bbc--2020-05-31--An athlete, friend and father - who was George Floyd?

Before the image of George Floyd lying under the knee of a policeman set off shock , anger and protests across the US , the arch of his life crossed crests and troughs .
There were highs , as when he , as a teenager in Houston , played American football for the 1992 Texas state champion runners-up Yates High School Lions .
There were lows , as when he was arrested for robbery in 2007 and served five years in prison .
But mostly , it would seem that Floyd , who was 46 when he died in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply trying to live life as any other American , in search of betterment in the face of both personal and societal challenges .
His death amid a public health crisis and economic calamity that has killed more than 100,000 Americans and left over 40 million unemployed has become the latest totem of the ills that plague the country in 2020 .
• The last 30 minutes of George Floyd 's life A native of Houston , Texas , Floyd grew up in the neighbourhood at the heart of the city 's black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the south of the city centre .
Beyoncé grew up there , as did Bayou City 's blues music scene .
Drake , a Canadian rapper , paid homage to its musical vibrancy , and Floyd himself is thought to have 'spit bars ' as part of the hip-hop group in the 1990s in Houston .
But poverty , racial division and economic inequalities mark its history , too , as with any American city .
Marred by segregation in the 20th Century , the Third Ward Floyd left in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing .
`` Anytime I take somebody who 's not from there , people actually are like 'man , oh my God , I 've never seen poverty like this .
`` It looks like a bomb went off , what happened ? '
'' Ronnie Lillard , a friend from the neighbourhood tells the BBC .
`` People are still living in shot-gun shacks that were erected in the 1920s .
The poverty is thorough ... and being from that area , it 's hard to escape , '' says Mr Lillard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name Reconcile .
Floyd was well known in the council estate housing project , Cuney Homes , he adds .
`` Cuney Homes is known as 'The Bricks ' and if you 're from there they call you ' a brickboy ' .
He was a brickboy . ''
Growing up a gifted athlete standing at six feet six inches , friends who knew Floyd as a teenager described him as a `` gentle giant '' who shone on the field in two sports , basketball as well as American football .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 years old he was six-foot-two , '' Jonathan Veal , a childhood friend and former teammate , told local media .
`` I had never seen anyone that tall before '' .
At John Yates High School , he wore number 88 in the tight end position for the football team , and was later recruited to play basketball at South Florida State College in Avon Park , Florida , where he was a student from 1993 to 1995 , according to CNN .
He returned to Texas for a school year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingsville , but did not complete his degree .
• Why do some protests turn violent ?
• Why has a US city gone up in flames ?
His life then took a different turn , with a string of arrests for theft and drug possession culminating in an armed robbery charge in 2007 , for which he was sentenced to five years in prison .
He became involved in his local ministry , Resurrection Houston , after his release and was intent on making changes in himself and his neighbourhood , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embracing his own life change , he was looking around at his community . ''
A video of Floyd decrying gun violence , believed to be filmed in 2017 , has circulated on social media , in which he implored young people to `` come home '' .
His family told the Houston Chronicle he moved to Minnesota in 2018 after being encouraged by friends through a Christian work programme .
Christopher Harris , a friend and former classmate , told US media Mr Floyd `` was looking to start over fresh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was happy with the change he was making , '' he added .
The former athlete found work as a security guard at a local Salvation Army charity , and then took on jobs as a lorry driver and dance club bouncer at Conga Latin Bistro , where he was known as `` Big Floyd . ''
Like many Americans , however , he found himself laid off amid mass business closures resulting from the Covid-19 crisis .
On the day of his arrest , he was said to have been attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
Anger over Mr Floyd 's death has spurred protests across the US , with some descending into chaos and violence .
Over 1,600 people have been arrested in nearly two dozen cities , and the National Guard deployed in 15 states .
Mr Lillard , who described his friend as a `` person of peace '' , would have supported people 's rights to be heard and for change , but would not have condoned the looting or the violence .
`` He had a heart bent towards forgiveness , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , too , '' he said .
`` Even before his death , he was aware that people were hurting . ''
`` I think this thing has grown into something more than George Floyd , '' he added , speaking of the protests .
`` I think you 're watching frustration that America has with America [ itself ] . ''

George Floyd dies after police arrest Image caption Tributes to George Floyd at a makeshift memorial Image copyright by Getty Images George Floyd dies after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Footage shows a white officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he is pinned to the floor. Mr Floyd is heard repeatedly saying "I can’t breathe". He is pronounced dead later in hospital.
Protests begin Image caption Demonstrators in Minneapolis Image copyright by AFP Four officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd are fired. Protests begin as the video of the arrest is shared widely on social media. Hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets of Minneapolis and vandalise police cars and the police station with graffiti.
Protests spread Image caption Protesters lie on the streets in Portland, Oregon Image copyright by Reuters Protests spread to other cities including Memphis and Los Angeles. In some places, like Portland, Oregon, protesters lie in the road, chanting "I can’t breathe". Demonstrators again gather around the police station in Minneapolis where the officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest were based and set fire to it. The building is evacuated and police retreat.
Trump tweets Image caption President Trump tweets about the unrest Image copyright by Reuters President Trump blames the violence on a lack of leadership in Minneapolis and threatens to send in the National Guard in a tweet. He follows it up in a second tweet with a warning "when the looting starts, the shooting starts". The second tweet is hidden by Twitter for "glorifying violence".
CNN reporter arrested Image caption Members of a CNN crew are arrested at a protest Image copyright by Reuters A CNN reporter, Omar Jimenez, is arrested while covering the Minneapolis protest. Mr Jimenez was reporting live when police officers handcuffed him. A few minutes later several of his colleagues are also arrested. They are all later released once they are confirmed to be members of the media. Derek Chauvin charged with murder Image caption Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after being charged over the death of George Floyd Image copyright by Getty Images Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, 44, is charged with murder and manslaughter. The charges carry a combined maximum 35-year sentence.
Sixth night of protests Image caption Demonstrators set fire to rubbish in New York Image copyright by Reuters Violence spreads across the US on the sixth night of protests. A total of at least five people are reported killed in protests from Indianapolis to Chicago. More than 75 cities have seen protests. At least 4,400 people have been arrested. Curfews are imposed across the US to try to stem the unrest.
Trump threatens military response Image caption Trump posing with a Bible outside a boarded-up church Image copyright by EPA President Trump threatens to send in the military to quell growing civil unrest. He says if cities and states fail to control the protests and "defend their residents" he will deploy the army and "quickly solve the problem for them". Mr Trump poses in front of a damaged church shortly after police used tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters nearby.
Eighth night of protests Image caption George Floyd’s family joined protesters in Houston Image copyright by Getty Tens of thousands of protesters again take to the streets. One of the biggest protests is in George Floyd’s hometown of Houston, Texas. Many defy curfews in several cities, but the demonstrations are largely peaceful.
Memorial service for George Floyd Image caption Mourners gather to remember George Floyd Image copyright by Getty A memorial service for George Floyd is held in Minneapolis. Those gathered in tribute stand in silence for eight minutes, 46 seconds, the amount of time Mr Floyd is alleged to have been on the ground under arrest. Hundreds attended the service, which heard a eulogy from civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton.
International protests Image caption Protester addresses crowds in Australia Image copyright by Getty As the US saw another weekend of protests, with tens of thousands marching in Washington DC, anti-racism demonstrations were held around the world. In Australia, there were major protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians. There were also demonstrations in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. In Bristol, protesters tore down the statue of a 17th century slave trader and threw it into the harbour.


bbc--2020-05-30--Coronavirus: The mystery of asymptomatic 'silent spreaders'

