bbc--2020-07-10--Pop Smoke: Five arrested in connection to rapper's death

Five people have been arrested in connection to the death of rapper Pop Smoke .
The 20-year-old was killed in a suspected robbery in February .
Three men and two under the age of 18 are in custody , say the Los Angeles Police Department .
`` The suspects robbed and shot Jackson inside the residence , killing him , '' police say in a statement .
The arrests come a week after Pop Smoke 's debut album was released .
On 19 February police received a call about a robbery in West Hollywood just before 5am .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends in New York , who told police they had been contacted by a friend within the residence about a break-in , and that one of the intruders had a handgun .
Police say several people entered the rental property .
The LAPD have identified the three adults arrested on Thursday 9 July 2020 as Corey Walker , 19 , and Keandre Rodgers , 18 , who are charged with murder , and 21-year-old Jaquan Murphy , charged with attempted murder .
The LAPD statement also mentioned the killing of another man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in September 2019 .
`` During the course of the investigation , it was revealed that members of a Los Angeles street gang were involved in the murder of Jackson ; as well as the murder of 18-year-old Kamryn Stone . ''
Whether the five people arrested in connection to Pop Smoke 's death are also believed to have been involved with the death of Kamryn Stone was not clear from the statement .
Pop Smoke 's posthumous debut album was released last week , and fans told Radio 1 Newsbeat the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` He was definitely destined for great things , '' fan Malluchi Boateng said on the day Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon was released .
`` If you look at what he did in about 14 months of his career , most artists do that in five or six years . ''
The New York rapper found fans in the UK , in part , because he used drill beats produced from this side of the Atlantic .
He had relationships with artists like AJ Tracey , Fredo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured a freestyle on the same beat as Headie One 's iconic tune Know Better .
`` The UK has a thing where we can see who the up-and-coming US rap stars are , it 's a weird one .
Pop Smoke was the front runner in that , '' music journalist Abubakar Finiin told Newsbeat .
`` It 's a shame we did n't see it proper come into fruition . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-07-10--Vikas Dubey: India police murder suspect shot dead after arrest

Police in India say they have shot dead a man accused of killing eight policemen in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh .
Vikas Dubey , who was on the run for nearly a week after the incident , was held in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday .
Police said they were transporting Dubey to Uttar Pradesh when the car he was travelling in overturned .
They said he stole a policeman 's gun and tried to flee .
The inspector general of police , Mohit Agarwal , told India 's PTI news agency that policemen killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - in retaliation , after he refused to surrender and fired at officers .
But some have raised questions about the official account , in a state where police are often accused of using excessive force .
Dubey , often described as one of the most notorious criminals in Uttar Pradesh , had more than 60 cases pending against him , including murder , attempted murder , kidnapping , arson , and rioting .
He allegedly killed a state minister inside a police station in 2001 .
He was arrested but was soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him followed the same trajectory .
Dubey was said to have good political connections .
A group of armed men accompanied him everywhere he went , and witnesses against him often changed their testimonies or refused to appear in court .
Dubey was taken in for questioning as a teenager in early 2000s , after beating up some people in his village .
But he was bailed by a local politician and no case was registered against him .
From there he enjoyed a meteoric rise in Uttar Pradesh 's criminal underworld .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against him , his status continued to rise .
But no prosecution was successfully brought .
Dubey even dabbled in politics - both he and his wife won local civil polls .
A senior political reporter in Uttar Pradesh said his ambition was to become a state lawmaker , and he was trying to formally enter politics at the time of his death .
Police say that he stole an officer 's gun and attempted to escape , firing at officers as they called for his surrender .
They say that they fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was declared dead within minutes after police took him to the hospital .
It is a familiar story in Uttar Pradesh .
Police shootings , known locally as `` encounters '' , have become routine since Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state .
The chief minister , from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party , promised to improve law and order in the state .
More than 1,000 encounters were reportedly recorded in his first year in power .
His opponents have accused the police under Mr Adityanath of using excessive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised doubts over Dubey 's death , querying the official version of events , and asking why a suspect who reportedly surrendered to police would then attempt to escape , and how he would be able to take an officer 's gun .
Police said he was arrested in a dramatic manner from a temple complex in Madhya Pradesh .
But opposition parties said Dubey chose to publicly surrender at the temple after successfully escaping arrest for more than a week .
Opposition politicians had urged the police to ensure Dubey was safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand trial .
The case has been dominating headlines in India ever since the shootout last Friday that led to the death of eight police officers .
Two of Mr Dubey 's aides have been killed in clashes with the police since .
And an inspector belonging to a police station near Dubey 's village was arrested over allegations that he helped the fugitive .
Officers were looking for Dubey last week in connection with a previous case when they were fired on from a height , they said , leading to heavy @ @

As more and more cases were registered against him, his status continued to rise. But no prosecution was successfully brought. Dubey even dabbled in politics - both he and his wife won local civil polls. A senior political reporter in Uttar Pradesh said his ambition was to become a state lawmaker, and he was trying to formally enter politics at the time of his death.


bbc--2020-07-10--What are the questions for Ghislaine Maxwell?

The arrest of Jeffrey Epstein 's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell has reignited interest in her and her alleged role in @ @ @ @ @ .
Ms Maxwell is facing charges relating to the events of 1994-97 , when she @ @ @ @ @ associates .
Ros Atkins has taken a look at the many remaining questions for Ghislaine @ @ @ @ @ of his weekly reports for the BBC News YouTube channel .

The arrest of Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell has reignited interest in her and her alleged role in Epstein's abuse of minors.
Ms Maxwell is facing charges relating to the events of 1994-97, when she was among Epstein's closest associates.
Ros Atkins has taken a look at the many remaining questions for Ghislaine Maxwell, in the latest of his weekly reports for the BBC News YouTube channel.
This video has been updated, while the BBC investigates claims about the veracity of a contributor


bbc--2020-07-10--European hamster added to 'critically endangered' list

You might want to hold Mr Snuffles extra tight tonight , because European hamsters have been added to a list of critically endangered animals .
They are among the new additions to the International Union for Conservation of Nature 's ( IUCN ) `` red list '' .
European hamsters are a much larger relative of Syrian or dwarf hamsters that are kept widely as pets .
Human influence on the hamsters ' habitats is being investigated as the cause of the species ' decline .
IUCN says global warming , industrial development , light pollution and plantations may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped by up to 75 % in numbers across the French region of Alsace , in Germany and across Eastern Europe because female hamsters now give birth to fewer babies than they once did .
The IUCN says that in the 20th Century , a female hamster would give birth to an average of 20 baby hamsters a year , but this has dropped to only five or six a year .
Experts believe if nothing is done , they will go extinct in the next 30 years .
You might remember the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episode of David Attenborough 's Seven Worlds series in 2019 .
In the series , the hamsters were seen living in graveyards in Vienna because development in the city had robbed them of the meadows they used to live in .
But it 's not only European Hamsters that have been added to the Red List .
There are 33 species of lemur which have been named by IUCN as critically endangered , with 103 of 107 types of lemur threatened with extinction .
This is mainly due to deforestation , although some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The North Atlantic whale is said to be `` one step from extinction '' , with fewer than 250 mature individuals believed to have been alive at the end of 2018 .
Also on the list is the less appealing Ophiocordyceps sinensis - or caterpillar fungus , which grows in the heads of ghost moth larvae on the Tibetan Plateau .
It 's not quite as cute as the European Hamster , but it 's been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years to treat kidney and lung diseases .
Listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekdays - or listen back here

Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbc--2020-07-09--Nile Dam row: Egypt and Ethiopia generate heat but no power

