bbc--2020-04-27--Umar Akmal: Pakistan batsman banned for three years over corruption charges

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been banned from all cricket for three years for failing to report corrupt approaches .
Akmal , 29 , was banned following a disciplinary panel hearing on Monday .
The Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB ) had charged him with two breaches of its anti-corruption code for not reporting two unrelated approaches .
Akmal , who was provisionally suspended in February , refused an earlier hearing before the anti-corruption tribunal .
`` The PCB does n't take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security Asif Mahmood .
`` But this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code .
`` I request all professional cricketers to stay away from the menace of corruption and immediately inform relevant authorities as soon as they are approached .
`` This is in their as well as their teams ' and country 's best interest . ''
Akmal , the youngest of three brothers to play for Pakistan at full international level , score a Test century on debut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 16 Tests , 121 one-day internationals and 84 T20 internationals .
Yet he has been in and out of the side in recent years and has had several disciplinary issues , including failing fitness tests and being banned for three matches in 2017 for criticising then coach Mickey Arthur .
Akmal was recalled by Pakistan in 2019 after a two-year absence and he last featured in two T20 games against Sri Lanka in October , falling for a first-ball duck on both occasions .

Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Umar Akmal has played for Pakistan 221 times across all formats
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been banned from all cricket for three years for failing to report corrupt approaches.
Akmal, 29, was banned following a disciplinary panel hearing on Monday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had charged him with two breaches of its anti-corruption code for not reporting two unrelated approaches.
Akmal, who was provisionally suspended in February, refused an earlier hearing before the anti-corruption tribunal.
"The PCB doesn't take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges," said PCB director of anti-corruption and security Asif Mahmood.
"But this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code.
"I request all professional cricketers to stay away from the menace of corruption and immediately inform relevant authorities as soon as they are approached.
"This is in their as well as their teams' and country's best interest."
Akmal, the youngest of three brothers to play for Pakistan at full international level, score a Test century on debut aged 19 in 2009 and has played in 16 Tests, 121 one-day internationals and 84 T20 internationals.
Yet he has been in and out of the side in recent years and has had several disciplinary issues, including failing fitness tests and being banned for three matches in 2017 for criticising then coach Mickey Arthur.
Akmal was recalled by Pakistan in 2019 after a two-year absence and he last featured in two T20 games against Sri Lanka in October, falling for a first-ball duck on both occasions.


bbc--2020-04-27--England's Genge plans new players' union to 'shake up' scene

England 's Ellis Genge says it is time to `` shake up the rugby scene '' after confirming plans to set up a new union , designed to provide elite players with improved commercial and legal advice .
He feels players were `` poorly advised '' over measures taken by clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Leicester prop , 25 , says the new organisation would be independently funded to avoid conflicts of interest .
`` We would n't have to answer to a governing body , '' he said .
Genge outlined his vision on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weekly podcast , but said he is not trying to replace the Rugby Players ' Association ( RPA ) , which was set up in 1998 and has represented England ’ s top-flight players since then .
However , Genge feels the RPA is compromised because of the funding it receives from the Rugby Football Union ( RFU ) and Premiership Rugby ( PRL ) , and as a result it `` ca n't bite the hand that feeds '' .
He added : `` We are not making a new RPA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with welfare in rugby and they look after people really well .
`` But I do feel that people were poorly advised [ over the pay cuts ] .
People were advised from the off to sign the contracts without reading them , almost .
`` Commercially , I didn ’ t think everyone was being represented very well .
`` So I am trying to put together a players ’ union .
It is not to replace the RPA or to combat the RFU .
Honestly , it is nothing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can get really good advice from trusted professionals in those specific fields : [ for example ] around commercial and legal [ issues ] . ''
RPA liaison officer Christian Day told the Rugby Union Weekly earlier this month that the varying approaches of the Premiership clubs around the pay cuts had led to an `` absolute mess '' of a situation , and called for `` more dialogue '' from the start .
Meanwhile , RPA chief executive Damian Hopley told the Daily Telegraph that the union has given `` as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the players as possible '' during the process , but said all parties would admit it could have been handled differently .
'Players tell me they have been stitched up' Genge , along with Tigers team-mate Greg Bateman , sought legal help after being asked to take a 25 % pay cut by the Leicester hierarchy , before being placed on furlough .
While their actions initially led to a stand-off with those at the top of the club , Genge says the issue is now resolved but adds that seeking external advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complexities of the furlough situation .
`` No-one wants to hear you 're having a 25 % pay cut , but there are bigger powers at play in the world , '' he explained .
`` I just feel the way we went about it gave me and a few other people the idea of making it a regular thing .
`` If people need advice on severance packages or any contract advice - and obviously the agents do that - but it 's always good to have more support .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in rugby come to me and say : ' I ’ ve been stitched up with this , or I ’ ve been shafted with this , or I don ’ t know how to approach this . '
`` I 've thought to myself , why do n't we have another union the boys can independently contact ? ''
'Time to shake up the scene' Genge has started negotiations with a host of interested parties over private funding , while he also hopes a number of players will be prepared to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospect of a return on their investment .
`` The boys would have to understand it is going to be independently run , and for that you would need a decent kitty , '' he said .
`` But we are getting good help from a lot of good people .
This is for everyone , as a whole , to be represented much better commercially .
`` The RPA do a lot of those negotiations , and it is always going to lean in favour to the RFU or PRL , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no malice behind that but it is fundamentally how it works at the moment .
`` I am not trying to go against owners of clubs , or the RFU or the RPA , I think we can all work in tandem .
`` But I do think it is time to shake up the rugby scene , and look after players - commercially , and in every aspect - a lot better . ''

Ellis Genge has been capped eight times by England
England's Ellis Genge says it is time to "shake up the rugby scene" after confirming plans to set up a new union, designed to provide elite players with improved commercial and legal advice.
He feels players were "poorly advised" over measures taken by clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Leicester prop, 25, says the new organisation would be independently funded to avoid conflicts of interest.
"We wouldn't have to answer to a governing body," he said.
Genge outlined his vision on the latest episode of the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, but said he is not trying to replace the Rugby Players' Association (RPA), which was set up in 1998 and has represented England’s top-flight players since then.
However, Genge feels the RPA is compromised because of the funding it receives from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby (PRL), and as a result it "can't bite the hand that feeds".
He added: "We are not making a new RPA. I think they do really good stuff with welfare in rugby and they look after people really well.
"But I do feel that people were poorly advised [over the pay cuts]. People were advised from the off to sign the contracts without reading them, almost.
"Commercially, I didn’t think everyone was being represented very well.
"So I am trying to put together a players’ union. It is not to replace the RPA or to combat the RFU. Honestly, it is nothing of the sort.
"It is just so people can get really good advice from trusted professionals in those specific fields: [for example] around commercial and legal [issues]."
RPA liaison officer Christian Day told the Rugby Union Weekly earlier this month that the varying approaches of the Premiership clubs around the pay cuts had led to an "absolute mess" of a situation, and called for "more dialogue" from the start.
Meanwhile, RPA chief executive Damian Hopley told the Daily Telegraph that the union has given "as much advice, information and direction to the players as possible" during the process, but said all parties would admit it could have been handled differently.
'Players tell me they have been stitched up'
Genge, along with Tigers team-mate Greg Bateman, sought legal help after being asked to take a 25% pay cut by the Leicester hierarchy, before being placed on furlough.
While their actions initially led to a stand-off with those at the top of the club, Genge says the issue is now resolved but adds that seeking external advice was the right decision given the legal complexities of the furlough situation.
"No-one wants to hear you're having a 25% pay cut, but there are bigger powers at play in the world," he explained.
"I just feel the way we went about it gave me and a few other people the idea of making it a regular thing.
"If people need advice on severance packages or any contract advice - and obviously the agents do that - but it's always good to have more support.
"I’ve had a lot of friends in rugby come to me and say: 'I’ve been stitched up with this, or I’ve been shafted with this, or I don’t know how to approach this.'
"I've thought to myself, why don't we have another union the boys can independently contact?"
'Time to shake up the scene'
Genge has started negotiations with a host of interested parties over private funding, while he also hopes a number of players will be prepared to put money into the venture, with the prospect of a return on their investment.
"The boys would have to understand it is going to be independently run, and for that you would need a decent kitty," he said.
"But we are getting good help from a lot of good people. This is for everyone, as a whole, to be represented much better commercially.
"The RPA do a lot of those negotiations, and it is always going to lean in favour to the RFU or PRL, and I totally understand those situations. There is no malice behind that but it is fundamentally how it works at the moment.
"I am not trying to go against owners of clubs, or the RFU or the RPA, I think we can all work in tandem.
"But I do think it is time to shake up the rugby scene, and look after players - commercially, and in every aspect - a lot better."


