Mr Bannon has since expressed support for the idea of a right-wing supergroup of populist parties in Europe and his presence at events has become controversial , with the New Yorker magazine dropping him from a festival , Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pulling out of an event co-hosted by the BBC at which he appeared , and a further appearance at Oxford University Union that attracted protests .
Last year he told the BBC that the `` turmoil '' from Brexit was `` only just beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the US and Mexico would help black and Hispanic communities .
What is happening with the border wall ?
The wall with Mexico is perhaps Donald Trump 's most memorable signature promise from his 2016 election campaign .
He said he would build it and Mexico would pay for it .
Before Mr Trump took office , there were 654 miles ( just over 1,000km ) of barrier along the southern border .
He promised to build a wall along the border 's entire 2,000-mile length .
Later , he said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with nature , such as mountains and rivers , helping to take care of the rest .
• Trump might not get his wall .
It may not matter • Step into the shoes of a migrant to America Work on extending the current barrier began last year .
The money has come from previous funding approved by Congress , as well as extra cash Mr Trump has been able to access since he declared a state of emergency in February 2019 amid a spike in the number of migrants entering the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds , but is still short of the original estimate of up to $ 12bn which , in turn , is far shorter than much higher estimates of the real cost .
The administration 's aim was to have 509 miles of it ready by the end of 2020 .

He left the post in August 2017 and returned to Breitbart, but was again forced to step down after criticising Mr Trump's decisions, prompting Mr Trump to say "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind".


bbc--2020-08-20--Alexei Navalny: 'Poisoned' Russian opposition leader in a coma

Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is unconscious in hospital suffering from suspected poisoning , his spokeswoman has said .
The anti-corruption campaigner fell ill during a flight and the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk , where doctors said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life .
His team suspects something was put in his tea at an airport cafe .
The Kremlin said that it wished Mr Navalny a `` speedy recovery '' .
Mr Navalny , 44 , has for years been among President Vladimir Putin 's staunchest critics .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms as a `` coup '' and a `` violation of the constitution '' .
The reforms allow Mr Putin to serve another two terms in office , after the four terms he has already had .
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was `` deeply concerned '' by the reports Mr Navalny had been poisoned , and sent his thoughts to him and his family .
What has the spokeswoman said ?
Kira Yarmysh , the press secretary for the Anti-Corruption Foundation , which Mr Navalny founded in 2011 , tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Moscow from Tomsk .
`` During the flight , he felt ill .
The plane made an urgent landing in Omsk .
Alexei has toxic poisoning . ''
She added : `` We suspect that Alexei was poisoned by something mixed into [ his ] tea .
It was the only thing he drank since morning .
`` Doctors are saying that the toxic agent absorbed faster through the hot liquid .
Right now Alexei is unconscious . ''
Ms Yarmysh said later that Mr Navalny was on a ventilator and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was now full of police officers .
All of his belongings were being confiscated , she added .
She also said that doctors were initially ready to share any information but then they later claimed the toxicology tests had been delayed and were `` clearly playing for time , and not saying what they know '' .
Diagnosis would be `` towards evening '' , she was told .
Both Mr Navalny 's wife , Yulia Navalnaya , and doctor , Anastasia Vasilyeva , have arrived at the hospital .
Mrs Navalnaya was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities said the patient had not agreed to the visit , Ms Yarmysh said , although she was later allowed on to the ward .
Dr Vasilyeva said they were seeking to transfer the opposition leader to a specialist poison control centre in Europe , but hospital doctors were refusing to provide records of his condition .
What are the other reports from the scene ?
The Tass news agency quoted one source at the Omsk Emergency Hospital as saying : `` Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny , born in 1976 .
Poisoning intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician of the hospital later told media that it was not certain Mr Navalny had been poisoned , although poisoning was `` naturally '' one of the diagnoses being considered .
Anatoly Kalinichenko said that doctors were `` genuinely trying to save [ Mr Navalny 's ] life '' .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said it wished the critic a speedy recovery - as it would all citizens in such circumstances - and that the authorities would consider approving treatment abroad if it were requested .
Video footage on social media shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an ambulance on the airport runway .
Other disturbing video appears to show a stricken Mr Navalny in pain on the flight .
Passenger Pavel Lebedev said : `` At the start of the flight he went to the toilet and did n't come back .
He started feeling really sick .
They struggled to bring him round and he was screaming in pain . ''
Another photograph on social media purports to show Mr Navalny drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe .
The Interfax agency said the cafe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could provide any evidence .
He made a name for himself by exposing official corruption , labelling Mr Putin 's United Russia as `` the party of crooks and thieves '' , and has served several jail terms .
In 2011 he was arrested and imprisoned for 15 days following protests over vote-rigging by Mr Putin 's United Russia party in parliamentary elections .
Mr Navalny was briefly jailed in July 2013 on embezzlement charges but denounced the sentence as political .
He attempted to stand in the 2018 presidential race but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a case he again said was politically motivated .
Mr Navalny was also given a 30-day jail term in July 2019 after calling for unauthorised protests .
He was taken ill during that jail sentence .
Doctors diagnosed him with `` contact dermatitis '' but he said he had never had any acute allergic reactions and his own doctor suggested he might have been exposed to `` some toxic agent '' .
Mr Navalny also said he thought he may have been poisoned .
Mr Navalny also suffered a serious chemical burn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was assaulted with green , antiseptic dye .
Last year his Anti-Corruption Foundation was officially declared a `` foreign agent '' , enabling the authorities to subject it to more checks .
If this is confirmed as a poisoning , previous attacks on high-profile critics of President Putin would again be thrown into the spotlight .
They include politician Boris Nemtsov and journalist Anna Politkovskaya , who were shot dead , and intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko , who died of poisoning in the UK .
Journalist and opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was poisoned twice by Russian security services .
He nearly died after suffering kidney failure in 2015 and went into a coma two years later .
Another Kremlin critic , Pyotr Verzilov , accused Russia 's intelligence services of poisoning him in 2018 , when he fell ill after a court hearing , losing his sight and ability to speak .
The same year , former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury .
The UK believes agents from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the attack , but the Kremlin has always denied involvement .