As the crisis has unfolded , scientists have discovered more evidence about a strange and worrying feature of the coronavirus .
While many people who become infected develop a cough , fever and loss of taste and smell , others have no symptoms at all and never realise they 're carrying Covid-19 .
Researchers say it 's vital to understand how many are affected this way and whether `` silent spreaders '' are fuelling the pandemic .
When people gathered at a church in Singapore on 19 January , no-one could have realised that the event would have global implications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a Sunday and , as usual , one of the services was being conducted in Mandarin .
Among the congregation at The Life Church and Missions , on the ground floor of an office building , was a couple , both aged 56 , who 'd arrived that morning from China .
As they took their seats , they seemed perfectly healthy so there was no reason to think they might be carrying the virus .
At that time , a persistent cough was understood to be the most distinctive feature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most likely way to transmit it .
Having no symptoms of the disease should have meant having no chance of spreading it .
The couple left as soon as the service was over .
But shortly afterwards , things took a turn for the worse , and in a wholly confusing way .
The wife started to become ill on January 22 , followed by her husband two days later .
Because they had flown in from Wuhan , the epicentre of the outbreak , that was no big surprise .
But over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also came down with the disease for no obvious reason , leading to one of Singapore 's first and most baffling coronavirus cases .
Working out what had happened would lead to a new and disturbing insight into how the virus was so successfully finding new victims .
`` We were extremely perplexed , '' says Dr Vernon Lee , head of communicable diseases at Singapore 's Ministry of Health .
`` People who did n't know one another somehow infected each other , '' while showing no sign of illness .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sense , according to what was known about Covid-19 back then .
So Dr Lee and his fellow scientists , along with police officers and specialist disease trackers , launched an investigation , generating detailed maps showing who was where and when .
This involved the very best of the process known as contact tracing - a version of which is getting under way now in the UK .
It 's seen as a vital system for tracking down everyone involved in an outbreak and helping to stamp it out , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed with which this is carried out .
Amazingly , within a few days , investigators had spoken to no fewer than 191 members of the church and had found out that 142 of them had been there that Sunday .
They quickly established that two of the Singaporeans who became infected had been at the same service as the Chinese couple .
`` They could have spoken to each other , greeted each other , during the usual activities of a church service , '' says Dr Lee .
That was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the infection could have been passed on , apart from one key factor .
It did not answer the crucial question of how the virus could have been transmitted by the two Chinese people when at that stage they had shown no indication of having the disease .
And on top of that was an even greater puzzle .
It was confirmed that the third Singaporean to become infected , a 52-year-old woman , had not been at the same service as the others .
Instead she had attended another event in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so how could she have picked up the virus ?
Investigators resorted to going through the CCTV recordings made at the church that Sunday to search for clues .
And they stumbled across something completely unexpected - the woman who 'd attended the later service , after the Chinese couple had left , had sat in the seats they had used several hours earlier .
Somehow , despite having no symptoms and not feeling ill , the Chinese husband and wife had managed to spread the virus .
Maybe they 'd had it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , maybe their breath carried the infection and it landed on a surface , it 's not clear , but the implications were huge .
For Dr Lee , piecing everything together , there was only one possible explanation - that the virus was being passed by people who had it without even realising .
This was a revelation that would be relevant the world over because the central message of all public health advice on coronavirus has always been to look out for symptoms in yourself and others .
But if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without symptoms , silently and invisibly , how could the disease be stopped ?
He remembers the moment , while working in his office , when the reality dawned on him .
`` Every time you make a scientific discovery , it is like a 'eureka ' moment when you realise that this is something important that you 've uncovered , through the hard work of many individuals and teams . ''
What was revealed was what 's known as `` pre-symptomatic transmission '' where someone is unaware of being infected because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have yet to begin .
Along with many others , this study highlighted a critical period of 24-to-48 hours before the visible onset of the disease in which people can be highly infectious , perhaps even their most infectious .
Being aware of that is potentially invaluable , because as soon as you realise you 're ill then everyone you 've been in close contact with can be warned to stay at home .
That would mean that they would be isolating during the key phase of infection before their own symptoms start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be transmitted without a cough to project droplets containing the virus is still open to debate .
One option is that simply breathing or talking to someone can do the job .
If the virus is reproducing in the upper respiratory tract at that time then it 's possible that some of it will emerge with each exhalation .
Anyone close enough , especially indoors , could easily pick it up .
And another potential form of transmission is by touch - the virus gets onto someone 's hands and they touch another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seat in a church .
Whatever the route , the virus is clearly exploiting the fact that people are bound to be less vigilant if they 're not aware that they might be infected .
This is an even more mysterious scenario , and one that scientists simply have no definitive answer to .
It 's one thing to know that people can be infectious before their symptoms show , quite another when they become infected but never have any sign of it .
This is what 's known as being `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease but do not suffer in any way yourself .
The most famous case is that of an Irish woman who was working as a cook in New York at the beginning of the last century .
Wherever Mary Mallon was employed , in house after house , people became ill with typhoid and at least three , maybe many more , died of it , but she was completely unaffected .
Eventually a connection was established and it was confirmed that she was the unwitting spreader of the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a label she always resented , but the authorities took no chances and kept her in confinement for 23 years until her death in 1938 .
Staff nurse Amelia Powell was shocked when she found out that she is asymptomatic .
She was at work on her hospital ward at Addenbrooke 's Hospital in Cambridge in April when a doctor rang to give her the result of a swab test .
She had been feeling normal and safe behind the personal protective equipment she had to wear while caring for patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were undermined because , to her horror , she had tested positive .
`` It was a bit like hearing that someone in the family had passed , it was surreal .
`` I thought , 'This ca n't be right , not me , I 'm absolutely fine , ' '' says 23-year-old Amelia .
She had to leave her post straightaway to go into isolation at home .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• RECOVERY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get better ?
`` I was worried because I 've seen the other side , with patients deteriorating very quickly with it , so I did wonder if this would happen to me . ''
But , to her surprise , at no point did she feel unwell .
`` I had nothing , literally - I was exercising indoors , eating normally , sleeping normally . ''
At the moment it 's impossible to know how many cases of infection exist but remain hidden from view .
The discovery that Amelia was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a study of all the staff at her hospital .
It produced the surprising result that as many as 3 % of more than 1,000 people were positive while showing no symptoms at the time of the test .
An even greater proportion of asymptomatic cases was found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship which had been sailing off the coast of Japan earlier this year .
Later branded `` a petri dish for infection '' , it had around 700 cases .
Researchers found that three quarters of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And at a care home in Washington state more than half the residents were positive but had no sign of the illness .
Different studies suggest a huge range of possibilities for how many cases are asymptomatic stretching from 5 % to 80 % of cases .
That was the conclusion of an analysis by Prof Carl Heneghan of the University of Oxford and colleagues who looked at 21 research projects .
The upshot , they said , was that `` there is not a single reliable study to determine the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if the screening for Covid-19 is only carried out on people with symptoms - which has been the main focus of UK testing policy - then cases will be missed , `` perhaps a lot of cases '' .
The biggest concern of Amelia , the nurse , was that she might have unwittingly transmitted the virus either to those she works with or to the patients who depend on her help .
`` I do n't think I passed it on because all the colleagues I work with tested negative but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'd been positive for , '' she says .
`` But we still do n't know if people who are asymptomatic are contagious or not - it 's very bizarre and the information about it at the moment is minimal . ''
One study in China which found that the number of asymptomatic cases was actually greater than those with symptoms had a warning for the authorities .
`` As 'silent spreaders ' , '' the scientists wrote , `` asymptomatic carriers warrant attention as part of disease prevention and control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Princess reckoned that asymptomatic cases were likely to be less infectious than people with symptoms but even so they 're estimated to have caused a significant number of cases .
To try to get an answer , scientists in Norwich are pushing for the population of the entire city to be tested .
`` Asymptomatic cases may be the 'dark matter ' of the epidemic , '' according to Prof Neil Hall , head of the Earlham Institute , a life science research centre , who 's leading the initiative .
Dark matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up most of the matter in the universe , and it 's yet to be identified .
Prof Hall worries that asymptomatic cases may actually be driving the pandemic , keeping it going despite public health measures .
`` If you have people who do n't know they 're ill while using public transport and health care facilities , inevitably that 's going to increase transmission , '' he says .
`` Any intervention that 's only based on people coming to primary health care when they have symptoms will only deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of scientists in California believes that not knowing who 's carrying the virus without symptoms is the `` Achilles Heel '' of the fight against the pandemic .
In their view , the only way to stop the disease from spreading is to find out who 's infected regardless of whether they think they are or not .
That was also the recommendation of MPs on the Commons Science and Technology Committee in a letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
They wrote that the risk of asymptomatic transmission has `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic '' .
And they said that anyone looking after vulnerable people - such as health workers or care workers - should be given regular testing .
A similar approach is being adopted on a far larger scale in the Chinese city of Wuhan , where the pandemic is thought to have begun .
As many as 6.5 million people there were tested in as little as nine days in a mass screening programme designed to detect the disease - including in those showing no symptoms .
As lockdown measures are eased and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , return to work or go shopping , getting to grips with the invisible risk matters more than ever .
At the moment , there is no way of telling who among the growing crowds may be carrying the virus without knowing .
That 's why governments the world over say it 's essential that everyone cooperates with efforts to trace the contacts of anyone infected and then quickly self-isolates .
They also advise that the best defence remains social distancing - to keep apart wherever you can .
But where that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover your face , even with a mask that 's homemade .
When the US government announced this policy , it highlighted the discoveries made in the church in Singapore back in January .
The logic is that this is not about protecting yourself , it 's about protecting others from you , in case you 're infected but do n't know it .
Many health professionals worry that masks might distract people from hand washing or social distancing , or increase the risk of contamination if they 're clumsily handled .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of the UK , have become convinced of the benefits .
Not that face coverings will halt the pandemic on their own .
But because there 's still so little we know about asymptomatic transmission , almost anything is worth a try .
You may also be interested in : When you talk to intensive care doctors across the UK , exhausted after weeks of dealing with the ravages of Covid-19 , one phrase emerges time after time : `` We 've never seen anything like this before . ''
They knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were expecting resources to be stretched by an unknown respiratory infection which had first appeared in China at the end of last year .
`` It felt in some ways like we were trying to prepare for the D-Day landings , '' says Barbara Miles , clinical director of intensive care at Glasgow Royal Infirmary , `` with three weeks to get ready and not a great deal of knowledge about what we would be facing '' .
Read a summary , often in their own words , of what doctors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body .