The polite diplomatic façade was maintained but the words of the Egyptian and Ethiopian representatives revealed a belligerence that was hard to disguise .
The recent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss Ethiopia 's huge hydro-electric plant , the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ( Gerd ) , straddling the Blue Nile , was held by teleconference .
The social distance that the participants observed underscored the diplomatic gulf .
It is a gulf that threatens to sweep up the populations of the two countries into a nationalist fervour and mutual distrust .
The Gerd , which sits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upstream of Egypt and has the potential to control the flow of water that the country almost entirely relies on .
It also will be , when fully operational , the largest hydro-electric plant in Africa , and projected to provide power to 65 million Ethiopians , who currently lack a regular electricity supply .
The construction , which began in 2011 , is almost complete .
For the Egyptian and Ethiopian representatives at the UN meeting , the very existence of their countries was at stake .
`` A threat of potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the single source of livelihood of over 100 million Egyptians , '' the country 's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said .
Using similar language , Ethiopia 's UN ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie countered : `` For Ethiopia , accessing and utilising its water resources is not a matter of choice , but of existential necessity . ''
When to fill up the dam The rhetoric may disguise that after nearly a decade of talking , the two countries have managed to agree on a lot of things , but the crucial questions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam , and how much water it should release , remain unresolved .
Years of bilateral and multilateral talks , expert commissions , an agreed Declaration of Principles between Egypt , Ethiopia and Sudan , the third country affected , have still not settled these basic issues .
And now we are at a point where Ethiopia says it will unilaterally start filling up the dam in the next few weeks to coincide with the rainy season .
It is a process that is expected to take up to seven years .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dam are not two separate events , one of the country 's negotiators Zerihun Abebe told the BBC .
`` The Egyptians tried to confuse the international community '' by suggesting that they are different things , he added , and argued that the 2015 Declaration of Principles allowed for Ethiopia to go ahead .
But this is not how Egypt sees it .
After the United States and the World Bank got involved late last year but failed to get Ethiopia to sign up to a document agreed with Egypt in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) has now said it will try and find a solution .
If the words of Egypt 's foreign minister are anything to go by then a deal is urgently needed .
`` The unilateral filling and operation of this dam without an agreement that includes the necessary precautions to protect the downstream communities… would heighten tensions and could provoke crises and conflicts that further destabilise an already troubled region , '' Mr Shoukry warned .
For its part , Ethiopia said it wanted to negotiate under the auspices of the AU , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt for its `` intransigence and its insistence on historic rights and current use '' .
Those rights , as far as Egypt is concerned , go back to at least 1929 , when the British government recognised the `` natural and historical right of Egypt to the waters of the Nile '' .
It also granted Egypt veto rights on any projects upstream .
Then in 1959 , Egypt and Sudan signed a deal in which the two countries agreed to share the Nile 's resources , with Egypt taking the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the other nine countries in the river 's basin , including Ethiopia , the source of the Blue Nile .
The tributary , which merges with the White Nile in Sudan 's capital , Khartoum , provides around 80 % of the total flow of the river and Ethiopia sees it as a `` historic injustice '' that it is unable to take advantage of this natural resource , Mr Zerihun said .
If Ethiopia agrees to allowing a specific volume of water to flow to Egypt every year then this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most downstream country , Egypt .
It 's like neo-colonialism and that is unacceptable , '' he added .
In essence , what Ethiopia is accusing Egypt of is wanting to maintain the flow that was guaranteed in 1959 .
Ethiopia says that in the second year of filling it will release a minimum of 31 billion cubic metres through the Gerd , but beyond that it can not be tied to a specific number .
Join Alastair Leithead and his team , travelling in 2018 from the Blue Nile 's source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudan into Egypt .
This 360° video is a version of the first VR documentary series from BBC News .
To view the full films , click here .
Maintaining the flow of a set volume of water to Egypt regardless of the rainfall pattern could mean that the Gerd will stop functioning during prolonged droughts .
While Egypt is alarmed by the prospect of not knowing how much water it is going to receive .
The generation of so much heat after nine years of negotiations may reflect the fact that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unbridgeable gap and things will soon cool down .
But both Egypt 's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopia 's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also have domestic political considerations and populations who have become heavily invested in the issue .
In Ethiopia 's case , people have literally invested in the dam .
The $ 4bn ( £3.2bn ) cost of the project has been partly met by persuading Ethiopians at home and abroad to lend the government money by buying bonds .
While Mr Abiy faces political challenges that have dented his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people can rally behind .
You may also be interested in : • Who owns the River Nile - and why it matters • Why the Nile could see a 'water war' Some have taken to the video-sharing platform TikTok to illustrate the issues with cups and jugs of water .
One that has been widely viewed shows a woman with a jug , representing Ethiopia , pouring water into two small cups and saying that her country is in control .
Egyptians have made their own videos , with one suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In general , Egyptian media have been supporting the government in the talks over the dam , with some outlets accusing Ethiopia of being uncooperative during the crisis .
While the media in the two countries may want to up the stakes , it is the job of diplomats to try and calm things down .
It is still not clear , however , that those involved in the talks are doing this .

And now we are at a point where Ethiopia says it will unilaterally start filling up the dam in the next few weeks to coincide with the rainy season. It is a process that is expected to take up to seven years.


bbc--2020-07-10--Man City face Juventus or Lyon if they get past Real Madrid

Manchester City will face Lyon or Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals if they hold on to their first-leg advantage over Real Madrid .
City hold a 2-1 lead after the first leg of their last-16 tie , which was played before the tournament was suspended because of coronavirus .
The quarter-finals , semis and final will be held over 12 days in Portugal .
Chelsea could face Barcelona or Napoli in the last eight but trail Bayern Munich 3-0 in their last-16 tie .
The two English sides will meet in the semi-final if they win through .
City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time - are joint-favourites with German champions Bayern .
Atletico Madrid , who eliminated defending European champions and new Premier League winners Liverpool , will face Germany 's RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals .
Italian side Atalanta - winners of their past 11 games in all competitions - take on French champions Paris St-Germain , who have not played since 11 March after their domestic season was abandoned .
All quarter-finals to take place from 12-15 August .
Remaining last-16 fixtures on 7-8 August .
Winner of quarter-final one v winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v winner of quarter-final four The competition will conclude in an eight-team knockout tournament in Portugal from 12-23 August .
The second leg of last-16 ties yet to be completed will take place from 7-8 August and teams due to be at home for those matches will still play at their own stadium .
But when the quarter-finals begin on 12 August , all ties in the competition will be held as one-off games at Sporting Lisbon 's Estadio Jose Alvalade .
The semi-finals will be played on 18-19 August and the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lisboa e Benfica , on 23 August .
Uefa has implemented the same five-substitute rule as the Premier League for the remainder of the tournament and an additional change can be made in extra time .

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Pep Guardiola and Frank Lampard's sides must still complete Champions League last-16 ties
Manchester City will face Lyon or Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals if they hold on to their first-leg advantage over Real Madrid.
City hold a 2-1 lead after the first leg of their last-16 tie, which was played before the tournament was suspended because of coronavirus.
The quarter-finals, semis and final will be held over 12 days in Portugal.
Chelsea could face Barcelona or Napoli in the last eight but trail Bayern Munich 3-0 in their last-16 tie.
The two English sides will meet in the semi-final if they win through.
City - trying to win the competition for the first time - are joint-favourites with German champions Bayern.
Manager Pep Guardiola said: "We have to play against Real Madrid - the kings of the competition. If we think about the next steps before that we will be out."
Atletico Madrid, who eliminated defending European champions and new Premier League winners Liverpool, will face Germany's RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals.
Italian side Atalanta - winners of their past 11 games in all competitions - take on French champions Paris St-Germain, who have not played since 11 March after their domestic season was abandoned.
Full draw
All quarter-finals to take place from 12-15 August. Remaining last-16 fixtures on 7-8 August.
1) Real Madrid or Manchester City v Lyon or Juventus (15 August)
2) RB Leipzig v Atletico Madrid (13 August)
3) Napoli or Barcelona v Chelsea or Bayern Munich (14 August)
4) Atalanta v Paris St-Germain (12 August)
Semi-final draw - ties to take place 18-19 August.
Winner of quarter-final one v winner of quarter-final three
Winner of quarter-final two v winner of quarter-final four
Last-16 ties to finish (first-leg score):
7 August: Manchester City v Real Madrid (2-1); Juventus v Lyon (0-1)
8 August: Bayern Munich v Chelsea (3-0); Barcelona v Napoli (1-1);
Knockout finish in Portugal
The competition will conclude in an eight-team knockout tournament in Portugal from 12-23 August.
The second leg of last-16 ties yet to be completed will take place from 7-8 August and teams due to be at home for those matches will still play at their own stadium.
But when the quarter-finals begin on 12 August, all ties in the competition will be held as one-off games at Sporting Lisbon's Estadio Jose Alvalade.
The semi-finals will be played on 18-19 August and the final, at Benfica's Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, on 23 August.
Uefa has implemented the same five-substitute rule as the Premier League for the remainder of the tournament and an additional change can be made in extra time.


bbc--2020-07-10--Ferrari's Leclerc warned for breaking F1 coronavirus rules

Charles Leclerc has been given an official warning after breaking Formula 1 's coronavirus protocols .
Personnel are required to remain within their 'bubbles ' between races .
An FIA spokesperson said that Ferrari had been given a reminder and warned that `` any further breaches could be referred to the stewards '' .
Officials can prevent personnel attending races if they ignore the rules .
Leclerc was found to be in breach of article 3.14 of F1 's Covid-19 code , which says : `` Any time outside the venue during a covered event or between covered events must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same group , keeping interaction with persons outside that group to a minimum . ''
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas also returned to Monaco this week , but he was found not to have breached guidelines as he stayed within his bubble , which includes his trainer Antti Vierula and his girlfriend , the cyclist Tiffany Cromwell .
Leclerc said : `` I did [ go ] back home .
On the other hand , I 've been tested twice before coming back .
So in two days , testing twice , both negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bottas added : `` Obviously I found out if it 's allowed , to go back , and yes , it is , '' said Bottas .
`` And of course it does n't really make a difference if I stay with the same people in the same bubble whether I 'm here or back home in Monaco .
`` So I decided to go back home as , in the end , we are in Europe and travelling is pretty short distance so there 's no stress really from the travel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ three full days at home .
I thought it was very nice to recharge for the weekend , so I think it was a good decision from my side .
I just tend to do things that what works for me , how I feel , what I want to do between the races .
`` From a safety point of view there is no difference at all .
Still the same people that I will be dealing with here . ''

Live text and audio commentary of the Styrian Grand Prix is live on the BBC Sport website
Charles Leclerc has been given an official warning after breaking Formula 1's coronavirus protocols.
The Ferrari driver returned to Monaco this week between the Austrian and Styrian Grands Prix at the Red Bull Ring and was pictured with friends.
Personnel are required to remain within their 'bubbles' between races.
An FIA spokesperson said that Ferrari had been given a reminder and warned that "any further breaches could be referred to the stewards".
Officials can prevent personnel attending races if they ignore the rules.
Leclerc was found to be in breach of article 3.14 of F1's Covid-19 code, which says: "Any time outside the venue during a covered event or between covered events must be spent with other members of the same group, keeping interaction with persons outside that group to a minimum."
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas also returned to Monaco this week, but he was found not to have breached guidelines as he stayed within his bubble, which includes his trainer Antti Vierula and his girlfriend, the cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.
Leclerc said: "I did [go] back home. On the other hand, I've been tested twice before coming back. So in two days, testing twice, both negative obviously. That's it."
Bottas added: "Obviously I found out if it's allowed, to go back, and yes, it is," said Bottas. "And of course it doesn't really make a difference if I stay with the same people in the same bubble whether I'm here or back home in Monaco.
"So I decided to go back home as, in the end, we are in Europe and travelling is pretty short distance so there's no stress really from the travel.
"I just wanted to spend those three full days at home. I thought it was very nice to recharge for the weekend, so I think it was a good decision from my side. I just tend to do things that what works for me, how I feel, what I want to do between the races.
"From a safety point of view there is no difference at all. Still the same people that I will be dealing with here."


