bbc--2020-03-03--What is Super Tuesday and why does it matter?

Voters across America are preparing to take part in the biggest day of the 2020 election so far .
More than a year after the first Democratic candidates joined the race to take on Donald Trump , we 've now reached Super Tuesday .
Fourteen states will vote on which Democrat they want to run in November 's election .
Bernie Sanders is in the lead after the early contests .
By Wednesday , we could have a clearer picture of who the nominee will be .
Democrats across the US have been taking part in a series of caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote publicly at the end ) or primaries ( secret ballots ) to pick their preferred candidate .
Bernie Sanders 's success has come as a bit of a surprise .
The Vermont senator lost out to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race , but he is n't a typical Democrat by any means ( in fact , he sits as an Independent in the Senate ) .
He 's a staunch left-winger , so may struggle to convince the party 's moderates if he becomes the candidate .
He 's also 78 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the autumn .
But he 's proven extremely popular in the primaries so far across many age groups and ethnicities , and all the momentum is on his side .
The handful of moderate Democrats running have split the vote , so it 's made it hard for any of them to break out ( and this has helped Sanders build up a lead ) .
One of them , former vice-president and early favourite Joe Biden , underwhelmed before winning convincingly in South Carolina on Saturday .
However , he has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivals Pete Buttigieg , and Amy Klobuchar quit the race to endorse him .
Sanders does not have the left lane to himself either - Elizabeth Warren , the experienced Massachusetts senator , shares several of his policy objectives but has not lived up to expectations .
So might any of these candidates win the election in November ?
Honestly , it 's too close to call , and there are so many unknown factors .
It 's all about the delegates .
Let 's say Candidate A gets the most support in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but not as well .
Candidate A is then awarded the most delegates , and Candidate B fewer .
The number of delegates available differs in each state .
Later in the summer , those delegates will then vote for their candidate to become the Democratic nominee .
The target for any candidate is to reach an unbeatable majority of 1,990 delegates .
This is where Super Tuesday comes in .
Up to now , only 155 delegates have been awarded in four states .
On Super Tuesday , a massive 1,357 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states are voting .
The two most populous , California and Texas , will take part - the former for the first time on Super Tuesday .
Here 's what is at stake in each state - the smallest to the largest - with some bonus nuggets of trivia thrown in .
Who will do best ?
A no-brainer : Bernie Sanders .
He is one of the state 's senators , after all .
Who could do well ?
Honestly ?
There 's a chance no-one except Sanders will cross the 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates .
He is extremely popular in his home state and won the 2016 primary here with 86 % of the vote ( though he eventually lost the nomination to Hillary Clinton ) .
We could see the first results from here at about 19:00 local time ( midnight GMT ) .
One piece of context In a poll by Vermont Public Radio in February , almost a third of people said the economy , jobs and cost of living were among the main issues on their minds - although Vermont has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 2.3 % .
Who will do best ?
We 're going to start sounding repetitive , but polls point to Bernie Sanders .
In 2016 , he won more than double the number of delegates claimed by Hillary Clinton here .
Who could do well ?
There are more contenders than in 2016 which means Sanders ' lead wo n't be as large .
But billionaire Michael Bloomberg and Joe Biden are polling far behind .
One piece of context This is n't the only thing on the ballot on Super Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referendum on whether to reject a law that would block religious and philosophical objections to vaccinations .
Who will do best ?
Clue : his name is an anagram of Desire Banners .
Sanders won here convincingly in 2016. Who could do well ?
It 's unlikely anyone will challenge Sanders .
The most recent poll put Bloomberg in a distant second and former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg in third , before he dropped out .
Could Bloomberg win votes that might have gone to Buttigieg , and tighten the gap on Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not voted for a Democrat in the presidential election since 1964 , when it picked Lyndon B Johnson .
So whoever comes out on top here may not take the state in November .
• A simple guide to US primaries and caucuses • Five charts that explain the Democratic race Who will do best ?
A recent poll by Hendrix College in Arkansas suggested Bloomberg 's plan of concentrating on Super Tuesday states could pay off here .
Who could do well ?
Biden and Sanders possibly , although it 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden a stronger chance - the vote could be split fairly evenly .
One piece of context It might not matter who Democrats pick : Arkansas has opted for a Democrat in a presidential election only twice in 40 years ( and even then , it was local boy Bill Clinton , twice ) .
Who will do best ?
It 's tough to say .
Biden , maybe just .
Who could do well ?
Bloomberg and Sanders , according to Oklahoma polling group Sooner last week .
One piece of context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sanders and Warren ( who was born in Oklahoma City ) have both proposed measures to ban it .
The underground disposal of waste water used in fracking has led to a rise in earthquakes in this part of the US .
Who will do best ?
We 're in safe Biden territory .
He has the support of plenty of senior Democrats in Alabama , and is widely liked among African Americans there .
Who could do well ?
Biden 's lead in the polls looks fairly comfortable , but Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
One piece of context Republicans are also deciding who will run in November 's Senate race , where they are very hopeful of ousting Democrat Doug Jones ( and making it harder for Democrats to win the Senate later this year ) .
The favourite right now is Jeff Sessions , Donald Trump 's former attorney general .
• Which celebrity has endorsed whom ?
Who will do best ?
It 's close .
FiveThirtyEight suggests Biden 's chances here have improved a lot over the past few days .
Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very little polling here , but it could well be Sanders , who was a distant second to Hillary Clinton here in 2016 .
One piece of context In Tennessee , who votes may be a bigger issue than who wins - it has one of the worst voter turnout rates in the US .
In the last presidential election , just over half of registered voters turned out , 10 points below the national average .
Who will do best ?
FiveThirtyEight gives Sanders a seven in eight chance of winning most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a picture is starting to form .
Who could do well ?
The site puts Biden in a distant second , with Elizabeth Warren just behind him .
One piece of context Once a Republican stronghold , out-of-state migration and population growth has turned Colorado increasingly `` blue '' - a Democratic tilt that extends down the ballot .
In its latest predictions , election forecaster Sabato 's Crystal Ball changed its rating of the state 's US Senate race from `` toss up '' to `` leans Democratic '' .
• How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do best ?
It was all set to be Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar until she withdrew on Monday .
She has now endorsed Biden , so ... maybe Biden ?
Who could do well ?
Sanders had been close behind Klobuchar in second , and is likely to pick up a decent amount of delegates here .
One piece of context This part of the US was badly hit by Donald Trump 's trade war with China - advocacy group Tariffs Hurt The Heartland said businesses in Minnesota had to pay $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result .
Will that translate into more support for Democrats in this election ?
Who will do best ?
Sanders , maybe .
But it will be close .
Who could do well ?
Elizabeth Warren , but it might be embarrassing if she does n't win , given she is the senior senator for the state .
Buttigieg 's withdrawal may help her .
One piece of context A massive 40 % of the candidates left in the race ( two people ) live in Massachusetts - as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who lives in Medford .
Despite actor Michael Douglas campaigning for him there , he is not expected to do especially well here .
Who will do best ?
This will be a really interesting one to follow .
The vote could be split fairly evenly between Sanders , Bloomberg and Biden .
Who could do well ?
See above .
One piece of context Watch the results in the Washington DC suburbs .
This suburban vote will be crucial across the country in November 's election ( as it was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nationwide favourite , Bernie Sanders , perform there ?
Will moderates in the suburbs warm to him ?
Who will do best ?
It 's quite a similar picture to neighbouring Virginia , and will also be worth following - it 's close between Sanders and Biden .
Who could do well ?
Bloomberg was polling well here at one point , but is drifting behind a little by now .
One piece of context This will also be a battleground state in November .
As with Virginia , watch the crucially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raleigh .
But watch who they vote for , and whether that person ends up becoming the nominee .
The way the votes go here in November might help decide the election .
Who will do best ?
We 're into the big league now .
It 's very close between Sanders and Biden here .
Either way , it looks likely Sanders will claim a large amount of delegates and by the time the results come in from Texas , his lead could be big .
Who could do well ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden here too .
Elizabeth Warren is third or fourth in most polls .
One piece of context There 's reason to think that the so-called sleeping giant of the Texas Hispanic vote - now almost two million voters - is about to wake up .
In the 2018 midterms , 46.9 % of registered Hispanic voters turned out , a leap from 24.4 % in 2014. Who will do best ?
If Sanders really does have an eight in nine chance of winning most votes here , as FiveThirtyEight predicts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee .
This is where Sanders ' appeal to his `` multiracial coalition '' pays off - he looks like he could do well with African Americans , Latinos and Asian Americans here .
Who could do well ?
Right now , Biden looks like being a distant second .
One piece of context This will be a Super Tuesday debut for California .
Lawmakers moved the state 's primary up a month from its traditional spot in June in an effort to increase California 's impact .
The shift could matter : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ award 30 % of the delegates on Super Tuesday .
*American Samoa ( six delegates ) and Democrats Abroad ( 13 ) are also voting on Super Tuesday

Who will do best? If Sanders really does have an eight in nine chance of winning most votes here, as FiveThirtyEight predicts, you might as well call him the nominee. This is where Sanders' appeal to his "multiracial coalition" pays off - he looks like he could do well with African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans here.


bbc--2020-03-03--Coronavirus v Influenza: How do the two viruses compare?

