bbc--2020-03-30--Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics: New dates confirmed for 2021

The Tokyo Olympic Games will start on 23 July , 2021 and run to 8 August after being postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The International Olympic Committee 's ( IOC ) executive board met on Monday to make the decision .
The Olympics will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021 .
The Paralympic Games , originally due to start on 24 August , 2020 , will now take place between 24 August and 5 September , 2021 .
IOC president Thomas Bach said : `` I am confident that , working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Tokyo Metropolitan Government , the Japanese Government and all our stakeholders , we can master this unprecedented challenge .
`` Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel .
These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel . ''
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons added : `` When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year , they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one , a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Games 512 days away , the priority for all those involved in the Paralympic movement must be to focus on staying safe with their friends and family during this unprecedented and difficult time . ''
• Tokyo 2020 : 'The right decision , made just in time' The decision to postpone both events was taken to protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved , and to support the containment of the Covid-19 virus .
The new dates also took into consideration the rest of the global sports calendar after the men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer of 2021 .
The World Athletics Championships , originally set to take place in Oregon , USA , between 6 August and 15 August 2021 , will now be postponed until 2022 .
If that is moved back exactly a year it would clash with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which is set to take place between 27 July and 7 August .
`` We support the new 2021 dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games .
This gives our athletes the time they need to get back into training and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
`` Everyone needs to be flexible and compromise and to that end we are now working with the organisers of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on new dates in 2022 .
`` We are also in discussions with the Commonwealth Games Federation ( CGF ) and the European Championships . ''
Chief executive of the CGC David Grevemberg said his organisation is `` fully committed to hosting a successful Commonwealth Games in Birmingham , England , during 2022 '' .
He added : `` Over the coming days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our international federation partners to ensure the XXII Commonwealth Games maintains its position and stature on the global sporting calendar . ''
Olympic organisers hope the delay will allow sufficient time to finish the qualification process which will follow the same mitigation measures planned for 2020 .
It has previously been confirmed that all athletes already qualified and quota places already assigned will remain unchanged .
Purchased tickets would be valid for rescheduled events or a refund could be requested when the new dates were set , organisers previously confirmed .
On 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shinzo said the Games would be held in their `` complete form '' and no later than summer 2021 .
Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Yoshiro Mori said he had proposed the 23 July to 8 August timeframe to the IOC , and that Bach had agreed , following consultations with the international sports federations .
`` A certain amount of time is required for the selection and qualification of athletes and for their training and preparation , and the consensus was that staging the rescheduled Games during the summer vacation in Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` In terms of transport , arranging volunteers and the provision of tickets for those in Japan and overseas , as well as allowing for the Covid-19 situation , we think that it would be better to reschedule the Games to one year later than planned , in the summer of 2021 . ''
It is the first time in the Olympic Games ' 124-year modern history that they have been delayed , though they were cancelled altogether in 1916 because of World War One and again in 1940 and 1944 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected the summer Games in Moscow and Los Angeles in 1980 and 1984 respectively .
The British Paralympic Association ( BPA ) has `` praised the speed '' with which the Tokyo 2020 Games have been rescheduled and hopes it will give athletes the `` certainty they need to refocus on achieving their goals '' .
Mike Sharrock , chief executive of the BPA , said : `` '' We recognise many challenges still lie ahead in the battle with the global Covid-19 pandemic and athletes will not be able to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The clear priority now is stemming this public health crisis and ensuring people follow the Government advice to stay safe and well . ''
Sharrock added he believes Tokyo 2020 `` has the potential to be the biggest and best Paralympics in history '' .

Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori (centre, at table) made the announcement at a news conference on Monday
The Tokyo Olympic Games will start on 23 July, 2021 and run to 8 August after being postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board met on Monday to make the decision.
The Olympics will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021.
The Paralympic Games, originally due to start on 24 August, 2020, will now take place between 24 August and 5 September, 2021.
IOC president Thomas Bach said: "I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge.
"Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel."
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons added: "When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport.
"With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games 512 days away, the priority for all those involved in the Paralympic movement must be to focus on staying safe with their friends and family during this unprecedented and difficult time."
The decision to postpone both events was taken to protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the Covid-19 virus.
The new dates also took into consideration the rest of the global sports calendar after the men's football European Championship was postponed to the summer of 2021.
The World Athletics Championships, originally set to take place in Oregon, USA, between 6 August and 15 August 2021, will now be postponed until 2022.
If that is moved back exactly a year it would clash with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which is set to take place between 27 July and 7 August.
"We support the new 2021 dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This gives our athletes the time they need to get back into training and competition," World Athletics said in a statement.
"Everyone needs to be flexible and compromise and to that end we are now working with the organisers of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on new dates in 2022.
"We are also in discussions with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the European Championships."
Chief executive of the CGC David Grevemberg said his organisation is "fully committed to hosting a successful Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, during 2022".
He added: "Over the coming days, we will continue to work collaboratively with our international federation partners to ensure the XXII Commonwealth Games maintains its position and stature on the global sporting calendar."
Olympic organisers hope the delay will allow sufficient time to finish the qualification process which will follow the same mitigation measures planned for 2020.
It has previously been confirmed that all athletes already qualified and quota places already assigned will remain unchanged.
Purchased tickets would be valid for rescheduled events or a refund could be requested when the new dates were set, organisers previously confirmed.
On 24 March, Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said the Games would be held in their "complete form" and no later than summer 2021.
Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Yoshiro Mori said he had proposed the 23 July to 8 August timeframe to the IOC, and that Bach had agreed, following consultations with the international sports federations.
"A certain amount of time is required for the selection and qualification of athletes and for their training and preparation, and the consensus was that staging the rescheduled Games during the summer vacation in Japan would be preferable," Mori said.
"In terms of transport, arranging volunteers and the provision of tickets for those in Japan and overseas, as well as allowing for the Covid-19 situation, we think that it would be better to reschedule the Games to one year later than planned, in the summer of 2021."
It is the first time in the Olympic Games' 124-year modern history that they have been delayed, though they were cancelled altogether in 1916 because of World War One and again in 1940 and 1944 for World War Two. Cold War boycotts affected the summer Games in Moscow and Los Angeles in 1980 and 1984 respectively.
BPA "praises speed" of decision
The British Paralympic Association (BPA) has "praised the speed" with which the Tokyo 2020 Games have been rescheduled and hopes it will give athletes the "certainty they need to refocus on achieving their goals".
Mike Sharrock, chief executive of the BPA, said: ""We recognise many challenges still lie ahead in the battle with the global Covid-19 pandemic and athletes will not be able to return to their training schedules for some time yet.
"The clear priority now is stemming this public health crisis and ensuring people follow the Government advice to stay safe and well."
Sharrock added he believes Tokyo 2020 "has the potential to be the biggest and best Paralympics in history".


bbc--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Trump extends US guidelines beyond Easter

President Donald Trump has said federal coronavirus guidelines such as social distancing will be extended across the US until at least 30 April .
He had previously suggested that they could be relaxed as early as Easter , which falls in mid-April .
`` The highest point of the death rate is likely to hit in two weeks , '' Mr Trump said .
He appeared to be referring to peak infection rates that experts fear could overwhelm hospitals .
White House medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci had earlier warned that the virus could kill up to 200,000 Americans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely conceivable '' that millions of Americans could eventually be infected .
• Trump backs away from New York 'quarantine' • What this crisis reveals about the US The US now has more than 153,000 confirmed cases .
As of Monday afternoon , 2,828 deaths had been recorded in the country in relation to Covid-19 , according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University .
The US last week became the country with the most reported cases , ahead of Italy and China .
What did Trump say ?
Speaking during the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump called social distancing measures `` the way you win '' , adding that the US `` will be well on our way to recovery '' by June .
Suggesting that the `` peak '' of death rates in the US was likely to hit in two weeks , Mr Trump said that `` nothing would be worse than declaring victory before victory is won - that would be the greatest loss of all '' .
Analysts suggest that when Mr Trump referred to a peak in the `` death rate '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded infections .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak He said the decision to extend social distancing was made after he heard that `` 2.2 million people could have died if we did n't go through with all of this '' , adding that if the death toll could be restricted to less than 100,000 `` we all together have done a very good job '' .
Mr Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - would be a `` beautiful time '' to be able to open at least some sections of the country .
On Sunday he said that lifting restrictions at Easter was `` just an aspiration '' .
`` I wish we could have our old life back ... but we 're working very hard , that 's all I know . ''
He said that `` rapid testing '' had been approved to get Covid-19 results within five minutes , and that doctors , nurses and other healthcare workers would get them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times article which called the president 's daily briefings a `` ratings hit '' .
However , he claimed in his briefing the ratings figures `` do n't matter to me '' .
`` What matters to me is that we have a victory over this thing as soon as possible '' he said .
What 's the situation in the US ?
Nationwide measures mean citizens must continue to avoid non-essential travel , going to work , and eating at restaurants or bars .
Gatherings are limited to groups of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply to millions in some of the worst-hit states .
On Saturday residents of New York , New Jersey and Connecticut were instructed not to travel elsewhere within the country for 14 days .
Non-essential gatherings in New York City are banned and most businesses are closed as the city faces more than 33,000 cases .
Police can issue fines of $ 250-500 ( £200-£400 ) .
What about the shortage of equipment ?
Earlier on Sunday , Mr Trump accused hospitals in some states of `` hoarding '' ventilators , face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We do have a problem with hoarding ... including ventilators .
Hospitals need to release them - in some cases they have too many , they have to release medical supplies and equipment , '' he said .
Hospitals `` ca n't hold [ ventilators ] if they think there might be a problem weeks down the road '' , he said , alleging that some were `` stocked up '' .
The availability of ventilators is a major concern among health professionals as demand has surged .
A number of states have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to treat patients suffering from Covid-19 .
The virus can cause severe respiratory issues as it attacks the lungs , and ventilators help to keep patients breathing .
More than 33,000 people are now confirmed to have died worldwide after being infected with the new coronavirus .
Some of the latest major global developments include : • In Germany the number of confirmed cases has jumped to over 57,000 - an increase of 4,751 • Australia has tightened its restrictions , with public gatherings now limited to just two people and playgrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday • South Korea 's President Moon Jae-in has said emergency cash payments will be made to all households except the top 30 % by income • In the UK , Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that about 20,000 former NHS staff had returned to work to help the fight against coronavirus • Spain recorded a new daily record of deaths , reporting 838 victims on Sunday • Italy recorded 756 new deaths over 24 hours , bringing the total to 10,779 - a slight drop in the daily toll • France reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2,606 as specially modified trains began transporting patients from the worst-hit areas to hospitals in the south • Tight new restrictions in the Russian capital Moscow allow residents to leave their homes only for medical emergencies , essential work and to shop for food or medicine • The price of oil has sunk to levels not seen since 2002 as demand for crude collapses