bbc--2020-07-10--Three VAR penalty errors in one night, MOTD told

Incorrect penalty decisions were made by the video assistant referee in all three of Thursday 's games , a former referee working for the Premier League match centre told BBC Match of the Day .
Bruno Fernandes won a spot-kick which he scored in Manchester United 's 3-0 win over Aston Villa .
James Ward-Prowse hit the bar after a disputed penalty as Southampton drew 1-1 with Everton .
And Tottenham should have had a penalty for a Joshua King shove on Harry Kane in a 0-0 draw with Bournemouth .
Ex Premier League official Dermot Gallagher advised that United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalties , but Tottenham should have been awarded one .
Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill , a Match of the Day pundit , said a former player should be involved to work alongside the VAR officials at Stockley Park .
`` I think that would really help them , to understand the movements , '' the former Australia international said .
`` When a player falls to buy a penalty you can feel it .
It must need a player there to give advice on what the player is doing .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ca n't do it .
It 's really disappointing . ''
Fifa is taking over direct responsibility of VAR from football rulemakers IFAB and is expected to insist on greater consistency across more than 100 global leagues , on issues such as the use of pitchside monitors .
There has been confusion in the Premier League , with referees ' chief Mike Riley limiting the use of monitors to ensure the game is not slowed down .
1 .
Mourinho : 'Powerful people do not like to be criticised' Tottenham manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world '' thought his side should have had a penalty , apart from video assistant referee Michael Oliver .
King pushed Kane in the back as he defended a cross but referee Paul Tierney did not award a penalty and Oliver chose not to intervene .
Oliver , who will referee Sunday 's north London derby against Arsenal , was also the VAR official when Kane had a goal ruled out in Spurs ' 3-1 defeat by Sheffield United last week .
`` The game had the most important moment - you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Spurs boss .
Mourinho told BBC MOTD he feels `` powerful people do not like to be criticised '' .
Asked to clarify who he was referring to , Mourinho told Sky Sports : `` The same referee that was the VAR against Sheffield United .
In the world , everybody knows that is a penalty .
And I say everybody , I mean everybody .
`` Like Sheffield , the man of the match was not one of the players .
But at Sheffield I could blame myself and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that . ''
BBC Match of the Day pundit Dion Dublin said : `` It 's clear because Harry is setting himself ready to head that ball and he gets fouled .
It is a penalty . ''
Moments after Trezeguet hit the post for Villa , United won a penalty which Fernandes converted to set them on their way to a 3-0 win .
The Portuguese pirouetted on the ball and appeared to catch Villa defender Ezri Konsa 's leg - but referee Jon Moss awarded a penalty , a decision supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot to set United on their way to victory and leave Villa four points from safety .
The Premier League match centre advised Match of the Day that this was the wrong decision and should have been overturned by VAR .
`` I can understand Jon [ Moss , referee ] getting it wrong but I do n't know what VAR are looking at , '' he said .
`` They have a screen they can go and look at it but they do n't seem to be bothered .
`` Fernandes is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch is on the ball , his second touch is on Ezri Konsa 's shin . ''
`` I think it 's a penalty .
The boy sticks out his leg , Fernandes does a fantastic Zidane , Maradona turn and he lands on him , '' he said .
Dublin , who played for both clubs , said : `` It 's clearly , in our opinion , not a penalty .
`` Anybody who has played the game knows what Fernandes is trying to do .
He does the turn and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stud on Konsa 's shin .
It changed the game .
`` VAR is there to say has the referee made an error and they did n't think he had .
That might cost Villa millions . ''
Cahill said : `` It 's a big mistake .
I feel for Aston Villa .
This totally goes against them .
VAR needs to step in and it needs to protect the players as well . ''
The Premier League also confirmed Southampton should not have had a penalty against Everton .
Ward-Prowse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gomes , although he missed the penalty as he hit the crossbar .
`` The performance of the referee was like my team , not so good , '' said Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti .
`` Straightaway we said no penalty , '' said MOTD pundit Cahill .
The pre-planned move for Fifa to manage the implementation of VAR comes at the end of a four-year process as it was phased into elite football .
Although Fifa has declared VAR to be `` a universal success '' , the lack of pitchside monitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general guidance and the expectation is Fifa will expect this to be used more extensively .
In addition , rules around handball , offside and goalkeepers standing on their lines for penalty kicks will all be dealt with through Fifa , with clarification expected for next season , which individual leagues will be expected to adhere to .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Powerful people do not like to be criticised - Mourinho
Incorrect penalty decisions were made by the video assistant referee in all three of Thursday's games, a former referee working for the Premier League match centre told BBC Match of the Day.
Bruno Fernandes won a spot-kick which he scored in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
James Ward-Prowse hit the bar after a disputed penalty as Southampton drew 1-1 with Everton.
And Tottenham should have had a penalty for a Joshua King shove on Harry Kane in a 0-0 draw with Bournemouth.
Ex Premier League official Dermot Gallagher advised that United and Southampton should not have been given penalties, but Tottenham should have been awarded one.
Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, a Match of the Day pundit, said a former player should be involved to work alongside the VAR officials at Stockley Park.
"I think that would really help them, to understand the movements," the former Australia international said.
"When a player falls to buy a penalty you can feel it. It must need a player there to give advice on what the player is doing.
"They're there to make the big decisions and they can't do it. It's really disappointing."
Fifa is taking over direct responsibility of VAR from football rulemakers IFAB and is expected to insist on greater consistency across more than 100 global leagues, on issues such as the use of pitchside monitors.
There has been confusion in the Premier League, with referees' chief Mike Riley limiting the use of monitors to ensure the game is not slowed down.
1. Mourinho: 'Powerful people do not like to be criticised'
Tottenham were not given a penalty for this Joshua King shove on Harry Kane
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho said "everyone in the world" thought his side should have had a penalty, apart from video assistant referee Michael Oliver.
King pushed Kane in the back as he defended a cross but referee Paul Tierney did not award a penalty and Oliver chose not to intervene.
Oliver, who will referee Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal, was also the VAR official when Kane had a goal ruled out in Spurs' 3-1 defeat by Sheffield United last week.
"The game had the most important moment - you know when, you know who," said the Spurs boss.
Mourinho told BBC MOTD he feels "powerful people do not like to be criticised".
Asked to clarify who he was referring to, Mourinho told Sky Sports: "The same referee that was the VAR against Sheffield United. In the world, everybody knows that is a penalty. And I say everybody, I mean everybody.
"Like Sheffield, the man of the match was not one of the players. But at Sheffield I could blame myself and the players, today I could not do that."
BBC Match of the Day pundit Dion Dublin said: "It's clear because Harry is setting himself ready to head that ball and he gets fouled. It is a penalty."
2. Smith: 'Disgraceful decision' to give United penalty
Bruno Fernandes benefited from the penalty he won - by scoring his eighth Manchester United goal
Moments after Trezeguet hit the post for Villa, United won a penalty which Fernandes converted to set them on their way to a 3-0 win.
The Portuguese pirouetted on the ball and appeared to catch Villa defender Ezri Konsa's leg - but referee Jon Moss awarded a penalty, a decision supported by VAR.
Fernandes scored from the spot to set United on their way to victory and leave Villa four points from safety.
The Premier League match centre advised Match of the Day that this was the wrong decision and should have been overturned by VAR.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith calls VAR’s decision on Man United's penalty ‘baffling’
Villa boss Dean Smith called it a "disgraceful decision".
"I can understand Jon [Moss, referee] getting it wrong but I don't know what VAR are looking at," he said. "They have a screen they can go and look at it but they don't seem to be bothered.
"Fernandes is trying a double drag-back - his first touch is on the ball, his second touch is on Ezri Konsa's shin."
His Manchester United counterpart, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, disagreed.
"I think it's a penalty. The boy sticks out his leg, Fernandes does a fantastic Zidane, Maradona turn and he lands on him," he said.
Dublin, who played for both clubs, said: "It's clearly, in our opinion, not a penalty.
"Anybody who has played the game knows what Fernandes is trying to do. He does the turn and he gets it wrong. He puts his stud on Konsa's shin. It changed the game.
"VAR is there to say has the referee made an error and they didn't think he had. That might cost Villa millions."
Cahill said: "It's a big mistake. I feel for Aston Villa. This totally goes against them. VAR needs to step in and it needs to protect the players as well."
3. Saints' disputed penalty
Southampton got a penalty when James Ward-Prowse seemed to fall towards Ande Gomes
The Premier League also confirmed Southampton should not have had a penalty against Everton.
Ward-Prowse appeared to fall into the standing Andre Gomes, although he missed the penalty as he hit the crossbar.
"The performance of the referee was like my team, not so good," said Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.
"Straightaway we said no penalty," said MOTD pundit Cahill.
Analysis - BBC football reporter Simon Stone
The pre-planned move for Fifa to manage the implementation of VAR comes at the end of a four-year process as it was phased into elite football.
Although Fifa has declared VAR to be "a universal success", the lack of pitchside monitors in the Premier League went against the general guidance and the expectation is Fifa will expect this to be used more extensively.
In addition, rules around handball, offside and goalkeepers standing on their lines for penalty kicks will all be dealt with through Fifa, with clarification expected for next season, which individual leagues will be expected to adhere to.