As coronavirus cases continue to be reported around the world , the World Health Organisation says countries still have a @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials have also sought to differentiate Covid-19 from other viruses , as part of @ @ @ @ @ .
So what is coronavirus , and what makes it different to something like influenza @ @ @ @ @ OS team take a closer look at coronavirus and what makes it different from the @ @

As coronavirus cases continue to be reported around the world, the World Health Organisation says countries still have a chance of containing the outbreak.
Officials have also sought to differentiate Covid-19 from other viruses, as part of efforts to quell public panic.
So what is coronavirus, and what makes it different to something like influenza?
Ros Atkins and the OS team take a closer look at coronavirus and what makes it different from the flu.


bbc--2020-03-03--Coronavirus: The 'Wuhan shake' or the elbow bump?

People around the world are avoiding shaking hands to help stem the spread of the coronavirus .
In Wuhan , @ @ @ @ @ hello has gone viral online – it 's been dubbed the `` Wuhan shake '' @ @ @ @ @ the only place where people are adopting novel greetings .

People around the world are avoiding shaking hands to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.
In Wuhan, a new way to say hello has gone viral online – it's been dubbed the "Wuhan shake".
And it's not the only place where people are adopting novel greetings.


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday: Biden seals comeback with string of victories

Joe Biden has won nine of the 14 states that voted to pick a Democratic White House candidate on Super Tuesday , a remarkable rebound for his campaign .
The former US vice-president overturned predictions to narrowly take the key state of Texas from his main challenger , Bernie Sanders .
However , Mr Sanders is projected to win California - the biggest prize of the night - as well as three other states .
They lead the race to face Republican President Donald Trump in November .
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $ 500m of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but did not win a single state .
And Senator Elizabeth Warren , once the frontrunner in the race , suffered a humiliating defeat to Mr Biden in her home state of Massachusetts .
Super Tuesday awards more than 1,300 of the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic White House nomination in July .
As things stand , Mr Biden has 402 delegates and Mr Sanders 314 .
However , results from California , which has 415 delegates , could affect the current standing .
Only last month , Mr Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some observers after he finished a poor fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary .
But on Tuesday , Mr Biden won Texas - the second biggest state with 228 delegates - along with Massachusetts , Minnesota , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Alabama , Tennessee , North Carolina and Virginia .
Maine , which has 24 delegates , is also yet to declare but partial results put Mr Biden slightly ahead of Mr Sanders .
Virginia and North Carolina are crucial because they are key swing states in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries and how do they work ?
Exit polls across the board suggested Mr Biden - who was vice-president to Barack Obama - attracted large majorities of African-American voters , a crucial bloc for the Democratic party .
Mr Biden , 77 , also appears to have won among the type of suburban voters who pollsters say have been turning away from the current US president .
`` We are very much alive , '' Mr Biden told a crowd in Los Angeles .
`` Make no mistake about it , this campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How is Sanders doing ?
If Mr Sanders , 78 , does win California , as the Associated Press news agency projects , he will pick up the lion 's share of the whopping 415 delegates that the Golden State sends to the party convention .
• US election 2020 : All you need to know The left-wing senator also won his home state of Vermont , along with Colorado and Utah .
Mr Sanders had been heavily favoured to win Texas , but it was finally claimed by Mr Biden .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump , but also took a shot at Mr Biden .
`` We 're taking on the political establishment , '' he said .
`` You can not beat Trump with the same-old , same-old kind of politics . ''
The next primaries take place on 10 March in Michigan , Washington state , Idaho , Mississippi , Missouri and North Dakota , with 352 delegates available .
Joe Biden came into Super Tuesday hoping his momentum from a surprisingly big South Carolina win would translate into a strong showing in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to keep within sight of Bernie Sanders in the delegate count .
By that metric , his evening succeeded beyond his best expectations .
His support among black voters , which was on display in South Carolina , was replicated across the South and helped offset Bernie Sanders ' strength with Hispanic voters in Texas .
The endorsements mattered too - in Dallas on Monday , he had the support of Amy Klobuchar , Pete Buttigieg and Beto O'Rourke , and he ended up greatly over-performing his polls in that state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard work begins .
He is in for a state-by-state slog against Mr Sanders that could stretch all the way to the Democratic National Convention in July .
He 'll have to fundraise and organise rapidly to make up for the Vermont senator 's advantages .
Meanwhile , Republicans are going to start training their fire on him - again .
If he ends up winning the nomination , after being left for dead just a few weeks ago , he will have earned it .
How did Bloomberg and Warren do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mr Biden in Massachusetts despite the fact that he did not campaign in the state or spent money advertising there .
Mr Bloomberg , 78 , could only pick up a consolation win in the tiny US territory of American Samoa .
He has , however , garnered enough votes in California and Texas to pick up delegates , according to incomplete results .
Mr Bloomberg was appearing on a presidential ballot for the first time after skipping all four contests last month .
The billionaire wildcard had lowered expectations for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eve of the vote , he indicated that he planned to fight all the way to the party convention in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , in July .
Mr Trump could not resist taking repeated digs at his rival New York billionaire after his disappointing results .
• WHO IS HE ?
Third White House run for 'Middle Class Joe Biden' • WHAT HIS SUPPORTERS SAY : Is this Joe Biden ’ s big comeback ?
• ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL : Watch Biden on 'No Malarkey ' tour • WHERE HE STANDS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HIS RIVALS : All the Democrats and their key issues The Democratic Party is at a crossroads as its voters decide which candidate has the best chance of denying Mr Trump a second term in office this autumn .
Once a crowded field of more than two dozen , celebrated for its women and candidates of colour , the Democratic contest now increasingly looks like a two-man race between two white male septuagenarians .
Mr Biden , a moderate , and Mr Sanders , a liberal firebrand , offer starkly different visions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presents himself as an electable pragmatist who will bring incremental change and restore `` decency '' after the Trump presidency .
• Match the A-lister to their favoured 2020 Democrat But critics say his campaign is uninspiring , and that he brings too much political baggage from his lifelong career as a Washington insider .
Mr Sanders ' detractors say a self-described democratic socialist can not win over the swing voters needed to capture the White House .
He is planning to transform the American economy with a multi-trillion dollar , higher taxation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $500m (£390m) of his own money on his campaign, but did not win a single state. And Senator Elizabeth Warren, once the frontrunner in the race, suffered a humiliating defeat to Mr Biden in her home state of Massachusetts.


bbc--2020-03-04--Coronavirus: World Bank pledges $12bn in emergency aid

The World Bank has committed $ 12bn ( £9.4bn ) in aid for developing countries grappling with the spread of the coronavirus .
The action comes as leaders around the world pledge to shield their countries from the economic impact of the outbreak .
It follows warnings that slowdown from the outbreak could tip countries into recession .
The aid is intended to help countries improve their public health response to the crisis , as well as work with the private sector to reduce the economic impact .
`` What we 're trying to do is limit the transmission of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President David Malpass told the BBC .
• Coronavirus outbreak : Follow the latest updates on our live blog The organisation said it would prioritise the poorest and most at-risk countries in distributing the aid to counter the effects of the virus , which has spread to more than 70 countries around the world .
Half of the package comes from the bank 's International Finance Corporation , which works with the private sector .
About $ 4bn of the $ 12bn is being shifted from previously available funds .
Countries with weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close economic links with China are said to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak .
The countries most at risk to the economic impact of the outbreak are Sri Lanka , Vietnam , and the Philippines , according to a vulnerability index by the Overseas Development Institute ( ODI ) .
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS ?
A simple guide • WAYS TO PREVENT CATCHING IT : How to wash your hands • WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE ?
Progress so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OUTBREAK : Virus maps and charts Authorities have confirmed more than 92,000 cases of the virus worldwide of which more than 80,000 are in China .
More than 3,000 people have died globally , the vast majority in China .
New infections and deaths have been declining in recent weeks in China due to draconian quarantine measures .
The country on Wednesday reported 38 more deaths but a fall in fresh cases for a third consecutive day .
The worst-hit country outside China remains South Korea which on Wednesday reported 516 new confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country 's death toll stands at 33 .
`` The point is to move fast ; speed is needed to save lives , '' Mr Malpass said in conference with reporters .
`` There are scenarios where much more resources may be required .
We 'll adapt our approach and resources as needed . ''
The Dow Jones shed nearly 800 points on Tuesday , paring Monday 's big gains .
This was despite a rare emergency move by the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 0.5 % amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was the biggest cut since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago .
• Finance ministers from the G7 countries said they were `` ready to take action '' , including fiscal measures to aid the response to the virus and support the global economy • Twitter told its employees to work from home How are different countries being affected ?
Iran has temporarily released more than 54,000 prisoners in an effort to combat the spread of the virus in crowded jails .
The country has reported 77 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by more than 50 % for the second day in a row .
It now stands at 2,336 , although the real figure is believed to be far higher .
Meanwhile , Italy has reported a 50 % jump in deaths in the past 24 hours , with the total standing at 79 .
Most of the deaths are in Lombardy .
Nine deaths have now been confirmed in the US .
All of those killed lived in Washington state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a 69-year-old man who died on 13 February has revealed he was infected with SARS-CoV-2 , local media report .
It is the country 's first fatality from the virus .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) says the virus appears to particularly affect those over 60 , and people already ill .
In the first large analysis of more than 44,000 cases from China , the death rate was 10 times higher in the very elderly compared to the middle-aged .
The WHO also warned that prices of protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are soaring due to a global shortage , and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40 % .
Read more : How deadly is the coronavirus ?
Health experts believe Covid-19 does not transmit as efficiently as seasonal flu and is not generally passed on by people who have no symptoms .