bbc--2020-04-27--Gossip: Everton's Kean could move to Napoli

Everton striker Moise Kean , 20 , has been linked with a move to Napoli .
The Italian is likely to be disciplined by Everton after breaking government coronavirus guidelines earlier this week .
( Corriere dello Sport - in Italian ) Barcelona have made record signings Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho , 27 , and French forward Ousmane Dembele , 22 , available for swap deals this summer .
( Telegraph - subscription required ) Chelsea were interested in Coutinho but are now targeting Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Kai Havertz , 20 .
( Athletic - subscription required ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atletico Madrid and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey , 26 .
( Express ) Liverpool are the favourites to sign Lille striker Victor Osimhen , 21 , although Leicester and Chelsea are also interested in the Nigerian .
( Le Foot Mercato - in French ) Borussia Dortmund 's sporting director says he is `` totally relaxed '' over the future of Jadon Sancho .
The England winger , 20 , has been linked with a move to Manchester United .
( Sport1 - in German ) However , Manchester United are willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and England midfielder Jesse Lingard , 27 , to fund a move for Sancho .
( Sun ) Arsenal have missed out on signing 15-year-old Manchester United midfielder Omari Forson on a professional contract .
( Mail ) Manchester United have been linked with a move for Real Valladolid 's Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu , 21 .
( AS - in Spanish ) Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi says he is enjoying himself at the club , despite the Nigerian , 23 , being linked with a move to Manchester United or Arsenal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ceballos , 23 , says he hopes to return to Real Madrid when his season-long loan deal at Arsenal ends .
( Movistar - in Spanish ) Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa says his former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could `` never '' last a full season at a club like Real Madrid .
Conte has been been Inter Milan manager since May 2019 .
( ESPN ) Tottenham forward Son Heung-min could miss the return to Premier League training .
The South Korean , 27 , is currently completing national service and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returns to the country .
( Evening Standard ) Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas says he will never return to the Premier League .
( Mail )

Last updated on .From the section Gossip
Everton striker Moise Kean, 20, has been linked with a move to Napoli. The Italian is likely to be disciplined by Everton after breaking government coronavirus guidelines earlier this week. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian) external-link
Arsenal have been offered Chelsea winger Willian, 31, as a replacement for their 30-year-old Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - but the Gunners are shocked by the Brazil international's wage demands. (Sun) external-link
The Gunners have made a £43m bid for Atletico Madrid and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 26. (Express) external-link
Barcelona have made Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 27, and French forward Ousmane Dembele, 22, available for swap deals this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link
Chelsea were interested in Coutinho but are now targeting Bayer Leverkusen and Germany midfielder Kai Havertz, 20. (The Athletic - subscription required) external-link
West Ham United could be forced to sell England midfielder Declan Rice to fund a squad overhaul, with former club Chelsea and Manchester United interested. (Telegraph - subscription required) external-link
Arsenal have also been linked with 21-year-old Rice, who is rated at £70m. (Sun) external-link
Fifa, Fight Night, Football Manager... and 47 more BBC Sport journalists select the 50 sport video games that made us
Liverpool are favourites to sign Lille striker Victor Osimhen, 21, although Leicester and Chelsea are also interested in the Nigerian. (Le Foot Mercato - in French) external-link
Borussia Dortmund's sporting director says he is "totally relaxed" over the future of Jadon Sancho. The England winger, 20, has been linked with a move to Manchester United. (Sport1 - in German) external-link
However, United are willing to sell two midfielders - France international Paul Pogba and England's Jesse Lingard, both 27 - to fund a move for Sancho. (Sun) external-link
Arsenal have missed out on signing 15-year-old Manchester United midfielder Omari Forson on a professional contract. (Mail) external-link
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Real Valladolid's Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu, 21. (AS - in Spanish) external-link
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi says he is enjoying himself at the club, despite the Nigerian, 23, being linked with a move to Manchester United or Arsenal. (Teamtalk) external-link
Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos, 23, says he hopes to return to Real Madrid when his season-long loan deal at Arsenal ends. (Movistar - in Spanish) external-link
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa says his former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could "never" last a full season at a club like Real Madrid. Conte has been been Inter Milan manager since May 2019. (ESPN) external-link
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min could miss the return to Premier League training. The South Korean, 27, is completing national service and will have to quarantine himself when he returns to the country. (Evening Standard) external-link
Former Spurs and Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas says he will never return to the Premier League. (Mail) external-link


bbc--2020-04-27--'Dad called me to say he was dying'

'Dad called me to say he was dying'

The daughter of a coronavirus victim has told the BBC about the phone call he made to her on his @ @ @ @ @ who died on 31 March , was a former paramedic who co-ordinated the ambulance response @ @ @ @ @ Cathy Khan said the family had said goodbye to her father by waving for `` @ @ @ @ @ a pane of glass and that it was `` incredibly distressing '' .

The daughter of a coronavirus victim has told the BBC about the phone call he made to her on his deathbed.
Douglas Mayne, who died on 31 March, was a former paramedic who co-ordinated the ambulance response to the Brighton bombing.
Cathy Khan said the family had said goodbye to her father by waving for "about 60 seconds" through a pane of glass and that it was "incredibly distressing".


bbc--2020-04-27--The Uber driver evicted from home and left to die of coronavirus