bbc--2020-07-11--Roger Stone: Trump commutes ex-adviser's sentence

US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of his former adviser Roger Stone .
The announcement came just after the Washington DC Court of Appeals denied Stone 's request to delay the start date of his custodial term of 40 months .
He was convicted of lying to Congress , obstruction and witness tampering .
Stone was the sixth Trump aide found guilty on charges linked to a justice department probe that alleged Russia tried to boost the Trump 2016 campaign .
He had been due to report to a federal prison in Jesup , Georgia , next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The White House said in a statement : `` Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency . ''
It said that Department of Justice prosecutors under special counsel Robert Mueller only charged Stone out of frustration after failing to prove the `` fantasy '' that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Kremlin .
`` This is why the out-of-control Mueller prosecutors , desperate for splashy headlines to compensate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Mr Stone , '' said the statement .
The White House also suggested that the FBI had tipped off CNN about their pre-dawn raid on Stone 's house , noting that a camera crew for the cable network was on the scene to record the arrest .
`` Roger Stone has already suffered greatly , '' the statement said .
`` He was treated very unfairly , as were many others in this case .
Roger Stone is now a free man ! ''
It 's hard to say the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend and political counsellor is surprising , but it 's still jarring .
Even though the president has called the special counsel investigation that prosecuted Stone a sham and a partisan witch hunt , Stone was duly convicted of serious crimes .
Meanwhile , Stone 's active lobbying for a commutation , recently saying that he could have `` easily '' turned on the president to avoid trial , was unseemly at best .
Mr Trump is not the first president to issue controversial pardons or commutations for friends and associates , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , waited until the last days of their presidency to take such actions , as they knew the political firestorms they would generate .
Mr Trump , on the other hand , seems to relish the controversy .
Like much of his time in office , his actions are done with an eye toward a base that views instigating political opponents as an end to itself .
While the action will be sharply criticised , at this point in the Trump presidency his critics and his allies appear pretty much set in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't win Mr Trump any new support , but that 's not the point .
He 's helping a loyal friend , critics be damned .
What was Stone convicted of ?
Stone was found guilty of lying to the House Intelligence Committee about his attempts to contact Wikileaks , the website that released damaging emails about Mr Trump 's 2016 Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton .
US intelligence officials have concluded the messages were stolen by Russian hackers .
Stone 's sentence fell short of an initial seven-to-nine-year recommendation from prosecutors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1970s and has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back .
In the 1990s , Stone worked as a lobbyist for Mr Trump 's casino business , and later helped Mr Trump 's unsuccessful White House run in 2000 .
According to the Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone , the strategist reportedly encouraged Mr Trump to run for the presidency again .

Mr Trump is not the first president to issue controversial pardons or commutations for friends and associates, of course. Most of his predecessors, however, waited until the last days of their presidency to take such actions, as they knew the political firestorms they would generate.


bbc--2020-07-10--Duda vs Trzaskowski: The fight for Poland's future

Poland 's presidential election on Sunday will be crucial in shaping the country 's future and its strained relations with the EU for at least the next three years and perhaps beyond .
If the incumbent President Andrzej Duda is re-elected for another five-year term , his allies , the nationalist Law and Justice-led government will continue their socially conservative policies , efforts to control independent institutions and generous state handout programme .
If the more liberal mayor of Warsaw , Rafal Trzaskowski , wins , he has said he will stand up for minorities and use the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees as the government 's attempts to politicise the judiciary and attack democratic values .
Mr Trzaskowski says he will co-operate with the government but a victory for him would almost certainly start a war between the two branches of power .
Both men have distinct visions for the future of Poland .
What does Andrzej Duda believe ?
President Duda , 48 , is a lawyer by training .
He won a surprising victory in 2015 representing the young , moderate face of the Law and Justice party , which had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful party leader and candidate , Jaroslaw Kaczynski .
He is a socially conservative Roman Catholic , who says he wants to defend the traditional family model .
On the one hand , he supports the government 's popular and generous welfare scheme , symbolised by the 500+ programme , under which families receive 500 zloty ( £100 ; €110 ; $ 125 ) per month for each child until the age of 18 .
Many Polish families have been lifted out of poverty as a result of the government 's policies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of communism in 1989 , feel there is a party that cares about their needs .
This is especially true in villages and small towns , where President Duda won an absolute majority of votes in the first round of the election two weeks ago .
On the other hand , he has vowed to protect Polish families from what he calls an imported `` LGBT ideology '' that is aggressively trying to sexualise Polish children .
In practice , sex education classes in Polish state schools do not exist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life education '' classes , which may include sex education , often led by priests or nuns .
• The leader who sees gay rights as a threat to Poland President Duda is also a supporter of the government 's legislative changes to take greater control over independent institutions , most prominently the public media and judiciary .
Poland 's public broadcaster , Polish TV , is funded by the taxpayer and is bound by its charter to present balanced coverage of political events .
Instead , its main evening news bulletin praises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks Mr Trzaskowski , accusing him of being in cahoots with Jewish and LGBT interest groups .
Mr Duda has also strongly backed most of the government 's changes to the judiciary that the EU and multiple international organisations say have undermined its independence and the rule of law .
• Supreme Court warns Poland may have to leave EU Relations with the EU have been strained as a result and Mr Duda once called it an `` imaginary community from which we do n't gain much '' .
Under the current budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of EU funds .
Mr Trzaskowski , also 48 , is a deputy leader of Poland 's centre-right Civic Platform party , which governed Poland between 2007-2015 , mostly under Donald Tusk before he was elected to head the European Council .
His party has always performed best in large metropolitan cities .
In the first round , he won 30.46 % of the vote to Mr Duda 's 43.5 % , scoring his biggest victory in the affluent Warsaw district of Wilanow .
In an interview with the BBC , Mr Trzaskowski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was a minister in had at times been a `` bit patronising '' towards voters .
Although he 's economically liberal , he said Law and Justice had correctly identified income inequality as a problem that needed to be addressed with programmes like 500+ , a policy he says he supports .
He represents the more liberal wing of the party , and , as Warsaw mayor , has taken part in LGBTQ Equality marches and proposed introducing classes in the capital 's schools to counteract bullying against minorities .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children by same sex couples , which most Poles do according to surveys , after President Duda tabled an amendment to the country 's constitution to expressly forbid it .
As president , Mr Trzaskowski 's power would mostly be limited to vetoing legislation as any bills he presents himself could be rejected by the governing camp 's majority in parliament .
He told the BBC that Poland was still democratic but its `` democracy is under attack '' as the government was politicising independent institutions , such as the judiciary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its powers .
He said he would veto further attempts to politicise the courts and propose making the office of prosecutor general independent once again .
• Why Poles want more of this man 's populist message Under the current government the justice minister is also prosecutor general , giving him extraordinary power over the conduct of prosecutions .
As a former Europe minister , Mr Trzaskowski says he wants Poland to take a more active role in the EU negotiations .
He worries that once the financial benefit of membership is reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antipathy to some aspects of the European project could eventually lead to Poland leaving the EU .

If the more liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, wins, he has said he will stand up for minorities and use the president's right to veto legislation to block what he sees as the government's attempts to politicise the judiciary and attack democratic values.


bbc--2020-07-10--Nigeria: 11-year old dancer challenges ballet stereotypes

A recent video of 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu dancing in the rain went viral with the likes of Hollywood superstar @ @ @ @ @ sharing the video .
Anthony is one of the 12 students at the Leap of @ @ @ @ @ The academy , founded in 2015 , is the brainchild of Daniel Ajala Owoseni who @ @ @ @ @ for free without a dance space .

A recent video of 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu dancing in the rain went viral with the likes of Hollywood superstar Viola Davis and other celebrities sharing the video.
Anthony is one of the 12 students at the Leap of Dance Academy in Lagos.
The academy, founded in 2017, is the brainchild of Daniel Ajala Owoseni who has been been teaching ballet for free without a dance space.
Filmed and edited by: Grace Ekpu


bbc--2020-07-10--Jada Pinkett Smith tells Will Smith of her 'relationship'

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed on her chat show in a heart-to-heart with husband Will Smith that she did have a relationship with rapper August Alsina .
Speaking to Smith on her Facebook show Red Table Talk , the actress said that the relationship happened while the pair were separated .
`` We were over , '' she says .
`` From there , as time went on , I got into a different kind of entanglement with August . ''
Mr Smith then pushes her , saying `` an entanglement ?
A relationship . ''
`` I was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very broken , '' she countered .
The pair have been married since 1997 and said they are currently back together after a split .
The couple said they wanted to do the show to clear up speculation circulating in the media over an interview August Alsina recently gave to a radio morning show , The Breakfast Club .
The rapper said he had been in a relationship with Pinkett Smith and that Smith had given the affair his `` blessing '' , leading to speculation that the Hollywood power couple were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person that can give permission in that particular circumstance is myself , '' Pinkett Smith said .
`` I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably and I think he also wanted to make it clear that he 's also not a home-wrecker .
Which he 's not . ''
She had not spoken to the rapper in years , she added .
Smith asked her what she felt she was looking for in the `` interaction '' with Alsina about four-and-a-half years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she replied , as her husband nodded sympathetically .
`` It had been so long since I had felt good . ''
Now the couple are back together , Pinkett Smith said they had reached a place of `` unconditional love '' .
Towards the end of the interview , Smith told her : `` I 'm gon na get you back first . ''
Pinkett Smith laughed and responded : `` I think you got me back !
I think we 're good on that . ''
At the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We ride together , we die together .
Bad marriage for life , '' they said in a quote derived from Smith 's Bad Boys movies .

