bbc--2020-07-16--EU-US data court ruling is 'victory for privacy'

A major agreement governing the transfer of EU citizens ' data to the United States has been struck down by the European Court of Justice ( ECJ ) .
The EU-US Privacy Shield let companies sign up to higher privacy standards , before transferring data to the US .
But a privacy advocate challenged the agreement , arguing that US national security laws did not protect EU citizens from government snooping .
Max Schrems , the Austrian behind the case , called it a win for privacy .
`` It is clear that the US will have to seriously change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to continue to play a role in the EU market , '' he said .
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said his department was `` deeply disappointed '' by the decision .
He said he hoped to `` limit the negative consequences '' to transatlantic trade worth $ 7.1 trillion ( £5.6tn ) .
What happens next ?
The EU-US Privacy Shield system `` underpins transatlantic digital trade '' for more than 5,300 companies .
About 65 % of them are small-medium enterprises ( SMEs ) or start-ups , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affected companies will now have to sign `` standard contractual clauses '' : non-negotiable legal contracts drawn up by Europe , which are used in other countries besides the US .
They are already used by many big players .
Microsoft , for example , has issued a statement saying it already uses them and is unaffected .
The last time a major deal like this was struck down in 2015 - also from a case involving Max Schrems - a grace period was brought in as companies figured out what to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validity of the SCCs , but the ECJ chose not to abolish them .
But it did warn that those contracts should be suspended by data protection watchdogs , if the guarantees in them are not upheld .
Mr Schrems ' case was partly prompted by leaks from ex-CIA contractor Edward Snowden which revealed the extent of US surveillance .
European data protection law says data can only be transferred out of the EU - to the United States or elsewhere - if appropriate safeguards are in place .
But the ECJ said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to what is strictly necessary '' .
`` The requirements of US national security , public interest and law enforcement have primacy , thus condoning interference with the fundamental rights of persons whose data are transferred , '' it said .
`` The limitations on the protection of personal data arising from the domestic law of the United States ... are not circumscribed in a way that satisfies requirements . ''
`` This is a bold move by Europe , '' Jonathan Kewley , co-head of technology at law firm Clifford Chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing here looks suspiciously like a privacy trade war , where Europe is saying their data standards can be trusted but those in the US can not . ''
He also warned that standard contractual clauses ( SCCs ) will be much more closely scrutinised from now on .
Data protection expert Tim Turner agreed , saying the ECJ 's warning over the standard clauses could spell further trouble for US companies .
`` If the law in the relevant country - let 's say the USA - could override what the contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` I do n't know how much appetite they have to do this , but it 's hard to imagine that any European regulator would say that SCCs work for the US , and the pressure will pile on for them to make the assessment .
`` I do n't think SCCs escaped the court 's judgement - for some key countries , it 's probably just a stay of execution . ''

"I don't know how much appetite they have to do this, but it's hard to imagine that any European regulator would say that SCCs work for the US, and the pressure will pile on for them to make the assessment.


bbc--2020-07-16--Megan Thee Stallion 'suffered gunshot wounds', apparently injuring foot

US rapper Megan Thee Stallion has said she 's `` grateful to be alive '' after being shot , but has given few details of her injuries or how they happened .
The chart-topping star said she `` suffered gunshot wounds '' on Sunday and is expected to make a full recovery .
A video apparently showed her bleeding from her foot after police stopped a car also containing rapper Tory Lanez .
He was later charged with carrying a concealed weapon .
Police said one person had suffered `` a foot injury '' .
The Texas-born rapper , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US chart in May with Savage .
The song , which became a viral dance craze on TikTok , also reached number three in the UK , thanks to a remix featuring Beyonce .
Megan was also named best female hip-hop artist at last month 's BET Awards , beating Cardi B , Nicki Minaj and Lizzo .
It had been reported that she had cut her foot on broken glass during the incident in the Hollywood Hills , in which Lanez was arrested .
But she took to Instagram on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` On Sunday morning , I suffered gunshot wounds , as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me , '' she wrote .
`` I was never arrested , the police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets .
`` I 'm incredibly grateful to be alive and that I 'm expected to make a full recovery , but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole experience was an eye opener and a blessing in disguise .
I hate that it took this experience for me to learn how to protect my energy . ''
Police said officers responded to reports of gunshots at about 04:30 PST ( 11:30 GMT ) on Sunday .
The Los Angeles Times quoted the LA Police Department as saying one person was taken to the hospital `` with a foot injury '' .
According to the paper , two sources familiar with the investigation said her injury at the scene was consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The video posted by TMZ showed a woman it identified as the rapper limping out of a vehicle , leaving blood marks from one foot .
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bbc--2020-07-16--Anger over video of Indian police attacking Dalit couple

Two officials have been removed in India after a Dalit couple attempted suicide by consuming pesticide while being evicted from government land .
A video has been widely shared of the police appearing to beat the pair in the state of Madhya Pradesh , as their distraught children cry nearby .
Opposition parties say it is typical of the treatment of Dalits , who are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system .
Despite laws to protect them , they still face widespread discrimination .
A video shows the police hitting a Dalit man with batons as his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The couple said they had leased the land for farming and would die if they were evicted .
• The Indian Dalit man killed for eating in front of upper-caste men Officials said that the couple , who were being removed from a plot of government land granted for a college , drank pesticide in protest .
They are reported to be recovering in hospital .
What has the reaction been ?
`` Our fight is against this mentality and injustice , '' tweeted Rahul Gandhi , former leader of the opposition Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singh Chouhan said that an investigation was underway and that a local official and the superintendent of police had been removed from their posts .
The police have said they were attacked while trying to remove the family .
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bbc--2020-07-16--The Benjamin Netanyahu Twitter hack that never was

As many celebrities and politicians had their Twitter accounts hacked on Wednesday in an apparent Bitcoin scam , the site was flooded with screenshots of their bogus messages asking for cryptocurrency donations .
Among them were billionaires Elon Musk , Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates , as well as former US President Barack Obama and rapper Kanye West .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also featured among the compromised accounts in some US media reports .
But there is no evidence that a screenshot , allegedly taken from Mr Netanyahu 's Twitter account , is anything other than a fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persisted and spread , with Chinese media directly quoting reports on US outlets , including CNN , which included the Israeli leader 's account among the list of those hacked .
The Times of Israel also picked up agency reports that included Mr Netanyahu on the list of those compromised .
The tweet translates from Hebrew : `` I give back to my community because of Covid-19 !
All the Bitcoin that will be sent to my address below , will be sent back doubled .
If you send $ 1,000 I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing this only in the next 30 minutes !
Enjoy . ''
The Israeli embassy in London told the BBC : `` The tweet in question was not tweeted from the official account of the prime minister .
We believe it must be fake . ''
The BBC has found no evidence the tweet ever appeared on Netanyahu 's timeline , and the message itself seems to have been shared only as a screenshot , with no link to his Twitter account or the tweet in question .
In addition , the message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be posted online at the time and Netanyahu himself would be the only non-US account targeted by scammers .
This is n't the first time a fake tweet from a prominent politician has prompted confusion online in a rapidly developing situation .
• Twitter hack : What went wrong and why it matters In the aftermath of the London Bridge attack in November last year , a fake tweet allegedly authored by the then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested he sympathised with the attacker who was shot dead by the police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake Corbyn post was circulated only as a screenshot , with no link to the tweet in question .
How can you separate real from fake ?
It comes as little surprise that during the chaos of this Twitter hack , fake screenshots of public figures being targeted by the same Bitcoin scam came to light .
It 's worryingly easy to generate fake screenshots of tweets online and attribute them to public figures - even the prime minister of Israel .
It 's something we 've seen happen during elections and breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate the real from the fake ?
Always beware screenshots .
Ensure that the account in the picture matches the Twitter handle , image and name of the official account .
Check the account in question to see whether the tweet exists - and whether there 's any other unusual activity happening on its feed .
A lot of the Bitcoin scam tweets were taken down pretty quickly , though , so that does n't always help .
Comparing the screenshot with the other real tweets from big public figures was the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identical message was tweeted in English repeatedly - so messages in another language , or with any changes to the phrasing would be suspicious .
And if you ca n't verify it 's true - do n't share !