He was taken ill during that jail sentence. Doctors diagnosed him with "contact dermatitis" but he said he had never had any acute allergic reactions and his own doctor suggested he might have been exposed to "some toxic agent". Mr Navalny also said he thought he may have been poisoned.


bbc--2020-08-20--Israel investigates alleged Eilat gang rape of teenager

Police in Israel have launched an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl at a hotel in the southern resort town of Eilat .
Two people have been detained so far .
One of the suspects said more than 30 men had sex with the girl , but denied rape , according to local media reports .
The men are accused of raping the teenager while she was intoxicated .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for those responsible to be `` brought to justice '' .
`` This is shocking , there is no other word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the girl , this is a crime against humanity itself that is worthy of all condemnation , '' he tweeted on Thursday .
The teenager filed a complaint to police last Friday .
According to Israeli media reports , she went to Eilat earlier this month with a friend , and met up with a group of the friend 's acquaintances .
They all went out to drink together before going back to a hotel , where the men allegedly raped the girl , one after the other .
Authorities say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but was not able to stop the men .
The identities of the two detained suspects have not been made public , but local media reports say they are Israeli residents in their 20s .
One was arrested after police found video documentation of the alleged assault in messages between him and the teenager , the Times of Israel reports .
The suspect has denied communicating with the girl , and says someone else was using his phone .
The same suspect told police that more than 30 people were involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage would prove that it was consensual .
`` The police investigation is still under way , but it 's important that I convey a message to those who participated or bore witness to this case or others : The only thing you 've proven is what depravity of your soul and morality you are capable of , '' he tweeted .
`` To the complainant , it 's important that I say : My heart is with you , you are not alone . ''
Last year , a 19-year-old British woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli men at a hotel in Cyprus .
She was later found guilty of lying about being raped and given a four-month suspended sentence .
The case was denounced by women 's rights groups .
The 19-year-old 's lawyer said she was appealing against her conviction .

"The police investigation is still under way, but it's important that I convey a message to those who participated or bore witness to this case or others: The only thing you've proven is what depravity of your soul and morality you are capable of," he tweeted.