Coronavirus: World Bank pledges $12bn in emergency aid Published 4 March 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, There are fears the slowdown from the outbreak could tip countries into recession
The World Bank has committed $12bn (£9.4bn) in aid for developing countries grappling with the spread of the coronavirus.
The emergency package includes low-cost loans, grants and technical assistance.
The action comes as leaders around the world pledge to shield their countries from the economic impact of the outbreak.
It follows warnings that slowdown from the outbreak could tip countries into recession.
The aid is intended to help countries improve their public health response to the crisis, as well as work with the private sector to reduce the economic impact.
"What we're trying to do is limit the transmission of the disease," World Bank Group President David Malpass told the BBC.
The organisation said it would prioritise the poorest and most at-risk countries in distributing the aid to counter the effects of the virus, which has spread to more than 70 countries around the world.
Half of the package comes from the bank's International Finance Corporation, which works with the private sector. About $4bn of the $12bn is being shifted from previously available funds.
Countries with weak health systems, limited financial resources and close economic links with China are said to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak.
The countries most at risk to the economic impact of the outbreak are Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Philippines, according to a vulnerability index by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
What do I need to know about the coronavirus?
Authorities have confirmed more than 92,000 cases of the virus worldwide of which more than 80,000 are in China. More than 3,000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China.
New infections and deaths have been declining in recent weeks in China due to draconian quarantine measures. The country on Wednesday reported 38 more deaths but a fall in fresh cases for a third consecutive day.
The worst-hit country outside China remains South Korea which on Wednesday reported 516 new confirmed infections, bringing the total to 5,328. The country's death toll stands at 33.
"The point is to move fast; speed is needed to save lives," Mr Malpass said in conference with reporters. "There are scenarios where much more resources may be required. We'll adapt our approach and resources as needed."
The Dow Jones shed nearly 800 points on Tuesday, paring Monday's big gains. This was despite a rare emergency move by the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 0.5% amid fears over the impact of the coronavirus.
It was the biggest cut since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago.
In other developments:
Finance ministers from the G7 countries said they were "ready to take action", including fiscal measures to aid the response to the virus and support the global economy
Twitter told its employees to work from home
Google cancelled its annual developer conference
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, The Wuhan shake instead of a handshake?
How are different countries being affected?
Iran has temporarily released more than 54,000 prisoners in an effort to combat the spread of the virus in crowded jails. The country has reported 77 deaths in less than two weeks.
On Tuesday, the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by more than 50% for the second day in a row. It now stands at 2,336, although the real figure is believed to be far higher.
Meanwhile, Italy has reported a 50% jump in deaths in the past 24 hours, with the total standing at 79. Most of the deaths are in Lombardy.
Nine deaths have now been confirmed in the US. All of those killed lived in Washington state.
And in Spain, an autopsy on a 69-year-old man who died on 13 February has revealed he was infected with SARS-CoV-2, local media report. It is the country's first fatality from the virus.
How deadly is Covid-19?
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus appears to particularly affect those over 60, and people already ill.
In the first large analysis of more than 44,000 cases from China, the death rate was 10 times higher in the very elderly compared to the middle-aged.
The WHO also warned that prices of protective equipment, such as surgical masks and gloves, are soaring due to a global shortage, and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40%.


bbc--2020-03-04--Afghan conflict: US conducts first air strike on Taliban since deal

The US military has conducted an air strike against Taliban fighters in Afghanistan , just hours after President Donald Trump said he had a `` very good talk '' with a leader of the group .
The US signed a deal with the Taliban on Saturday aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan after years of war .
But a US forces spokesman said it launched an air strike on Wednesday in response to Taliban fighters attacking Afghan forces in Helmand province .
The Taliban has not commented .
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike was the first by the US against the Taliban in 11 days , when a reduction in violence agreement began between the two sides in the lead-up to Saturday 's pact .
In a statement on Twitter , Colonel Sonny Leggett , a spokesman for the US Forces in Afghanistan , said it was a `` defensive strike '' to disrupt an attack on an Afghan National Security Forces checkpoint .
• The Afghan war : The short and long story • What will Taliban do after signing US deal ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the US was still `` committed to peace '' but had a responsibility to defend its Afghan partners .
He said Afghans and the US had complied with their side of the agreement , while the Taliban appeared intent on `` squandering '' the opportunity .
On Tuesday alone , he said the Taliban launched 43 attacks on checkpoints belonging to Afghan forces in Helmand .
`` We call on the Taliban to stop needless attacks and uphold their commitments .
As we have demonstrated , we will defend our partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Taliban has so far declined to confirm or deny responsibility for any of the attacks .
On Saturday the US and the Taliban signed an `` agreement for bringing peace '' to Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict .
The US and its Nato allies agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants upheld the deal .
But violence surged in Afghanistan just days after the agreement was signed , with the Taliban ending a partial truce and resuming fighting with Afghan government troops .
Central to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreement over prisoner swaps .
Under the accord , some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners are meant to be exchanged by 10 March , when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start .
But Afghanistan 's President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday his government had agreed to no such release .
And on Monday the militants said talks would not take place if their prisoners were not released first .
Following reports of numerous Taliban attacks on Tuesday , Mr Trump shared a phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , about keeping peace efforts on track .
The US president said it was a `` very good talk '' , while the Taliban said Mr Trump had pledged to ask his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to talk with Mr Ghani to make sure negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban went ahead as planned .
The Taliban have previously refused to negotiate with the Afghan government , so Saturday 's deal was just with the US .
The US attacked Afghanistan in October 2001 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were harbouring Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks .
The Taliban were removed from power but became an insurgent force that by 2018 was active in more than two-thirds of the country .

US and Afghan officials had both said they expected the partial truce or "reduction in violence" that led up to the agreement in Doha would continue afterwards. But the text of the agreement makes no mention of this. That ambiguity seems partly responsible for the confusing situation developing on the ground.


bbc--2020-03-04--Ronan and Dylan Farrow attack publisher Hachette over Woody Allen memoir

Woody Allen 's son Ronan Farrow has attacked his own publisher over its plans to publish his father 's memoir .
The journalist , whose Catch and Kill was published by Hachette , said he was `` disappointed '' to learn that the firm will release Allen 's autobiography .
Farrow 's sister Dylan , who claims she was molested by Allen in 1992 when she was seven , called Hachette 's decision `` deeply upsetting '' and a `` betrayal '' .
Hachette has defended its decision to publish Allen 's Apropos of Nothing .
`` We do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with anyone else 's , '' said Michael Pietsch , the US publisher 's CEO .
Allen has always denied molesting Dylan Farrow , saying she was coached to make the claim by his estranged former partner , the actress Mia Farrow .
The film-maker was investigated over the abuse allegations at the time of the incident but was never charged .
Dylan Farrow , now 34 , reiterated her allegation in 2014 , prompting another denial from her adoptive father .
A number of actors have since publicly distanced themselves from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get his films distributed in recent years .
Ronan Farrow was one of the first journalists to write about the sexual assault allegations made against Harvey Weinstein .
Catch and Kill , his book about his investigations into the film producer , was published by Little , Brown - a division of Hachette - in October 2019 .
Allen 's autobiography - described as `` a comprehensive account of his life , both personal and professional '' - will be released via another imprint , Grand Central , on 7 April .
Writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had `` concealed '' its plans to acquire Allen 's memoir while he was working on his book .
He said his sister had not been contacted by the publisher and that he had `` encouraged '' the company `` to conduct a thorough fact check of Woody Allen 's account '' .
In her own Twitter statement , Dylan Farrow said she had not been contacted by any fact checkers and accused Hachette of `` an egregious abdication of [ its ] most basic responsibility '' .
Actress Rose McGowan , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Hachette 's decision to publish the memoir `` an evil double cross '' .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

He said his sister had not been contacted by the publisher and that he had "encouraged" the company "to conduct a thorough fact check of Woody Allen's account".


bbc--2020-03-04--Antarctic sea creatures 'stressed to the max'

Antarctica recorded a record high temperature earlier last month of more than 20C .
This is bad news for the @ @ @ @ @ in the icy waters of the world ’ s coldest continent .
The BBC 's @ @ @ @ @ Rowlatt , went to the Ross Sea in Antarctica where he met some of the @ @ @ @ @ into the impact the changing environment is having .