The tweet translates from Hebrew: "I give back to my community because of Covid-19! All the Bitcoin that will be sent to my address below, will be sent back doubled. If you send $1,000 I will give back $2,000! I am doing this only in the next 30 minutes! Enjoy."


bbc--2020-07-16--River Nile dam: Sudan blasts 'unilateral' move as Ethiopia dam fills

Sudan says River Nile water levels have dropped as a reservoir behind Ethiopia 's Grand Renaissance dam has filled up , hitting out at `` any unilateral actions taken by any party '' .
Egypt has also demanded `` quick official clarification '' from Ethiopia .
Both Sudan and Egypt are downstream , and fear the large dam will greatly reduce their access to water .
Ethiopia sees the hydroelectric project as crucial for its economic growth and improving electricity supplies .
`` If Ethiopia does n't fill the dam , it means Ethiopia has agreed to demolish the dam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament earlier this month .
But state media have backtracked after reports on Wednesday that suggested the dam was being filled deliberately , though without making it clear whether the dam 's gates had been closed .
On Thursday Sudan 's foreign ministry quoted an Ethiopian official as saying Ethiopia was not filling the dam and had not closed its gates .
• How the Nile 's mega dam will be filled • Why the dam is so controversial • Why the Nile could see a 'water war' Earlier this week , talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4bn ( £3.2bn ) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ( Gerd ) ended without agreement , Ethiopian officials said , blaming `` unchanged and additional and excessive demands of Egypt '' .
Dialogue and a fair solution were needed , Sudan 's Information Minister Faisal Saleh was quoted as saying on Monday by Reuters .
Sudan said the daily flow of water had dropped by 90 million cubic metres ( mcm ) - equivalent to about 36,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools - at the al-Deim water station which borders Ethiopia .
Years of fraught negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how and when to fill the reservoir , and how much water it should release .
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has previously warned that filling and operating the dam without an agreement `` that protects the downstream communities… would heighten tensions and could provoke crises and conflicts that further destabilise an already troubled region '' .
A conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia , which are both US allies , would put millions of civilians at risk .
What did Ethiopia say ?
On Wednesday its Water Minister Seleshi Bekele appeared to confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising , with state broadcaster EBC quoting him as saying it was `` in line with the dam 's natural construction process '' .
But hours later EBC backtracked , saying it apologised for `` erroneous '' reporting that incorrectly quoted the water minister as saying the process of filling the dam had started .
`` [ Mr Bekele ] said negotiations on the Gerd would continue in a manner that would ensure the interests of Ethiopia '' , EBC clarified .
Satellite images taken between 27 June and 12 July show a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being held back by the dam .
Two unnamed Ethiopian officials who spoke to AFP news agency have respectively blamed this on heavy rains outpacing the dam 's ability to push water downstream , and it being a normal part of construction that has not stopped flow altogether .
When fully operational , the dam will become the largest hydro-electric plant in Africa , providing power to some 65 million Ethiopians , who currently lack a regular electricity supply .
However , Egypt gets almost all of its water from the Nile and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How long will it take to fill ?
Ethiopia says it will take between five to seven years to fill up the dam to its maximum flood season capacity of 74 billion cubic metres ( bcm ) .
At that point , the lake that will be created could stretch back some 250km ( 155 miles ) upstream .
Between each subsequent flood season the reservoir will be lowered to 49.3bcm .
Egypt , which almost entirely relies on the Nile for its water needs , is concerned that in most years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific volume of water .
And once the filling stage is over , Ethiopia is reluctant to be tied to a figure of how much water to release .
In years of normal or above average rainfall that should not be a problem , but Egypt is nervous about what might happen during prolonged drought .
Join Alastair Leithead and his team , travelling in 2018 from the Blue Nile 's source to the sea - through Ethiopia and Sudan into Egypt .
What is happening with the talks ?
Negotiations over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after nearly a decade of talks between Egypt and Ethiopia , with Sudan caught in between .
Last year , Egypt sought the intervention of the US on the impasse .
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi requested that US President Donald Trump mediate the conflict , which Ethiopia was initially reluctant to accept .
The US and the World Bank got involved but failed to get Ethiopia to sign up to a document agreed with Egypt in February .
When the US then said that the dam should not be completed without an agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its role as a neutral observer .
The African Union ( AU ) has now said it will try to find a solution .

Ethiopia says it will take between five to seven years to fill up the dam to its maximum flood season capacity of 74 billion cubic metres (bcm). At that point, the lake that will be created could stretch back some 250km (155 miles) upstream.


bbc--2020-07-16--President Trump and Ivanka criticised over Goya support

US President Donald Trump and his daughter and advisor Ivanka have been criticised for endorsing a Hispanic food company on social media .
The pair shared images of themselves holding Goya Foods products earlier this week , with the president saying it was `` doing GREAT '' .
It comes after the head of Goya expressed his support for Mr Trump , prompting calls to boycott the company .
The Trumps ' actions have raised concerns over ethics violations .
In a tweet on Tuesday , the president 's daughter posted a picture of her holding a can of Goya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - `` If it 's Goya , it has to be good '' - in English and Spanish .
The Republican president later tweeted , without citing evidence , that `` Goya Foods is doing GREAT .
The Radical Left smear machine backfired , people are buying like crazy ! ''
.
An image of him posing with various Goya products was also shared on his Instagram account .
As an employee of the US government , Ms Trump 's comments may violate ethics rules which prohibit the use of public office to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Walter Shaub , a former director of the US Office of Government Ethics ( OGE ) , wrote in a series of tweets that Ms Trump 's tweet was `` clearly a violation of the government 's misuse of position regulation '' .
`` There 's a particularly unseemly aspect to this violation : it creates the appearance that the government 's endorsement is for sale , '' he added .
`` Endorse the president and the administration will endorse your product . ''
Mr Shaub quit his post in 2017 over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media posts have also prompted ridicule , with California congresswoman Jackie Speier , a Democrat , tweeting `` This is the president of the United States , selling canned goods in the [ White House ] '' .
CNN journalist Chris Cuomo - brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo - lambasted President Trump during a television appearance .
`` You tell me how a president , in the middle of a pandemic , has got time for this ... ? ''
asked Mr Cuomo .
`` Are you kidding me ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended Ms Trump 's tweet , saying she had `` every right to express her personal support '' .
`` Only the media and the cancel culture movement would criticize Ivanka for showing her personal support for a company that has been unfairly mocked , boycotted and ridiculed for supporting this administration - one that has consistently fought for and delivered for the Hispanic community , '' said media director Carolina Hurley .
The OGE has not publicly commented on the social media posts .
Last week Robert Unanue , chief executive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House during the announcement of a new 'Hispanic Prosperity Initiative ' by the government .
`` We 're all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder , and that 's what my grandfather did , '' said Mr Unanue .
The hashtags # Goyaway and # BoycottGoya later trended on Twitter , with critics citing Mr Trump 's previous derogatory remarks about Hispanics .
During his presidential campaign in 2016 , he called Mexicans `` rapists '' and reportedly called El @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a White House meeting in 2018 .
It has since become a heated political issue , with Democratic politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez throwing their support behind a boycott .
In response , a man in the US state of Virginia set up a crowdfunding campaign to buy Goya produce and donate it to food pantries in the capital , Washington , D.C .
In four days , it has raised more than $ 280,000 ( £222,605 ) .
`` The liberal mob is coming for anyone who disagrees , '' wrote campaign founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise up to cancel culture and feed the hungry at the same time ? ''


bbc--2020-07-15--Say Her Name: 'Black women are killed by police too'

Black women in the US are disproportionately more likely to be killed by police than white women .
Despite this @ @ @ @ @ Her Name believes deaths of black women at the hands of police are overlooked compared @ @ @ @ @ like George Floyd .
One of their members , Gina Best , talks about the @ @ @ @ @ India Kager , and asks why black women like her are `` erased '' .

Black women in the US are disproportionately more likely to be killed by police than white women.
Despite this, the campaign group Say Her Name believes deaths of black women at the hands of police are overlooked compared to deaths of black men like George Floyd.
One of their members, Gina Best, talks about the fatal shooting of her daughter India Kager, and asks why black women like her are "erased".
Produced by Caroline Lowbridge


bbc--2020-07-15--Wayfair: The false conspiracy about a furniture firm and child trafficking

Expensive furniture sold by the US-based company Wayfair is at the centre of a bizarre conspiracy theory involving allegations of child trafficking , which has been spreading online .
The unfounded claims first appeared on 14 June in the US but have become a global trend since .
Wayfair has said `` there is of course no truth to these claims '' .
What is the Wayfair conspiracy theory ?
The claims originated in the QAnon community - many of whom believe in a far-right conspiracy theory that there 's a secret plot by a supposed `` deep state '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A well-known activist tweeted about the high price of storage cabinets being sold by online retailer , Wayfair .
The user pointed out that the cabinets were `` all listed with girls ' names , '' prompting followers to allege that the pieces of furniture actually had children hidden in them as part of a supposed child trafficking ring .
The initial tweet gained little traction until discussion about it was reignited on a Reddit discussion group called `` r/conspiracy '' almost a month later on 9 July .
By that point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that some expensive pieces of Wayfair furniture are named after girls , and actual cases of missing children in the US with the same names .
Some of these children are no longer missing and one woman , who was mentioned when a cabinet with her first name was linked to her alleged disappearance as a teenager , did a Facebook live refuting the claims .
She said she never went missing in the first place .
What is Wayfair saying ?
When it comes to why some of its items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained that the company uses an algorithm to name its products ( other retailers also use first names to brand their products ) .
It acknowledged that the high prices listed may have led to confusion , but says the particular cabinets are large `` industrial size '' items meant for business or commercial use .
A spokesperson told BBC News : `` We have temporarily removed the products from our site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims that personalised pillows which can cost up to $ 10,000 are that expensive because it involves trafficking a child .
Wayfair has refuted this , and put it down to a price glitch on their website .
The same sorts of glitches can be seen sometimes with other online sellers .
But it was n't long before QAnon activists put forward a new theory .
Some said that after they put stock-keeping unit ( SKU ) numbers of specific Wayfair products into Yandex - a major Russian search engine - images of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
That claim was true , but was down to a glitch in the search engine .
Newsweek reported that a Yandex search for `` any random string of numbers '' would return the same results .
Yandex seems to have corrected the issue now , as we 've found similar searches no longer return images of young women .
Where has the Wayfair conspiracy spread ?
Although it began in the US , the conspiracy theory soon became a global trend .
According to data from CrowdTangle , a Facebook-owned social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has generated 4.4 million engagements on Instagram .
It also spread rapidly on public groups and pages on Facebook , resulting in more than 12,000 posts and nearly a million direct engagements .
Analysis by BBC Monitoring shows the theory also gained huge traction in Turkey , with the second-highest amount of content after the US .
In Latin America , a YouTube post about the conspiracy by a popular Argentine YouTube personality had nearly 90,000 views over the weekend .
Has this happened before ?
It has similarities to the unfounded Pizzagate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Hillary Clinton was running for US President in 2016 .
The fabricated claims , which began on social media , suggested that a pizza restaurant in Washington DC was at the centre of a supposed child sex ring linked to the former presidential candidate 's inner circle .
The conspiracy theory became so big it resulted in a US man opening fire in the pizza restaurant in question .