bbc--2020-08-20--Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released

Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to reduce local populations .
The aim is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue or the Zika virus .
The green-lighting of a pilot project after years of debate drew a swift outcry from environmental groups , who warned of unintended consequences .
One group condemned the plan as a public `` Jurassic Park experiment '' .
Activists warn of possible damage to ecosystems , and the potential creation of hybrid , insecticide-resistant mosquitoes .
But the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk to humans or the environment , and points to a slate of government-backed studies .
• Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes ?
The plan to release the mosquitoes in 2021 in the Florida Keys , a string of islands , comes months after the modified mosquitoes were approved by federal regulators .
In May , the US Environmental Agency granted permission to the British-based , US-operated company Oxitec to produce the genetically engineered , male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes , which are known as OX5034 .
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dengue , Zika , chikungunya and yellow fever .
Only female mosquitoes bite humans because they need blood to produce eggs .
So the plan is to release the male , modified mosquitoes who will then hopefully breed with wild female mosquitoes .
However the males carry a protein that will kill off any female offspring before they reach mature biting age .
Males , which only feed on nectar , will survive and pass on the genes .
Over time , the aim is to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of disease to humans .
On Tuesday , officials in the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District ( FKMCD ) gave final approval to release 750 million of the modified mosquitoes over a two-year period .
The plan has many critics , including nearly 240,000 people who signed a petition on Change.org slamming Oxitec 's plan to use US states `` as a testing ground for these mutant bugs '' .
According to Oxitec 's website , the company has found positive results conducting field trials in Brazil .
It also plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has gained federal approval , but not state or local approval , according to reports .
In a statement denouncing the project , environmental group Friends of the Earth said : `` The release of genetically engineered mosquitoes will needlessly put Floridians , the environment and endangered species at risk in the midst of a pandemic . ''
But an Oxitec scientist told AP news agency : `` We have released over a billion of our mosquitoes over the years .
There is no potential for risk to the environment or humans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to southern Florida , and are commonly found in urban areas where they live in standing pools of water .
In many areas , including the Florida Keys , they have developed a resistance to pesticides .
You might also be interested in :

According to Oxitec's website, the company has found positive results conducting field trials in Brazil. It also plans to deploy them in Texas beginning in 2021 and has gained federal approval, but not state or local approval, according to reports.


bbc--2020-08-20--France: Virus cases spike to 4,700 in a day

France has reported a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases - 4,771 - up a thousand on Wednesday 's figure .
It is the first time more than 4,000 daily cases have been seen since May .
Meanwhile Spain , Germany and Italy have also recorded their highest numbers of cases since late April or May .
Many of the new Spanish cases are reportedly among the young , while German cases are said to be driven by a lack of social distancing and travellers returning from abroad .
• What are the rules in France and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope ' as Africa Covid-19 cases level off The UK - which has Europe 's highest coronavirus death toll - registered a further 1,182 cases on Thursday .
Why are cases rising in France ?
The number of confirmed cases has been accelerating since mid-August .
France has increased its testing capacity and carried out 664,000 tests over the past week , the health ministry said , but the rate of positive cases has also been increasing .
It stood at 3.3 % for the week between 11-17 August , up from 2.1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.5 % rate seen at the end of July .
Officials say the virus is now mostly circulating in major cities among the young , who typically do not have serious symptoms , and this is why the number of people being treated in hospital has not changed much .
Nevertheless three more cities - St Etienne , Nice and Toulouse - have made wearing a mask mandatory in their city centres .
Mask-wearing is already required in busy areas of the capital Paris .
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has ruled out any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which begins on 1 September , although he conceded there `` could be local exceptions '' .
Pupils aged 11 and above will be required to wear masks when they are moving around schools in confined spaces and in classrooms when they are face to face and separated by less than a metre .
Spain reported 3,349 new cases on Thursday , with the health ministry 's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simón saying that no-one in the country should be in any doubt that `` things are not going well '' .
`` Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a national level , it is [ out of control ] in certain concrete ways , '' he added , quoted by El País newspaper .
If cases continue to rise there would be `` many hospitalisations , many people in intensive care and many deaths '' , he said .
The country has seen 131 deaths over the past week , more than ten times the level seen a month ago .
The average age of those confirmed to have the virus was now 39 for men and 37 for women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the epidemic in the country , when the average age of those infected was over 60 .
Mr Simón appealed to social media influencers for help in containing the epidemic , asking them to emphasise to their followers that young people could end up infecting older members of their families .
`` I understand that people want to go partying , but there are ways and ways of doing that , '' he said .
`` Those with influence over the population must raise awareness about what needs to be done .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with much of the rise blamed on returning holidaymakers as well as parties and family gatherings .
The Robert-Koch Institute said the highest rates of infection were among those returning from Kosovo , Turkey and Croatia .
In the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia , more than a third of returnees who tested positive were coming from Kosovo and nearly 20 % were coming from Turkey .
However , those returning from Spain and Greece made up just 2.5 % and 0.5 % of positive cases in the state .
Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia - as virus risk regions and warned against travel there .
Arrivals in Germany from those areas will face mandatory tests for coronavirus .
Tourist Cheyenne Maschkewitz in Split told Reuters she had seen less social distancing than at home .
`` We arrived here 10 days ago , it 's quite different here than in Germany , like the masks - when you go to shopping they do n't take it seriously , I think , '' she said .
The UK and neighbouring Slovenia have also added Croatia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday - to their quarantine lists .
Slovenia says it has recorded dozens of cases among people returning from Croatian party destinations .
However Croatia 's Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic insisted that `` less than 1 % of tourists got infected in Croatia '' and said a ban on nightclubs opening beyond midnight would probably be extended Italy has also reported a sharp rise in infections , with 845 new cases in its latest daily count .
The number is not as high as some other European countries but it is a rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there since late May .
`` We are not in as bad a position as France and Spain , but the current situation is not satisfactory , '' said Professor Massimo Galli , head of infectious diseases at Milan 's Sacco hospital .
The highest number of cases were reported in Veneto with 159 cases and Lombardy with 154 in Italy 's north , and in Rome 's Lazio region with 115 .
`` The end of confinement has resulted in an excessive feeling of false security , '' Prof Galli added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also pointed to young people returning from summer holidays , citing the example of nine people with the virus coming back from Croatia .
`` I do n't want to look like the one blaming young people , '' Prof Galli said , but `` every day we receive reports of this type '' .