Antarctica recorded a record high temperature earlier last month of more than 20C.
This is bad news for the extraordinary marine life that lives in the icy waters of the world’s coldest continent.
The BBC's chief environment correspondent, Justin Rowlatt, went to the Ross Sea in Antarctica where he met some of the marine biologists leading the research into the impact the changing environment is having.


bbc--2020-03-04--Student spends $20k to make class on time

Karen Ji is a Chinese student studying law and commerce in Sydney , Australia .
When the Australian government announced @ @ @ @ @ from mainland China , Karen had to decide between missing the start of the university @ @ @ @ @ of travelling to a third country .
She told the BBC she ended up spending @ @ @ @ @ ; $ 13,200 ) and two weeks quarantined in Thailand to get to class on @ @ @ @ @ by Isabelle Rodd ; interview by Phil Mercer ; camera by Matt Leiper

Karen Ji is a Chinese student studying law and commerce in Sydney, Australia.
When the Australian government announced a travel ban on arrivals from mainland China, Karen had to decide between missing the start of the university year, or the expense of travelling to a third country.
She told the BBC she ended up spending A$20,000 (£10,000; $13,200) and two weeks quarantined in Thailand to get to class on time.
Produced and edited by Isabelle Rodd; interview by Phil Mercer; camera by Matt Leiper


bbc--2020-03-04--Coronavirus: Drug shortage fears as India limits exports

There are fears of global shortages of some common drugs after India limited the export of certain medicines due to the coronavirus .
The world 's biggest supplier of generic drugs has restricted exports of 26 ingredients and the medicines made from them .
The restricted drugs include Paracetamol , one of the world 's most widely-used pain relievers .
It comes as many drug ingredient makers in China remain shut or cut output .
India 's drug makers rely on China for almost 70 % of the active ingredients in their medicines , and industry experts have warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epidemic continues .
`` Even drugs that are n't produced in China get their base ingredients from China .
Globally there could be a shortage if China and India both get hit , '' warned analyst Shaun Rein from the China Market Research Group .
• Coronavirus outbreak : Follow the latest updates on our live blog • Eight charts on how coronavirus has hit the global economy The list of ingredients and medicines accounts for 10 % of all Indian pharmaceutical exports and includes several antibiotics , such as tinidazole and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ B12 .
Oxford Economic 's lead economist Stephen Foreman told the BBC that there are indications that the scarcity of ingredients is already forcing up prices : `` There are already signs that the reduction in supply to India has pushed up prices there considerably . ''
The Indian government has urged calm over its announcement and said there were enough stocks to last for up to three months .
In 2018 Indian imports accounted for almost a quarter of US medicines and more than 30 % of medicine ingredients , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA ) .
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn told US senators on Tuesday that the agency is working to determine how the restrictions will affect America 's medical supply and its effect on essential medicines .
Major US pharmaceutical companies have said they are monitoring their supply chains .
Mylan warned last week that there could be drug shortages , while Eli Lilly said it does not expect the coronavirus outbreak to result in shortages for any of its therapies , including insulin products .

Oxford Economics' lead economist Stephen Foreman told the BBC that there are indications that the scarcity of ingredients is already forcing up prices: "There are already signs that the reduction in supply to India has pushed up prices there considerably."


bbc--2020-03-04--In pictures: Brazil hit by deadly rain and landslides

At least 23 people have died in Brazil and more than 30 are missing after torrential rain and landslides hit coastal areas in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro .
The death toll is expected to rise further as firefighters and rescue crews are continuing to search for missing people .
Worst hit is São Paulo state , where at least 18 deaths have been reported .
Among the victims are a mother and her child , as well as two firefighters .
They were trying to rescue the child who was buried under the rubble when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guarujá municipality , a number of houses were swept away by landslides .
Local residents are helping the firefighters in the search and clean-up operation .
A number of roads have been blocked by landslides and falling trees .
Residents are desperate to salvage whatever belongings they can .
In the neighbouring Rio de Janeiro state , at least five people have died .
About a month 's worth of rain have been dumped on some areas in a matter of hours .
Brazil 's south-east region has suffered from heavy rainfall and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot summer .
In January , at least 30 people died during severe rainstorms in Brazil 's Minas Gerais state , which neighbours São Paulo .

Among the victims are a mother and her child, as well as two firefighters. They were trying to rescue the child who was buried under the rubble when a second landslide hit.


bbc--2020-03-04--UK top minister facing more bullying claims

Home Secretary Priti Patel has been accused of bullying staff at a third government department , BBC Newsnight has learned .
The claims are from her time as International Development Secretary from 2016 to 2017 , and follow similar claims at the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions .
A Tory source said `` dark forces '' were trying to influence an inquiry into Ms Patel 's conduct in her current role .
The latest claims were reportedly brought to a senior official at the Department for International Development after she quit as its Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday that an official in the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) received a £25,000 payout after alleging she was bullied by Ms Patel in 2015 during her time as employment minister .
The DWP did not admit liability and the case did not come before a tribunal .
Newsnight has now learned that in 2017 , Ms Patel was allegedly accused by officials in her private office at DfID of humiliating civil servants in front of others , of putting heavy pressure in emails and of creating a general sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The allegations were described to the programme as similar to those levelled against Ms Patel by Sir Philip Rutnam , who resigned as Home Office permanent secretary on Saturday .
The latest claims to come to light were reportedly passed in 2017 to the DfID official by another senior figure in the department - who advised that the cabinet secretary at the time , the late Lord Heywood , should be informed .
The senior figure wanted the allegations to be lodged in the Whitehall system so that officials would be aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected , she returned to ministerial office .
Ms Patel resigned as Secretary of State for International Development in November 2017 over an unauthorised visit to Israel .
A Home Office spokesperson said : `` The home secretary categorically rejects all of these allegations . ''
A source from the Conservative Party told Newsnight : `` What we are seeing is a concerted effort by certain sections of the civil service to undermine a home secretary trying to deliver what people want on crime and immigration .
`` It is deeply disturbing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings of a Cabinet Office inquiry . ''
Michael Gove , the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster , announced on Monday that a Cabinet Office inquiry would seek to `` establish the facts '' around Ms Patel 's conduct as home secretary .
She has faced allegations of having broken the ministerial code in the wake of allegations aired by Sir Philip when he resigned .
Sir Philip is suing the Home Office for constructive , unfair dismissal after Ms Patel allegedly refused to engage with him after a row over allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his resignation statement , Sir Philip said he did not believe her denials of involvement in `` a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign '' against him .
Downing Street is standing by Ms Patel .
But a cabinet minister told Newsnight that she would face political `` armageddon '' if Sir Philip 's case for constructive dismissal makes it to a tribunal .
The minister expected that many other cases would come to light under legally binding disclosure rules in a tribunal .
The source who raised the allegations against Ms Patel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were prepared to give evidence under their name to two official hearings .
These are the Cabinet Office inquiry into Ms Patel 's conduct as home secretary and a tribunal if Sir Philip 's case for constructive dismissal is granted a hearing .
On Tuesday , Ms Patel said she regretted Sir Philip 's resignation .
In an e-mail to Home Office staff , she thanked him for his service but said it was `` now time for the Home Office to come together as one team '' .

The latest claims to come to light were reportedly passed in 2017 to the DfID official by another senior figure in the department - who advised that the cabinet secretary at the time, the late Lord Heywood, should be informed.


bbc--2020-03-04--Salisbury poisoning: What did the attack mean for the UK and Russia?