The last time Mary Jayaseelan spoke to her husband Rajesh , he was about to be hooked up to a ventilator in a Covid ward .
Rajesh was being treated in Northwick Park Hospital in London , the city where he worked as an Uber driver for most of the year .
Mary was 5,000 miles away in their family home in Bangalore , India , with their two young sons .
Until that point he had repeatedly told her he would be fine , that he was feeling ill but she was not to worry , he 'd get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was young and otherwise healthy .
But on that call , he broke down and admitted : `` Mary , I 'm feeling a bit scared . ''
Rajesh and Mary got married on 24 February 2014 , and rented a home in Hulimavu , south Bangalore , that they shared with his 66-year-old mum .
For most of the year , Rajesh rented a room in Harrow , north London and drove an Uber vehicle in the city .
He 'd work from late in the evening to the early hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - so he could save enough money to spend a few months with his family in India .
He enjoyed working as a driver , although he did n't realise that his precarious gig economy job would leave him vulnerable in the global health crisis that would later emerge .
`` He 'd been living in London on-and-off for 22 years , and would come back to India for a few months at a time , '' Mary says .
`` He loved London .
He always used to talk to me about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean .
I 've never been to London , so he would describe it to me . ''
They were very happy .
Rajesh loved his wife , and playing with their two sons , aged six and four .
When he was n't in India he would video-call them every day .
`` He was also a really good singer , '' Mary says , full of pride .
`` He sang a lot of Hindi songs . ''
He was also a `` humble , gentle person '' his close friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first met in 2011 - they were both from Bangalore , so mutual friends there put them in touch when Sunil moved to the UK .
They would help each other navigate the UK 's various bureaucratic systems , loaned each other small amounts of money when needed , and Sunil and his wife would have Rajesh over for meals at their home in Hertfordshire - sending him back with several days ' worth of leftovers of delicious South Indian food .
Although Rajesh loved London , he did n't plan to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his family in India .
Renting their home in Hulimavu was relatively expensive , so during his last stay in Bangalore at the end of 2019 , he and his wife took out a loan and bought land to build their own home .
The loan was no problem , they thought - Rajesh would go back to London and put enough money aside to pay it off .
The next time he travelled to Bangalore , he told his wife , it would be for good .
He came back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks later , the first cases of coronavirus were reported in the UK .
Although the virus had reached Britain , at this point Rajesh was n't too worried .
Shops and restaurants were still open , people were still going into work and then going out .
For everyone , including Uber drivers , it was business as usual , and not much changed for another month .
Then March came around , and the virus was passing from person to person within the UK .
The number of cases - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was increasing every day .
People were told to self-isolate for seven days if they had any symptoms - even mild ones , such as a fever or a persistent cough .
On 23 March , Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown lasting an initial three weeks , meaning that most businesses would close , and people would only be allowed outside for one form of exercise a day and for essential trips to the shops , unless they were considered `` essential '' workers .
Like many Uber drivers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he quickly developed flu-like symptoms and had to stop .
His last job was on 25 March - a drop-off at Heathrow Airport .
His symptoms became much worse , and he was admitted to the hospital with dehydration .
While there , he was tested for the coronavirus .
Staff told Rajesh to go home , self-isolate , and to come back if his symptoms got worse .
He did as he was told , and went home to his room .
But things were about to get even worse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house for something , and when he came back the landlord had changed the locks , so he could n't get in , '' Mary says .
`` He tried knocking on the door and asking the landlord to speak to him , but he would n't open the door . ''
His landlord did n't know about his positive diagnosis - but he told him that , as an Uber driver , he might bring the coronavirus back into the house , and that it was n't a risk he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn , Rajesh was forced to sleep in his car for several nights .
`` He had no food in there , nothing to eat at all , '' Mary says .
At this point he called his friend Sunil for advice .
`` That was the last call he made to me , '' Sunil says .
`` He did n't go into details about what was happening to him , but because I work in the NHS , he was asking me questions like 'How safe are we ' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like that .
He was asking me if I knew any routes , if there was any possible way he could go - he wanted to go to India and be with his family .
But by that time there was a complete lockdown in India too . ''
Sunil told him the best thing to do would be to stay at home , not to work , and to look into the financial support for self-employed workers the government had just announced , or the 14 days ' assistance offered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he needed to find a new place to live because his landlord said he was high risk .
But , Sunil says , he did n't say that he 'd already been kicked out : `` He may have been embarrassed . ''
Rajesh then went back to trying to call his landlord to plead with him to let him stay .
There was no answer .
After days of searching , he eventually found another room in a shared house in Harrow .
The new landlord made him pay £4,000 upfront - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary says he had to borrow .
What if this happens to me ?
If your landlord kicks you out of your home without giving you notice , or locks you out of your home , it is likely to be an illegal eviction - a criminal offence in all UK nations .
This is still the case during the coronavirus pandemic .
Under the Coronavirus Act , notice periods for evictions have been extended to three months .
`` This means that for most private and social tenants , even if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the legal right to stay in their home , '' Andy Parnell , helpline adviser for housing charity Shelter , tells the BBC .
But , he says , `` sadly there are some groups not protected by the recent changes to the evictions law , including lodgers with live-in landlords '' .
`` Lodgers have fewer rights than private renters with live-out landlords and landlords do n't need to go to court to evict a lodger .
But they are required to provide reasonable notice before asking them to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's situation should call the local council 's homelessness team as soon as possible and all councils have an emergency out-of-hours number .
If you do n't have anywhere to sleep , you should go to the council 's office in person , bringing ID and any proof of immigration status with you .
Earlier this month , Shelter also told renters in this situation to `` stay put '' .
Once Rajesh was back indoors , he did n't want to risk being evicted again .
He hid himself away and avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other tenants , not even daring to try and cook a meal for himself .
His health became worse with every passing day .
The only social interaction he had were daily phone calls with his wife , where he would alternate between reassuring her that he would be fine , and crying .
It was during one of these calls that Mary noticed he was struggling to breathe .
`` He was wheezing a lot in that room , and every day it was getting worse , '' she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the hospital .
He did n't want to call an ambulance because he did n't want others there to know he was ill , in case he was evicted again . ''
Rajesh drove himself to the hospital , despite being severely out of breath .
When he got there he was diagnosed with pneumonia .
`` The next morning he called me from the hospital for a video call - but when the children saw him they started crying because of how ill he was , '' Mary says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and told me he did n't want them to remember him looking so unwell . ''
They would speak only a few more times .
On 11 April , the doctors caring for Rajesh called Mary and explained that he was in a critical state , and they did n't think his condition would improve .
They arranged a video call for her and the children to see him one final time ; he was unconscious .
He died two hours later .
While `` coronavirus does n't discriminate '' has been repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evident that the virus is worse for some than others .
One group hit particularly hard are gig economy workers .
The gig economy is where people take on short-term or freelance work instead of permanent jobs .
These include private-hire cab drivers like Rajesh as well as food delivery workers and couriers .
Last year about 4.7 million people in the UK worked in gig economy jobs while , according to a 2018 study , 60 % of the global population is in insecure work .
Research by the World Economic Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disproportionately affected by the pandemic - a combination of being classified as `` essential '' workers , requiring them to continue interacting with strangers ; a lack of guaranteed paid sick leave that makes it harder to self-isolate ; low and insecure pay , making it more likely for them to be living in dangerous and insecure housing situations ; and no entitlement to risk assessments or protective equipment .
Ayako Ebata , from the Institute of Development Studies , says because people in insecure work `` heavily rely on their daily wages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pressure not to lose their jobs or take time off , even when there are significant health risks .
`` It 's not because they 're ignorant or uninformed , it 's because the whole system is forcing them to make decisions that eventually prove detrimental to their livelihoods and health , '' she says .
Dr Alex Wood , a sociologist at Oxford University focusing on the gig economy and insecure work , agrees - and says a lack of workplace protection makes the problem much worse .
`` People have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't need to worry about [ rights and protections ] because when the economy 's fine , there is n't really any risk , '' he says .
`` In reality , when you have these crises , it 's the workers who pay - despite many of them now being classified as 'essential ' . ''
Now , drivers in the UK are calling for greater protection from the government .
United Private Hire Drivers ( UPHD ) , an independent trade body for private-hire drivers , has this week called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
`` What the government is saying now is that it 's not safe for you to go to a barbershop , but it 's somehow safe for you to ride around in an Uber , '' James Farrar from the UPHD says .
Race is a risk factor , too .
According to multiple recent studies , BAME people in the UK like Rajesh are disproportionately more likely to be in insecure work than their white counterparts .
Research from the Trade Union Congress ( TUC ) last year found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be in insecure work .
A report released last month by Carnegie UK Trust , UCL and Operation Black Vote also found that BAME millennials in particular were 47 % more likely to be on `` zero-hours '' contracts - another notoriously unstable form of work .
At the same time , recent studies show that BAME people in the UK are disproportionately more likely to become critically ill and to die from coronavirus .
Ethnic minority patients make up 34 % of those in intensive care , despite making up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Early research suggests this is down to a combination of risk factors - an increased incidence of high-risk underlying health conditions , such as diabetes and hypertension , as well as social factors and systemic inequality .
`` Coronavirus is making a lot of the inequalities in our society that we had previously turned a blind eye to , very clear , '' Dr Wood says .
After learning that her son had died , Rajesh 's mother became ill. She suffered hypertension and a spike in her blood sugar level , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` She 's been inconsolable since , '' Mary says .
Faced with a loan for the house , upcoming medical bills and children 's school fees , Mary is trying to find work as a cleaner in their area but the lockdown is making it much more difficult to get on top of their finances .
Sunil is helping them with money where he can , and has set up an online fundraiser for them .
He 's also looking into whether he can pursue legal action against Rajesh 's first landlord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also set up a fundraiser for her in India .
But more than anything , Mary is struggling to come to terms with how quickly everything has changed for her family .
`` Now that Rajesh is gone , our life has become very difficult , '' she says .
`` I do n't know what we 'll do without him . ''

"That was the last call he made to me," Sunil says. "He didn't go into details about what was happening to him, but because I work in the NHS, he was asking me questions like 'How safe are we', 'Is it better to go to India'… things like that. He was asking me if I knew any routes, if there was any possible way he could go - he wanted to go to India and be with his family. But by that time there was a complete lockdown in India too."


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus immunity: Can you catch it twice?

Can you catch coronavirus again ?
Why are some people sicker than others ?
Will it come back every winter ?
Will a vaccine work ?
Could immunity passports get some of us back to work ?
How do we manage the virus in the long-term ?
The immune system is at the heart of some of the most important questions about the coronavirus .
The problem is we know very little .
How do you become immune to coronavirus ?
Our immune system is the body 's defence against infection and it comes in two parts .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into action as soon as any foreign invader is detected in the body .
It is known as the innate immune response and includes the release of chemicals that cause inflammation and white blood cells that can destroy infected cells .
But this system is not specific to coronavirus .
It will not learn and it will not give you immunity to the coronavirus .
Instead you need the adaptive immune response .
This includes cells that produce targeted antibodies that can stick to the virus in order to stop it and T @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected with the virus , called the cellular response .
This takes time - studies suggest it takes around 10 days to start making antibodies that can target the coronavirus and the sickest patients develop the strongest immune response .
If the adaptive immune response is powerful enough , then it could leave a lasting memory of the infection that will give protection in the future .
It is not known if people who have only mild symptoms , or none at all , will develop a sufficient adaptive immune response .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do we get out of this mess ?
How long does immunity last ?
The immune system 's memory is rather like our own - it remembers some infections clearly , but has a habit of forgetting others .
Measles is highly memorable - one bout should give life-long immunity ( as the weakened version in the MMR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are many others that are pretty forgettable .
Children can get RSV ( respiratory syncytial virus ) multiple times in the same winter .
The new coronavirus , called Sars-CoV-2 , has not been around long enough to know how long immunity lasts , but there are six other human coronaviruses that can give a clue .
Four produce the symptoms of the common cold and immunity is short-lived .
Studies showed some patients could be re-infected within a year .
But the common cold is generally mild .
There are two more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( Sars ) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( Mers ) - in which antibodies have been detected a few years later .
`` The question is not whether you become immune , it 's how long for , '' said Paul Hunter , a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia .
He added : `` It almost certainly will not last for life .
`` Based on antibody studies in Sars it is possible that immunity will only last about one to two years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain . ''
However , even if you are not completely immune it is possible a second infection would not be as severe .
Have people caught it twice ?
There have been reports of people appearing to have multiple coronavirus infections in a short space of time .
Some have argued people are genuinely being infected twice .
Another school of thought is the virus goes into stealth mode in the body before being reactivated .
However , the scientific consensus is that testing is the issue with patients being incorrectly told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody has been deliberately reinfected with the virus to test immunity , but a pair of rhesus macaque monkeys have .
They were infected twice , once to build up an immune response and then a second time three weeks later .
Those very limited experiments showed they did not develop symptoms again after such a quick reinfection .
If I have antibodies am I immune ?
This is not guaranteed and that is why the World Health Organization is nervous about countries using immunity passports as a way out of lockdown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody test then you are safe to go back to work .
This would be particularly valuable for staff in care homes or hospitals who come into contact with those at risk of developing severe symptoms .
But while you will find some antibodies in nearly every patients , not all are equal .
Neutralising antibodies are the ones that stick to the coronavirus and are able to stop it infecting other cells .
A study of 175 recovered patients in China showed 30 % had very low levels of these neutralising antibodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organization says `` that cellular immunity [ the other part of the adaptive response ] may also be critical for recovery '' .
Another issue is that just because you might be protected by your antibodies , it does n't mean you can not still harbour the virus and pass it onto others .
It matters for obvious personal health reasons and whether you will get Covid-19 multiple times and how often .
Immunity will also affect how deadly the virus is .
If people retain some , even imperfect , protection then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Understanding immunity could help ease lockdown if it is clear who is not at risk of catching or spreading the virus .
If it is very difficult to produce long-term immunity , then it could make a vaccine harder to develop .
Or it may change how the vaccine needs to be used - will it be a once a lifetime or once a year like the flu shot .
And the duration of immunity , whether by infection or immunisation , will tell us how likely we are to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all big questions we still lack answers to .