France has increased its testing capacity and carried out 664,000 tests over the past week, the health ministry said, but the rate of positive cases has also been increasing. It stood at 3.3% for the week between 11-17 August, up from 2.1% previously and more than double the 1.5% rate seen at the end of July.


bbc--2020-08-20--US jobless claims rise back above one million

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed back above one million last week , official figures show .
The US Labor Department said claims rose to 1.1 million , ahead of economists ' forecasts of 925,000 .
The rise came as US President Donald Trump faces increased pressure over his handling of the health crisis .
Coronavirus infections continue to spread across the US , prompting local authorities to restrict businesses .
The number of people claiming jobless benefits had fallen in the prior two weeks .
Most recently , it dipped below one million to 971,000 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week to 8 August , But economists have warned that the recent jobs improvement is at risk of stalling , as health concerns drive people to limit their activity and spending even as reopening continues .
`` Today 's rise in initial jobless will disappoint the market , especially following last week 's promising data , '' said Richard Flynn , UK managing director at stock broker Charles Schwab .
`` While hard-hit industries brought workers back in July , the level of weakness remains unprecedented , and the impact of virus-related rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that improvement . ''
The US economy suffered its sharpest economic contraction in more than 70 years of record keeping in the April-June period , shrinking at an annual rate of 33 % .
Although the unemployment rate has fallen from the 14.7 % high in April as businesses open and activity resumes , the 10.2 % rate recorded in July remains higher than any month during the financial crisis .
This data does n't feel like the V shaped recovery that President Trump and the Republicans are banking on .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into seven digits after two weeks of declines , the jobs market is a reflection of the upheavals facing the world 's largest economy .
And yet at this key inflection point , Congress is still divided over the next relief package that might help many Americans who lost their jobs when the US shut down to halt the spread of the coronavirus .
Republicans want a smaller package .
They point to improvements in the economy : the S & P 500 hit a record high this week , retail sales have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet many people do n't feel better .
Thousands of businesses are still closed .
The unemployment rate is above 10 % .
And food insecurity is on the rise .
President Trump issued an executive order this month that provided $ 300 a week in additional unemployment benefits after a $ 600 a week payment approved by Congress expired in July .
But the aid is limited and in some states is only expected to last three weeks .
With the recovery far from assured , most economists warn that now is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pull back .
More than 28 million people - nearly one fifth of the American workforce - were collecting some form of unemployment payment in the week ended 1 August .
`` The number of individuals claiming benefits remains extraordinarily high - more than twice the peak of the Great Recession - underscoring that the labour market is a long way from being healthy , '' said Nancy Vanden Houten , lead US economist at Oxford Economics .
Talks in Washington about further economic aid for people collapsed this month without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an extra $ 600 weekly top up that Congress approved for unemployment benefits during the pandemic expired at the end of July .
Analysts have warned that the removal is likely to further hurt the US economic recovery , which relies on consumer spending .
Democrats have called for more than $ 3tn in further spending - a figure Republicans have rejected as too high .
The stand-off puts Mr Trump , who is up for re-election in November , in a potentially perilous position .
While polls suggest that voter approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively strong , Democrats are blaming him for the crisis .
`` Trump 's ignorance and incompetence have always endangered our country .
COVID-19 was his biggest test—and he failed miserably , `` said Senator Elizabeth Warren on Twitter .
`` America has the most COVID-19 deaths in the world and an economic collapse—and both crises are falling hardest on Black and Brown families . ''
Mr Trump has said he supports further aid , and used his power to try boost unemployment payments .
But his orders do not fully replace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended everywhere , since the programme would need support from local authorities .