On 4 March 2018 emergency services received a phone call from members of the public in Salisbury who had seen an old man and a young woman ill on a bench .
It was a call that would set in motion a chain of events leading to a major crisis with Russia .
After the pair were taken to hospital , local police did an online search on the name of the man taken ill .
The result set off alarm bells .
He was a former Russian spy .
A call came into the duty officer at MI6 headquarters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sergei Skripal - a man who had provided MI6 with secrets from his time in Russian military intelligence - had been targeted sent shock waves through the building , challenging the very core of its work in recruiting agents to work with the organisation .
A few hours later , the next call went to Porton Down , home to Britain 's biological and chemical research establishment .
A rapid-response team was quickly deployed .
Samples analysed in labs on-site identified A234 , a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok family developed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The revelation caused shock .
Detective work by police would identify two officers from Russian military intelligence as the main suspects and a perfume bottle as the means of delivery of the nerve agent onto Mr Skripal 's front door handle .
A local woman , Dawn Sturgess would die months later when she came into contact with the Novichok after it had apparently been discarded .
Russia denied any role - even putting the two accused men on TV to say they had visited Salisbury simply to see the cathedral spire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was behind the attack .
When another former Russian intelligence officer , Alexander Litvinenko , was killed in 2006 ( that time by radioactive polonium ) the response was delayed and perceived as weak .
London was determined to learn its lesson .
Every known Russian intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover in the UK ( apart from the declared liaison officer for each Russian intelligence service ) was quickly expelled - 23 in total .
Many other countries then followed suit , with 60 expulsions in the US .
It seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprise by the strength of the reaction .
But two years on , the legacy of those events looks more uncertain .
British officials believe they did real damage to Russian intelligence operations in the country but that damage is likely to have been short term as new spies were dispatched to replace them and as Russia continues a shift to rely on alternative means of espionage .
• Sergei Skripal : Who is the former Russian colonel ?
• Russian spy : What happened to the Skripals ?
In the Cold War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the primary way the Russians could recruit and run agents and steal secrets .
Now there is cyber-espionage and the use of people travelling under different cover , as say businessmen , to operate .
In the wake of the attack , there was also considerable talk of a tougher line over Russian money and influence in London .
But there has been relatively little public sign of action .
The failure to publish the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee 's `` Russia Report '' about influence and subversion in British life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions as to whether the appetite to deal with this broader issue remains strong .
There are also cracks in Western unity over a tough line on Russia , with President Emmanuel Macron of France pushing for trying to improve relations with the Kremlin and uncertainty over the position of the Trump administration in Washington .
Mr Skripal himself has not appeared in public since the poisoning .
MI5 and the Home Office carried out a `` refresh '' to check on the level of protection for defectors like Mr Skirpal - something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself was a failure , several senior officials who served in British intelligence concede .
A risk assessment was carried out when Mr Skripal was swapped out of a Russian prison in 2010 but the Russia of 2018 was very different from Russia then .
• Mystery of third man in Salisbury poisoning • What next for Russia ’ s spy networks ?
Russia appears to have stepped up a long-standing campaign to track defectors from 2014 , including in the US as well as UK .
That was also the point at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea and in which other alleged operations , like the deployment of online trolls to interfere in US politics increased .
One question western intelligence officials have been asking is whether Russia has been deterred from taking such action again by the Western response .
No one seems sure .

British officials believe they did real damage to Russian intelligence operations in the country but that damage is likely to have been short term as new spies were dispatched to replace them and as Russia continues a shift to rely on alternative means of espionage.


bbc--2020-03-04--Facebook 'rethinks' plans for Libra cryptocurrency

Facebook is reportedly rethinking its plans for its own digital currency after resistance from regulators .
It is now considering a system with digital versions of established currencies , including the dollar and the Euro , according to Bloomberg and tech site The Information .
The Libra Association , which Facebook founded to create the currency , will continue its work , the reports said .
The plan will include Libra , the company said in response .
The social network 's digital wallet is now expected to launch this autumn , several months later than initially planned , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it might drop Libra itself , the firm said : `` Facebook remains fully committed to the project . ''
Facebook announced in June last year that it would launch the Libra digital currency , with a goal of making payments easier and cheaper .
Its partners in the Libra Association include Lyft , Spotify , Shopify , but several other high-profile members such as Visa left after the idea was criticised by authorities .
Dante Disparte , head of Policy and Communications at the Libra Association said : `` The Libra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building a regulatory compliant global payment network , and the basic design principles that support that goal have not been changed nor has the potential for this network to foster future innovation . ''
In October , the world 's biggest economies warned cryptocurrencies such as Libra pose a risk to the global financial system .
France has said it threatens the `` monetary sovereignty '' of governments ; others have warned it could be abused for money laundering and other nefarious purposes .
• Libra : Could Facebook ’ s new currency @ @ @ @ @ @

Dante Disparte, head of Policy and Communications at the Libra Association said: "The Libra Association has not altered its goal of building a regulatory compliant global payment network, and the basic design principles that support that goal have not been changed nor has the potential for this network to foster future innovation."


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday: What unites bitter rivals Biden and Sanders?

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have emerged as the two frontrunners in the Democratic race to challenge Donald Trump for @ @ @ @ @ .
The two men gave victory speeches on Super Tuesday night and without naming names @ @ @ @ @ digs at each other .
And even less subtle jabs at President Trump .

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have emerged as the two frontrunners in the Democratic race to challenge Donald Trump for the US presidency in November.
The two men gave victory speeches on Super Tuesday night and without naming names, they made some not-so-subtle digs at each other.
And even less subtle jabs at President Trump.


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday results in full: Biden and Sanders out in front

Joe Biden regained his status as a frontrunner on Super Tuesday , winning nine of the 14 states that voted @ @ @ @ @ nominee .
Mr Biden , who is popular with African-American voters , was victorious in @ @ @ @ @ the South - including Texas , which is crucial to the race because of its @ @ @ @ @ His main rival Bernie Sanders had wins in Colorado , Utah and Vermont , the @ @ @ @ @ senator .
He is also ahead in California , which has more delegates than any @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg , who spent millions of dollars on advertising , was unable to clinch a @ @ @ @ @ a few delegates in American Samoa .
If you 're still catching up on how @ @ @ @ @ we explain it all here .
Scroll down for the results so far from each @ @ @ @ @ the winners and losers ?

His main rival Bernie Sanders had wins in Colorado, Utah and Vermont, the state he represents as a senator. He is also ahead in California, which has more delegates than any other state.


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday results: What next for the big three?

Super Tuesday provided contrasting fortunes for the Democratic candidates hoping to take on Donald Trump .
BBC reporters were on @ @ @ @ @ leading campaigns as the results came in ( but with no decision yet in the @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Here are their verdicts on where Bernie Sanders , Joe Biden and Michael @ @ @ @

Super Tuesday provided contrasting fortunes for the Democratic candidates hoping to take on Donald Trump.
BBC reporters were on the ground with the three leading campaigns as the results came in (but with no decision yet in the all-important Texas and California contests).
Here are their verdicts on where Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg stand now.


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday: Bloomberg loses badly then rolls out Trump jokes

'My dad and I are divided over Bernie' Quincy says she 's in `` hot water '' with her father @ @ @ @ @ Democrat can beat Donald Trump .

The ex-mayor of New York suffered a series of defeats - but insisted he's still the man to beat Donald Trump.
Talking to supporters at a rally in Florida, Michael Bloomberg turned to humour to attack the current US president.


bbc--2020-03-04--Super Tuesday: BBC finds Bloomberg campaign offices empty

The biggest myth about the 'black vote ' in US We asked voters in South Carolina what they think when @ @ @ @ @ black vote '' .

BBC Newsnight's David Grossman found empty campaign offices and phone banks in the state with the largest number of delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday.


bbc--2020-03-04--Planting trees with Brazil's prison inmates

'My boss is younger than my youngest son' Theo is nearly a third of the age of his colleague Charlie @ @ @ @ @ .
The pair explain how they make the relationship work .

With 720,000 incarcerated people, Brazil has the third largest prison population in the world, behind only the United States and China.
Many correctional facilities in the country are overcrowded and conditions regularly lead to deadly riots.
But one initiative in the state of Rio de Janeiro aims to improve the lives of those behind bars. It uses nature to help them focus on reintegrating into society.
Video journalist: Ana Terra Athayde
This film is part of the BBC's Crossing Divides season.


bbc--2020-03-04--Sisters campaign against gender-based street harassment

British sisters Maya and Gemma want to make gender-based street harassment illegal .
They founded the Our Streets Now campaign @ @ @ @ @ harassment .
The sisters have been inspired following the introduction of a new law in @ @ @ @ @ illegal .
Offenders can be issued with on-the-spot fines .
But there are concerns in @ @ @ @ @ do n't go far enough .

British sisters Maya and Gemma want to make gender-based street harassment illegal. They founded the Our Streets Now campaign and collect stories of public harassment.
The sisters have been inspired following the introduction of a new law in France that makes street harassment illegal. Offenders can be issued with on-the-spot fines.
But there are concerns in France that these laws still don't go far enough.
Ellie Price reports for Politics Live
UK viewers can watch Politics Live for 30 days from transmission
Produced by Christina McSorley


bbc--2020-03-04--Was Tulip Mania really the first great financial bubble?