He said the decision to extend social distancing was made after he heard that "2.2 million people could have died if we didn't go through with all of this", adding that if the death toll could be restricted to less than 100,000 "we all together have done a very good job".


bbc--2020-03-30--Hungary government gets sweeping powers

Hungary government gets sweeping powers

The Hungarian Parliament has voted by 137 to 53 to accept the government 's request for the power to rule by decree during the coronavirus emergency .
The law contains no time limit .
Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised to use the extraordinary powers he has been granted `` proportionately and rationally '' .
The leader of the opposition Jobbik party , Peter Jakab , said that the law placed the whole of Hungarian democracy in quarantine .
Monday 's vote was controversial - more than 100,000 people had signed a petition against the move .
The special powers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists could face jail .
According to a survey by the pro-government polling agency Nezopont , 90 % of the public want the current emergency measures extended and 72 % agree that the criminal code should be strengthened .
• Orban : The man who thinks Europe has been invaded But opposition parties and human rights groups accuse the government of including several extreme measures in the law , which they argue no opposition party in any democracy could ever agree to .
These include reducing democratic control over those measures , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their job .
In that sense , they see the law as a political trick by the government .
When the opposition votes against it , they can be accused of being traitors , in the nation 's hour of need .
A pro-Fidesz analyst , Zoltan Kiszelly , told the BBC `` the government wanted to have a free hand in dealing with this pandemic , that ’ s why they wanted to have this power .
`` But there is … no intention of the government to limit freedom of speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A hate campaign in government media against independent news outlets has alarmed journalists .
`` When anger and resentment is incited against us in the media , it serves only to demean and silence the voices of those who have heroically taken their places on the frontlines of public health , '' wrote Peter Magyari in 444 , a critical news portal .
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• EASY STEPS : What can I do ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • UK LATEST @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what could happen next ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

"When anger and resentment is incited against us in the media, it serves only to demean and silence the voices of those who have heroically taken their places on the frontlines of public health," wrote Peter Magyari in 444, a critical news portal.


bbc--2020-03-30--Singapore gay sex ban: Court rejects appeals to overturn law

A bid to overturn a law that criminalises gay sex in Singapore has been dismissed by a court , dealing a blow to the city state ’ s LGBT movement .
The high court rejected appeals by three gay men who had argued the colonial-era law was unconstitutional .
The presiding judge said the law was `` important in reflecting public sentiment and beliefs '' in Singapore .
Under Section 377A , men found guilty of homosexual acts in public or private can be jailed for up to two years .
Speaking outside court , a lawyer for one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was “ very disappointed ” by the ruling .
`` It 's shocking to the conscience and it is so arbitrary , ” he said .
The legal challenges were the latest attempts to repeal Section 377A , after an effort by a gay couple in 2014 was rejected by the Court of Appeal .
But the LGBT rights movement in Singapore regained momentum after India ’ s decision to scrap similar legislation in 2018 renewed hopes for reform .
Singapore 's authorities rarely enforce Section 377A , first introduced in 1938 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leaders , including its current prime minister , have refused to remove it , saying it reflects the conservative mores of the city state ’ s society .
In Monday ’ s judgement , the court echoed that sentiment , saying non-enforcement of the law against consensual gay sex in private did not render it redundant .
The court concluded the law was constitutional because it did not violate articles regarding equality and freedom of speech .
The latest attempt to overturn the law was spearheaded by three people : a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBT rights advocate .
One of the men told Reuters news agency he was disappointed by the ruling , adding “ my eyes are firmly on the road ahead ” .

The legal challenges were the latest attempts to repeal Section 377A, after an effort by a gay couple in 2014 was rejected by the Court of Appeal.


bbc--2020-03-30--Colombian rebels call ceasefire over virus

The left-wing National Liberation Army ( ELN ) rebel group in Colombia has declared a unilateral ceasefire for a month starting on 1 April .
The rebels said the ceasefire was a `` humanitarian gesture '' amid the coronavirus pandemic .
More than 700 people have tested positive for the virus in the Andean country and 10 have died .
The rebel group said it was also open to reviving suspended peace negotiations with the government .
`` We declare an active unilateral ceasefire for a month , from 1 to 30 April in a humanitarian gesture of the ELN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering from devastation because of the coronavirus , '' the statement reads .
You may also be interested in : • Coronavirus : At least 23 killed in Colombia prison unrest • Brazil 's Bolsonaro in denial and out on a limb The ELN also said that it wants to meet representatives of the government of President Iván Duque to discuss an extension to the ceasefire .
The rebels said they had been inspired to make the move by UN Secretary-General António Guterres ' appeal on 23 March for `` an immediate global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
The foreign ministry of Norway , a country which has acted as a facilitator in peace talks in Colombia in the past , welcomed the temporary ceasefire and called it an `` important step in support of [ the ] vulnerable population & everyone who struggles for peace '' .
The ELN has been fighting the Colombian state for more than 50 years and previous attempts at reaching a peace deal have faltered .
Over the decades , the guerrilla group - which was originally founded to fight Colombia 's unequal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacked large landholders and multinational companies .
It has also repeatedly blown up oil pipelines .
Its strongholds are in rural areas in the north and on the border with Venezuela .
It is much smaller than Colombia 's more well-known left-wing rebel group , the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( Farc ) , which signed a peace agreement with the government in 2016 .
One of the ELN 's deadliest recent attacks was on a police academy in the capital , Bogotá , which killed more than 20 police cadets in @ @ @

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bbc--2020-03-30--Van Gogh painting Spring Garden stolen from Dutch museum

A Van Gogh painting has been stolen from a museum in the Dutch town of Laren .
Police said on @ @ @ @ @ break in at the Singer Laren Museum at 03:15 local time ( 02:15 GMT ) @ @ @ @ @ that Van Gogh ’ s Spring Garden , on loan from the Groninger Museum , @ @ @ @ @ Laren Museum is closed due to the coronavirus .
Its director , Jan Rudolph de @ @ @ @ @ was `` incredibly pissed off '' over the theft .
The value of the painting @ @ @ @ @ The museum was created in the 1950s to host the collection of US artist William @ @ @ @ @ Anna .
On Monday the Dutch health ministry reported 11,750 confirmed cases of coronavirus in @ @ @ @ @ total of 864 deaths .