So Dr Lee and his fellow scientists, along with police officers and specialist disease trackers, launched an investigation, generating detailed maps showing who was where and when. This involved the very best of the process known as contact tracing - a version of which is getting under way now in the UK. It's seen as a vital system for tracking down everyone involved in an outbreak and helping to stamp it out, and Singapore is renowned for the skill and speed with which this is carried out.


bbc--2020-06-02--George Floyd death homicide, official post-mortem declares

The death of George Floyd , which triggered widespread protests across the US , has been declared a homicide following an official post-mortem .
The 46-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest while being restrained by Minneapolis police , the report found .
It listed Mr Floyd 's cause of death as `` cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual , restraint , and neck compression '' .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump vowed to use the military to end the unrest .
A video showing a white police officer continuing to kneel on Mr Floyd 's neck even after he pleaded he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over police killings of black Americans .
• Live updates from around the US It has led to six consecutive days of protests around the United States and a level of civil unrest not seen in decades .
The officer , Derek Chauvin , has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter and will appear in court this week .
Three other police officers have been fired .
What did the reports say ?
The official post-mortem examination of Mr Floyd also recorded evidence of heart disease and recent drug use .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while being restrained by a law enforcement officer '' on 25 May .
The findings were released shortly after those of a private examination that was carried out by medical examiners hired by the Floyd family .
This report said Mr Floyd died from asphyxia ( lack of oxygen ) due to a compression on his neck and also on his back .
It also found the death was a homicide , a statement from the family 's legal team said .
`` The cause of death in my opinion is asphyxia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which can interfere with oxygen going to the brain - and compression to the back , which interferes with breathing , '' Dr Michael Baden , a former New York City medical examiner , said at a news conference on Monday .
Benjamin Crump , a lawyer for the Floyd family , said : `` Beyond doubt he would be alive today if not for the pressure applied to his neck by officer Derek Chauvin and the strain on his body by two other officers . ''
He added : `` The ambulance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump say ?
Also on Monday , during a brief televised address from the White House 's Rose Garden , President Trump threatened to send in the military to end the protests if cities and states failed to control them .
Speaking as the sounds of a nearby protest could be heard in the background , Mr Trump said `` we are ending the riots and lawlessness '' which he blamed on `` professional anarchists '' and anti-fascist group `` Antifa '' .
`` I have strongly recommended to every governor to deploy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we dominate the streets , '' Mr Trump said .
The National Guard is the reserve military force that can be called on to intervene in domestic emergencies .
About 16,000 of its troops have been deployed to deal with the unrest so far .
Mr Trump added : `` If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary ... then I 'll deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them . ''
`` I want the organisers of this terror to be on notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
Earlier , President Trump told state governors they had been `` weak '' and had to get `` much tougher '' and utilise troops from the National Guard .
`` You 've got to arrest people , you have to track people , you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you 'll never see this stuff again , '' Mr Trump said in a video conference call , according to US media .
What 's the latest on the protests ?
More than 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to George Floyd .
Streets that only days ago were deserted because of the coronavirus pandemic have filled with demonstrators marching shoulder to shoulder .
The case follows the high-profile cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Eric Garner in New York and others that have driven the Black Lives Matter movement .
On Sunday , mostly peaceful demonstrations once again gave way to violence in many cities , with clashes erupting between police and protesters .
Police cars were burned , buildings were torched and shops looted in several places .
Dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defied .
• How are African-Americans treated by the law ?
Many videos shared on social media from across the US appeared to show riot police responding disproportionately to demonstrators .
Dozens of attacks targeting journalists have been reported .

"The cause of death in my opinion is asphyxia, due to compression to the neck - which can interfere with oxygen going to the brain - and compression to the back, which interferes with breathing," Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said at a news conference on Monday.


bbc--2020-06-02--George Floyd: Uplifting moments from peaceful protests

Tanker driven at US protesters in Minneapolis The driver was pulled from the truck by demonstrators , before being taken @ @ @ @ @ .

Up Next. 'This is why we are protesting' Video, 00:01:33'This is why we are protesting'


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: 'This is why we are protesting'

The death of George Floyd in police custody has sparked six days of protests in the US , many of @ @ @ @ @ led to further accusations of excessive use of force by officers .
`` I 'm @ @ @ @ @ '' one protester said .
These are some of the other reasons demonstrators across the @ @ @ @ @ to the streets to protest .

The death of George Floyd in police custody has sparked six days of protests in the US, many of which have turned violent and led to further accusations of excessive use of force by officers.
"I'm tired of being afraid," one protester said. These are some of the other reasons demonstrators across the country said they'd taken to the streets to protest.


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd: 'Unacceptable' attacks on reporters at protests

Dozens of journalists covering anti-racism protests that have rocked the US have reported being targeted by security forces using tear gas , rubber bullets and pepper spray .
In many cases , they said it was despite showing clear press credentials .
Such attacks `` are an unacceptable attempt to intimidate [ reporters ] '' , said the Committee to Protect Journalists , a New York-based group .
Attacks on journalists carried out by protesters have also been reported .
The arrest of a CNN news crew live on air on Friday in Minneapolis , where unarmed black man George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , first drew global attention to how law enforcement authorities in the city were treating reporters covering protests that have descended into riots .
But over the weekend dozens of attacks on journalists and media crews across the country were reported on social media .
In total the US Press Freedom Tracker , a non-profit project , says it is investigating more than 100 `` press freedom violations '' at protests in the last three days .
About 90 cases involve attacks .
On Saturday night , two members of a TV crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with rubber bullets while police dispersed protesters in Minneapolis defying an 20:00 curfew .
`` A police officer that I 'm filming turns around points his rubber-bullet rifle straight at me , '' cameraman Julio-Cesar Chavez said .
Reuters said the Minneapolis Police Department had not commented despite being provided with video footage .
In Washington DC , near the White House , a riot police officer charged his shield at a BBC cameraman on Sunday evening .
The cameraman was `` clearly identifiable as a member of the media '' , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Danahar .
`` The team had been following all directions from the police as they covered the protests in front of the White House .
The assault took place even before the curfew had been imposed and happened without warning or provocation '' .
On the same day , on the other side of the country in Long Beach , California , radio reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez said he had been shot in the throat with a rubber bullet by a police officer .
The city 's police chief told reporters on Monday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding : `` I do not want anyone from the media to get hurt . ''
Overnight on Friday , a Fox News crew were chased and hit by a mob of masked protesters near the White House .
`` It 's the most scared I 've been since being caught in a mob that turned on us in Tahrir Square [ in the Egyptian capital Cairo ] , '' veteran Fox correspondent Leland Vittert said .
On Saturday , Vice News journalist Michael Anthony Adams said he was pepper-sprayed in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite holding his press card in the air and yelling `` Press ! ''
• The man whose death convulsed the US Video posted by another Vice journalist supports his account of what happened .
On Friday night , Linda Tirado , a freelance photojournalist and activist , was struck in her left eye by a projectile that appeared to come from the direction of police in Minneapolis .
She has been permanently blinded in that eye .
That same night a reporter from local news station Wave 3 in Louisville , Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police officer aiming directly at her as she reported live on television .
`` I 'm getting shot !
I 'm getting shot ! ''
she said .
A spokeswoman for the Louisville police said on Saturday that they were trying to identify which officer was involved .
`` Targeting the media is not our intention , '' the spokeswoman said .
• The last 30 minutes of George Floyd 's life A reporter from Germany 's international news broadcaster Deutsche Welle was also shot with projectiles by police in Minneapolis this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air .
He was wearing a vest emblazoned with the word `` PRESS '' and was also threatened with arrest , a video showed .
`` Those policemen are under a lot of stress doing their job but of course they should have let us work and do our job , '' Stefan Simons , the reporter , said .
On Sunday , Minnesota 's governor apologised to those who had been detained in his state .
`` I want to once again extend my deepest apologies , to the journalists who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation who were inadvertently , but nevertheless , detained - to them personally and to the news organisations and to journalists everywhere , '' Tim Walz said .
The incidents come as President Donald Trump continues to attack the media .
On Sunday he tweeted : `` The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy . ''
He said journalists were `` truly bad people with a sick agenda '' .
Several press freedom organisation have condemned the attacks .
`` The numerous , targeted attacks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have faced from law enforcement over the last two nights are both reprehensible and clear violations of the First Amendment , '' the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said .
Courtney Radsch , advocacy director at the Committee to Protect Journalists , told the BBC that the group was calling on authorities to `` instruct police to cease targeting journalists and ensure that they are able to do their jobs safely and without fear of injury '' .