One frosty winter morning , at the start of 1637 , a sailor presented himself at the counting house of a wealthy Dutch merchant and was offered a hearty breakfast of fine red herring .
The sailor noticed an onion - or so he thought - lying on the counter .
According to Charles Mackay , writing in Scotland 200 years later , he pinched it .
`` He slyly seized an opportunity and slipped it into his pocket , as a relish for his herring , and proceeded to the quay to eat his breakfast .
Hardly was his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valuable Semper Augustus , worth 3,000 florins , or about £280 . ''
Relative to the wages of the time , that is well over $ 1m ( £770,000 ) today .
Seeking a zesty accompaniment to his fish , the sailor had unwittingly pilfered not an onion , but a rare Semper Augustus tulip bulb .
And in early 1637 , tulip bulbs were reaching some truly extraordinary prices .
Then , very suddenly , it was over .
In February that year , bulb wholesalers gathered in Haarlem , a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find that nobody wished to buy .
Within a few days , Dutch tulip prices had fallen tenfold .
Tulip Mania is often cited as the classic example of a financial bubble : when the price of something goes up and up , not because of its intrinsic value , but because people who buy it expect to be able to sell it again at a profit .
It may seem foolish to pay $ 1m for a tulip bulb - but if you hope to sell it on to another receptive buyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a rational investment .
This is known as the `` greater fool '' theory .
Whether or not it explains tulip mania however , is a subtle question .
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions , ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world .
It is broadcast on the BBC World Service .
You can find more information about the programme 's sources and listen to all the episodes online or subscribe to the programme podcast .
Charles Mackay 's 1841 account has cast a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Extraordinary Popular Delusions And The Madness of Crowds , is full of vivid stories about how the entire Dutch nation was involved .
But those extravagant tales - including the one I have just told you , about the hungry sailor - are probably false .
Tulips were part of a cornucopia of new plants to arrive in Europe in the 16th Century , including potatoes , green and red peppers , tomatoes , Jerusalem artichokes , French beans and runner beans .
At first , tulip bulbs were sufficiently unfamiliar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one occasion , someone roasted them with oil and vinegar - perhaps the kernel of truth in Charles Mackay 's tall tale .
But once it became clear what to do with them , everyone began waxing lyrical about their beauty .
Some varieties , infected by a virus , changed from simple bold-coloured petals to exquisitely varied patterns .
Just as the super-rich today collect beautiful paintings at extraordinary prices , the newly wealthy Dutch merchant class began to collect and display rare tulips .
And not always honestly .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tulips with friends and colleagues , yet suffered many thefts of rare plants .
His treasures were , after all , just sitting in gardens .
On one occasion , Clusius had some unique flowers stolen , only to find them in the garden of a Viennese aristocrat .
She denied all knowledge of their provenance .
As Mike Dash notes in Tulipomania , the philosopher Justus Lipsius was n't impressed by the tulip collectors .
`` What should I call this but a kind of merry madness ? ''
he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after strange herbs and flowers , which having gotten , they preserve and cherish more carefully than any mother doth her childe . ''
But , in the early 1600s , the price of tulips just kept on rising .
Adriaen Pauw , who was fabulously wealthy and the closest thing Holland had to a prime minister at the time , built a garden full of artfully-positioned mirrors .
In the centre were a few rare tulips , made by the mirrors to look like a multitude - an admission that not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The highest price for which we have good evidence was 5,200 guilders for a single bulb , in that winter of 1637 .
That is more than three times what Rembrandt charged for painting The Night Watch just five years later , and 20 times the annual income of a skilled worker , such as a carpenter .
The idea that some poor fellow had his million-dollar tulip bulb consumed with a herring may be fanciful - the idea that the rarest bulbs were million-dollar treasures is plausible .
Could a tulip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It 's not quite as absurd as it might seem .
Tulip bulbs produce not only tulips , but offshoot bulbs called offsets .
Owning a rare bulb was a bit like owning a champion racehorse : valuable in its own right , perhaps , but far more valuable because of its potential offspring .
Given how far the wealthy would go to possess unusual tulips , there was nothing foolish about bulb traders paying top guilder for the bulbs .
More things that made the modern economy : • What can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• What makes gambling wrong but insurance right ?
• Is this the most influential work in the history of capitalism ?
Financial bubbles burst when expectations reach a tipping point : once enough people expect prices to fall , the supply of greater fools dries up .
Does that explain the sudden collapse in prices in February 1637 ?
Perhaps .
But there 's another theory .
As rare bulbs such as Semper Augustus multiplied over the years , it is only natural that their price would fall .
In Haarlem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - February is exactly when tulip shoots would have burst through the soil .
Having seen abundant shoots on their journeys , the bulb traders might have realised that the crop would be bountiful , and the rare flowers rather less rare than they had imagined .
If so , the fall in prices may have reflected an increase in supply , rather than the bursting of a bubble .
Whatever the reason , the mania subsided .
The fallout was painful : many trades were not simple exchanges of cash for bulbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in future .
Between buyers who did n't have money and sellers who did n't have bulbs , there was a good deal of grumbling over who owed what to whom .
But the prosperous Dutch economy sailed on regardless .
Later bubbles were much more consequential .
Perhaps the greatest boom and crash in history was the railway mania of the 1840s .
Influential commentators waved away warnings of financial trouble ahead , and encouraged investors to bid up stocks in UK railway companies to ridiculous prices .
And right in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself , urging people to put their money into the railways and pooh-poohing those who were concerned that the whole affair would end in tears .
He had become became famous by mocking the bubbles of the past - but had rather less to say about the far more serious bubble that he himself had helped to inflate .
Hindsight makes everything clear , but while you 're caught in the middle of a bubble , the view is as confusing as Adriaen Pauw 's garden of mirrors .
The author writes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service .
You can find more information about the programme 's sources and listen to all the episodes online or subscribe to the programme podcast .

Tulip Mania is often cited as the classic example of a financial bubble: when the price of something goes up and up, not because of its intrinsic value, but because people who buy it expect to be able to sell it again at a profit.


bbc--2020-03-04--Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: The Ethiopian at the heart of the coronavirus fight

What a challenge to be the head of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in the time of the coronavirus .
The entire planet hanging on your every word , addressing daily press conferences at the headquarters in Geneva to detail an ever increasing number of cases in an ever increasing number of countries .
This is the lot of Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , the first African head of the WHO , who took office two-and-a-half years ago promising to reform the organisation , and to tackle the illnesses that kill millions each year : malaria , measles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And yet , while the WHO is undoubtedly working hard on those illnesses , Dr Tedros ' time in office has been dominated first by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo , and now by Covid-19 .
Both have been declared Public Health Emergencies of International Concern , or PHEICs .
That means they require 24-hour monitoring , deployment of medical staff , equipment and medicines , daily discussions with affected countries and countries who might be affected , and of course , a steady stream of reliable information for an anxious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charming '' and `` unassuming '' are some of the words those who know him use to describe the 55-year-old .
At his first press conference as WHO director general , the Geneva-based journalists were somewhat bemused by his manner .
He strolled in smiling , sat down and chatted in a very relaxed way , his voice sometimes so quiet it was difficult to hear him .
That was a very big change from his more formal predecessor , Margaret Chan .
And yet behind that quiet manner there must lie a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the WHO he climbed through the ranks of Ethiopia 's government , becoming health minister and then foreign minister .
He could not have risen that far by being self-effacing .
Dr Tedros was born in 1965 in Asmara , which became Eritrea 's capital after independence from Ethiopia in 1991 , and grew up in northern Ethiopia 's Tigray region .
One formative , and now motivating experience , was the death of a younger brother , who was around four years old at the time , he told Time magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student , Dr Tedros came to suspect it was measles that killed him .
`` I did n't accept it ; I do n't accept it even now , '' he was quoted as saying , adding that it was unfair that a child should die from a preventable disease just because he was born in the wrong place .
`` All roads should lead to universal health coverage .
I will not rest until we have met this , '' he told the World Health Assembly shortly before his election as WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Tigray People 's Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , which was in the vanguard of the 1991 overthrow of Ethiopia 's Marxist dictator , Mengistu Haile Mariam .
As a government minister from 2005 , he was seen as more approachable and friendly than some of his more austere TPLF comrades .
He has been praised for reforming the health sector and improving access to health care in Ethiopia , Africa 's most populous state after Nigeria .
But when he was in charge , his ministry was known to discourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country .
During his highly efficient and ultimately successful campaign to lead the WHO , Dr Tedros ' supporters dismissed allegations that he had covered up cholera outbreaks .
That is why `` persuasive '' and `` political '' are also words which crop up regularly when discussing his leadership of the WHO .
He knows that the WHO 's success tackling global health crises depends on the co-operation of the organization 's 194 member states .
During the current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo , he has travelled there several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation but to also talk to government leaders .
And he moved quickly to visit Beijing when news of the coronavirus outbreak emerged .
`` His strategy is to coax China to transparency and international co-operation rather than criticising the government , '' says Lawrence Gostin , Professor of Global Health Law at Georgetown University .
But has that actually worked ?
Some WHO watchers have criticised the effusive praise heaped on China for its containment measures .
After his trip to Beijing , Dr Tedros said China had set `` a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days later , he told world leaders meeting at the Munich Security Conference that China 's actions had `` bought the world time '' .
Such comments sit uneasily with the knowledge that China arrested health workers who first raised the alarm about the outbreak .
There is criticism too that Dr Tedros waited too long to declare a PHEIC .
`` I was one of the first to ask him to call a PHEIC , '' says Prof Gostin .
`` Having said that , it was only a short delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had any impact on the trajectory of Covid-19 . ''
`` I do worry quite a bit however that his effusive praise for China could in the long term tarnish the WHO 's reputation as a trusted scientific authority willing to speak truth to power . ''
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS ?
A simple guide • WAYS TO PREVENT CATCHING IT : How to wash your hands • HOW TO SELF-ISOLATE : What you need to know • WHERE ARE WE WITH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK : Virus maps and charts So while Dr Tedros may be political , a lot of that political effort seems to be spent reassuring authoritarian , untransparent governments , in a bid to get them to work with the WHO to tackle diseases which threaten global health .
When it comes to perceiving how that effort may be viewed by governments in Western democracies , his political skills may not be quite so sharp .
Shortly after taking office he proposed Robert Mugabe , Zimbabwe 's president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goodwill ambassador , saying he had worked to make Zimbabwe `` a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies '' .
Only after days of outrage , not just from governments , but from human rights groups , who pointed to the deprivation that Mr Mugabe 's regime had inflicted on its people , did Dr Tedros decide to withdraw his proposal .
Now , in the midst of a global outbreak of a brand new virus , his judgement is being questioned again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , others , including senior officials at the WHO , point out that it is only a word , and making the declaration would not change the WHO 's strategy to contain the disease .
Then there are virologists and epidemiologists , some of whom say the WHO 's advice to member states to adopt `` robust , aggressive '' containment measures is too feeble , and others who say the WHO is over-reacting .
We have been here before .
Dr Chan was criticised for a perceived overreaction to the 2010 swine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic and advised countries to spend millions on medicines most did not , in the end , need .
Then she was seen to react far too slowly to West Africa 's catastrophic Ebola outbreak , which claimed at least 11,000 lives .
`` Damned if you do , damned if you do n't '' , is a phrase you often hear at WHO headquarters .
Prof Gostin believes Dr Tedros has become `` the symbol of leadership '' in the course of the coronavirus crisis .
But , he warns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still there , including pitiful funding '' .
The success of Dr Tedros , and the WHO as a whole , at handling the coronavirus will not be really clear until the crisis is over .
For now , he will keep on advising countries to prepare , to diagnose , to trace , and to contain .
Every day he gives a press conference , every day his words are flashed around the world .
And despite the pressure to come up with answers , despite the constant media spotlight , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of each press conference is always the same ; a gathering of papers , a smile , and `` see you tomorrow '' .