When it comes to why some of its items are named after children, Wayfair has explained that the company uses an algorithm to name its products (other retailers also use first names to brand their products).


bbc--2020-07-15--Adoptee Kara Bos's search for her roots in South Korea

In the first verdict of its kind , a South Korean court found that a woman adopted by an American @ @ @ @ @ must be recognised as the daughter of an 85-year-old South Korean man .
The ruling @ @ @ @ @ of Korean-born adoptees who want to know the identities of their birth parents .
But @ @ @ @ @ adoptee who brought the case , it ’ s been a painful struggle that is @ @ @ @

In the first verdict of its kind, a South Korean court found that a woman adopted by an American couple almost four decades ago must be recognised as the daughter of an 85-year-old South Korean man.
The ruling provides hope for the thousands of Korean-born adoptees who want to know the identities of their birth parents.
But for Kara Bos, the adoptee who brought the case, it’s been a painful struggle that is still not over.
Produced by Hyung Kim and Julie Yoon.
Filmed by Julie Yoon and Hosu Lee.
Edited by Kevin Kim and Julie Yoon.


bbc--2020-07-14--Professional Bull Riders: American rodeo and its history of black athletes

Ezekiel Mitchell pauses for a moment when asked to describe his toughest opponent .
He eventually opts for a nine-year-old .
Admittedly one with a steely glare backed up by 121 stones of slabbed muscle .
`` I would have to say Sweet Pro 's Bruiser , '' he tells BBC Sport .
`` The power and sheer athleticism of him , he 's able to do things some bulls just ca n't .
If you 're just a millisecond too late , he 's put you on the ground . ''
There is no choreography to their dance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pure instinct to counter the steps of the wheeling , convulsing bull below .
`` Once you get in the bucking chute , your subconscious mind clicks in and your conscious mind clicks out , '' he says .
`` It 's taking complete and utter chaos and trying to control it for eight seconds .
It 's unreal . ''
Mitchell , from Rockdale , Texas , is the only black American in pro bull-riding 's top 50 ranked riders .
At 23 years old , he 's already encountered forces less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweet Pro 's Bruiser in his life and career so far .
The odds did n't use to be so stark .
When the American Civil War ended in 1865 , many of Texas ' slave-owning settlers returned home from fighting for the Confederacy to be confronted by a newly freed black workforce , knowledgeable in ranching .
Modern barbed wire , which made containing cattle easier and cheaper , had yet to be invented and the major railroads that transported them large distances had yet to stretch as far as Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ employer-employee as black men , still struggling to find work in many other sectors , were hired to care and transport herds .
Soon after , it is estimated that one in four cowboys in the West was black .
That ratio was significantly watered down when the era was recreated in popular culture , however .
There are some exceptions .
Bill Pickett was a celebrated black rodeo performer in the early 20th century .
Historian William Katz wrote about the history of the black cowboy in the 1970s .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Pulitzer for Lonesome Dove , which featured a black cowboy character .
But in the American imagination , a cowboy was a white man .
`` We grew up with the idea of a white cowboy , the idea that a cowboy would look like John Wayne or a the guy in the Marlboro cigarette ads , '' explains Walter Thompson Hernandez , journalist and author of The Compton Cowboys .
`` The image of black men and women on horses was not available as part of popular culture . ''
Rodeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old ranch hands into competition - did not buck the trend .
Despite the success of pioneering black rider Myrtis Dightman , who became the first black man to compete in the National Finals in 1964 , a 'colour barrier ' , whether overtly stated or implicit , kept black competitors out of some events as late as the 1980s .
Now they are included .
How welcome they are though , depends on who you speak to .
Neil Holmes grew up a couple of hours ' drive from Mitchell in Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bull-riding after attending an annual rodeo , held after church each Easter in the town .
Despite only getting on board a bull at the relatively late age of 17 , he reached the top 40 of the elite-level Professional Bull Riders tour before retiring in 2018 .
`` There is always that elephant in the room , when you are different it is obvious , especially in that sport , '' he says .
`` Among the riders the camaraderie is always great , but sometimes you go into these smaller towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
`` I have had fans say some obscene things or make obscene gestures .
A lot of times we have to stay in that same town and I have always got that look… '' There 've have been occasions that there has been a fist fight at the bar just because I 'm a black guy with a cowboy hat on .
It is rare , especially as times change , but I hope that we set a good enough example by how we carry ourselves that it outweighs whatever hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both Mitchell and Holmes have followed in the footsteps of Charles Sampson .
In 1982 , a 5ft 4in 25-year-old , he emerged from Los Angeles ' notorious south side to become the first black world champion bull-rider .
Occasionally referred to as bull-riding 's own Jackie Robinson , Sampson takes the long view , setting his experiences in the context of the prejudice suffered by the ground-breaking baseball star and other earlier black sporting pioneers .
`` America still has history of racism - everyone goes through it in their own manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My emphasis in what I went through is positive .
The racism in the 1920s , 1930s or 1940s was not a type that I had to deal with .
`` Did white people do anything to me ?
Maybe they did and I did n't look at it that way .
Maybe I overlooked it or did n't understand it .
`` But no-one stopped me , no-one belittled me , no-one told me that just because I was black I was n't equal to white people . ''
The fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to .
The bull may not care about the colour of the man on its back , but those who open the bucking chute and supply the livestock are also gatekeepers for the sport 's human participants .
`` Bull riding is not like baseball , football or basketball , '' adds Sampson .
`` You can pick up a stick and rock and swing and hit , you can throw a football to anybody , or go anywhere , pick up a basketball and shoot it .
`` Rodeo is different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride bulls and hopefully the people who own them are not trying to overmatch you and discourage you . ''
If access is the first obstacle for the novice , subjectivity can be the one that confronts black riders once they make it into a competitive rodeo ring .
Riders are up against the clock - attempting to stay on top of the bull for eight seconds - but also a panel of judges .
They are marked on how hard the bull bucked and how well they countered .
`` There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds Holmes .
`` I feel I have got the short end of the stick from some of those old-school judges , which is kind of sad .
If they have to choose me or the all-American white boy , no question , I do n't get that advantage . ''
Harder to measure than points or prize money is how a lack of black riders stunts the sport 's growth in those communities , perpetuating a sense that bull-riding is not for them .
It is one that even Mitchell struggles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of comfort , the likes of Charlie and Neil being there and having achieved what they achieved , '' he says .
He recalls meeting `` small-town old-timer people who are still set in their ways '' on the lower-level circuit .
`` There is a bit of prejudice there , '' he adds .
`` Since I have always wanted to be a cowboy I grew to ignore a lot of the hateful comments .
`` But on the Professional Bull-Riders tour as a professional athlete I have really not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans and the PBR for making me feel welcome .
There are some times when you feel like you do n't belong , but I would n't say that the prejudice lingers . ''
Mitchell does not intend to linger at the top level either .
Rodeo is an inherently risky pastime .
Careers are short , injuries often horrific .
Mitchell recalls his ear being ripped by a bull 's hoof : `` If it had been an inch over it probably would have stomped my head into the ground and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unexpected .
He cites WWE wrestler-turned-Hollywood A-lister Dwayne 'The Rock ' Johnson as his crossover inspiration for turning a specialist sporting career into a mainstream success .
`` He transformed his life into something totally different .
That is what I want for myself , '' Mitchell adds .
`` I want to show people that you can do whatever you want to no matter the circumstance you come from or what colour you are as long as you have drive and determination . ''
The brand building for Mitchell 's next move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we speak a multi-screen display beams out his personal bull-horned logo .
More than 170,000 followers on TikTok watch him goofing , singing and shooting pool .
But it is his day job , mounted on a bull or horse , that draws the most attention .
On 2 June , a Black Lives Matter protest was organised for downtown Houston in reaction to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in police custody eight days earlier in Minneapolis .
While displays of solidarity have been held in all 50 states , images from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tens of protestors on horseback , fist aloft , trotting down the city 's main street .
`` Just seeing black cowboys is in of itself a form of protest , '' says Thompson Hernandez .
`` Being a black cowboy demonstrates against a part of history that has been erased and restores part of the narrative that not a lot of people grow up learning in schools or books . ''
Images of the mounted protestors were shared on social media by rapper Lil Nas X - whose Old Town Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominence in music .
Corporate brands like Wrangler and Guinness have borrowed the power of the imagery to push their products .
Fashion magazines hire them to add edge to shoots .
`` It is interesting because every 15-20 years there is a big black cowboy cultural movement , '' adds Thompson Hernandez .
`` You see Wild Wild West ( 1999 ) , Django Unchained ( 2012 ) even Blazing Saddles ( 1974 ) - it is almost like Hollywood and popular culture forgets about black cowboys , until they do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old-school mentality may not like us , but the kids love us and everything we stand for , '' he says .
`` If we do n't do it - if we do n't ride those bulls or no black guys are seen on horseback - eventually that history will fade away so we have a responsibility as minorities and cowboys to uphold that legacy and make sure it lives on forever.
`` Mitchell , who used to ride his horse through drive-thrus back home in his small hometown of Rockdale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embodies .
`` It 's not as common to the outside world , it definitely does draw attention , '' he concludes .
`` The image of having a black cowboy skews some of the stereotypes that exist around the black community .
But I feel my personality and ability to get the job done also enhances that attention .
`` That 's what it 's all about I guess .
You would n't be speaking to somebody who was n't doing anything . ''
As the most prominent black cowboy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing plenty of things .