If it is very difficult to produce long-term immunity, then it could make a vaccine harder to develop. Or it may change how the vaccine needs to be used - will it be a once a lifetime or once a year like the flu shot.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus: Mexico factory staff question 'essential work'

Factory workers in Ciudad Juárez rarely go on strike .
Their labour rights are so weak that participating in a protest can cost them their job .
So when employees at the US-owned Regal motor factory organised a demonstration over having to work during a coronavirus outbreak , Mariana - not her real name - was initially reluctant to take part .
Earning barely $ 80 ( £64 ) a month , she can ill afford to become unemployed at this complicated time .
According to Mariana , several workers in the factory died after contracting Covid-19 and that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stake was too important to stay quiet .
`` Someone who worked very close to us had a high temperature and they sent him home .
Six days later he died .
And now others have high temperatures , '' Mariana told me on the telephone from Ciudad Juárez .
`` We ca n't risk bringing the virus home .
In my case , I have a family member who 's diabetic , another with asthma .
I 'm trying to think of them . ''
Conditions inside the assembly plants , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus , says Mariana .
`` There is n't much distance between us on the assembly line and if a machine breaks , they put us all on the same one , right on top of each other . ''
The BBC approached Regal for comment but the company did not respond .
On its website , Regal says it is `` working tirelessly to maintain healthy and safe workplaces all around the world '' amid the pandemic .
The strike appeared to have the desired effect .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juárez were told to stay at home on full pay .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • FACE MASKS : Should I be wearing one ?
• VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?
Elsewhere in the border city , employees at the ECI electrical goods company also held a protest .
Only maquiladoras producing `` essential goods '' are allowed to remain open following a federal government decree .
One employee , Monserrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff did not think the `` essential '' label should apply to the goods they make .
`` Are people desperate to buy refrigerators , stoves or washing machines right now ? ''
she asked .
`` Of course they 're not .
The most important thing right now is to be safe at home . ''
ECI has not commented .
Official figures suggest that 13 factory employees in Ciudad Juárez have died with coronavirus .
But a well-known activist for workers ' rights in the city , Susana Prieto , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high .
`` There is real panic among the workers , '' she told me .
`` The factories have flagrantly disobeyed the emergency public health decree because of the absence of authority from the president and the federal government . ''
Factories only started to close in Ciudad Juárez `` once the bodies started literally dropping in front of their eyes '' , says Ms Prieto .
With so many maquiladoras shuttered , the cross-border supply chain in North America has been crippled .
It has prompted the National Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprised of scores of US manufacturing companies , to write to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to urge him to reclassify more industries as essential so their factories can operate again .
The association 's controversial call was echoed by the Trump Administration .
The US Undersecretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment , Ellen Lord , said last week that she had contacted Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard `` to ask for help to reopen international suppliers there '' .
`` These companies are especially important for our US airframe production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now reached an agreement on reopening factories in the automotive industry in coordination with the US and Canada .
Susana Prieto thinks that the emergency decree has given priority to the wrong products , those for export to the US , Britain , China and Korea , rather than those needed by Mexicans .
While factories producing medical supplies and equipment and agricultural goods are obviously needed in this current crisis , she argues that production for exports for the US automobile or aerospace industries should not be exempt .
`` These factories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her voice rising in anger .
`` But we live in no-man 's land where the laws are made to be broken . ''
You may also be interested in : US Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau believes a balance can be struck : `` It 's possible and essential to look after the health of workers without destroying those [ supply ] chains , '' he wrote on Twitter recently .
Perhaps , but there are some 300,000 factory workers in Ciudad Juárez .
Given the poor conditions inside many maquiladoras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in the middle of a global pandemic .
They know that the manual labour they perform is vital to the health of the economy on both sides of the border .
It is just that right now their own health and that of their families is far more important to them .

With so many maquiladoras shuttered, the cross-border supply chain in North America has been crippled. It has prompted the National Association of Manufacturers in the US, a group comprised of scores of US manufacturing companies, to write to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to urge him to reclassify more industries as essential so their factories can operate again.


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus and climate: Australia's chance to shift to green energy

The Covid-19 pandemic is a `` huge opportunity '' to fast-track Australia 's shift towards more renewable energy , climate scientists have told the BBC .
But scientists say that momentum risks being lost because of the virus .
Instead , as Australia looks for ways to revive its economy , innovations around solar , wind and hydroelectric projects should be central , they say .
The devastating summer of blazes - driven by drought and rising temperatures - killed 33 people and destroyed about 3,000 homes .
Millions of hectares of bush , forest and parks burned .
Prof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Australian National University said memories of `` the droughts and the fires and the smoke haze across major cities have dissipated with the arrival of Covid-19 '' .
`` And clearly the momentum for change in relation to climate here in Australia has dissipated quite considerably too . ''
Australia contributes about 1.5 % of the world 's total carbon emissions .
Fossil fuels it exports - mainly coal to China and India - make up another 3.6 % when burned .
Prof Howden told the BBC that reducing carbon emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia 's post-virus economic recovery plan .
`` When you have significant disruption like this , it does give you an opportunity to move forward on a different trajectory from the one you 're on previously , '' he said .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health • VISUAL : The world in lockdown in maps and charts While the use of renewables is increasing in Australia year-on-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity generated came from renewable sources - the current Liberal-National government has been notoriously reluctant to phase out coal in favour of cleaner options .
Last year , it gave Indian company Adani the final approval for construction to begin on a controversial coal mine in Queensland .
And a recent report suggested Australia was second only to China in the number of new coal-powered plants in development .
Prof Matthew England of the Climate Change Research Centre said it would be `` disastrous '' if , once the pandemic is over , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low tech '' coal to get the economy moving again , `` because we know that those carbon emissions will change our planet 's climate in very dangerous ways '' .
• Australia fires were far worse than any prediction • What is Australia doing to tackle climate change ?
Australia is faring far better during the pandemic than many nations - with fewer than 6,800 confirmed cases and 83 deaths reported as of late April .
Chief Australia Economist at BIS Oxford Economics , Sarah Hunter said the Australian government now had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its long-term economic response .
`` Serious discussion around energy policy '' should be part of measures to support recovery and growth , she said , especially while there was a a fairly `` co-operative environment '' between the government , opposition and industry .
`` Obviously nobody wanted what 's happening right now .
But if it does mean that we get an acceleration of some of these reforms , that can be very positive in the long run . ''
So far Australia 's economic response has centred around a A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) support package - with a subsidy for employers to keep people in work .
Prof Howden fears this may be short-sighted .
`` Instead of putting money through businesses , essentially just to keep people in their current jobs or keep those job relationships going , we could put some of that money into nation-building activities , which reduce our emissions and give us future options , '' he said .
`` This is exactly the time when we should be having those discussions and making those plans . ''
`` Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus and the lockdown , in some ways that 's going to be too late . ''
But Grattan Institute think tank energy director Tony Wood the best option for Australia was a `` robust balance '' of energy options .
While he supported investment in gas and other sectors including hydrogen and batteries for electric vehicles , he argued more renewable energy projects do not make economic sense right now .
`` I do n't see why we should throw more money at more renewables '' Mr Wood told the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs more subsidies or governments building wind and solar farms .
They in themselves do n't create many jobs beyond the construction phase , and even those jobs are not well paid . ''
Ultimately , it may be cold hard economics rather than environmental concerns that bring most change .
With Australia 's first recession in almost 30 years predicted as a result of the pandemic , analysts suggest this in itself could threaten the long-term future of many coal power stations .
Lower demand from industry forcing down electricity prices for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheaper , more enticing option - what energy analyst group Reputex call `` a perfect storm for the wholesale electricity market '' .
Also potentially bringing down Australia 's demand and therefore emissions , are behavioural changes picked up during lockdowns .
• How the virus cleared the world ’ s most polluted skies As in other parts of the world , Australia has seen industry slow and air travel all but stop .
Given that carbon stays in the atmosphere for thousands of years , this small blip is negligible , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pent up demand for travel and consumption post-lockdown .
But he predicts , for example , that people flying between Sydney and Melbourne for short meetings will become less common once businesses see that video conferencing is just as effective .
While more than 200,000 people worldwide have died from Covid-19 , the World Health Organization forecasts that an additional 250,000 people will die each year from 2030 if global temperatures continue to rise .
Despite such dire warnings , there are few signs that people will take climate as seriously as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week from Ipsos Mori suggested only 57 % of Australians felt government actions after the pandemic should prioritise climate change .
`` We need to understand this is a huge problem that we 're burdening our kids with , '' says Prof England .
`` And even if it 's not necessarily in your backyard , it will be at some stage .
And the bushfires last summer , I hope , brought that home for Australians . ''
But he sees some cause for optimism .
`` Climate change , unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best scientific advice being ignored by many nations around the world in favour of some of the fossil fuel industry 's push for longevity , '' he said .
`` We 've seen with this pandemic that those nations that took the expert advice seriously acted quickly and acted early are the ones who 've best had been able to cope .
`` Now , one of the big things that people realise is that listening to experts is a good thing to do . ''

