bbc--2020-02-17--Can we fix our way out of the growing e-waste problem?

`` I was a kid of the early 80s , when electronic items were quite expensive and were supposed to last for ages . ''
Francesco Calo has been learning how to fix his broken TV at a repair event in Tooting , south London .
It might seem a simplistic idea - but repair initiatives such as this one could be part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic waste .
This waste is becoming a huge problem .
The 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated every year will more than double to 110 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fastest growing waste stream in the world , according to the author of a UN report .
Francesco says the staggering volume of e-waste was one of the main reasons he wanted to get involved in fixing broken gadgets .
He enlisted the help of volunteers at the Restart Project in London .
Other , similar projects exist in the UK and around the world .
`` This project allows you to reduce waste , extend the life of objects , and it helps people who can not afford to get rid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he says .
`` The issue of electronic waste is overlooked , as electronic items that could be fixed easily go to waste instead , contributing to pollution and increasing the demand for components like rare earth elements , which can have a damaging impact on the environment when sourced . ''
Dr Ruediger Kuehr , of the United Nations University , which produces the UN 's Global E-Waste Monitor , told the BBC that despite having ambitious collection targets in place , `` world-wide collections are stagnating or even decreasing '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monitor is due to be published in April , but with only 41 countries producing official e-waste statistics , the fate of the majority of the waste is `` simply unknown '' , according to Prof Ian Williams of the University of Southampton .
`` In countries where there is no national e-waste legislation in place , e-waste is likely treated as other or general waste .
This is either land-filled or recycled , along with other metal or plastic wastes , '' he says .
But e-waste from discarded electrical and electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A significant contributor to e-waste is the release of toxins from mining and manufacturing .
The rare earth elements being mined are currently crucial components in high-tech electronics , but they are hazardous to extract .
`` There is the high risk that the pollutants are not taken care of properly , or they are taken care of by an informal sector and recycled without properly protecting the workers , while emitting the toxins contained in e-waste , '' Prof Williams says .
By far the biggest contributors to the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vacuum cleaners , washing machines and fridges .
But the rapidly-growing `` Internet of things '' - internet-connected gadgets - is expected to generate e-waste at a faster rate , as connectivity becomes embedded into everyday items .
There are rules on the management of e-waste .
Sellers of electrical and electronic equipment ( EEE ) within the European Union must provide ways for customers to dispose of their old household device when they sell them a new version of the same product .
And in October 2019 , the EU adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that from 2021 firms will have to make appliances longer-lasting , and will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years .
The UK government has pledged to `` match and even exceed EU eco product regulations '' post-Brexit .
Several high-profile electronics companies have faced criticism over a lack of availability of spare parts or upgrades , or alleged built-in obsolescence .
In 2017 , Apple admitted that it had deliberately slowed down some models of the iPhone as they aged .
Customers had suspected this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple said it was to prolong the life of customers ' devices .
In 2018 , the company introduced its Daisy robot , used to disassemble iPhones to recover and recycle minerals .
In November 2019 , owners of Sonos products criticised the speaker manufacturer for no longer issuing software updates for some of its older models .
Affected customers were offered discounts on newer devices in return for recycling their existing product .
Increasingly , investors are only looking at companies that are committed to helping create a cleaner global economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AXA Investment Managers , says that e-waste is `` a significant and growing issue '' .
`` We 're starting to see companies that , I think , are very mindful of their reputation investing quite heavily here .
They recognise the reputational damage of not doing so . ''
But some consumers are taking matters into their own hands - literally .
And they do n't want new devices .
Back at the Restart Project in London - part of a wider repair movement of community based projects around the world - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen at the cost of `` a few pennies '' for a new diode , and the help of one of the volunteers .
He tells the BBC he is thinking of becoming a volunteer fixer in the future .
`` I love the idea of watching and learning to fix , rather than simply having your item fixed .
`` I always try to extend the lease of life of the electronic items I own ... by using old mobile phones as music players , or old tablets as digital frames .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix , but Prof Williams thinks this type of action plays a small , but important , role in tackling what he calls the e-waste `` tsunami '' .
`` I think that the repair cafes , the reuse clubs , and people who are trying to prolong the life of electronic equipment - they definitely have a role , '' he says .
`` But the truth is that one in five people - at best - are going to be motivated to do that , so for the remaining four out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems in place that are convenient , that match their lifestyles and enable us to get the electronic equipment back ... into the next item . ''

Back at the Restart Project in London - part of a wider repair movement of community based projects around the world - Francesco's succeeded in repairing his TV screen at the cost of "a few pennies" for a new diode, and the help of one of the volunteers. He tells the BBC he is thinking of becoming a volunteer fixer in the future.


bbc--2020-02-16--Queen reprise 22-minute Live Aid set at Fire Fight Australia concert

US singer Adam Lambert has joined Queen to reprise the band 's legendary 1985 Live Aid set for 75,000 people at a huge benefit concert in Sydney .
The 22-minute set was part of a 10-hour fundraising event organised to raise A $ 10m ( £5.15m ; $ 6.71m ) for communities devastated by bushfires .
`` As Aussies we bear together ... because it turns out the people at the top do n't , '' the host Celeste Barber said .
Recent fires have killed at least 33 people , destroying thousands of homes .
In New South Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have brought blazes under control .
But in the last few months more than 11 million hectares of land - an area comparable to the size of England - has been affected across all of Australia 's states and territories .
On Sunday , Olivia Newton-John and Alice Cooper joined local stars 5 Seconds of Summer , Tina Arena and Delta Goodrem for the Fire Fight Australia gig .
Joining Queen 's Brian May and Roger Taylor on stage , Lambert filled in for the late Freddie Mercury as the band performed hits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ga , We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions .
• How much rain did it take to put out the NSW fires ?
• 'Urgent help ' needed for 113 species after fires Lambert , a former American Idol contestant who has previously toured with Queen , said it was a `` real honour '' to perform the band 's full Live Aid set for the victims of Australia 's bushfires .
The set at the 1985 fundraising concert at London 's Wembley Stadium for famine relief is seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rock band .
It was recreated for the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody .
Australia has always had a fire season , with naturally occurring blazes sparked during the dry summer , but this year 's has been unprecedented in the scale and intensity of the fires .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison 's government has come in for harsh criticism for its response to the disaster .
Profits from the event will be passed on to rural fire services , communities affected by bushfires and animal welfare groups .
Among those attending was Dalene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay , who told Reuters news agency : `` [ I want to be ] part of the people who helped to try and bring things back together and bring smiles .
Yeah be part of that healing stuff that happens with community . ''
Another concert-goer , bank worker Karen Adams , said : `` We 're in Sydney so we could n't even get down there to help , which was heartbreaking .
And I work in a bank and so many families have lost everything so we 're here to @ @ @ @ @

In New South Wales, the worst-hit state, heavy rains have brought blazes under control. But in the last few months more than 11 million hectares of land - an area comparable to the size of England - has been affected across all of Australia's states and territories.


bbc--2020-02-17--'I reinvented the hair tie from my uni halls'