Mitchell placed 16th at last year's PBR finals
This feature was originally published in July and is being repromoted as part of our Black History Month series.
Ezekiel Mitchell pauses for a moment when asked to describe his toughest opponent.
He eventually opts for a nine-year-old. Admittedly one with a steely glare backed up by 121 stones of slabbed muscle.
"I would have to say Sweet Pro's Bruiser," he tells BBC Sport. "The power and sheer athleticism of him, he's able to do things some bulls just can't. If you're just a millisecond too late, he's put you on the ground."
There is no choreography to their dance. Mitchell relies on deep-seated muscle memory and pure instinct to counter the steps of the wheeling, convulsing bull below.
"Once you get in the bucking chute, your subconscious mind clicks in and your conscious mind clicks out," he says.
"It's taking complete and utter chaos and trying to control it for eight seconds. It's unreal."
Mitchell, from Rockdale, Texas, is the only black American in pro bull-riding's top 50 ranked riders.
At 23 years old, he's already encountered forces less obvious, but no less powerful than Sweet Pro's Bruiser in his life and career so far.
The odds didn't use to be so stark.
When the American Civil War ended in 1865, many of Texas' slave-owning settlers returned home from fighting for the Confederacy to be confronted by a newly freed black workforce, knowledgeable in ranching.
Modern barbed wire, which made containing cattle easier and cheaper, had yet to be invented and the major railroads that transported them large distances had yet to stretch as far as Texas.
The master-slave relationship morphed into one of employer-employee as black men, still struggling to find work in many other sectors, were hired to care and transport herds.
Nat Love, born in 1854, was an African American cowboy whose autobiography was published in 1907 (available here: https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/natlove/natlove.html)
Soon after, it is estimated that one in four cowboys in the West was black. That ratio was significantly watered down when the era was recreated in popular culture, however.
There are some exceptions. Bill Pickett was a celebrated black rodeo performer in the early 20th century. Historian William Katz wrote about the history of the black cowboy in the 1970s. In the 1980s, American novelist Larry McMurty won a Pulitzer for Lonesome Dove, which featured a black cowboy character.
But in the American imagination, a cowboy was a white man.
Are rodeos a form of culture or cruelty? To say that animal welfare organisations and rodeos do not see eye-to-eye is an understatement. For one side, it is a cruel act of animal abuse. For the other, it is an entertaining and competitive sports event that is part of their culture. Read more.
"We grew up with the idea of a white cowboy, the idea that a cowboy would look like John Wayne or a the guy in the Marlboro cigarette ads," explains Walter Thompson Hernandez, journalist and author of The Compton Cowboys. external-link
"The image of black men and women on horses was not available as part of popular culture."
Rodeo - which turns the tasks of the old ranch hands into competition - did not buck the trend. Despite the success of pioneering black rider Myrtis Dightman, who became the first black man to compete in the National Finals in 1964, a 'colour barrier', whether overtly stated or implicit, kept black competitors out of some events as late as the 1980s.
Now they are included. How welcome they are though, depends on who you speak to.
Now 34, Holmes is retired from the PBR Tour and last competed in January 2018
Neil Holmes grew up a couple of hours' drive from Mitchell in Cleveland, Texas. He was captivated by bull-riding after attending an annual rodeo, held after church each Easter in the town. Despite only getting on board a bull at the relatively late age of 17, he reached the top 40 of the elite-level Professional Bull Riders tour before retiring in 2018.
"There is always that elephant in the room, when you are different it is obvious, especially in that sport," he says.
"Among the riders the camaraderie is always great, but sometimes you go into these smaller towns and everyone doesn't feel the same way.
"I have had fans say some obscene things or make obscene gestures. A lot of times we have to stay in that same town and I have always got that look…
"There've have been occasions that there has been a fist fight at the bar just because I'm a black guy with a cowboy hat on. It is rare, especially as times change, but I hope that we set a good enough example by how we carry ourselves that it outweighs whatever hatred they have in their hearts."
Both Mitchell and Holmes have followed in the footsteps of Charles Sampson. In 1982, a 5ft 4in 25-year-old, he emerged from Los Angeles' notorious south side to become the first black world champion bull-rider.
Occasionally referred to as bull-riding's own Jackie Robinson, external-link Sampson takes the long view, setting his experiences in the context of the prejudice suffered by the ground-breaking baseball star and other earlier black sporting pioneers.
Sampson (centre right, with glasses) in 1982 became the first African American to win a PRCA bull riding world championship
"America still has history of racism - everyone goes through it in their own manner," he tells BBC Sport.
"My emphasis in what I went through is positive. The racism in the 1920s, 1930s or 1940s was not a type that I had to deal with.
"Did white people do anything to me? Maybe they did and I didn't look at it that way. Maybe I overlooked it or didn't understand it.
"But no-one stopped me, no-one belittled me, no-one told me that just because I was black I wasn't equal to white people."
The fear is that they may not have had to.
Mitchell's PBR season is still under way - its conclusion comes in Las Vegas in November with Finals Week
The bull may not care about the colour of the man on its back, but those who open the bucking chute and supply the livestock are also gatekeepers for the sport's human participants.
"Bull riding is not like baseball, football or basketball," adds Sampson. "You can pick up a stick and rock and swing and hit, you can throw a football to anybody, or go anywhere, pick up a basketball and shoot it.
"Rodeo is different. You have to seek out places to ride bulls and hopefully the people who own them are not trying to overmatch you and discourage you."
If access is the first obstacle for the novice, subjectivity can be the one that confronts black riders once they make it into a competitive rodeo ring.
Riders are up against the clock - attempting to stay on top of the bull for eight seconds - but also a panel of judges. They are marked on how hard the bull bucked and how well they countered.
"There is always that room for error," adds Holmes.
"I feel I have got the short end of the stick from some of those old-school judges, which is kind of sad. If they have to choose me or the all-American white boy, no question, I don't get that advantage."
Harder to measure than points or prize money is how a lack of black riders stunts the sport's growth in those communities, perpetuating a sense that bull-riding is not for them. It is one that even Mitchell struggles to shake.
"It did give me a sense of comfort, the likes of Charlie and Neil being there and having achieved what they achieved," he says.
He recalls meeting "small-town old-timer people who are still set in their ways" on the lower-level circuit.
"There is a bit of prejudice there," he adds. "Since I have always wanted to be a cowboy I grew to ignore a lot of the hateful comments.
"But on the Professional Bull-Riders tour as a professional athlete I have really not felt any prejudice. I commend the fans and the PBR for making me feel welcome. There are some times when you feel like you don't belong, but I wouldn't say that the prejudice lingers."
Mitchell does not intend to linger at the top level either.
Rodeo is an inherently risky pastime. Careers are short, injuries often horrific. Mitchell recalls his ear being ripped by a bull's hoof: "If it had been an inch over it probably would have stomped my head into the ground and killed me."
His career template is unexpected. He cites WWE wrestler-turned-Hollywood A-lister Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as his crossover inspiration for turning a specialist sporting career into a mainstream success.
"He transformed his life into something totally different. That is what I want for myself," Mitchell adds.
"I want to show people that you can do whatever you want to no matter the circumstance you come from or what colour you are as long as you have drive and determination."
The brand building for Mitchell's next move has already begun. Behind him as we speak a multi-screen display beams out his personal bull-horned logo. More than 170,000 followers on TikTok watch him goofing, singing and shooting pool.
But it is his day job, mounted on a bull or horse, that draws the most attention.
Protesters on horseback make their way toward city hall during a march in honour of George Floyd on 2 June in Houston, Texas
On 2 June, a Black Lives Matter protest was organised for downtown Houston in reaction to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in police custody eight days earlier in Minneapolis.
While displays of solidarity have been held in all 50 states, images from Houston went viral thanks to the arrival of tens of protestors on horseback, fist aloft, trotting down the city's main street.
"Just seeing black cowboys is in of itself a form of protest," says Thompson Hernandez.
"Being a black cowboy demonstrates against a part of history that has been erased and restores part of the narrative that not a lot of people grow up learning in schools or books."
Images of the mounted protestors were shared on social media by rapper Lil Nas X - whose Old Town Road hit has brought black cowboy culture to prominence in music. Corporate brands like Wrangler and Guinness have borrowed the power of the imagery to push their products. Fashion magazines hire them to add edge to shoots.
"It is interesting because every 15-20 years there is a big black cowboy cultural movement," adds Thompson Hernandez. "You see Wild Wild West (1999), Django Unchained (2012) even Blazing Saddles (1974) - it is almost like Hollywood and popular culture forgets about black cowboys, until they don't."
Holmes puts it more succinctly.
"Those rodeo judges with the old-school mentality may not like us, but the kids love us and everything we stand for," he says.
"If we don't do it - if we don't ride those bulls or no black guys are seen on horseback - eventually that history will fade away so we have a responsibility as minorities and cowboys to uphold that legacy and make sure it lives on forever. "
Mitchell, who used to ride his horse through drive-thrus back home in his small hometown of Rockdale, knows the power of the symbol he embodies.
"It's not as common to the outside world, it definitely does draw attention," he concludes.
"The image of having a black cowboy skews some of the stereotypes that exist around the black community. But I feel my personality and ability to get the job done also enhances that attention.
"That's what it's all about I guess. You wouldn't be speaking to somebody who wasn't doing anything."
As the most prominent black cowboy in the USA, Mitchell's mere existence is doing plenty of things.