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bbc--2020-08-20--Iran nuclear deal: European nations 'siding with ayatollahs' - Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused European allies of `` siding with the ayatollahs '' after they said the US could not reimpose sanctions on Iran .
The UK , France and Germany said the US did not have the legal right to trigger `` snapback '' sanctions because it pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 .
The US has controversially initiated a process at the UN Security Council to reinstate the UN sanctions .
They were lifted under the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement .
`` No country but the United States has had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution .
Instead , they chose to side with the ayatollahs , '' Mr Pompeo said after formally submitting a complaint accusing Iran of non-compliance with the deal .
Other countries on the Security Council will have 30 days to adopt a resolution to avert the snapback .
But , as a permanent member , the US will be able to exercise its veto power .
• Why do the limits on Iran 's uranium enrichment matter ?
• Iranians on Trump and the nuclear deal • How renewed US sanctions have hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could to enforce the sanctions on Iran if they were violated , Mr Pompeo added .
The Trump administration 's move comes a week after the council rejected its bid to extend indefinitely an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October .
Mr Pompeo said it would be an `` enormous mistake '' not to extend the arms embargo , adding that the US would never allow Iran to buy and sell conventional weapons such as tanks .
How did we get here ?
Under the nuclear deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , China , France , Russia , the UK and Germany - gave Iran sanctions relief in return for limits on its sensitive activities and international inspections to show it was not developing nuclear weapons .
The accord has been close to collapse since the US withdrew and reinstated economic sanctions in 2018 in an attempt to force Iran to negotiate a replacement that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles .
Iran has so far refused and has retaliated by rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the production of enriched uranium , which can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear warheads .
The five powers still party to the deal have tried to keep it alive , although the UK , France and Germany triggered a formal dispute mechanism over the Iranian breaches in January that could ultimately lead to the snapback of UN sanctions .
What does the US want ?
After the US defeat at the Security Council last week , US permanent representative Kelly Craft declared that the Trump administration would `` stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on Iran .
On Wednesday , the president announced that the US intended to `` restore virtually all of the previously suspended United Nations sanctions on Iran '' .
`` It 's a snapback .
Not uncommon , '' he told reporters in Washington .
`` My administration will not allow this Iran nuclear situation to go on .
They will never have a nuclear weapon . ''
Mr Pompeo stressed that under Security Council resolution 2231 , which endorsed the nuclear deal , the US had a legal right to trigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of provisions , it has a set of rights and obligations , and we will be in full compliance with that , and we have every expectation that every country in the world will live up to its obligations , including every member of the P5 , '' he said .
In addition to maintaining the arms embargo , the snapped-back sanctions would force Iran to suspend all nuclear enrichment-related and reprocessing activities , and ban imports of anything that could contribute to those activities or the development of nuclear weapon delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and entities would also be reinstated .
How have other countries reacted ?
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday : `` US recourse to Dispute Resolution Mechanism in 2231 has NO LEG TO STAND ON . ''
The five other remaining parties to the nuclear deal , all of which currently sit on the Security Council , are also opposed to the US plan .
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that it was `` absurd '' , adding that the administration had no legal grounds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump made it clear in 2018 that the US had ended its participation in the nuclear deal and given up any rights .
It is not clear how the other countries might try to stop the US .
All UN member states would be obligated to enforce the snapped-back sanctions , although diplomats told Reuters news agency that some might refuse to do so .