The Singer Laren Museum is closed due to the coronavirus. Its director, Jan Rudolph de Lorm, told reporters he was "incredibly pissed off" over the theft.


bbc--2020-03-30--Machine translates brainwaves into sentences

Scientists have taken a step forward in their ability to decode what a person is saying just by looking at their brainwaves when they speak .
They trained algorithms to transfer the brain patterns into sentences in real-time and with word error rates as low as 3 % .
Previously , these so-called `` brain-machine interfaces '' have had limited success in decoding neural activity .
The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience .
The earlier efforts in this area were only able decode fragments of spoken words or a small percentage of the words contained in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Makin from the University of California , San Francisco ( UCSF ) , US , and colleagues tried to improve the accuracy .
Four volunteers read sentences aloud while electrodes recorded their brain activity .
The brain activity was fed into a computing system , which created a representation of regularly occurring features in that data .
These patterns are likely to be related to repeated features of speech such as vowels , consonants or commands to parts of the mouth .
Another part of the system decoded this representation word-by-word to form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admit the study 's caveats .
For example , the speech to be decoded was limited to 30-50 sentences .
`` Although we should like the decoder to learn and exploit the regularities of the language , it remains to show how many data would be required to expand from our tiny languages to a more general form of English , '' the researchers wrote in their Nature Neuroscience paper .
But they add that the decoder is not simply classifying sentences based on their structure .
They know this because its performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training set that were not used in the tests themselves .
The scientists say this proves that the machine interface is identifying single words , not just sentences .
In principle , this means it could be possible to decode sentences never encountered in a training set .
When the computer system was trained on brain activity and speech from one person before training on another volunteer , decoding results improved , suggesting that the technique may be transferable across people .

"Although we should like the decoder to learn and exploit the regularities of the language, it remains to show how many data would be required to expand from our tiny languages to a more general form of English," the researchers wrote in their Nature Neuroscience paper.


bbc--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Prince Charles out of self-isolation

The Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation , following his diagnosis of coronavirus .
Prince Charles , 71 , spent seven days self-isolating in Scotland after testing positive and displaying mild symptoms .
The Duchess of Cornwall , 72 , was tested and did not have the virus , but will self-isolate until the end of the week .
A Palace official said the prince was in good health and was following the government 's restrictions .
`` Clarence House has confirmed today that , having consulted with his doctor , the Prince of Wales is now out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prince Charles , who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland , spent his seven days of quarantine at his Birkhall home on the royal Balmoral estate .
According to government guidelines , anyone with symptoms should self-isolate for seven days , while everyone living in their household should self-isolate for two weeks .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Buckingham Palace previously said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heir to the throne , on 12 March , and was `` in good health '' .
It comes as the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK reached 1,408 in the latest total for deaths up to 17:00 BST on Sunday , including a further 159 people in England , six in Scotland , 14 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland .
More than 9,000 people who have tested positive for coronavirus are being treated in hospitals across England , according to NHS England 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - who became the first world leader to announce he had the virus - has continued to lead the country 's response to the pandemic , carrying out meetings over video link while self-isolating in his Downing Street flat .
On Monday , a No 10 source confirmed Dominic Cummings , his chief adviser , has developed symptoms of the virus and was self-isolating at home .

It comes as the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK reached 1,408 in the latest total for deaths up to 17:00 BST on Sunday, including a further 159 people in England, six in Scotland, 14 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.


bbc--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Field hospitals treating patients around world

Coronavirus cases globally have now reached more than 735,000 , with at least 34,000 deaths .
To cope with pressure that threatens to overwhelm health systems , countries are building field hospitals that can treat thousands of patients .
Armed forces and even laid-off airline workers are being drafted in for construction and to support medics and patients .
Conference venues , stadiums , and fairgrounds are some of the sites used .
In London , UK the ExCel conference venue has been turned in a hospital with beds for 500 patients , increasing eventually to 4000 .
New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak as the country now leads the world in the number of confirmed cases .
A field hospital in Central Park , as well as a temporary morgue outside a major hospital , are under construction .
Doctors in Europe 's hardest-hit country Italy have described `` war-like '' conditions in their hospitals as they try to treat patients .
In Crema , Lombardy , the army have set up tents , and 52 doctors flown in from Cuba will assist medics .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Iran has struggled to contain its outbreak , with more than 2,640 deaths from the virus .
A hospital set up by the military in capital city Tehran can take 2,000 patients .
Brazil has more than 4,250 cases of the virus , with 136 fatalities .
Clubs have offered former World Cup venues for use by the health system .
Football stadium and concert venue Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo has been turned in a temporary hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCartney and the Rolling Stones are among artists who have performed at Sao Paulo 's Pacaembu Stadium Construction of a field hospital in Rafah , Gaza Strip began in mid-March .
The United Nations warns that poverty and a debilitated health system in the Palestinian territories would make an outbreak of the coronavirus disastrous .
Spain has reported soaring death tolls for a number of days , with a total of 7,340 fatalities from Covid-19 .
Madrid is particularly hard-hit , where some patients are being treated by doctors in an exhibition centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairground will be host to 250 hospital beds , and another site is under construction at Fort Lauderdale airport .
The Miami-Dade fair was cancelled in March when mass gatherings in the US were banned .
The US navy hospital ship the Comfort is expected to dock in New York City on Monday to aid with the outbreak there .
The ship , which can hold around 1,000 beds , left from Norfolk naval base , Virginia on Saturday .

New York City is the epicentre of the US coronavirus outbreak as the country now leads the world in the number of confirmed cases.


bbc--2020-03-30--Peacock spiders show more of their colours

OK , a lot of people do n't like arachnids .
But c'mon , these little guys are simply stunning .
Seven new peacock spiders have been described in the journal Zootaxa .
And just like their cousins in the Maratus genus , they all live in Australia and they all feature those amazing iridescent colours that the males will flaunt during courtship .
The man behind the descriptions is Museums Victoria 's Joseph Schubert , a 22-year-old peacock spider specialist .
He 's now written up 12 of the 85 known species in this group .
He often gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducts fieldwork .
The names of the new species are Maratus azureus , Maratus constellatus , Maratus laurenae , Maratus noggerup , Maratus suae , Maratus volpei , and Maratus inaquosus .
Most are from Western Australia , '' My favourite species would have to be Maratus constellatus , '' he said .
`` I ventured all the way to Kalbarri to find this species which is about a seven-hour drive north of Perth .
The patterns on the abdomen to me just look so much like Starry Night by van Gogh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Latin .
`` A few of the spiders in this paper were named after the people who had discovered them .
A lot of the species are actually discovered by citizen scientists who 'd documented the locality data and taken photos of the spiders and sent images to me .
Considering how many peacock spider species have been discovered in the past few years , I certainly think that there are more out there to be found . ''
Peacock spiders are generally very small , about the size of a grain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sport the ostentatious colouring ; females have a more mottled look made up of browns , blacks and beiges .
Males will wave their abdomens and legs during a courtship dance .
Some even have flaps that can be extended like a fan - hence the association with peacock birds .
There has been a flurry of new species discoveries in recent years , and given their popularity it 's likely many more previously unrecognised species will be identified in the future as people go looking for them .

"A few of the spiders in this paper were named after the people who had discovered them. A lot of the species are actually discovered by citizen scientists who'd documented the locality data and taken photos of the spiders and sent images to me. Considering how many peacock spider species have been discovered in the past few years, I certainly think that there are more out there to be found."


bbc--2020-03-30--'I’m a tough old ex-soldier but I was in tears'

Ex-soldier-turned-good-Samaritan Rob Lawrie thought he was involved in the heart-breaking , but straightforward story of an Afghan father and his @ @ @ @ @ to get to the UK .
The following four years saw him fall into a @ @ @ @ @ events .
Girl Taken is a 10-part podcast from BBC Radio 4 , available on @ @ @

Ex-soldier-turned-good-Samaritan Rob Lawrie thought he was involved in the heart-breaking, but straightforward story of an Afghan father and his motherless daughter as they struggled to get to the UK.
The following four years saw him fall into a web of lies and life-changing events.
Girl Taken is a 10-part podcast from BBC Radio 4, available on BBC Sounds.
Video Journalist: Kathryn Parker
Executive Producer: Natalie Truswell
Commissioned by Kimberley Rowell


bbc--2020-03-30--Elton John hosts star-studded iHeart Living Room coronavirus benefit concert