bbc--2020-07-15--US-China: Pompeo dog photo has netizens asking if US is toying with China

A tweet by the US secretary of state has led to speculation over whether he is trying to send a message to the Chinese government .
Mike Pompeo posted a picture on his personal account of his dog Mercer , surrounded by `` all of her favourite toys '' .
The toy that sits centre stage is a stuffed Winnie the Pooh .
The tweet has ignited significant attention given that Winnie the Pooh is a common derogatory nickname for Chinese President Xi Jinping .
Chinese netizens do n't have a lot of love for Mike Pompeo , and regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the king of lies '' .
However , he may be aware that they will struggle to talk about this tweet because nicknames referencing the Chinese leader are heavily censored .
The Chinese government actively censors derogatory comments or nicknames that might lead to mockery of Communist Party officials .
However , Chinese netizens have long come up with creative ways to reference the Chinese leadership online .
Pictures circulated in 2013 comparing the body shape of President Xi to the cartoon bear and gained international awareness .
Given the loveable children 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove innocuous content without attracting ridicule , the nickname quickly caught on .
Such tactics had previously proven successful with the leader Jiang Zemin , who many were able to talk about using `` toad '' related nicknames .
Is Winnie the Pooh really that sensitive ?
`` Winnie Pooh '' and similar references have long been censored on Chinese social media platforms .
A search of the word `` Winnie '' on the popular Sina Weibo microblog currently only brings up government-approved media or official verified accounts .
A disclaimer also appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicates that `` some results have been omitted '' from searches .
China even pulled a Taiwanese game , Devotion , back in 2019 , because it contained a hidden reference linking Xi Jinping and Winnie the Pooh .
Could Pompeo have posted it innocuously ?
It 's entirely possible that the post could be an innocent photograph of Mr Pompeo 's dog and her toys , but there are other potential references worth noting in this picture .
Mr Pompeo may have picked up on `` dog '' as a reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word `` dog '' in Chinese is often used to reference people or countries that are regarded as aggressive , feral or wild .
You might also like The word `` dog '' has previously been used by demonstrators in Hong Kong as a term of abuse for police officers .
In mainland China , the US and Mike Pompeo have both consistently been called `` dogs '' .
When Canada arrested Chinese telecom giant Huawei 's Chief Financial Officer , Meng Wanzhou , at the request of the US , Canada was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' of the US .
The presence of the elephant toy may also be significant - as a subtle reference to India .
How are people reacting to this ?
Thousands of Twitter users have commented on Mr Pompeo 's tweet .
Many have posted memes mocking the Chinese president and are commenting on how the secretary of state is `` toying with China '' .
But given that Twitter is blocked , and there is active censorship of references to China 's past and present leadership , it 's difficult for Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
Consequently , it is difficult to find evidence that this image has filtered through onto Chinese platforms .
This might perhaps be surprising , given that in recent months , Chinese netizens have not missed an opportunity to target Mike Pompeo with abuse .
State media have used some strongly worded language against him since May , calling him the `` king of lies '' and even `` evil '' , because of statements he and his team have given in relation to China on Covid-19 , Hong Kong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China 's media as somebody not to be trusted , and Chinese media have regularly launched personal attacks on him for statements he has made .
Only , he might now have found a way to attack China personally , for which the country has no answer , only silence .
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV , radio , web and print media around the world .
You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook .

Mr Pompeo may have picked up on "dog" as a reference to either the US or himself. The word "dog" in Chinese is often used to reference people or countries that are regarded as aggressive, feral or wild.


bbc--2020-07-16--Edward Enninful: British Vogue editor 'racially profiled' at work

British Vogue editor Edward Enninful has said he was racially profiled after being told to `` use the loading bay '' by a security guard as he entered work .
Enninful , who has been editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine since 2017 , said the incident happened as he walked into his offices on Wednesday .
In a social media post , he said Conde Nast , which owns British Vogue , `` moved quickly '' to dismiss the security guard .
But he said `` change needs to happen now '' .
Enninful , who was appointed an OBE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fashion industry , wrote on Twitter : `` Today I was racially profiled by a security guard whilst entering my work place .
`` As I entered , I was instructed to use the loading bay .
`` Just because our timelines and weekends are returning to normal , we can not let the world return to how it was . ''
In a separate post to his one million Instagram followers , he said : `` It just goes to show that sometimes it does n't matter what you 've achieved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first thing that some people will judge you on is the colour of your skin . ''
It is understood the security guard , who works for a third party contractor , was dismissed from the site immediately and placed under investigation by their employer .
Earlier this month , when accepting an industry award for his work at the magazine , Enninful said : `` It would be disingenuous of me not to point out that I am the first black person to ever win this award - the first black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is making its way into our commissioning and on to our pages .
But what about inside our workplaces ?
`` Who are we hiring ?
Who are we nurturing ?
Who are we promoting ?
How do our office environments treat people ?
Who is allowed to get to the top ? ''
When he took the helm of British Vogue three years ago , Enninful said he hoped to create a more diverse magazine that was `` open and friendly '' .
`` My Vogue is about being inclusive , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is about diversity - showing different women , different body shapes , different races , different classes [ and ] tackling gender . ''

In a separate post to his one million Instagram followers, he said: "It just goes to show that sometimes it doesn't matter what you've achieved in the course of your life: the first thing that some people will judge you on is the colour of your skin."