Prof Matthew England of the Climate Change Research Centre said it would be " disastrous" if, once the pandemic is over, Australia throws money into "lazy, low tech" coal to get the economy moving again, "because we know that those carbon emissions will change our planet's climate in very dangerous ways".


bbc--2020-04-27--Coronavirus pandemic: Tracking the global outbreak

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world , with around three million confirmed cases in 185 countries .
At least 200,000 people have died .
The United States has more than four times as many confirmed cases as any other country .
This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year .
The virus , which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19 , was first detected in the city of Wuhan , China , in late 2019 .
It is spreading rapidly in many countries and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Note : The map and table in this page uses a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University which results in a slightly lower overall total .
The US has by far the largest number of cases , with nearly one million confirmed infections , according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University .
This is more than 10 times the official number reported by China .
The US also has the world 's highest death toll , with more than 50,000 fatalities .
Spain , Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst-hit European countries - have all recorded more than 20,000 deaths .
Note : The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average In China , the official death toll is just over 4,600 from about 84,000 confirmed cases .
Numbers for deaths jumped on 17 April after what officials called `` a statistical review '' .
Critics of the Chinese government have questioned whether the country 's official numbers can be trusted .
The country 's authorities have now lifted many of the stringent measures they brought in to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ban on all travel to and from Wuhan - the first place to go into lockdown .
After the virus 's discovery late last year , the outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on 11 March .
This is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time .
While around three million people are known to have been infected worldwide , the true figure is thought to be much higher as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been tested and counted .
New Zealand , however , says it has stopped community transmission of coronavirus , and is set to move out of its toughest level of social restrictions .
From Tuesday , some non-essential businesses , healthcare and education activity will be able to resume , but most people will still have to stay at home and avoid all social interactions .
While some other countries are also beginning to ease restrictions where disease peaks are thought to have passed , such as in Europe and South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impose them as cases and deaths begin to rise .
Across Latin America , where many economies are already struggling and millions live on what they can earn day-to-day , there are concerns about the strain the growing number of virus cases could put on health care systems .
Of particular concern are Ecuador and Brazil .
Ecuador has already seen its health system collapse - thousands have died from the virus and other conditions that could not be treated because of the crisis .
Mortuaries and morgues have been overwhelmed .
Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both cases and deaths , with every state in South America 's largest country affected .
But there are fears that the country 's official numbers do not reflect the true scale of the crisis .
Cities and local authorities have imposed measures to try to prevent the virus 's spread but Brazil 's President Jair Bolsonaro has come under criticism for his own response , including attending an anti-lockdown rally and sacking his health minister who had advocated social distancing .
Across the world , more than 4.5 billion people - half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be living under social distancing measures , according to the AFP news agency .
Among them are Muslims beginning to observe the holy month of Ramadan in isolation .
The impact of this global shutdown is huge .
The world economy faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s , the International Monetary Fund has said .
And the UN World Food Programme has warned the pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health Italy and Spain remain the worst affected countries after the US and have been in lockdown since early March .
Spain has more than 220,000 confirmed cases - the second highest global figure - while Italy has the world 's second highest death toll at more than 25,000 .
Both countries are now joining others around Europe in seeing a slowing of infection rates , which appears to show the success of quarantine measures .
Spain reported its lowest daily death toll since 20 March on Sunday , when it confirmed 288 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - although numbers jumped slightly on Monday to 331 .
The slowing of reported cases and deaths has been followed by a lifting of some restrictions for people and businesses .
Spanish children under the age of 14 are now allowed to leave their homes for an hour a day , after six weeks in lockdown .
Italy has started to allow certain shops and factories to reopen and the prime minister says further measures will be eased from 4 May .
In the UK , there have been around157,000 confirmed cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deaths in the UK grew rapidly at first , doubling faster than every two days .
While the rate of increase has slowed , the British government has ruled out lifting lockdown measures until at least early May .
Other European countries easing restrictions include Austria , Denmark and the Czech Republic and Germany , where facemasks have become mandatory in public transport .
In Switzerland , doctors ' surgeries , dentists , nursery schools , hairdressers , florists and garden centres were among those allowed to reopen .
Bars and restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of US outbreak With close to one million cases , the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world .
The country has also recorded around 55,000 deaths .
The state of New York has been particularly badly affected , with more than 17,000 deaths in New York City alone .
However , State Governor Andrew Cuomo has said the toll `` seems to be on a gentle decline '' , with deaths over the first four days of the last week down a third on the same period the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some states , including Georgia , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee and Alaska have lifted some of the lockdown restrictions , although customers visiting newly reopened businesses will still be expected to maintain social distancing measures .
Georgia , which has one of the fastest reopening timetables in the country , is allowing bowling alleys , spas , hair and nail salons , as well as tattoo parlours and other personal care businesses to resume operations .
From Monday , dine-in restaurants and theatres have also been allowed to open .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that more than 26 million Americans have filed for jobless claims in the last five weeks .
The US Congress has passed a relief package amounting to some $ 484bn ( £391bn ) , the fourth aid bill to clear Congress in response to the virus outbreak , bringing total federal spending on coronavirus assistance to to $ 3tn .
US President Donald Trump , meanwhile , was criticised by the medical community after suggesting research should be done into whether coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body .
Disinfectants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if ingested .
Even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin , eyes and respiratory system .

Please update your browser to see full interactive
Show more
This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals for each country.
** The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average. Due to revisions in the number of cases, an average cannot be calculated for this date.
Source: Johns Hopkins University and national public health agencies


bbc--2020-04-28--Coronavirus: Trump 'can't imagine why' US disinfectant calls spiked

President Donald Trump has said he `` ca n't imagine why '' US hotline calls about disinfectant have risen after he suggested injecting the substance to treat coronavirus .
The governors of Michigan and Maryland on Sunday blamed the president for the spike in such calls .
Following heavy criticism from medical professionals , Mr Trump said his remarks were made sarcastically .
Disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested .
During Monday 's Covid-19 news conference , a reporter noted that the state of Maryland 's emergency hotline had received hundreds of calls in recent days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I ca n't imagine why , '' the president said , moving quickly on .
`` I ca n't imagine that . ''
When asked whether he took responsibility at all for the increase in calls , Mr Trump replied : `` No , I do n't . ''
Last week , the Maryland governor 's office said it had issued a statewide alert warning against ingesting or injecting disinfectants following the president 's remarks .
Mr Trump made the disinfectant remarks on Thursday , after an official presented the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be killed in minutes by bleach .
`` I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute .
One minute , '' Mr Trump said .
`` And is there a way we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning ? ''
On Friday afternoon , Mr Trump told journalists : `` I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen . ''
• The fake health advice you should ignore • Will coronavirus go away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose Garden press conference , Mr Trump was also asked whether he would delay the presidential election in November .
`` I never even thought of changing the date of the election , '' he said .
`` Why would I do that ? ''
Former US Vice-President Joe Biden , Mr Trump 's presumptive Democratic opponent , said last week he thought Mr Trump would `` try to kick back the election somehow '' .
But Mr Trump told reporters the idea was `` made-up propaganda '' .
`` I look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Constitutional scholars have already noted that if a president wanted to change the timing of a White House election he would be unable to do so - even in an emergency - because the date is set by Congress .
Mr Trump then took questions on a wide range of subjects , including : • Coronavirus deaths : The president was asked if he deserved to be re-elected given the number of Americans who had died over the past six weeks - more than 55,000 .
He defended his administration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' job during the crisis • China : Mr Trump suggested the US may seek damages from China for the spread of the coronavirus .
`` We believe it could have been stopped at the source , '' he said , adding that there were `` lots of ways '' to hold China accountable .
It comes days after the state of Missouri said it was suing the Chinese government over the outbreak • Schools : The president said state governments should `` seriously consider '' reopening public schools before the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have warned that doing so could pose major health risks .
`` Even if it 's for a very short period of time , I think it would be a good thing , '' Mr Trump said • North Korea : When asked about speculation over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un 's health , Mr Trump said he had `` a very good idea '' about his condition .
`` I ca n't talk about it now .
I just wish him well , '' he said .
There have been unconfirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since he missed a public event earlier this month • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic 's diary • REASON TO HOPE : The good that may come out of this crisis

"I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute," Mr Trump said. "And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?"


bbc--2020-04-28--Coronavirus: What Trump voters think of his handling of crisis

Three Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 rate the US president 's response to the virus , including @ @ @ @ @ .
While the two from Tennessee and North Carolina praise Mr Trump for his decisions @ @ @ @ @ is frustrated by the lack of a consistent message .
BBC News first spoke to @ @ @ @ @ 's inauguration in January 2017 and has caught up with them several times since .