The BBC 's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world .
This week we speak to Sophie Trelles-Tvede , chief executive and founder of the hair accessories company Invisibobble .
For most students , founding a company would probably be the last thing on their mind when they 're hungover .
Back in 2011 , Swiss entrepreneur Sophie Trelles-Tvede was finding her feet as a first-year student at Warwick University , but she was feeling unfulfilled .
`` Studying in the UK was my dream , and I had worked so hard to get there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadlines were n't due until summer , so all of the work was back-loaded .
`` We were just about to go into the Christmas holidays , but I felt like I did n't deserve them at all , '' she says .
To combat this `` numb '' feeling , Sophie , then 18 , went to an `` anything but clothes '' night at the students ' union , where partygoers wear costumes they 've made out of random items .
Sophie , now 27 , says : `` As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotted this old , disused telephone on my wall .
I unplugged the [ spiral ] cord , and tied my hair up with it . ''
The `` light bulb moment '' as Sophie describes it , came the next morning .
`` I woke up hungover , but with no headache at all , even though I had been getting them regularly .
The hair tie did n't pull , or leave a dent in my hair . ''
Sophie called her then boyfriend , and now business partner , Felix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on creating a prototype - a spiral hair tie - over the Christmas break , financing the project themselves .
`` We asked a guy who produced telephone cord to strip out the wire , and solder it into a round shape .
Sophie adds : `` The first box was terrible !
But I thought to myself : 'There 's still something to this ' . ''
Gathering feedback and tweaking the product over months , Sophie settled on transparent packaging with three spiral hair ties in each £5 ( $ 6.25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so important to me .
I wanted buying an Invisibobble to be a fun experience - like buying an eye-shadow palette , rather than toilet paper ! ''
The two decided to switch to a larger producer in China in 2012 in order to produce the hair ties in bulk .
They started selling products online that year , as well as to hairdressers .
Sales grew quickly , and Invisibobble went international in 2013 .
Pairing up with distributors around the world , the firm started shipping to 12 countries .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` People were initially really dismissive of my product .
I was laughed off because it was 'just a hair accessory ' .
`` My flatmates would laugh at my Instagram posts about the business , or if I was creating an invoice on one of the uni computers . ''
But by the time Sophie 's graduation rolled around in 2014 , Invisibobble had an annual turnover of more than €6m ( $ 6.6m ; £5m ) .
`` People still could n't believe that Invisibobble could be a full-time job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , the careers counsellor told me to apply for jobs in HR after she found out that I wanted to work solely on my business . ''
Sophie noticed a shift in in 2016 , after she and her business partner Felix were listed on the Forbes Under 30 European entrepreneurs in retail list .
`` That 's when people started taking us seriously , '' she says .
Sophie says this is the moment when Invisibobble really started `` strategising '' .
`` We put a product on the market , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt super-weird .
But we had never taken a moment to step back and think about the bigger picture . ''
A few instances of Invisibobble being copied caused Sophie to change tack .
`` In every market , the same thing would happen , '' she says .
`` We 'd overperform , then another label creates a cheaper version .
`` Now , it 's too risky to just come up with an idea in the shower .
We have to be the most innovative hair accessory , and we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns . ''
It seems to be paying off for the company which now has its headquarters in Munich , while the products are manufactured in South Korea and Germany as well as China .
Invisibobble , which now also sells hair bands and hair clips , reported sales of €20m ( $ 21.7m , £16.6m ) last year .
It is today sold across more than 100,000 locations including in chains CVS , Walgreens and Sephora in its largest market , the US .
More than 100,000 people now follow the brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the social media platform to speak out about bad working practices she saw in China during a 2018 trip .
`` All of our production was running smoothly in China , our factories were fully audited , '' she says .
`` But we thought we 'd visit some [ new ] factories to see if we could learn anything from what other companies are doing there . ''
`` Mothers would have children on their laps while they were soldering hair ties together , then putting labels on them for huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
After visiting eight different factories in China , Sophie decided not to explore any of them as options , sticking with Invisibobble 's existing audited manufacturers .
She says : `` It made me realise , the most important thing is that we need to grow sustainably . ''
Although Invisibobble 's best-selling product , its spiral hair tie , is made from plastic , the company says it 's made from one single material , polyurethane .
It says this makes the product fully recyclable .
`` We also want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibly .
By fixing a higher price point than traditional hair ties , we try to encourage that , '' Sophie adds .
Having grown a successful company , Sophie now has advice for young entrepreneurs : `` Start now ! ''
• ' I remember the roaches walking across the floor' • The medieval knight who went into space • Dan Aykroyd : From battling spirits to selling them Younger entrepreneurs like Sophie have `` at least two advantages '' , according to Vangelis Souitaris , professor of entrepreneurship at City University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the passion , energy and creativity of youth .
Second , they have little to lose .
`` They generally do n't have children or a mortgage to worry about , so during or immediately after university is a good time to take the leap and found a business . ''
Sophie says that if you have a good idea `` somebody else will do it if you do n't '' .
`` Also , if you start a business as a student , you can take a risk because you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to set up a company .
The worst case is - it does n't work out . ''

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bbc--2020-02-17--How safe are breast implants?

How safe are breast implants?

Breast enlargement is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries worldwide .
There are millions of satisfied patients , so @ @ @ @ @ ?

Breast enlargement is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries worldwide. There are millions of satisfied patients, so just how safe are implants?
Story by Lauren Moss
Motion graphics by Jacqueline Galvin


bbc--2020-02-16--Racing on a frozen lake as ice cracks below

The scenery is stunning but the conditions are freezing , and this year , there were some very difficult toilet @ @

Over three days, competitors from around the world race 205km on Lake Baikal, in Siberia, Russia.
Using bicycles, skates and kicksleds, the racers battle winds, frost and -15°C temperatures, but are treated to breathtaking views.


bbc--2020-02-16--Why the world needs 'Instagrans'

Why the world needs 'Instagrans'

From America 's @ baddiewinkle with 3.2m followers to Australia 's @ saramaijewels and Taiwan 's @ moonlin0106 , 'Instagrans @ @ @ @ @ elderly social media influencers - are becoming a worldwide sensation .
But what does this @ @ @ @ @ ?
From representation to developing cognitive skills and connections , one Instagran from the UK @ @ @ @ @ media can have .
Suzi Grant is a 70-year-old blogger from Brighton who wants to @ @ @ @ @ ageing .

From America's @baddiewinkle with 3.2m followers to Australia's @saramaijewels and Taiwan's @moonlin0106, 'Instagrans' - otherwise known as elderly social media influencers - are becoming a worldwide sensation.
But what does this mean for the older generation? From representation to developing cognitive skills and connections, one Instagran from the UK dives into the impact social media can have.
Suzi Grant is a 70-year-old blogger from Brighton who wants to spread the message of positive ageing.
Video journalist: Sam Everett


bbc--2020-02-13--Your pictures on the theme of 'wooden'

Your pictures on the theme of 'wooden'

And finally Robby Bernstein sent in this picture of wooden pencils .
The next theme is `` uphill '' and @ @ @ @ @ 18 February 2020 .
Send pictures to yourpics @ bbc.co.uk or follow the link to @ @ @ @ @ '' below .
Further details and terms can be found by following the link to @ @ @ @ @ , you take the pictures , '' at the bottom of the page .

Image caption,
And finally Robby Bernstein sent in this picture of wooden pencils. The next theme is "uphill" and the deadline for entries is 18 February 2020. Send pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or follow the link to "Upload your pictures here" below. Further details and terms can be found by following the link to "We set the theme, you take the pictures," at the bottom of the page.


bbc--2020-02-16--Friend’s emotional tribute to Caroline Flack

Laura Whitmore has emotionally paid tribute to her friend Caroline Flack , describing her as a person who `` loved @ @ @ @ @ was found dead in her London flat on Saturday .
A lawyer for her family @ @ @ @ @ own life .
Speaking on her BBC 5 Live programme , Whitmore - who took @ @ @ @ @ Flack - urged listeners to `` be kind '' .

Laura Whitmore has emotionally paid tribute to her friend Caroline Flack, describing her as a person who "loved to love".
Flack was found dead in her London flat on Saturday. A lawyer for her family said she had taken her own life.
Speaking on her BBC 5 Live programme, Whitmore - who took over presenting Love Island from Flack - urged listeners to "be kind".
Read more: Presenter's tribute to 'vivacious, loving' friend


bbc--2020-02-15--Why being gay in Russia is about "love and passion"

Jon and Alex , a gay couple from Russia , share an intimate moment at a small apartment in St @ @ @ @ @ into their private lives was captured by Danish photographer Mads Nissen and received the prestigious @ @ @ @ @ 2015 .
But while people across the globe were admiring Nissen 's work , life @ @ @ @ @ only getting more difficult .
Members of the LGBT community in Russia say social stigma @ @ @ @ @ have increased since the country approved the law banning 'gay propaganda ' in 2013 .
@ @ @ @ @ that Alex is not alive , the picture is also a symbol of painful struggle @ @ @ @ @ .
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this film @ @ @ @ @ and information here .

Jon and Alex, a gay couple from Russia, share an intimate moment at a small apartment in St Petersburg.
This secret glimpse into their private lives was captured by Danish photographer Mads Nissen and received the prestigious World Press Photo Award in 2015.
But while people across the globe were admiring Nissen's work, life for Jon and Alex was only getting more difficult.
Members of the LGBT community in Russia say social stigma and risk of physical attacks have increased since the country approved the law banning 'gay propaganda' in 2013.
And for Jon, now that Alex is not alive, the picture is also a symbol of painful struggle and, ultimately, loss.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this film, you can get advice and information here.
Reporter: Anastassia Zlatopolskai
Producer: Julia Malkin


bbc--2020-02-15--Toddler hockey star and other stories you may have missed

From a two-year-old who could skate his way to success to a `` superhero '' who 's getting his hands @ @ @ @ @ of the stories you may have missed this week .

From a two-year-old who could skate his way to success to a "superhero" who's getting his hands dirty, here are some of the stories you may have missed this week.


bbc--2020-02-15--The fake 'kitchen hacks' with billions of views

Videos showing off `` kitchen hacks '' and baking ideas have clocked up billions of views - but do all @ @ @ @ @ ?
BBC Click 's Chris Fox tried out recipes from some of the biggest lifestyle @ @ @ @ @ and found not all was as it seemed .