bbc--2020-07-15--Coronavirus: Big choices for EU leaders on recovery billions

When the leaders of the EU27 gather in Brussels on Friday be prepared for the shock of the familiar .
After five months of stilted diplomacy by video conference , presidents and prime ministers will once again gather face to face .
Although of course that does n't mean they 'll see eye to eye .
Expect plenty of face masks and plenty of displays of social distancing to go along with the rather obvious political distancing which has emerged in the long months of lockdown .
And it 's not just the sight of the EU 's leaders gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's the problems they confront .
What must they decide ?
On the face of it the summit is about money : they need to set an EU budget of around €1 trillion for the period ending in 2027 and at the same time to agree an ambitious €750bn ( £670bn ) Recovery Fund .
For the big Brussels institutions , the European Commission and the EU Council there is a lot at stake in all of that - not least their own centrality in European political life .
As the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year , member states responded not as a unified entity under the direction of Brussels but nation by nation with each government putting the interests of its own people first .
Borders were closed with little or no consultation , emergency economic measures were introduced without central co-ordination and when Italy requested emergency medical help the response was underwhelming .
Things improved - German hospitals treated French patients for example - but Brussels is determined that just as it lost control as Europe slipped into crisis , its own centrality will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take money - and lots of it .
Who are the 'frugals ' ?
One of the eternal truths of political life in Brussels is that expensive spending programmes are more popular with the countries that expect to get money out of them than they are with the countries expected to put it in .
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is often presented as the chief spokesman of the so-called Frugal Four , in which his country is allied with Austria , Sweden and Denmark .
Throw in Finland and you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size - and therefore the ambition - of any budgetary increases .
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says her government wants to see `` a lower overall level ( for the budget ) and a better balance between loans and grants ( in the recovery fund ) '' .
Compare that with the view of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis , who puts the opposite view with admirable clarity : `` If we want to be very ambitious we will need more resources . ''
The EU faced plenty of challenges before Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change and the continuing challenge of migration from the South come to mind .
• The EU coronavirus schemes the UK has opted out of • How is lockdown being lifted across Europe ?
• Are Italians losing faith in the EU ?
But this row over money feels different - it 's about the scope and scale of the EU 's ambitions stretching far into this decade and perhaps setting a tone for years beyond that .
Who should get the money ?
`` What 's at stake , '' a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ability of the EU institutions to get a grip and to turn crisis into opportunity . ''
It may not be helpful in all of this that the institutions are in relatively inexperienced hands - the former German defence minister , Ursula von der Leyen , at the Commission and a recent prime minister of Belgium Charles Michel at the Council .
But it 's only fair to note that the challenges around these budget talks would have taxed even the most experienced of teams .
That 's because this is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding the multi-year budget a shade below €1.1tn than a shade above , or by knocking a couple of billion off the recovery fund .
Should the money simply be shovelled out to the needy or should there be some sort of scrutiny of applications for help and oversight as to where the money goes ?
Southern and Eastern member states will resent any implication that richer and somehow more `` grown-up '' economies to the North and West are telling them how to manage their affairs .
And even more controversially should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to political values ?
Many in Brussels think countries like Poland and Hungary should only get money if they abandon policies on judicial reform seen by their critics as assaults on the rule of law .
Hungary 's leader , Viktor Orban , has now secured the backing of his parliament to veto the whole budget if there 's any linkage between money and morality .
In the age of Brexit there 's no voice for the UK in all of this of course - its absence might weaken the fiscal conservatives but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do n't expect quick decisions or short discussions - there is scope in the institutional diary for another summit before the end of the month .
The EU 's leaders had to wait five months for this summit - it 's a fair bet they wo n't have to wait so long for the next one .

One of the eternal truths of political life in Brussels is that expensive spending programmes are more popular with the countries that expect to get money out of them than they are with the countries expected to put it in.


bbc--2020-07-15--Fertility rate: Shrinking population in six easy lessons

Falling fertility rates could mean most countries see their populations shrink by the end of the century .
The world will have to begin to reckon with the consequences of a smaller , older population .
1 .
It could be good news for poorer countries We 're looking at very different situations in different parts of the world .
Falling fertility rates - the number of live births per woman , according to the official definition - and economic development tend to go hand in hand .
Better education and career opportunities for women , access to contraception and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean women on average have fewer children .
So for lower-income countries , a falling birth-rate could spell better living standards .
A smaller number of children each get a bigger piece of the pie , whether that 's health or education .
But in countries where fertility rates have already been falling for years , shrinking further could cause problems .
These countries will have to work out how to care for a growing older population , with fewer younger people to work as carers and to pay into the system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ look forward to in retirement But they might have to work for a lot longer .
And they might not be as much of a strain on the healthcare system as feared .
A lot of the worries about caring for an ageing population assume everyone will be ill in old age .
But as well as life expectancy , the world has been making gains when it comes to `` healthy life expectancy '' .
In pretty much every country around the world , with the notable exception of Syria , new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good health than those born in the year 2000 - five extra healthy years on average .
In Rwanda , the average baby has gained 22 additional years of expected life in good health since the start of the millennium .
In higher-income countries like the UK , Germany and the US , healthy life expectancy has increased by between one and three years .
`` The fears around an ageing population have to be put into perspective , '' says Prof Sarah Harper at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ already much better than it was , '' even a few decades ago , she points out , meaning older people can be `` active , healthy '' and paying in for a greater proportion of their lives .
And , as Dr Hannah Ritchie at the University of Oxford 's Our World in Data team points out : `` We do n't even know what the world of work will look like in 50 years '' .
3 .
Governments might have to open borders Fertility rates and life expectancy are two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to whether a population is growing or shrinking .
The third is migration .
Countries that end up with much smaller populations of young people might want or need to attract young people from elsewhere .
The world could become even more culturally and ethnically mixed , says Dr Ritchie .
4 .
It will pay to support parents When governments have tried to restrict or increase a country 's birth-rate in the past , it 's often been coercive .
But there are examples - notably in Scandinavian countries - where birth-rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like generous maternity leave and childcare .
So in the future , wealthy countries choosing to introduce generous support systems may see an uptick in their fertility rate , according to Dr Ritchie .
As much as women in lower-income countries may have more children than they 'd ideally choose , some women - and men - in countries with high costs of living might have fewer children than they 'd like because they ca n't afford more .
Alongside this , governments may well increase the pension age - possibly even allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off to raise a family , and then work that extra time later in life , Prof Harper suggests .
5 .
Carers will be `` as important as doctors '' That 's the take of Dr Tiziana Leone at the London School of Economics .
No matter how big the gains in healthy life expectancy , the `` oldest old '' will probably always need care towards the end of their lives .
Dr Leone warns countries with ageing populations face a crisis in terms of their health and social care systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by training the right workforce - `` we 'll need fewer paediatricians and gynaecologists '' , she says .
6 .
It will probably be good for the environment A shrinking population is `` a good thing '' for the environment , according to Prof Harper .
But Dr Ritchie points out that economic growth is a stronger driver of climate change than population growth .
It 's extremely difficult to say what will happen to the state of the economy over the longer term .
If the world becomes richer and consumes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , environmental gains are n't guaranteed .
Equally , while wealth and pollution have been linked over the past century , in recent years it 's the richer countries that have been able to reduce their CO2 emissions by investing in technology .
And this pattern could continue .
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Fertility rate: Shrinking population in six easy lessons Published 16 July 2020
Image source, Getty Images
Falling fertility rates could mean most countries see their populations shrink by the end of the century.
The world will have to begin to reckon with the consequences of a smaller, older population.
1. It could be good news for poorer countries
We're looking at very different situations in different parts of the world.
Falling fertility rates - the number of live births per woman, according to the official definition - and economic development tend to go hand in hand.
Better education and career opportunities for women, access to contraception and abortion and lower child mortality rates, mean women on average have fewer children.
So for lower-income countries, a falling birth-rate could spell better living standards.
A smaller number of children each get a bigger piece of the pie, whether that's health or education.
But in countries where fertility rates have already been falling for years, shrinking further could cause problems.
These countries will have to work out how to care for a growing older population, with fewer younger people to work as carers and to pay into the system.
2. People might have more to look forward to in retirement
But they might have to work for a lot longer.
And they might not be as much of a strain on the healthcare system as feared.
A lot of the worries about caring for an ageing population assume everyone will be ill in old age.
But as well as life expectancy, the world has been making gains when it comes to "healthy life expectancy".
In pretty much every country around the world, with the notable exception of Syria, new babies are expected to spend more years in good health than those born in the year 2000 - five extra healthy years on average.
In Rwanda, the average baby has gained 22 additional years of expected life in good health since the start of the millennium.
In higher-income countries like the UK, Germany and the US, healthy life expectancy has increased by between one and three years.
"The fears around an ageing population have to be put into perspective," says Prof Sarah Harper at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing.
"The health of older adults is already much better than it was," even a few decades ago, she points out, meaning older people can be "active, healthy" and paying in for a greater proportion of their lives.
And, as Dr Hannah Ritchie at the University of Oxford's Our World in Data team points out: "We don't even know what the world of work will look like in 50 years".
3. Governments might have to open borders
Fertility rates and life expectancy are two parts of the equation when it comes to whether a population is growing or shrinking. The third is migration.
Countries that end up with much smaller populations of young people might want or need to attract young people from elsewhere.
The world could become even more culturally and ethnically mixed, says Dr Ritchie.
4. It will pay to support parents
When governments have tried to restrict or increase a country's birth-rate in the past, it's often been coercive.
But there are examples - notably in Scandinavian countries - where birth-rates are higher than expected because of incentives like generous maternity leave and childcare.
So in the future, wealthy countries choosing to introduce generous support systems may see an uptick in their fertility rate, according to Dr Ritchie.
As much as women in lower-income countries may have more children than they'd ideally choose, some women - and men - in countries with high costs of living might have fewer children than they'd like because they can't afford more.
Alongside this, governments may well increase the pension age - possibly even allowing people to take a chunk of time off to raise a family, and then work that extra time later in life, Prof Harper suggests.
5. Carers will be "as important as doctors"
That's the take of Dr Tiziana Leone at the London School of Economics.
No matter how big the gains in healthy life expectancy, the "oldest old" will probably always need care towards the end of their lives.
Dr Leone warns countries with ageing populations face a crisis in terms of their health and social care systems.
We need to start now, by training the right workforce - "we'll need fewer paediatricians and gynaecologists", she says.
6. It will probably be good for the environment
A shrinking population is "a good thing" for the environment, according to Prof Harper.
But Dr Ritchie points out that economic growth is a stronger driver of climate change than population growth.
It's extremely difficult to say what will happen to the state of the economy over the longer term.
If the world becomes richer and consumes more despite the numbers of people shrinking, environmental gains aren't guaranteed.
Equally, while wealth and pollution have been linked over the past century, in recent years it's the richer countries that have been able to reduce their CO2 emissions by investing in technology.
And this pattern could continue.