Sir Elton John enjoyed a less than quiet night in on Sunday as he was digitally joined by quarantined stars from around the music world for a virtual coronavirus benefit concert .
The British pop legend hosted the iHeart Living Room Concert For America from his home in Los Angeles .
The online festival featured performances from the likes of Billie Eilish , Dave Grohl and Mariah Carey from their sofas and home studios .
It raised funds for two US charities .
Broadcasting from what he claimed was his only house without a piano , the Rocketman dug out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me , and also serenaded a delighted Lizzo with an a capella snippet of her track Juice .
`` Not long ago , there was another infectious disease that was ignored , '' said Sir Elton .
`` Day in and day out , the disease got worse , because we did nothing .
Too many forgot about compassion and decency , and so millions and millions of people perished from Aids .
`` But this time , we are n't going to let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the ones you love . ''
The star was criticised online by some afterwards , however , for comparing the Covid-19 pandemic with the spread of Aids in the 1980s and 90s .
'The host with the biggest heart' Lady Gaga , who did not sing but did wear sunglasses indoors , described him as `` the host with the biggest heart '' during the one-hour televised special and told viewers to `` find joy however you can '' during this period of isolation , and to help their `` local communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her brother and musical partner Finneas O'Connell delivered a chilled out version of her breakout hit Bad Guy - precisely one year after its release .
Eilish , who was relaxing on the couch underneath a baseball cap , sang the track 's signature electronic synth line .
Just like opening act Alicia Keys before him , Foo Fighter Dave Grohl dedicated his song to the first responders and healthcare professionals who are treating people with coronavirus , which has taken 2,503 lives in the US so far and killed 1,228 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dedicate this song to all the people out there who are on the frontlines , '' he said when introducing My Hero .
`` That are doing their best to get us through all of this .
`` If you sing that last chorus every time you wash your hands , I think you might be in good shape , '' joked Grohl .
Fellow rocker Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day said it was `` an honour '' to offer up an acoustic rendition of Boulevard of Broken Dreams .
Camila @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolating together and gave fans a domestic dose of her recent hit My Oh My .
The US-Cuban singer even sang the DaBaby part - in the rapper 's absence - after briefly checking the lyrics on her phone .
Manband Backstreet Boys rolled back the years with a performance of their 1999 hit I Want It That Way .
Unlike in the glory days , however , the guys were singing separately , from their respective family homes ( with kids popping in and out ) , and joined together in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of your post-coronavirus work meetings , but with added Los Angeles swimming pool , courtesy of Nick Carter .
Aside from the host , the UK was represented by Sam Smith , who sang their ballad How Do You Sleep , snapping their fingers for added percussion .
`` I do n't play an instrument , '' admitted Smith , adding .
`` So this is just my voice ...
I hope that 's OK ? ''
Mariah Carey thanked her twins - aka `` Dem Babies '' - for `` staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaining too much '' .
She also belted out her 1996 track Always Be My Baby alongside a keyboard player and some remotely placed backing singers , who were beamed in .
The show , which was broadcast on Fox TV and iHeart Radio in the US , raised funds for Feeding America and the First Responders Children 's Foundation .
The amount raised was not immediately revealed , but household goods giant Procter & Gamble gave $ 500,000 ( £400,000 ) , which was matched by Fox .
The event filled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the iHeart Radio Music Awards were cancelled .
Meanwhile , James Corden is hosting a similar fundraiser from his garage on Monday , with Eilish , Dua Lipa and BTS among those due to join him remotely .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• NEW GUIDANCE : What must I do ?
• NEW RESTRICTIONS : What are they ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion @ @ @ @ @

"I'd like to dedicate this song to all the people out there who are on the frontlines," he said when introducing My Hero. "That are doing their best to get us through all of this.


bbc--2020-03-29--The Marvel Spiderman artist teaching children in Ireland to draw

Irish artist Will Sliney is keeping thousands of kids entertained with daily drawing challenges .
He set up a # @ @ @ @ @ to help families while schools were closed .
Best known for his Spiderman drawings for @ @ @ @ @ really taken off .

Irish artist Will Sliney is keeping thousands of kids entertained with daily drawing challenges.
He set up a #wewilldraw challenge in early March to help families while schools were closed.
Best known for his Spiderman drawings for Marvel, his initiative has really taken off.
Produced and edited by Larissa Kennelly


bbc--2020-03-29--Close-up footage of Arkansas tornado

Close-up footage of Arkansas tornado

An active weather front has brought a rapid developing and destructive tornado to Arkansas .
The same weather system also @ @ @ @ @ sometimes producing large hail .

An active weather front has brought a rapid developing and destructive tornado to Arkansas.
The same weather system also brought frequent thunderstorms elsewhere, sometimes producing large hail.


bbc--2020-03-29--Lessons on isolation from an Italian family

The Aninni family have been in lockdown in Rome for nearly three weeks .
What advice do they have for @ @ @ @ @ doing the same ?
BBC Europe correspondent Jean Mackenzie spoke to them on their balcony @ @ @ @ @ ground .

The Aninni family have been in lockdown in Rome for nearly three weeks. What advice do they have for other families across the world doing the same?
BBC Europe correspondent Jean Mackenzie spoke to them on their balcony from the safety of the ground.
Camera and editing Andy Smythe
Producer Sara Monetta


bbc--2020-03-18--Do I have coronavirus? What are the symptoms?

People who are showing particular symptoms are being told to self-isolate in order to stop the coronavirus from spreading further @ @ @ @ @ Health Service in the UK , if you have a fever or a persistent cough @ @ @ @ @ home for seven days .
The people you live with should stay at home for @ @ @ @ @ food and medicine delivered .
But how do you know if you ’ re just @ @ @ @ @ ropey or if you have the symptoms of coronavirus ?
What do the symptoms of @ @ @ @

The three main symptoms of coronavirus are a fever, a continuous dry cough, or a loss of smell or taste.
According to the UK National Health Service, anyone with these symptoms should get a Covid test and stay at home to help stop the virus from spreading.
But how do you know if you have Covid-19, or you are ill with something else? What do the symptoms feel like?
And how long do you need to self-isolate for exactly?
BBC health and science journalist Laura Foster explains.
Video by Laura Foster, Megan Fisher, Tobias Chapple and Terry Saunders


bbc--2020-03-30--Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHO

Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHO

Taiwan is seen as one of the few places in the world which has successfully stemmed the spread of the coronavirus without resorting to draconian measures .
But despite its efforts , it is still effectively locked out of membership in the World Health Organization ( WHO ) due to its complex relationship with China .
This all exploded over the weekend when a top WHO official appeared to avoid questions about Taiwan in a TV interview that has gone viral , attracting criticism and even accusations of bias .
On Saturday , Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK aired an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director-general , who spoke to journalist Yvonne Tong on a video call .
In the segment , Ms Tong asks if the WHO would reconsider letting Taiwan join the organisation .
She is met with a long silence from Mr Aylward , who then says he can not hear her and asks to move on to another question .
Ms Tong presses him again , saying she would like to talk about Taiwan .
At this point , Mr Aylward appears to hang up on her .
When the journalist calls Mr Aylward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on Taiwan 's response to the coronavirus .
Mr Aylward then replies : `` Well , we 've already talked about China . ''
His last line appeared to mirror China 's stance on Taiwan , which is that the island is a breakaway province .
Taiwan , however , considers itself an independent country .
What is Taiwan 's relationship with the WHO ?
Aylward 's reaction was widely seen as indicative of the awkward relationship Taiwan has with the WHO , which it is not a member of .
WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are members of the United Nations - which does not recognise Taiwan - or whose applications are approved by the World Health Assembly .
What this means is that Taiwan has been excluded from emergency meetings and important global expert briefings on the coronavirus pandemic .
Taiwanese official Stanley Kao has also said the island has been denied permission to attend the World Health Assembly 's annual meetings in recent years .
• What can the West learn from Asia 's coronavirus fight ?
• Why some countries wear face masks and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan 's coronavirus statistics together with China 's , a move Mr Kao says denies the world of accurate and timely information on the pandemic .
The exclusion , coupled with the WHO 's repeated praise of China 's response to the outbreak - which public health experts have criticised - has led some to accuse the organisation of political bias towards China , a major contributor to the organisation .
The WHO is far from the only global body that excludes or does not officially recognise Taiwan - other major examples include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil Aviation Organization .
But the BBC 's Cindy Sui in Taipei says that of all these groups , the WHO is perhaps the most important to Taiwan , which prides itself on having one of the best healthcare systems in the world .
The island previously enjoyed good relations with Beijing , and in the past was an observer at the World Health Assembly , but it lost this status in recent years as tensions have increased between Taipei and Beijing .
Taiwan consistently raises objections every time it is excluded from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfair and discriminatory .
This time it has made the same point , adding that it should not be left out at a time where global cooperation is needed more than ever .
Earlier this month , Taiwan accused the WHO of ignoring it when the government asked about person-to-person transmission at the very start of the outbreak in China , which it said put lives at risk .
`` We hope through the test of this epidemic , the WHO can recognise clearly that epidemics do not have national borders , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any place that is left out could become a loophole… any place 's strength should n't be neglected so that it can make contributions to the world , '' said Taiwan 's health minister Chen Shih-chung at a recent press conference .
Taiwan has also pointed out that it learned many lessons from managing its coronavirus outbreak which could be shared with the world .
The island has been praised for its swift and decisive handling of its epidemic , which has been relatively controlled and has seen few deaths .
The measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and imposing quarantines on travellers early on , which experts say was key in stopping the spread in the community , as well as strict surveillance measures on those in quarantine .
• Coronavirus : When the police knock at your door in Taiwan '' They have also done focused testing on people suspected to have coronavirus , and also very good contact tracing and social distancing .
I think they 've done pretty well , '' said Professor Benjamin Cowling , an epidemiologist with Hong Kong University .
What 's the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Aylward 's interview , the WHO said the question of Taiwanese membership was not for its staff to answer , saying that it is instead `` up to WHO member states '' .
It also said it has been working with Taiwanese health experts and authorities to ensure speedy information flow and to share best practices .
Our correspondent says that while this is true , and Taiwan can access WHO information shares with members and share expertise through designated communications channels , it can not communicate as efficiently or be heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday , President Tsai Ing-wen replied to the WHO statement saying she `` hoped that all countries after experiencing this outbreak would better understand Taiwan 's capabilities and areas of contribution , to seriously consider Taiwan 's participation in the global response to the pandemic '' .
`` Taiwan 's stance has always been clear : it has the capability and willingness to work with countries in health protection , and is also willing to share useful experiences , '' she said .
But the foreign minister Joseph Wu has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reposted Mr Aylward 's interview in a tweet , saying : `` Wow , ca n't even utter 'Taiwan ' in the WHO ? ''
Others have also lambasted Mr Aylward and the WHO following the interview .
China is yet to officially comment on the issue , but on social media network Weibo many Chinese appeared to cheer Mr Aylward 's response .
Beyond the political furore , Taiwan and China continue to battle the virus .
Both are among a number of Asian locations facing a second wave of infections caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Europe .
As of Monday , Taiwan with a population of about 24 million people has had more than 300 confirmed cases , of which the vast majority are imported cases , and only five deaths so far .
Other Asian places which have kept their outbreaks under tight control , such as Hong Kong and Singapore which are much smaller , have seen far higher rates of infection , though they have also conducted more extensive testing .