"I could actually see how he would perceive it as permission because we were separated amicably and I think he also wanted to make it clear that he's also not a home-wrecker. Which he's not."


bbc--2020-07-10--Coronavirus: How bad is the crisis in US care homes?

Elder care homes across the US have been hard-hit by the virus - though the true extent of the severity remains unclear , months in .
One thing is certain , however - Covid-19 has yet again highlighted long-standing flaws in America 's health system .
When Michael Colwell received the call that his mother-in-law Helen Osucha had passed away at her nursing home in Geneva , Illinois , he says they told his family the 97-year-old died peacefully in her sleep .
A day later , the funeral home that had received Helen 's body told them she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helen 's funeral with family calling in on computer screens , the question remained .
Why were n't they told ?
`` It just did n't feel that this is the way the world should work . ''
Mr Colwell says the home informed them that there were `` a case or two '' of Covid-19 , but they had no idea of the full extent .
`` They telephoned us on the day of her death , late in the evening on the 26 of April and said she had passed away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that that 's how she went gave my wife some comfort .
But then to learn the next day that she died of Covid-19 - it was a very big shock . ''
Helen was a part of the Greatest Generation , Mr Colwell begins when asked to describe his mother-in-law .
She lost a brother in World War Two .
Her husband was a B-17 navigator , and they married when the war ended .
For years , she worked at a longstanding Chicago restaurant - the Como Inn - as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the close-knit Polish community .
She often held family gatherings and was an active member of her church - a `` kind-hearted , generous woman '' .
`` Maybe we could 've said a prayer or done something , '' Mr Colwell says .
`` Initially when they restricted visits from family because of the pandemic , we were told that if the [ resident ] was in fact dying , they would have hospice come in and we would be allowed to go in and see her .
`` And of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't know . ''
Mr Colwell 's lawsuit against Bria is one of six now levied against the facility over its coronavirus response .
Bria has placed the blame on a lack of testing , calling the virus a `` silent enemy impossible to detect and difficult to defeat '' , and says they followed public health guidelines as the situation evolved .
A spokeswoman for the home told the BBC : `` We mourn the loss of our patients , for many of whom we cared for many years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones . ''
What does the data show ?
So far , facilities across the US have reported over 126,400 confirmed Covid-19 cases leading to the death of 35,517 residents and hundreds of staff to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) .
Bria of Geneva has reported 16 Covid-19 deaths to CMS .
Johns Hopkins University puts the US death toll at over 133,000 as of 10 July - which means that by current federal figures , care homes account for a quarter of all US coronavirus deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ data , say the toll could be far higher : over 50,000 , according to reports by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times .
An analysis by the non-partisan Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity found 45 % of US Covid-19 deaths came from nursing homes - a group that makes up just 0.6 % of the US population .
But that still is n't the full picture .
Many submissions to CMS have not passed data quality checks ; homes are also not required to provide data from before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states seem to have shown promising numbers so far , there are caveats .
Why is it so bad ?
University of California , Davis , Professor Debra Bakerjian , who worked as a nurse in the industry for 25 years , notes that the situation with Covid-19 has been changing rapidly while facility struggles around testing , understaffing and equipment have remained the same .
The lack of testing early on `` was bad in hospitals [ and ] was worse in nursing homes '' , she says , though it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , guidance over how to diagnose coronavirus symptoms kept changing .
Residents in care homes are nearly impossible to isolate to begin with .
Most facilities have only one or two private rooms .
People share hallways , bathrooms , dining areas .
A limited number of staff are responsible for multiple individuals , sometimes across buildings or homes throughout the community .
Outbreaks in nursing homes in general are not uncommon .
When Covid-19 began to surge , the biggest concern for state and national officials was whether hospitals would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to what was happening in nursing homes , who were a much higher risk population , '' Prof Bakerjian says .
`` It was going to be an even bigger problem because they do n't have the resources a hospital has - in terms of nursing resources as well as having the supply of appropriate personal protective equipment . ''
Over 1,800 care homes nationwide reported to CMS they would run out of N95 masks in a week .
Over 500 said they will soon run out of gloves .
Dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanitiser .
Homes have also had to meet changing requirements with reporting to meet local , state and now , federal standards .
A clearer federal response may have also helped avoid the contentious policy decision by some states to have nursing homes take in Covid-19 patients from hospitals .
• Things US has got wrong - and got right New York 's Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo has become the face of this policy - and continued to defend it - though other states , including New Jersey , Michigan and California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But New York in particular has been under national scrutiny as , for months , it was the national epicentre .
In its care homes , the state has seen over 10,500 confirmed cases of the virus and has lost at least 4,092 residents to Covid-19 , according to CMS data , from a population of nearly 90,000 .
Local reports say the death toll is thousands above that figure .
In the states that also issued these orders , results were unfortunately similar .
A ProPublica report found neighbouring New Jersey lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , compared to 1.6 % in Florida , which did not enact such a policy .
Lawsuits against nursing homes like Bria have been filed across the country as family members grieve and reports of shocking conditions continue to emerge .
In New Jersey , the state with the highest average case count in care homes , 15 families are suing a facility that made national headlines when nearly 20 bodies were found stacked in a morgue built to handle just a few .
Several families in Kentucky are suing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing protective equipment in Covid-19 patient rooms amid over a dozen deaths .
At the heart of all these cases is the simple fact that losing a loved one like this in a pandemic means families rarely have the chance to say goodbye , to grieve together , to have closure .
`` No matter how long a parent lives it 's always a difficult thing to lose your parents , '' Mr Colwell says .
It is n't just patients and families taking issue with how care homes have handled the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told to work despite having Covid-19 symptoms , not having access to testing , not receiving proper training regarding Covid-19 or the need for personal protective equipment .
`` One thing Covid has shown us is that we are failing as a society here in the US to take care of the people who took care of us when we were kids , '' says Christopher Laxton , executive director of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine .
`` We need to completely re-engineer and rethink how we do elder care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that involves recognising the struggles of staff , who Mr Laxton calls `` the heroes of this pandemic '' .
`` They do n't get any glory , usually they get a lot of blame [ but ] they 're doing what they can under unbelievable circumstances . ''
• Care-worker death rate twice that of health workers • Why so many US nurses are out of work • Is Candice a forgotten hero in this crisis ?
Bria 's spokeswoman also cautioned that lawsuits send a `` dangerous message '' to staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distract medical providers .
When it comes to situations like Bria 's , Mr Laxton notes that it can be difficult for the coronavirus to stand out in a population that is already sick .
`` If for example , a staff member notices Mrs Jones is experiencing shortness of breath , that may well be because she has congestive heart failure , '' he says , and that 's what they 'll try to manage first , especially without access to testing .
He notes there have been many success stories too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the homes in order to curb the spread of the virus , despite a lack of adequate protective equipment for themselves .
So what happens next ?
Democrats in the House of Representatives on 16 June sent letters to five for-profit nursing home companies dealing with coronavirus outbreaks , asking for documents related to these outbreaks , including data on testing , staffing levels , and legal violations , as well as information on how federal funding has been used .
A group of House Republicans on the same virus subcommittee have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania , New Jersey 's Phil Murphy , Michigan 's Gretchen Whitmer , California 's Gavin Newsom and Mr Cuomo - over their policies to have homes take in Covid-19 patients .
Amid these inquiries , Covid cases have been rising across much of the US .
Problems with testing and equipment are occurring at healthcare facilities nationwide .
• What is the true death toll of the coronavirus pandemic ?
• Where are the world 's coronavirus hotspots ?
`` We have n't seen the extent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Our numbers are still going the wrong direction , though I think there 's a much more concerted effort now to try to make sure that nursing homes at least have the resources that they need . ''
From education to understaffing to facility regulations , the industry has long been under-resourced and faces complicated systemic issues .
While some - like the Colwells - hope lawsuits will result in real changes , others , like Mr Laxton , worry that after the pandemic , nursing homes will be forgotten once more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value , of what we as a society think is important , '' Prof Bakerjian adds .
`` We would n't stand for this if it was in our acute care hospitals where we were taking care of our children and our younger , working people . ''

"They telephoned us on the day of her death, late in the evening on the 26 of April and said she had passed away peacefully in her sleep. The fact that that's how she went gave my wife some comfort. But then to learn the next day that she died of Covid-19 - it was a very big shock."