bbc--2020-07-15--Coronavirus: 'How we’re surviving a second virus lockdown'

The taste of freedom was short-lived in Lleida , where residents had hoped the easing of Spain 's strict coronavirus lockdown in May would give them back the summer at least .
On Monday , with new cases rising sharply , authorities announced a second lockdown in parts of the Catalonia and Galicia regions .
They join areas of Europe , Asia and Australia where Covid-19 outbreaks are forcing locals to stay indoors once again as their governments close bars , restaurants and shops .
As scientists warn that more localised surges in infections are likely , people in four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their guides to surviving a second lockdown .
For software engineer Nuria Pino , 26 , the re-imposition of local lockdowns has had profound psychological impact .
`` We fought and sacrificed to beat and survive the first lockdown , so this feels like a defeat - a hard pill to swallow , '' she explains from Lleida , where 155 infections were reported in early July .
Although it is n't as scary because she knows what to expect now , she admits the second lockdown feels worse , because it makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat the pandemic .
Nuria has been working from home since March and says it 's very lonely on her own .
But , she says , at least she learnt from the first lockdown that there 's no need to stockpile food .
More importantly for her , it taught her to take care of her mental health .
`` This time I 'm making sure I keep my work hours under control and work on my own wellbeing , '' she says .
Meditating once a day helps to clear her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , unable to exercise outdoors , she stays active by playing Ring Fit Adventure - an interactive fitness game where players do workouts - on her Nintendo Switch .
`` If I had to sit down watching Netflix during all my free time , I 'd end up crazy ! ''
• How will local lockdowns work in England ?
She also plans to use the bread-baking skills she learned in the first lockdown .
`` The best tip I can give is to keep calm and be safe .
We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds .
Six weeks of lockdown were announced in Melbourne last week after Victoria state recorded 141 coronavirus cases on 7 July .
On Tuesday , Victoria reported a rise of 238 cases after days of figures above 200 .
The city 's five million residents endured lockdown from late March to May , but now they must stay at home once again , leaving only for essential reasons .
`` It feels like you 've returned to a very mediocre holiday destination ! ''
says Sally Gatenby , a 39-year-old marketing consultant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was like visiting a foreign place with different behaviour and rules , she says , but now `` you wish you were n't here again , but you have to make the most of it '' .
She too says it 's disappointing to go back into lockdown after feeling like they had done `` well '' in controlling the virus .
Australia has relatively low case numbers of 111 deaths and 10,495 infections , and its handling of the virus had been applauded internationally .
Sally 's grateful to have her kitten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in Melbourne , and calls her a `` lifesaver for affection and sanity '' .
Her top lessons from the first lockdown include : • Zoom drinks sound fun , but they 're not really • [ On home baking ] : Bread 's better from the proper bakery ( and less washing up ... ) • Go outside - safely distanced and with a mask ( or `` coughy filter '' as they 're jokingly called in caffeine-loving Melbourne ) Sally says she panicked less entering her second lockdown , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through : `` It 's not better or worse per se , more that we 've adjusted to the 'new normal ' . ''
In late June , China reinstated a strict lockdown in Hebei province , and some Beijing residential areas deemed `` high risk '' , affecting around 400,000 people .
Kai Wei , 29 , was still allowed to leave her home but local authorities imposed extremely strict contact tracing rules following the outbreak .
`` I have to report my itinerary in an app , which has to match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enter any public places . ''
`` It 's definitely better than the first lockdown .
Staying at home for the whole time [ for nearly two months ] was really terrible .
I had many anxieties . ''
Kai says she and her boyfriend once stockpiled more than 200 masks .
`` At that time , no one knew how the outbreak would develop , whether the reported number of cases was true . ''
Kai says Beijing residents are now adopting the `` keep calm and carry on '' attitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they are calm . ''
Kai describes her current life as `` 50 % normal '' .
`` It 's impossible to return to a complete 'normal life ' . ''
`` I returned to my office in early March .
I commute on the metro and dine in restaurants , but the crowds in subway trains are two thirds of the normal size , and in restaurants , people sit with social distance . ''
Kai 's advice to people going through a second lockdown is to keep a happiness balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertained and sane : `` Live as normally as possible .
And always wear a mask when you can go out ! ''
Perhaps surprisingly , Rohit Shroff , a 24-year-old entrepreneur in Chennai in south-east India , calls the second lockdown `` relaxing '' .
The restrictions were re-imposed in India 's sixth-largest city in mid-June , days after the country 's strict national lockdown was eased .
Now that the second stretch has ended too , he reflects that it was much easier .
The first time round was `` abrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fearful for his future , he explains .
• The struggle to keep India 's Covid-19 patients breathing But when authorities announced the second lockdown , he responded by researching the history of pandemics and said this taught him it 's a normal part of human life .
Reminding himself `` this too shall pass '' became his way of accepting the new reality .
He focused on spending time with his family and enjoying the slower pace of life .
Barring an emergency , driving was banned in Chennai and Rohit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became his new Saturday night out .
`` I appreciated the evening skies a whole lot more .
I went up to my terrace at midnight and started studying stars - I even saw a meteor shower , '' he says .
His advice is to try to `` accept the rupture the pandemic has brought to our lives '' - something that made the second lockdown a positive time for him .

"It feels like you've returned to a very mediocre holiday destination!" says Sally Gatenby, a 39-year-old marketing consultant in the city. The first lockdown was like visiting a foreign place with different behaviour and rules, she says, but now "you wish you weren't here again, but you have to make the most of it".


bbc--2020-07-16--Ethiopia's River Nile dam: How it will be filled

Satellite images taken between 27 June and 12 July 2020 show a steady increase in the amount of water being held back by the new mega dam , which straddles the Blue Nile in Ethiopia .
This has angered Egypt and Sudan , the two countries downstream of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ( Gerd ) , as the timetable for filling it is yet to be agreed at deadlocked negotiations .
State media in Ethiopia has backtracked after reports that suggested the dam was being filled deliberately .
But this all gives the false impression that filling up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bath - and that Ethiopia can turn on and off a tap at will .
Ca n't it be stopped ?
No .
The reservoir behind the dam will fill naturally during Ethiopia 's rainy season , which began in June and lasts until September .
Given the stage that the construction is at `` there is nothing that can stop the reservoir from filling to the low point of the dam '' , Dr Kevin Wheeler , who has been following the $ 4bn ( £3.2bn ) Gerd project since 2012 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team travelled in 2018 from the Blue Nile 's source to the sea - through Ethiopia and Sudan into Egypt .
From the start of the process in 2011 , the dam has been built around the Blue Nile as it continued to flow through the enormous building site .
Builders worked on the vast structures on either side of the river without any problem .
In the middle , during the dry season , the river was diverted through culverts , or pipes , to allow that section to be built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section is now complete and the river is currently flowing through bypass channels at the foot of the wall .
As the impact of the rainy season begins to be felt at the dam site , the amount of water that can pass through those channels will soon be less than the amount of water entering the area , meaning that it will back up further and add to the lake that will sit behind the dam , Dr Wheeler says .
The Ethiopian authorities can close the gates on some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being held back but this may not be necessary , he says .
In the first year , the Gerd will retain 4.9 billion cubic meters ( bcm ) of water taking it up to the height of the lowest point on the dam wall , allowing Ethiopia to test the first set of turbines .
On average , the total annual flow of the Blue Nile is 49bcm .
In the dry season the lake will recede a bit , allowing for the dam wall to be built up and in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retained .
You may also be interested in : • Why the dam is so controversial • Who owns the River Nile - and why it matters • Why the Nile could see a 'water war' By that time , the water level should have reached the second set of turbines , meaning that the flow of water can be managed more deliberately .
Ethiopia says it will take between five to seven years to fill up the dam to its maximum flood season capacity of 74bcm .
At that point , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back some 250km ( 155 miles ) upstream .
Between each subsequent flood season the reservoir will be lowered to 49.3bcm .
So why is Egypt unhappy ?
Egypt , which almost entirely relies on the Nile for its water needs , is concerned that in most years of the filling it is not guaranteed a specific volume .
And once the filling stage is over , Ethiopia is reluctant to be tied to a figure of how much water to release as when fully operational , the dam will become the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of normal or above average rainfall that should not be a problem , but Egypt is nervous about what might happen during prolonged droughts that could last several years .