This time it has made the same point, adding that it should not be left out at a time where global cooperation is needed more than ever. Earlier this month, Taiwan accused the WHO of ignoring it when the government asked about person-to-person transmission at the very start of the outbreak in China, which it said put lives at risk.


bbc--2020-03-30--A place that makes you ask the questions that really matter

Visitors to Antarctica are often awed and humbled by its size , and its extreme climate .
But it also caused the BBC 's Justin Rowlatt to reflect on the human ability to solve problems together - and to feel hope for the future .
We take off from a glacier near McMurdo , the main US research centre in Antarctica , heading for the middle of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet .
After an hour all you can see out of the small circular window is ice stretching to the far horizon .
An hour later , the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You get the picture .
We finally land after three-and-a-half hours in the air .
The nearest human habitation - the US scientific base we flew from - is now as far from us as Moscow is from London… and there is only ice in between .
The sheer size of the ice sheet makes it almost impossible for visitors not to reflect on the insignificance of an individual human being .
`` It makes you feel so small , '' is what everyone says .
But dig a bit deeper and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel a sense of threat ; Antarctica does n't belittle you .
In fact , lots of people find there is something reassuring about being in the presence of something so much bigger and stronger than they are .
Gabrielle Walker , the author of my favourite book about Antarctica , writes about this .
We all like to think we are important , she says .
But that feeling brings a certain responsibility : if you are important you 've got something to prove .
`` Here you have nothing to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Gabrielle .
You ca n't feel important in this vast place .
And if you are n't important then things become a lot simpler .
Antarctica gives you the freedom to ask yourself the questions that really matter , she says .
What is important to me ?
What should I be doing with my life ?
Who do I really miss while I am here and why ?
And who misses me ?
Lots of people are probably asking similar questions as they hunker down at home in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when I finally get to the front of the enormous glacier that the scientists I 'm accompanying are here to study , that sense of insignificance dissolves .
It feels like I 've reached the front line of climate change : the place where the equilibrium that has held our world in balance for tens of thousands of years is beginning to slip and crash .
It is impossible to mistake the epic forces at work here .
It is like a scream of anguish caught in the single frame of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shattered .
In places the ice is almost a mile high and is collapsing into the sea at a rate of three miles a year along a front more than 100 miles long… and the whole process is accelerating .
Needless to say , this acceleration - which is affecting the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet - is the result of the global warming gases our lifestyles produce .
It explodes the impression that the ice here is overwhelming .
In fact , the opposite is true , we are overwhelming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has insight and analysis from BBC journalists , correspondents and writers from around the world • Listen on iPlayer , get the podcast or listen on the BBC World Service , or on Radio 4 on Saturdays at 11:30 I am surprised how moved I am by what I 've seen .
A colleague interviews me for a programme we are making and I burst into tears .
It takes me days to process my emotions .
I think about the chain of people who have made this expedition possible : the pilots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the research station who sift the rubbish and cook the meals , the men and women who drive the trucks and groom the ice runways .
We would n't be here without them .
Or the people who agreed the project and signed the cheques .
Or the people who paid their taxes , raising the money in the first place .
Or , for that matter , my wife looking after the kids back home .
Our small team has only been able reach the front of this glacier because of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by coming together as a community that we can reach remote places like this and only by coming to places like this can we can understand what is happening to our world and what it is likely to mean for us all .
• Could you handle the most remote campsite on Earth ?
And , of course , it is only by coming together as a community that we can cut the emissions causing global warming .
I 'm flying back to the research station at McMurdo when I feel a stir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a while - hope .
It is sometimes claimed that greed , violence and conflict are the key features of humanity , but that is wrong .
The defining human characteristic throughout history is actually our ability to co-operate .
Photographs by Jemma Cox , unless otherwise indicated You may also be interested in : READ : What is climate change ?
A really simple guide

I think about the chain of people who have made this expedition possible: the pilots and aircrew, the people back at the research station who sift the rubbish and cook the meals, the men and women who drive the trucks and groom the ice runways.


bbc--2020-03-29--Bob Weighton turns 112: The times and life of the world's oldest man

Bob Weighton , the world 's oldest man , turns 112 today .
Born in 1908 , he is the same age as Inter Milan football club , and pre-dates Selfridges department store and the beatification of Joan of Arc .
As young Robert came into this world , Herbert Asquith was still a week from becoming British prime minister , and King Edward VII had two more years to live .
Here we take a look at some of the little-known events that have happened on the birthdays of Mr Weighton , as he enjoys this one at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1908 , Robert is the 15th most popular boys ' name in England and Wales .
It is flanked by Frank and Harold , while William , John and George claim the top spots .
The favoured girls ' names are Mary , Elizabeth , Florence and Annie .
In a pleasing coincidence , Joan Hocquard , from Poole in Dorset , is also 112 today and so is the UK 's joint-oldest person .
Her name is fairly unusual - in 1908 Joan is the 161st most popular and does n't really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert , Captain Robert Falcon Scott , of the British Antarctic Expedition , dies on Bob 's fourth birthday .
Scott and four others trudge 850 miles to reach the South Pole .
They arrive on 17 January to find the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen has beaten them to it .
Edgar Evans is the first of Scott 's team to die , followed a month later by Lawrence Oates .
Henry Bowers , Edward Wilson and Scott huddle in a tent and try to sit out a storm while their food supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes `` it seems a pity but I do not think I can write more '' .
The men 's bodies are found eight months later , just 11 miles from their next food store .
On Bob 's 10th birthday , British forces are struggling in the first Battle of Amman in the Ottoman Empire .
Bad weather , boggy underfoot conditions and unrelenting attacks are among the factors that lead to the withdrawal of troops a couple of days later .
Closer to home though , and maybe for a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day publishes an extract of the will of a Mr Astley Weston , who left not just money for his children , but advice too .
Among other words of wisdom , he urges them to `` not take any intoxicating drinks or narcotics '' and to avoid `` extravagance , self-indulgence and indolence '' .
Finally , if they should consider marrying , they were to consult their mother and take her advice .
Fast-forward now to 29 March 1927 .
A 19-year-old Bob might have been interested in what is happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach , where the specially built Sunbeam 1000hp is revving its engine .
Henry Segrave is determined to beat the land speed record and finally crack the 200mph mark .
For official ratification , he has to complete two runs .
Strong winds on the outward leg cause the car to skid violently .
Segrave is forced to drive into the sea to slow down .
Remarkably , he is able to make the return journey .
The speeds clocked on the two runs are 200.668mph and 207.015mph , giving an average speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 years later ( when Bob is a youthful 109 ) and is on display at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu , Hampshire .
We have moved on to 29 March 1938 .
Bob turns 30 and the country is gearing up for war .
In the House of Commons , a debate is raging about… the importation of rubber footwear .
MPs are concerned that 2.5 million foreign rubber boots and shoes were shipped to the UK in the first two months of the year , threatening the interests of British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trade reassures his colleagues that he will help protect the British market .
• Lessons of the world ’ s most unique supercentenarians A fairly dull discussion , but perhaps worth it for the waggish contribution of the Glaswegian MP JJ Davidson , who pipes up to say : `` Does that mean that the President of the Board of Trade will not support the foreign heels ? ''
It is not recorded whether his fellow backbenchers find him funny .
In 1943 , Bob turns 35 on the same day John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now 43 , he could have taken the eight-year-old future prime minister to celebrate their birthdays by attending the opening night of The King and I on Broadway , starring Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner .
Lawrence is unaware she has liver and abdominal cancer , and faints backstage after a matinee before being admitted to hospital .
Just 15 months later , she is dead .
In 1955 , on Bob 's 47th birthday , a new world rail speed record is set by SNCF in France .
The train reaches 331km/h @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage the track .
We 're now at the end of the swinging 60s and Bob turns 61 in 1969 , the day the Eurovision Song Contest ends in a four-way draw between the United Kingdom , Spain , the Netherlands and France .
The organisers manage to cobble enough winner 's medals together by using the ones they have earmarked for ( up to three ) songwriters .
Other countries are so annoyed by the tie that four withdraw from the following year 's competition , and a tiebreak procedure is introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bob celebrates his 66th birthday .
Also on that day , a group of farmers digging a well find a life-sized human head made from clay buried near Xian in China .
They call in the experts and a 2,200-year-old terracotta army is discovered .
Three pits are found to contain more than 8,000 soldiers , 130 chariots and 520 horses , thought to have been buried in order to help China 's first emperor , Qin Shihuangdi , in the afterlife .
Bob could have marked his 72nd birthday by having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although he would have had to pick carefully .
There are only four finishers in the 30-strong field in 1980 .
The race is won by the American-owned horse Ben Nevis , ridden by Charlie Fenwick at a starting price of 40-1 .
Bob turns 82 in 1990 - on the same day as the outbreak of the little-known Hyphen War , a conflict over what to call Czechoslovakia after the fall of the Communist government the previous year .
Slovak politicians feel `` the Czechoslovak Republic '' does not recognise Slovakia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state to be named `` the Czecho-Slovak Republic '' .
It is resolved when the two agree to split the country ( over more substantial issues ) and on 1 January 1993 the two states become the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic .
Bob 's 101st birthday in 2009 is a difficult one for then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith , as the news breaks that she claimed parliamentary expenses for pay-per-view pornographic films .
The resulting scandal eventually leads to her resignation from the front benches , and in 2010 she loses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , open up a new avenue for Ms Smith - in 2011 she presents a radio documentary about pornography .
It is called Porn Again .
In 2014 , on Bob 's 106th birthday , the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales take place .
North Londoners and partners of 17 years Peter McGraith and David Cabreza become husband and husband at one minute past midnight .
And finally , in 2020 , Bob reaches his 112 birthday - although he has had to cancel his celebrations because of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reigns of five British monarchs , 22 UK prime ministers - serving a total of 27 terms - and 21 presidents of the USA .
He was alive during all three London Olympics , and both world wars , and has weathered the Spanish flu , cholera and smallpox .
It 's anyone 's guess as to what happens next year .