"It has a set of provisions, it has a set of rights and obligations, and we will be in full compliance with that, and we have every expectation that every country in the world will live up to its obligations, including every member of the P5," he said.


bbc--2020-08-20--Lyft and Uber receive reprieve in California employment rights row

Uber and Lyft have been granted a reprieve in a row over drivers ' employment rights in California after a court granted an emergency injunction .
The ride-hailing firms had threatened to suspend operations over an earlier ruling that they must classify drivers as employees , not contractors .
But the reprieve allows them to continue operating while the court considers their case for appeal .
The court 's decision came just hours before Lyft was due to halt rides .
The court has ordered Uber and Lyft to both submit their plans for hiring employees by early September , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for mid-October .
Lyft was due to stop its services in California at 23:59 local time on Thursday ( 06:59 GMT on Friday ) .
`` This is not something we wanted to do , as we know millions of Californians depend on Lyft for daily , essential trips , '' Lyft had said in a statement posted online .
Both firms have always argued their drivers are self-employed contractors .
But a California law that came into effect earlier this year , known as AB5 , extended employee classification to workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The judge 's ruling that the law applied to both Uber and Lyft means the firms need to provide drivers with extra benefits , such as unemployment protection .
Both companies filed an appeal to the judgement - and asked for a stay on its enforcement while the courts dealt with the appeal .
Unless the stay was granted , both companies had 10 days to undertake what they saw as a significant overhaul of their business in California .
They both warned that they could be forced to pull services from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
What did the firms say ?
Lyft claims that four out of five of its drivers do not want to be classified as employees .
Both argue that flexibility is valued by those who choose to work for them .
The two firms had been emailing customers and sending app push notifications to try to drum up support for their side of the argument .
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi , meanwhile , wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times , arguing that his firm was not truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health insurance .
Instead , he argued that the choice between being a full-time employee and a `` gig '' worker was a problem itself , and laws needed to be changed .
He argued for a system where companies pay benefits based on a rate per hour worked .
But he has also said that the company can only offer full jobs to a tiny fraction of its workforce .
In a podcast interview with Vox Media , he summed up the problem as : `` We ca n't go out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed that sentiment , telling the court that it `` can not make the changes the injunction requires at the flip of a switch '' .
The companies do have some outside support .
Some drivers do not want to be classed as employees , and the mayors of San Diego and San Jose - one Democrat and one Republican - joined forces to warn that shutting down the services `` virtually overnight '' would hurt one million residents in the state .
What happens next ?
There is a potential way out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
A ballot that will be put to vote in November , at the same time as the US presidential election , would grant Uber and Lyft an exemption from the law .
It is known as proposition 22 .
`` Your voice can help , '' Lyft wrote in its blog post about suspending services .
`` Prop 22 , proposes the necessary changes to give drivers benefits and flexibility , while maintaining the rideshare model that helps you get where you need to go , '' it said .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as food delivery app DoorDash , are reported to have spent millions of dollars in lobbying and campaigning for the law .
Labour groups , meanwhile , are set firmly against it , arguing it will save the companies vast sums of money at the expense of drivers .

But he has also said that the company can only offer full jobs to a tiny fraction of its workforce. In a podcast interview with Vox Media, he summed up the problem as: "We can't go out and hire 50,000 people overnight."


bbc--2020-08-20--Coronavirus antibodies tests 'put public at risk'