Videos showing off "kitchen hacks" and baking ideas have clocked up billions of views - but do all the tips featured actually work?
BBC Click's Chris Fox tried out recipes from some of the biggest lifestyle channels on YouTube and Facebook and found not all was as it seemed.
See more at Click's website and @BBCClick


bbc--2020-02-17--The Kashmir journalist forced into manual labour

Journalists in Indian-administered Kashmir are struggling to make ends meet amid a months-long communications blockade that has only partially been lifted .
The BBC 's Priyanka Dubey visited the region to find out more .
Muneed Ul Islam , 29 , had worked as a photojournalist in Kashmir for five years , his pictures appearing in several publications in India and abroad .
But the young photographer 's dream job vanished almost overnight in August last year , when India 's federal government suspended landline , mobile and internet services in Kashmir .
The government 's move came a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region 's special status - a constitutionally-guaranteed provision , which gave Kashmir partial autonomy in matters related to property ownership , permanent residency and fundamental rights .
The controversial decision catapulted the Muslim-majority valley into global news - but local journalists like Mr Islam had no way to report on what was going on .
And worse , they had to find other things to do because journalism could no longer pay the bills .
By January , the region had not had access to the internet for more than 150 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I chose journalism because I wanted to do something for my people , '' Mr Islam explains .
`` I covered this conflict-ridden region with dedication until the loss of Kashmir 's special status put a full stop on my journey . ''
In January , the government eased restrictions and allowed limited broadband service in the Muslim-majority valley , while 2G mobile coverage resumed in parts of the neighbouring Jammu region .
But mobile internet and social media are still largely blocked .
India says this is necessary to maintain law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August , and there has also been a long-running insurgency against Indian rule .
But opposition leaders and critics of the move say the government can not leave these restrictions in place indefinitely .
Meanwhile , journalists like Mr Islam are struggling .
For months , Mr Islam says , he kept trying to report and file stories and photos .
In September , he even spent 6,000 rupees ( $ 84 ; £65 ) of his own money to make two trips to the capital , Srinagar , for a story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds and had to stop .
He then tried to file his stories on a landline phone : he would call and read them aloud to someone on the other side who could type it out .
But , as he found out , his stories did n't earn him enough money to cover the cost of travelling for hours in search of a working landline .
• What happened in Kashmir and why it matters • 'Even I will pick up a gun ' : Inside Kashmir 's lockdown And Mr Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ill .
So he eventually asked his brother for help , finding work carrying bricks on a construction site in his neighbourhood in Anantnag city .
It pays him 500 rupees a day .
Mr Islam is not the only journalist in Kashmir who has been forced to abandon their career for another job .
Another journalist , who did not want to reveal his name , says he had been working as a reporter for several years , but quit the profession in August .
He now plans to work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who also also wished to remain anonymous , says he used to earn enough to comfortably provide for his family .
Now , he barely has money to buy petrol for his motorcycle .
`` I have no money because I have not been able to file any story in the last six months , '' a third reporter , who spoke to the BBC on the condition of anonymity , says .
`` My family keeps telling me to find another job .
But what else can I do ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from home In December , people were given limited internet access to the internet at a government office in Anantnag , but this has n't helped local journalists .
The office , Mr Islam says , is always crowded and there are only four desktops for a scrum of officials , students and youngsters who want to log on to respond to emails , fill exam forms , submit job applications or even check their social media .
`` We have access for only for a few minutes and the internet speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are barely able to access email , forget reading the news . ''
What 's more , Mr Islam says those who work at the office often ask customers to show them the contents of emails .
`` This makes us uncomfortable , but we do n't have a choice . ''
Many journalists say that they have been completely cut off from their contacts for months now , making it hard to to maintain their networks or sources .
They also speak of how humiliating it is to beg for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media centre in Srinagar , which has less than two dozen computers for hundreds of journalists .
This has left publishers in the lurch too .
`` My reporters and writers are not able to file , '' says Basheer Manzar , the editor of Kashmir Images .
He still publishes a print edition , he says , because if he does n't do so for a certain number of days in the month , he will lose the license .
But the website continues to struggle , he adds , because most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no access to the internet .
`` I know what is happening in New York through news on the TV , but I do n't know what 's happening in my hometown . ''

He then tried to file his stories on a landline phone: he would call and read them aloud to someone on the other side who could type it out. But, as he found out, his stories didn't earn him enough money to cover the cost of travelling for hours in search of a working landline.


bbc--2020-02-17--Coronavirus: A Cameroon student on how he recovered

When Kem Senou Pavel Daryl , a 21-year-old Cameroonian student living in the Chinese city of Jingzhou , contracted the coronavirus he had no intention of leaving China , even if that were possible .
`` No matter what happens I do n't want to take the sickness back to Africa , '' he said from his university dormitory , where he is now under a 14-day quarantine .
He was suffering from a fever , a dry cough , and flu-like symptoms .
When he became ill he thought of his time as a child in Cameroon when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` When I was going to the hospital for the first time I was thinking about my death and how I thought it was going to happen , '' he said .
For 13 days he remained in isolation in a local Chinese hospital .
He was treated with antibiotics and drugs typically used to treat HIV patients .
After two weeks of care he began to show signs of recovery .
The CT scan showed no trace of the illness .
He became the first African person known to be infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recover .
His medical care was covered by the Chinese state .
Egypt has become the first country in Africa to confirm a case of the coronavirus .
Health professionals warn that countries with weaker health systems may struggle to cope with a potential outbreak of the illness , which has led to more than 1,600 deaths and infected more than 68,000 people , mostly in China .
`` I do n't want to go home before finishing studying .
I think there is no need to return home because all hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese government , '' says Mr Senoua .
To evacuate or not ?
Since late January governments around the world , led by the US , began evacuating their citizens out of Wuhan and neighbouring cities .
But thousands of African students , workers and families , remain in lockdown across the central Hubei province - the outbreak began in the provincial capital Wuhan - and some think their governments should do more to help them .
`` We are sons and daughters of Africa but Africa is not willing to come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most , '' says Tisiliyani Salima , a medical student at Tongji Medical University and president of the Zambian Wuhan student association .
Learn more about the new virus • How worried should we be ?
• The city now in lockdown • Can wearing masks stop the spread of viruses ?
For close to a month Ms Salima has been living in self-quarantine .
Time has begun to lose meaning for the 24-year old student .
She spends her days sleeping and checking updates on Chinese social media apps .
She acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 186 Zambian students living under quarantine in Wuhan .
Many worry about food safety , supplies , and lack information in a city that this week has seen an average of 100 deaths a day .
She watched other international classmates evacuated from the city while her countrymen and women were left behind .
`` South of the Sahara most African countries have had a similar response , '' says one student who agreed to talk under the condition of anonymity .
`` Publicly or privately African countries say that China can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not under control .
When you listen to the official response it tells you that the African countries do not want to offend China .
We do n't have the bargaining power , '' the student says .
China is currently Africa 's largest trading partner and the ties between the two have blossomed in recent years .
In the process China has become home to 80,000 African students , many attracted to the middle kingdom by scholarship programmes .
But community leaders say families , young and old are stranded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their governments .
`` People are saying : 'Do n't bring us back because Nigeria ca n't handle us . '
I feel conflicted but at the end of the day I am also human , '' says Angela , a recent graduate from Nigeria , who only gave her first name .
`` I would appreciate if they would recognise that there are Nigerians here but we do n't seem to be a priority .
We did n't get any response from our government , '' she says .
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days in lockdown , dwindling supplies forced Angela to venture out of her apartment to buy some essentials .
`` The city is like a ghost town .
When I left my complex I did n't know if I would even be allowed back in .
People are checking temperatures outside the gate , '' she says in a phone interview from her apartment .
On 30 January the Cameroonian community penned an open letter to the president urging their government to evacuate citizens stuck in the epicentre of the outbreak .
Weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community leader in Wuhan , says Cameroonians are still waiting for a response .
He accepts that the community is not united in the desire to be evacuated but says they are disappointed by the lack of assistance from the government .
As of mid-February , Egypt , Algeria , Mauritius , Morocco and Seychelles had moved their citizens out of Hubei province .
Other nations such as Ghana and Kenya are reportedly considering evacuating .
Some nations have sent financial support to their citizens .
According to the head of the Ivory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( $ 380 ) was given to the 77 Ivoirians in the city following weeks of discussions with their government .
But many are growing increasingly frustrated by their government 's stance .
Ghana has reportedly sent financial assistance to its nationals as well .
`` Staying here does n't guarantee our safety .
We are just in a country that has better medical facilities , '' says Ms Salima .
`` We feel abandoned .
The Chinese clearly were angered by the Americans pulling their people out as they felt it caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to talk on the condition of anonymity .
`` There is a lot of distrust here of the authorities , '' he added .
Some are calling for a continent-wide strategy to help African nationals in China .
`` The decision to evacuate is not a question of 'solidarity ' with China or the lack of it .
It is the responsibility of every country to ultimately look after the health of their citizens wherever they are , including in China , '' says Hannah Ryder from Development Reimagined , a Beijing-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senoua , he says has no plans to return to Cameroon .
`` It would be a bad and dangerous idea .
The biggest fear I had from the virus was psychological and emotional .
Going back home is not an option now . ''

"Publicly or privately African countries say that China can handle the situation. But the situation is not under control. When you listen to the official response it tells you that the African countries do not want to offend China. We don't have the bargaining power," the student says.


bbc--2020-02-17--French reforms: Why France is resisting Macron's push on pensions