bbc--2020-07-10--Goya Foods: Hispanic brand faces boycott for praising Trump

A popular Hispanic-owned food company is facing calls for a boycott , after its chief executive praised US President Donald Trump .
While at the White House , Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue said Mr Trump 's leadership was a blessing .
Goya Foods - sold in the US and many Latin countries - is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the US .
But now many of its loyal customers and some high-profile Democrats are calling for the firm 's products to be shunned .
How did this start ?
On Thursday , Robert Unanue , the CEO of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House where President Trump signed the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative , which was described as an effort to improve access to educational and economic opportunities .
Mr Unanue praised the president at the event , saying : `` We 're all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump , who is a builder . ''
Critics said his comments were tone deaf to the community Goya Foods largely serves .
During his first election campaign , Mr Trump depicted most Mexican immigrants as criminals .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to end a policy that protects hundreds of thousands of undocumented youths from deportation , and trying to build a southern border wall .
Many users have since said they will no longer use the products , known as staples of authentic Latin cuisine .
Boycotters have shared alternative brands and recipes online , with the hashtags # Goyaway and # BoycottGoya trending on social media .
Why is this a big deal ?
Some customers say they have grown up with a sense of cultural attachment to the brand , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's comments .
`` Goya is such a staple amongst people of colour , '' longtime supporter Autasia Ramos told the BBC , adding that it was popular with both American and immigrant households .
Ms Ramos said she had relied on the company for affordable products that are normally hard to find , but are key ingredients in Hispanic cuisines .
Yet , she added , she now felt `` disheartened '' by the company , and planned to stop buying its products .
`` I hope people choose not to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of abandoning the community that supports his company . ''
Celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also say they have decided to boycott the company .
Ms Ocasio-Cortez , a New York lawmaker , tweeted that she would now learn how to make her own Adobo , a popular marinade in Hispanic cuisine , rather than buying it from Goya Foods .
Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro said Americans should `` think twice before buying their products '' given that their CEO had praised `` a president who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain '' .
How has the company responded ?
Mr Unanue has defended himself , and pointed out he has also worked with former US First Lady Michelle Obama on initiatives before .
`` It 's suppression of speech , '' he said .
`` I 'm not apologising for saying - and especially when you 're called by the president of the United States - you 're gon na say , 'no , I 'm sorry I 'm busy no thank you ? '
'' `` I did n't say that to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that to President Trump . ''
Supporters of the company have pointed out that earlier this year , Goya donated over 300,000lb ( 136,077kg ) of food , or about 270,000 meals , to food banks and organisations to help with coronavirus relief .
At Thursday 's event , Mr Unanue announced he would also donate one million cans of Goya chickpeas and 1m lb of food products to food banks to help families hurt by the pandemic .
The president 's son , Donald Trump Jr , condemned the backlash , tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the largest Hispanic owned companies in America because they recognise that the president has shown great leadership ?
( Not very woke ) '' .
Why the Latino vote is so important Given the history of controversial statements by Donald Trump about Latinos , starting with his description of Mexican immigrants as `` rapists '' , many will have been surprised by the praise he received from Goya Foods head Robert Unanue .
In fact , Mr Unanue 's endorsement of Mr Trump , and the subsequent condemnation of the businessman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only underline the fact that the Hispanic community in the United States is politically far from monolithic .
Although a clear majority of Latinos in the US tend to vote Democrat , 28 % of their ballots went for Mr Trump in 2016 , according to the Pew Research Center .
Particularly in Florida , many Cuban and Venezuelan-Americans like Mr Trump 's strong words against the leftist governments in power in Havana and Caracas , which they blame for forcing their families into exile .
With elections in battlefield states often defined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defection of Latinos to the Republican camp could prove very valuable to the president .

"It's suppression of speech," he said. "I'm not apologising for saying - and especially when you're called by the president of the United States - you're gonna say, 'no, I'm sorry I'm busy no thank you?'"


bbc--2020-07-10--Venice test brings up floodgates for first time

For the first time a system of 78 mobile floodgates has been tested in Venice , after years beset by delays and corruption .
The 1.5km ( one-mile ) Mose system of yellow dams was a `` powerful project that has taken years to complete '' , said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte .
Venice was hit by the worst floods in half a century in November 2019 .
Environmental protesters took to the lagoon on Friday , saying the barriers would damage the area .
Critics argue the sluice-gate system is 10 years too late .
Work on the Mose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was designed in the 1980s .
It has gone three times over its original budget and resulted in the arrest of dozens of officials , the BBC 's Quentin Sommerville reports from Rome .
The coronavirus pandemic has brought tourism to a halt and stopped cruise ships from entering the lagoon but rising seas in the Adriatic continue to threaten Venice .
Last autumn , more than 80 % of the city was flooded .
The prime minister and three government colleagues visited the control room on Venice Lido to see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are here for a test , not a parade , '' he told reporters .
The four defensive barriers were raised and lowered at three inlets - two at the Lido , and at Malamocco and Chioggia .
Under the Mose ( Experimental Electromechanical Module ) system , if there is a very high tide , compressed air enters the 78 sluice gates and empties them of water , so they rise up and block the tide entering the lagoon .
Friday 's test lasted 90 minutes and officials said at full capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour .
Elisabetta Spitz , the commissioner supervising the project , said it was not ready yet and would need another 18 months of testing .
Protesters from the No Mose group tried to disrupt the test but police stopped them .
`` They had everything in the water , from police jet skis to dinghies , speed boats and coast guard vessels , '' protest leader Tommaso Cacciari told Ansa news agency .
`` We tried to break the blockade but there was nothing we could do . ''

Critics argue the sluice-gate system is 10 years too late. Work on the Mose project started in 2003, even though it was designed in the 1980s. It has gone three times over its original budget and resulted in the arrest of dozens of officials, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville reports from Rome.


bbc--2020-07-10--Ghislaine Maxwell requests bail due to 'significant' coronavirus risk

Ghislaine Maxwell should be released on bail of $ 5m ( £4m ) while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors because of the risk of contracting coronavirus in jail , her lawyers have argued .
The British socialite was arrested on 2 July and is accused of assisting convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 's abuse of minors .
In documents submitted to New York court , her lawyers said she `` vigorously '' denies the charges .
She faces up to 35 years if convicted .
Prosecutors allege that between 1994 and 1997 Ms Maxwell helped Epstein groom girls as young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 10 August as he awaited his trial on sex trafficking charges .
His death was determined to be suicide .
Ms Maxwell 's defence team said her detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn , New York , puts her at `` serious risk '' of contracting coronavirus .
They said she was not a flight risk and asked the judge to release her from custody on $ 5m ( £4m ) bail , signed by six of her associates and secured by a $ 3.75m ( £3m ) on property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail conditions , Ms Maxwell , 58 , would surrender her passports from the US , UK and France and would confine herself to a property in New York with electronic GPS monitoring .
Her lawyers are arguing Ms Maxwell is not Jeffrey Epstein and that she had not been in contact with him for more than a decade before his death .
US federal prosecutors have said she is an `` extreme risk of flight '' and should remain in custody because her wealth , multiple passports , and the length of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk she may abscond .
A federal judge in Manhattan will decide on Tuesday whether to grant bail .
What are the details of the charges ?
Four of the charges Ms Maxwell faces relate to the years 1994-97 when she was , according to the indictment , among Epstein 's closest associates and also in an `` intimate relationship '' with him .
The other two charges are allegations of perjury in 2016 .
The indictment says Ms Maxwell `` assisted , facilitated , and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein 's abuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , helping Epstein to recruit , groom and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18 '' .
Specifically , she is charged with : • Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts • Enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts • Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity • Transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity Ms Maxwell is the daughter of late British media mogul Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is said to have introduced Epstein to many of her wealthy and powerful friends , including Bill Clinton and the Duke of York ( who was accused in the 2015 court papers of touching a woman at Jeffrey Epstein 's US home , although the court subsequently struck out allegations against the duke ) .
Buckingham Palace has said that `` any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors '' by the duke was `` categorically untrue '' .
Ms Maxwell has mostly been out of public view since 2016 and was arrested at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 2 July .

A well-connected socialite, she is said to have introduced Epstein to many of her wealthy and powerful friends, including Bill Clinton and the Duke of York (who was accused in the 2015 court papers of touching a woman at Jeffrey Epstein's US home, although the court subsequently struck out allegations against the duke).


bbc--2020-07-10--Battle of Britain: The schoolgirl who helped design the Spitfire

Meet the young mathematician who helped design the Spitfire , the iconic aircraft that took part in the Battle of @ @ @ @ @ years ago today .
Hazel Hill helped her father do the calculations that meant Spitfires @ @ @ @ @ guns instead of four .
Many believe this made a big difference to the outcome @ @ @ @ @ .
'The Schoolgirl who Helped Win a War ' will be broadcast on the BBC @ @ @ @ @ 17.30 and 20.30 on Saturday and 10.30 and 16.30 on Sunday .
It will also @ @ @ @ @ .