The cameraman was "clearly identifiable as a member of the media", said the BBC's Americas bureau chief Paul Danahar. "The team had been following all directions from the police as they covered the protests in front of the White House. The assault took place even before the curfew had been imposed and happened without warning or provocation".


bbc--2020-06-01--Separating protest fact from fiction online

Protests sparked by the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis have spread across the US and to other countries .
They 've been documented in videos , images and posts on social media .
But some of these are n't what they claim to be .
The BBC 's anti-disinformation team has been tracking misleading videos and conspiracy theories about the protests , which have been circulating online .
So , here 's what to look out for - and avoid - on your social media feeds .
We 've seen lots of examples of old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the confusion online .
A video of a teenager being violently arrested by a US police officer has generated almost 10 million views in the last few days .
But the incident happened back in April - in Rancho Cordova , a city in Northern California .
This was n't made clear in the latest post that has been retweeted more than 100,000 times .
It also wrongly identifies the teenager as female .
The clip attracted widespread criticism at the time and prompted an investigation into the police officer 's conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the current protests which has led to allegations of police brutality .
Video from the US shows police using batons and tear gas on protesters and journalists seemingly unprovoked .
• The last 30 minutes of George Floyd 's life • Why has a US city gone up in flames ?
A video of a young African-American woman speaking out against police brutality has been circulating online .
However , the video is from a protest in 2016 against the shooting of Alton Sterling .
Again , people are attributing it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not making it clear the footage is from 2016 .
On May 28th a 'Crime News and Media ' site posted the video , and titled it `` No Justice No Peace '' — `` Black Girl Says She 's Tired Of Being Peaceful Amid Protests In Minneapolis '' .
This had more than 14,000 views and hundreds of comments .
This video claims to show a US police building on fire and was posted on 28 May .
It 's not only old - it 's from 2015 - it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin .
Similar clips of the same incident have also appeared in recent months in connection with the coronavirus .
So , why are people sharing old videos ?
`` The videos may be compounding the anger they are feeling and could be driven by attempts to sow division or get clicks , '' says Marianna Spring , BBC Specialist Disinformation and Social Media reporter .
Speculation about who 's behind the protests have been circulating online .
Some claims are unsubstantiated , others totally false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by those looking to point the finger of blame elsewhere .
First up , posts that have gone viral about George Soros .
Some influential right-wing figures have made unfounded claims that the Hungarian-American billionaire is `` funding '' the demonstrations .
According to these claims , Mr Soros ' motive for `` paying up '' protesters is to instigate a `` race war '' and bring President Trump 's government down .
Supporters of QAnon - a conspiracy theory about a `` deep state '' secret coup against Donald Trump - have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a million posts and memes on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram have repeated allegations about Mr Soros paying agitators to cause trouble .
Mr Soros , whose Open Society Foundations provide financial support to a number of civil society groups and progressive projects around the world , has been a bogeyman of some on the right for a long time .
His organisation has responded to the latest posts , tweeting that `` Mr. Soros and the Open Society Foundations oppose all violence and do not pay people to protest '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's involvement in the protests .
Viral tweets with thousands of shares suggest that Russia was involved in George Floyd 's death - as part of a military operation or an elaborate plot .
There is no evidence to support these claims .
This is n't to rule out the idea that Russia or other countries - either through state media outlets or networks of fake accounts - could be involved in stoking tensions online .
Investigations into Russian interference during the 2016 US Presidential election revealed that Russia was involved in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by US activists - and that included Black Lives Matter groups .
There have also been unsubstantiated claims that pro-independence protesters from Hong Kong are somehow involved .
The editor-in-chief of China 's state-owned Global Times newspaper Hu Xijin tweeted accusations that protesters from Hong Kong might have been linked to the violence in the US : `` Vicious HK rioters obviously are masterminds of violent protests across the US '' .
But China 's foreign ministry has warned against comparing the two sets of protests .

A post claiming the man in the video is an "FBI agent" has been viewed over 4 million times on Twitter. This claim was repeated on Facebook and Instagram by others sharing the video, where it racked up millions more views.


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd: Anonymous hackers re-emerge amid US unrest

As the United States deals with widespread civil unrest across dozens of cities , `` hacktivist '' group Anonymous has returned from the shadows .
The hacker collective was once a regular fixture in the news , targeting those it accused of injustice with cyber-attacks .
After years of relative quiet , it appears to have re-emerged in the wake of violent protests in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd , promising to expose the `` many crimes '' of the city 's police to the world .
However , it 's not easy to pin down what , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group 's work .
The `` hacktivist '' collective has no face , and no leadership .
Its tagline is simply `` we are legion '' , referring to its allegedly large numbers of individuals .
Without any central command structure , anyone can claim to be a part of the group .
This also means that members can have wildly different priorities , and there is no single agenda .
But generally , they are activists , taking aim at those they accuse of misusing power .
They do so in very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or forcing them offline .
Their symbol is a Guy Fawkes mask , made famous by Alan Moore 's graphic novel V for Vendetta , in which an anarchist revolutionary dons the mask to topple a corrupt fascist government .
• Inside the minds of the 'hacktivists' • Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests What actions have they taken ?
Various forms of cyber-attack are being attributed to Anonymous in relation to the George Floyd protests .
First , the Minneapolis police department website was temporarily taken offline over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service ( DDoS ) attack .
This is an unsophisticated but effective form of cyber-attack that floods a server with data until it ca n't keep up and stops working - in the same way that shopping websites can go offline when too many people flood it to snap up high-demand products .
A database of email addresses and passwords claiming to be hacked from the police department 's system is also in circulation , and being linked to Anonymous .
However , there is no evidence that the police servers have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says the credentials are likely to have been compiled from older data breaches .
A page on the website of a minor United Nations agency has been turned into a memorial for Mr Floyd , replacing its contents with the message `` Rest in Power , George Floyd '' , along with an Anonymous logo .
On Twitter , unverified posts have also gone viral , apparently showing police radios playing music and preventing communication .
However , experts suggest it is unlikely to be a hack , and could instead be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardware being commandeered by protesters on the scene - if the videos are genuine in the first place .
Anonymous activists are also circulating years-old accusations against President Trump , taken from documents in a civil court case that was voluntarily dismissed by the accuser before it went to trial .
Have they acted over race issues before ?
Despite there being no single unified approach among Anonymous ' members , the group has targeted groups over race relations in the past .
In 2014 , when the shooting of Michael Brown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , members of Anonymous threatened to target the city if protesters were harmed .
They then disabled the city 's website , compromising communications at city hall , and targeting the city 's police chief .
Later that year , they `` declared war '' on the Ku Klux Klan ( KKK ) , releasing personal details of alleged members online .
Some Anonymous members also attacked the campaign group Black Lives Matter 's website over alleged `` anti-white racism '' .
George Floyd 's death has led to what the BBC 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most widespread racial turbulence and civil unrest since the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 .
It is against this backdrop that a Facebook page claiming to be linked to Anonymous released a video about Mr Floyd 's death , alleging a string of other crimes involving Minneapolis police , and threatening to act .
The same Facebook page posted similar videos about UFOs and `` China 's plan for world domination '' in recent weeks which - like the George Floyd video - feature an electronically-disguised voice discussing previously published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider attention after the Minneapolis police department 's website appeared to be knocked offline .
Is this the kind of cyber-attack that Anonymous is typically associated with ?
The first major Anonymous operation to make headlines was against the Church of Scientology in 2008 , in which it used DDoS attacks to knock some of the organisation 's websites offline , along with prank calls and empty fax messages designed to disrupt their communications .
In the years that followed , in the aftermath of a global financial crisis , the group acted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements , targeted Sony Entertainment over its attempt to crack down on hacking of the PlayStation 3 console , and supported the Occupy Wall Street protests , among others .
They have continued to lend support to similar causes , and staged anti-establishment rallies around the world , but their prominence in mainstream media had diminished in recent years .
The revolutionary image and willingness to take on powerful entities , however , appears to be striking a chord during the current crisis in the United States .

This is an unsophisticated but effective form of cyber-attack that floods a server with data until it can't keep up and stops working - in the same way that shopping websites can go offline when too many people flood it to snap up high-demand products.


bbc--2020-06-01--Facebook staff anger over Trump post

Facebook staff anger over Trump post

Facebook staff have spoken out against the tech giant 's decision not to remove or flag a controversial post by US President Donald Trump last week .
Mr Trump took to Facebook to repeat a tweet about the widespread protests in Minneapolis , following the death of George Floyd in police custody .
Twitter had placed a warning over the content , which it said `` glorified violence '' , but Facebook said it did not violate its company policy .
Some staff said they were ‘ ashamed ’ .
The president said he would `` send in the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the looting starts , the shooting starts . ''
The post remains untouched on Facebook after founder Mark Zuckerberg said it did not violate the company ’ s policy around incitement of violence .
A `` virtual walkout '' is taking place today , with some employees leaving an out-of-office message explaining that they are protesting .
“ People can agree or disagree on where we should draw the line , but I hope they understand our overall philosophy is that it is better to have this discussion out in the open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high , ” Mr Zuckerberg wrote in a post on the platform .
“ I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this , but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open.
” Several employees expressed their frustration at the decision , on social media .
“ Facebook 's inaction in taking down Trump 's post inciting violence makes me ashamed to work here , ” Lauren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I absolutely disagree with it ...
Silence is complicity.
” Others suggested that Facebook should have made an exception to the policy , given its context .
“ We need to strive harder as a company , and industry , to have our Black colleagues ’ and fellow citizens ’ backs so that they are not having to face down institutionalised societal violence and systemic oppression alone , ” added David Gillis , a director in product design at Facebook .
Other employees used the company ’ s internal messaging system to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge reports .
Facebook said it `` recognised the pain '' many staff were feeling .
`` We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership .
As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead , we 'll continue seeking their honest feedback , '' a spokesperson said .
Joseph Evans , head of tech at Enders Analysis said that staff at tech firms do speak out against their employers ' decisions on occasion ; in 2018 Google staff walked out in protest against the firm 's treatment of women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working for these companies is that the employees feel they 're changing the world , and hopefully for the better , '' he said .
`` So the tech giants have to balance avoiding regulatory crackdowns , keeping profits high , and attracting and retaining their highly-skilled workforce . ''
Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg spoke on the phone on Friday .
It ’ s unknown what was discussed , but both sides called the conversation productive , according to Axios news website .
Today , Facebook announced that it will donate $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to ending racial injustice.
” “ We hear you , we see you and we are with you , ” the company said on social media .
`` We stand against racism .
We stand with our Black community - and all those working toward justice in honour of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others whose names will not be forgotten. ” It is unclear where the $ 10m will go , or how it will be distributed .