The rolling transport strikes that crippled Paris through much of December and January have stopped , as empty pay packets post-Christmas took their toll .
Instead there has been a change of tactic , with the more radical unions now planning sporadic days of action .
President Emmanuel Macron 's bid to radically overhaul the post-war pension system reaches the National Assembly on Monday , ahead of a long period of debate .
The moment is being marked by a strike on the Paris metro and further protests on Thursday .
For the government , the pressure from the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests still draw tens of thousands .
But the bigger difficulty is with the broader public - polls continue to show a majority in favour of the strikes , and rejecting the government 's handling of the reform .
The pensions issue has also served as a rallying-cry for all those with other grievances against President Macron .
The proposed law would radically overhaul the country 's post-war pension system , merging the 42 existing private and public sector regimes into one , universal points-based system .
Early retirement privileges enjoyed by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Macron started off with one kind of reform , then as the protests grew he tried to convert it into another .
The initial proposal , as sold to the public , was to create a fairer system by making everyone put into - and get out of - the same pension pot under the same rules .
It was a `` systemic '' reform , to use the parlance .
But somewhere en route it also became a `` parametric '' reform .
In other words the government decided that now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers around in order to ensure the system 's long-term financial survival .
Somewhere in the change , the government decided it had to be written in that people were going to have to work for longer , retiring later in life .
This may have been eminently sensible , but it was not what the government had advertised .
And the unions - even the `` moderate '' ones - got cross .
• Why are French workers on a nationwide strike ?
The number of French people who actually understand the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fingers and toes .
What on earth , for example , is the difference between an age de pivot ( age of pivot ) and an age d'équilibre ( age of balance ) ?
They both have something to do with the year you first claim your pension , and whether or not you get penalised or rewarded .
The government says it backed down in response to the protests , abandoning the pivot age in favour of the latter .
And yet no-one in France can figure out what that implies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a working group to report on ways of balancing out the current €14bn ( £11.5bn ; $ 15bn ) pensions deficit .
So what does any of it mean for France 's workforce ?
Who are the winners and losers ?
Most public sector employees receive a lot of their pay in the form of bonuses .
But teachers just get it straight .
In the new universal pension system that 's not good , because for the first time bonuses will be used in the calculation of who gets what .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government says it will boost teachers ' salaries to compensate .
But will it ?
And by how much ?
Farmers , mothers and the low-paid are all said to be future beneficiaries of the new system .
Metro and train drivers will suffer , because they see the end of their special status .
But some other special statuses will survive , like for the army and police .
Lawyers will be allowed to keep their special caisse ( fund ) with its massive surplus - for a while .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now prepare to take up the baton on this mother of all reforms .
There are technically two laws going before parliament .
One is an ordinary law , and one is an `` organic '' law .
The far-left opposition have tabled 20,000 amendments in committee ; the State Council has ruled that in several aspects the government 's intention to resort to decrees to implement the reform needs clarification .
Is it any wonder that the pension reforms have triggered the longest opposition movement since President Macron came to power ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessarily dislike the idea of a universal points-based system .
After all , as the president says , its much-vaunted prime characteristic - and what distinguishes it from the dreaded Anglo-Saxon systems - remains intact .
It is and will be a single `` share-out '' system in which workers pay in and pensioners take out .
There are no scary pension funds .
No , the key point about the reform is that most people simply find it impossible to make head or tail of .

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bbc--2020-02-17--Egg-freezing: What's the success rate?

Egg-freezing: What's the success rate?

The fertility expert , Lord Robert Winston , appeared on BBC Radio 4 's Today programme to discuss the campaign to relax the current ten-year limit on freezing eggs .
Lord Winston , who is professor of fertility studies at Imperial College London , warned that it was `` a very unsuccessful technology '' and said : `` The number of eggs that actually result in a pregnancy after freezing is about 1 % . ''
He later clarified he was referring to live births .
But the body which regulates fertility treatment in the UK - the Human Fertilisation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts the success rate at closer to one in five - a far better chance than the one in a hundred Lord Winston suggests .
So , why the different figures ?
It 's because the two are measuring the success rate based on different stages of fertility treatment .
An IVF cycle involving frozen eggs goes something like this : • Eggs which were previously frozen and stored are thawed • The ones that survive the thawing will be fertilised with sperm • Eggs that are successfully fertilised start to develop into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , usually one or two ( up to a maximum of three for women over 40 ) will be transferred to the womb Lord Winston 's 1 % figure was referring to the proportion of all frozen eggs thawed for use in fertility treatment which result in a pregnancy and subsequent live birth .
Data from the HFEA from 2016 , given to him in response to a question in the House of Lords , puts the pregnancy rate at 1.8 % .
There was no data on live births available for 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question , but looking at 2015 data , 2 % of all thawed eggs ended up as pregnancies and 0.7 % as live births .
The HFEA measures success based on how many embryos ( developed from frozen eggs ) result in a live birth .
Using this measure , 19 % of IVF treatments using a patient 's own frozen eggs were successful in 2017 .
Both measures miss out some information If you 're thinking of freezing your eggs , you probably want to know how likely you are to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But looking at the success rate for each individual egg ( the much lower number ) ignores the fact that a round of IVF will involve several eggs .
And there 's an expected `` attrition '' that happens through the course of treatment , explains Dr Sarah Martins Da Silva , an NHS gynaecologist and lecturer in reproductive medicine at the University of Dundee .
`` Not every egg makes an embryo , not every embryo makes a pregnancy and not every pregnancy makes a baby , '' she says .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an embryo , to transferring the embryo into a womb , eggs are lost at each stage , and there is never any intention that every egg in a treatment cycle will be used .
But the HFEA data only looks at the birth rate once an embryo is transferred - and not every treatment cycle will result in an embryo .
That means the HFEA 's success rate could be lower if it included women whose IVF cycle fails even before an embryo can be implanted In 2016 , when Lord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,204 eggs were thawed - but we do n't know how many women or rounds of IVF that represents • Of these , 590 eggs ( 49 % ) were fertilised • Of the 590 eggs fertilised , 179 ( 30 % ) were transferred back to a patient • Out of the embryos transferred , 22 resulted in a pregnancy ( 13 % ) • That year , 6,199 were frozen but these are unlikely to be the same eggs being thawed There is more recent data on embryo transfers , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above data on thawing and fertilisation .
And this still does n't tell you about the success rate for individual women .
That 's an average , but within that group some women may have all the eggs she thawed survive , while others may have none .
Your chances of becoming pregnant also heavily depend on your age at the time your eggs were frozen , and your general health .
Women who were under 35 at the time their eggs were frozen have the highest number of births per treatment cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this rate declines with age .
So , a younger , healthier woman could have a higher chance than 19 % .
The 19 % figure will also include egg freezing cycles funded by the NHS for medical reasons ( about one fifth of the total ) .
Most of these will be women who are already unwell - often using egg-freezing to preserve the possibility of having children after going through fertility-damaging treatments like chemotherapy - and so might have a lower chance of pregnancy .
Jara Ben Nagi is a doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private clinic which only deals with healthy women freezing their eggs for `` social '' rather than medical reasons .
She says her clinic has a birth rate of 27 % for a full treatment cycle - the same rate that was found in a Spanish study of more than a thousand healthy women using social egg freezing .
The HFEA also points out that very small numbers of women in the UK who freeze their eggs actually go back to use them , so it 's difficult to draw too firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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The 19% figure will also include egg freezing cycles funded by the NHS for medical reasons (about one fifth of the total). Most of these will be women who are already unwell - often using egg-freezing to preserve the possibility of having children after going through fertility-damaging treatments like chemotherapy - and so might have a lower chance of pregnancy.