When the filling stage is over, Ethiopia is reluctant to be tied to a figure of how much water to release. Its priority will be to make sure there is enough water to operate what will become the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa.


bbc--2020-07-15--Seven countries with big (and small) population problems

A major new study published in the Lancet medical journal suggests falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century , and warns of a `` jaw-dropping '' impact on societies .
We looked at seven countries facing some of the most dramatic population changes and the measures they are taking to combat them .
Japan 's population will more than halve , from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century , the researchers behind the new Lancet study predict .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ population and the highest rate of people over the age of 100 .
This has put strain on the country 's workforce and the problem is only expected to worsen .
Official forecasts say elderly people will account for more than 35 % of the population by 2040 .
This , combined with a low fertility rate of just 1.4 births per woman , means that the number of people able to fill jobs in the country is in decline .
Countries need a fertility rate of about 2.1 births to maintain existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been wary of immigration , it has eased rules in recent years in a bid to deal with the issue .
However , there have been widespread reports of exploitation of migrant workers .
The Italian population is also expected to more than halve , from 61 million in 2017 to 28 million by the end of the century , according to the Lancet study .
Like Japan , Italy is known for its ageing population .
More than 23 % of people there were over the age of 65 in 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , the government launched a programme offering an €800 ( £725 ) payment per couple per birth to try to boost fertility rates .
However , they still remain among the lowest rates in the European Union .
The country also sees high rates of emigration .
About 157,000 people left the country in 2018 , according to official data .
Several towns have introduced their own schemes to try to boost local populations and their economies .
This includes selling homes for just €1 or even paying people to live in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a business .
Towns with dwindling populations in Spain - which is also projected to see its population more than halve - have launched similar schemes .
In 1979 , China famously introduced its controversial one-child policy to try to slow population growth amid concerns over the effect it would have on its plans for economic growth .
Today , the world 's most populous country is facing the issue of major declines in birth rates .
The Lancet study predicts that China 's population will peak at 1.4 billion in four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million by 2100 .
Official data showed the country 's birth rate had fallen to its lowest level in 70 years in 2019 .
Some fear that the country is a `` demographic time bomb '' , which will see a smaller working-age population having to support a bigger , retired population .
As one of the world 's biggest economies , this would have global ramifications .
Concerns over China 's ageing population led the government to end the one-child policy in 2015 , allowing couples to have two children .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth rates , it failed to reverse the trend long-term .
The one-child policy has been blamed for a severe gender imbalance in the country , with males still outnumbering females by more than 30 million in 2019 .
This has , in part , been blamed on some couples opting for sex-selective abortions .
Experts also said that the easing of population restrictions was not accompanied by additional support for families , meaning many people could not afford more than one child .
Iran is also expected to see its population significantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The country experienced a population boom after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 , but went on to implement an effective population control policy .
Last month , the health ministry warned that annual population growth had dropped below 1 % .
Without action , it said it could become one of the world 's oldest countries in the next 30 years .
State-run news agency Irna has reported that marriage and children within marriage are both in decline , largely because of economic hardship .
In an effort to boost its population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can no longer be carried out at state-run medical centres and contraceptives will only be offered to women whose health might be at risk .
Brazil has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility rates over the past 40 years , from about 6.3 births per woman in 1960 to 1.7 in the most recent estimates .
The Lancet study projects that Brazil 's population will decline from about 211 million in 2017 to less than 164 million in 2100 .
A 2012 study suggested that soap operas portraying small families had contributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
While overall birth rates are in decline , Brazil is actively trying to stem high teenage pregnancy rates , launching a campaign called `` Adolescence first , pregnancy after '' .
• All in good time : Why Brazil wants its teens not to have sex '' We need to bring the numbers down .
We had the courage to say we are going to talk about delaying the start of sexual relations , '' Damares Alves , the minister for women , family and human rights , told the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overtake China as the most populous country in the world by 2100 , according to the new study .
This is despite the fact that the size of its population is expected to decline from today 's numbers - dropping from 1.3 billion in 2017 to less than 1.1 billion at the end of the century , researchers say .
The birth rate in the country currently stands at about 2.24 , down from 5.91 in 1960 .
While other countries are trying to encourage growing fertility rates , Prime Minister Narendra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller families .
`` Population explosion will cause many problems for our future generations .
But there is a vigilant section of the public which stops to think , before bringing a child to the world , whether they can do justice to the child , give them all that she or he wants .
`` They have a small family and express their patriotism to the country .
Let 's learn from them .
There is a need for social awareness , '' he said in a speech last year .
Nigeria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trend of population decline .
According to the new Lancet study , the population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to treble in size to more than three billion people by 2100 .
Nigeria will become the world 's second most populous country , with 791 million people , it says .
The new study predicts that Nigeria will have one of the largest working-age populations in the world by 2100 and see big increases in GDP .
But rapid population expansion puts a strain on infrastructure and social structures , and Nigerian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease population growth .
In a 2018 interview with the BBC , Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said there needed to be a discussion about the country 's birth rate - which is among the highest in the world .
`` We have a lot of families who can not even feed the children they have , not to talk about good healthcare or even giving them good quality education , so we have to talk about these things , '' she said .

"Population explosion will cause many problems for our future generations. But there is a vigilant section of the public which stops to think, before bringing a child to the world, whether they can do justice to the child, give them all that she or he wants.


bbc--2020-07-15--India coronavirus: Kuwait's new expat bill has Indians worried

Pratik Desai , a chief executive with engineering giant Larsen and Turbo has been living in Kuwait for the last 25 years .
But his future looks uncertain after a bill to reduce the number of foreign workers in Kuwait has been partially approved .
The bill has been cleared by the legal and legislative committee of the national assembly of Kuwait , but it needs the government 's approval to become a law .
If that happens , Mr Desai and as many as 800,000 Indians could be forced to leave Kuwait .
Expats currently form 70 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million .
The bill aims to bring that number down to 30 % .
Indians , who form the largest expat community , are likely to be the worst affected .
Experts say the move seems to have been triggered by a slowdown in Kuwait 's economy and a rising demand for jobs among locals .
According to local media , Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah said the high number of foreign workers was a `` big imbalance '' , adding that `` we have a future challenge to address this imbalance '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Philippines , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Egypt will also be affected .
The Indian government says it has already initiated discussions with Kuwait about the bill .
`` The Indian community is well-regarded in Kuwait and elsewhere in the Gulf region and their contributions are well recognised .
We have shared our expectations and Kuwait 's decision will take that into account , '' said Anurag Srivastava , India 's foreign ministry spokesperson .
Mr Desai says it 's not just about losing a job , but having to relocate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one place for so long , you develop an emotional attachment , '' he says .
`` It will affect me emotionally more than financially . ''
Kuwait is also one of the top sources of foreign remittances for India .
Indians living there sent nearly $ 4.6bn in remittances in 2017 , according to Pew Research Centre data .
Nearly 300,000 Indians work in the country 's domestic sector as drivers , cooks and caretakers .
And many say that it will not be easy to fill these vacancies locally .
Kuwait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a decline in global crude oil prices , which has severely impacted its oil-dependent economy .
For now , the bill proposal has been sent to another committee to create a comprehensive plan .
Kuwait 's assembly is also awaiting the government 's opinion on the issue , Kuwait Times , an English-language daily newspaper in the Arabian Gulf region , reported .
• More than 1,000 Indian workers detained in Kuwait But will this become a law ?
Experts are sceptical .
`` Right from 1972 when Indians have been going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many times - [ that ] whenever there is a fall in oil prices , they try to trim the expatriate numbers .
Indians , being in large numbers , become the headline . ''
Dr A K Pasha , professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at Delhi 's Jawaharlal Nehru University , told the BBC .
Dr Pasha adds that Indians have contributed immensely in building Kuwait 's infrastructure and can not be thrown out .
`` Without expatriates , they will not be able to sustain the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because many of the works which expats do , the locals are unwilling or reluctant to do . ''
Dr Pasha believes that if foreign workers leave , the expansion of infrastructure , such as housing projects , will slow down given the fall in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Non-skilled labour will be affected to a certain extent .
But they will still be needed on a long-term basis to sustain and maintain the infrastructure , '' he says .
Others also believe that drastically cutting the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is practically impossible to work with just 200,000 Indians here and send 800,000 home , '' Kaizar Shakir , a chartered accountant who works with an architectural engineering firm in Kuwait , told the BBC .
`` I do n't think this bill will be implemented .
The Kuwait government is very sensitive about Indians and will not ask them to leave . ''
But other experts believe that the government is under pressure amid rising unemployment .
There there are Kuwaitis who study abroad , but now want to come back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts skilled jobs at risk too , says Brian Thomas , an Indian expat accountant in Kuwait .
`` If [ Kuwaiti graduates ] ca n't find work here , then where else ? ''
he says .
`` They only want white-collar jobs .
You 'll mostly never find a Kuwaiti working as a technician .
I am working in finance .
My job is more at risk , '' he says .

"Right from 1972 when Indians have been going to Kuwait, we have heard this so many times - [that] whenever there is a fall in oil prices, they try to trim the expatriate numbers. Indians, being in large numbers, become the headline." Dr A K Pasha, professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told the BBC.