"All my sympathies go to [them], they were in a tough spot," she says. "China was the place where we first saw the outbreak. They [WHO] sent a team to China, wrote generally an accurate report about the things China was doing well.


bbc--2020-03-04--The 16-year-old 'rock star' standing between England and T20 World Cup final

The big questions for most 16-year-olds are usually straightforward .
College or sixth form ?
Go out or stay in ?
Or , crucially , can you convince your parents to let you drive a moped ?
Shafali Verma 's teenage years have been a little different .
The India batter has lit up the Women 's T20 World Cup with her performances at the top of the order as her side marched into the semi-finals without losing a match , and she now stands in England 's way of a place in Sunday 's final .
Verma is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an astonishing strike-rate of 161 .
It is the highest strike-rate of players to bat more than once , while her career T20 strike-rate of 147 is the best of those to have score more than 120 international runs .
After just 18 Twenty20 innings for India , she has hit 58 fours and 21 sixes , and is already top of the ICC 's T20 batting rankings .
She is a force of nature and is putting her fellow opener , Smriti Mandhana - until recently viewed as the new face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shade .
`` When we first saw Mandhana come on to the scene , we thought we 'd never see anyone hit a ball like her , '' England spinner Alex Hartley told BBC Sport .
`` But Verma has come along and almost made her look boring .
She 's an unbelievable striker of the ball .
`` I am so , so excited to see her in a couple of years , when she 's a bit fitter and a bit stronger .
She is going to be a fantastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secret to Verma 's instant success ?
Nothing but freedom , according to her team-mate Shikha Pandey .
`` She 's been given free licence to play her game , '' said Pandey .
`` We actually picked her up in domestic cricket - we knew there was this kid who was 15 then and she 's playing fearless cricket .
`` So we have n't really asked her to change anything in her game .
We 're just giving her the licence to go play there and play the brand of cricket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 , I had n't even started training to become a cricketer .
I was playing gully cricket until then .
So it 's amazing that a 16-year-old is playing for India . ''
Verma has been likened to a rock star by legendary India opener Virender Sehwag , while ex-Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has called her fearless , and her rise has coincided with women 's cricket gaining popularity with fans and sponsors alike in India .
Former India captain Mithali Raj remembers breaking the record for the highest individual Test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless they had read it in the paper .
`` There was no travel or daily allowance , nor a physio or strength and conditioning coach , '' Raj wrote in a blog for the International Cricket Council .
`` We only had male players as inspiration because that 's all we used to see .
Now , a young girl can have a role model in the form of a female cricketer . ''
The majority of crowds at the T20 World Cup have been made up of families .
Children race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands , calling to players to sign them .
Verma is one of the most popular names .
When India had beaten Bangladesh in Perth in their second group game , she and her team-mates were mobbed by supporters .
Wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia was called over for selfies by fans in blue India shirts .
Harmanpreet Kaur was loudly cheered as she spoke in victory .
And Verma and her team-mates worked down a long line of people , signing autographs and thanking them for their support .
But the teenager very nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purely because of her gender .
Her father took her to the stadium in Rohtak , near Delhi , to watch Sachin Tendulkar play his final Ranji Trophy innings .
Perched on her father 's shoulders , the nine-year-old Verma decided she wanted to play cricket .
But , while Verma 's brother played at the local cricket clubs , his sister could not .
Clubs did not want a girl playing the sport .
Verma 's father , however , had an idea .
He cut his daughter 's hair , short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy , and , when her brother fell ill , Verma took his place at a local club .
• 'Where I 'm from , there are some things girls should n't do' That same year , Verma was named 'man of the season ' for her efforts .
Six years later , she would break a 30-year-old record held by Tendulkar .
Verma thrashed 73 from 49 balls in a T20 against West Indies .
She was 15 years and 285 days old - the youngest Indian to score an international fifty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1989 .
`` What I want is that if there is a young girl , she should n't be stopped from playing cricket , '' Verma said .
`` If she works hard and focuses on her game , anything can happen . ''
Her lowest score in the tournament so far is a blistering 29 off 15 balls against Australia in the tournament opener .
If she gets off to a similar start against England , it might well prove decisive .

Shafali Verma idolises India legend Sachin Tendulkar
Women's T20 World Cup final: India v Australia Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground Date: Sunday, 8 March Time: 07:00 GMT Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Sport website & app; in-play highlights (UK only) & live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app
The big questions for most 16-year-olds are usually straightforward.
College or sixth form? Go out or stay in? Or, crucially, can you convince your parents to let you ride a moped?
Shafali Verma's teenage years have been a little different.
The India batter has lit up the Women's T20 World Cup with her performances at the top of the order as her side marched into the semi-finals without losing a match, before a washout meant they pipped England to a place in Sunday's final.
Verma is the third highest run-scorer in the tournament at an astonishing strike-rate of 161. It is the highest strike-rate of players to bat more than once, while her career T20 strike-rate of 147 is the best of those to have scored more than 120 international runs.
After just 18 Twenty20 innings for India, she has hit 58 fours and 21 sixes, and is already top of the International Cricket Council's T20 batting rankings. She is a force of nature and is putting her fellow opener, Smriti Mandhana - until recently viewed as the new face of the India women's team - in the shade.
"When we first saw Mandhana come on to the scene, we thought we'd never see anyone hit a ball like her," England spinner Alex Hartley told BBC Sport.
"But Verma has come along and almost made her look boring. She's an unbelievable striker of the ball.
"I am so, so excited to see her in a couple of years, when she's a bit fitter and a bit stronger. She is going to be a fantastic cricketer."
But what's the secret to Verma's instant success? Nothing but freedom, according to her team-mate Shikha Pandey.
"She's been given free licence to play her game," said Pandey. "We actually picked her up in domestic cricket - we knew there was this kid who was 15 then and she's playing fearless cricket.
"So we haven't really asked her to change anything in her game. We're just giving her the licence to go play there and play the brand of cricket she's known for.
"At 16, I hadn't even started training to become a cricketer. I was playing gully cricket until then. So it's amazing that a 16-year-old is playing for India."
Verma has been likened to a rock star by legendary India opener Virender Sehwag, while ex-Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has called her fearless, and her rise has coincided with women's cricket gaining popularity with fans and sponsors alike in India. external-link
Former India captain Mithali Raj remembers breaking the record for the highest individual Test score in 2002 and no-one knowing, unless they had read it in the paper.
"There was no travel or daily allowance, nor a physio or strength and conditioning coach," Raj wrote in a blog for the International Cricket Council.
"We only had male players as inspiration because that's all we used to see. Now, a young girl can have a role model in the form of a female cricketer."
The majority of crowds at the T20 World Cup have been made up of families. Children race around the boundaries, miniature bats in hands, calling to players to sign them.
Verma is one of the most popular names. When India had beaten Bangladesh in Perth in their second group game, she and her team-mates were mobbed by supporters.
Wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia was called over for selfies by fans in blue India shirts. Harmanpreet Kaur was loudly cheered as she spoke in victory. And Verma and her team-mates worked down a long line of people, signing autographs and thanking them for their support.
But the teenager very nearly missed out on representing her country, purely because of her gender.
Her father took her to the stadium in Rohtak, near Delhi, to watch Sachin Tendulkar play his final Ranji Trophy innings. Perched on her father's shoulders, the nine-year-old Verma decided she wanted to play cricket.
But, while Verma's brother played at the local cricket clubs, his sister could not. Clubs did not want a girl playing the sport.
Verma's father, however, had an idea. He cut his daughter's hair, short enough to convince people she was a boy, and, when her brother fell ill, Verma took his place at a local club.
That same year, Verma was named 'man of the season' for her efforts. Six years later, she would break a 30-year-old record held by Tendulkar.
Verma thrashed 73 from 49 balls in a T20 against West Indies. She was 15 years and 285 days old - the youngest Indian to score an international fifty since Tendulkar made 59 against Pakistan in 1989.
"What I want is that if there is a young girl, she shouldn't be stopped from playing cricket," Verma said.
"If she works hard and focuses on her game, anything can happen."
Her lowest score in the tournament so far is a blistering 29 off 15 balls against Australia in the tournament opener. If she gets off to a similar start in the final, it might well prove decisive.