bbc--2020-02-16--Swiss Crypto AG spying scandal shakes reputation for neutrality

It 's hard to exaggerate just how much the Crypto AG scandal has shaken Switzerland .
For decades , US and German intelligence used this Swiss company 's encoding devices to spy on other countries , and the revelations this week have provoked outrage .
From the Cold War into the 2000s , Crypto AG sold the devices to more than 120 governments worldwide .
The machines were encrypted but it emerged this week that the CIA and Germany 's BND had rigged the devices so they could crack the codes and intercept thousands of messages .
Rumours had circulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are only a handful of countries on the planet that have chosen neutrality ; Austria is one , Sweden another .
But no country has made a status symbol out of neutrality like the Swiss .
Now that the Crypto AG scandal has emerged in all its tawdry detail , there 's not a newspaper or broadcaster in the country that is not questioning Switzerland 's neutrality .
A federal judge is already on the case and politicians across the spectrum are calling for a parliamentary commission of inquiry .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to represent US interests in Iran for 30 years , and Tehran 's interests in Washington .
Switzerland negotiated hard behind the scenes with the US to allow deliveries of humanitarian aid to Iran to ease the worst effects of sanctions .
It is also a country that sold flawed encryption machines , bearing that Made in Switzerland label , to Iran , so that Washington could eavesdrop .
Swiss neutrality is revered as if it were in the country 's DNA , part of a unique national identity , and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that hired mercenaries to the rest of Europe until its leaders decided not fighting at all might be safer .
`` We survived two world wars , '' is a phrase you often hear in Switzerland .
It can be irritating to citizens of other European countries who also survived those wars , in rather more harrowing fashion .
But it 's true , Switzerland 's neutrality kept it out of those wars , and in 1945 Switzerland 's economy and infrastructure emerged , phoenix-like and unscathed , while its neighbours swept up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Swiss made themselves useful Neutrality , however , is not some force field which keeps enemies out .
Not a magic word which you can chant and the bad guys will leave you alone .
In World War Two , Switzerland did all sorts of things to make sure its neighbours stayed away .
Mass mobilisation , sending every man between 18 and 60 to defend the borders , mining the tunnels and alpine passes , that was one thing : and until recently that took pride of place in Swiss history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , equally important : Switzerland made itself useful , to all sides .
Nazi Germany found a safe place for its looted art and gold in Swiss banks .
It sent trains full of weapons across Switzerland to support Italian dictator Benito Mussolini .
At the same time , Switzerland 's head of the armed forces , General Henri Guisan , was having secret chats with the French about fighting together should both countries be invaded .
There 's a street named after Guisan in every Swiss town .
Meanwhile the US intelligence-gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sent Allen Dulles to Europe .
Dulles set up his office in the Swiss capital , Bern , and stayed there for the rest of war , spying on the Germans .
He later became head of the CIA .
In the 1990s the Swiss did a lot of soul searching about World War Two .
The history books were rewritten to include the shameful policy of turning Jewish refugees back at the borders .
Commissions of inquiry were set up , memorials held , and a Swiss government minister , Kaspar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same Kaspar Villiger who now stands accused , while serving as defence minister in the 1990s , of knowing that the CIA controlled Crypto AG , and was selling flawed encryption machines around the world in order to spy on foreign governments .
• Swiss vote on going it alone in sovereignty referendum Mr Villiger , it must be stressed , denies this .
But many questions about Crypto were raised in Switzerland in the 1990s , so it 's curious that the defence minister did n't hear them , or did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Villiger on Swiss TV , rotating federal president Simonetta Sommaruga , said the speculation made no sense .
`` We will discuss it when we have the facts , '' she said .
Can Switzerland have it both ways ?
How on earth can those two concepts - neutrality and cooperation - exist together ?
Perhaps in the same way that Switzerland proudly does not fight wars , but sells plenty of weapons .
Or the way in which its bankers used to say `` money does n't smell '' .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look after it whatever bloody conflict , brutal dictator , drug baron , or tax scam it had come from .
Or , more charitably , Switzerland wanted to survive the Cold War .
Its values were Western , why not turn a blind eye to a few covert operations by Europe 's protector in chief , the US , at one of Switzerland 's world-class precision engineering companies ?
To be fair , there are millions of Swiss who think deeply about these things , and who have campaigned hard for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to banking and arms trading , both of which are now subject to much stricter regulation .
But still , every few years it seems the Swiss get a wake-up call about their neutrality .
They have to learn all over again that it 's not a shining beacon of hope at the heart of Europe .
Rather it is a pragmatic and often grubby survival tactic in a continent with a very bloody history .
And sometimes , as with Crypto AG , that pragmatism , together with a desire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reality , lead to some very questionable decisions .
More stories from the BBC on spying • The Cold War spy technology which we all use • Germany 'cuts help ' for US National Security Agency

To be fair, there are millions of Swiss who think deeply about these things, and who have campaigned hard for a less self-interested policy, certainly when it comes to banking and arms trading, both of which are now subject to much stricter regulation.


bbc--2020-02-16--'Period-shaming' Indian college forces students to strip to underwear

India 's uncomfortable relationship with periods is back in the headlines .
College students living in a hostel in the western Indian state of Gujarat have complained that they were made to strip and show their underwear to female teachers to prove that they were not menstruating .
The 68 young women were pulled out of classrooms and taken to the toilet , where they were asked to individually remove their knickers for inspection .
The incident took place in the city of Bhuj on Tuesday .
The young women are undergraduate students at Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute ( SSGI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sect , a wealthy and conservative Hindu religious group .
They said a hostel official had complained to the college principal on Monday that some of the students were breaking rules menstruating women are supposed to follow .
According to these rules , women are barred from entering the temple and the kitchen and are not allowed to touch other students during their periods .
At meal times , they have to sit away from others , they have to clean their own dishes , and in the classroom , they are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the students told BBC Gujarati 's Prashant Gupta that the hostel maintains a register where they are expected to enter their names when they get their periods , which helps the authorities to identify them .
But for the past two months , not one student had entered her name in the register - perhaps not surprising considering the restrictions they have to put up with if they do .
So on Monday , the hostel official complained to the principal that menstruating students were entering the kitchen , going near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostellers .
The students allege that , the next day , they were abused by the hostel official and the principal before they were forced to strip .
They described what happened to them as a `` very painful experience '' that had left them `` traumatised '' and amounted to `` mental torture '' .
You may also be interested in : • Why are menstruating women removing their wombs ?
• Why are Indian women 'Happy to Bleed ' ?
One student 's father said that when he arrived at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students came to him and started crying .
`` They are in shock , '' he said .
On Thursday , a group of students held a protest on the campus , demanding action against the college officials who had `` humiliated '' them .
The college trustee Pravin Pindoria said the incident was `` unfortunate '' , adding that an investigation had been ordered and action would be taken against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing .
But Darshana Dholakia , the vice-chancellor of the university which the college is affiliated with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said that they had broken rules and added that some of them had apologised .
However , some of the students told BBC Gujarati that they are now under pressure from the school authorities to play down the incident and not to speak of their ordeal .
On Friday , the Gujarat State Women 's Commission ordered an investigation into this `` shameful exercise '' and asked the students to `` come forward and speak without fear about their grievances '' .
The police have lodged a complaint .
This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been humiliated on account of periods .
In a very similar case , 70 students were stripped naked three years ago at a residential school in northern India by the female warden after she found blood on a bathroom door .
Discrimination against women on account of menstruation is widespread in India , where periods have long been a taboo and menstruating women are considered impure .
They are often excluded from social and religious events , denied entry into temples and shrines and kept out of kitchens .
Increasingly , urban educated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the past few years , attempts have been made to see periods for just what they are - a natural biological function .
But success has been patchy .
In 2018 , the top court in a landmark order threw open the doors of the Sabarimala shrine to women of all ages , saying that keeping women out of the temple in the southern state of Kerala was discriminatory .
But a year later , the judges agreed to review the order after massive protests in the state .
Surprisingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women - an indication of how deeply rooted the stigma over menstruation is .
• The fight over the Indian baby born in a bank queue • The women eating with their families for the first time • Calling your husband by name for the first time

But for the past two months, not one student had entered her name in the register - perhaps not surprising considering the restrictions they have to put up with if they do.


bbc--2020-02-16--'City of Women': A refuge for Colombia's displaced

During Colombia 's more than half-century armed conflict , bloodshed between left-wing guerrillas , right-wing paramilitaries and the country 's military forced nearly eight million people to flee their homes .
Women and Afro-Colombians in particular faced greater levels of violence in the conflict and would often arrive in far-off cities with nothing and no-one .
In an impoverished neighbourhood in the sweltering coastal city of Cartagena , a group of displaced women decided to do something about it .
They formed the League of Displaced Women and in 2003 began to construct their own community brick by brick : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the nearby municipality of Turbaco , is made up of 100 houses the women built with their own hands .
During Colombia 's armed conflict , sexual violence and targeting of women were used to sow fear .
Many of the women in the City are survivors of that violence .
It offers refuge to the women and their families who faced killings , rapes , threats and other violence both in their homes and during their displacement .
All of the crimes against them remain in impunity .
That struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power to push back against things like machismo , societal norms and stigmas against displaced people still prominent in much of the country .
`` The war had taken our homes from us , it cut you from your customs , your dreams , your land . ''
Consuelo Villega Mendoza , 44 , is from a town in the northern region of Sucre , and was forced to flee after paramilitaries began massacring communities near her home .
• 'If I keep quiet , I become an accomplice' • Colombia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ? '
• Swapping the battlefield for the football pitch '' It was only a matter of time until it happens to you , '' she said .
`` I left out of fear . ''
With her daughter she runs a restaurant out of the home she built .
They are preparing mondongo , a Colombian soup .
`` Being a part of the League of Displaced Women has helped me a lot because they have taught me how to move on.
`` A plaque reading the `` La Ciudad de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the women 's dream of a life with dignity into reality .
Women in the City have fought to get justice for the crimes committed against them , but all 159 cases of gender-based violence and displacement remain unresolved .
Alneris Orozco Caupo , 47 , poses for a portrait in a mirror in her home in the City of Women .
Originally from the north-western region of Cesar , she was forced to flee with her two young children more than 20 years ago due to the territorial conflict between paramilitaries and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her children graduating from high school and university , something she was never able to achieve due to the violence .
Elvia Bautista , 53 , from the Córdoba region in Colombia shows a tiny hat she made out of fibres from the plants by her house .
Before she was forcibly displaced , she used to weave large traditional Colombian sombreros , but the plants from her home in Cordoba do not exist in the dry plains near Turbaco , so she does her best to weave and sell the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 42 , is from El Carmen de Bolívar and fled to Cartagena after members of her family were murdered during massacres carried out by right-wing paramilitaries as they fought left-wing Farc rebels .
She says that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted during her displacement but the League has helped her to recover .
`` I realised I was a woman and that I had rights , and I began to demand them , '' she said .
`` Now , I 'm not a shy woman , I 'm not a woman unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling that as a woman I 'm not worth anything . ''
While building the homes , members of their community were killed , raped and threatened , but they say their finished city stands as a symbol of peaceful resistance .
Carmen Beluas , 45 , fled from her home in Copey in the late 1990s after her husband was murdered by paramilitary forces who accused them of being affiliated with the guerrillas .
She left with her three children and arrived in Cartagena without knowing anyone .
She says she will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from her .
`` It 's something that will never go back to normal .
I know I have my children , but there are still things I 'll never forget . ''
Despite its name , the City of Women also has male residents .
The women , often heads of household , created the city for their children and partners to live in and the community has grown as members started having their own families in the City of Women .
The husband and son of community leader Eidavis Montes care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her house .
Seven-year-old Shayla Monterlaza , the granddaughter of a displaced woman , studies in front of the community 's school with her family .
The community is completely self-sufficient and has its own school , stores , restaurants and community centre for children like Shayla .
Eidavis Montes and fellow community leader Lubis Cardenas say the City has changed women 's roles and outlook on life .
`` Oftentimes women in the countryside are timid , they care for the children , tend to their husbands .
If you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be in that role , '' Eidavis Montes says .
`` This life we have created has taught me that I am a women with rights , that we can do other things . ''
As Colombia struggles to emerge from more than a half-century of armed conflict , the women in the city plan to tell their stories and seek justice before the country 's transitional court system .
`` This life we have created has taught me that I am a women with rights , that we can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All photos by Megan Janetsky and subject to copyright .