Joseph Evans, head of tech at Enders Analysis said that staff at tech firms do speak out against their employers' decisions on occasion; in 2018 Google staff walked out in protest against the firm's treatment of women."Part of the appeal of working for these companies is that the employees feel they're changing the world, and hopefully for the better," he said.


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd: Music industry calls for 'blackout' over death

The music industry is to observe a day-long `` blackout '' on Tuesday , in response to George Floyd 's death last week .
All three major record labels have shared a message on social media promising `` a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community '' .
Employees have been given Tuesday off as `` a day of action , '' intended to `` provoke accountability and change '' .
Interscope vowed not to release new music this week , while Apple Music 's Ebro Darden cancelled his radio shows .
Floyd , a 46-year-old African-American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes .
Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin has been sacked and charged with third-degree murder .
He is due to appear in court on Monday , amid ongoing protests in the US and UK .
• Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests • The last 30 minutes of George Floyd 's life • The man whose death convulsed the US Many of music 's biggest stars have spoken out about the father-of-two 's death .
Taking to Instagram on Sunday , Rihanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ and ] sadness '' she has experienced over the last week .
`` Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart , '' she wrote .
Beyoncé filmed an Instagram video urging fans to sign a petition seeking `` justice for George Floyd '' .
`` We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight…We 're broken and we 're disgusted .
We can not normalise this pain '' .
Dr Dre also called for action , saying his `` heart is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that cop had his knee on all of our necks , meaning black men , '' he said on Apple Music 's Young Money Radio .
`` It 's extremely painful because it keeps going on .
It continues to go on and it 's like , 'What can we do ?
Or what do we need to do to make this thing stop ? '
'' Other pop stars , including Ariana Grande , J Cole , Tinashe , Nick Cannon , Yungblud , Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes , joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Halsey , who took to the streets in Los Angeles , told fans that she and other protestors had been fired upon by police .
`` We were peaceful , hands up , not moving , not breaching the line , '' she captioned a photograph of police in protective gear .
`` They opened fire of rubber bullets and tear gas multiple times on us .
citizens who were not provoking them . ''
As anger spread through the music community , a message spread on social media calling on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of action to provoke accountability and change '' .
`` As gatekeepers of the culture , it 's our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins , but also hold each other up during loss , '' reads the statement , which circulated under the hashtag # TheShowMustBePaused .
Among those reposting the message were Warner Music Group , Sony/ATV , Universal Music , Motown , Capitol Records , British label Dirty Hit , Eminem 's Shady Records and legendary producer Quincy Jones .
`` All of my shows are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darden on his Instagram feed .
`` I will air replays of conversations with community activists , politicians and revolutionary music . ''
`` We stand together with the black community against all forms of racism , bigotry , and violence , '' said Columbia Records , which is home to Beyoncé , Pharrell Williams , Lil Nas X , Bob Dylan , Bruce Springsteen and Adele .
`` Now , more than ever , we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'There comes a time when silence is betrayal . '
When you have a responsibility to raise your voice for change .
That time has come , '' added Universal Music Group on social media .
Universal 's chairman , Sir Lucian Grainge , also issued a memo to staff laying out plans for a task force , headed by chief counsel Jeff Harleston , to `` accelerate our efforts in areas such as inclusion and social justice '' .
`` We must do more and now is the time to do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented sense of urgency , '' he wrote .
`` Even more importantly , we must commit ourselves not merely for this week , but we must continue that commitment - without let-up - in the months and years ahead . ''
The British record industry 's trade body , the BPI , also confirmed it would participate in the `` Blackout Tuesday '' .
`` Like many of our members , we will suspend normal business tomorrow , '' it said in a statement .
`` Our staff will share in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events , stand in solidarity with all those who suffer discrimination and encourage our leaders across the world to act .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

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bbc--2020-06-01--Climate change: May was sunniest calendar month on record in UK

May was the sunniest calendar month on record , and spring was the sunniest spring , the Met Office has said .
The UK enjoyed 266 hours of sunshine in May - surpassing the previous record of 265 hours in June 1957 .
And it is even more extraordinary following a drenching winter , with record rain in February .
Meteorologists say they are amazed at the sudden switch from extreme wet to extreme dry – it is not `` British '' weather .
On average the UK gets 436 hours of sunshine between March and the end of May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had more than 500 hours .
And none has got more than 555 hours .
Scientists say the recent weather in the UK has been unprecedented and astounding .
This year we 've bathed in an extraordinary 626 hours - smashing the previous record by a “ staggering ” amount , one Met Office worker said .
It is because the jet stream has locked the fine weather in place , just as it locked the previous winter rainfall in place .
Professor Liz Bentley , chief executive of the Royal Meteorological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve swung from a really unsettled spell with weather systems coming in off the Atlantic to a very , very settled spell .
“ It ’ s unprecedented to see such a swing from one extreme to the other in such a short space of time .
That ’ s what concerns me .
We don ’ t see these things normally happening with our seasons .
“ It ’ s part of a pattern where we ’ re experiencing increasingly extreme weather as the climate changes.
” Mark McCarthy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we look at the difference in rainfall that ’ s fallen over the winter compared to spring it is the largest difference in rainfall amount in our national series from 1862 .
“ The stand out is by how much sunshine has broken the previous record - set in 1948 .
There ’ s been more sunshine than most of our past summer seasons .
It 's quite remarkable . ''
One of his colleagues described the figures as `` absolutely staggering '' .
The Met Office says this year is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the jet stream might behave differently .
Scientists suspect man-made climate change may be implicated , but it is too soon to tell .
Some of them believe the rapid man-made heating of the Arctic , which has led to record temperatures and wildfires in Siberia , may be influencing the jet stream , although that is not proven .
Professor Joe Smith , chief executive of the Royal Geographical Society , told BBC News : `` For many people , the recent long sunny spell is simply 'nice weather ' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a signal of the increasing unpredictability of the UK ’ s climate .
Planning for the growing season is starting to resemble a night at the gambling tables .
“ The fact remains that bold early actions to slash emissions can still cut the larger risks associated with climate change in the UK and around the world ” .

“It’s unprecedented to see such a swing from one extreme to the other in such a short space of time. That’s what concerns me. We don’t see these things normally happening with our seasons.


bbc--2020-06-01--PlayStation 5: Sony postpones games event due to US protests

Sony has delayed hosting a showcase event for its next games console .
In a statement it did not directly mention the civil unrest in the US , but alluded to it saying `` we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration '' , adding it wanted `` more important voices to be heard '' .
The firm had been set to unveil some of the games in development for its forthcoming PlayStation 5 on Thursday .
Google had earlier delayed an online event for the next version of Android .
The US tech giant had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mobile operating system on Wednesday , as well as release a version for testers .
On the Android Developer website , it had issued a similar statement saying : `` Now is not the time to celebrate . ''
It too avoided directly mentioning the protests that have followed the killing of George Floyd , a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody a week ago when a white police officer knelt on his neck .
Neither company has yet given a date for when their events will be rescheduled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in trying to promote games likely to involve violent combat at a time when stand-offs and clashes are occurring across the US .
Many of those who would have covered the launch welcomed the decision .
`` Good - you 'll have to excuse me for not being in the mood for next-gen hype this week , '' tweeted Samit Sarkar , front page editor of the games news website Polygon .
Rachel Weber , managing director of GamesRadar added : `` Well done Sony . ''
While Sony only made indirect reference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it had been more explicit about its views in earlier social media posts .
`` We denounce systemic racism and violence against the black community .
We will continue to work towards a future marked by empathy and inclusion and stand with our black creators , players , employees , families and friends .
# BlackLivesMatter , '' it had tweeted a few hours earlier .
One of its games studios , Naughty Dog , also posted that it was donating to national and local US organisations to help tackle racism and @ @

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bbc--2020-06-01--Japan launches surprise fireworks to lift spirits amid pandemic