Meet the young mathematician who helped design the Spitfire, the iconic aircraft that took part in the Battle of Britain, which started 80 years ago today.
Hazel Hill helped her father do the calculations that meant Spitfires could be built with eight guns instead of four. Many believe this made a big difference to the outcome of the Battle of Britain.
'The Schoolgirl who Helped Win a War' will be broadcast on the BBC News Channel at 13.30, 17.30 and 20.30 on Saturday and 10.30 and 16.30 on Sunday. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
Edited Katy Hastings and Paul Riseley


bbc--2020-07-10--TikTok: Amazon says email asking staff to remove app 'sent in error'

Amazon has said an email sent to employees asking them to remove the video-sharing app TikTok from any mobile device that can access their company email was sent in error .
An internal memo sent to staff earlier on Friday had said employees should delete the app over `` security risks '' .
The app , owned by a Chinese company , has come under scrutiny because of fears it could share data with China .
TikTok said it did not understand Amazon 's concerns .
`` This morning 's email to some of our employees was sent in error @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies right now with regard to TikTok '' , a company spokesperson told the BBC .
But earlier on Friday , a memo sent to staff seen by multiple news outlets stated that the app must be removed from mobile devices .
`` Due to security risk , the TikTok app is no longer permitted on mobile devices that access Amazon email .
`` If you have TikTok on your device , you must remove it by July 10 to retain mobile access to Amazon email '' , it read .
• Could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TikTok said the company had not received any communication from Amazon before the email went out .
Artificial intelligence-powered short video app TikTok is one of the most downloaded mobile apps in the world , and its popularity has only grown during the coronavirus lockdown .
This has drawn the attention of the Trump administration - on Monday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that it was considering a ban on Chinese social media apps .
Mr Pompeo went so far as to say that TikTok users risk their private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chinese Communist Party '' .
TikTok is owned by Chinese start-up ByteDance , which has taken pains to point out that its chief executive is American .
It has also said publicly several times that it has never , and will never , share TikTok users ' data with the Chinese authorities .
And on Friday , the firm decided to halt its operations in Hong Kong - a move designed to show its distance from the Chinese government .
But many people use their smartphones for both recreation and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on many personal smartphones , and with rising numbers of cyber-security vulnerabilities regularly being discovered in both the Android and iOS mobile operating systems , perhaps Amazon is now starting to worry whether the app could perhaps be used to infiltrate devices .
`` We still do not understand their concerns , we welcome a dialogue so we can address any issues they may have and enable their team to continue participating in our community , '' TikTok said .
TikTok was launched outside mainland China by Beijing-based ByteDance to reach a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the global coronavirus lockdowns with about 315 million people downloading the app in the first three months of this year , according to research firm Sensor Tower .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and an Australian member of parliament have recently suggested the app needs more scrutiny over its data and privacy policies because its headquarters are in China .
Mr Pompeo has banned Department of State employees from downloading the app and suggested it could also be banned in the US .

TikTok is on many personal smartphones, and with rising numbers of cyber-security vulnerabilities regularly being discovered in both the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, perhaps Amazon is now starting to worry whether the app could perhaps be used to infiltrate devices.


bbc--2020-07-10--Coronavirus: Emirates set to cut 9,000 jobs, citing pandemic

The president of Emirates said the Middle Eastern airline is set to cut as many as 9,000 jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic .
It is the first time the world 's biggest long-haul carrier has disclosed how many jobs will be lost .
Prior to the crisis , Emirates had 60,000 staff .
Sir Tim Clark said the airline had already cut a tenth of its staff but said : `` We will probably have to let go of a few more , probably up to 15 % . ''
The global airline industry has been severely impacted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a halt .
In an interview with the BBC , Sir Tim said Emirates was `` not as badly off as others '' .
But its current situation marks a steep turnaround in the fortunes of the airline , which he said before the pandemic was `` heading for one of our best years ever '' .
The job cuts sweeping the wider aviation industry are fuelling concern amongst Emirates staff that things might get worse .
The BBC understands there is growing frustration at what they see as poor communications and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 700 of the airline 's 4,500 pilots were given redundancy notices this week , which means at least 1,200 have been told their jobs are going since the coronavirus crisis started .
The cuts have been focussed on those who fly Airbus planes , rather than Boeing aircraft .
Emirates flies superjumbo Airbus A380s which hold around 500 passengers .
Whereas the Boeing 777s it flies hold fewer passengers and are therefore easier to fill during this period of decreased airline travel .
00Thousands of cabin crew have also been told they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transport Association , which represents 290 airlines , is forecasting that the world 's airlines will lose more than $ 84bn and one million jobs this year .
This week United Airlines , one of the big three in the US , warned its staff that it may have to cut 36,000 staff because of the huge fall in demand for air travel .
Helane Becker , managing director and senior research analyst at investment firm Cowen said given `` the continuing issues surrounding the pandemic '' she expects US airlines to cull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
US aviation unions are pushing the federal government to add to the $ 25bn bailout package it has provided so far .
As part of the conditions for receiving state help , airlines have to protect jobs until the end of September .
But IATA says there are wider benefits in doing so .
A spokesman said the scale of job cuts in the aviation sector `` shows the severe economic crisis facing the industry and all who depend on air connectivity '' .
Adding that its perfectly understandable that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try and keep people safe from coronavirus `` but this should be done in the full knowledge of the economic and social consequences '' .
Watch Sir Tim Clark 's full interview on `` Talking Business with Aaron Heslehurst '' this on BBC World News at Saturday 2330 GMT .

Sir Tim Clark said the airline had already cut a tenth of its staff but said: "We will probably have to let go of a few more, probably up to 15%."


bbc--2020-07-10--Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: Court hears details of 'violent' marital rows

Johnny Depp has claimed `` all hell would break loose '' if he failed to follow ex-wife Amber Heard 's `` rules '' .
The actor , 57 , told London 's High Court during a libel hearing Ms Heard , 34 , would often force him to give her attention .
Ms Heard claimed he once threw a magnum of champagne at her , which he denied .
Mr Depp is suing for libel over an article that called him a `` wife beater '' - but the Sun newspaper maintains the story was accurate .
• Depp accuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The April 2018 piece by journalist Dan Wootton was about the casting of Mr Depp in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film franchise .
Mr Depp 's lawyers say the article made `` defamatory allegations of the utmost seriousness '' , by accusing him of committing serious assaults on Ms Heard .
But the Sun is defending the article as true - and is seeking to prove so at the High Court .
Speaking about his relationship with Ms Heard , Mr Depp told the court it was `` normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in front of the television , and to lie or sit on the couch together .
He said : `` But on occasion , out of nowhere , if my hand was n't holding Ms Heard 's hand or I did n't have my arm around her or whatever , she would reach over and grab my hand and put it on her thigh , so that I was then feeding the attention that she wanted .
`` It was almost as if there were rules , she has a routine and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards then there was going to be a problem . ''
During the fourth day of proceedings , the High Court was also told : • Mr Depp turned up late to Ms Heard 's 30th birthday party in 2016 after receiving bad news about his finances • He later retired to bed `` to avoid any confrontation '' with her as he claimed she displayed `` anger ... rage '' over his tardiness • The actor `` pushed '' Ms Heard to the ground and grabbed her hair during a violent row @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heard `` or her cohort '' were accused by Mr Depp of defecating in their marital bed - a claim she denies Earlier in the day , Sasha Wass QC , representing Sun publisher News Group Newspapers , suggested Mr Depp got out of bed to argue with Ms Heard after her 30th birthday party , which the actor denied .
The barrister said Mr Depp was `` very distressed '' about the news he had received earlier that night about his finances `` and the last thing you wanted to be told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your wife '' .
Mr Depp replied : `` I believe that 's the last thing any husband would want to hear . ''
Ms Wass went on to accuse Mr Depp of picking up a magnum bottle of champagne and throwing it at Ms Heard , which missed , with the glass smashing , which he denied .
She also alleged he grabbed Ms Heard by her hair and pushed her onto the bed adding `` when she tried to leave , you blocked the bedroom door and you tried to grab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Depp then `` pushed her to the ground '' and `` bumped her chest '' before leaving a birthday message which contained an expletive and exiting the penthouse apartment .
Ms Wass then told the court further details of events which followed , described as the `` defecation incident '' .
The barrister said to Mr Depp that `` it came to your attention the following , that was the day of Amber 's actual birthday , that the cleaner had found faeces in the bed '' .
She suggested Mr Depp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which the actor found `` hilarious '' and that `` there were jokes like ... 'Amber in the dumps ' going on . ''
Mr Depp replied : `` It was one of the most absurd , unexpected statements that I have ever witnessed in my life so , yes , initially I did laugh because it was so strange . ''
He told the court it was `` a mystery '' who defecated in the bed `` and it was not left by a three or four-pound dog '' , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of which was said to have `` problems with her toilet habits '' .
`` I was convinced that it was either Ms Heard herself or one of her cohort involved in leaving human faeces on the bed , '' Mr Depp added .
He told the court he thought the incident was `` a fitting end to the relationship '' .
Details of Ms Heard 's allegations of sexual violence against the Pirates of the Caribbean star were heard in private on Friday and not disclosed to the press or public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAPD officer saw `` no injuries '' on Ms Heard 's face after she alleged Mr Depp had thrown her own mobile phone at her .
She claimed he had come to the penthouse `` drunk and high '' , became enraged and then threw the phone `` like someone throwing a baseball '' , which hit her in the eye .
But domestic violence specialist Melissa Saenz said she saw no marks on Ms Heard 's face after the alleged incident in May 2016 .
Ms Heard also claimed Mr Depp had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wine bottle before leaving but Ms Saenz told the court via videolink from Los Angeles she had found no damage after searching the entire flat .
Ms Wass suggested the police `` did n't give the care to this case that you say you did '' .
The case arose out of the publication of an article on the Sun 's website headlined : `` Gone Potty : How can JK Rowling be 'genuinely happy ' casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film ? ''
The Sun 's original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actress , who was married to the film star from 2015 to 2017 .
Witnesses including Mr Depp 's former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder are expected to give evidence via video link , and the hearing is expected to last for three weeks .