Poor regulation of antibodies tests - that could indicate if someone has had coronavirus - could be putting the public at risk , doctors have warned .
The Royal College of Pathologists has written to the health secretary , calling for rules to be tightened on kits sold direct to consumers .
The letter warns they can `` mislead the public and put individuals at risk '' .
No antibodies test has been officially approved for at-home use in the UK - but many different types are available .
It is still not known whether having antibodies will protect people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Immunity may be more widespread than tests suggest Coronavirus immunity : Can you catch it twice ?
The letter sent to Matt Hancock calls for urgent action .
The doctors say the tests should not be used without `` professional back-up '' , must `` give the right result '' and be `` properly readable '' .
A Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency official said it had `` worked collaboratively with cross-government agencies at pace to prevent non-compliant antibody test kits being placed into the UK market '' .
But Royal College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Currently , if you buy a test on the internet or you buy it in certain boutiques or shops , we ca n't guarantee that the quality of that is of an appropriate standard .
`` We ca n't guarantee that the result will be easy to interpret or that it will be not misleading . ''
An analysis of 41 antibodies tests sold to the public in the UK , seen by the BBC 's Newsnight programme before publication in the medical journal BMJ Open , found almost a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 10 % had made documents available to support their claims , academics from the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick found .
What information has been released about how kits were assessed shows most were tested on small numbers of patients only - just a few dozen , all of whom had been admitted to hospital .
• TESTING : Who can get a test and how ?
• YOUR QUESTIONS : Our experts have answers • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
• THE R NUMBER : What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , antibodies tests are a class one medical device - meaning companies can self-certify their tests as effective and immediately start selling to consumers , without a rigorous independent testing process .
In contrast , HIV and pregnancy tests are listed on `` annex two '' of the European Director for Medical Devices - which means manufacturers have to provide information about the efficacy of their tests .
Lead researcher Jon Deeks , professor of biostatistics , at the University of Birmingham , said more studies were needed with much larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by patients in practice .
`` These regulations are n't fit for purpose and do n't protect the public from bad tests , '' he said .
`` If you can get a CE mark [ indicating compliance with the relevant legislation ] for a bad test as there is no scrutiny on whether it works , it is just a marketing claim that is registered and we are left in a Wild West of antibody testing .
`` For drug licensing the onus is on the companies to go through clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obligation to apply for testing devices like the Covid antibody tests as well .
`` In the long term , evaluations of tests should be added to the existing pre-registers for clinical trials .
`` This will stop manufacturers from cherry-picking only the most favourable results to report . ''
A Department of Health and Social Care official said : `` Antibody tests must meet the standards for clinical use .
`` And currently no antibody test has been approved for individuals for at-home use .
Across government , action is being taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There have been a number of arrests .
And over 47,000 tests have been seized . ''
You can see Newsnight 's report on this story on BBC iPlayer .
• SURVIVING THE VIRUS : 'Our medical science is struggling to catch-up '

But Royal College of Pathologists president Prof Jo Martin said: "Currently, if you buy a test on the internet or you buy it in certain boutiques or shops, we can't guarantee that the quality of that is of an appropriate standard.


bbc--2020-08-20--Taylor Swift's cash gift helps student take up degree

Singer Taylor Swift has donated £23,000 to a London-based student struggling to raise the funds to take up a maths course at the University of Warwick .
Vitoria Mario 's online fundraising page details how she has lived in the UK for four years after moving from Portugal .
But she is not eligible for maintenance loans or grants .
Vitoria said : `` I was worrying too much about the money , what I have to do and if I have to look for a job .
She actually made my dream come true . ''
The American singer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hits include the aptly titled Wildest Dreams , wrote a message on Vitoria 's fundraising page as she confirmed her donation .
At that stage , Vitoria had collected nearly half of her £40,000 fundraising target , and Swift wrote : `` Vitoria , I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality .
`` I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount .
Good luck with everything you do !
Love , Taylor . ''
Vitoria said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her and she needed funds to help pay for her accommodation , a laptop , textbooks and general living costs .
She said the approach from Swift had `` come out of the blue '' .
The 18-year-old had written on her page : `` Though my story is not unique , my dream of becoming a mathematician is not only a chance at social mobility for my family and I , but to inspire people who have been in similar positions to aspire to be the best version of themselves . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` studious '' and was unable to speak English when she moved to the UK in 2016 .
Despite that disadvantage , she left school with two A*s and an A in her A-levels .
When coming to the UK , Vitoria had to make the difficult decision to leave Portugal , where her mother still lives .
`` Moving away from her was a challenge but it was a sacrifice worth being made in my family 's eyes , '' she added .
She estimated she would need £24,000 for accommodation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living costs including food , transport , gas and electricity .
Swift has previously made a number of impromptu donations to fans whose stories she has read about online , including a New York photographer who asked for financial support via Tumbler .

The 18-year-old had written on her page: "Though my story is not unique, my dream of becoming a mathematician is not only a chance at social mobility for my family and I, but to inspire people who have been in similar positions to aspire to be the best version of themselves."