Fireworks have lit up skies across Japan in surprise displays to lift spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The shows were held at secret locations , each lasting five minutes from 20:00 local time ( 12:00 BST ) .
Organisers set a time limit for the displays to avoid crowds gathering .
Initially , they said the time and date of the event would not be revealed but later reversed course , deciding a sudden pyrotechnics show could cause distress to some .
Filling the skies with a burst of light , the fireworks lasted long enough for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to view them from the street or their homes .
Yet , the fireworks still drew modest crowds in places .
In the capital Tokyo , people were seen watching the displays near the Tama River , before dispersing when they were over .
`` I had a hunch , so I came here , '' one of the spectators , Yukiji Kushiro , told Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun .
`` Even though they say it 's a secret , there are only so many places they can launch fireworks . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organising the synchronised displays , a project called `` Cheer up Hanabi '' .
They are struggling to keep their businesses afloat because many traditional festivals have been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic .
The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a major blow for the industry , leaving craftsmen unable to sell fireworks they had spent months making .
One of the craftsmen , 38-year-old Kouhei Ogatsu , said the pyrotechnics industry had been discussing ways to cheer up a society `` changed so much by the coronavirus '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been launched to pray for the eradication of plagues and to console the spirits of the deceased , '' he told the AFP news agency .
Written messages praying for the end of the pandemic were attached to some of Mr Ogsatu 's fireworks .
His company launched nearly 100 fireworks from four locations across eastern Japan .
`` Of course I do n't think the coronavirus will disappear with our fireworks .
But we wanted to do this and hope something good will come out of it , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency after a marked fall in new coronavirus cases .
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged people to `` remain vigilant '' and adopt a `` new lifestyle '' to prevent a second wave of infections .
• Why is there so little coronavirus testing in Japan ?
Japan faced early criticism for its handling of the virus , but appears now to have avoided a epidemic on the scale of that seen in the US , Russia or the UK .
The country has recorded 16,787 infections and 899 deaths so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins University .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE BODY ?
Doctors on the front line explain • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

His company launched nearly 100 fireworks from four locations across eastern Japan."Of course I don't think the coronavirus will disappear with our fireworks. But we wanted to do this and hope something good will come out of it," he said.


bbc--2020-06-01--Highgate 'widow' swan has cygnets after finding lockdown love

A swan who rejected all potential mates after her first love died has had cygnets after finding love in lockdown .
The female mute swan , who lives at London 's Highgate ponds , had lost her previous partner when he died flying into a building four years ago .
She met a male bird at The Swan Sanctuary , Shepperton , in March while recovering from injuries .
`` Yesterday the perfect happy , fluffy ending to the swan love story hatched , '' the City of London Corporation tweeted .
According to the Royal Society for the Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and female swans - the cob and pen - usually attempt to mate for life .
For the past four years `` the widowed swan spent her days alone flying between the Highgate ponds as if looking for her lost mate '' , the City of London Corporation , which maintains the Highgate ponds on Hampstead Heath , said .
The swan , known as Mrs Newbie to locals , disappeared at the start of the year after another pair of swans appeared on the ponds .
In March - a few days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park rangers found the female swan on the roof of a nearby house .
She was rescued and taken to the sanctuary where she was put in the same pen as a male called Wallace , who had been rescued after a territorial fight at Waltham Abbey .
Gill Walker , a volunteer at The Swan Sanctuary , said Wallace blocked her path when she attempted to collect Mrs Newbie .
`` I heard this communication between them and it was clear they had bonded , '' Ms Walker said .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in such a short length of time , it 's quite exceptional .
`` She had rejected various males quite naturally .
She was obviously looking for something specific . ''
The sanctuary decided to bring the two swans back to Hampstead Heath together .
The City of London Corporation said : `` It soon became apparent they had found true love . ''
A spokesperson warned against bird watchers trying to find the pair .
`` Like all new parents they value their privacy , '' they said .

For the past four years "the widowed swan spent her days alone flying between the Highgate ponds as if looking for her lost mate", the City of London Corporation, which maintains the Highgate ponds on Hampstead Heath, said.


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: Violence in Washington DC as protests continue

Protests have taken a violent turn in Washington DC as demonstrators continue to march against the death of African-American George Floyd.
Riot police clashed with crowds gathered near the White House, firing tear gas and other projectiles.
Vehicles were set on fire by some demonstrators on Sunday night, the sixth night of protests that have spread across several cities in the US.
Read more: Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests


bbc--2020-06-01--Customers queue for hours as Ikea reopens 19 UK shops

Thousands of shoppers have queued for hours to get into Ikea stores after the furniture giant reopened 19 shops in England and Northern Ireland on Monday .
They had been warned that only a limited number of shoppers would be welcomed with only one adult and one child from a household allowed in .
But Ikea was forced to shut car parks at some stores to help ease pressure .
In Warrington , people arrived at 05:40 to start queuing for the Ikea store to reopen at 09 ; 00 .
The company praised shoppers for their patience .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've taken appropriate decisions to open early for browsing and to temporarily close our car parks to help ease pressure and reduce waiting times , '' Ikea said .
`` We 're incredibly grateful to the public in playing their part to help keep everyone safe . ''
In Warrington , a line of more than 1,000 people snaked around the car park with similar scenes at Ikea 's Wembley store .
On Twitter , shoppers complained of `` five-mile queues '' in Croydon , Wembley and outside of London .
Law student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desk but was shocked at the long waits .
West Midlands police took to Twitter to warn people of large queues at Ikea 's Wednesbury branch .
The police urged : `` Please consider if you need to go there today as you may be in for a very long wait . ''
There were long queues outside the Belfast branch , noted BBC reporter Mark Simpson .
In Manchester one shopper ( who did n't want to be named ) told the BBC that despite queues outside , inside the shop it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's very busy with every entrance manned by staff with walkie talkies who were managing the long queues that had formed , '' the shopper said .
`` We arrived just after 11:00 and had to queue for about an hour and a half before we were allowed into the store .
`` However , once inside though the store was much emptier than usual , so it was very easy to stay a safe distance from the other shoppers . ''
But some criticized the long queues as a sign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Do n't understand how a person sees this Ikea queue and actually joins it , rather than… heading home for a beer . ''
Others warned that people queuing were risking catching coronavirus .
One said : `` People shopping at Ikea moaning about the people in the queue at Ikea today .
It 's the 'it 's not me , it 's everyone else ' attitude that will cause the inevitable second wave .
`` Wear a mask and only go out if you have to .
It 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ikea spokesperson said : `` The health and safety of our customers and co-workers remains our top priority , which is why we put extensive and enhanced measures in place to create a safe and comfortable experience . ''
The measures include limiting numbers of customers in stores , a staggered entry system , screens in key areas and social-distancing wardens .
All play areas and the restaurants have remained closed .
`` We ask that these measures are respected at all times , '' Ikea said .
It had asked customers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own bags to help ease waiting times '' .
It also pleaded with customers wishing to return items , `` to do so at a later date '' .
`` While frustrating , these planned measures are in place to ensure everyone 's safety , '' Ikea said .
`` To avoid queues , we 'd ask those purely wishing to browse , to visit us in the coming weeks . ''
Meanwhile , new footfall data from retail analyst Springboard has shown a sharp rise in the number of shoppers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being eased .
Overall , shopper numbers were up 36 % on last week 's Bank Holiday Monday and 21 % on the week before that .
High Streets saw the largest increase , with footfall up 44 % on last week and 24 % on the week before .
The increases have come despite only limited reopening allowed in England .
Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales have not yet allowed similar shops to open again .


bbc--2020-06-01--England's Plunkett open to playing for USA

England fast bowler Liam Plunkett says he would be open to playing for the United States in the future .
The 35-year-old , whose wife is American , has not played for England since winning the World Cup last summer and was not one of the 55 players asked to return to training last week .
`` It would be nice be involved in some sort of cricket over there , '' he said .
`` My kids might be American , so it would be quite cool to say to them that I played for England and the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Liam Plunkett : ' I feel my ship has sailed' The USA earned one-day international status at the beginning of 2019 and can already call upon former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall , Hampshire all-rounder Ian Holland and ex-South Africa pace bowler Rusty Theron .
Plunkett , who says he is likely to settle in the US , would have to serve a three-year residency period in order to be eligible to play .
`` I 'm English and I 'll always be an Englishman , but if I 'm still fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the highest level , why would I not take it ? ''
the Surrey bowler told BBC Radio 5 Live 's Tuffers and Vaughan Show .
`` If I go over there and end up being a US citizen , or have a green card , I can help the development , especially being someone who has just finished with England .
It would be nice to get involved in that . ''

Liam Plunkett took 3-42 in the World Cup final but has not been picked by England since
England fast bowler Liam Plunkett says he would be open to playing for the United States in the future.
The 35-year-old, whose wife is American, has not played for England since winning the World Cup last summer and was not one of the 55 players asked to return to training last week.
"It would be nice be involved in some sort of cricket over there," he said.
"My kids might be American, so it would be quite cool to say to them that I played for England and the US."
The USA earned one-day international status at the beginning of 2019 and can already call upon former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall, Hampshire all-rounder Ian Holland and ex-South Africa pace bowler Rusty Theron.
Plunkett, who says he is likely to settle in the US, would have to serve a three-year residency period in order to be eligible to play.
"I'm English and I'll always be an Englishman, but if I'm still fit and there's an opportunity to play at the highest level, why would I not take it?" the Surrey bowler told BBC Radio 5 Live's Tuffers and Vaughan Show.
"If I go over there and end up being a US citizen, or have a green card, I can help the development, especially being someone who has just finished with England. It would be nice to get involved in that."
Plunkett, who received a phone call from national selector Ed Smith to discuss his omission from the 55-man training group, said he is over the disappointment of being dropped by England after playing a key role in their World Cup win.
"After the World Cup I had a brief chat with management and they didn't really say I wouldn't be involved - it was left a bit up in the air - and the selections for last winter, I found out on Twitter I wasn't involved which obviously disappointed me," said Plunkett.
"If somebody had just spoken to me and said 'this is the route we're going, with young players because you won't be around for the next World Cup', I'd be happy. I'd come back from a long time out, played the last four years and won a World Cup, I'd be happy to step aside.
"But I'm not going to sit here and continue to be upset. I'm not bitter. Eight months ago I was disappointed with how it had been dealt with but I want the new players to come in and do well now."