The organisers manage to cobble enough winner's medals together by using the ones they have earmarked for (up to three) songwriters. Other countries are so annoyed by the tie that four withdraw from the following year's competition, and a tiebreak procedure is introduced shortly afterwards.


bbc--2020-03-28--Coronavirus: From clapping to kindness, five reasons to be hopeful

As the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise worldwide , positivity is hard to come by .
We are in the throes of a global health crisis that may last weeks , if not months .
And yet there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful .
As the pandemic has deepened , the worst of the crisis has brought out the best out in humanity .
Doctors , nurses and other healthcare workers have been on the front line of the fight against the coronavirus .
Of the more than 500,000 people infected by the virus globally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data collated by Johns Hopkins University .
Those recoveries can be attributed , in part , to the heroic efforts of healthcare workers .
To acknowledge this , people across the world , including Italy and Spain , France and India , have taken part in poignant clapping tributes to salute them .
The latest example happened in the UK on Thursday , when people went to their doorsteps and windows to take part in a collective round of applause .
The trend of public cheering started in mid-January in the Chinese city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus emerged .
Video clips on Chinese social media showed residents shouting encouragement and singing songs from their apartment windows at night , in an effort to boost each other 's morale .
As coronavirus spread beyond Wuhan , so too did outpourings of gratitude .
Clapping has gone global .
For the time being , at least , China appears to believe it has brought its coronavirus emergency under control .
Very few home-grown - known as locally transmitted - cases have been reported in recent days .
Most of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That means the Chinese government is beginning to ease some of the restrictions it imposed to stem the spread of the virus .
On 25 March , China 's Hubei province lifted travel restrictions on people leaving the region .
The lockdown in Wuhan , which began in January , is scheduled to be eased on 8 April .
As BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell reported , people in the Chinese capital , Beijing , have been able to breathe fresh air - and probably a sigh of relief - too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears of a second wave of infections in China .
But for now , China is taking tentative steps towards restoring normality .
3 .
Italy might be turning the tide .
Earlier this week , Italy 's Civil Protection Agency said the country was in `` an apparent stabilisation phase '' of contagion .
That 's because for four consecutive days , the country reported a decline in the number of new cases and deaths from coronavirus .
On Wednesday , the daily number of new cases was 3,612 , a lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Infections rose on Thursday , and it was a mixed picture on Friday , with a lower number of new infections than Thursday , but the biggest rise in deaths so far .
Those four days of decline , albeit brief , were seen as a glimmer of hope in Italy , which is the worst-hit country in Europe .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has called the slowdown encouraging .
The health chief in Lombardy , the hardest-hit region , said there was `` light at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health The world is relying on scientists to develop a vaccine so that people do not become sick if they are exposed to the virus .
Several vaccines are in development , with human trials already under way .
Realistically , experts say a vaccine wo n't be ready for at least a year to 18 months .
• How close are we to a vaccine or drug ?
• When will the outbreak end ?
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more is being discovered about the virus .
This week , for example , there have been reports of promising research about the genetic code of the virus .
Viruses produce mutations as they replicate inside the cells of different hosts , but in the case of this coronavirus ( SARS-CoV-2 ) , scientists have observed few mutations .
If that 's the case , it could mean that a single vaccine would give someone immunity for a long time .
`` A virus with a stable genome is good news for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stefano Menzo , who is studying the virus .
5 .
Community spirit and acts of kindness are flourishing .
Although coronavirus has been keeping people apart , communities have been coming together in their time of need .
All over the world , acts of kindness and solidarity have raised spirits .
In the UK , hundreds of thousands of people have signed up to join the NHS 's volunteer army , smashing the government 's recruitment target .
Stephen Powis , NHS England medical director , said there had been `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` bowled over '' by the response from volunteers .
In Spain , a doctor 's online plea for letters to those who had been hospitalised by coronavirus received an overwhelming response .
Tens of thousands of letters were sent by well-wishers , El Pais reported .
And to connect with each other , people have been putting images of rainbows in their windows and on their balconies , in a colourful sign of optimism .

To acknowledge this, people across the world, including Italy and Spain, France and India, have taken part in poignant clapping tributes to salute them. The latest example happened in the UK on Thursday, when people went to their doorsteps and windows to take part in a collective round of applause.


bbc--2020-03-29--Coronavirus: Zimbabwean broadcaster Zororo Makamba died 'alone and scared'