bbc--2020-08-20--Two gold nuggets worth $350,000 found in Australia

Two gold nuggets worth around A $ 350,000 ( £190,000 ; US $ 250,000 ) have been discovered by a pair of diggers in southern Australia .
Their lucky find was shown on TV show Aussie Gold Hunters , which aired on Thursday .
The men dug up the ground and used metal detectors to detect gold in the area .
`` These are definitely one of the most significant finds , '' Ethan West said , according to CNN .
`` To have two large chunks in one day is quite amazing . ''
They found the nuggets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 7.7lb ) , in a number of hours with the help of Mr West 's father , according to the Discovery Channel which airs the programme .
The show , which is also broadcast in the UK , follows teams of gold prospectors who dig in goldfields in remote parts of Australia .
`` I reckoned we were in for a chance , '' Mr Shannon told Australian TV show Sunrise .
`` It was in a bit of virgin ground , which means it 's untouched and has n't been mined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years of mining for gold , he is picked up `` probably thousands '' of pieces .
The Discovery Channel also said collectors could pay up to 30 % more for the nuggets than their estimated value .
Gold mining in Australia began in the 1880s , and remains a significant industry in the country .
The town of Tarnagulla itself was founded during the Victoria Gold Rush and became very wealthier for a period of time when keen prospectors moved there to make their fortune , according to a local website @

"These are definitely one of the most significant finds," Ethan West said, according to CNN. "To have two large chunks in one day is quite amazing."


bbc--2020-08-20--Ru Paul's Drag Race star Chi Chi DeVayne dead aged 34

Drag queen Chi Chi DeVayne , best known for appearing on two seasons of Ru Paul 's Drag Race , has died aged 34 .
DeVayne , whose non-stage name was Zavion Davenport , appeared on season eight of the show , as well as season three of Ru Paul 's Drag Race All Stars .
She posted on Instagram last week that she was in hospital for a chronic condition - the second time this year .
Ru Paul paid tribute to DeVayne , saying that he was `` heartbroken '' to learn of her death .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience her kind and beautiful soul , '' he said in a statement , posted on the show 's Twitter account .
`` She will be dearly missed , but never forgotten .
May her generous and loving spirit shine down on us all . ''
Former contestants and fans of the show also paid tribute to DeVayne .
DeVayne 's first stint on Ru Paul 's Drag Race was aired in 2016 , where she impressed the judges with her ingenuity and quick wit .
Her lip sync to Dreamgirls ' And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Going is also considered iconic in Drag Race history .
Contestants on the show perform lip syncs when they are at risk of elimination .
She finished in fourth place , but was invited to take part in the spin-off show Ru Paul 's Drag Race All Stars , which aired at the beginning of 2018 .
She finished in eighth place .
• Drag Race : The most political , troubled season ever ?
Later in 2018 DeVayne was diagnosed with scleroderma , a condition that attacks the internal organs .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told her followers on Instagram it was for kidney failure .
She was discharged later that month , but went back to hospital again last week - this time , she said , for pneumonia .
`` Keep me in your prayers , '' she said in a video message to her fans .
`` I 'll be back soon . ''


bbc--2020-08-20--Nigerian ballet dancer Anthony Mmesoma Madu gets scholarship following viral video

Eleven-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu , Nigeria ’ s viral ballet dancer , has received multiple scholarships from around the world @ @ @ @ @ One of those scholarships came from the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet @ @ @ @ @ As Anthony prepares to embark on a journey of a lifetime in 2021 , he @ @ @ @ @ for him .

Eleven-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu, Nigeria’s viral ballet dancer, has received multiple scholarships from around the world to pursue his passion.
One of those scholarships came from the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in the US.
As Anthony prepares to embark on a journey of a lifetime in 2021, he describes how things have changed for him.
Filmed and edited by Grace Ekpu.


bbc--2020-08-20--Warakurna: How an all-Aboriginal police station brought 'huge' change

Senior Constable Wendy Kelly helped make history when she transferred to the Aboriginal community of Warakurna : it became Western @ @ @ @ @ police station .
She tells the BBC how a new policing approach had a dramatic @ @ @ @ @ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned this film may contain images of deceased @ @ @ @ @ Rodd .
Footage supplied by documentary Our Law .

Senior Constable Wendy Kelly helped make history when she transferred to the Aboriginal community of Warakurna: it became Western Australia's first entirely Indigenous-run police station.
She tells the BBC how a new policing approach had a dramatic effect in the community.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned this film may contain images of deceased persons.
Video by Isabelle Rodd. Footage supplied by documentary Our Law.


bbc--2020-08-20--Quiz of the week: Why was a wild boar back in the news?

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

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


bbc--2020-08-20--Mali: Five factors that made the coup more likely

The former president of Mali , Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta , was forced to resign after being detained by soldiers .
@ @ @ @ @ factors that made a coup more likely .

The former president of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, was forced to resign after being detained by soldiers.
We examine some of the factors that made a coup more likely.
Produced and edited by Miriam O'Donkor