bbc--2020-06-01--Timo Werner scores again in RB Leipzig win against Cologne

Timo Werner scored his 25th goal of the Bundesliga season as RB Leipzig kept pace with Borussia Dortmund in the race for a top-two finish by winning 4-2 in an entertaining game in Cologne .
The coveted forward took advantage of disastrous defending to score during a spell of three goals in seven minutes in a manic second half .
Leipzig remain two points behind Dortmund with five games remaining .
It was the first Bundesliga game to be played in June since 1995 .
Cologne had taken an early lead through Jhon Cordoba , the striker hammering in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Patrik Schick soon headed Leipzig level and Christopher Nkunku sent them in to half-time ahead with a lovely dinked finish from Konrad Laimer 's fine pass .
Werner scored with ease when Cologne inexplicably left nobody back from their own corner and Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi was able to catch the ball and send him clear on goal with a long punt downfield .
Anthony Modeste pulled a goal back with an excellent curler from 20 yards but Dani Olmo immediately made it 4-2 from the edge of the box after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then awarded a penalty when Modeste went down , but referee Christian Dingert overturned his decision after a Video Assistant Referee monitor check .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Timo Werner is the fifth player to score 15 away goals in a Bundesliga season
Timo Werner scored his 25th goal of the Bundesliga season as RB Leipzig kept pace with Borussia Dortmund in the race for a top-two finish by winning 4-2 in an entertaining game in Cologne.
The coveted forward took advantage of disastrous defending to score during a spell of three goals in seven minutes in a manic second half.
Leipzig remain two points behind Dortmund with five games remaining.
It was the first Bundesliga game to be played in June since 1995.
Cologne had taken an early lead through Jhon Cordoba, the striker hammering in a rebound after a shot against the post.
But Patrik Schick soon headed Leipzig level and Christopher Nkunku sent them in to half-time ahead with a lovely dinked finish from Konrad Laimer's fine pass.
Werner scored with ease when Cologne inexplicably left nobody back from their own corner and Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi was able to catch the ball and send him clear on goal with a long punt downfield.
Anthony Modeste pulled a goal back with an excellent curler from 20 yards but Dani Olmo immediately made it 4-2 from the edge of the box after a corner was cleared.
Cologne were then awarded a penalty when Modeste went down, but referee Christian Dingert overturned his decision after a Video Assistant Referee monitor check.


bbc--2020-06-01--James Anderson: Coronavirus break may add 'a year or two' to career

England fast bowler James Anderson believes the enforced break from cricket due to the coronavirus pandemic could prolong his career .
Anderson , 37 , is part of a 55-player group that has been asked to return to training , with the first Test against West Indies set to start on 8 July .
Anderson has regained full fitness after picking up a rib injury on England 's winter tour of South Africa .
`` It could just add on a year or two at the end of my career , '' said Anderson .
The Lancashire paceman , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Test cricket , has only bowled 74 overs since August after missing large parts of last summer 's Ashes and the winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa through injury .
He has been bowling in the nets at Old Trafford with social distancing measures in place .
Speaking on the latest Tailenders podcast , Anderson said : `` I 've really enjoyed being back and as odd as it is just bowling into a net , with not many people around , it 's still nice to be back and playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kit myself - my bands and med balls to warm-up with - and I 've got my own cricket balls which I do n't normally have .
`` I have a quick lap round the outfield and then straight into the nets .
I bowl a few overs and then get straight back in the car and go home . ''
The England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB ) is expected to announce a revamped summer schedule this week .
`` I got up to speed quite quickly .
I 'm off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like I 'm ready to play now , '' Anderson said .
`` I need to just calm down a bit .
`` As players you are working towards the 8 July date as if it 's going to happen but obviously each stage has to be ticked off by the government , most importantly , and secondly the ECB . ''
The series will take place behind closed doors and Anderson , like team-mate Jofra Archer , supports the idea of playing artificial crowd noise at the games .
`` I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I actually thought there was a crowd watching because they were playing crowd noise through the speaker in the stadium , '' Anderson said .
`` I actually thought it worked .
It was nice to have that sort of atmosphere even though there was no-one there . ''
• Pick your world Test XI : Who makes your team ?

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Anderson is part of a 55-player group that has returned to training
England fast bowler James Anderson believes the enforced break from cricket due to the coronavirus pandemic could prolong his career.
Anderson, 37, is part of a 55-player group that has been asked to return to training, with the first Test against West Indies set to start on 8 July.
Anderson has regained full fitness after picking up a rib injury on England's winter tour of South Africa.
"It could just add on a year or two at the end of my career," said Anderson.
The Lancashire paceman, who is England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, has only bowled 74 overs since August after missing large parts of last summer's Ashes and the winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa through injury.
He has been bowling in the nets at Old Trafford with social distancing measures in place.
Speaking on the latest Tailenders podcast, Anderson said: "I've really enjoyed being back and as odd as it is just bowling into a net, with not many people around, it's still nice to be back and playing cricket.
"I bring all the kit myself - my bands and med balls to warm-up with - and I've got my own cricket balls which I don't normally have.
"I have a quick lap round the outfield and then straight into the nets. I bowl a few overs and then get straight back in the car and go home."
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to announce a revamped summer schedule this week.
"I got up to speed quite quickly. I'm off my full run up and I feel like I'm ready to play now," Anderson said. "I need to just calm down a bit.
"As players you are working towards the 8 July date as if it's going to happen but obviously each stage has to be ticked off by the government, most importantly, and secondly the ECB."
The series will take place behind closed doors and Anderson, like team-mate Jofra Archer, supports the idea of playing artificial crowd noise at the games.
"I've been watching the rugby league in Australia and I actually thought there was a crowd watching because they were playing crowd noise through the speaker in the stadium," Anderson said.
"I actually thought it worked. It was nice to have that sort of atmosphere even though there was no-one there."


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd: What does the data show about race and policing?

Violence has erupted in cities across the US over the death of African-American George Floyd , after he was physically restrained by police in Minneapolis .
We 've looked at some of the data around crime and justice in the US , and what it shows about the experience of African-Americans when it comes to law and order .
1 .
African-Americans are more likely to get fatally shot The available figures for incidents in which the police shoot and kill people show that for African-Americans , there 's a much higher chance of being fatally shot relative to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , in 2019 , although African-Americans made up less than 14 % of the population ( according to official census figures ) , they accounted for more than 23 % of the just over 1,000 fatal shootings by the police .
And that figure has been relatively consistent since 2017 , whereas the number of white victims has come down since then .
2 .
African-Americans are arrested at a higher rate for drug abuse African-Americans are arrested for drug abuse at a much higher rate than white Americans , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2018 , around 750 out of every 100,000 African-Americans were arrested for drug abuse , compared to around 350 out of every 100,000 white Americans .
Previous national surveys on drug use show that white people use drugs at similar rates , but African-Americans continue to get arrested at a higher rate .
For example , a study by the American Civil Liberties Union found that African-Americans were 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites , even though their rate of marijuana usage was comparable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of white Americans , and at almost twice the rate of Hispanic-Americans , according to the latest data .
In 2018 , African-Americans made up around 13 % of the US population , but represented almost a third of the country 's prison population .
White Americans made up around 30 % of the prison population - despite representing more than 60 % of the total US population .
That 's more than 1,000 African-American prisoners for every 100,000 African-Americans , compared to around 200 white inmates for every 100,000 white Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as inmates sentenced to more than a year in a federal or state prison .
• Viewpoint : Why racism in US is worse than in Europe Imprisonment rates have dropped for African-Americans over the last decade , but they still make up more of the prison population than any other race .