Three Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 rate the US president's response to the virus, including his recent comments about disinfectant.
While the two from Tennessee and North Carolina praise Mr Trump for his decisions, one supporter from Indiana is frustrated by the lack of a consistent message.
BBC News first spoke to these voters before the president's inauguration in January 2017 and has caught up with them several times since.
Video journalist: Chloe Kim


bbc--2020-04-28--Who might lead N Korea without Kim?

Who might lead N Korea without Kim?

Speculation and rumour about Kim Jong-un 's health may amount to nothing , but questions about who might succeed him in the short or long term will always be there .
The BBC spoke to analysts about the contenders and whether history is on their side .
A male member of the Kim family has been in charge of North Korea ever since its founding by Kim Il-sung in 1948 - and the mythology of this family runs deep throughout society .
Propaganda about its greatness begins for citizens before they can even read : pre-schoolers sing a song called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Kim Jong-un . ''
So how can you imagine a North Korea without this symbolic and political figure at the top ?
How would elites organise themselves , as well as society as a whole ?
The easy answer is : we do n't know .
More interestingly , they do n't know either .
They have never had to do it .
• What do we know about North Korea ?
• Scepticism over N Korea 's claim to be virus free There has always been a Kim ... As Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they even began using the term `` Paektu Bloodline '' to help legitimise his rule .
Paektu is the sacred and mythologised mountain where Kim Il-sung is said to have waged guerrilla war and where Kim Jong-il was reportedly born .
Kim Jong-un still goes there when he wants to emphasise important policy decisions .
There has always been a Kim at the ideological heart of the country .
What would North Korea be like without such an heir ?
Kim Jong-un , 36 , is believed to have children - but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought he has three children , the oldest being 10 and the youngest three .
Kim Jong-un himself was considered young when he took power - he was 27 .
It is likely that some sort of group leadership would emerge , perhaps as in Vietnam , that leans heavily on the founder 's teachings and legitimacy to boost their own standing .
Observers can track who holds certain key positions and can follow news and open-source intelligence about important institutions , but ca n't really tell how factions are developing , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than institutional bonds .
Moreover , sometimes vice or deputy directors wield more real power than the titular heads of institutions .
This makes all predictions extremely difficult .
The are three Kims who could potentially be involved in the political make-up of North Korea if Kim Jong-un were to disappear .
They all face limitations in carrying on family rule .
The first is Kim Yo-jong , Kim Jong-un 's younger sister .
She is said to have been a favourite of her father who commented on her precocity , her interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her manner is efficient , mild and one suspects rather observant .
Much has been made of her closeness to her brother .
At the Singapore Trump-Kim summit she was famously on hand to pass him a pen to sign the agreement with , and at the next summit in Hanoi , was pictured peeking out from behind corners as her brother posed for statesman-like photos .
Yet she was not above a temporary demotion after the Hanoi summit - purportedly because of its failure although this will never be confirmed .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body , the State Affairs Commission , but is an alternate member of the Politburo and vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department ( PAD ) of the Workers ' Party of Korea .
These may seem like incomprehensible acronyms but the PAD is a powerful organisation that ensures ideological loyalty in the system .
She is a woman , however , and this makes it hard to imagine her occupying the top position in such a deeply patriarchal country .
North Korea is an extremely male state , in which gender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and certainly running the military , does not fit in the range of womanly duties .
The second is Kim Jong-chul .
He is Kim Jong-un 's older brother , but has never appeared interested in politics or power .
( He is known to be interested in Eric Clapton . )
At most , he could be a symbolic link to the Kim family : perhaps made the head of a foundation and put forward to read the odd speech .
The final one is Kim Pyong-il , Kim Jong-il 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's stepmother - was angling to have him become Kim Il-sung 's successor .
She failed and was sidelined by Kim Jong-il as he rose in influence .
Kim Pyong-il was sent to Europe in 1979 , where he has held various ambassadorships , returning to North Korea only last year .
This means it is very unlikely he has the network to be a central player in elite politics in Pyongyang .
The second-most powerful man in North Korea right now There are other individuals who have been central in the Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know who among them would form co-operative relationships and who would compete with one another .
One is Choe Ryong-hae .
He has had his ups and downs under Kim Jong-un , but having weathered a few storms currently sits on the presidium of the politburo and is also first vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission .
Last year he became the first new president in 20 years , replacing the aging Kim Yong-nam - so he is the person who represents the North at international engagements .
Choe has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Organization and Guidance Department ( OGD ) of the Worker 's Party of Korea , responsible for enforcing loyalty throughout the regime .
This is an extremely powerful organisation : it enforces the adherence of all citizens to North Korea 's ideology .
He is probably the second most powerful man in North Korea .
The old spymasters and rising political grandees Another is Kim Yong-chol .
This general paved the way for the Trump-Kim summits , meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo several times .
He has been head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations with South Korea ) and the Reconnaissance General Bureau , the country 's main intelligence service .
He seems to have suffered a demotion following the collapse talks with the United States , but it is unlikely this spymaster will remain obscure for long .
Yet another is Kim Jae-ryong .
As well as being on the State Affairs Commission , he is Premier of the Cabinet , a moderately influential position .
Relatively little is known about him , but his star has risen in the past years as others have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries and ran the most isolated province , home to key military-industrial sites , for several years .
This may mean he has been closely involved in the nuclear program .
Jong Kyong-taek is responsible for the State Security Department , which investigates and punishes political crimes .
It also helps physically protect the leadership .
These are crucial responsibilities that help enforce stability in the system .
Hwang Pyong-so is another official who has held top military posts and has run the OGD in the Kim Jong-un era .
Like Choe ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciplined ; he does n't seem to have been rehabilitated in the same way , however .
Other 2010s foreign policy stalwarts Ri Yong-ho and Ri Su-yong have also seen roles diminish recently .
They have been replaced by Ri Son-gwon and Kim Hyung-jun .
The former is said to be an ally of Kim Yong-chol .
A handful of top generals of the Korean People 's Army ( KPA ) would also certainly exert influence in any transition period .
Currently , two men sit atop the General Political Bureau of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This bureau enforces political loyalty in the military , something that would be absolutely crucial during periods of uncertainty .
Kim Won-hong , helps illustrate how difficult it is to predict how power would be shared if Kim Jong-un were no longer there .
Kim Won-hong and Hwang Pyong-so had been thought to be rivals , competing to influence Kim Jong-un at the other 's expense .
Amongst top elites , who would clash and who would ally ?
Would there be pro and anti-Kim Yo-jong factions ?
Would the fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand ?
After all , it is in no elite politician 's interest to see the state collapse , opening the door for some kind of takeover by South Korea , or even China .
There is currently no perfect contender : his sister would have to overcome the sexism and the break from tradition of a male heir .
Anybody else is not directly descended from that all-important Paektu bloodline .
but in the end , they will all have to think of the unity of the state they have defied every @ @ @ @ @

The first is Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister. She is said to have been a favourite of her father who commented on her precocity, her interest in politics from a young age. Her manner is efficient, mild and one suspects rather observant. Much has been made of her closeness to her brother. At the Singapore Trump-Kim summit she was famously on hand to pass him a pen to sign the agreement with, and at the next summit in Hanoi, was pictured peeking out from behind corners as her brother posed for statesman-like photos.


bbc--2020-04-28--Coronavirus: Top NYC doctor takes her own life

A top New York City doctor who was on the front line of the US fight against coronavirus has taken her own life .
Dr Lorna Breen , who was medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan , died of self-inflicted injuries on Sunday , police said .
The 49-year-old 's father , Dr Philip Breen , told the New York Times : `` She tried to do her job and it killed her . ''
New York accounts for 17,500 out of America 's coronavirus 56,000 deaths .
The elder Dr Breen said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental illness .
She died in Charlottesville , Virginia , where she had been staying with her family .
Lorna Breen herself had fallen ill with the coronavirus during the course of her work and returned to the job after about a week-and-a-half of recuperating , said her father .
The hospital had sent her home again , before her family `` intervened '' to bring her to Charlottesville , said her father .
He said that when they last spoke , his daughter had seemed `` detached '' and told him how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even be removed from ambulances .
Dozens of patients have succumbed to coronavirus at the 200-bed hospital in Manhattan .
`` She was truly in the trenches on the front line , '' her father told the Times .
`` Make sure she 's praised as a hero .
She 's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died . ''
• An invisible wound for health workers and soldiers According to the newspaper , Dr Lorna Breen was a devout Christian who was very close to her family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoyed salsa dancing .
She volunteered once a week at a home for old people .
New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital said in a statement : `` Dr Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department . ''
In a press release confirming her death , the Charlottesville Police Department also described Dr Breen as a `` hero '' .
The police department said that after a call for help on 26 April , Dr Breen was taken to a local hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to self-inflicted injuries '' .
Police chief RaShall Brackney said in a statement : `` Frontline healthcare professionals and first responders are not immune to the mental or physical effects of the current pandemic .
`` On a daily basis , '' she added , `` these professionals operate under the most stressful of circumstances , and the coronavirus has introduced additional stressors . ''
New York state has recorded almost a third of the country 's nearly one million confirmed Covid-19 cases .
On Monday , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New York City ( 24.7 % ) - America 's most populous city with 8.3 million people - had been infected with coronavirus .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• LIKE 9/11 EACH DAY : A New York paramedic 's diary • REASON TO HOPE : The good that may come out of this crisis If you want to talk to someone about the issues raised in this piece , you can call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-TALK ( 8255 ) or contact the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 741741 .
You can call the UK Samaritans Helpline on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org .