Despite its name, the City of Women also has male residents. The women, often heads of household, created the city for their children and partners to live in and the community has grown as members started having their own families in the City of Women.


bbc--2020-02-15--Is an Afghan peace deal imminent?

Is an Afghan peace deal imminent?

All the signs emerging from the annual Security Conference in Munich are that the US and the Taliban are perhaps just days away from announcing an agreement that could pave the way for peace talks between the Afghan parties themselves and the withdrawal of US troops from the country .
Washington 's longest ever war could be coming to an end , and President Donald Trump - in a crucial re-election battle - may be able to make good on his promise to bring US troops home .
The stakes for the Trump administration and for the US are high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even higher .
The very political future of the country is at stake .
What system of government will ultimately triumph ?
• The Afghan war : The short and long story • Who are the Taliban ?
• What could peace in Afghanistan look like ?
But before we get to any final settlement , many questions are already being raised .
Indeed - in a fundamental sense - what is actually being talked about here ?
Is this an all-encompassing peace deal for Afghanistan ?
Or is this simply an agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exit ?
It could be both .
But equally it might be the latter rather than the former .
So far details of what has been decided are limited .
But agreement seems tantalisingly close .
In the margins of the Munich conference , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani .
Subsequently , a senior US official set out some of the deal .
A seven-day truce agreement between the US and the Taliban in Afghanistan will come into effect very soon and could lead to withdrawals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initial agreement on a reduction in violence would be followed by all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days and would cover the whole country .
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper later said that `` a significant part of our operations '' in Afghanistan would be suspended , but added that the `` clock has not yet begun '' and that further consultations were needed to set the date .
That is an ambitious opening gambit .
The talks appear to have been extremely detailed .
Violence against both US and Afghan forces is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specifics of what defines violence are down on paper .
There would be a communications channel between the US and the Taliban ; an acceptance that there may be violence from other sources and each and every incident will need to be clarified .
Indeed , there are monitoring and verification provisions throughout .
• 'The bed that saved me from the Taliban' In the longer term the Taliban is said to have agreed not to host , train or fundraise for international terrorists in the areas they control .
The talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will begin with the discussion of a `` permanent and comprehensive '' ceasefire .
So far so good - but there are hints here already as to what might go wrong .
It is still not entirely clear exactly who the US is talking to and to what extent they represent or speak for all Taliban elements .
There are all sorts of other armed groups in Afghanistan eager to stir up trouble .
Can any peace process really be insulated from them ?
It 's not clear yet where Pakistan stands in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will be wider regional framing for any settlement .
One thing we do not know yet is the exact pace or sequencing of any US troop withdrawal .
Would any residual US forces remain ?
US officials appear to be hoping that such a force would not be required .
But perhaps the biggest question outstanding is can the Taliban really be trusted to deliver on any deal ?
And once they have the US on its way , will they honour any broader peace agreement within Afghanistan itself ?
What US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't ?
But we are getting well ahead of events here .
What the Americans are clearly hoping for is some quick and early sign that the Taliban are serious .
A week 's cessation of violence is the route into the process .
Many US analysts fear that President Trump , for his own political reasons , is rushing for the exit .
Few Americans will be sorry that the longest-lasting campaign of the `` forever wars '' may at long last have a chance of ending .
But one should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Writing earlier this week , veteran US defence expert Tony Cordesman raised concerns that the `` peace '' being sought by President Trump might rather be the `` Vietnamisation '' of a US withdrawal .
There are many warning signs , '' he noted , `` that this peace effort may actually be an attempt to provide the same kind of political cover for a US withdrawal as the peace settlement the US negotiated in Vietnam . ''

All the signs emerging from the annual Security Conference in Munich are that the US and the Taliban are perhaps just days away from announcing an agreement that could pave the way for peace talks between the Afghan parties themselves and the withdrawal of US troops from the country.


bbc--2020-02-16--Crossing Divides: The hostel promoting tourism to ease Israel's tensions

In 2005 , a hostel in the old city of Nazareth opened its doors amid a swirl of rumour , gossip and accusations .
The 60-bed dwelling , in a 200-year-old Arab mansion , was run by an unlikely pair : an Israeli Arab woman and an Israeli Jewish man .
But not only was the partnership against the odds , Fauzi Azar Inn opened in an area that had been abandoned by even its own residents .
The winding cobbled alleyways were home to graffitied doors , shuttered shops , and drug dealers .
`` When I first heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wow… this is unusual , '' says Alon Gelbman , a professor of tourism management at Kinneret College in Galilee .
`` But it became a success story quite fast . ''
Once the home of the Azar family , the inn 's marble floors , hand-painted ceilings and 19th Century arch-framed courtyards had been left to decay .
`` After my grandmother died , the family never really went there , '' says Suraida Shomar Nasser , who co-founded the hostel with Maoz Inon .
Having returned from backpacking around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the centre of a community , Maoz had decided he wanted to open his own .
On visiting Nazareth - Israel 's largest Arab city , with Muslims making up 70 % of its 77,000-strong population - he came across Fauzi Azar .
`` I walked in this small door and was really shocked , '' recalls Maoz .
`` I could see the potential . ''
He approached Suraida , who initially was hostile to the idea .
`` I thought he was crazy , '' she says .
`` I told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for another family .
He asked me why and I said 'because you 're Jewish , I can not work with you ' . ''
Divisions run deep .
Suraida 's grandfather , who gave the hostel its name , had fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war .
But Maoz persisted , and eventually persuaded Suraida 's mother , who saw an opportunity .
`` She knew she was n't going to get any money from me , '' Maoz says , `` but she just saw something in me I guess .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and accused Suraida and her family of `` conspiring '' with Maoz to `` Judaise '' the city , in northern Israel .
`` It was not easy , '' says Suraida .
`` But we decided OK , we will try . ''
After gruelling and lengthy renovations the hostel opened its doors to the public , and the tourists started to come .
`` We definitely had some hard times , '' Maoz says .
`` But now we see the whole old city has changed and there are so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have opened up because we have been here .
I worked hard to meet everybody in the community , so they knew that I was here as a friend , and to help . ''
Despite no longer living in Nazareth , Maoz still knows most of the shopkeepers by name , and is credited with helping to heal tensions and bring Jewish visitors into the city .
`` It is because of Maoz that we are always so busy now , '' says Jarjoura Kanaza , who runs the Elbabour spice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came to our old city and he brought it back to life .
People were so suspicious of him , but I saw something good .
Really , he has done so much for us . ''
A decade after the inn opened , Prof Gelbman decided to use Fauzi Azar as a case study for his paper on how tourism could be used to heal conflict and divided communities .
`` The partnership became a symbol , '' says Prof Gelbman .
`` Because we do n't see too much cooperation between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question we set out to answer was not 'can peace promote tourism ? '
, but instead , 'can tourism promote peace ? '
Can we use tourism to encourage more peaceful and better relationships in communities ?
`` Can we use the fact that people are meeting each other , talking , becoming more familiar with other communities , to start a change , bottom-up ? ''
A season of stories about bringing people together in a fragmented world .
• The Israeli school for both Jews and Arabs Prof Gelbman 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laven , a professor at Mid Sweden University , concluded that tourism could indeed help create shared interests between communities that are characterised by cross-cultural conflict .
Now , according to Suraida , Maoz is `` one of our family '' .
`` He is like my brother , '' she says .
`` I am proud of what we have achieved .
This city used to be desolate , not even locals would come here .
But now , there are 20 hostels and so many independent businesses .
`` And without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing now . ''
Maoz , who has since co-founded Abraham Hostels , which now manages the Fauzi Azar Inn , says it `` warmed his heart '' to see his dream realised .
`` It 's this grassroots , sustainable-development tourism I was talking about back in 2005 .
Nobody understood it then , nobody believed it , but now , it has come to life . ''