He said: "But on occasion, out of nowhere, if my hand wasn't holding Ms Heard's hand or I didn't have my arm around her or whatever, she would reach over and grab my hand and put it on her thigh, so that I was then feeding the attention that she wanted.


bbc--2020-07-10--Hagia Sophia: Turkey turns iconic Istanbul museum into mosque

The world-famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul - originally founded as a cathedral - has been turned back into a mosque .
Turkey 's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the decision after a court annulled the site 's museum status .
Built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral , Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 .
In 1934 it became a museum and is now a Unesco World Heritage site .
Islamists in Turkey long called for it to be converted to a mosque but secular opposition members opposed the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political leaders worldwide .
Defending the decision , President Erdogan stressed that the country had exercised its sovereign right in converting it back to a mosque .
He told a press conference the first Muslim prayers would be held inside the building on 24 July .
`` Like all our mosques , the doors of Hagia Sophia will be wide open to locals and foreigners , Muslims and non-Muslims , '' he added .
A change is coming to Hagia Sophia , which has endured since the 6th century , outlasting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , once again , it will be a mosque .
But Turkish officials say Christian emblems , including mosaics of the Virgin Mary which adorn its soaring golden dome , will not be removed .
Making changes at Hagia Sophia is profoundly symbolic .
It was Kemal Ataturk , the founder of modern Turkey , who decreed that it should be a museum .
President Erdogan is now taking one more step to dismantle Ataturk 's secular legacy , and remould Turkey according to his vision .
The Turkish leader - who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - is making no apologies for the change .
He says anyone who does n't like it - and plenty abroad do n't - is attacking Turkey 's sovereignty .
Reclaiming Hagia Sophia plays well with his base - religious conservatives - and with Turkish nationalists .
Critics say he 's using the issue to distract attention from the economic damage done here by the Covid19 pandemic .
But many in the international community argue that the monument belongs to humanity - not to Turkey - and should have remained unchanged .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faiths , and a symbol of co-existence .
Shortly after the announcement , the first call to prayer was recited at Hagia Sophia and was broadcast on all of Turkey 's main news channels .
The cultural site 's social media channels have now been taken down .
What has the reaction been ?
Unesco has said it `` deeply regrets '' the decision to turn the museum into a mosque and called on the Turkish authorities to `` open a dialogue without delay . ''
The organisation had urged Turkey not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the Eastern Orthodox Church has condemned the move , as has Greece - home to many millions of Orthodox followers .
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said it was an `` open provocation to the civilised world '' .
`` The nationalism displayed by President Erdogan ... takes his country back six centuries , '' she said in a statement .
The court ruling `` absolutely confirms that there is no independent justice '' in Turkey , she added .
• Is pandemic being used for power grab in Europe ?
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top administrative court , said in its ruling on Friday : `` It was concluded that the settlement deed allocated it as a mosque and its use outside this character is not possible legally . ''
`` The cabinet decision in 1934 that ended its use as a mosque and defined it as a museum did not comply with laws , '' it said .
The Church in Russia , home to the world 's largest Orthodox Christian community , immediately expressed regret that the Turkish court had not taken its concerns into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It said the decision could lead to even greater divisions .
While the move is popular with conservative religious supporters of President Erdogan , Turkey 's most famous author , Orhan Pamuk said the decision would take away the `` pride '' some Turks had in being a secular Muslim nation .
`` There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this but their voices are not heard , '' he told the BBC .
• Hagia Sophia 's complex history began in the year 537 when Byzantine emperor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Golden Horn harbour • With its huge dome , it was believed to be the world 's largest church and building • It remained in Byzantine hands for centuries apart from a brief moment in 1204 when Crusaders raided the city • In 1453 , in a devastating blow to the Byzantines , Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II captured Istanbul ( formerly known as Constantinople ) and the victorious conqueror performed Friday prayers inside Hagia Sophia • The Ottomans soon converted the building into a mosque , adding four minarets to the exterior and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with panels of Arabic religious calligraphy • After centuries at the heart of the Muslim Ottoman empire , it was turned into a museum in 1934 in a drive to make Turkey more secular • Today Hagia Sophia is Turkey 's most popular tourist site , attracting more than 3.7 million visitors a year

Making changes at Hagia Sophia is profoundly symbolic. It was Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, who decreed that it should be a museum. President Erdogan is now taking one more step to dismantle Ataturk's secular legacy, and remould Turkey according to his vision. The Turkish leader - who presents himself as a modern day conqueror - is making no apologies for the change. He says anyone who doesn't like it - and plenty abroad don't - is attacking Turkey's sovereignty.


bbc--2020-07-10--Syria: Russia and China veto last-ditch aid extension deal

Russia and China have vetoed at the UN Security Council a one-year extension to a deal allowing aid deliveries to north-western Syria via Turkey .
Up to now , food and other aid for millions of people have come through two crossing points to Aleppo province and to rebel-held Idlib .
A Belgian-German draft resolution was a last-ditch attempt to prolong the deal , which expires later on Friday .
Russia wants one crossing to be open , and a vote on this is now expected .
Moscow argues that aid for Syria should be channelled through its ally there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But analysts say the government in Damascus has a record of restricting the flow of aid to areas in the hands of its opponents .
Last month , the head of the World Food Programme warned that Syria faced the risk of mass starvation or another mass exodus unless more aid money was made available .
David Beasley told the BBC a million Syrians faced severe food insecurity and some were already dying .
The war-torn country 's currency has collapsed and food prices have soared .
In desperation , many Syrians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flee to Europe as they did in 2015 , Mr Beasley said .
More than 380,000 people have been killed and 13.2 million others - half the pre-war population - have been displaced inside and outside Syria since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011 .
Some 6.6 million refugees are scattered throughout the world , the vast majority of them in Turkey , Lebanon , Jordan , Iraq and Egypt , where the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has wrought havoc on economies .
• Carpets , olives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost The UN and its partners have appealed for $ 3.8bn ( £3.08bn ) for humanitarian work inside Syria and another $ 6.04bn to help countries in the region hosting Syrian refugees .
The appeals are currently 30 % and 19 % funded respectively .
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees , Filippo Grandi , has warned that the Covid-19 crisis has had an immediate and devastating impact on the livelihoods of millions of Syrian refugees and their host countries , where there have been sharp economic downturns and poverty has spiralled .

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has warned that the Covid-19 crisis has had an immediate and devastating impact on the livelihoods of millions of Syrian refugees and their host countries, where there have been sharp economic downturns and poverty has spiralled.


bbc--2020-07-10--Mali protesters occupy national broadcaster

Protesters in Mali have forced the state broadcaster off air during large demonstrations in the capital Bamako .
Police have fired shots and used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators - some of whom were trying to break into the national assembly .
This is the third rally in a month demanding that President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita stand down .
There is discontent over a long-running jihadist conflict , an economic crisis and disputed legislative elections .
A new opposition coalition led by the conservative Imam , Mahmoud Dicko , this week said it had dropped its demand for President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a populist imam is shaking up Mali 's politics But it is still insisting on further reforms after rejecting concessions from the Malian president including the formation of a unity government .
Many thousands of protestors have been out on the streets of Bamako , the BBC 's Africa regional editor Will Ross reports .
Some of them briefly made it into the building of the national broadcaster , ORTM , which was then forced off air .
Roads were blocked with burning barricades .
Some looting has taken place and there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the national assembly .
Two sources told the Reuters news agency that at least one person was killed outside the assembly .
This demonstration is the third since June .
Protests started after the opposition coalition rejected concessions from President Keita designed to end a political stand-off over a disputed legislative election in March .
The opposition this week said the movement had dropped its demand for President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita to step down .
But it still called this protest because it wants more reforms .
Keita secured a second five-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased opposition over a rise in jihadist violence and an economic crisis .
Malians will hope this instability does not play into the hands of the jihadists who are behind the escalating violence in the north and centre of the country .

The opposition this week said the movement had dropped its demand for President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita to step down. But it still called this protest because it wants more reforms.


bbc--2020-07-10--Singapore ruling PAP party wins elections, but support falls

Singapore 's ruling People 's Action Party ( PAP ) has retained power in Friday 's general election but with a reduced majority , final results show .
The PAP , in power since 1965 , won 83 of 93 parliamentary seats or 61.2 % of the vote - down from nearly 70 % it had in the 2015 poll .
The opposition Workers ' Party secured 10 seats - its best result .
The election was widely seen as a referendum on the government 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
The small city state is one of only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vote during the pandemic .
Strict safety measures were put in place , with voters wearing gloves and masks and given timed voting slots .
Singapore has been one of the worst hit countries in the Asia-Pacific region , with more than 45,000 cases .
As large-scale gatherings and events are deemed a high risk during the pandemic , only a few countries have gone ahead with national elections during the past months .
South Korea voted in April while Serbia went to the polls in late June .
In both countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power .
The PAP victory now brings current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yet another term in office .
The son of country 's founding father and long-time ruler Lee Kuan Yew , Mr Lee has been in office since 2004 - but has indicated the forthcoming term will be his last .
The PAP 's two-thirds majority gives him a virtually free hand in passing key bills , although the party leadership is expected to start some soul-searching with the diminished popular support .
Meanwhile , supporters of the the Workers ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with honking horns and waving party flags .
`` The results have surpassed the expectations even of some in the opposition , '' Loke Hoe Yeong , author of First Wave , a book on the history of the Singapore opposition , was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency .
• What it 's like to campaign during a pandemic • South Koreans vote in masks and at virus clinics This time round , the main issues in the election were the government 's handling of the pandemic and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been praised for keeping the virus in check until clusters in its migrant population dramatically drove up infection numbers .
In terms of per capita cases , Singapore now ranks among the world 's worst affected countries although the death rate is low and almost all cases originate from within the foreign worker community living in dormitories .
After weeks of strict lockdown , measures have been gradually eased since June and there 's only been a small uptick in infections among the local population .
Social distancing rules remain in place and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For the election process , this meant the 2.65 million voters had to sanitise their hands and wear disposable gloves before receiving their ballot paper and proceeding to vote .
People were given two-hour slots during which they were recommended to vote to avoid crowding .
Mobile polling teams took ballot boxes to citizens who had recently returned from overseas and were in hotel quarantine .

"The results have surpassed the expectations even of some in the opposition," Loke Hoe Yeong, author of First Wave, a book on the history of the Singapore opposition, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.