Cooped up in an isolation ward , a young Zimbabwean man who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 , pleaded with his family for help .
Thirty-year-old Zororo Makamba was `` alone and scared '' , according to his older brother who spoke to Zimbabwe 's privately owned Daily News newspaper .
Makamba was being treated in the Wilkins Hospital , designated as the main isolation facility for coronavirus patients in Zimbabwe 's capital , Harare .
Shortly after he talked to his family , he was dead .
The death of Makamba , a well-known journalist , came swiftly - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Famous for his online social and political commentary , under the banner `` State of the Nation '' , his death achieved an unwanted milestone .
He was the country 's first coronavirus casualty and it shocked Zimbabwe .
The fact that Makamba came from a wealthy , high-profile family did not save him , and family members have argued that his death has exposed the inadequacies of the country 's medical response to the threat of conronavirus .
'Death could have been avoided' '' The government is ill prepared to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tawanda Makamba told the Daily News .
The health ministry said his pre-existing condition made him vulnerable to the disease .
He had undergone surgery last November to remove a tumour from under his lung and was in recovery .
While his family admit that his immune system was compromised , they insist that his death could have been avoided .
Very few governments were prepared for a public health crisis of this magnitude .
As the coronavirus swept through Asia , Europe and the US , Zimbabwe has watched from the sidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care systems have buckled under the strain .
The shortage of hospital beds , of protective clothing and life-saving equipment , such as ventilators , is a global problem .
'World needs to know what happened' The difference is that many of these countries were overwhelmed by hundreds and then thousands of patients .
Zimbabwe , it seems , was overwhelmed by one .
`` The world needs to know what happened to Zororo , '' his brother Tawanda told the BBC in a brief phone conversation .
Zororo Makamba had returned from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told by his doctor that it was a regular flu , the family says .
But on Friday 20 March his condition deteriorated and he was tested for coronavirus .
The positive result did not come through until the early hours of Saturday morning , but his admission to the isolation facility was delayed because `` they were not ready to admit him '' , according to his family .
You may also be interested in : • 'My cousin died as the doctors are all on strike' • Why coronavirus advice won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Going into mourning for mass funeral ban • No alcohol , no dog walks : Lockdown in South Africa He was eventually admitted , despite there being no ventilator to help him breathe .
Makamba then died on Monday morning .
The Harare city authority denies there was negligence .
In a series of messages posted on social media it said that `` the hospital staff did all they could to save his life '' , but admitted the clinic did not have ventilators .
`` Not all patients require ventilators… we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which required a ventilator , '' the city 's health director Dr Prosper Chonzi told state media .
They also had not received needed funds from central government to equip their facility to deal with coronavirus cases .
`` We were given an unfunded mandate , '' Dr Chonzi said .
The government has admitted concerns about its preparedness , if cases spike .
`` People are rightly expressing concern over our capacity to fight Covid-19 , '' government spokesman Nick Mangwana said in a tweet .
`` We can fight this if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that as `` each day passes we increase our capacity to respond '' .
He has since announced a nationwide lockdown to begin on Monday .
But the state of Wilkins Hospital is symptomatic of a broader problem .
For decades Zimbabwe 's health system has been in decline .
At their worst , public hospitals have had no running water and no pain killers .
Doctors say they have sometimes been forced to wash and reuse bandages .
Critics have blamed the government for allowing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top officials have been known to seek treatment abroad at the expense of the public .
After Makamba 's death , some private sector companies on Wednesday announced plans to establish isolation facilities at several idle private clinics .
The announcement has been met with both joy and cynicism .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Some have said that the intervention at this stage is welcome , but others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up facilities for themselves .
The government insists access will be for all .
Meanwhile , a large consignment of protective equipment and test kits have arrived in the country , courtesy of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma and Wilkins Hospital is undergoing renovations thanks to Chinese aid .
Ventilators have also been donated to Wilkins , but they came too late for Makamba .
The young journalist 's death was `` his most profound and emphatic State of the Nation… he exposed the lies of government and the opposition , '' media owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and painful death reminded us all that we are the change that we seek . ''

But on Friday 20 March his condition deteriorated and he was tested for coronavirus. The positive result did not come through until the early hours of Saturday morning, but his admission to the isolation facility was delayed because "they were not ready to admit him", according to his family.


bbc--2020-03-29--Introducing the soaring melodies of Azure Ryder

Just before Christmas 2018 , Azure Ryder climbed into a vintage propeller plane and took hold of the controls as she soared over the ridges and passes of the Californian mountains .
`` Holy guacamole , it was the greatest experience , '' she enthused on her Instagram page .
`` My heart was so high . ''
But the experience , a gift from her then-boyfriend , also prompted a deeper realisation for the 23-year-old .
`` The plane moves so responsively to your touch , '' she tells the BBC , `` and it was one of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have over our own lives and the situations we find ourselves in .
`` So… It was powerful to be holding that steering wheel . ''
The lesson resonated so forcefully with the singer because , over the previous year , she 'd been plunged into an unfamiliar and sometimes frightening world .
After being spotted in an Instagram post , the singer had been swept away from her native Australia and put into writing sessions with some of the industry 's biggest names - including Isabella Summers from Florence and the Machine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I struggled with it at times , '' admits Ryder , `` but it 's also magical to be in rooms with people who feel equally as passionate about music . ''
The first fruits of those sessions were released on Friday , on Ryder 's debut EP , Running With The Wolves .
Built around the Australian 's warm , beguiling voice , the songs are dreamy and beautiful , with nods to Maggie Rogers ' rural pop and Florence 's earthy drama .
Musically restless , they rise and fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her journey from musical naïf to pop star in waiting .
`` I 'm rising up , I 'm not the girl you tore apart , '' she sings on Stir The Dust .
`` I 'm turning my scars into art . ''
But Ryder is sophisticated enough to know that life does n't always travel in one direction .
And that turbulence surfaces on the EP 's lead song , Dizzy , a deceptively funky song that never fully resolves .
`` Half the time I 'm wading water /And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she sings , `` 'Cause it 's the rise and the fall / That means that I 'm still trying . ''
`` I think everyone has situations where one second they 're going , 'Oh my God , this is amazing , ' and the next second it 's like , 'The world is crashing down , '' she explains .
`` I think celebrating that rather than resisting it is a massive thing .
So I wanted the melody and the music to represent those highs and lows .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Azure Ryder ( it 's pronounced Ahh-zoo-ree ) was born and raised near Sydney 's north beaches in late 1990s .
Growing up , she says she `` struggled connecting with people '' outside her `` incredible and really big '' family but she could always find solace in nature .
`` Ten minutes ' walk from my house , I can be on a headland and sit up above the ocean , '' she explains .
`` So that was my peace and calm . ''
Although none of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the classics - Dusty Springfield , Sam Cooke , Carole King - while her elder brother force-fed her a diet of hip-hop and R & B .
But it was joining the church choir at the age of five that showed her the direction her life would take .
`` That was like my first experience of actually figuring out what music was - and what it did for me and everyone else around me .
`` And I 've never wavered from then , in knowing this is what I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , '' she laughs , `` there was stage of also wanting to be a professional horse rider while I was a singer .
But music always came first . ''
Ryder says she `` always had melodies and lyrics in my head '' and even now will scrap Instagram posts when the words leap off the screen and suggest a new tune .
As a child , though , she and her friend `` would perform a capella to our families '' but it was n't until two years ago that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music .
Her big break , when it came , happened purely by accident .
After leaving school , she found herself in a retail job in Sydney that `` completely drained every bit of creative spirit I had '' .
Eventually , she decided to quit , and spent her savings hiring a recording studio on the surfers ' haven of Byron Bay in New South Wales .
It did n't go well .
`` I spent a lot of money and the results just were not me , '' she recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really of feeling like , to other people , I did n't have much value or much say . ''
Disheartened , she made some money by modelling for a clothes label , who in turn invited her to attend a local musical event called Bluesfest .
There , on the final day , a friend shot a video of her walking around the site and posted it to Instagram with a caption saying Ryder had the `` most beautiful voice '' .
The clip was randomly spotted by a local music manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ singing , he was intrigued .
The next day , Ryder received a direct message .
`` Hey , I 'm from TAP Management , '' it said , `` and we manage Angus and Julia Stone , Lana Del Rey , Dua Lipa .
What 's your story ? ''
`` I was like , 'pffft , ' '' laughs Ryder .
`` But then I looked him up and was like , 'Oh , this is real ! '
`` So I basically met with him , connected instantly , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next morning . ''
Since then , the 23-year-old has signed to Island Records and relocated to London , where she started developing her sound .
There 's been a lot of trial and error , working with different writers and producers and experimenting with different styles .
She was overawed at meeting Isabella Summers , who `` has words pasted all over her keyboard… All these amazing , beautiful words that you can just glance at and it sparks something '' .
But perhaps her favourite song emerged at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who 'd previously co-written Lewis Capaldi 's breakout song , Bruises .
`` The first whole day , we were just talking , getting to know each other and then , just when I was about to leave , I went to the bathroom and James was playing something on guitar .
`` This melody just popped into my head and I was like [ gasps ] bouncing out of the bathroom going , 'Wait ! '
'' The resulting song , Wolves , was considered worthy to be her first single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would work .
`` The thing that people worried about , was that it was a more stripped-back , acoustic thing and people might overlook it , '' she explains .
`` I went through a process of everyone being like , 'Try these different producers , get them to give it something more , ' but I realised that song was meant to just be the way it is , and anything placed on top of it detracted from that . ''
In the end , Ryder delved into her hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - realising its more radio-friendly sound would not only be a better introduction to her music , but would let Wolves survive in its intended form .
`` I felt Wolves deserved more [ love ] than that .
So not making it the single fits , '' she says .
And , if anything , that experience encapsulates Azure Ryder 's emergence as fully-formed , self-assured artist .
`` I think I 've become a lot more confident , '' she says .
`` I believe more in what I have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being vocal and standing my ground when I have to .
`` That 's why all the songs on that EP are , I guess , about taking control back for yourself '' So , just as she discovered flying that plane , your destiny is in your own hands .
You just need to be ready to take the steering wheel .
Azure Ryder 's debut EP , Running With the Wolves , is out now on Island Records .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bbc.co.uk .