bbc--2020-03-03--'Liverpool need to return to winning ways before Atletico Madrid visit'

Liverpool 's standards have been so high this season that any slip from the pinnacle will raise eyebrows - so a third loss in four games is bound to provoke questions .
Watford 's 3-0 defeat of Jurgen Klopp 's Premier League champions-elect was a seismic shock , given the Hornets were in the relegation zone and Liverpool had reeled off 18 straight league wins in an unbeaten season .
Indeed , they were on an unbeaten 44-match league sequence stretching back to 3 January 2019 , when they lost at Manchester City .
Their latest reverse , the 2-0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not a surprise as Klopp has shuffled his pack in this competition , the game was at Stamford Bridge , and the stakes were huge for manager Frank Lampard and his players .
Throw in the Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat at Atletico Madrid , a matter that can still be put right at Anfield , and there is no doubt Liverpool are going through the kind of occasional downturn that affects even the greatest of sides .
It is simply because Liverpool wore a cloak of invincibility for so long this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the reactions are more extreme , the questions slightly illogical .
• Where did Liverpool 's run rank with the greats ?
There is no doubt that Liverpool are not quite at their best at the moment , although reality suggests they could never sustain the rarefied levels they had operated at over the course of a whole campaign .
Liverpool are currently looking lethargic , one of the last words that could previously be attributed to them as their machine-like efficiency , power and skill overpowered opponents with relentless regularity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exemplified by substitute James Milner 's hack at Pedro as he escaped down the wing late on and Sadio Mane 's angry exchange with Cesar Azpilicueta seconds before the final whistle .
Since the winter break , Liverpool have not picked up the same rhythm and tempo they had before .
They started February with a blistering 4-0 beating of a Southampton side who actually acquitted themselves well at Anfield .
Since then they have ground out a 1-0 win at Norwich City , lost in Madrid and had a narrow 3-2 victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before these past two losses .
It was never going to be an untroubled stroll to the title and trophies for Liverpool this season - there would always be bumps in the road and better to find them with a 22-point lead and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals still very much on offer .
And Liverpool 's display at Chelsea , with a changed side but one that still contained superstars such as Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane , was as decent as Klopp suggested afterwards .
It may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been at the top of Liverpool 's priorities this season - as proved by the young team that beat Everton in the third round and the virtual youth side that overcame Shrewsbury Town in a fourth-round replay at Anfield while Klopp and his senior players enjoyed that winter break .
Winning , though , is a habit and for the moment Liverpool have lost it .
The winning habit will return , with every chance it will happen against Bournemouth at Anfield this weekend , but Klopp and his players feed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was pain in this defeat , as their reaction proved .
Liverpool were undermined by Adrian 's error for Willian 's first goal and by the returning Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga , who belied his previous poor form this season with a string of crucial blocks .
Klopp can take heart from the development of youngsters Neco Williams and Curtis Jones and this was not a performance on a par with the abysmal effort at Vicarage Road .
And , in his absence , Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson 's importance as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He had his doubters even towards the end of last season but it is unlikely he will be underestimated again .
Fabinho , arguably Liverpool 's best player before he sustained a knee injury against against Napoli in the Champions League in November , has not been able to regain his best form since his return to action .
The idea of Ross Barkley running from inside his own half to seal the deal is a lot harder to contemplate when Henderson and Fabinho are in top form .
Reds need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's first title triumph for 30 years is now a mere formality , a wait for the last points to be collected so the celebrations can start .
If Liverpool 's character requires testing , and they have been passing pretty much every examination placed in front of them for the past two years , then it will come against the battle-hardened , streetwise Atletico Madrid and their street-fighter coach Diego Simeone at Anfield on 11 March .
Liverpool have mislaid some old certainties in recent weeks but Klopp will be confident they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town .
This past two years have seen Liverpool lose then win a Champions League final , and finish second in the Premier League last season despite losing only one game , before transforming that into a runaway triumph this term .
The Premier League title is Liverpool 's but Klopp and his players will know the bumps they have experienced in the past fortnight must be smoothed out before Simeone and his players pitch up for what will be an inevitable war of attrition at Anfield .

Liverpool's standards have been so high this season that any slip from the pinnacle will raise eyebrows - so a third loss in four games is bound to provoke questions.
Watford's 3-0 defeat of Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions-elect was a seismic shock, given the Hornets were in the relegation zone and Liverpool had reeled off 18 straight league wins in an unbeaten season.
Indeed, they were on an unbeaten 44-match league sequence stretching back to 3 January 2019, when they lost at Manchester City.
Their latest reverse, the 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round loss at Chelsea, was not a surprise as Klopp has shuffled his pack in this competition, the game was at Stamford Bridge, and the stakes were huge for manager Frank Lampard and his players.
Throw in the Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat at Atletico Madrid, a matter that can still be put right at Anfield, and there is no doubt Liverpool are going through the kind of occasional downturn that affects even the greatest of sides.
It is simply because Liverpool wore a cloak of invincibility for so long this season - and most of last - that the reactions are more extreme, the questions slightly illogical.
Reds look lethargic
There is no doubt that Liverpool are not quite at their best at the moment, although reality suggests they could never sustain the rarefied levels they had operated at over the course of a whole campaign.
Liverpool are currently looking lethargic, one of the last words that could previously be attributed to them as their machine-like efficiency, power and skill overpowered opponents with relentless regularity.
There was growing frustration too, as exemplified by substitute James Milner's hack at Pedro as he escaped down the wing late on and Sadio Mane's angry exchange with Cesar Azpilicueta seconds before the final whistle.
Since the winter break, Liverpool have not picked up the same rhythm and tempo they had before.
They started February with a blistering 4-0 beating of a Southampton side who actually acquitted themselves well at Anfield.
Since then they have ground out a 1-0 win at Norwich City, lost in Madrid and had a narrow 3-2 victory over troubled West Ham United at Anfield, before these past two losses.
It was never going to be an untroubled stroll to the title and trophies for Liverpool this season - there would always be bumps in the road and better to find them with a 22-point lead and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals still very much on offer.
And Liverpool's display at Chelsea, with a changed side but one that still contained superstars such as Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane, was as decent as Klopp suggested afterwards.
It may hurt the romantics but the FA Cup has not been at the top of Liverpool's priorities this season - as proved by the young team that beat Everton in the third round and the virtual youth side that overcame Shrewsbury Town in a fourth-round replay at Anfield while Klopp and his senior players enjoyed that winter break.
Winning, though, is a habit and for the moment Liverpool have lost it.
Absent Henderson's importance highlighted
The winning habit will return, with every chance it will happen against Bournemouth at Anfield this weekend, but Klopp and his players feed off that feeling and make no mistake there was pain in this defeat, as their reaction proved.
Liverpool were undermined by Adrian's error for Willian's first goal and by the returning Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who belied his previous poor form this season with a string of crucial blocks.
Klopp can take heart from the development of youngsters Neco Williams and Curtis Jones and this was not a performance on a par with the abysmal effort at Vicarage Road.
And, in his absence, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson's importance as a leader and midfield operator has been underscored. He had his doubters even towards the end of last season but it is unlikely he will be underestimated again.
Fabinho, arguably Liverpool's best player before he sustained a knee injury against against Napoli in the Champions League in November, has not been able to regain his best form since his return to action.
The idea of Ross Barkley running from inside his own half to seal the deal is a lot harder to contemplate when Henderson and Fabinho are in top form.
Reds need to return to form before Atletico visit
Liverpool's first title triumph for 30 years is now a mere formality, a wait for the last points to be collected so the celebrations can start.
If Liverpool's character requires testing, and they have been passing pretty much every examination placed in front of them for the past two years, then it will come against the battle-hardened, streetwise Atletico Madrid and their street-fighter coach Diego Simeone at Anfield on 11 March.
Liverpool have mislaid some old certainties in recent weeks but Klopp will be confident they can be rediscovered before Simeone rumbles into town.
This past two years have seen Liverpool lose then win a Champions League final, and finish second in the Premier League last season despite losing only one game, before transforming that into a runaway triumph this term.
The Premier League title is Liverpool's but Klopp and his players will know the bumps they have experienced in the past fortnight must be smoothed out before Simeone and his players pitch up for what will be an inevitable war of attrition at Anfield.