George Floyd: How are African-Americans treated under the law? Published 21 April 2021
Image source, Getty Images
After a former police officer was found guilty of murder over the death of George Floyd, there's a renewed focus on the experience of African-Americans when it comes to law enforcement in the US.
We've looked at some of the data around crime and justice.
1. African-Americans are more likely to get fatally shot
The figures that are available for incidents in which the police shoot and kill people show that for African-Americans, there's a much higher chance of being fatally shot relative to their overall numbers in the US population.
According to the Washington Post police shootings database, although African-Americans make up less than 14% of the population, they accounted for almost 24% of over 6,000 fatal shootings by the police since 2015.
The number of overall fatal shootings has remained relatively steady, with police killing about 1,000 people in the US annually since 2015.
Further research shows the rate that police fatally shoot unarmed black people in the US is more than three times as high as it is for white people.
2. African-Americans are more likely to be pulled over
Studies have shown that black people are more likely to be pulled over in traffic stops by police.
One of the most recent, a 2020 study by Stanford University, analysed 100 million traffic stops by police departments across the US, and found black drivers were about 20% more likely to be stopped than white drivers.
The study also found that once stopped, black drivers were searched up to two times as often as white drivers, although they were statistically less likely to be carrying illegal items.
3. African-Americans are arrested at a higher rate for drug abuse
African-Americans are arrested for drug abuse at a much higher rate than white Americans, although surveys show drugs are used at similar levels.
In 2018, around 750 out of every 100,000 African-Americans were arrested for drug abuse, compared to around 350 out of every 100,000 white Americans.
Previous national surveys on drug use show that white people use drugs at similar rates, but African-Americans continue to get arrested more often.
For example, a study by the American Civil Liberties Union found that African-Americans were 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though their rate of marijuana usage was comparable.
4. More African-Americans are imprisoned
African-Americans are imprisoned at five times the rate of white Americans and twice the rate of Hispanic-Americans, according to the latest data.
In 2019, African-Americans made up around 13% of the US population, but represented almost a third of the country's prison population.
White Americans made up around 30% of the prison population, despite representing more than 60% of the total US population.
That's more than 1,000 African-American prisoners for every 100,000 African-American residents, compared to around 200 white inmates for every 100,000 white Americans.
The US prison population is defined as inmates sentenced to more than a year in a federal or state prison.
Imprisonment rates have dropped for African-Americans over the last decade, but they still make up more of the prison population than any other race.


bbc--2020-06-01--Floyd's brother rebukes troublemakers

Floyd's brother rebukes troublemakers


bbc--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: Liverpool players take knee in picture at Anfield

Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The picture featuring 29 Reds players came with the caption `` Unity is strength .
# BlackLivesMatter '' .
Players reportedly requested the picture during training on Monday .
Manchester United 's Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford added their voices to worldwide protests against racism .
Protests have been held after Floyd , an unarmed black man , died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for almost nine minutes to pin him down .
Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked .
• The last 30 minutes of George Floyd 's life Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling down during the United States national anthem in the summer of 2016 .
Since then , that gesture has become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement .
United midfielder and France World Cup winner Pogba said he felt `` felt anger , pity , hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a passionate Instagram post .
He added : `` Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism EVERY DAY !
Whether in football , at work , at school , ANYWHERE !
This has to stop , once and for all .
Not tomorrow or the next day , it has to end TODAY !
`` Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated .
I ca n't tolerate , I wo n't tolerate , WE WO N'T TOLERATE .
`` Racism is ignorance , LOVE is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism . ''
United team-mate and England footballer Rashford said he had been `` trying to process what is going on in the world '' .
He added : `` At a time I 've been asking people to come together , work together and be united , we appear to be more divided than ever .
`` People are hurting and people need answers .
Black lives matter .
Black culture matters .
Black communities matter .
We matter . ''
Liverpool players that tweeted the same picture and message included defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold , midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum , as well as James Milner and Andrew Robertson .
German FA ( DFB ) president Fritz Keller said he felt `` respect and understanding '' for the actions of four players who protested Floyd 's death on the pitch at the weekend .
That 's despite the DFB investigating Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund as well as Weston McKennie of Schalke and Marcus Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach for breaching rules over making political statements on the field of play .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players who have an attitude and show their solidarity .
I wish for such mature players and I am proud of them .
Morally , I can absolutely understand the actions last weekend .
What happened in the USA can leave anyone cold .
`` When people are discriminated against because of the colour of their skin , this is intolerable .
If they die because of their skin colour , then I am deeply shocked .
The victims of racism need solidarity from us all .
`` The DFB and German football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment , show time and again and in many forms , events and facets their clear NO to racism , discrimination and all forms of violence . ''
In relation to the investigation , DFB vice-president Rainer Koch said : `` The rule is that the immediate phase of the game should be kept free of political statements .
It remains to be seen whether sanctions are necessary in the cases at hand . ''
'We have had enough' British 200m world champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith had tweeted on Thursday : `` Racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is something we all have to be vocal about .
Irrespective of our race or nationality .
`` RIP George Floyd .
Heartbreaking and sickening to have to be saying RIP to another black person in these circumstances . ''
Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster and tennis stars Serena Williams , Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka also spoke out about Floyd 's death .
Basketball legend Michael Jordan says he is `` deeply saddened , truly pained and plain angry '' .
`` I see and feel everyone 's pain , outrage and frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand with those calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country .
`` We have had enough . ''
Vanessa Bryant , widow of basketball legend Kobe , shared an image of her late husband wearing an `` I Ca n't Breathe '' T-shirt .
`` My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again , '' she wrote .
`` Life is so fragile .
Life is so unpredictable .
Life is too short . ''
Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russell and Daniel Ricciardo all issued anti-racism messages on social media after reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton criticised those in his industry for not speaking out .
`` I 'm one of the only people of colour and yet I stand alone , '' the Briton , 35 , who is the only black F1 driver , wrote on Instagram .
`` I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you ca n't stand alongside us . ''
Leclerc said he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak out previously , saying he had not done so because he felt `` out of place and uncomfortable '' .
Hamilton 's Mercedes team said in a statement they `` stand with Lewis '' and were `` deeply saddened by the recent developments and hope to see a de-escalation soon '' .
They added : `` Tolerance is an elementary principle of our team and we are enriched by diversity in all its forms .
We welcome and encourage people from all races , cultures , religions , philosophies and lifestyles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we work together to drive change forward . ''

Last updated on .From the section Sport
Liverpool players took a break from training at Anfield on Monday for this picture
Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The picture, featuring 29 Reds players, was posted with the caption "Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter".
Players reportedly external-link requested the picture during training on Monday.
Manchester United players Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford added their voices to worldwide protests against racism.
Protests have been held after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes to pin him down.
Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling down during the American national anthem in the summer of 2016. That gesture has since become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement.
United midfielder Pogba said in a passionate Instagram post that he felt "felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain and sadness".
The French World Cup winner added: "Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism EVERY DAY! Whether in football, at work, at school, ANYWHERE! This has to stop, once and for all. Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end TODAY!
"Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated. I can't tolerate, I won't tolerate, WE WON'T TOLERATE.
"Racism is ignorance, LOVE is intelligence, STOP the silence, STOP racism."
United team-mate Rashford said he had been "trying to process what is going on in the world".
The England striker added: "At a time I've been asking people to come together, work together and be united, we appear to be more divided than ever.
"People are hurting and people need answers. Black lives matter. Black culture matters. Black communities matter. We matter."
Numerous Liverpool players tweeted the picture of themselves kneeling at Anfield, including defenders Virgil van Dijk,Joe Gomez, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner.
German FA praises protesting players despite investigation
In Germany, Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund, Weston McKennie of Schalke, and Marcus Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach made on-field protests at the weekend
The four players are being investigated by the German Football Association (DFB) for breaching rules over making political statements on the field of play.
But DFB president Fritz Keller said he felt "respect and understanding" for them
He said: external-link "I have great respect for players who have an attitude and show their solidarity. I wish for such mature players and I am proud of them.
"Morally, I can absolutely understand the actions. What happened in the USA can leave anyone cold.
"When people are discriminated against because of the colour of their skin, this is intolerable. If they die because of their skin colour, then I am deeply shocked. The victims of racism need solidarity from us all.
"The DFB and German football as a whole, through their broad commitment, show time and again and in many forms, events and facets their clear NO to racism, discrimination and all forms of violence."
In relation to the investigation, DFB vice-president Rainer Koch said: "The rule is the immediate phase of the game should be kept free of political statements. It remains to be seen whether sanctions are necessary in the cases."
'We have had enough'
British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster and tennis stars Serena Williams, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka were among the sportspeople to speak out about Floyd's death.
And basketball legend Michael Jordan said he was "deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry".
"I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage and frustration," he added. external-link "I stand with those calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country.
"We have had enough."
Vanessa Bryant, widow of basketball legend Kobe, shared an image of her late husband wearing an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt.
"My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again," she wrote.
"Life is so fragile. Life is so unpredictable. Life is too short."
F1 drivers answer Hamilton's call
Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, George Russell and Daniel Ricciardo all issued anti-racism messages on social media after world champion Lewis Hamilton criticised those in his industry for not speaking out.
"I'm one of the only people of colour and yet I stand alone," the Briton, who is the only black F1 driver, wrote on Instagram.
"I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can't stand alongside us."
Leclerc said he had been "completely wrong" not to speak out previously, saying he had not done so because he felt "out of place and uncomfortable".
Hamilton's Mercedes team said in a statement they "stand with Lewis" and were "deeply saddened by the recent developments and hope to see a de-escalation soon".
They added: "Tolerance is an elementary principle of our team and we are enriched by diversity in all its forms. We welcome and encourage people from all races, cultures, religions, philosophies and lifestyles.
"We condemn every form of discrimination as we work together to drive change forward."