In the end, Ryder delved into her hard drive of demos and came across Dizzy - realising its more radio-friendly sound would not only be a better introduction to her music, but would let Wolves survive in its intended form.


bbc--2020-03-27--Coronavirus: A college course world wants to study right now

With a third of the global population living under lockdown , many are turning to science for the answers on how to be happy in these difficult times .
By the evening of 26 March , 1.3 million people were enrolled in a Yale University online course entitled : The Science of Well Being .
Studying happiness may not be the first field that pops into your head when you think of science , but there 's undeniable public interest - especially since Covid-19 began .
From the start of December until 26 March , the number of learners enrolled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % , according to Yale .
While the US accounts for most of the students , Canada , the UK and India also make the top five .
Dozens of the countries and regions where learners come from have more than doubled their enrolment in the same time frame .
The enrolment page has over 13m recent views .
Professor Laurie Santos , who teaches the course online and on campus , says it was immensely popular when she first offered it to university students too - becoming the largest class ever in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter of the entire student body was taking it , she told the BBC .
• Tips for how to stay happy in troubling times • What this crisis reveals about US - and its president '' That made me realise there was really a market for this beyond my campus , '' Prof Santos says .
When the online education platform Coursera published a digital version in 2018 , it became one of the largest classes there too .
`` What 's particularly crazy is the last three weeks - from March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had around 500,000 learners , but just in the last three weeks we 've more than doubled that . ''
`` We had 300,000 [ enrol ] over the weekend , '' she adds , with students coming from all walks of life , from healthcare providers to prison workers .
The surge of new students may be due to our instinct to look for solutions and ways to take control in times of crisis - as well as thanks to the extra time those stuck indoors now have .
`` [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency over your mental health , and doing so in an evidence-based way , '' Prof Santos says .
Tips for being happier now Neuroscientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas co-teaches an edX course on the science of happiness which has been taken by over half a million students globally - here are her top three tips : '' Just taking five minutes to notice the sensation in your body , the sensations around you ... really grounding in the moment you 're in , trying not to surrender to the constant looking forward and backward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with others about your experience , their experience , and if you can , what 's going well .
It 's impossible not to feel worried , but can you ask someone - what did you enjoy today ?
Was it the hot water in your shower ?
A particularly interesting conversation or some video you watched that was really moving or inspiring ? ''
`` Deliberately writing down on a given day what has gone well and who played a hand in that .
Sometimes it 's not your spouse or your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who might have harvested the fruit that you eat .
Really delving into our sense of common humanity in this time is important and a way to recognise [ our ] potential to overcome this challenge as a community . ''
So how does it work ?
While it can seem odd to take a scientific approach to happiness , the general study process is straightforward : researchers survey happy people , study their behaviours and test whether unhappy people can improve their wellbeing by doing the same .
Essentially , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us happy are incorrect , Prof Santos explains .
`` We think it comes from our circumstances , the amount of money we get , our material possessions .
My college students think perfect grades equals happiness .
But what the research shows is that 's simply not the case . ''
Teaching happiness then means teaching people to not `` double down on bad theories '' .
In this pandemic , she says , that could be thinking you need to buy , say , new furniture to feel happy - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you just need to buy a better item .
`` We 're in some sense correcting people 's intuitions about the kinds of things that really make for a good life . ''
Then , it 's up to the learners to put those things into practice .
`` We try to help a bit about that - all the homework in the class is doing these interventions we know improve wellbeing . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California , Berkeley , says : `` The biggest problem with this crisis is that it 's so uncertain . ''
Our nervous systems are evolutionarily designed to find patterns in our environments and create associations , she explains , but with a rapidly evolving situation like Covid-19 , it 's impossible to satisfy that urge .
People in these situations tend to either look backwards for solutions or ruminate about possible futures : Will I go back to work ?
Will I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can I support my family if they get sick ?
`` While both those abilities are very adaptive in solving immediate problems or challenges or an immediate threat , they 're very harmful in situations like the one we 're in the middle of where the threat is ambiguous , the duration is unknown . ''
This pandemic is particularly challenging as many of the ways people might normally cope with uncertainty and anxiety - like visiting a parent or going to the pub with friends - are off the table over physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being look like in this new locked down landscape ?
`` The good news is this is not the flu of 1918 , '' Prof Santos says .
`` We have technology that can allow us to connect with people - maybe not in real life but in real time .
We can see expressions , hear them laugh , be present in people 's lives . ''
She suggests finding ways to do so in informal ways , like video-calling a loved one while making dinner , since those quotidian interactions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Throughout this global crisis , people have come together , finding ways to connect despite the barriers of quarantines and distancing .
Videos of Italians singing together on their balconies went viral in recent weeks .
Stories of socially-distanced family celebrations are also making headlines .
`` Different ways of framing things can be really powerful in terms of affecting our emotions as we plan for and deal with this crisis , '' Prof Santos adds .
`` Despite how anxious all this feels , we get to control our narrative and framing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it as an awful situation or we can think of it as a challenge that our families are facing together . ''

From the start of December until 26 March, the number of learners enrolled from the US has shot up 295%, according to Yale. While the US accounts for most of the students, Canada, the UK and India also make the top five. Dozens of the countries and regions where learners come from have more than doubled their enrolment in the same time frame. The enrolment page has over 13m recent views.


bbc--2020-03-28--Manu Dibango: The saxophone legend who inspired a disco groove

Nicknamed `` Pappy Grove '' , Manu Dibango was a musical innovator whose work over six decades inspired some of the greatest artists of our time .
The Cameroonian saxophonist , who died at 86 this week after contracting coronavirus , also influenced many musical genres .
Whether it was Congolese rumba in the 1950s , disco in the 1970s or hip-hop in the 1990s , his contribution to the development of modern music can not be overstated .
In the 1950s he was at the epicentre of rumba that formed the foundation for modern popular African music .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent African states and formed the soundtrack to an optimistic era .
The singer , songwriter and producer then turned his attention to another genre , and was in the vanguard of the disco era in the early 1970s .
But Dibango 's first love was jazz , which celebrates virtuosity and encourages improvisation and cross-genre experimentation .
`` Through jazz I discovered all the music that I love , starting with classical music , '' he told Courier , the magazine for the UN 's cultural organisation , Unesco .
`` Jazz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music than is generally thought . ''
He was best known for playing the saxophone , but he was a talented multi-instrumentalist , who could play the vibraphone and piano .
Emmanuel N'Djoke Dibango was born in the Cameroonian city of Douala on 12 December 1933 , which at the time was French colonial rule .
His father was a civil servant and his mother was a dressmaker who led a Protestant women 's church choir several times a week .
Dibango went after school to listen to their rehearsals and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus of music '' , he told Courier magazine in 1991 .
He would sing whenever he could and he enjoyed conducting his mother 's sewing apprentices as they sang while they worked .
`` What I liked most of all was to marshal the voices into a human instrument that sounded right and true , '' he said .
`` Eventually the tunes I learned became so much a part of me that later on when I was in France and heard a Bach cantata that I had learned at chapel I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to music from back home . ''
Dibango was sent to France as a 15-year-old to continue his schooling and also study classical piano , taking up the saxophone later .
But when he started hanging out at clubs and neglecting his studies , his parents stopped supporting him , forcing him to make music pay .
He earned his money accompanying all sorts of singers in all kinds of dives as well as playing classical music for ballet dancers .
Moving to the Belgian capital , Brussels , in the 1950s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club .
It was there that he met Josef Kabasele , also known as `` Le Grand Kallé '' - the revered Congolese musician who led Orchestre African Jazz , a band that spawned numerous musical stars .
Impressed with the young Cameroonian 's prowess on the saxophone and piano , Kabasele took him under his wing inviting him back to what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo , where Dibango began honing his writing and producing skills .
In the late 1960s and into the next decade , he synthesised his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul and funk with Cameroonian rhythms and melodies .
He produced powerful new music that included evergreen club favourites like New Bell and Big Blow .
In 1972 he released the song that would propel him to international stardom : Soul Makossa .
Originally a B-side to the anthem for the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament , it is infectious - a monster jazz funk workout featuring Dibango 's inimitable stuttering saxophone .
Soul Makossa , meaning `` I will dance '' in the Douala language , was a seminal track in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filling dance floors across the globe .
You may also be interested in : Indeed , Soul Makossa is believed by some to be the first disco record .
The song influenced and inspired a dazzling array of artists and bands from across the musical spectrum , from jazz greats like Herbie Hancock to funksters Kool and the Gang to megastar Michael Jackson .
Dibango later accused Jackson of using a riff from Soul Makossa on Wan na Be Starting Something , the opening track of the biggest selling pop album of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case out of court .
The world of hip-hop , including Tribe Called Quest , Kanye West and Jay-Z , discovered and fell under the spell of Soul Makossa and other Dibango tracks .
Salsa legends Fania All Stars , Nigeria 's juju music maestro King Sunny Ade and Jamaica 's cutting edge reggae duo Sly and Robbie , number among the artists from different genres who were eager to collaborate with him .
He never seemed to tire of music and his 44 album releases over his long career , plus the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand as a testament to his commitment to the art .
Speaking to the BBC in 2013 about his legacy , Dibango modestly said that `` when you are gone it is finished '' , but as his music continues to be played and inspire people , his influence is far from finished .

"Eventually the tunes I learned became so much a part of me that later on when I was in France and heard a Bach cantata that I had learned at chapel I thought at first that I was listening to music from back home."