"We definitely had some hard times," Maoz says. "But now we see the whole old city has changed and there are so many shops and cafes and other hostels that have opened up because we have been here. I worked hard to meet everybody in the community, so they knew that I was here as a friend, and to help."


bbc--2020-02-16--Letter from Africa: 'Why I'm glad I left the UK to go home'

In our series of letters from African journalists , Sierra Leonean-Gambian writer Ade Daramy , considers what drew him back to the continent .
In common with a lot of Africans who have lived outside the continent , as I neared 60 I started to plan a return home , after spending far too long living in the West .
I also stopped finding reasons - or possibly excuses - not to return .
I grew up and went to school in Sierra Leone , but in 1970 left to go to college in England .
I am of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they would ever have said so .
One of the biggest differences between us and them was that while they studied abroad , in the 1940s , 1950s and 1960s , they went back .
My generation of travellers studied and stayed .
Our continent was blessed with a plethora of men and women who completed their studies in the West and East and returned to either join a liberation struggle , or play their part in newly independent nations .
However , the unstable post-independence political situation in some countries dissuaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation .
But as I got older , and the situation changed , I narrowed my return down to four possible countries : The Gambia , Sierra Leone , Ghana or Cape Verde .
All countries where I felt at home .
Finally , in mid-2019 , I heeded the call of my best friend , Sam , who had returned to Ghana some nine years earlier .
`` What are you scared of ? ''
he asked .
`` Take the plunge . ''
We decided that I should not start things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital , Accra , where he lived , but we should incorporate a road trip to the second city , Kumasi .
This would give me a chance to see the real country beyond the capital .
And to discuss the things that would help me on my return .
It turned out to be a kind of meditation on all the reasons why we left and what was drawing us back .
This was not the Africa of the imagination - which has had a big influence on African-Americans , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place of our of childhood and adolescent memories .
There was nostalgia but also a recognition of how things had changed .
I looked forward to , and was not disappointed by , the street food .
On our first stop I had squid and a delicious pepper sauce .
It took me a while to start eating it but when I did I wished we had bought much more .
We were all too conscious of how standards had plummeted not long after we left .
But now , my friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a fee-paying school in England and enrol her in a school in Ghana , the equivalent of the one she left .
When it came to health , there was the issue of a head of state or minister going abroad for treatment , but these systems at home had improved a lot or were improving after years of neglect .
Though I could not escape that twinge of nostalgia for the churning red dusty roads of my youth , I appreciated the smooth highway to Kumasi .
The signs of construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was pleased to see that there were now real attempts to preserve ancient arts and cultural artefacts - mainly in museums .
You may also be interested in : • How successful was Ghana 's Year of Return ?
• Leaving the UK and going 'home ' to Ghana I was even more thrilled to see a vibrant , flourishing arts scene .
I attended the launch of an exhibition of modern art at a gallery , the setting of which would not have seemed out of place in London or Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thriving and a viable option for the musically talented .
But there were things that had n't changed .
It was a delight to experience the heat and the colour .
I gazed up at the night sky and saw thousands of stars .
On the roadside , I saw mounds of oranges , bananas and mangoes for sale .
To many , these may seem small things , but they are simple pleasures that lift my spirit and were things I had really missed .
Some may say that I 'm wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the West and know that the streets there are not paved with gold .
Yes , we still struggle with electricity generation and we have bloated military and police forces .
I know that corruption seems to be really difficult to shake .
I also know that there is a disregard for timekeeping bordering on disrespect and that driving is more hazardous than elsewhere in the world .
And yet , we were convinced we 'd both made the right decision - him in Ghana and me back in The Gambia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Where toilets have become a constitutional right • How London was sold to a child fleeing war • Brides under pressure to have genital mutilation - again • How talk of witches stirs emotions in Nigeria Follow us on Twitter @ BBCAfrica , on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

We were all too conscious of how standards had plummeted not long after we left. But now, my friend felt able to take his daughter out of a fee-paying school in England and enrol her in a school in Ghana, the equivalent of the one she left.


bbc--2020-02-16--Aston Villa 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur: Dean Smith bemoans 'farcical' VAR

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith says a `` farcical VAR decision '' contributed to Tottenham 's last-gasp Premier League win at Villa Park on Sunday .
Spurs were awarded a penalty by VAR when the score was 1-1 , with Son Heung-min scoring the rebound .
The South Korean forward later scored a stoppage-time winner , taking Jose Mourinho 's side up to fifth in the table , a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea .
Smith was heavily critical of VAR 's intervention .
`` I do n't get it , '' he said .
`` There 's 42,000 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atkinson ] gives a goal-kick and everyone believes it 's a goal-kick .
`` It was a farcical VAR decision .
The criteria is clear and obvious .
It 's not clear and obvious .
Martin Atkinson stood up but his authority has been taken away .
`` I told Martin at half-time I did n't blame him , but if he was brave enough to walk over to that monitor it takes 30 seconds , you go , 'No , I 'm happy with my decision ' and we play on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there 's no feel for the game or what 's happened and we make a decision .
It was a sore result for us , it 's a tough one to take . ''
The result means Villa remain a point above the bottom three in 17th .
They made the stronger start and took the lead via Toby Alderweireld 's own goal - with the Spurs defender prodding Anwar El Ghazi 's cross past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris .
The Belgian atoned by equalising with a superb angled effort that flew into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal from 10 yards .
Spurs went in front when Steven Bergwijn won the penalty after being judged to have been fouled by home defender Bjorn Engels .
While Engels headed in from a Jack Grealish corner to again draw the sides level , his late mistake allowed Son to race clear to place the ball past Reina as Villa 's miserable run against sides in the top half of the table continued .
While Dean Smith 's side have earned just one point against sides currently in the top half , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that eight of their 15 defeats this term have been by a solitary goal .
This was another occasion on which they could have taken at least a point from a hard-fought contest but for individual errors - with Engels having an afternoon to forget .
The 25-year-old Belgian , who started because of Tyrone Mings ' absence through illness , had a difficult time dealing with the movement and pace of Bergwijn , Son and Lucas Moura .
It was his rash challenge on Bergwijn that allowed the visitors to go in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a game Villa had enjoyed the better of until then .
In his late lapse , Engels allowed the ball to run under his studs , enabling Son to score the decisive goal .
Engels ' first goal for the Midlands club will have provided little consolation .
Villa had enjoyed a bright start as Grealish imposed himself on the game .
The Villa captain , who is the last survivor from the club 's top-flight relegation in 2016 , delivered a wonderful display , which is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign him this summer .
He spent the early stages of this encounter tormenting Serge Aurier , flashing a shot wide and laying on a glorious chance from which Douglas Luiz should have converted .
Now 24 , Grealish is maturing into a player capable of controlling games , and is exhibiting the sort of form that may bring him into England manager Gareth Southgate 's planning for Euro 2020 .
Spurs , Son and Alli keep plugging away While Grealish is yet to make a senior England appearance , Spurs midfielder Dele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - although his last cap came in June 2019 .
Since then , Alli has suffered form and injury problems , but has appeared rejuvenated since Jose Mourinho took charge of Tottenham in November .
Although he did not add to the eight goals he has scored this season , his intelligent running caused Villa problems throughout .
Son had seven of Tottenham 's 23 efforts on goal , with Alli next on five - including some of their best chances .
Kortney Hause 's superb block prevented him from equalising at 1-0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headed Bergwijn 's cross back across goal but wide of the right far post .
The 23-year-old then badly miscued a right-foot shot before half-time , slicing it wide , but he continued to pop up in dangerous areas after the break , teeing up Son for an effort that was brilliantly saved by Reina .
Villa 's Spanish keeper made two further outstanding stops to prevent the South Korean from adding to his goal tally .
Like Alli , Son kept plugging away , and his reaction to Engels ' late mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that included 26 sprints , more than any other player on the pitch . '
A window opens for many teams ' - what they said Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho to BBC Sport : `` I thought we deserved to win but I think they did not deserve to lose .
Villa played to win . ''
On the Spurs penalty : `` Steven Bergwijn , I do n't know if I call him naive or too honest - the referees tell us pre-match , 'Do n't ask for anything , do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motion of the screen ' .
The action was there and it was a question of to be or not to be , and clearly it was . ''
On Alderweireld 's contribution : `` In a funny way I 'd say he 's scored three goals : the own goal , his goal and then when he loses the duel with Engels .
But he scored with a shot of his life . ''
On the opportunity to get into the Champions League by finishing fifth after Manchester City 's ban : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window opens for many teams .
What seemed far , now the fifth place is not far .
Arsenal , Everton , Sheffield United , Wolves , everyone will feel they have the chance . ''
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith to Sky Sports : `` We have to try and take the positives .
The last two games we 've scored late winners here , so now we know how it feels on the other foot .
We had chances to win the game but we were n't clinical enough .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt anyone , that 's why we had to get forward and defend on the front foot .
On the whole , I thought we dealt with them really well but we 're disappointed with the goals we conceded .
`` We probably gave away too many chances from counter attacks , which they 're good at , but we did n't deserve to lose that .
It was a good performance against a team that are fifth in the league but we deserved more than that . ''
• Aston Villa are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League matches against sides from London ( D1 L9 ) , since a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in January 2016 .
• Tottenham have lost just one of their last 19 matches against Aston Villa in all competitions ( W15 D3 ) , losing in the Premier League in April 2015 ( 0-1 ) .
• Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 23 Premier League away games against promoted sides ( W19 D4 ) , since a 0-1 loss at QPR in April 2012 .
• Son Heung-min 's goal after 93 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning goal in the Premier League since August 2009 , when Aaron Lennon netted after 94 minutes 24 seconds against Birmingham .
• Jack Grealish has had a direct hand in 13 goals in the Premier League this season ( 7 goals & 6 assists ) , five more than the next Villa player and more than any other English midfielder .
• The Aston Villa midfielder has provided more assists in all competitions in 2019-20 than he has in any other season in his career ( 8 ) .
• Son became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history to reach 50 goals in the competition ( 51 in total after his brace ) .
Indeed , he 's the sixth Spurs player to reach this milestone after Teddy Sheringham , Robbie Keane , Jermain Defoe , Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen .
• Toby Alderweireld became the third Tottenham Hotspur player to score for and against his own side in the same Premier League game , after Gareth Bale vs Liverpool in November 2012 and Chris Armstrong vs Arsenal in March 2000 .
Aston Villa travel to Southampton in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15:00 GMT ) .
Tottenham host RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday ( 20:00 GMT ) before their next Premier League game at Chelsea on Saturday ( 12:30 GMT ) .