He said that when they last spoke, his daughter had seemed "detached" and told him how Covid-19 patients were dying before they could even be removed from ambulances. Dozens of patients have succumbed to coronavirus at the 200-bed hospital in Manhattan.


bbc--2020-04-28--Rising toll in care homes leads to record UK deaths

A third of all coronavirus deaths in England and Wales are now happening in care homes , figures show .
Office for National Statistics data showed there were 2,000 coronavirus care home deaths in the week ending 17 April - double the previous week .
Projections for the following week - up to last Friday - suggested the numbers have since continued to rise .
It comes as coronavirus hospital deaths have started falling after peaking on 8 April .
Mike Padgham , of the Independent Care Group , which represents care homes , said care homes were now the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against coronavirus .
He said it was taking a `` terrible toll '' .
`` These are our lived ones - mothers , fathers , brothers , sisters , aunts , uncles and friends who have been taken from us early .
They deserve better . ''
He said the sector needed more testing , protective equipment and money to tackle the outbreaks .
The daily updates provided by government do not include care home deaths .
The ONS has been able to track these by looking at deaths certificates - but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital deaths provided by the government .
Up until 10 April just over 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths had been recorded in care homes so far .
A week later this had increased by another 2,000 to top 3,000 in England and Wales .
Projections for the following week - up to last Friday - suggest they rose again .
Similar trends are being seen in Northern Ireland and Scotland .
But these figures may be an under-estimate .
The overall number of people dying in care homes is now three times higher than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of these extra deaths are being attributed to coronavirus .
Hospital deaths appear to have peaked At the weekend the government announced hospital coronavirus deaths had topped 20,000 in the UK since the start of pandemic .
But data from the NHS suggested they peaked on 8 April - in England at least .
The ONS data for England and Wales shows a similar trend in hospitals .
What does this mean for excess deaths ?
Official figures show the total number of people dying in the UK from all causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we would expect for this time of year .
Government advisers say this is important to track as it reveals the indirect impact of the pandemic , from factors such as people missing out on care and dying from other conditions , as well as coronavirus deaths .
In the week to 17 April the total number of deaths in England and Wales topped 22,000 - the highest since records began in 1993 .
Once you include Northern Ireland and Scotland the figures are nearly 25,000 .

The health secretary also announced that the government would begin including the number of deaths in care homes and the community in its daily figures from Wednesday, in an effort to "bring as much transparency as possible" to the data.


bbc--2020-04-28--Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be 'scrapped' instead of delayed again, says Games chief

The postponed Tokyo Olympics will be `` scrapped '' if they can not take place in 2021 , says Games chief Yoshiro Mori .
Tokyo 2020 is now scheduled to run from 23 July to 8 August next year after being delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Health experts have cast doubt on whether the Games could be held next summer without a vaccine or effective drugs to treat Covid-19 being found .
When asked if the event could be moved again to 2022 , Mori replied : `` No . ''
`` In that case , the Olympics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the Tokyo 2020 president said he was confident the rescheduled Games would go ahead .
`` This Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle , '' he told Nikkan Sports .
`` We have to believe this , otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded . ''
• Tokyo 2020 : 'The right decision , made just in time' The president of Japan 's medical association , Yoshitake Yokokura , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to hold the Olympics in 2021 without vaccines or effective drugs being developed .
`` I am not saying that Japan should or should n't host the Olympics , but that it would be difficult to do so , '' he said .
`` If the infections are under control in Japan , it will still be difficult to hold the games unless the pandemic is over in the rest of the world . ''
Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021 , though others have warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be successfully developed .
Mori added that the Olympics and Paralympics - which will now run from 24 August to 5 September 2021 - could share opening and closing ceremonies as a way of cutting costs .
`` Given that the situation has dramatically changed , we have to review key areas , including the ceremonies , '' he said .
`` It 's going to a considerable cut in costs and a big message of victory against the global crisis - but it 's not easy . ''
However , Mori said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee whether they would agree to such a plan , and acknowledged that tickets had already been sold for the separate opening and closing ceremonies .

Last updated on .From the section Olympics
Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori announced the new dates for the Games in March
The postponed Tokyo Olympics will be "scrapped" if they cannot take place in 2021, says Games chief Yoshiro Mori.
Tokyo 2020 is now scheduled to run from 23 July to 8 August next year after being delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Health experts have cast doubt on whether the Games could be held next summer without a vaccine or effective drugs to treat Covid-19 being found.
When asked if the event could be moved again to 2022, Mori replied: "No."
"In that case, the Olympics will be scrapped," he added.
However, the Tokyo 2020 president said he was confident the rescheduled Games would go ahead.
"This Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle," he told Nikkan Sports.
"We have to believe this, otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded."
The president of Japan's medical association, Yoshitake Yokokura, said on Tuesday it will be "difficult" to hold the Olympics in 2021 without vaccines or effective drugs being developed.
"I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn't host the Olympics, but that it would be difficult to do so," he said. external-link
"If the infections are under control in Japan, it will still be difficult to hold the games unless the pandemic is over in the rest of the world."
Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021, though others have warned there is no guarantee a vaccine can be successfully developed. external-link
Mori added that the Olympics and Paralympics - which will now run from 24 August to 5 September 2021 - could share opening and closing ceremonies as a way of cutting costs.
"Given that the situation has dramatically changed, we have to review key areas, including the ceremonies," he said.
"It's going to a considerable cut in costs and a big message of victory against the global crisis - but it's not easy."
However, Mori said he had not yet asked the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee whether they would agree to such a plan, and acknowledged that tickets had already been sold for the separate opening and closing ceremonies.


bbc--2020-04-28--French police officers suspended for using racist slur in viral video

Two police officers in Paris have been suspended after being filmed using an extremely offensive racist slur .
The officers used a derogatory term for North Africans to mock a man they were arresting , and repeated a racist trope about him being unable to swim .
The footage went viral on social media and has sparked outrage across France .
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner also strongly criticised the officers involved , saying there was `` no place '' for racism in the police force .
He also announced that the IGPN internal police watchdog had been notified and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also tweeted : `` With the approval of the interior minister , the chief of police Didier Lallemant has asked the head of the national police to suspend the two officers involved in uttering racial comments heard on a video circulated on social media on 26 April . ''
The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb , north of Paris .
A man who was suspected of theft had jumped into the river Seine , reportedly to avoid arrest , and was then pulled out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man to the police van , one of the officers called the man the racist slur and added : `` He does n't know how to swim . ''
His colleague then laughed , and replied : `` You should have tied a weight to his foot . ''
The exchange was filmed by journalist and anti-racism activist Taha Bouhafs , who then posted it on Twitter .
So far it has been viewed more than 1.8 million times .
In response , Mr Castaner tweeted : `` All light will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no place in the Republic 's police force . ''

The police commissioner also tweeted: "With the approval of the interior minister, the chief of police Didier Lallemant has asked the head of the national police to suspend the two officers involved in uttering racial comments heard on a video circulated on social media on 26 April."