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Son's goal after 93 minutes and 34 seconds is Spurs' latest winning Premier League goal since 2009
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith says a "farcical VAR decision" contributed to Tottenham's last-gasp Premier League win at Villa Park on Sunday.
Spurs were awarded a penalty by VAR when the score was 1-1, with Son Heung-min scoring the rebound.
The South Korean forward later scored a stoppage-time winner, taking Jose Mourinho's side up to fifth in the table, a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Smith was heavily critical of VAR's intervention. "I don't get it," he said.
"There's 42,000 people in the stadium, he [referee Martin Atkinson] gives a goal-kick and everyone believes it's a goal-kick.
"It was a farcical VAR decision. The criteria is clear and obvious. It's not clear and obvious. Martin Atkinson stood up but his authority has been taken away.
"I told Martin at half-time I didn't blame him, but if he was brave enough to walk over to that monitor it takes 30 seconds, you go, 'No, I'm happy with my decision' and we play on.
"Instead we go into an environment where there's no feel for the game or what's happened and we make a decision. It was a sore result for us, it's a tough one to take."
The result means Villa remain a point above the bottom three in 17th.
They made the stronger start and took the lead via Toby Alderweireld's own goal - with the Spurs defender prodding Anwar El Ghazi's cross past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
The Belgian atoned by equalising with a superb angled effort that flew into the top right corner of the Villa goal from 10 yards.
Spurs went in front when Steven Bergwijn won the penalty after being judged to have been fouled by home defender Bjorn Engels.
While Engels headed in from a Jack Grealish corner to again draw the sides level, his late mistake allowed Son to race clear to place the ball past Reina as Villa's miserable run against sides in the top half of the table continued.
Villa errors cost them again
While Dean Smith's side have earned just one point against sides currently in the top half, a wider concern for the Villa boss is that eight of their 15 defeats this term have been by a solitary goal.
This was another occasion on which they could have taken at least a point from a hard-fought contest but for individual errors - with Engels having an afternoon to forget.
The 25-year-old Belgian, who started because of Tyrone Mings' absence through illness, had a difficult time dealing with the movement and pace of Bergwijn, Son and Lucas Moura.
It was his rash challenge on Bergwijn that allowed the visitors to go in at the interval with the lead in a game Villa had enjoyed the better of until then.
Aston Villa 2-3 Tottenham: Smith has 'lots of complaints' with Spurs' VAR penalty
In his late lapse, Engels allowed the ball to run under his studs, enabling Son to score the decisive goal. Engels' first goal for the Midlands club will have provided little consolation.
Villa had enjoyed a bright start as Grealish imposed himself on the game.
The Villa captain, who is the last survivor from the club's top-flight relegation in 2016, delivered a wonderful display, which is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by the clubs that are reportedly keen to sign him this summer.
He spent the early stages of this encounter tormenting Serge Aurier, flashing a shot wide and laying on a glorious chance from which Douglas Luiz should have converted.
Now 24, Grealish is maturing into a player capable of controlling games, and is exhibiting the sort of form that may bring him into England manager Gareth Southgate's planning for Euro 2020.
Spurs, Son and Alli keep plugging away
While Grealish is yet to make a senior England appearance, Spurs midfielder Dele Alli is someone Southgate knows all about - although his last cap came in June 2019.
Since then, Alli has suffered form and injury problems, but has appeared rejuvenated since Jose Mourinho took charge of Tottenham in November.
Although he did not add to the eight goals he has scored this season, his intelligent running caused Villa problems throughout.
Son had seven of Tottenham's 23 efforts on goal, with Alli next on five - including some of their best chances.
'It was a real fight' - Mourinho on Aston Villa win
Kortney Hause's superb block prevented him from equalising at 1-0 down, and Alli stretched as he headed Bergwijn's cross back across goal but wide of the right far post.
The 23-year-old then badly miscued a right-foot shot before half-time, slicing it wide, but he continued to pop up in dangerous areas after the break, teeing up Son for an effort that was brilliantly saved by Reina.
Villa's Spanish keeper made two further outstanding stops to prevent the South Korean from adding to his goal tally.
Like Alli, Son kept plugging away, and his reaction to Engels' late mistake was the reward for a high-energy performance that included 26 sprints, more than any other player on the pitch.
Man of the match - Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Son Heung-min has scored six goals in his last five games for Spurs in all competitions
'A window opens for many teams' - what they said
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho to BBC Sport: "I thought we deserved to win but I think they did not deserve to lose. Villa played to win."
On the Spurs penalty: "Steven Bergwijn, I don't know if I call him naive or too honest - the referees tell us pre-match, 'Don't ask for anything, don't surround me, don't do the motion of the screen'. The action was there and it was a question of to be or not to be, and clearly it was."
On Alderweireld's contribution: "In a funny way I'd say he's scored three goals: the own goal, his goal and then when he loses the duel with Engels. But he scored with a shot of his life."
On the opportunity to get into the Champions League by finishing fifth after Manchester City's ban: "Not just for us. A window opens for many teams. What seemed far, now the fifth place is not far. Arsenal, Everton, Sheffield United, Wolves, everyone will feel they have the chance."
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith to Sky Sports: "We have to try and take the positives. The last two games we've scored late winners here, so now we know how it feels on the other foot. We had chances to win the game but we weren't clinical enough.
"They have a front four that can hurt anyone, that's why we had to get forward and defend on the front foot. On the whole, I thought we dealt with them really well but we're disappointed with the goals we conceded.
"We probably gave away too many chances from counter attacks, which they're good at, but we didn't deserve to lose that. It was a good performance against a team that are fifth in the league but we deserved more than that."
Grealish enjoying stellar season - the stats
Aston Villa are without victory in their last 10 Premier League matches against sides from London (D1 L9), since a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in January 2016.
Tottenham have lost just one of their last 19 matches against Aston Villa in all competitions (W15 D3), losing in the Premier League in April 2015 (0-1).
Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 23 Premier League away games against promoted sides (W19 D4), since a 0-1 loss at QPR in April 2012.
Son Heung-min's goal after 93 minutes 34 seconds is Spurs' latest winning goal in the Premier League since August 2009, when Aaron Lennon netted after 94 minutes 24 seconds against Birmingham.
Jack Grealish has had a direct hand in 13 goals in the Premier League this season (7 goals & 6 assists), five more than the next Villa player and more than any other English midfielder.
The Aston Villa midfielder has provided more assists in all competitions in 2019-20 than he has in any other season in his career (8).
Son became the first Asian player in Premier League history to reach 50 goals in the competition (51 in total after his brace). Indeed, he's the sixth Spurs player to reach this milestone after Teddy Sheringham, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.
Toby Alderweireld became the third Tottenham Hotspur player to score for and against his own side in the same Premier League game, after Gareth Bale vs Liverpool in November 2012 and Chris Armstrong vs Arsenal in March 2000.
What's next?
Aston Villa travel to Southampton in their next Premier League outing on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Tottenham host RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before their next Premier League game at Chelsea on Saturday (12:30 GMT).