bbc--2020-04-28--HSBC puts 35,000 job cuts on hold

HSBC puts 35,000 job cuts on hold

HSBC has paused plans to cut 35,000 jobs , saying it does not want to leave staff unable to find work elsewhere during the coronavirus outbreak .
The bank announced the cuts in February as part of a massive cost-cutting programme .
But boss Noel Quinn said the `` the vast majority '' of redundancies would now be put on hold due to the exceptional circumstances .
It came as HSBC reported a 50 % fall in profits linked to the pandemic .
Pre-tax earnings for the first three months came in at $ 3.2bn ( £2.6bn ) , down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bank forecast bad loans would rise to $ 3bn due to customers not being able to repay them during the crisis .
It also said earnings were likely to remain under pressure .
`` The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our customers has been the main driver of the change in our financial performance , '' Mr Quinn said .
Earlier this year , HSBC said it planned to scale back its headcount from 235,000 to about 200,000 over the next three years .
The move is part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.5bn ( £3.6bn ) of cost cuts by 2022 .
Simon French , chief economist at Panmure Gordon , told the BBC 's Today programme the plan to delay job cuts would provoke mixed feelings .
`` This is probably the best bit of news in the whole results for employees , '' he said .
`` But while it 's good news for employees it is n't necessarily good news for shareholders and a return to higher profitability . ''
HSBC has suffered a dramatic halving of profits with provisions for bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £2.4bn ) .
Yet the bosses of HSBC , its shareholders and employees may have uttered a sigh of relief : relief that the damage was n't greater , given HSBC 's exposure to some of the worst affected markets - and relief that plans to cut up to one in eight jobs have been paused .
But that relief may be fleeting .
The bank 's bosses have warned that provision for bad loans could hit $ 11bn this year , resulting in `` materially lower profits '' .
They , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession , especially in Europe and the US .
And while HSBC sees signs of recovery in China as factories fire back up , it acknowledges that will be hit by weaker demand from the West .
That makes HSBC 's massive restructuring plan , which relies on pivoting towards Asia , even more arduous .
As the tough times hit , it 's curbing costs - cutting the size of the bonus pool and keeping the 2020 dividend under review .
But when the job cuts do resume , they may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in a note to employees earlier this month , HSBC 's chief executive Noel Quinn said he would donate a quarter of his base salary , about £160,000 , for the next six months to charity .
He will also not take his annual cash bonus , which would have been up to £1.2m .
Chief financial officer Ewen Stevenson said he would take similar action , donating £93,000 and forgoing £706,000 , while chairman Mark Tucker will donate his entire 2020 fee to charity , about £1.5m .
It came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major UK banks , including RBS and Lloyds , agreed to give up their bonuses for this year .
The announcements were in response to calls from the Bank of England to restrict bonuses during the pandemic .

But that relief may be fleeting. The bank's bosses have warned that provision for bad loans could hit $11bn this year, resulting in "materially lower profits" . They, like governments worldwide are bracing for a severe recession, especially in Europe and the US. And while HSBC sees signs of recovery in China as factories fire back up, it acknowledges that will be hit by weaker demand from the West.


bbc--2020-04-28--El Salvador gangs: 'No ray of sunlight for inmates'

The government of El Salvador has started sealing off the doors and windows of prison cells in which gang members are held .
On Monday , security minister Osiris Luna said that `` no ray of sunlight '' would enter the cells holding jailed gang members .
He also released photos of the cell doors being barricaded with plywood and in some cases sheets of metal .
The move comes after more than 50 people were killed over the weekend .
Mr Luna said the move was necessary to stop the recent wave of gang-related killings in the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the outside about who they want killed .
• Get a rare glimpse into the grim conditions in Salvadorean jails President Nayib Bukele had earlier posted a video on Twitter which he said showed inmates forming letters with their T-shirts to send messages to other cells .
The president , who campaigned on a promise to end El Salvador 's rampant gang violence , was elected last year .
Since he took up office in June , he has introduced tougher measures within the prisons holding gang members .
• Keeping inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but one hour a day • Mixing up prisons so they hold members from rival gangs A spike in murders over the weekend prompted him to further toughen those measures .
First , he ordered a 24/7 lockdown and on Monday his security minister followed that up with ordering the sealing of the cell doors and windows .
The government also published photos of inmates with their hands bound and made to sit in close proximity while their cells were being searched .
The photos have caused outrage among human rights groups who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being `` humiliating and demeaning '' to the prisoners , they show that social-distancing measures to combat the spread of coronavirus are being flaunted in El Salvador 's prisons .
`` Prisoners have been sentenced to deprivation of liberty , not to death .
Governments must take urgent measures to protect them during Covid-19 , '' José Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch 's Americas division tweeted .
President Bukele has come in for criticism by rights groups before but he argues his zero tolerance approach to crime has both been successful - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to power in which no murders were recorded - and popular among citizens who have suffered from gang violence for decades .
You may want to watch :

President Bukele has come in for criticism by rights groups before but he argues his zero tolerance approach to crime has both been successful - there have been several days since he came to power in which no murders were recorded - and popular among citizens who have suffered from gang violence for decades.


bbc--2020-04-28--Coronavirus: Nigeria to ease Abuja and Lagos lockdowns on 4 May

Nigeria will begin a `` gradual easing '' of coronavirus-related lockdowns for millions of people in its largest city Lagos and the capital , Abuja .
President Muhammadu Buhari said the lockdowns , which had been due to end on Monday , needed to continue until 4 May .
He also ordered new nationwide measures against Covid-19 , including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks .
The moves would ensure the economy functioned `` while still maintaining our aggressive response '' , Mr Buhari said .
The easing will apply to Abuja , Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been under lockdown since 30 March .
Other states have introduced their own measures .
Before the announcement , workers at a construction site in Lagos rioted in protest at the lockdown .
A police spokesman said the workers at the Lekki Free Trade zone - including those at the oil refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote - injured several officers in the area .
Fifty-one people were arrested , he added .
There are reports that the protesters were angry that some foreign nationals were allowed to go to work at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gloating about coronavirus • Helping those struggling to eat amid the lockdowns Nigeria , Africa 's most-populous nation and largest economy , has reported 1,273 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths .
In a televised address on Monday night , Mr Buhari acknowledged that the lockdowns in Abuja , Lagos and Ogun had `` come at a very heavy economic cost '' since they began on 30 March .
`` Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood .
Many businesses have shut down , '' he said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines . ''
The president said there would therefore be a `` phased and gradual easing '' of these lockdowns next Monday to allow some economic activities to resume .
But to limit the spread of Covid-19 , he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00 , require everyone to wear face masks in public , and stop `` non-essential inter-state passenger travel '' .
Bans on social and religious gatherings will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed deep concern over the unexplained deaths of a number of people in the northern state of Kano .
He said a lockdown would be imposed there for two weeks with immediate effect and that he was sending a government team to investigate .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• FACE MASKS : Should I be wearing one ?
• VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?

But to limit the spread of Covid-19, he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00, require everyone to wear face masks in public, and stop "non-essential inter-state passenger travel".


bbc--2020-04-28--Man dies after Lebanon economic protest turns violent

A man has died following overnight clashes between protesters and soldiers in the Lebanese city of Tripoli .
The demonstrators were angry at the country 's worsening economic crisis , which has been exacerbated by its coronavirus-related lockdown .
The army said saboteurs infiltrated the protest and sparked the clashes , in which a grenade was thrown at a patrol and at least one bank was set ablaze .
Some 30 people were injured , including the man who later died , it added .
• Lebanon to default on debt payments for first time • Lebanon crisis : 'The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Agency reported that calm had been restored in Tripoli on Tuesday morning following the deployment of security forces .
Army units had also carried out raids to arrest those suspected of setting one of its vehicles on fire during the protest and of attacking banks and ATMs , the agency said .
Banks have been a frequent target of attacks since Lebanon 's economic crisis began in October , with people angry that they are unable to access their savings as the currency has collapsed in value against the US dollar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to the streets to demand an overhaul of the entire Lebanese political system , which they blame for the country 's problems ; the formation of an independent , non-sectarian cabinet ; and an end to government corruption .
Last week , protests resumed as the authorities eased the lockdown imposed to reduce the spread of Covid-19 , which has claimed 24 lives in Lebanon .

Banks have been a frequent target of attacks since Lebanon's economic crisis began in October, with people angry that they are unable to access their savings as the currency has collapsed in value against the US dollar and prices have soared.


bbc--2020-04-28--Coronavirus: India cancels order for 'faulty' China rapid test kits

India has cancelled orders for about half a million coronavirus rapid testing kits from China after they were found to be `` faulty '' .
Delhi has also withdrawn the kits that were already in use in several states .
The kits take around 30 minutes to deliver a result and are supposed to detect antibodies in the blood of people who may have had the infection .
They help officials quickly understand the scale of infection in a particular area .
China disputes India 's claims .
`` The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritised .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty ' and look at issues with pre-emptive prejudice , '' Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement issued on Tuesday .
The rapid testing kits can not test for coronavirus itself and several scientists have raised concerns over their use for diagnosis .
Various Indian states had been pushing the Indian Medical Research Council ( ICMR ) to allow testing with the kits amid concerns that India was not testing anywhere close to enough .
The ICMR was initially reluctant , but cleared the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese companies .
• How India will play a major role in a virus vaccine Soon after however , states began complaining that the kits had an accuracy rate of only 5 % , adding that they had used the kits on patients who they already knew were positive , but the tests had shown a `` negative '' result for antibodies .
The test kits then also failed quality checks by the ICMR .
On Monday , the issue was further complicated after the Delhi high court capped the price of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overpaid .
However , officials have told local media that the government will `` not lose a single rupee '' from cancelling the order kits as they had not paid the amount in advance , and had cancelled the entire shipment .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Soon after however, states began complaining that the kits had an accuracy rate of only 5%, adding that they had used the kits on patients who they already knew were positive, but the tests had shown a "negative" result for antibodies.